There's No Such Thing As Werewolves, page 12
Bio: Adventure in Fantastic Worlds.
S.C.Mitchell is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and romance, who crafts unique and wondrous worlds where characters explore, adventure, and fall in love. Escape into demon-filled dimensions, fantasy realms, and technological nightmares where heroes and heroines, face fantastic challenges and perilous encounters.
You can find him online at: https://scmitchellauthor.com/
A sneak peek at:
The Forsaken Templar.
The Demon Gate Chronicles: Book 2
Prelude
With a crack of thunder, the doorway to purgatory slid open, ripping a gaping wound between dimensions. Through the mist, a gaunt, old man stepped between the world of the living and the world of the damned. Nathan Gray was seeking a soul.
His crisp black suit, clean white shirt, and narrow black tie seemed an ordered contrast to the chaos around him. His shuffling tread was slow but purposeful. It was not his age that he felt, but rather the weight of humanity resting on his shoulders.
A thousand voices cried out in hope—so many souls, doomed to spend eternity in torment. Nathan hardened his heart against the assault on his senses. He knew the one he sought. Geoffrey le Court had never once called out to him for mercy. Yet, of them all, Geoffrey was the most deserving of redemption.
On a hill covered in human bodies, an ancient oak tree stood. Its leaves and branches were withered and blackened. The hill was the grim representation of the ruin of a once proud fellowship. Flames roared from the bodies and engulfed the tree. The fire burned but didn’t consume. A man—a solitary soul—was chained to the tree’s great trunk.
The old oak was long dead, but the soul bound to it was very much alive. The figure chained to the tree wore battered chainmail armor. His white tunic, though badly singed, still bore the remnants of the bold, red cross it had once so proudly displayed. The symbol of the Knights Templar.
The soul, and the man, writhed in agony yet no cry escaped the parched lips. The eyes were clear, without even a hint of madness. Seven hundred years had not broken the noble spirit. The knight stood firm, resolute, enduring his agony and torture.
“Geoffrey le Court, at long last, your time has come.” With a gesture, Nathan sent a cooling breeze to comfort the man’s face.
“Nathan Gray, my old friend.” The knight smiled through his anguish. “Am I at last to be redeemed?”
Nathan had fought long and hard against cosmic forces for his old friend. Today was the culmination of incredible effort, yet it was only the beginning of Geoffrey le Court’s trials.
“Not yet redeemed,” Nathan replied, patting the knight on his shoulder, “but released. You will have your opportunity at last.”
As Nathan Gray touched the knight, the flames died and the chains fell away. Geoffrey le Court was free of the restraints and the burning anguish that had haunted his soul for over seven centuries.
The Sword of Light blazed to life in the knight’s hands. “How goes the war?”
Geoffrey’s question cut right to the heart of the matter. Nathan shook his head. “Badly. The demons are set to rise to power and conquer our world.”
Nathan could feel Geoffrey’s anxiety. He knew what the knight would ask him next.
“The gate?”
There was no way to cushion the blow. “The gate is lost to us.” Geoffrey had died and been damned to purgatory to protect the secret.
Nathan saw the cold determination solidify in Geoffrey’s eyes. “How long do we have?”
As he pulled the forsaken Templar across the threshold into the world of the living, Nathan sighed. “We have a few weeks, at most.”
It wasn’t near enough to truly prepare, but it was all the time humanity had.
Chapter 1
The Arcanists would lead you to believe that the Earth Mother is benevolent and kind. They are wrong. While she offers power with a smile and an outstretched hand, her other hand, hidden behind her back, holds the shackles of slavery. The price an Arcanist pays is her immortal soul. – Templar Truths by Sir Walter Donovan, 1764
Kelly Grant pushed a cart filled with books through the stacks at the Sheboygan Public Library. As she went, she reshelved the books from the cart. It was a mundane job, useful and necessary. She thought about how many people would find the task beneath their calling. It required little training, was repetitious and often boring, but Kelly enjoyed the normalcy of it all. It wasn’t the first time she wondered what it would be like if the illusion was reality. Normal and boring had its own appeal. She was deep in the stacks when she heard someone calling for her.
