The Devil's Third (35 page)

Roeick’s face hardened. He stared at the ground, the muscles in his jaw twitching.

I leaned forward and jabbed the air with my finger. “Then shut your mouth.” I turned my back on her, hearing the others snickering.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. My grandmother had said I was a skeleton key and could open the doors to the realms closest to ours. I had no idea how to do it, only that if I focused on a particular person like I’d done when I played my whistle for my father, I was able to reach him.

But Solomon’s spirit was nowhere to be found, which meant it would be a fruitless attempt. I didn’t have time to waste, so I concentrated on the incantations instead. I envisioned them written on a scroll, protected by some kind of spell he created, the same charm used to protect the ring my grandmother was able to find. The two items were separated, but once you possessed one, it would eventually reunite with the other. However, the circumstances had to be right–everything lined up perfectly like the stars in the sky. But it didn’t end there. Obstacles had to be placed in between. A test of endurance and will. If one desires something bad enough, she will not give up and will overcome the challenges placed in her path to achieve her goal.

A test
.

I opened my eyes and went east. I don’t know why, but I felt a strong urge to go that way. I entered the narrow hole and walked several yards down the passage until something caught my attention on the wall. Ancient script written in a language I didn’t recognize.

Damn.

“What’s wrong?” Nathan’s eyes followed mine, and then he looked at me, confused.

“What does this say?” I asked, thinking he might know.

“Does what say?” he asked, still confused.

“This message on the wall.” Surely he knew what I was talking about. It was right in front of his face. But when his eyebrows knitted, my stomach clenched.

“I see it,” Tree said on the other side of Nathan, leaning in front of him, tilting his head to get a better look.

I looked at Tree, surprised he could but not Nathan. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Tree answered, pointing slowly to each word like a mother would to get her child to read. Nathan stepped out of the way so Tree could have a better look. “It appears to be angelic or Theban script.”

 “How do you know?” I asked.

He shrugged and let out a bewildered laugh. “It’s crazy, but I can tell you what it says.”

A low, guttural growl sounded down the narrow passage, startling me. I glanced in that direction and saw Bael squeezing past Anwar and Brayden. His eyes were glowing. His face filled with rage. His forceful energy rolled toward me like a Mack truck. I grabbed Tree’s wrist and pulled him behind me to where he was sandwiched between Nathan and me. I turned my back on him to face Bael.

“What’s your problem?” I asked when he reached me.

He didn’t answer right away but stared at the wall instead, his chest heaving. “He’s right,” Bael said, raising his blazing eyes up to where Tree stood.

“You can see it then?” I asked.

“Of course,” he said in an angry, arrogant tone.

“Nathan, move down the passage a ways. I want to see if anybody else can,” I said.

After a few long moments of the others checking it out, we discovered only the three of us could see what was on the wall. They moved back to their original positions so once again, Bael and I were standing in front of it.

“What does it say?” I asked him.

Tree’s arm was pressed against mine. He ran his finger along the wall, beneath the sentences, and answered me before Bael could. “It’s similar to a riddle.”

“The boy is right,” Bael seethed.

Tree bellowed a painful moan and dropped his head into his hand.

“What’s wrong?” I took hold of his other hand, a riot of panic storming through my veins, quickening my heart rate.

Unable to find his voice, he squeezed my hand in short spurts.

It was only one word.

Michael
.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Nathan

When Tree clutched his head, releasing a painful cry, and the color drained from Paige’s face, I immediately became alarmed. Prior to it, I was bombarded by a barrage of swirling thoughts activated by Brayden mentioning I had an anger problem. It knocked me down a few pegs, though I didn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him know. However, his comment forced me into some self evaluation. Even though Tree came to my defense and Aosoth deserved my reaction, my temper didn’t help matters in this perilous situation.

And then there was Paige emitting a powerful light, as if she were a living bulb. With her every movement, her brilliance followed and illuminated the dark, dry cavern. I wasn’t only intrigued by this phenomenon but memorized as well. It made me wonder a lot of things; thus, the endless mind chatter . . . I wondered if I were good enough for Paige and if Anwar was right about me devoting my life to tracking dark spirits instead of being with her. Realizing those thoughts were bred out of the darkest part of my soul where it gave birth to self doubt and insecurities, I mentally shook them away. Then Paige asked Bael what the angelic script said.

