This is a really long chapter but no worries, this story is coming to its end. XD
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We rested a good while before moving again. Kade and I were in so much pain from our unsettling trip below. The others were respectful of it, but as late noon started to grow near, some became a little jittery and pushy.
"Lady Bella," Darwin said, approaching me cautiously. "I hate to interrupt your rest... but I think it's best if we get going. Once the sun sets, we won't have long until the demon attacks."
"He won't attack till early morning most likely," I groaned. Still, he didn't look convinced, neither did the others.
I looked to Kade who was leaning against the tree beside me. He nodded and struggled to stand on his feet. "He's right, Bella. We need to get going." And so we did, trudging along to the hill in the distance.
I fell behind a little bit and became mixed in with the crowd. I couldn't help but notice the stares I received. Some of them were fearful, others admirable. I had a feeling that it had to deal with the fact I crawled from Hell. In a way, I was proud of the way they looked at me. Respect was something I needed in order to lead this group.
The sun had already set by the time we reached the foot of the hill. Surprisingly, nothing bad had happened during that period of time, but I was already prepared for the worst. It was almost like I could feel Salazar breathing down the back of my neck.
Stars had already begun to splotch the sky as we painfully climbed. Delilah was still effortlessly leading, just as hopeful as me to see her family again. This was the moment we'd all waited for, the reason all this pain had to be endured. We'd come so far, been through so much. Heck, we almost died a few times. But it was all worth it. That belief grew stronger with every step we took up the hill. Though it was tall and I barely had the energy, I started to gradually move back to the very front. And before I knew it I was walking a couple steps ahead of Delilah.
Then, in that breathtaking moment, we were standing atop the hill, gazing down at the old, greyed castle below. It was covered in dead vegetation, mold forming on a majority of the walls, bricks crumbled in most parts, and the remains of a massive garden, well, and fountain scattered in the area out front. To any normal person, it would've been a horrific, ugly, and intimidating sight.
Not to me.
I saw a structure of beauty, a housing of my hopes and determination. A goal I'd worked so hard towards. In the midst of it all... I saw home.
I was smiling like an idiot while feeling my heartbeat quicken with excitement. "Why are we still standing here?" Kade suddenly mumbled in my ear. I met his eyes and he smiled. No one else said a thing as we began a lively walk down the mountain, me still leading the way with desperation. I nearly squealed when we reached flat land again and had to take another moment to admire the enormous structure in front of me. The others went ahead and Kade was surprisingly the last to make it down. When he landed next to me, he let out an unusual grunt and hesitated.
The smile on his face was gone.
I watched as he rested his hand on his stomach painfully. When he noticed me staring, he smiled again. "You alright?" I asked seriously.
"Yep," he chuckled, clearly lying to me. "Now come on! Let's catch up with the others!" He walked ahead of me, but I was perfectly aware of the small limp he carried. To anyone not paying attention, it wouldn't be obvious. But to me... everything about him was clear.
How much longer could he go on?
I made my way back to the crowd as we continued. We drew closer to the castle and I was barely able to keep my excitement at bay. It was a bit easier when I began to think about Kade's condition. Either he was going to make it to the end of this or he wasn't... there wasn't an in between.
"Your friend over there," someone suddenly grumbled in my ear. I turned my head to find Krishna standing next to me. "He's got something evil growing inside of him. Something truly terrible." Her German accent made her statement far more intimidating. I gulped down the lump of fear in my throat and watched Kade limp ahead.
"I know," I whispered. "And it worries the hell out of me." She wanted to say more. Based on the look on her face, she was scared but I wasn't very sure why. It wasn't something that could affect her. She was safe... I hoped. I didn't want anyone else to be affected by something I technically caused in the first place. I figured that wouldn't be the case, but her stretched face and wide eyes told me there was something to truly fear here. As she opened her mouth to say something, Maeve was the one to cut her off.
"Bella!" she called. I blinked, realizing we'd arrived right at the castle doors. We'd passed the well, the garden, and even the massive fountain... and I hadn't noticed a thing. People and things were waiting, watching me as Maeve summoned the book from thin air with her witchcraft. She held it steady and gazed patiently at me with bright green eyes. "You ready?"