“Kelly? Are you back here?”
Nathan Gray’s deep tone warmed Kelly’s heart. She turned and headed back toward the aisle. As she rounded the bookshelf, she saw her old friend. The elderly gentleman was dressed, as usual, in a crisp black suit, white shirt, and thin black tie. Kelly had always thought his look too severe and funereal in contrast with the warm, friendly soul he was. A little color would certainly warm up his look. But Nathan Gray wore death like a shroud, at least until he smiled.
“Nathan,” Kelly responded, giving her gaunt friend a quick hug. “It’s always great to see you.”
It was primarily because of Nathan Gray that Kelly had risen so quickly, despite her young age, to a position of great responsibility within the Arcanists. He had been her mentor and supporter, as she’d taken on the role of Senior Archivist. Her work here at the library had become an intriguing adventure. Still, Kelly often enjoyed escaping into the more mundane jobs, like shelving books.
“It’s good to see you also,” Nathan answered, his smile genuine. “I have been so busy of late, I’ve fallen behind on my reading.”
Kelly didn’t doubt it. Nathan’s responsibilities were far greater than hers. With the increase of demonic activity lately, the old man was probably being pulled in multiple directions at the same time. “Well, I’m glad you found time to stop in today.”
Despite his gauntness, he looked hale and animated, his cheeks a rosy red.
“Maybe yes, maybe no, we shall see,” Kelly noted the twinkle of mischief in Nathan’s eye. “I have another project for you, my dear. May I introduce Mr. Geoffrey le Court.”
Oh yes, she’d noticed the younger man standing behind Nathan. Geoffrey le Court was positively riveting. Had she not been so totally concentrating on Nathan, this man would have dominated her attention. His intense eyes seemed to stare into her soul. Short black hair framed a handsome face with chiseled features. Kelly placed the man in his mid-thirties.
Casually dressed in black jeans and a white polo shirt, the man stood a few inches taller than her, forcing her to look up. His shirt was tight enough to show Kelly an incredible physique. Broad shoulders tapered to a trim waist. The hint of musculature that showed through the thin fabric looked well defined. This guy was cut.
“Geoffrey, this is Miss Kelly Grant.” Nathan Gray added, “She’s the one I told you about, who can help you with your research.”
Geoffrey shot Nathan a glance filled with query and surprise. There was something dark and almost threatening in that glare, but Nathan merely smiled and nodded. When Geoffrey turned back to face her, he wasn’t smiling.
“It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Grant,” the man said stiffly, then bowed formally. His rich French accent intrigued her. His formal speech patterns made her suspect that English may not have been his native language.
Kelly offered her hand and the man took it. His frown lessened to a more neutral expression. Come on, smile a bit. She had a feeling he had a glorious smile. Geoffrey’s grip was strong, yet gentle. Rough, calloused hands told her this was no desk-jockey.
“Geoffrey will need to work in the basement.” Nathan handed Kelly a slip of paper. “Please make these works available to him, to begin with.”
What was Nathan up to now?
Kelly looked over the listing of books and manuscripts. Most were ancient, and in the secure archive vault, hidden away beneath their feet. One in particular stood out as being completely unavailable, though knowing Nathan Gray, that problem would soon be rectified. Kelly’s curiosity was piqued, but she knew Nathan and his peculiarities.
“Make sure he gets these and any other item he requires. Every resource should be put at his disposal.”
As she scanned the list again, Kelly tried to think of things the books would have in common. She’d studied most of them. There were a few intriguing possibilities.
“And will the research assistant be made aware of the nature of the inquiry?” Kelly raised her eyebrows, crossed her arms and gave the men her ‘librarian stare.’ Yes, Kelly could just procure the information requested, but she’d be much more help if she knew what Geoffrey le Court was looking for.
