chapter Twenty
Carl came in and reminded Morgan he needed to attend the next rite. Morgan invited us to observe the ceremony, and we agreed. He didn’t seem to have any new ideas about what my visions meant, and I thought maybe we could learn something from attending one of his religious functions.
We entered the same room I had seen Morgan in during my previous vision—the large high-ceiling beige stone room, with side pillars that held white flags. The Everlasting Circle symbol was painted on each of those flags. There were candles around the perimeter of the room and an altar in the back. The poster I hadn’t been able to see during the vision now burned my eyes. It was another drawing of the gods, with the symbol behind them.
While he rushed around the room and prepared the rite, Victor, Micah, and I observed him.
“You don’t believe in the crap he’s been telling us, do you?” Victor asked in low tones.
I turned to him, and responding in a voice equally low, I said, “Do you have any other explanation for what is happening?”
“No, but come on.” His eyes were doubtful. “Gods and Fates and gifts? How can he prove any of this?”
“Do you have proof the Christian God exists?” I rolled my eyes at Micah, who snickered beside us. So far, I had believed in the Christian God, but now, everything and anything seemed plausible—or doubtful.
Victor remained quiet.
“His aura is strong too,” Micah said, his gaze following each of Morgan’s moves. “And he has the gift of sight.”
“Okay,” I said. “Explain something to me. Everyone has an aura, right?”
“Yes,” Micah answered.
“But these auras are different?”
He nodded. “Yes. There are good auras, weak auras, bad auras, and special auras. Ours are the latter.”
“Special how?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Just special. They feel different. Purer, stronger. Victor’s and mine are much stronger than yours, though.”
“This mess is so insane,” Victor muttered.
I ignored Micah and stepped closer to Victor, hoping my eyes could express my feelings. “I don’t know what to believe; I don’t know who to trust. But here we are, and trust me, I’ve been debating whether I’m not in a vision right now. This isn’t easy for any of us. Unfortunately, it’s all we’ve got so far.”
I could see I hadn’t convinced him, but how could I convince him of something I wasn’t completely convinced of myself?
Morgan called our attention and directed us to stand under the altar.
The rite started.
With white chalk, he drew the Everlasting Circle symbol on the floor and chanted. The words in the chant asked Levi to come back, to be resurrected, and bring light to the darkness.
Whatever else he said or did, I didn’t catch.
I felt the usual stab, the warmth running inside my body, the prickle over my skin. The darkness took over, and I wasn’t there anymore. I was on top of a steep, red rock, looking at many other red rocks. It reminded me of the Grand Canyon, though I was sure it wasn’t the exact same place.
“We are near the Grand Canyon.” A woman’s voice came from behind me. I turned to see who it was, then gasped when I saw the identical Fates. They continued, speaking together, and said, “It’s called Cathedral Rock.”
“This is where you need to come,” one of them said.
“Don’t scare the girl off, Lavni,” another said. It was confusing. Even if they decided to formally introduce themselves, I would never know who was who. She continued, “But you have to hurry, my child.”
“Otherwise, the world won’t have a chance,” the third one said.
“Excuse me?” My head spun.
They approached and pointed toward the horizon. “The world can’t survive in the chaos it is in.”
“To have a chance of avoiding the end, you and your friends need to come here,” Lavni said.
“What is so special about this place?” I asked, looking around. All I saw were red rocks.
“Ask Morgan. He knows,” one said with a knowing smile.
They waved their hands and the horizon changed. The darkness of the sky descended, winged creatures advanced, and lightning struck.
“If they catch you before you arrive, it will be the end.” I heard the Fates’ voices, though they weren’t by my side anymore. “The world will be at war with the darkness. And the darkness will win.”
Images flashed before me on the vast horizon: the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Cristo Redentor in Brazil crumbled to the ground, winged monsters devoured people in parks, huge waves brought gigantic sea creatures up to die on beaches, fireballs hurled from the skies burned the ground, children yelled and ran from schools as earthquakes destroyed everything. All the while, Imha stood on the side, observing and laughing with pleasure.
My stomach revolved and I fell on my butt.
Micah and Victor knelt by my side. Morgan stood close behind. I scanned the area, realizing I was back from the vision and we were alone in the beige stone room.
“What did you see?” Micah asked, leaning closer, his cool breath washing through my skin. I inhaled deeply, hoping his sweet scent would numb my senses and I could just stay down and not care about anything else. “Nadine, talk to me.”
“Nadine.” It was Victor, his voice holding a gentle tone. “Say something.”
I didn’t want to say anything. All I wanted was to close my eyes and forget about gods and Fates and visions and auras.
But I didn’t. I could feel within my soul my vision was true. “What is so special about Cathedral Rock?” I asked Morgan in a clear and loud tone, masking my fear and my frustration.
He pressed his hands together. “Cathedral Rock is a gateway to the Clarity Castle.”
***
“That is, if the stories are true,” Morgan said from the backseat of Victor’s car. We had left Jacksonville and were now on the road toward Sedona, Arizona. To Cathedral Rock.
“With us, which story has not been true?” Micah asked, eyeing his backseat partner.
Morgan threw his hands up. “Man, I’m on your side. That’s why I’m coming with you, isn’t it?” He sounded more like an excited young man than a fifty-year-old priest.
“How long to Sedona?” Micah asked while I stifled a laugh. I just hoped he didn’t kill Morgan before we got there.
Victor glanced at the dashboard. “Thirty hours, according to the GPS.”
Morgan leaned forward. “We need to make a stop in Wichita.”
“Kansas?” I asked, looking back at them, and saw Morgan nod. “Why?”
“I know a priest there. Last week, on the phone, he mentioned he was studying the gateways,” he explained. “We might need his guidance.”
“Again, why?” I asked.
“Because the gateway is a place of strong power and it isn’t out there for everyone to see,” Morgan said. “It’s hidden somewhere among those rocks, and I know nothing about what to look for. My friend does.”
I turned to our driver, hoping he wouldn’t snap again for having to take us even farther. With a sidelong glance, Victor nodded.
“All right, boys,” I said. “We’re going to Kansas.”