Blood of the Pure (Gaea) (70 page)

“Mariane!”

My name in his voice made me look away immediately as my eyes found him without even thinking. A single drop of blood dripped from his forehead, but his garnet silk shirt was torn in more places than I could tell, allowing me to see that his pale skin hadn’t been left unscathed. I watched as he raised one hand, calling me silently to his side, and yet I couldn’t help recoil in fear, his crimson gaze looking even more frightening than before. Because now I really knew what he was capable of. And it wasn’t as if I hadn’t known before, but seeing it in person changed everything.

That same sharp sound filled the air, making me shudder, and I saw that the black gateways were still there, which meant that more of those things were about to appear. I panicked, imagining having to face one of those things again and tried hard to push the fear away and the darkness that threatened to engulf me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Alexander pull himself up, holding his bright sword, ready for what would surely follow, and I felt sorry for Jonathan, for the pain he was suffering, and wished everything could just be over right that instant!

My eyes searched for him again, afraid for my sanity, afraid for his safety, and I saw that his hand kept that silent invitation, his burning eyes fixed on me. I wished he’d just come and get me, trampling over my will as he usually did, but knew instantly that he would never do it. He’d keep away, protecting me from a distance if need be, just like he’d done before, even if that meant constantly assaulting Alexander’s barrier for fear that imposing his presence would leave me in a worse state than that I already was in.

I bit my lip and forced my aching body to move, rising from that sea of broken glass, ignoring the burning pain of my cut hands. That barrier was protecting the entire school! And my classmates and teachers were inside it! Michael, Steph, Joanne and Kevin, and the others were inside it! And I couldn’t allow anything to happen to them because of my cowardice. My legs shook as I leaned against the wall, refusing to acknowledge the slightest feeling of insecurity and I fixed my eyes on him, on his hand that waited for me. My darkest voice told me that I’d probably never reach him, even if I tried. That those dark shadows would be on top of me even before I could get halfway. That I’d probably fall anyway. I ignored it the same way I had ignored Alexander’s warnings, and stood up straight, letting go of my only support. Gabriel was there ... and he was waiting ... and he would pick me up even if I fell. And so I ran.

Pain burnt through my legs, and through my chest, exploding in my head, and yet I refused to close my eyes. All I could see was him, his hand, and I refused to think or feel anything else. I stumbled and my knees buckled and yet I pressed forward, clenching my teeth, pressing my nails against the cuts on my palms. All I had to do was run ... and so I ran, and didn’t stop until I suddenly clashed against something hard and cold that would have me falling on my back, if not for the arm that immediately surrounded me, keeping me in place. My labored breath echoed around us as I gasped for air, desperately holding on to his shirt, my legs too shaky to keep me standing, and then his voice pierced through my brain, silencing everything else.

“Hush ... you’re safe now,” his whisper would have made me cry, if I only could, and I squeezed the silky fabric of his shirt, telling myself I would never let go of it again.

The screeching made me cringe against his body, a groan of terror escaping my dried throat, and his cold hand was over my head, slightly trembling, as if he wanted to assure me that he would protect me.

I felt him move and looked up at his beautiful face in fear. I couldn’t stop shaking, and my heart was drumming against my ears, but although I was clearly aware of the danger we were in, I suddenly and irrationally felt completely safe.

Gabriel lowered his spear, pointing the crescent-moon blade towards the closest circle and his expression became stern. The blood sliding down his face was bright red over his pale skin, dripping from his chin, and I noticed other cuts hidden under his shredded shirt.

And then more dark shadows jumped from the black gateways and, in a single swing, he cut two in half. The arm holding the spear moved quickly to the other side, piercing through another one. The speed of his movements was such I could hardly follow them and I was painfully aware of how my presence hindered him.

“Nyx!” I screamed, as a shadow appeared out of nowhere on his back and his spear cut the air at a high speed, so fast that I couldn’t even react as it brushed my hair near my ear, and he pulled it back in the next instant after having pierced another shadow.

I felt his body grow tenser, although the hand over my head was so light I could hardly feel it, and I saw him clench his teeth, his eyes glowing red. Fear coursed through my veins thick as blood and I buried my face on his chest, wishing I could become as insignificant as humanly possible.

“Mariane, I’m making you disappear from here. It won’t be safe anymore.” I heard his soft whisper and I instinctively clenched his shirt even harder, as if that were enough to keep me exactly where I was.

“No! What are you going to do?” I asked, panicking again, recalling our last talk. Without Lea around and with me somewhere far and safe, I was sure he would end up doing something really wrong ... and that was my school! My friends were in there!

“There’s no other choice. Those portals ... can only be closed by the one who opened them. And Lea is taking too long!” he told me, still brandishing his spear and quickly disposing of dark shadows.