Nathan chuckled, “I will leave it to Mr. le Court to determine how much to tell you of his quest. Keep your curiosity in check, my dear. I assure you that all will be revealed in time.”
Nathan could be incredibly forthcoming at times, then completely mysterious at others. This was obviously going to be one of those enigmatic assignments. Well, Kelly could play that game too. Her mind was already narrowing down the possibilities. But as one of the top level leaders of the Arcanists around the world, he certainly needed to keep some secrets. And she trusted him in all things.
“Some secrecy is necessary, Miss Grant, I assure you,” Geoffrey le Court added dourly, “but speed is also paramount. I will hold nothing back from you that will slow or deter my progress. Nathan has vouched for your discretion.”
Discretion? Yes. She wouldn’t tell anyone else about what she knew or suspected, but that didn’t stop her from working to discover this mysterious man’s secrets to satisfy her own curiosity.
Nathan handed her a small package, wrapped in plain, brown paper. “This will mean a little extra work for you, Kelly, but I brought you a present that should help make up for it.”
Knowing what it probably was, Kelly found a table to set the package on and pulled a pair of clean cotton gloves from her pocket. Carefully, she began to unwrap the package. The smell of old leather and parchment set her head spinning as she freed the manuscript from its packaging and read the title: A Demonology of Ancient Egypt and Atlantis by Sir Edmond Fitz.
A tingle ran up her spine. There was a thrill in just holding such a rare and ancient tome. “Where did you find this, Nathan? I thought there were only three copies of it left in existence.”
“There are,” the old man answered with a chuckle. “This is the one from the Wellington collection. Lord Wellington owed me a favor and I decided to collect on it. It will serve us all better here than there in any case. As I’m sure you have already noted it’s on that list for Mr. le Court. So, he gets to use it first.”
Of course, the text and pictures from it resided in their on-line archive of documents, so she was familiar with the work, but without the physical volume present, many of the spells and more intricate secrets would not be intelligible. The old book pulsed with arcane energy.
Geoffrey le Court would certainly get use of the book first, but Kelly was putting herself second in line to delve into the old tome’s secrets.
“Of course, Nathan. I will take good care of it...and Mr. le Court.”
“Then I leave Mr. le Court in your very capable hands, Kelly.” The old man smiled at her then turned and hobbled off, leaving the two of them alone.
There was a strained silence for a moment before Kelly nodded to the man. “This way,” she said motioning him to follow. She led him around the side of the public elevators to a small door with a keypad lock. “There is a special elevator in this room.”
“An elevator.” Geoffrey le Court repeated the word as if he’d never heard it before.
The elevator behind this door went down to the secret vault where the Arcanists hid their artifacts. Only those members of the staff that were Arcanists knew the code and could pass through the door. The public had no knowledge of the secret vault’s existence.
Kelly typed in the code and pulled open the door. The small room contained innocuous maintenance equipment to give the appearance of normalcy, in case anyone did manage to breach the first level of their security. A separate key card was needed to operate the elevator. She pulled hers from her pocket and activated the elevator.
She noted that the man hesitated when the door opened. There was a question in his eyes as he stepped into the small compartment. The man actually jumped as the car began to descend. Could he possibly have never been on an elevator before?
The ride down put her in close proximity to him. His scent was clean, with a hint of sandalwood and spice. Nice. She wondered how long they’d be working together. She certainly didn’t have any problems working closely with a guy that looked...and smelled this good.
He said nothing on the ride down, but his wide eyes scanned the elevator car.
The strong, silent type. I could get used to that.
What could he be looking for in the old manuscripts below? He didn’t appear the scholarly type. She had to assume that he was seeking some specific piece of information and not just doing broad research. Perhaps he was an operative or agent of some kind—a man on a mission. Was her mind taking flights of fancy because the handsome man seemed so dark and mysterious? No, if Nathan Gray was involved, it was probably something big and important, or at the very least interesting.
