Seal of Solomon (Journeyman Book 2) (30 page)

She might have been forceful with her words, but they were filled with genuine concern.

Fenran stared at the concrete jungle, a deep rooted part of him longing for the greens of home. He moved his hand in a sweeping motion across the distant buildings. “The demons can do what they like with the Earth. Raze this ALL to the ground for all I care.” His words were so bitter, causing Meriden to back away else be soured herself. “So long as the Otherworld is left alone.”

“You cannot guarantee this!” she cried. “When the demons have finished tearing this world apart looking for the keys to their doors, do you think they will hesitate venturing into the other realms on the hunt?”

“We are elves! Certainly capable of defending ourselves,” Fenran exclaimed.

Still shaken by his words, she continued to back away slowly. Step by step the distance between them grew further. “Then either way, war is coming to our door?” she asked solemnly.

Fenran looked to her, his face cold and indifferent. “Yes.”

SERENITY HUNG IN
the air, mixed with hope. It was just after five o’clock and the afternoon light began to fade over the distant green mountains. The
Odyssey
skimmed over the low lying clouds that covered the Sacred Valley, engines off, cruising forward on the power of the wind.

Beneath the airship hung a thick mist and the city slowly emerged, its Incan temples of polished dry-stone peeking out like watchful soldiers. Hundreds of other buildings appeared, with masonry so tight that no mortar was needed. They sat across the wide terraces atop of the mountain, arranged around a centralized area of grass.

Om was bringing the ship in to anchor just above the long plaza, moving closer as Marcus, Gage, and Joey gathered anxiously in the forecastle to observe the approach. The scenery around them was truly breathtaking, though Gage’s eyes were scanning it for any unusual movement – human or otherwise. Thankfully, he saw nothing, indicating the advance team of Journeymen were successful in their mission to clear the area of not only tourists but the locals as well. The last thing they needed to worry about was collateral death during this operation. It was all about getting in, getting Adrienne, and getting the fuck out of dodge.

The trio swayed as the ship lurched to a halt and looking to each other, Gage extended a hand in front of himself. He turned his palm downward and Joey followed suit with his hand over Gage's, then Marcus.

“Time to shine fellas!” Gage shouted, thrusting all of their arms upward.

“Yes!” Joey and Marcus said together as they separated.

Roused, they lined up beside each other along the hardwoods. Gage was massive in the middle with the others on his left and right.

“Missin’ that machete,” Gage said, checking the fit of the dagger holster on his belt. It was a little loose but would work. “Should’ve picked one up from Om’s stash.”

Joey snickered, recalling Gage’s proficiency with it, then looked down to the floor. There were six square panels, slightly darker than the rest of the wood, set in a line and the group’s feet occupied three of them.

Ready or not, it was go time.

Marcus leaned over, quickly pulling on a long lever that stuck out from the paneling like a slot machine. Cogs whirred and the
clinks
and
clangs
of unseen machinery resonated throughout the room. Marcus leaned over to Gage with apprehension in his face, dropping his voice to a whisper.

“You may want to brace yourself.”

Gage grunted and hadn’t gotten his eyes halfway over to Marcus before there was a large
crack.
All three of them were thrust out of the forecastle, materializing on Peruvian grass seconds later.

The
Odyssey
hung above them in waiting, Om ready to assist should the need arise. Hopefully it would not.

“Son of a bitch,” Gage exclaimed right at Marcus, wearing a monstrous grin over his earlier scowl. He then took off surprisingly fast, running towards the end of the long central plaza; the pinnacles of Una Picchu and the larger Huayna Picchu rose up before him.

Marcus and Joey chased behind, following Gage toward two megalithic stones in the saddle between the peaks, a jagged, upright gap separating them in the middle. Behind them, the fantastic beauty of the valley spread out as far as their eyes could see.

“Spectacular,” Joey said in awe. This certainly beat the Texas landscape by far.

“Is this it?” asked Gage over his heavy breaths; that was the most cardio he'd done in ages. Anticipation was beating hard and fast in his chest as he kneeled before stones.

Joey stood watch, knowing there was a damn good chance of demons showing up to ruin the party. His hand rested coolly on a Kimber 1911, equipped with iron bullets just in case any smokeys paid a visit.

Marcus passed by, joining Gage. He knelt too, shifting the AR-10 off his shoulder to the middle of his back as he studied the stones.

“Let's see now,” he said, looking at the edges of the gap. Reaching into his pocket, he removed a small silk satchel, tied off with a leather strap. He opened the purplish sack and dove in with his fingertips, removing a pinch of fine powder that glowed ever so faintly gold.

Gage watched attentively, Joey glancing over too, as Marcus tossed it into the air. The glittery cloud wafted for a time, before bounding to the stone. As it hit, long lines of hieroglyphics were revealed along both edges.

“Panchay… punku”
he muttered as they glistened, closing his eyes. The symbols popped and a glowing line tore up and down the sides, the space in between aflame with an otherworldly energy. Opening them again, Marcus shifted to look at Gage. “The doorway is open. Unsure for how long it will stay that way, but we must act quickly.”

