He wondered if Uri was a part of the plan. Uri had travelled with Michael to get what he had called, Denarians. Gabe wanted to ask Uri about it but feared if he did, Uri might feel compelled to bring his question to Michael's attention. Gabe was not ready for Michael to know he had been the one in hiding.
Gabe knelt to start a fire, once the small flames began to climb up the logs he stood and turned to walk back to his seat. There was a small knock at the door. The sun was not even up and Gabe wondered who could possibly be coming to his room at this hour. Gabe walked to the door and cracked it just enough to let the light from the fireplace leak into hallway. Sophie leaned into the light and looked up at Gabe.
“Did I wake you?” She asked in a whisper.
“No,” he replied, pulling the door open the rest of the way and motioning for her to enter. “Trouble sleeping last night.”
“Me, too.” Sophie replied.
Gabe walked over and took a seat in front of the fire. Sophie followed and sat across from him. “Is something wrong?” Gabe asked looking at Sophie whose face was wrought with worry.
“I’m not sure...” Sophie replied hesitating. “I think something is going on, but I’m not sure what.”
“What do you mean something is going on?” Gabe asked, curious if she knew more about what he had seen the night before than she had let on.
“I don’t know, it’s just since Michael and Uri returned I’ve barely seen Michael.” Sophie explained. “He hasn’t been to any of the meals. At first I thought maybe it was because of Anthony and the beach...” Sophie stopped herself and then looked horrified at Gabe.
“I’m so sorry, Gabe. I didn’t mean to bring up...” Sophie continued.
“It is fine,” Gabe assured her. “I know I shouldn’t have gone that day and I appreciate what Michael did. I’m just so grateful.” Gabe said with a slight smile, glancing back at the growing flames.
“Well,” Sophie continued. “I thought maybe he was mourning Anthony, processing it all, you know? So I went to visit him and he was gathered in his office with several elders. When I knocked one of them, Simon, answered and said Michael was unavailable and before I could speak another word closed the door in my face.”
Sophie leaned forward and looked intensely at Gabe. “Before he closed the door I saw in the room Gabe. There was a table set up with a map. I think it was a battle plan. But why, why not tell us.” Sophie was clearly frustrated. “We could help.”
“Perhaps Michael thinks it’s a suicide mission.” Gabe added, remembering the words from last night.
“What?” Sophie exclaimed. “Michael wouldn’t do that. Why would you say that? He knows we need him too much.”
“Sophie, I want to tell you something but you have to promise me it stays between us.” Gabe said reaching out to touch Sophie’s hand.
Her eyes grew in size and filled with fear. Secrets had never proven to be a good thing in Sophie’s past. She simply nodded in the affirmative, too scared to utter the word yes. “Do you know what a Denarian is?” Gabe asked, hoping she would have some sort of explanation for him.
“What?” Sophie said taken off guard. “Umm, money I guess. It’s what was once used in Rome, a silver coin I believe. What’s with the history lesson, Gabe?”
Gabe still had no clearer picture of what he had witnessed the night before. Perhaps in the proper context, Sophie could help them both understand. “Do you remember last night when I left the circle?” he asked. Sophie simply nodded again.
“Well, I saw something.” Gabe continued.
“What do you mean you saw something?” Sophie asked, a bit apprehensive, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.
“I saw these three figures slinking around last night, so I followed them. I don’t know why, so don’t ask.” Gabe added, wishing he knew himself why he felt compelled to follow.
Sophie pulled her hand back, a little put off by his last statement. “I saw them too,” she added. “I saw you take off after them but I didn’t give it much thought after that, honestly.”
Gabe continued with his story of what had unfolded the night before. What he had witnessed, the daggers, the silver coins, and the horror of being discovered and him racing back to the bon fire. Sophie just listened without a word. Finally when Gabe finished his story, he looked at her but she still said nothing. Sophie simply furrowed her brow as if in great thought.
“Well?” Gabe asked.
“You said he had the ‘Daggers of Sacrifice’?” Sophie asked, clearly trying to work everything out in her mind.
“Well, I mean, I guess that’s what they were. I can’t be sure, that’s just what I heard him say. I saw he had two of them.” Gabe replied.