Now, the intensity in the air grew with Tree’s agonizing moans. I noticed Paige taking his hand. He pressed it several times, secretly transmitting Morse Code. As if she could sense my worry, she reached for my hand. She squeezed it like Tree done with her, relaying his message to me.

Michael.

My mind quickly put two and two together, and my stomach dropped out from under me.

Impossible.

Or was it?

My thoughts zipped through the history of Solomon. The legends. It paused on one about the giver of the ring. Saint Michael, the archangel.

Tree took a deep breath and lifted his head, telling Paige he was fine. The pain had subsided. Brayden handed him a water bottle he retrieved from the bag Roeick carried. Tree took it gratefully and began guzzling while Bael read the message out loud in a thick, scathing voice. “The Ark of the Testimony filled with treasures. Infused with power which should have never been granted. Its contents dispersed throughout the land. Each one with a purpose, forged and tempered out of freewill and love for humanity. The noble man will align with divine intelligence. He will speak its language and lead his army in the direction of Jerusalem where a wrong shall make a right. The one who bears unworldly gifts will gain access if the intentions are of the purest heart.”

Paige gasped. “I know what it means.” She released my hand and pushed her way back in the direction we came. “We have to go north,” she called, and I was hot on her heels.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Paige

Without question, I knew what the ancient message meant. Anwar was right. My premonitions were prepping me for moments like this.

I plowed my way past the others, pushing Aosoth aside extra hard. Childish? Maybe, but honestly, I’d like to do more than slam her against a rocky wall. She released a painful yelp, but I pretended not to hear, though anyone seeing the smile on my face would surely know it wasn’t accidental.

In no time, I was back in the first chamber. My heart pounded in my ears, my adrenaline pumped at high speed. Tree was the noble one. Now, why didn’t that surprise me? He was the best person I knew. Of course, he would be a conductor for the Divine. The last sentence spoke of me. Obviously. I found it weird to be mentioned thousands of years ago. How did the author know?

I entered another narrow hall made out of limestone. I followed its zigzag patterned for about half a mile alongside the subterranean stream, and then stepped into a small chamber. The ceiling was high and eroded. A few stone pillars dotted the room. The air felt much denser and cooler in here, and I knew we were moving farther into the bowels of the earth.

The pulling sensation in the center of my chest increased. As I moved toward another passage on the far wall ahead, it became stronger. I could feel Nathan behind me, hear the rocks shift beneath hurried steps. I dashed into this tunnel and followed it to a tall, airy vault with massive columns and stalagmitic walls, which was cone-shape material poking out like horns on a dragon’s back. I crossed the area through a fluted archway to another room. The cavern quickly turned into a labyrinthine due to the many pillars and huge stalagmites shooting up from the earth. Maneuvering my way around them, I continued to allow the pulling in my chest to guide me, shifting my mindset on becoming the aggressor.

At the end of the maze a few yards away stood two soaring obelisks of jagged stone, spread evenly apart about sixty feet high. They loomed like two sentinels in front of a rocky wall that had a small gap, eight feet wide in the center. I knew it was impossible for any of us to fit through, yet the powerful urge to continue consumed me. As I neared it, my ribs began to vibrate. It felt like I was in a vehicle with the bass of a song blasting, thumping loudly, rattling the windows. Goosebumps broke across my flesh, and the hair on the back of my neck rose. My body tingled, as if every cell were wiggling.

Bael quickly moved to my side when a low humming noise erupted from me. Nathan joined my other side. I half turned, looking for Tree. He was with Brayden, not far behind. I stretched my hand, and he took it.

“This is it,” Bael said, his eyes glowing with excitement and something else. Something . . . hauntingly boastful?

“I can’t believe this is really happening,” Tree mumbled, standing so close to me that I could feel his body heat on my back. “I’m sorry, Paige. You were right. The way things are going I wouldn’t be surprised if we ran into some goblins. This place is unreal.”