I hugged him! And only then noticed what I’d just done, my arms too small to completely envelop him, as I foolishly thought that that could only make it even harder for him to move.

“I don’t care! I’m not leaving you!” I childishly declared, even though my despair was quite real, and suddenly everything was quiet.

A strange feeling took over my body. From afar I could still listen to the sounds of battle, but, where I now stood, everything was peaceful and quiet. I saw a small white light, almost like an overgrown firefly, fly around us in an uneven circle and the huge shadows recoiled, emitting sharp screeches as if they feared it. Gabriel too, stood very still, as he watched it with a puzzled expression. And the light stretched and grew, spinning around us nonstop, forming a bright circle. I couldn’t help smile, because it was if she were playing, her amusement filling me inside and, as soon as that thought crossed my mind, she turned to us in an errant flight and hid in my hair, playing with some loose strands.

You shouldn’t be here
, I thought,
Go help Alexander!

Obediently and ever restless, she jumped from my hair and split in two, the second light flashing across the air towards Alexander, making all the shadows in her path screech and crouch in terror, as she surrounded him in a circle like the one around us. I saw as he raised his head with a deep breath of relief, but then all that was left was a stunned expression of incredulity as he looked at me from where he stood.

“Mari!” His rough voice left me at a loss and I noticed Jonathan, still in his invisible cage, looking down at me with that same exact expression.

“Mariane?” My whole world turned towards that soft voice and everything else was immediately forgotten, and yet I was strangely aware that I hadn’t even moved. I saw him lean over me, his perfect face filling my entire field of vision, and noticed that, somehow, I wasn’t shaking anymore. The sweet scent of his skin made my heart beat faster, and yet everything around me was peaceful and I knew I didn’t fear him, nor the burning gaze locked on mine. “Mariane, destroy them,” he ordered in a whisper next to my ear, his breath surprisingly warm, and I broke out of my daze, feeling even more confused than before. I wanted to ask him what, but I couldn’t move, my mouth completely sealed, the air sliding rhythmically through my lungs, refusing to go through my vocal cords.

Destroy ...? Who? How?

I immediately saw all the scattered shadows that surrounded us as they persisted in trying to attack us, only to be repelled by the two small jumping lights, and I knew what he meant.

The shadows ... destroy them.
I simply formed the thought in my head and before my puzzled gaze, that inexplicable was able to see all that surrounded us at the same time, the small lights split into more, and more lights, that sped all over the place, leaving bright trails in the air, flying through the shadows that, once pierced, would shriek loudly in terror and explode into piles of dark dust.

The gateways, close them
, I commanded next, unsure if my order could be fulfilled and those same small lights that had just pulverized dozens of shadows plunged into the black circles in ground, making them shrink over themselves until they were completely gone.

I smiled, happy with myself, proud that even a mere Human like me had been useful, and the lights that filled the air jumped up and down echoing my happiness.

“Izrail! Wake her up! Anymore than this can be dangerous!” I heard Alexander’s voice as he shouted from his circle of light, apparently not daring to break it, and I looked up at Gabriel, who was still looking at me with a strange expression.

Wake me up? What’s he talking about? I’m obviously wide awake!

“Mariane, open your eyes. Everything’s fine now,” he told me softly and I frowned. If I was looking at him, how could I possibly have my eyes shut? His cold fingers slid over my throat, sending electric shivers all over my body, and he leaned even closer, his soft hair brushing my cheek as he whispered in my ear. “Mari, if you’re going to keep up this pretense any longer, I won’t answer for my actions.”

His voice made my heart jump and dive into a mad race. I saw the bright light around Alexander jump and, like all the others, run to us, reuniting with the one protecting us. And then, beyond what I could understand or put into words, something that had been empty inside me was filled again.

I took a deep breath, gasping for air, and pushed him away with all my strength, my whole body burning, my heart beating too fast for me to stand it. Unexpectedly, he gave in to my frail strength and my legs shook, dropping me on my knees where I stood. I placed a hand on my chest, trying to calm down, the world still wavering around me, and raised my head to face his smug, teasing smile that made my cheeks burn even more.

“Are you OK?” I ignored his annoying question and tried to control the tremors that were already taking over my body.

He took a step forward and offered me his hand, just like before, his white fingers long and elegant, patiently waiting for a decision. And, anyway, it wasn’t as if I was going to be able to stand up on my own, I thought, placing my hand on his.

However, even with his help, the change in altitude made me dizzy again, almost stealing my consciousness away, and Gabriel held me with shaking hands, now with a worried expression on his face.

“I’m OK,” I told him, trying to find firm ground under my feet, and he frowned.

“No, you’re not.” And with that he scooped me up with a single gesture, making me unsure if I was still standing or not, and I held on to his shirt in search of something solid that could stop the world from spinning. “You’re too light! It’s like I’m holding Lea,” he complained, and I would have contested his affirmation had I not been so busy trying to keep my mind from slipping away.

