The Artifact of Dissium (Demona Book 2) (18 page)

They both walked towards Demona. The three of them stared down at an old wooden chest filled with roughly cut precious stones and chunks of precious metals. Demona noticed that there were many diamonds, gold, silver, and even some pearls. It was none of those often sought after items that caught Demona’s eyes. What she noticed was the bronze item that seemed out of place in the chest.

Demona reached for the item and gripped her hand around the cool brown metal. She flipped it over in the palm of her hand to examine it better. The object was old and looked to have been carefully crafted. It was a rounded triangular shape with a silver overlay that created a beautiful and precise design.

“What’s that?” Felix asked.

“I think-I think it might be the artifact,” Demona replied.

Felix and Kearne stared at the object in Demona’s hand.

“I’m not sure what the design is, but it looks like the one that the sunlight shone on in the first structure we found,” Demona said.

“How do we know that it’s the artifact for sure?” Felix asked.

“I don’t know,” Demona replied. She continued to flip it over and examine every angle of the surface, as if there would be some sign to tell her it was what she had been seeking.

“There is no way to know for certain, unless we take it…Then, we will know if it is the artifact.”

Kearne grabbed the object out of Demona’s hands and ran for the passageway.

Chapter 17:

Aleph’s Message

From the center of the cavern a
bright light began to shine. The whole chamber illuminated as it grew brighter by the moment. Demona looked away and shielded her eyes with her hands. Then, the light dissipated and she pulled her hand from her face. Demona caught sight of Felix and Kearne mimicking her actions as the light disappeared.

Kearne stood just in front of the entrance to the passage that would lead him aboveground. As he unshielded his eyes he looked at the opening just feet ahead of him. He walked up to it, to the source of the bright light and found a magical force field blocking his route. Kearne cursed and turned around to look at Demona and Felix.

“You ass!” Demona started to walk towards him.

“No, no.” Kearne held his hands up in defense as Demona stormed toward him. “I just wanted to see if it really was the artifact…look at what happened.”

“How do you know? You could have just triggered some kind of trap by trying to take whatever that thing is,” Felix replied.

Kearne pointed to the center of the chamber. “Why not ask the archangel if it is the artifact?”

Demona and Felix spun to see what Kearne referred to. In the center of the chamber stood a muscular man in his natural form. He stood so still that Demona wondered if he really was a man and not an ancient Greek statue. The man looked as if he had been etched from stone, each muscle protruded and curved in an almost perfect shape. He wore no clothing, but carried a large bronze shield in front of him in one hand. In the other he held a sharply pointed staff made of iron and wood that contained a glowing white orb in the center.

Demona shivered at the sight of the statuesque man. Neither Felix nor Kearne made any indication that they planned to move, but stared ahead and waited for the unmoving being to do something. Nothing happened for a few moments and Demona began to wonder what she should do. She stepped forward and the man began to move.

“I am Fotos!”

His voice boomed through the cavern and rang in Demona’s ears. She instinctively cupped her hands over her ears to protect them from harm. Her eyes never left the being standing in front of her. Despite her focus, Demona’s mind screamed for the booming sound to end.

“You enter the Chamber of Beginning for reasons each your own,” Fotos said. “Each desires the Artifact of Dissium…”

The archangel seemed to hover over the ground and glide towards them. Demona backed away as he drew near and found herself up against the wall. Fotos hovered higher, until he was face to face with Kearne on the ledge above. Then, he lowered himself in front of Felix and next to Demona. Demona stiffened with the being’s close proximity. Every fiber of her being told her not to do anything that might seem threatening.

Fotos hovered in front of her and stared into her eyes. Another chill ran through Demona’s body as she looked at him and waited for him to draw away from her.

“Each also desires something other than the artifact.” Fotos backed away to hover near the center of the chamber once again.

Demona did not know what to do next, but she stepped forward slowly, never taking her eyes off of the angel. “F-Fotos, my name is Demona B-Brenan.” She stretched her arm out and extended her open hand for him to shake.

Fotos did not take her hand. “I am aware of who you are. I am the guardian of this tomb and the objects within.
Aleph
has placed me here to make certain that no items are removed without his approval.”

Felix took one knee and looked to the ground. “Servant of
Aleph
, please hear me. We come in search of the artifact only because many lives are at stake.”

“We know why you are here,” Fotos replied.

“We?” Demona asked.

“
Aleph
is always present,” Fotos replied.

Demona looked around the chamber as if waiting to see another being appear out of thin air. She looked above her, to her sides, and even glanced over her shoulders to make sure nothing was going to pop out of the walls. Nothing happened, so she returned her attention to Fotos. She stretched out her other hand that held the object she had found. “Fotos, can you please tell us…is this is the artifact?”

“It is,” he replied.

Demona smiled.
Well, at least that’s confirmed now
.

“Will you and
Aleph
grant us permission to take the artifact?” Felix asked.

“
Aleph
requires something from each in return for this favor,” Fotos replied. “He has sent a message for each of thee. A decision only you can make. Each of the three—dark, neutral, and light—must make the decision for themselves.”

That’s convenient
.

“What is the message, what decision?” Kearne looked concerned.

“Each message contains two options based on your heart’s desires. Each option presents a positive and a negative. You must sacrifice something of yourself in order to receive the artifact.” Fotos pointed his staff’s point in Kearne’s direction. “It cannot be understood unless it is seen.”

