CHAPTER 12
CONNOR FOLLOWED THE STOIC GUARD. His companion’s countenance was far from comforting. Since leaving the room, the stranger hadn’t offered so much as a smile. The guard was walking rapidly, making Connor half run at times, to a section of the castle he was unfamiliar with. Instead of rooms and multiple doors on either side of long halls, this section had stone flooring and suits of armor, long past their prime, lining the walls.
This part of the castle seemed older. Connor licked his lips, the air was damp. Soon the hall came to an end, opening into the biggest banquet room Connor had ever seen. The room he had dined in with Laren, Lu and Morrigan could have fit in this one eight times. Everything was made of stone; huge stone pillars lined either side of the area, and four gigantic fireplaces roared their warmth, strategically placed in the corners of the room.
In the center of the room, the five members of the Council lounged at a small table. It seemed as though they just finished their own meal and were conversing among themselves. From afar they looked like a group of old friends sharing a bottle of wine. Much to Connor’s surprise, there were even smiles and laughter ringing out from the group.
Connor got closer and the family leaders composed themselves, all eyes on him.
“Connor Moore, as the Council requested,” the guard said with a bow.
“Thank you, Kale. You are dismissed,” Laren’s father responded.
Bowing out of their presence, the guard left. Connor, nearly forgetting the custom, sank to his knees, his eyes studying the stone floor.
“Oh get up. If you’re the savior the sorceress says you are, you have no business kneeling to us.”
The speaker sounded German and reminded him of Faust. Connor looked up to see two strong blue eyes and an honest smile. The man who spoke to him was somewhere around the age of Laren’s father, his receding hairline made him easily recognizable as one of the two Council members who had not spoken at the trial.
“Oh, let him be, Raban. He’s confused enough.”
Raban looked at Thema with feigned reverence and a smile. “As your majesty wishes.”
Thema rolled her eyes at Raban and smiled. A simple purple dress flowed freely around her body and a golden chain hung loosely around her neck.
“So, Connor Moore. Are you the savior of our people?” The question was blunt, one they were all thinking, including Connor. It was directed at him from the final member of the Council. He was leaning against a pillar. Connor could see his shorter-than-average height, his close-cut black hair, what Connor could see clearer though, were his bright amber eyes.
Be confident and honest. He heard Laren’s advice play again in his head.
Still dressed in his suit, minus the black jacket, Connor felt bare against their shrewd expressions. He forced himself to stand straight and look them in the eyes. “I don’t know if I’m the savior that Morrigan says I am. Until today, I didn’t even know who my father was. A week ago, I had no idea a superior race existed secretly among humans.”
He paused, mentally kicking himself. Come on, Connor, this isn’t the way you want to talk to people who hold your life in their hands.
There was no going back now he had to finish. “What I do know is that if I am this savior, I will do everything in my power to live up to my name. Whatever strength I have, whatever power flows in my blood, will be sworn to fulfilling the prophecy.”
There was a silence in the room that lasted far too long for Connor to feel comfortable. Did I say too much? Did I not say enough? Maybe I should have just told them I am the savior and be done with it.
It seemed like an eternity before someone spoke. “Well said, Mr. Moore,” Laren’s father congratulated him. “You were wise not to lie. We can sniff out a liar a mile away—one of the perks of living for hundreds of years.”
“Well, we know he’s not a liar, but is he the Judge of the prophecy?” Morrigan’s brother pounded his fist on the table in disgust. “It’s almost impossible to know.”
“Ardan does have a point,” the blue-eyed Raban chimed. “If he doesn’t even know he’s the Judge, how are we to know?” Raban scratched the remaining blond hair he had and shook his head.
“Can a half-blood be a Judge?” the question was asked by the amber-eyed Council member, who was studying Connor intensely. Although he was the smallest member of the Council, he by no means seemed inferior. He was garbed in a light orange shirt and pant combination, resembling the garments monks wear in monasteries.