“Well, they mentioned Denarians and Judas’ treachery so what you saw must have been some of the thirty pieces of silver. That must be where him and Uri went.” Sophie said clearly just thinking out loud and not actually talking to Gabe particularly.
“Thirty pieces of silver?” Gabe repeated clueless.
“You know the story, Judas betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.” Sophie replied in a dismissive tone.
“That really happened?” Gabe asked.
“Gabe, the Bible isn’t just a story book; it’s a record of ancient history. But why coat the daggers in that silver?” Sophie said as if posing herself the question. “Oh my God,” Sophie muttered, her face lighting up as if a light bulb had gone off. “Of course, that’s brilliant!” she exclaimed jumping to her feet.
“Wait, what’s brilliant?” Gabe asked, also rising but completely confused as to why they were excited.
“Don’t you get it?” Sophie asked looking as if she were ready to leap from her skin. “Mammon is a prince of hell, what’s his power?” Sophie quizzed.
Gabe thought about their evening with the crystals but seemed to only recall Sophie and their first kiss. Seeing Gabe was struggling with the answer Sophie added “Greed!”
“OK,” Gabe said still not getting the brilliance of it.
“The Denarians represent mankind’s greatest example of greed, Judas betrayed the son of God for those coins. By dipping those daggers in the silver from the Denarians, Michael is in a sense using Mammon’s own weapon against himself. If what the Oracle told Michael is correct, Mammon will actually be vulnerable to the dagger then.” Sophie explained.
“But I heard Simon say if it doesn’t work it would be suicide.” Gabe added with great concern.
“It would be!” Sophie exclaimed running for the door. “That’s why we can’t let him go alone. We have to tell the others,” Sophie stopped at the door and looked back at Gabe. “You coming?”
Gabe couldn’t believe his own words, “Let’s go.” A second later he was running with Sophie on a mission to gather his friends, ready to sacrifice everything to save Michael.
Chapter Twentry-three
The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon when the group gathered together in the courtyard. Sophie looked over at Uri. “So Michael hasn’t said anything to you about when he plans to attack Mammon.”
“No,” Uri insisted. “I assumed he would tell me when the time had come. You know he still might be planning on telling us, maybe we are overreacting.”
“Did he tell you he had prepared the daggers?” Sophie shot the question hastily at Uri.
“No.” Uri responded as he looked to the ground, a desperation covering his face.
Sophie looked at Uri and explained, “What I caught a glimpse of in his office Uri was a battle plan. You know Michael; if he thought there were a chance he were wrong he would never let us help.”
Uri nodded and looked at the group. “You’re right.” He said clearly frustrated. “I say we confront him, insist he is not going without us.” The six took off running and as the manor began to awaken to the morning light they came barreling down the massive halls.
The group came to a loud and clunky stop outside of Michael’s office. “Michael,” Uri shouted banging on the door. “Please, Michael, we have to talk to you.” A moment later the door creaked open and the small man Gabe had seen down in the tunnels the previous night poked his head out.
“Simon,” Uri bellowed. “We need to see Michael, its urgent.”
“You can’t,” Simon replied in a small nervous voice.
“What do you mean? Of course we can.” Uri said pushing past him, the door flying open. Uri marched into the room. “Michael!” he shouted. Uri looked around the cold, dark empty room. Realizing it was empty he clearly became frustrated. “Where is he Simon?” Uri demanded.
“He wouldn’t say, Uri.” Simon insisted. “He didn’t want you to know. He knew if he told anyone you would find out. He said he already put enough people in harm’s way and he had to do this himself. I’m supposed to tell you in case he fails, you have to make sure Operation Phoenix is a success.”
“What?” Uri cried, “That’s not acceptable!” He looked around the office frantically for any evidence of where Michael might have gone. Uri desperately sunk to his knees, covering his head. “You fool.” he muttered, as if talking to a man that was not there.
A few moments of silence passed before Dina stepped forward. “Gabe can find him.” She said in a calm and still voice.
“I don’t know where he is.” Gabe protested.
“Gabe, you can do this!” Dina insisted. “I promise.”
Gabe looked at Dina feeling completely overwhelmed by her words. “Dina, really, I promise, I have no clue where he is. He didn’t say anything that would help.” Gabe argued.