I approached her side and looked up at the beastly structure. Odis put a hand on my shoulder and smiled, but he didn't say a word. Kade did the same on my other side and we all listened as Maeve began to read her verses strongly and loudly.
No lighting shone from inside, no critters chirped from their hideouts, not a single gust of wind blew. It was almost as if the castle was screaming at us to leave... but with dead silence. A tingle went up my spine as I listened to Maeve. It wasn't one of excitement, though, not at all. I smiled but I didn't feel the emotions that normally brought a smile. Something seemed off. Something seemed terribly wrong.
Why didn't I say a word? I'm not entirely sure.
Maeve suddenly slammed her book shut, startling me out of my fearsome thoughts. She backed up just to gaze at the castle with us, frowning deeply and trembling at her fingertips. I looked at her and she looked at me.
"Duck," she breathed with wide eyes.
The doors burst open loudly, screams, whistles, and cries piercing my ears like sirens. My face was struck with a strong, ice cold gust of air, just as I was nearly blinded by a bright light. I dropped to the ground, squeezing my eyes shut and clamping my hands over my ears desperately. I lost my sense of direction, lost my thoughts, my focus, and awareness of where I was. I couldn't see anything but brightness, a brightness that choked my heart and terrified the life out of me. I'm not sure why though. I wasn't sure of anything at that moment.
The cries of people had a big part in it. They screamed bloody murder but I couldn't make out any words. Their terrorizing sounds eventually died down, though, as did the rest of the sudden effects. The air grew warmer just as my sight began to return. Mild silence was filling the place, only the murmurs of folks left behind.
I scrambled to my feet as the castle and everything around it came into view again. There were ghostly figures roaming the area, some crying, some laughing, some silent as lost expressions struck their transparent faces. Everyone else followed my actions and watched. Some ghosts hugged each other in greeting and others started to fade into bright lights. I figured they were all reuniting and some were finally moving on. My eyes drifted to Delilah who was watching desperately for her family, hopeful but lost it seemed.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a couple approaching from behind: both young and lively, handsome and beautiful. She didn't notice them until the man put his hand on her shoulder. The excitement that struck her face when she turned around warmed my heart.
"Papa! Ma!" She hugged her father around the waist and then did the same to her mother. It was then when I noticed they too had bullet holes in their chests.
"Honey, it's so great to see you again!" her mother cried as she knelt down to hug her child again. Delilah rambled on with happiness, her parents nodding and responding the best they could. This went on for a couple of minutes before a bright light engulfed them suddenly... and they all moved on together.
Tears struck my eyes but I held them in. I was happy for them but we had more important things to do rather than get emotional over one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I needed to get back to my family. And I needed to get there fast.
I looked at the open castle doors and approached them. The moonlight didn't light the inside of the castle, almost like it couldn't. The air inside was cold and thin, disturbed dust crowding my face as I stepped in.
"Lady Bella! Should we follow?" Darwin whisper yelled to me. My three were already at my side but the rest of the crowd stayed back.
"No!" I whispered back. "You guys stay out here and keep watch. Plus, if Galendale is indeed in here, we don't need to give him a heart attack... no offense."
"He probably already had one after what we just did," Kade grumbled. I ignored his unhelpful statement and continued to creep into the old entrance of the castle. Spiderwebs, dirt, dust, and everything imaginable blanketed the antique furniture and decorations. But even with the stone cold sight, I could almost imagine how beautiful the place used to be.
There was a grand staircase right in the middle, just as dirtied as everything else. It led into two different sections of the castle, which I finally began to realize was huge.
"Great. Look at this! How are we supposed to find that old fart?" Maeve groaned, apparently noticing the same thing. I looked around for a moment until my eyes landed on a few spots on the stairs with slightly less dirt than the areas around them. They weren't that noticeable in the dark but somehow I was able to see them.
"Look," I whispered, pointing at them. "What do you think of this?" Odis was the first to see what I was talking about and smiled.
"Footprints. Of course," he said snapping. "In order for them to actually show up like this, whoever made them would've had to retrace the same path over and over."