His eyes never leaving Connor, he continued his train of thought, answering his own question. “If we are to believe Morrigan Hayes, and we have no reason not to, then we have to believe he is the prophesied Judge and a half-blood can be our savior.”
“Morrigan has never been wrong before,” Thema mused. “We don’t have any reason to doubt her now. What do you think, Ardan? He comes from your Family line.”
Ardan shook his head and let out a sigh. “The Moores have always been one of our greatest houses. The Judges originated there and one has risen up every time we were in need, but why now? Why would a Judge be given to us at this time? There is no impending doom, no great war to fight. What darkness is he meant to vanquish? Surely not the culprits of the trial we now face, we don’t need a savior for that.”
Laren’s father, who had been silent for much of the conversation, made his way over to one of the large fires that crackled quietly, providing warmth to the room. He stared into the flames as though they were speaking to him. His green eyes looked sinister against the glow of the fire’s light.
“Unless there is a gathering doom that we are unaware of.”
The room fell silent as the other four Council members mused over their leader’s words. Things in their world had been peaceful since the Cuban Missile Crisis. There was no reason to suspect there was any impending doom.
“Are you referring to anything specific, Adolpho? Don’t keep us in the dark,” Raban said.
Adolpho shook his head, still looking into the flames. “No, nothing specific I can explain, but you must all feel it. A sense of doom, an unnatural chill that comes with the night.”
“I have felt it,” Thema confessed. “I was unwilling to recognize it due to my own misgivings—I can be honest now. There is something happening. It has been much too quiet for much too long. Tian? You have a gift for knowing the order of things. What do you think?”
The small man leaning against the pillar nodded in agreement. “The spirits of our ancestors are restless. As to the exact reason, I do not know.”
A look of foreboding replaced Raban’s easy-going expression. “Adolpho, you don’t think that they—that He—could be back?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s slow down here. To say that my sister has never been wrong is one thing. To say there are ancient evil forces returning to the realm of men and elite’s is extremely different,” Ardan exclaimed.
“Connor.” Adolpho turned his eyes from the fire to address their guest. “Would you mind excusing us? There is a guard outside that will lead you back to your chambers.”
“Of course.” Connor made a bow like the guard had when he first arrived and turned to go. He could hear the Council continuing their conversation as he left. He was too tired to think about what they could have meant or what they would decide. He’d done the best he could. Worrying about it or trying to guess what their decision would be would get him nowhere.
Exiting the room, he came across a guard further down the hall, just as Adolpho had said. Thinking quickly, Connor walked past the guard not saying a word. The man gave him a questioning look as he passed, though didn’t move to stop him.
A few seconds later, Connor was by himself for the first time in what seemed like days. It was a great feeling. He resolved to search for Katie. She was probably scared and confused. With no one to talk to or explain what was happening, things would only get worse for her.
Where am I going to start? The castle is massive and I don’t even know how to get back to my own room, much less find Katie’s. Okay, instead of thinking about how much I don’t know, I need to focus on the things I do know. I know I’m on the ground floor by looking out the windows. Katie wasn’t a prisoner, she was a witness, so more than likely they would give her a room like mine and not a cell.
Connor decided to avoid searching the main floor, from what he had seen, it was mostly large banquet rooms or meeting halls. That left him with the second, third and fourth floors to explore.
Finding the nearest set of stairs was easier than he thought. Exiting the great hall, he was met with a large staircase to his left. Connor took the stairs two at a time and started his search on the fourth floor.
The fourth floor was decorated much like the rest of the castle. Wood floors were blanketed with colorful carpets and it seemed as though there was either a window or a door every ten or fifteen feet. If Katie was held as a witness, Connor guessed there would be a guard outside her door.
Walking the halls, he ran into more than one person going about their own business. On these chance encounters, he gave them a winning smile, nod, and tried to avoid eye contact. So far it had worked, except for one older man who had stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Connor and said: “Hey, aren’t you that guy on trial?” Connor kept walking before the man could ask more questions.
