The Devil's Third (36 page)

Nothing.

I peeked with one eye. No change. Just the glittery outline of a round door like before. I closed my eye and tried again. I could hear Aosoth making impatient sounds and shuffling her feet. I ignored it, though it was almost near impossible to do so. I concentrated harder, my hands still held out in front of me.

Then something happened. My right index finger began to move up and down. At first I thought it was me doing it, until I tried to jerk it down and couldn’t. It was like somebody had a firm hold on my hand, forcing the finger to move up and down and in circles. I opened my eyes. Black scripted words formed on the wall in the center of the outline. The penmanship was beautiful and in Latin, something I could read.

“This is astounding,” Anwar said. “Your connection with Solomon gains you passage to lock onto his own enchantments.”

 This message was a spell to unbolt the door. Anwar caught it right away, and now that I had full control of my hand, the text fully laid out before us, I knew . . . I knew he was right.

“Say it, Paige,” Tree urged.

I pushed my hair off my face and stood straight, bracing myself. My heart was pounding so hard that I thought for sure everybody could hear it. I cleared my throat, and in a strong and powerful voice, I said the incantation in Latin and translated it in my mind:

 Darkness roams this earthy realm. In spirit and flesh the heathen stands at its own helm. A gift from above granted power to a king. The potent words poisoning the ears of a demon with a flick of his ring. Controlling the diabolical with admirable intent will destroy the doer until he relents. The charms are cast and will remain unbroken. Until these words are spoken.

The wall trembled and pieces of rock fell to the ground. We stepped back as more toppled over, creating a small cloud of dust. I continued to chant the words, ignoring the murmurs around me. The low humming noise between my ribs escalated, vibrating them. A sharp crack pierced the air. The bottom outline of the door split, fracturing up and around to the other side. Slowly it opened outward, scraping against broken rock.

I stopped chanting and held my breath. Strangely enough, the humming noise quit, my ribs no longer quivering. I released the air from my lungs. Still rooted to my spot, I stared into the pitch black room.

When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, a loud whooshing sound echoed through the deep chamber. Torches along the stone wall came to life. I stepped forward, only to be knocked aside by Aosoth and Roeick. I stumbled into Nathan. His quick arms, preventing me from falling.

And then I was surrounded by screams and moans. Tree was on his knees, once again clutching his head. I moved toward him, but he rose, no longer holding his head. His expression was one of wonder instead of pain, and he mouthed, “He’s coming.”

Whose coming? I marveled.

“Look,” Nathan said, turning me back around.

I leaned forward to get a better look into the chamber. There were words written in some strange language and symbols covering the walls. Aosoth and Roeick were immobilized in the center of the room, their eyes wide with horror, their bottom jaws grotesquely extended to their chests. Horrific shrieks issued from their mouths, their faces twisted in agony.

I looked at Bael who had a devious smile on his face. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a deadfall.” He pointed in the direction of their feet. They were standing in a circle. Above them were strange symbols. “One of Solomon’s clever tricks.”

Nathan’s head jerked around to where he faced Bael, but he didn’t say a word. Then I remembered Nathan telling me about it. But before I could finish those thoughts, my attention pulled back on Aosoth and Roeick. They fell on their backs, their bodies violently twitching, their painful cries echoing.

“This is insane,” Brayden said behind me. “I never knew you could do this to a dark spirit.”

“Only to the dimwitted ones,” Bael snapped. “And the knowledge how to accomplish it is lost. Besides, only a powerful caster can execute it.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off Aosoth and Roeick. I searched within myself for an ounce of sympathy, but there were none. Instead, I felt relief and thought maybe circling karma was true, because they were certainly getting theirs now.

The arched ceiling above them opened into a black, gaping hole. A dark funnel spun downward, enclosing Aosoth and Roeick in its whirl. Oddly enough, there was no wind or sound except for Aosoth and Roeick’s cries. The mini tornado lifted from the ground with Aosoth and Roeick trapped inside. I could see them through the transparent spinning top. They were now standing, their hands pressing against it, palms facing us, their elongated mouths opened in silent screams. The funnel moved upward, disappearing into the night. The ceiling was once again intact to where for a brief moment I wondered if what I saw really happened.