"They keep going," Maeve pointed out. I followed her finger to see the footprints turning to the stairs' left path. Though they continued... they disappeared into pitch blackness along the way. Apparently, the others realized the same thing because we all looked at Kade expectantly... and he knew exactly what we wanted. Worry stretched across his face and I figured it was because he was scared to use his powers. The slightest usage probably made his condition worse.
But he didn't resist.
"Okay," he uttered, red flames engulfing his hand. I saw him flinch but he tried to hide it. "But maybe I shouldn't lead the way." I took that position myself and began following the eerily lit footprints, creating slight impressions of my own. The others followed and we tracked through halls and up stairs until we came across a particular closed door, the only one that appeared to have light coming from the inside. I could easily tell it was that of a candle because it was dim and flickered frequently.
I knocked lightly, afraid that whoever -if anyone- would flee out of some unknown escape if I was too harsh. Kade trashed my plan when he knocked loudly and opened the door himself.
I reluctantly followed him into the dull room, instantly noticing a man sitting at a desk ahead. He was small, frail it seemed, and leaned over something he was clearly occupied by. He wore a blue robe-like covering and had a head of long grey hair that stretched down his back. The matching blue hat he wore, one that sort of reminded me of a night cap, was lazily placed upon his head. Even from where we stood I could see the wrinkles on his hands and the way they shook when he wrote. Ahead of him, a large window glistened with the light of his single candle.
The others stopped so I stopped with them. Their eyes widened and I could only imagine it was for one reason.
"Galendale," Maeve breathed in awe. She took a step forward then backed away again, seeming unsure of what to do.
"Galendale," Odis and Kade repeated at the same time. The old man stopped his writing and I heard his pencil fall against the desk seconds later. He turned around in his chair, revealing his aged face. Purple bags sunk beneath his brown eyes, his mouth was pulled into an automatic frown, and the wrinkles on his skin made him look even more grouchy than he already did.
He scowled at us and wrinkled his large nose. "Freelancers?" He didn't seem very disgusted by the name. In fact, I saw shock sweep his face for a second. "What are you doing here? How did you even get in?" Now the disgust was showing itself. He clearly wasn't happy about having his "home" disturbed like it was, but to be honest... I didn't really care.
Odis was the one who began to explain everything. From when I first arrived and then up until now. Galendale's expressions were mixed and I could tell he was trying to process all the information, but his solemn look remained in the end.
"Was this the visitor you prophesied awhile back, Galendale?" Maeve asked, motioning towards me. Galendale studied me hard with a newly required interest. He stroked his beard and then looked back at the witch.
"I only prophesied a visitor, that doesn't mean I had details on them," he eventually said. "But I don't believe this to be the great-granddaughter of dear Eliza. And I definitely don't believe she is a goddess."
"But that's what Bella is," Kade mentioned.
"Eliza was a goddess. This, she did not know of course. And this was something I wouldn't dare tell her. She was too courageous... too curious. If she found out about what she was I was afraid she'd get too carried away and hurt herself. Poor girl had the wrong idea about her powers... her blood. She didn't need to kill herself to protect her family. I knew the spell was a goner the first minute I casted it on her," Galendale added. "But I don't believe you're also a goddess." He looked at me and squinted.
"I'm the first child of the third generation after Eliza, born before the one hundred year mark. I have the gene," I stressed. "I'm a goddess." He motioned me over and I approached him reluctantly. He then grabbed ahold of my wrists, turned them over, and then pulled back my sleeves to reveal my clear skin.
"Lies," the wizard growled. "You have neither the mark of Hell nor the mark of Heaven. You can't be a goddess." Realization struck my face the instant I heard the words.
Why hadn't I ever noticed it before?
The marks, the burn marks I had when I arrived in this time period, the ones I was always so insecure about and intimidated by, were now gone. Completely vanished. Not a trace of them was left behind. When and how did they ever disappear? And how wasn't I aware of it until now?
"At birth, a god or goddess is marked by both Heaven and Hell, always destined to choose one or the other. When they begin to drift to one, the mark of the opposing side disappears from their body and they are left with whichever side they choose. Even though you have the purple eyes, you can't be a goddess," he continued.
"What about Eliza?" I cried.
