Elixxir (The Brethren Series) (11 page)

Now that she knew about him, he also decided he would tell her his true mission: to secure the Elixxir of Life back to the Beyond. Maybe, if she knew the implications of it falling into the wrong hands, she’d be more willing to open up and share whatever information she had. The way he figured, she already knew she didn’t want the bad guys to get it, but she had no clue that the Elixxir was real. Her motivations ran along the lines that it belonged to her parents and now her, and it could be stolen away forever.

Callie opened the bathroom door feeling more determined than ever. “Okay, Nate, let’s open up Pandora’s Box. It’s now or never.”

“Here, you open it. It’s only right.” He handed the envelope to her and she sat on the unfamiliar bed, wishing it were her own. Crossing her legs, she tried to get comfortable.

She slid a finger under the glued flap, stuffed her hand inside, and pulled out a paper. “Jesus Christ. It’s a letter. From my father. It’s dated. Lord, this letter’s twenty years old.” Taking a calming breath, she began reading aloud.

“Dearest Ariana, if you are reading this letter, then my first attempt to conceal the Elixxir has failed and something terrible has happened to your mother and me. But I have two more safeguards and pray they work. I am so sorry to have put you in this horrible position. I didn’t think at the time it could get this bad. The Elixxir’s appeal has grown since I’ve acquired it, and it has become too dangerous to keep. I never thought people would actually believe in its powers like I do, but they do and have become crazed with hunger for its gift. For this reason, I’ve hidden it rather than put it on display in the shop. You won’t be able to see it now, but right below this letter, I’ve written directions to where it can be found. I hope you remember how we used to write notes to each other. When you find the Elixxir, get rid of it! It will surely cause you nothing but more pain. And then hide. Evil people are circling and will not rest until they get their hands on it and kill everyone connected to it. Your life, I’m afraid, has forever been altered by my foolish greed. Instead of living forever, I am probably damned to Hell. I am so sorry, my dearest child. So very sorry. Dad.”

She sat stone still for a few minutes, rolling his message over and over in her mind.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. And now you know what someone’s willing to blow up an apartment and kill for.”

He nodded. “The Elixxir of Life.”

“Yes, do you know anything about it?”

“It is known to bring immortality to anyone who drinks it.”

“It’s a bunch of bullshit, if you ask me. It’s probably a flask filled with tap water.”

“It’s true. The Elixxir is real, and if it falls into the wrong hands it will be disastrous on so many levels. Evil will grow rampant and overtake the Good.”

She scoffed. “Come on, Nate. My father’s shop had some cool knick-knacks and oddities in it, but something as far-fetched as this is…is…just that! Far-fetched! A bunch of hooey.”

“I’m on a mission to retrieve this hooey and bring it back into secure hands.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Totally.”

“This whole situation gets more outrageous the longer I’m in it. Wait a minute. You came to my apartment looking for it, didn’t you? Your visit had nothing to do with Kemuel’s apology at all, did it?”

“Yes, he really asked me to apologize for him. And yes, I’d already been assigned my mission to find the Elixxir when I came knocking at your door.”

Overwhelmed by his disclosure, she ran out of the room.

She ran down hall after hall until she knew what the hell she wanted to do next. Next turned out to be finding a stairwell and sitting on a step to clear her muddled head.

He could have caught up with her easily. But he chose to let her go. Her world had spun out of her control, and if running and hiding for a while would bring things back into balance for her, he would give that to her. He laughed at her attempt to get away from him as he sauntered down the hallway. She’d stopped in Stairwell B, Floor 19. Warrior tracking senses came in so handy for many purposes, not only for hunting criminals. They were great for keeping a distant eye on the people he cared about. And he cared about her. Keeping her safe wasn’t strictly business. It had become a personal mission, as well. He couldn’t deny that. But securing the Elixxir had to be top priority for the safety of the world.

He lightly pushed open the door to the stairwell. Rather than simply floating down to her, he decided instead to walk each step, giving her a little time and space. He found her sitting on one, leaning against the wall between the twentieth and nineteenth floors.

Nathanael lowered himself onto the one above her and stretched his legs. She didn’t so much as even flinch. “Hey.” He rubbed her back and kneaded the knots of tension bunched beneath his fingers.

