Cronin's Key III (18 page)

“
So, it’s more of an open
portal?” Jacques asked.

Alec shook his head. “No, not any
more. I think it was or might have been, but it’s not anymore.”
Then his brow furrowed. “Those gargoyles that were on Notre Dame,
when were they added? They weren’t original from the twelfth
century, were they?”

Jacques shook his head. “No, they were
added in the eighteenth century.”

“
So what happened in Paris
in the eighteenth century?” Alec asked, though he knew the answer.
Everyone did.

The French revolution.

“
Something happened with the Zoan
in the French revolution,” Jodis finished.

Kennard hissed. “Napoleon.”

Cronin couldn’t deny it wasn’t possible. Napoleon rose to
incredible power in a very short amount of time
. His influence over the public and other
politicians surely could have been the work of a vampire with the
power to influence decisions and will. Napoleon might not have been
a vampire himself, but maybe he had the help of one. Maybe he did
have some not-so-human help in rising to power.

“
The revolution was before my time,” Jacques said. “But
the
Parisian coven elders
have not mentioned any such thing.”

Cronin watched as
Alec closed his eyes. His eyes twitched as though he was
searching his mind for something before opening. “I think we really
need to speak to Gautier face-to-face,” Alec said. “He’s hiding
something in his memory. It’s well guarded, but I can see
it.”

“
He knows about the Zoan gargoyles on Notre Dame?” Jacques
asked.

Alec gave a nod. “He helped put them
there.”

Kennard hissed. “I knew I never liked
him.”

“
I spoke to Gautier earlier,” Jodis offered. “I
phon
ed him in regards to the
elders’ meeting and briefly explained Alec’s encounter with the
Zoan. He never mentioned anything.” Then Jodis turned around the
laptop she’d been tapping away at. “But, uh, there’s something
else. I did a search on cities with gargoyles and circular designed
arenas, landmarks, places of worship, such as the Thalos of Delphi
circle in Greece, the Pantheon, or even the Colosseum. But I
concentrated on churches, given the relevance to the pictograms in
stained glass windows and the crypts. Notre Dame in Paris isn’t the
only one,” she said. “There is one more.” She turned the laptop
around to show the screen.

There on screen was a city built in a circular formation, a
city famous for its history and stone
architecture
, amongst other
things. Cronin said the name out loud. “Rome.”

“
Not just Rome,” Jodis
replied. “Look at what is in the center of the
circle.”

The Vatican.

“
Holy shit,” Alec
mumbled.

Kennard snorted. “Exactly.”

Eiji laughed at that. “Well, this
changes things.”

“
Yes, it does,” Alec said. He
took Cronin’s hand and met his dark and determined stare.
“Paris to see Gautier first? Or Rome?”

“
Paris first,” Cronin said. “Let’s see what Gautier has
t
o say before we tell our
Italian friends we think their religious capital is the next Zoan
portal.”

Kennard
rubbed his
hands together. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s pay Gautier a
little visit.”

Alec grinned at h
im.
“We’re not starting World War III, okay?”

“
Of course not,” he
replied. “But if you’d like to magically produce the flag of
England, I wouldn’t mind. You know,” he said with a smirk, “just as
a parting gift.”

Alec turned to Jodis. “Can you please let the world elders
know a video
conference might
be in order? The sooner the better. But as for Gautier, I think the
element of surprise might serve us best.”

Aside from the
unscheduled visit in his grand and ornate great-room, and
being greatly outnumbered, Gautier wasn’t too pleased to see them.
He was startled at their very sudden appearance and yelled angrily,
“What do you think you’re doing here?”

Alec didn’t care
for
niceties. He did acknowledge the other two elders in the room with
a nod, but he turned and aimed his ire at Gautier. His talent of
seeing the truth, seeing what Gautier was hiding, made him angry.
“When Jodis called you about the elders’ meeting, you withheld
information. Tell us what you know.”

“
Don’t you think you’ve
caused enough damage?” Gautier spat. “My city is in disarray
because of you.”

Cronin
hissed and leapt an inch from Gautier’s face. “You do not speak to
him that way.”

Gautier took a reflexive step backward
but was still defiant. “Of course you would side with him!” Then
Gautier eyed Jacques. “And you! A traitor to your
people!”

“
Enough!” Alec yelled, and Gautier found himself physically
restrained to the wall at the far side of the room by no more than
Alec’s glare. He kicked his legs, his feet not finding the floor,
his arms pinned to the wall at his sides. “Cronin is not biased, no
more than Jacques is a traitor. We came here seeking answers, which
I could just rip from your mind, but I showed you the courtesy of
asking. So I will repeat myself—tell us what you know. Those Zoan
creatures have been here before.”

Gautier
nodded. His eyes were bulging, and Alec could feel the fear rolling
off him. He slowly allowed Gautier’s feet to slide to the floor and
released his hold on him. But Alec quickly followed with another
warning. “Cronin and Jacques are with me, and you will do well to
remember that. Insult them again, and it will be the last thing you
do.”

Gautier
stared at Alec, trying to sway the other two French elders to his
side. His voice trembled when he spoke. “So you are the great and
holy key, the one who will save us all? You make these threats, you
govern over us. But who governs over you?”

Kennard let out a small
laugh, and Alec could see in his mind that he was hoping
Alec could turn Gautier into a squealing pig that burst into flames
when he ran into sunlight. Alec turned to Kennard. “Nice thought,
but he asks a fair question.” Then he turned back to Gautier. “I am
governed by a selected council from around the world. One I do not
elect.”

“
And how convenient that
you can influence their minds,” Gautier sneered.