I felt his arms flex and contract so that I wouldn’t feel the swinging of his already soft footsteps and I couldn’t help notice that his hands wouldn’t even touch me, as if he were afraid to crumple me with the simplest of gestures, almost as if I were made of paper.

Chapter Twenty-Five

MAZ

– The Vision of the Urn. The Magus 9x = 2{square x}.

The Three Schools of Magick.
1
–

“Nothing really matters anymore ... not the world that surrounds me, not the life the inhabits me,

not the Soul that you so long for ... I freely give it all to you ...

everything in exchange for a few fleeting moments of pure existence.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

was dragged from my drowsiness by the sound of voices. Gabriel sounded angry and so I focused my attention into understanding what was going on.

“You never told me any of that!” he complained, but the voice that replied sounded patient and calm.

“You never asked. But what did you expect? They are only Human, after all. It’s not like they possess paranormal powers or something like that,” Alexander criticized. “But there’s no need to worry, as long as this doesn’t happen every day. Her ability to recover is also above the norm,” he added calmly, and the air became heavier.

“That’s hardly the point, is it?”

I sat up, holding my head, still slightly dizzy, and looked around.

I was back in my room, although I couldn’t even begin to remember how I’d gotten there, and they were arguing just outside the door. I sighed, certain that the topic of discussion was, once more, me, and had to put in some extra effort to stand on my two scrawny legs.

“What do you want me to say? Now you know,” Alexander replied and I dragged my bare feet to the door, knowing that that answer would only make him even angrier.

As soon as I opened the door, I was immediately received by two stunned expressions, almost as if I stood before two misbehaved children who had been caught red-handed.

“Mari! What are you doing up so soon?” Alexander finally asked, walking up to me, and his warm hands gently pushed me inside and towards the bed.

“I heard voices,” I told him, sitting down, unable to resist his strength. “What about Jonathan? How is he?” I asked, his suffering expression refusing to leave my mind, and Alexander gave me a soft smile that, once more, failed to reach his eyes.

“He’s resting. Which is what you should be doing, too!” he practically scolded me and I abstained from telling him that that’s probably what I’d be doing if they hadn’t been arguing right outside my door. 

“And Lea?”

“He already came back and went out again,” Gabriel replied.

“He didn’t find her,” I concluded and Alexander sighed heavily.

“I’m really sorry, Mari. It was all for nothing.”

I smiled, feeling truly tired, but clearly recalling all the injuries that they had suffered.

“You were the ones having it worse. I didn’t do anything much.”

Alexander smiled and placed a gentle hand on my head, and I couldn’t help thinking, even with all our divergences, how it would have been great having a Guardian like him.

“I’m going to see how Jonathan is doing. You get some rest, hear me?” I nodded, obediently and watched as he left. And then there was only him, standing by the door, arms folded over his chest.

“What were you arguing about? Leaving again?” I asked, too tired to look for more subtle ways to express my thoughts.

“No. That isn’t open for discussion.”

“Then?”

“How are you feeling?” he asked me and I frowned at his clear change of subject. “Think you can recite a little bit of Magic?”

I blinked at that. “Magic?!” He nodded.

“I want to raise this Magic Circle,” he told me and my heart jumped painfully.

“The one that Seals your powers?” He nodded again and I hesitated for a moment.

I’d been the first to suggest it and, just like before, it was still dangerous, maybe even more, for him to walk around, getting into those bloody battles with part of himself locked away somewhere. But, on the other hand, getting rid of the Circle was erasing one of the small bridges between us. He, himself, had told me that he’d always have to return to that house, since the Circle was there. If the Circle ceased to exist, then the only thing left binding us together would be our Contract.

I smiled, amazed at my own selfishness and raised my head, as if doing so would help me convince him of how healthy I was.

“Sure. Piece of cake.”

He nodded and, as I watched in wonder, all the things I’d gathered in the past for that Magical Ritual appeared out of thin air, on the floor. The Circle reappeared, drawn in salt, and only the strange symbols of the vertices were gone. There was also the glass of water, the candle and the pile of dirt, everything exactly where I had placed them. And the heavy book at my feet was opened to the right page.

I stood up, forbidding myself to show how that simple movement had been painful, and entered the Circle, careful not to scatter the salt that formed it. I kneeled in the exact place I’d been kneeling before and stopped for a moment.

I could still clearly see the symbols coming alight and exploding. And then that darkness that had opened a doorway to a forgotten dimension. Him, floating midair, right in front of me, his white body wrapped in black satin.

“Don’t stop until you reach the end,” I heard him say and took a deep breath.