Kearne’s body crumbled to the ground. Demona and Felix ran to his side. Demona almost reached out and touched him, but withdrew her hands. She was afraid to touch his seemingly lifeless form for fear of hurting him. She also had her own wellbeing to think of, whether or not Kearne was unconscious, his poison was still active.

Demona jumped towards Fotos. “What did you do to him?” she yelled.

“The neutral one is well. He now receives
Aleph
’s message, who awaits a decision.”

Kearne’s eyes fluttered as if in a deep sleep. His body twitched like a person in the middle of a horrific nightmare. Demona saw that a grimace appeared on his face. She felt powerless in that moment and it drove her crazy that there was nothing she could do but watch and wait.

“How long will he be like this?” Felix asked.

“Until the decision is made and then it will be another’s turn,” Fotos replied. Then, he disappeared with a flash of light.

“Hey! Where did he go?” Demona said. She looked around expecting to find him standing in another location, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Somehow, I don’t think he’ll be gone forever,” Felix replied. He walked over to embrace Demona. “No matter what this sacrifice is, we both know that there are people counting on us. We can’t think about ourselves now. We have to think about everyone that is at risk, while Abd al-Malik runs rampant. Our friends and family are in danger.”

Felix’s arms were wrapped over Demona’s shoulders and Demona’s arms were wrapped around his back. They held each other close and tight. Each hoped that the sacrifice they would make would not cost them their love. They clung to one another for comfort and in fear of the unknown.

“
Aleph
has a reason for everything he is doing. There is a reason he is giving us a choice,” Felix whispered in her ear. “We must have faith in him.”

“I never really believed in him, until now. I mean I knew with everything going on with the supernatural stuff that something greater had to be at work, but I never really cared. Even back at GLC, I felt something when I was there and during my interactions with everyone. Here in Dissium, there is no denying that something more powerful exists. I just can’t accept that he would do all of these horrible things to me and others.”

“You must have faith. We can’t know the answers to why things happen. Will you pray with me, while we wait for our turn?” Felix asked.

They glanced at Kearne who still lay on the ground in the awkward position he had landed in. His fingers twitched, his eyelids moved rapidly, and his lips mouthed silent words.

“It doesn’t look like he’s having an easy time making a decision to whatever
Aleph
has proposed,” Felix said. “Please, pray with me or at least meditate beside me, while I pray.”

“I’ll meditate,” Demona replied.

Demona sat on the ground and crossed her legs. Her knee was butt up against Felix’s knee as he sat in the same position by her side. Felix grabbed Demona’s hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. Then, he closed his eyes. Demona watched him for a second as a solemn expression appeared on his face. She readjusted her fingers and gripped Felix’s hand even tighter before closing her own eye lids.

I can’t do this. What if he asks me to give up something I can’t give up?
Demona’s mind was quiet, almost void of thought. The stress of upcoming decision had almost made her numb with fear. Demona tried to come up with some solution of how she could get herself and Felix out of this situation. Nothing came to her, at least nothing that would have ended with them walking from the tomb with the artifact in hand.

I don’t really understand you, you know. I’m not even sure I want to be talking to you or how to talk to you. Molony told me to open my heart to you when I didn’t trust anyone. Right now, I don’t trust you
.
So, if you’re listening…I’m not sure how we are going to make this work. I need that artifact!

Demona was not sure if what she had thought counted as a prayer, but she did not have much of an option at that point. She was not sure if she wanted Felix to know that she had spoken to
Aleph
. That is, if he had been listening to her at all. The whole situation made Demona anxious and uncertain.
What if we don’t make the right choice? What if he won’t let us have the artifact? What will happen if we don’t get to leave with it in our hand?

Kearne sucked in a huge gulp of breath and sat upright. He coughed as he choked on the air. Kearne climbed to his feet. He staggered to the cave wall and placed his hands on the stone, bent his head down, and took deep breaths.

Demona and Felix were on their feet and making their way to Kearne, when Fotos reappeared in a brilliant flash of light. Demona and Felix spun around to look at him.

“Neutral has made its sacrifice. Light is next.” Fotos pointed his staff at Felix.

Felix began to fall to the ground, but Demona caught him before he too crumpled to the floor. She collapsed under his weight and carefully laid him the rest of the way onto the ground. She placed him in a comfortable position and checked to make sure he was still breathing. She saw the flash of light when Fotos disappeared again, but did not bother to lift her eyes from Felix.

It reminded her of the day she found him laying on the old warehouse floor. She studied every curve of his face and brushed the messy brown hair away from his eyes. She watched as an expression of sadness formed on his face; his brows creased and he frowned. Demona wished she knew what was happening.

What will he have to choose?

Demona watched his cheeks flush and went to check on Kearne. He now leaned with his back against the cavern wall and his head slumped to his chest. He looked saddened and worn out by whatever had happened to him. Demona could not help but notice that despite the sorrow on his face his posture was more relaxed as if a large weight had been removed from his shoulders.

“Are you okay?” Demona asked.

Kearne nodded his head.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Kearne shook his head. His eyes looked upwards into hers for a moment.

Demona accepted that Kearne wanted to be left alone. Whatever decision he had made must have torn him apart. Demona’s anxiety grew with the situation and seeing the state that Kearne had returned in did nothing to ease her fears.

What will Aleph have in store for m
e?

Demona began to pace the floor back and forth along the length of Felix’s body. She dragged her pack over next to Felix and rested her back against the treasure chest. She pulled out a flask of rations and took several gulps. Demona kept glancing at the expressions on Felix’s face and her concern grew. Her stomach was in knots as she sat watching and waiting for Felix to awaken.