Once the moment passed, I turned to Bael. “How did you know this would happen?”

“Destroy the incantations, and I will gladly enlighten you.” He made a dramatic sweeping gesture, ushering me forward.

I lifted my foot with the intent on fulfilling my agreement with him, when I felt a strong presence enter the room, like you would if the most important person in the world stepped into your space. The chill in the air warmed–another indicator we weren’t alone. A low feral growl rumbled from Bael’s chest. Baffled, I turned at the same time Nathan did and saw the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Paige

He was tall, fair-haired, his eyes the color of blue glass. There was an inviting smile on his handsome face. I wanted to fall into it–to be a part of his essence. Not in a sexual manner, but awe-inspired. I wanted to go to a place where the lion and lamb could lie peacefully beside one another. No strife, no heartache, no underhandedness . . . just love. And I somehow knew he’d been to such a place we only hoped to experience.

“Michael?” Tree asked, breaking the silence, gaping at this beautiful man.

Pulling the sleeves down on his black trench coat in a presentable manner, he nodded. “I apologize for causing you discomfort,” he said to Tree. “Please forgive my intrusion on your person, but considering the circumstances, it was the only gateway available which would allow me to be in your company.”

“No worries,” Tree answered. “But why me?”

“Because you’ve chosen the path of a light walker,” Michael answered with great reverence, “though your human consciousness bears no recollection of this arduous yet highly regarded field.”

My stomach dropped. What was he talking about? Would Tree be leaving us? The very thought set my pulse racing. I slipped my hand in Nathan’s for comfort. “What does that mean?” I asked, my voice cracking on the last word.

“It mean, Ms. Paige,” Anwar said, “dat Jack’s spirit chose the ultimate path dat very few embark upon, because the road to become a light walker is in the beginning a treacherous one. The soul goes through a continuous reincarnation process. It must experience everything to reach total and complete understanding of all things. Once he does dat, he can be a light walker and enter the realm of Nirvana whenever he so desires.”

Wow. I would have never guessed this sort of answer and was rendered speechless. My thoughts even stilled, hovering in the abyss of my mind like an alphabet letter in a bowl of beef broth.

“So I chose to be a guardian angel?” Tree asked.

“Something along those lines,” Michael said. The corners of his mouth turned down into a little frown. “But we don’t have time to delve deeper.” He placed a hand on Tree’s shoulder. “I promise, though, in time you will learn more.” He looked at me, his blue eyes sparkling and captivating. “Shall we see what Solomon has in store for us?”

“You have no right to be here,” Bael spat.

Michael crossed the room and stopped in front of Bael. “Actually, brother, I do. You see, I made a horrible mistake, and I’m here to correct it. I’ve waited for thousands of years to connect with Solomon. Let’s hope his spirit dwells in there.” He nodded toward the chamber.

That’s right. Zeruel told me nobody knew where Solomon’s spirit was, and they figured he’d invoked a cloaking spell to hide his whereabouts. I wondered if Bael knew about it.

“I don’t understand,” Brayden said, confusion etching his features. “Why don’t you stop Bael and all the other dark spirits?”

“Free will,” Michael answered. “It also would upset the balance of the universe. Besides, nobody should have such power, because eventually it will destroy the person like it nearly destroyed Solomon.”

“Oh,” is all Brayden said. He opened his mouth to say something else but must have thought the better of it and closed it.

Before anybody could do or say anything, I released Nathan’s hand, squared my shoulders and stepped inside Solomon’s chamber.

A round pedestal table made of marble stood at the back of the room. A diamond shaped crystal sat in a slot in the center of it. The length had to be at least two feet. As soon as I entered, colorful rays shot from it, creating a wave of prisms against the walls and ceiling, similar to the aurora borealis. The words on the stones shifted, the letters rearranging themselves. I still didn’t know what language it was, but it slowly began to make sense. It was then I realized these could be the incantations.

I opened my mouth to recite the words about darkness cannot hide and by the chains of power it will bind. Then I pressed my lips and glanced about for Bael. My eyes darted around. Everybody was here except Bael. My gaze caught Anwar, and he moved toward me. Red, blue, green and yellow colors danced across his black face.