“
Are you questioning my integrity?” Alec asked, keeping a
lid on his emotions. “Then please, by all means, lodge an official
complaint to the
council, put
in a vote of no confidence. And while you’re at it, you can explain
to them why you kept secret the real reason those gargoyles sat on
every wall of Notre Dame. And more importantly, why you sat silent
when we asked if you knew anything of the Zoan.”

Gautier paled. “You can’t prove
anything.”

“
I can see it in your mind, and I could show everyone in the
fucking world if I wanted to,” Alec grated out. Fire and rage now
licked at his words. “Napoleon knew Paris was a portal, just like
Rome. He’d seen the Zoan come from the depths of the crypts
underneath the cathedral, and he wanted to control them. He had a
vampire adviser, didn’t he? One with the talent to influence. They
thought she would be able to influence the Zoan, to control them,
but they killed her. And you took her role as coven leader, didn’t
you?”

“
Lies! All lies!”
Gautier shook his head incredulously, then he laughed like
a madman. “Like Rome? You don’t know anything!”

Cronin
leapt in front
of Gautier and grabbed him by the throat. “How did you overcome the
Zoan? In the Revolution, how did you beat them?”

Alec put his hand to Cronin’s shoulder. “Leave him. I
saw
in his mind how he did
it.” Alec glanced at the other French vampires and gave them a nod.
“Let his coven decide his fate. He’s been lying to you all for
centuries. And Corrina?” Alec addressed the woman elder. “You
wanted to know who stole your mother’s Fabergé brooch. It was him.
He has a vault in the Comptoir National d'Escompte de Paris, a bank
founded in the revolution. Coincidence? I think not. There are
deeds, jewels, art, and bonds, which he has stolen and kept secret
from you all for decades. Ask him to show you.”

Alec turned to see the other
French coven elders staring at a scared-looking Gautier. He
shook his head as they circled him, but without another glance,
Alec leapt, taking everyone but the French coven with him, the
sounds of Gautier’s futile pleading still ringing in his
ears.

* * * *

Alec pictured the room of the Italian coven leaders that
he’d been in before
and
landed them all in front of the Italian elders. Benito and Viviana
were, oddly enough, real life twin brother and sister. Both had
been changed into vampires when the Yersinian coven wreaked havoc
over much of Europe in the fourteenth century. Also known as the
Black Plague, the Yersinian’s wiped out one third of Italy’s entire
population, both human and vampire.

No older than twenty in human years,
Benito and Viviana had been changed at the same
time by the same Yersinian vampire trying to create his own
battalion in an already losing army. As the story went, Benito and
Viviana killed their maker and eventually went on to take the role
of Elders. They reigned a peaceful 670 years. They were quiet and
unassuming, modest yet powerful and strong. They also had
connections in the very highest of places.

They
were pleased
Alec had been born into this vampire life as the key, happy the
chosen one had a good heart. “Alec.” Viviana greeted him warmly
with a kiss to both cheeks. “How nice to see you again.”

Benito
greeted him in the same manner, then everyone else as well. Knowing
Alec could read his mind didn’t deter him from addressing everyone
in the room. “Jodis explained your concern when she called,” he
said. “And as such, we have taken the liberty to make some calls of
our own.” He looked directly at Alec then. “I hope you do not
mind?”

Alec saw
directly into his mind and smiled. “Not at all. In fact, I’m
grateful. And a little awestruck.”

Viviana smiled proudly, pleased to honor Alec in such a
way. “We are expected, so if you please…
.” She waved her hand.

Alec saw in her mind where they were
to go, and with a mere thought, he took them all.

The floor was paved with
old stone tiles, the walls a mix of Roman brick and mud,
the ceiling raked with load bearing beams, and the air smelled of
earth and damp. They were deep underground, and not that vampires
needed light, but the only source of illumination came from a man
standing near the far wall holding a lantern with a rucksack at his
feet. Though he wasn’t just a man. He was a priest.

He wore a white alb
and a white stole with a gold cross at each end. But his
zucchetto, or skullcap, was black, which told Alec this man wasn’t
an ordinary priest. He was a priest of the Vatican.

He raised his chin defiantly, and even though Alec could
taste the man’s fear
of being
in a room with seven vampires, he never showed it. The priest knew
exactly what they were, yet he never faltered. He looked directly
at Benito and Viviana and spoke in hushed Italian. “So, it is
true.”

Benito nodded. “Thank you for meeting
with us.”

Vivi
ana opened her
hand toward Alec. “Your Eminence, I introduce Ailig McAidan. The
key, defender of mankind.”

Well, shit
. Alec
wasn’t sure on how to respond to that. “Um….”

The Cardinal
bowed his head slightly. He spoke in English, though his accent was
very thick. “It is an honor. Though I wish it were not in my
lifetime.” He looked up quickly and stammered to correct himself.
“N-n-no offense is meant. I only wish it were not so.”

Alec could see in the man’s mind what he meant. Alec smiled
at him and spoke directly into his mind
. I understand. I wish it weren’t so either. I too
wish for a life of peace.

The priest
blanched and he took a small step backwards, clearly shocked at
having Alec speak to him telepathically.

So Alec
looked around the small room. He knew there were tunnels and
catacombs under all of Rome, and given the priest’s stammering
heartbeat, he thought it best to change the subject. “Where are we
exactly?”

The priest
swallowed hard and blinked to compose himself. “You are familiar
with the Vatican Scavi?”

Alec nodded. “The Vatican Necropolis or the Tomb of St
Peter
, as it is also
called.”

The priest nodded again. “We are underneath that. The
public,” then he looked at the seven vampires and corrected,
“
humans
do not know this place exists.”

“
What is it exactly?”
Cronin asked.

The priest
’s eyes
narrowed and the flickering of the lantern cast eerie shadows
across his face. “These tunnels lead to the
circulus inferni.
”