“What’s the rush?” asked Joey.

Marcus’ face was unnerved, his voice hurried. “Remember, there are vile creatures that inhabit the Astral Plane and they desperately want to be out of there. We kind of just sent them all a beacon that a way was open.”

“Ah, shit,” Joey replied, grabbing his pistol a little harder.

“Gage,” Marcus continued, looking away from Joey for now. “Call out to her…”

Wasting no time, Gage rose and strode to the gateway. The light was blinding and the sheer heat coming off of it was incredible. He feared that he would be burned, yet he stayed and the amulet glowed.

Closing his own eyes despite the pain, he calling out across the void to his soul mate.

“Ady, can you hear me? Come home… I love you…”

ADRIENNE SAT IN
the dark clearing, storm clouds churning while unbridled lighting hurtled across the entire sky. The wind picked up, thrashing the murky forest while straggling leaves were ripped away into the abyss. Something had upset the balance, raising her hackles.

The time had come.

Rising from a worn stump across from her, Silver began to pace frantically to and fro across the patchy soil, muttering under his breath. “It’s open… I can feel it.”

“What do we do now?” Adrienne asked, rising off the less-than-comfy plot of dirt to her feet. She felt a desire to go for her dagger, the air seemed menacing and terrible, but she held off.

“Do you feel anything?” he asked her over the howling squall. It began to rain, something he hadn’t seen before and the temperature began to fall. “Seek deep inside yourself. Do you hear a call… see a path?”

She shook her head disappointingly and shrugged. “No, nothing.”

“Have faith,” he said, shoulders drooping as his optimistic face sunk in. Doubt began to displace his confidence.

“Wait…”

He looked to her surprised face, eyes kindled with hope.

“I feel it, right here,” she said, raising a hand to her breast. She closed her eyes tightly, wrinkling her face in a desperate search to lock onto what she was feeling.

The darkness was endless, just as it had been when she arrived. She could not see a thing, but something tugged at her… drew her in a particular direction. She followed, floating through the void until she felt a warmness around her like two, grizzly arms. Her eyes flung open, the connection made. “It’s Gage. Oh my God, it’s Gage!”

A rumble filled the grove and the wind shifted directions, madly swirling about a couple hundred feet away. Lighting leapt down from the sky into the column of air, tearing it in two. The halves separated, drawn apart as if some great hands were pulling them apart. A gaping blackness remained in the middle of the whirling air, beckoning her to enter.

“Adrienne!” came a voice from the shadows, rising over the thunderous noise. “Come home!”

Even Silver could hear him now, letting a smile crack the dejected façade he was wearing not moments before. Gage Crosse had done it. With tears of joy he donned his hood and rushed ahead, grabbing hold of Adrienne’s hand as he swooped by. “Let us go! Quickly now, toward the chasm!”

They both sprinted, Adrienne shouting as loud as she could with each fleeting step. “Gage! We are coming! Hold on!”

As the shadowy gulf grew closer, it widened and for a brief moment she thought she saw a glimmer of light and a figure of light on the other side. It had to be him and seeing it drove her to run faster.

That's when the terrible cries of a roar all too familiar filled the air. The monsters had come… lots of them.

No, all of them.

GAGE HAD BEEN
listening and could hear Adrienne at last! His heart and throat were on fire, yet he persisted.

“Gage, we’re coming!” her voice rang out from the vortex, filling the peaceful mountaintop.

The gateway widened and he could see two shadowy forms inside, only inches tall but growing larger by the second. “Guys, she's there!” he shouted with a huge Cheshire grin. “She’s on her –”

BANG!

The sound of gunfire rang out, shattering the mood.

BANG! BANG!

Gage didn't want to look away, but spun around to see Joey aiming at a cluster of nearby buildings. Slivers of body parts slunk away behind the walls and the stonework chipped away as his bullets struck.

“We have company!” Joey yelled.

“Gage,” Marcus said to him forcefully, “you have to keep the connection alive. Focus on her, we’ll handle our red-eyed friends.”

Reluctantly Gage looked back to the chasm, seeing the shapes continue to grow. However, behind them he spotted a darkness, tendrils spreading. “Oh my God.”

Joey covered Marcus as he moved forward, taking up position behind a low wall. Luckily the grounds were fairly level, taking away any possible height advantage the demons had. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fire stone.

“Ignis!”
Marcus shouted, his breath crossing over the runes. They hissed and he lobbed it over like a grenade. It arched through the air, impacting the buildings where the demons had holed up, exploding in a great fireball. Bodies emerged from the resulting inferno, screaming in pain from the magical fire.

Joey put them out of their misery with a few well placed rounds. “That’s probably not the last of them,” he said, reloading quickly.

Marcus slung the AR-10 off his shoulder and charged it. Looking down the scope across the plaza and into low town, he saw a mob rushing toward them. “Nope. Not by a long shot,” he replied, biting his lip as he squeezed the trigger.