I looked at the book lying on the floor beside me, and immediately identified the last sentence I had read, in that strange language that no one seemed to understand. And I hesitated again. In truth, I didn’t feel comfortable at all reading anything else from that book. But this time I had Gabriel with me. Nothing bad would happen. I was just returning his powers and getting rid of a Magic Circle that I’d thought had been gone a long time ago. And so I took a deep breath again and cleared my throat.

I carefully read all the instructions and magic words, finishing the Ritual that I’d never had the chance to conclude as, by the door, Gabriel muttered inaudible words under his breath. Then I went back to the page about the Protection Circles. I respectfully thanked all the four Guardians of the Elements and Cardinal Points, doing it in reverse to the order I’d evoked them on. And finally I went back to the center of the Circle, placing my hands over my chest as the book instructed, to read the final words.

“The Circle has no beginning and no end; it is in eternal balance. This was a time beyond time. This was a space beyond space. Here the Dream World and the Waking World met and were one together. So it has been.”

Gabriel’s voice filled the air, startling me as words flowed off his lips in an intonation that made me shiver. Because if I had thought that his velvet whispers could not be disobeyed, the tone he was now using had the power to make the world break and crumble at his feet, if he so wished it.

“Torzu comselh bli micaloz! Torzu comselh bli lonsa! Torzu chiso emetgis naneel doalim! Darbs cnoqvol gemeganza! Noaln! “

As soon as he pronounced the last word, the entire Circle started to glow and I prepared myself to see it explode. But it didn’t. This time, the golden light rose from the floor, from all around me, and kept floating up towards the ceiling, and I kind of expected that it would pass through it. But, as it reached a physical barrier, the circle of light started to shrink, quickly diminishing in diameter, until it was just a small ring. A flash of white light blinded me for a second and, once the light was gone, the ring fell on the ground, as hard as any other metal ring.

I stood still for a moment, waiting to see if anything else was about to happen, but all that was left were a bunch of scattered salt and a few strange objects that, all together, had no meaning whatsoever.

“Pick it up,” I heard him whisper and I crouched, suspiciously touching the ring.

It was hard, and cold like any other I had touched, and so I picked it up, turning it in my hand. As I looked closer, I noticed the thin symbols delicately inscribed on the inside of the golden ring and then I finally recognized them. Those were the same symbols, the ones that had exploded when he’d appeared.

“Is this the Circle?” I asked, still in disbelief, and he nodded. “But ... wasn’t it supposed to disappear after releasing your power?”

“I didn’t take my power back. It’s all still in there,” he told me and I was even more confused. “I’d rather you have it.”

It took me some time to understand what he’d just said and my slow reaction seemed to amuse him.

“Me?” I asked, widening my already over-widened eyes, and he smiled.

“I know that because they don’t belong to you, it will probably be difficult for you to activate them. But, in an emergency, they will activate automatically, almost like a survival instinct, and protect you,” he tranquilly explained and I looked down at the ring on my hand, a lump forming in my throat as the small golden ring became suddenly too heavy on my palm.

“How can this be?”

“It’s nothing big, really. The difference is that instead of being here, the Circle will be wherever you are.”

And that was that, and was enough to make me happy beyond words. Because that meant that the link between us hadn’t been broken. Quite the opposite! It meant that he no longer had to return to that house, but to me! Wherever I might be.

“Is this like ... forever? What if, one day, you do want them back?” I asked, feeling slightly guilty, but not nearly enough to refuse his offer, and Gabriel shrugged.

“I’ll see to that when the time comes. Right now I’ll feel much more at ease if you carry it with you, wherever you go. At least until this thing is solved.”

I didn’t know if ‘this thing’ was Telane roaming around free, or the war itself, but I didn’t care. I told myself I should argue a bit more against that idea, but when I noticed the ring was already safely enclosed inside my hand. And I couldn’t stop smiling. All that ... had been for me.

“Thank you.”

Gabriel averted his gaze, as usual, embarrassed by any clear demonstration of affection, and I had to try hard not to laugh.

“And now get some rest! I know you still haven’t recovered from yesterday and you must be exhausted after today,” he whispered and, although I was kind of disappointed at myself for not having been able to disguise my physical condition, I was even happier to know that he was worried about me.

“And you? Where are you going?” I reflexively asked and he seemed to struggle to find the right answer.

“I’ll go check the barrier,” he finally told me and I found myself doubting the truth of his words. Maybe it was the fact that he was still avoiding looking at me, or maybe the brief hesitance in his voice. I didn’t want him to go look for Telane on his own, which I was fairly convinced that was what he’d do as soon as he left my room. 

“Take me with you,” I offered firmly, and his surprised expression almost ruined my serious request. Being able to provoke those kinds of reactions on his stone-like face was something truly amazing.

“What?” he asked, even lower than usual, and I raised my head as if that could give extra strength to my words.

“Take me with you!” I repeated and, before he could refuse, went on. “You’re always talking about that barrier. I want to see it.”