“No Gabe, the locket,” Dina explained. “Do you have it? Magic leaves an imprint. He rescued you with that locket; you two are connected through it. If you have the locket you could sense his imprint and use that to track him.”
Uri jumped to his feet and rushed over to Gabe, “Well do you have it?” he asked in a panicked voice.
“Michael took it from me.” Gabe replied. Uri moaned in anger and frustration as he kicked a nearby trashcan over on its side.
“He must have known he was going to go alone, that’s why he took it back.” Sophie added frustrated.
“Wait!” Gabe exclaimed. He rushed over to Michael’s desk and frantically searched the draws for the small box he had originally seen the locket in. In the side drawer he found the box hiding but as he tried to pry it open he yelped. “It’s locked!”
Uri walked over to the box and grabbed it in his hands. He raised it over his head and with all his might cast it to the floor. The hinges busted and as the lid flipped open the locket slid across the floor, coming to rest at Gabe’s feet.
Gabe looked around the room, everyone staring at him intensely. Slowly Gabe bent over to pick up the locket, as he touched it he felt a surge of energy race up his arm and a second later his vision went completely white. He felt his legs fail him as he collapsed to the floor. He clenched his eyes tight in an effort to regain his vision but when he opened them a second time he was no longer in Michael’s office. He had been transported to a forest. It was gray and foggy all around him and Gabe noticed how no birds were singing, there wasn’t a single noise of any kind. He rose to his feet and took a few steps forward, wondering where he was and how he had gotten there.
Gabe looked around wildly and realized he was alone; apparently none of his companions had made the journey with him. Gabe felt a chill run down his spine and a paralyzing fear crept in.
“Tell us now,” a venomous voice cut through the silence. Gabe looked all around him but saw nothing. He ran to a nearby tree and crept slowly and cautiously to the next one, trying to ensure he remained concealed. Taking a deep breath and mustering all of his courage he glanced around the edge of the tree. Gabe gasped as he caught site of a hideous beast standing only about twenty yards away.
Gabe was about to turn and run when he heard Michael’s voice. “You might as well kill me because I will never tell you.” Gabe froze where he was. He wanted to cast invisibility but he couldn’t remember how to in his panicked state. He felt defenseless.
Compelled to ensure Michael was alright Gabe peeked out from around the tree again. He saw Michael, his hands and feet were bound and he was strapped to a tree. Gabe noticed the tree looked like a crooked old lady towering above him, arms outstretched, ready to swoop in and capture Michael. Michael had a huge gash on his forehead that seemed to be steadily letting blood flow into his swollen eye. His nose was crooked and glowed black and blue, Gabe put his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from letting out a shriek.
“Oh you will,” The creature hissed at him, “You will tell us everything.” Gabe shivered as he stared at the creature. He thought how it reminded him of spider, multiple legs, hairy, but it seemed to have the torso and head of a human. The monster waved its clawed finger in Michael’s face. As it spoke Gabe caught a glimpse of its face, though its head looked human from the back it was far from that from the front. Gabe counted at least eight eyes, large, black, and glassy. Its skin looked like hardened gray leather and two shiny fangs jutted out from its mouth, a thick and mucus like venom hanging from them in long and gruesome strands.
“I will give you one last chance to tell me where the manor is. Where are you hiding the boy? If you tell us, we will end your life quickly. I doubt you would care for the alternative.” The creature clearly took great pleasure in its words.
Gabe looked around the clearing and noticed there were at least one to two dozen similar creatures. He didn’t know how he alone was going to help Michael; perhaps if he could calm down and try to use invisibility. Surely they would notice though if he untied Michael though, they couldn’t just walk away.
Gabe took a deep breath, he needed a plan. As he ran through the options and played out one dangerous scenario after another in his mind he felt an overwhelming sense of dizziness. Just as sudden as he had arrived there, in this place all alone, his entire vision again went white.
“Gabe,” a voice called to him from the oblivion.
“Gabe, are you OK?” He heard Sophie’s voice cut through the white cloud in his head. Gabe opened his eye as he felt himself being pulled into an upright position. His head ached and he reached around to touch the source. He pulled his hand back and his fingertips were covered in deep red blood.