“Where’s Bael?” I asked.

“He bolted,” Brayden answered instead, stepping next to Anwar.

“Dat is true,” Anwar replied. “However, through me he remains present. So do keep your word Ms. Paige. The agreement with Bael dat is.”

Warm fingers intertwined with mine. I looked up to Nathan’s crooked smile. I pressed my hand into his, mirroring his expression that told me this would soon be over.

A red beam of light shot across the chamber, the prism of colors gone. The crimson ray moved backward, shrinking until it reached the center of the room. A hologram of an African man appeared. He wore a brown tunic shirt and loose tan pants, his attire simple, matching the humble look on his face.

“Solomon,” Michael said with a welcoming nod. “It is nice to see you after all these years.”

Omigod. This guy was Solomon. King Solomon. But he looked so plain, like a peasant who might be serving him. Why wasn’t he wearing a crown of jewels and a cloak made from lambskin and wool?

Solomon bowed to Michael. “Forgive me for abusing what you had so graciously gifted me to thwart evil.”

“Your repentance is unnecessary, old friend,” Michael said. “What you have done to make your wrongs a right is quite impressive. Besides, the only forgiveness you should seek is your own. There is no judgment but self judgment.” He touched his chest and continued. “We are our own worst critics.”

“You have suffered for my indiscretions and wretched, unholy behaviors,” Solomon bitterly said. “My spirit became darkened with power and would have destroyed me if I had not taken these drastic measures you see lying before you.”

“I have suffered not. My will is my own. I am to see my wrong make a right,” Michael told him.

Solomon’s gaze shifted onto me. A warm smile formed on his face. “I see the power of the ring dwells inside you, child.”

I tried to swallow, but my throat became dry the moment he looked at me. All I could think about was being in the presence of two great men and how awe inspiring it was to listen to them converse. I was at a loss for words, so I nodded instead.

“This power used in conjunction with the incantations I must take from you. It wasn’t mine to give,” Solomon said to me. “Besides, eventually it would intoxicate and destroy you, like it almost ruined me.” He reached into his front pocket and produced a small purple vial. He gestured for me to come closer. Nathan squeezed my hand before I released his. “What you see before your eyes,” Solomon said to us, addressing the words on the walls with his hand, “are the incantations.” He snapped his fingers, and the words disappeared.

The vial now glowed between his fingertips. He threw the tiny bottle on the ground. A sharp, shattering sound amplified around us, but the broken glass didn’t scatter across the cave floor. Instead, it flew up in the air, forming the shape of a clay pot like one you would see in a Native American shop. Slowly, it spun, puffs of smoke billowing from the top. It gained speed, producing a thick, gray vapor, engulfing the entire shape. Solomon smacked his hands, startling me. He spread his arms and said, “Gone.”

There was a loud “pop,” and what was before us a second ago vanished.

I moved to him and was able to find my voice this time, though it sounded raspier than normal. “Why didn’t you destroy them in the first place?”

“My will to do so was weak,” he said, his face falling in shame. “My righteous self no longer embodied my spirit. I had abandoned morality for ego and hedonism. I lost my way, and in order to reclaim what I once was, I had to take drastic measures.” He paused, and his features softened; his dark eyes filled with sadness. My heart ached when I thought how lonely and ashamed he must have been for thousands of years. “I had to outwit Bael. The queen of Shebah, who was my wife, helped me do so. She knew a white witch with flaming hair who came from a faraway land. In secret we consulted with her. This witch was also a seer and foretold her descendent would break through my magical barriers when all my sins were absolved.”

Chills broke across my flesh. “She was my ancestor?” I whispered.

He nodded.

“What about the rest?” Michael asked Solomon, giving him a knowing look. Recognition entered Solomon’s face.

“Rest?” Tree asked. I looked at him, and he shrugged.

“The Ark of the Testimony and Aaron’s rod, among other powerful items,” Michael clarified.

Was he serious? My mind shifted backward to when I used to go to Sunday mass with Carrie’s family. The Ten Commandments were supposed to be in the ark. Before I could stop myself, words flew out of my mouth. “Aren’t the Ten Commandments in it?”