"She was left with the mark of Hell. But not because she chose that side. Hell cheated at her birth, desperate to have another god on their side. They claimed her entirely and never allowed Heaven a chance to discover or mark her. And since she didn't know she was a goddess, she was unable to discover her alternative. She was only exposed to hellish creations and never thought twice about those of Heaven," he said.
"Bella didn't choose a side... and she knows everything about choosing an alliance," Odis suddenly blurted. "She denies both so that must be why she doesn't have the marks anymore."
Galendale glanced at me curiously. "Anymore? Meaning you used to have them?" I nodded quickly as he stood briskly. "You mean to tell me you denied your chances at glory in war just to come to me about some coin?" He started pacing the room.
"It's not just some coin! That coin is the reason I'm here. You're the reason I'm here! If you hadn't've casted some dumb time traveling spell on it I wouldn't be here in the first place! All I want to do is get back home to my family... to be normal again," I cried.
"Oh, sweetheart, there's no way for you to be normal again," Galendale said bitterly. He sat back in his chair and went back to his writing. "I've cut my connections with magic and especially that abomination Salazar. I can't help you. Please leave and close the door on your way out."
The way he brushed us off pissed me off more than anything. I felt my fists clench as I watched disappointment spread across the others' faces. I don't know what possessed me to do so but I stomped over to the man's desk, grabbed the collar of his robe and pinned him to the wall, fury flaring in my purple eyes.
"Listen you old fart! I... we have been through so much just to get here. We've battled with death and so many ugly creatures that nearly ripped our hearts out! We've sacrificed so much for each other... lost so much." I glanced at Kade and felt my heart break even more. "We are not just going to leave. You will 'build' your connections again, get me home, and send these amazing people on their way back to their lovely bar in Boston." Galendale's eyes widened as he gazed into mine.
"Now I see it... you look so much like Eliza," he breathed, and then shook his head to break his trance. His sour look returned but it didn't seem as mean as before. "Anyway, even if I did do something like that, I'm not sure I could reverse such a thing. Do you even have the coin?"
All of a sudden, I felt as if a knife had carved into my heart. This whole journey, I hadn't given one thought about the location of the coin. I couldn't even remember when I last saw it or held it. No one had mentioned it before we left and no one had asked who it was with or what had happened to it.
How had we forgotten something so crucial to this journey?
I released Galendale and turned around with sunken eyes to the others. I felt like crying but I was too shocked to even move. All of this was for nothing. We'd come all this way missing the one thing we needed most.
Kade and Odis returned my frown but Maeve smiled at me. It was a reassuring smile but I obviously couldn't bring myself to do the same thing. She approached me, pulled me into a tight hug, and then held my face in her hands. "Oh, honey," she whispered. "I didn't become a coven leader because of my good looks." She then opened her soft, perfectly tan hands and motioned for me to watch as the same green mist from earlier began to swirl in her palm. Seconds later, the strangely faced coin sat nicely tucked right in the center of her hand. She opened my hand and laid the coin in it with a brighter smile. "I thought it was best if I had held onto it this whole time."
As my fingers closed around the coin, I felt like crying tears of joy. I was so grateful for Maeve, and she just made me admire her even more at that moment. I briskly handed the coin to Galendale and chuckled in disbelief. "Send me home," I mumbled.
He gazed down at it with hesitance. "I can't promise this will work," he said. "But as an act of thanks to the Freelancers and a final gift to the Astor family, I'll try." His sudden change of attitude was very flattering but a bit confusing at the same time. I didn't say anything of it, though. More important thoughts were on my mind as he went to grab books off of a bookshelf in the corner of the room. Silence followed for a few minutes as he thumbed through a few, mumbling things to himself as more and more were pulled off the shelf.
"This might take awhile," he said moments later. I nearly groaned. With every passing second I grew more impatient and with every passing second... danger could be getting closer.
Not even a second later I heard glass shatter and a piece cut into my cheek. It bled instantly and as I pulled my hand up to cover the wound, I watched Kade kick away the gargoyle that had flown through the window ahead. It crash landed on top of him and with a little help from Odis, they managed to pin it down.
Seconds later though, a larger, more familiar gargoyle landed on Galendale's desk and flashed us his haunting, toothy smile. How'd I predict Xur would be next?
"Hiya, pals," he chuckled. "Ready for our play date?"