“Hey.”

“I know this is a lot to take in. It’s not every day you learn that angels exist and that by drinking a liquid you can become immortal. I get it. I’m hoping we can move forward, though. That Elixxir must be found and secured as soon as possible. Can I count on you to help me?”

She turned around and raised a brow. “Oh, now you’re
asking
me for help? Tell me, you’ve known, since I found you at my doorstep, that I had the Elixxir.”

“Yes, I can’t lie. So yes, I did know. And what about you? You knew all along the men were after the Elixxir, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

He got up, moved down a couple of stairs, and turned so they were face to face. He leaned against a raised knee. “Then you are no different than me. We are both secretive and have very good reasons to be so. I am protecting the world, and you, well, you are protecting the remnants of a life so radically changed from what it should have been.”

“No, I guess in that sense we’re not that different. So, when we find this Elixxir, what do you plan on doing with it?”

“I have to take it back to the Beyond where it will be secured for eternity.”

“And what if I don’t want to give it to you? What if I want to keep it? What would you do?”

“I would have to find a way to convince you to give it to me. It can’t remain here. It’s not meant for this world.”

“I don’t want it anyway,” she said dismissively. “It’s caused me nothing but suffering and pain.” She nudged him out of the way and walked up the steps at an unhurried pace. “We need to go to a novelty shop and get an invisible ink kit. I know it sounds silly, but that’s what I’m sure my father used to write the rest of the letter. That’s what he was telling me when he wrote about us writing notes to each other. We always used invisible ink.”

“That should be easy enough to find.”

“My father’s store had them in a section for kids. What do you say we tempt the fates and go there?”

He charged up the stairs and grabbed her by the arm to stop and turn her toward him. “I don’t know if you’re a bold, kickass woman or just one with a death wish.”

“I’ve been wondering what Uncle’s done with the place. And who knows, if we decipher the letter, it might lead us back there.”

“There’s not a chance I’m letting you go there yet. Not until we know who’s a part of this death plot. We can find something at one of the shops around here.”

She shrugged. “It was worth a shot. You know, if I remember my father well, and I think I do, he’s not going to make this easy for us. He loved puzzles, and if he thought danger surrounded this thing, he could have cloaked its whereabouts in a riddle or something like that.”

“Well, we’ll see soon enough. Come on.” He held out his hand to her. “This is one clue the bad guys don’t have. Hopefully, the note they took doesn’t tell them everything.”

She nodded and put her hand in his as he turned to walk back up the steps.

“Nathanael.”

“Yes?”

“Stop a minute.” He did as she bade him, and waited for her to reach a few steps above him.

“All my secrets are revealed. My cards played. How about yours?”

Her gaze sought an assurance he couldn’t give her. She would have to understand there were things he could never share with her. “As far as the Elixxir goes, I have told you everything I know and what I need to do. Beyond that, I can’t promise to tell you everything about me, about the Brethren, about the world beyond. It is too much of a risk. But you must know that what I do share with you, I’ve never shared with another human. I am trusting you with our existence and the safety of its secrecy. Think you can handle that?”

“You can trust me. I’ll never tell.”

He smiled and they continued back to their room.
Raphael can always do a mind sweep if you do
.

***

Las Vegas, Nevada

Classical music lilting in the background did nothing to soothe his irritation. Ariana still lived. His men would arrive shortly with the envelope they’d found in the wreckage of her apartment. He suspected it contained information about the Elixxir flask. Ruminating about the plan he’d conceived years ago, he grinned for the first time that day. She would be brought to him, alive. Then, she would be forced to watch as he drank the Elixxir. Finally, she would die and he would live. Forever. At least that was the plan for now. Things could always change.

“Mr. Murati, there are two gentlemen waiting in the foyer to see you.”

“Send them in, Clara. Thank you.” He swirled the brandy in the snifter and took a swill.
Ah, sweet
. But revenge would be sweeter. He relaxed into his wing-back chair by the stone fireplace.

Two well-dressed men entered the library and stood before him. “Please, gentlemen, take a seat. You have something for me, Johnny?”