“Why is there a sound coming out of
her
?” Aosoth demanded.

Bael turned, his gaze moving past Brayden and Anwar to address Aosoth. “Connection. Paige is connecting with Solomon’s incantations, my dear,” he told her in a sickening sweet tone which made me want to gag. “Why don’t you and Roeick come join us?”

I flashed him a sharp look. I didn’t want her or Roeick near me. Besides, I had no idea how we would get to the other side of this wall.

Turning his face away from the group to where only I could see it, he winked. I gave him a weird look and then rolled my eyes. I didn’t have time to figure out another one of his ploys and secret agendas. Right now, I was more concerned with what my next move should be.

“There’s magic here,” Anwar announced.

“How do you know?” Brayden and I asked in unison.

Aosoth and Roeick stood next to Bael, staring at the rocky wall dumbly. I looked at Anwar to clarify his statement. He moved closer and placed his hand on my shoulder. “What did you feel when you entered this area?”

I thought about it before answering. “My flesh chilled like when you’re suddenly spooked and the hair on your nape stirs. The same effect swept over my entire body.”

He nodded like a teacher would to his student who gave the correct answer. “Dat was your body’s way of reacting to its energy.”

Instant frustration bloomed inside me. How in the hell was I supposed to have known that? I’ve had those feelings before without magic involved. Nathan took my hand and turned to me. He must have felt me stiffen because when he spoke his voice was soft and inviting. A veil dropped around my surroundings, and it was only him and me. “Remember when you turned the lights off for Carrie and Tree?” I didn’t answer, just stared into his deep, blue eyes. “You used magic to accomplish it,” he continued. “How did you feel afterward?”

My heart stopped when realization quickly settled in. I’d felt the same as I did, minus the goose flesh and rising hair. Those two things had nothing to do with the magic in this room. It was the odd tingling sensation I felt. My mouth dropped, and I kept staring at him as the synapse in my brain linked together forming a new pathway for this revelation. The corner of his mouth tilted.

I threw my arms around him and laughed. “I know. I know now, how to tell when magic is in my presence.” I pulled back to look at him. He bent his head, and I captured his face in my hands and kissed him. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he said with a crooked smile, causing my stomach to flip.

“The recognition will mature as you get more acquainted with dat side of yourself,” Anwar said, bringing everything back into focus. “Now you need to concentrate on your objective, what you want. See it in your mind. Reach out to it.”

“You can do it, Paige,” Brayden said. “I have faith in you.”

“Okay, everybody be quiet,” I ordered. “I need to focus.” I shook out my tense muscles to relax and closed my eyes. Slowly, I breathed in through my nose and then exhaled out my mouth. I did it several times, releasing all thoughts. Surprising enough, the low humming noise aided me in this process. I envisioned a large, wooden door in front of me, snatching the memory of the ones I encountered when I dream walked to save Carrie. It made the process easier, and I could clearly see it in my mind. I imagined placing my hand on a shiny, gold lever, feeling its cool texture as I wrapped my fingers around it. I pushed it down and heard an intake of breath behind and Aosoth’s high-pitched squeal. It yanked me out of my trance.

I glared at her as she bounced on her feet, clapping with glee. “I told you to be quiet. How am I supposed to--”

“Paige,” Tree said.

I sighed and glanced behind me. “What?”

He grinned. “Look in front of you.”

I did and gasped.

A vein of golden, glittery light outlined an image of a round door.

I laughed. “I can’t believe this.”

“This is too cool,” Tree said. “I almost feel like I need a sword.”

“One that glows when a goblin is nearby,” Brayden told him.

Tree snapped his fingers and pointed at Brayden. “Exactly!”

Bael sighed, annoyed. “Okay, children. Paige needs to finish what she’s doing, so hold your tongues.”

I took a deep breath to quell the bubbles of excitement within me. The tugging sensation still remained, but the familiarity had dampened my awareness of its existence. But now, as I once again stilled my mind, falling into the droning sound between my ribs, I felt the force of it grow even stronger. I threw my hands out, palms facing the door and closed my eyes. The tips of my fingers prickled like they would if they were falling asleep. I imagined the door opening.