“It’s not a job, Syn, and we told you the details that you need to know. There’s no deceit in tonight’s plans. We are going to take back something that should have never left Faery to begin with. Period,” he replied carefully.
“Give me details other than just telling me it’s a scepter. I noticed that the building is an old Masonic Temple, but what I don’t know is, why there and what is their involvement? I need more than what you gave me, and I’m smart enough to know that more is going on than you are telling me. I’ve read about the Masons, and, from what I know, they are not the bad guys—normally.”
“Politics aside, Pet, you are right about that—normally they are not. The group has had many evolutions before they were the Freemasons. The group that stole the scepter was the Knights Templar, who were, for all intents and purposes, thought to have been disbanded shortly after the Crusades ended. They are still active today secretly, behind the scenes and they are a lot like the Guild Enforcers. They are trained to kill, but, unlike the Guild, they only do so to protect their secrets, along with those things they are invested in. What they stand for, and the symbol they have been using since the Crusades are the only constants, no matter which evolution the outer group goes through. They are trained to be no more than rumors. Deadly, efficient, and not people you would want on your bad side. Normally, they stay out of other groups’ business unless they fear it endangers the humans or their own tenets.”
“Okay, so what's the backup plan? Because planning on missing them is option A. I need to know what option B is for worst case scenario. Do we fight? Do we run? I need to know these things, so I’m not responsible for starting a bloody war, unless you want one.”
“We are Fae; we don’t believe in a plan B, and no, we don’t want to start a fucking war with them,” he mumbled, and looked at his hand.
I lifted a brow at that, and placed mine inside of his as he pulled me closer and we sifted. When we materialized on the roof of the Templars’ building, I was fully inside his arms with his lips touching my forehead. I'd felt it before we'd materialized, but I’d thought it was only my overactive imagination. “Stay close to me, Synthia. Watch where you step; there are sensors on the ground to alert the Templars to intruders,” he whispered, and took in our surroundings.
“How the hell did the Templars get the scepter anyway?” I asked, letting my curiosity out, instead of the nerves in my stomach.
Ryder’s lips kicked up into a mischievous smile. “Ah, so more story telling for you, eh?” He smirked a little at me. “The four relics we are looking for are ancient relics of our people and thought by many to be magical weapons. Our people would keep them in the strongest caste’s realm, and at that time, the Light Fae were the strongest caste outside of the Horde. Anise, who was the queen of the Light Fae, was incredibly powerful, but she had a daughter who was very foolish and fascinated with humans. She became infatuated, and thought she was in love with one who belonged to the Knights Templar. Even though the Knights themselves were supposed to have taken vows of poverty, chastity, piety, and obedience to their order, we know that the Knights Templar were one of the groups that the Mages had infiltrated, and we believe that they encouraged this young man to return her affections. She thought the Templar Knight truly loved her, and he, probably prompted by the Mages, asked for a sign of her love by giving him the relics. Now, the Light Princess may have been foolish and blind. However, she knew that he would not be able to use the relics. She stole them for him, thinking she could get them back at any time and return them to her mother. When she returned to her Knight with the relics, his order captured her and took control of the relics. Eventually, she obtained her freedom, but by then the relics of the Fae had been scattered to hell and back. I want you to help me find them, and bring them back to our people.”
“And when they are all gathered and placed together again, what will they do?” I wasn’t an idiot, and I’d heard stories of those ancient relics as part of the Guild teachings. Alarms went off in my head. The idea of Ryder wanting the relics had Han Solo whispering in my ear, ‘I got a bad feeling about this!’
“It is nothing bad for any human or Fae. That’s all you need to know for now, Pet,” he said, leaving what the relics would do a mystery.
He dismissed me, so I did the same to him and watched as his men circled around us. There was a slight breeze blowing, which told me we were not as far up as I had originally thought. The night’s sky was filled with beautiful stars, and a half moon. I felt Ryder’s eyes on me, so I turned toward him. He smiled back and lifted his hand to touch my cheek before he gave off orders to his men rapidly and efficiently, in a voice I could only describe as a stage whisper.