Shadows in the Silence (21 page)

I stood from my chair, sliding it back and letting it screech across the floor. “I wish I could say it was nice meeting you. We’ve got a mission to carry out. Thanks for the tip.”

Will and Cadan followed me out of the café and into the streets. As we headed back toward where we’d parked the car, I slowed my pace to match Cadan’s. His gaze was fixed on the ground as we walked and I hooked an arm around his.

“Are you okay?” I asked him.

He looked at me finally, his opal eyes quiet and distant. “Of course. I’ve been treated a lot worse, believe me.”

“I do,” I said. “But you’re not trash. No matter what anyone says. No one can help where they come from, and where you come from doesn’t make you who you are.”

“Not entirely true,” he replied, flashing me a sideways grin. “You’re from Heaven, after all. Need I say more?”

I rolled my eyes and shoved his shoulder. “I’m serious! I know it must be hard for you, being around so many angelic reapers who only see what you are instead of
who
you are.”

His smile faded and he lifted his head, gazing onward. “Not everyone will give me the chance you have, and even then with you it took time. It isn’t fair for me to hold anything
against those who haven’t had the time to understand me. Besides, I’m not out to redeem myself to them. I want to redeem myself to
me
. And to you. That’s all that matters.”

I took a firmer grip on his arm and stopped us both in the street. He looked down at me, his jewel eyes brightening, glowing in the darkness.

“You have,” I told him, feeling a little heartsick at his words. “To me, at least. You have to let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

His grin came right back and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulled me close, and kissed the top of my head, very big-brother-like. “You just worry about saving the world, okay? I don’t need saving nearly half as bad.”

We started walking again to catch up with Will, who had stopped a little ways ahead. He watched us, his expression difficult to read. There was no anger or jealousy on his face, only a visible effort to understand. Just as Cadan had said, it would take time for others to accept that he had turned his back on the demonic. It was especially hard for Will, given their past, and though it would take more time for him to be as comfortable with Cadan as I was, I believed with all my heart that he would arrive there one day.

“WE’RE HEADED TO AALST,” I TOLD AVA OVER THE phone once we were back on the road.

“Any specific location?” Ava asked. “Address, intersection, landmark?”

“None that we know of,” I replied, with a glance over at Will in the driver’s seat.

Silence, and then, “What’s the plan?”

“You and Marcus go on ahead of us,” I instructed. “We’re an hour behind you.”

“See you soon.” She hung up.

When we arrived in Aalst, I found the town to be sublimely quaint in its sleepy quietness. Will parked on the side of a steep, sloping street and we walked down a street of brick too narrow for even a car lane, with picturesque buildings painted various shades of cream and pastels lining the
passage on either side of us, until we found an open pub. Since we knew nothing about the relic guardian supposedly located somewhere near the village, I hoped that perhaps he had made an appearance at some point to one of the locals.

A few burly men with their mugs of beer were scattered at booths and tables inside the pub. It seemed like the tourist crowd had cleared by this late hour and the only patrons left were those seeking relaxation and a pint after work. I longed for an end to the day myself, but we’d already decided to find a hotel to stay the night only after we had finished investigating the village. The men in the pub gave us disgruntled but curious looks as we sat on empty stools at the bar.

The balding man tending to the bar asked us in Flemish if we wanted anything. I flashed my sweetest, apologetic smile at him. “Americans,” I said, and gestured to myself, Will, and Cadan.

The bartender nodded, understanding. “American,” he echoed in a thick accent. “Need a drink?”

“Yes, please,” I said. “Do you have tea?”

He laughed and shook his head. “No. No tea. Are you three students?”

“Journalism,” I replied, thinking quickly. “We’re writing a story on local legends. Stories of flying creatures and things like that.”

His hands fumbled around a glass and it slipped from his grip to clatter on the floor. I exchanged looks with Will and Cadan before watching the bartender curiously.

“No story here,” he grumbled, his face reddening. “You should leave. There is nothing here to find for you children.”

“I’m sorry,” I told him. “I didn’t mean to upset you. We’re only interested in—”

“No,” he said, his tone firm and harsh, and he leaned over the counter and got right in my face. “You will find nothing here.”