The man with the shiny, charcoal gray Armani suit answered. “Yes, sir. As I told you over the phone, we found the envelope in a safe. There’s a return address on it for a law office here in Vegas. It’s sealed. Looks like it’s never been opened. Here.” He handed it to him.

“Good, good. Nice work, you two. Stay here while I open it. I may have another assignment for you.”

He took the letter opener that rested on a side table and sliced through the flap, imagining it to be Ariana’s neck. He took out the note and painstakingly unfolded it. “Son of a bitch!” He tossed it to the floor.

“What is it, Mr. Murati?” Marco spoke up this time.

“It’s a damn puzzle! A friggin’ clue! Even from the grave Joseph toys with me! I don’t have time to play his stupid games.” He swallowed the rest of the brandy in one swig.

“So now what, boss?”

“Isn’t it obvious? As much as I loathe what he’s done to me, we must solve the puzzle and go from there. Johnny!” He held out his glass. “Pour me another brandy. Marco, pick up the damn letter and let’s get started figuring out the answer.”

Chapter Ten

Callie found a novelty shop not far from their hotel. Although within walking distance, given the fact it neared midnight, taking the bike seemed a safer bet. It made for easy getaways, if necessary. As they pulled up to the storefront, she had second thoughts. It looked like a tiny hole in the wall. But as she dismounted, she mustered up her optimism and put a smile on her face. It didn’t matter what the place looked like, really. Having called beforehand, she knew they had what they were looking for.

As she opened the door, the ear-piercing jingle of a bell alerted the world they had arrived. The young girl at the counter near the front of the store immediately looked up from her book and blew a bubble with her gum.

“Hi, we’re having a sale on crystal balls today. Forty percent off. And if you’re interested in fake vomit, it’s buy one, get one free.” She went back to reading and chewing like a cow.

“Thank you.” Nathanael sidled up next to Callie, leaned on the counter, and smiled a toothy grin. “We were actually interested in your invisible ink kits. We have a nephew who’s into all that spy stuff. Can you help us find one?”

And help we’re gonna need, Callie thought to herself as she looked around. The minuscule store had only two aisles and floor-to-ceiling shelves crammed with all sorts of magic and comic paraphernalia. It suffocated.

The girl gave him a sour smile in return. “Invisible ink kits are down aisle two, all the way at the end, right side, second shelf from the bottom.”

Following the clerk’s directions, Callie eyed what she needed and turned to say so, but when she did, she found him still standing by the counter, watching her. After giving him a quizzical look, she finally understood. He motioned with his hands that the width of the aisle was narrower than the width of him. She laughed, picked up the kit, and headed back toward the front. He paid, and they headed back to the hotel, stopping only to pick up a pizza and drinks.

***

“I’m so glad we stopped for something to eat. My stomach growled something fierce the whole time we were in the store.”

“I know. I heard it.” Nathanael put his hands against his ears, and she smacked his arm with the back of her hand. They shared a mushroom pepperoni pie, picnic-style, on the bed.

“You know something? I think pizza tastes better the later the evening gets, don’t you?”

“I can eat the damn stuff morning, noon, and night. Don’t know why, and I don’t question it.” He smiled back. “Do you want to do the reveal now? I can tell you’re utterly exhausted at this point.”

“I am, but I want to know what my father wrote. So, let me at it. Where’d you put the kit?”

“On the table. Where’s the letter?”

“In my bag.” She grabbed it and sat down across from him.

He read the directions on the back of the package. “Hmm, says here we’re supposed to spray this liquid on the paper and the chemical reacts with the ink. Here.” He took the small spray bottle out of the plastic cover and handed it to her. Would the ink still react after all this time? Nate looked dubious, but she disregarded his cynicism and hoped for the best.

“Thanks. Here goes everything.”

She spritzed the paper with a fine coating and waited. Not ten seconds later, a message appeared. She sprang from her seat. “Here it is! Nate, it worked!” She calmed herself and sat back down. “Listen to this.
With a find such as this, I’d be foolish to disclose its whereabouts plainly. There are clues to be found and rules to be followed. Here’s your first clue: Where the lions sleep and roar is a marquee with a trap door. A quarter past noon is the best time for you to open it and solve Clue #2
.”