Security was tight in the rare book vault. It was underground and usually only accessible from this one elevator. A locked door and stairway, at the back of the vault, did offer an escape in the case of emergency. The upper exit was hidden behind a bookshelf in the library above.
Tension radiated between them as they rode the elevator down to the vault, and his aura held a reddish tinge. She couldn’t escape the feeling that he was irritated with her for some reason, although she couldn’t imagine why. After all, they’d just met.
She took a deep breath as the elevator door opened into the research area. Some might find the place musty and unpleasant, but Kelly loved the smell of the vault. The rich scent of old leather and aging parchment always invoked a reverent thrill. Maybe it was all the information and history that the smells represented, or maybe she could feel the presence of the long dead authors in the words they had left behind. Even with the lack of windows, Kelly had no trouble spending hours down here.
Ventilation fans wafted cool, dry air on her face as she entered the work area of the vault. The environmental controls maintained the perfect temperature and humidity to preserve the ancient tomes.
She pointed toward the large worktable in the middle of the room. “You can work here,” she said, breaking their silence with a light, friendly tone she hoped would put him at ease.
Kelly slid the chair out from the table inviting Geoffrey to sit. The man gave her the strangest look as he took the seat.
As she reached across the table to snag a pair of white cotton gloves, her bare arm brushed the man’s shoulder. The shock of the contact was electric—sharp and tingly. Geoffrey’s aura flared a deep red.
What’s got you all worked up, handsome? she wondered.
“Use these gloves please,” she said once she’d regained control of her breathing. “These manuscripts are very old and fragile. Oils from your hands can damage them.”
She took the book that Nathan Gray had given her and set it in front of him. He placed a notebook and pencil he’d been carrying, on the table beside the book, slid the gloves on his hands and opened A Demonology of Ancient Egypt and Atlantis. He dove right into the research so she left him to retrieve the other books on Nathan Gray’s list.
It took a fingerprint scan and a secret code on a keypad to get into the caged area that contained most of the rarest books. However, the books she needed were in an even more secure area. The back wall of the caged-in area had a three-inch-thick steel door. Kelly keyed in the combination and heard the click of the electronic lock opening. She pulled on the handle and the heavy door swung open on well-oiled hinges.
The light filling this small chamber didn’t come from any modern lighting source, but emanated from the books and scrolls themselves. No other illumination was needed here. There was so much magical energy.
Most of the books in this room technically ‘did not exist’ and were accessible only to those with the highest clearance. It was from here she pulled the remaining eight books on the list. She had studied all of them in depth, so she naturally began to analyze what they had in common. What could the man be looking for in such rare and ancient texts? Atlantis and ancient Egypt figured prominently in many of them. Demon lore and legends also. Could Geoffrey le Court be a demon hunter?
She spent a moment pondering that. She also conjectured about the man himself—tall, handsome, ripped. Though quiet, he would probably dominate just about any room full of people. He had an aura of silent power surrounding him, but she didn’t find that intimidating.
There was something innately predatory and sexy about him. If the guy would just loosen up a bit, she wouldn’t have any problems working some long, late hours with Mr. Geoffrey le Court.
As Kelly returned with the books, she couldn’t help but take a closer look at him. She wasn’t as adept at reading auras as some of her friends, but she did detect the agitation that he exuded. There was something else, too. His soul seemed tortured...almost ancient, and there was a darkness about the man’s aura she couldn’t explain.
Still, she wished she could figure out why he seemed so irritated by her. Maybe he just needed to get to know her better—maybe he just had to be warmed up a bit. Kelly decided that warming Geoffrey le Court up, could be a really fun challenge.
Down girl. Remember, this is business, not pleasure. Put away those fantasies and get back to work.
Speaking of which...
She texted Salina Fry, a fellow Arcanist and part time library aide, to come in a cover for her upstairs. That way she could devote full time to Geoffrey’s needs.