Will launched himself to his feet and he slammed his hand on the counter, warning the man to back off. “That’s close enough,” he growled.

“Thanks, anyway,” I said to the bartender and dropped off my chair. “Let’s go.”

As we hurried out the door and down the street, Will leaned close to my ear, and said, “We’re being followed.”

I turned to see that one of the men from inside the pub now stood in the narrow street, head bowed and hands stuffed into his pockets. I felt no threat from this man, but he was clearly nervous and that made the reapers nervous in return.

“American girl,” he called in a hushed voice also thick with a Flemish accent. “You look for legends?”

“Yes,” I said. “Do you know of any creatures like the one we’re looking for?”

“I do.” His eyes were huge in the dark. “But you will think I’m crazy. They all think I’m crazy.”

I smiled. “Try me.”

“You know Kasteel van Mesen?” he asked, low and guarded. He glanced over his shoulder once.

It took him mentioning the abandoned castle for me to remember it. “Yes, I’ve heard of it.”

“The devil of Kasteel van Mesen,” the man continued. “Black wings and glowing eyes…. The others think I’m crazy, but I’m not. They think the story is bad for business.”

Will had a knowing gleam in his gaze. What this man described sounded like it could be a reaper. “And you’ve seen this creature with your own eyes?”

He nodded. “I worked as a security guard for years, but I am the only one to see the devil.”

No wonder the poor guy’s friends thought he was nuts. Fortunately for him, I believed in winged beasts. “That’s a pretty good story,” I told him. “Thank you. We will have to pay a visit and see if we can find this devil.”

The man started back down the street, but just before he disappeared into the pub once more, he paused. “Be careful, fire girl. The devil will steal your soul.”

I stared at him until he was gone and tried to shake off his final words. A terrible worry, that the reaper hidden in the crumbling castle might be demonic, crossed my mind.

We continued our trek back to the car and I pulled out my cell to call Ava. “How’s the search going?” I asked when she answered.

“I’ll let you know,” she replied. “Evolet called. You made quite an impression.”

“As did she,” I grumbled. “Did she say anything
useful
?”

Ava laughed softly on the other line. “Just a lead where
we might find the guardian. She was surprised we were in Belgium. Have you found anything yet?”

“We’re checking out Kasteel van Mesen right now,” I said.

“Good idea. In fact, we’re on our way to an abandoned factory.”

“We’ll regroup afterward. I can call you again after we’ve investigated the castle.”

“One step at a time,” she replied. “Luck to you.”

“Right back at you.” I put the phone away, resolved against meeting the others empty-handed. Evolet seemed certain that the guardian of the Pentalpha hid within Aalst, and a villager claimed to have seen a winged devil at the same location. I felt that we were close at last, and I wouldn’t rest until I had the relic in my hand.

Will opened the car door, but Cadan put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me before I could climb in.

“I think I’ll sit this one out,” he said.

I stared at him in confusion. “What?”

“The relic guardians really don’t like me and I don’t want to cause any more trouble,” he said. “I want you to go on. I’ll sit tight until you find the guardian.”

I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to leave him behind, even for a few hours.

He appeared to notice my hesitation and he smiled. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. Go with Will and get this ring. In the meantime, I’ll keep my eyes and ears alert in case
anyone follows us. I’ve got your back.”

I nodded and swallowed hard. There was a chance that Sammael had ordered someone to tail us, or that Sammael and Lilith themselves could be hunting us at this very moment. Before he died, Merodach had made it clear that Sammael had regained his strength and was ready to take my soul and take this war to the next level.

Will cleared his throat. “I agree with you. The relic guardians have been defensive and potentially hostile. Hopefully this will be the last we’ll deal with. We’ll rejoin you when we’re ready to summon Azrael.”

“Then I will see you both very soon,” Cadan said. He spread his wings, silver feathers flashing gold in the lamplight, and he leaped into the night.

Kasteel van Mesen was dark, crippled, and yet still imposing. It had been built for a royal family in the early seventeenth century, but a couple hundred years later, it became a factory and was then renovated into a boarding school for the daughters of elite victorian families. A magnificent neo-gothic chapel had been built adjacent to it, but the fortress was eventually abandoned and left to decay. Though it had been overtaken by the elements and by wild vegetation, I’d seen few things that were more beautiful. The roof had collapsed over many wings, but the columns, arches, and inlay of brick and stone still held their shape. The fallen castle had a very forgotten-fairy-tale feel to it.

We explored the perimeter until we found an entrance clear enough to get through, as most of the doors and windows on the ground level were blocked by debris and thick vines. We crossed through a tall double door with one side barely clinging to its hinge and entered a once-grand hall. The ceiling had collapsed long ago, and now patches of green and small, young trees grew from the floor, peeking out between chunks of the roof and heavy wooden beams.

“It’s too dangerous to cross through here,” Will said. “Let’s find another corridor.”

I followed him back through the door and down another dark hall. This one was lined with large windows, their frames intricate and lovely, but the glass was mostly broken and sprinkled across the floor. Chunks of plaster in the walls had been torn away to reveal ancient brick beneath.

“You should not be here.” A young English woman’s voice echoed from somewhere down the black hallway and my heart lurched into my throat. The sound frightened unseen birds and they scattered in the debris and vegetation.

“Hello?” I called, searching the darkness for signs of movement. “Are you the relic guardian? We are here for the Pentalpha.”

Silence. I squinted, but still I could see nothing. I looked at Will, whose right hand was open, ready to call his sword. And then a shadow moved within the shadows and neither of us could draw our swords before a cloaked figure lunged at us from the blackness, dark wings spreading as wide as
they could, filling up the corridor. A hand appeared from beneath the cloak’s sleeve and a palm slammed into Will’s chest, smashing him into the wall. Dust and chips of paint exploded in the thick air as he hit with a thud and a grunt. Most of the reaper’s face was hidden beneath the hood, but full lips and a feminine build under her cloak gave away that she was female. The reaper threw a fist at me, but I blocked her. She threw a flurry of additional strikes that I managed to deflect off the hard bones of my forearms. She was fast—and
strong
. Every time I tried to draw breath and tell her who I was, I had to concentrate on blocking another attack.

I was forced to back away from her assault, all the way until my heel found the edge of the staircase we’d just ascended. I gasped as my momentum dragged me off my feet. The reaper leaped into the air above me to strike me down hard, but I kicked a foot into her chest as I fell down the flight of stairs, launching her over my head. My hands grappled for the wrought iron railing and my body swung to a stop, crumpling against the hard steps. The reaper’s wings beat once in the high ceiling of the stairwell, taking control of her flight as she faced me from above, and her feet touched the far wall. Her knees bent and her power erupted; the folds of her cloak billowed in the smoky flares of energy and clouds of dust and debris. Then she launched herself at me. I twisted, hoping to dodge her fists again and afraid that if I called my swords, the guardian would feel even more threatened.

Before I could meet the reaper’s attack, Will appeared above me. He grabbed the guardian’s throat and threw her over the railing with a roar. I jumped up only to watch her land on her feet and bound out of sight. Will hopped the rail to dart after her and I followed him. As we rounded the corner of the stairwell to dash into the dark corridor, the reaper’s black cloak swung into the space between us from a room on our right.

“Will!” I called to his back.

He whirled just in time to meet her blow, blocking her fist before it connected with his head. Clearly this reaper preferred to ambush. I grabbed her shoulder and yanked her around to get her away from him, but she deflected my fist and managed to block everything Will and I threw at her together. She was precise, moving as if she anticipated our moves, and I could sense some uncanny familiarity in her style. I jumped out of reach and she focused her attention on Will.

The relic guardian stopped suddenly, and as Will swung a fist, she stepped aside. Her face was full of recognition, but she also appeared puzzled and disbelieving. Was she surprised that the Preliator and her Guardian would try to take what she protected? However, it didn’t seem like both of us surprised her—only
Will
. He was all she could stare at, and instead of striking her again, Will slowed to a pause and gaped back at the other reaper.

She pulled the hood from over her head and at last I
could see how astonishingly beautiful she was. Long, wavy hair the color of dark walnut framed a lovely face with large, almond-shaped eyes as extraordinarily green as Will’s.

“William?” the relic guardian asked. “Is that you?”

He stared at her, disbelieving, as though he thought she was a phantom. At last he spoke.

“Mother?”