Connor used a trick he’d read somewhere for not getting lost in a maze. He made every single right when faced with the choice. This way he couldn’t get lost and would eventually be led back to the staircase.
After twenty minutes of what seemed a brilliant plan, he started to second-guess himself. It was warm on the fourth floor and he rolled up his sleeves as he walked by the portraits of smiling men and women.
“How big is this place?” he muttered to himself, scratching the back of his head.
Just as he was about to turn around and begin his search on the second or third floor, he rounded a corner and smiled. At the end of the hall was a guard standing at attention by a door. Connor jumped back around the corner and out of sight. He hadn’t actually figured out how he was going to get the guard away from the door upon reaching it.
He pursed his lips and scrunched his eyebrows, searching for a plan. Deep in thought, he looked around the long hall searching for something—anything—that might be able to help him. There was nothing. Nothing his teenage mind considered valuable, anyway; no stun guns, no smoke bombs, nothing of use. He could try to persuade the guard to let him by. However, after contemplating the serious demeanor of the guards, he quickly discounted this idea.
Instead he decided on a ruse he saw used in a movie once. Connor composed himself, took a deep breath, and casually turned the corner and walked down the hall towards the guard.
The guard shifted his gaze and looked him up and down. Connor gave the stout man a smile and stopped one door from where the man stood guard.
Connor said a silent prayer before he tried entering the room. Please let this be open. Please be open.
He placed his hand on the door and turned. The sweet sound of a click made him smile to himself and he let himself in.
Closing the door behind him, he let out a sigh of relief and took in his surroundings. The room looked as though it hadn’t been used in awhile. A musty scent hung in the air. The fireplace was cold and the curtains were drawn tight. Heading straight for the window, Connor opened the curtains and unlatched the locks. Pushing the window open, he felt a slight breeze and the beautiful warmth of the setting sun.
Connor had been witness to thousands of sunsets before, but somehow this one seemed different. The oranges were brighter, the clouds were clearer, and the breeze smelled sweet. He knew it was his heightened senses enhancing the feeling, and in that moment he wished he could stand there and enjoy the view forever. He knew he couldn’t, Katie was waiting.
Connor tore his gaze away from the gorgeous scene. He examined the ground and landscape three stories below him. Lucky there wasn’t a soul to be seen. This portion of the castle grounds was full of trees and shrubbery, perfect to hide his stealthy entrance.
Grabbing the window frame, he hoisted himself up and stood on the narrow ledge. There was barely enough room to place his feet. Connor gripped no more than an inch of the top windowsill. He slowly shuffled to his left. Inch by inch he made his way across the ledge and to the next window, twenty feet away.
Connor’s hands were slick with sweat. Halfway to the window, his left hand slipped off the edge and his feet followed. His right hand instinctively gripped tighter. For a second he thought he was going to fall. For some reason, the grip of his right fingers was able to hold him. It seemed impossible that a few fingers could balance and hold his weight.
Regrouping, he regained his hold and realized his Elite powers were manifesting themselves without him even trying. With a firm resolve, he made it the remaining distance without incident. One hand holding onto the ledge, Connor tried to open the window with his other. But he wouldn’t get lucky twice, it was locked from the inside.
His fingers screamed in pain at the constant pressure they were under. Connor tried to look inside to see if Katie was there. From his vantage point, the room was empty.
What if I’m wrong? What if there’s no one in the room, or worse—it belongs to someone else?
Connor imagined an elderly man coming to the window, disturbed from his afternoon prune juice, or worse, Randolph smiling at him from the inside of the window as he called the guard. Regardless, Connor knew he needed to get inside. He didn’t know if he could make it back to his room. Ever so gently, he tapped on the window with the toe of his shoe.
Nothing. Connor tried again, this time more urgently. His hands were beginning to cramp and he was losing his grip. Just as he was considering whether to kick the window in or try to jump to the ground, Katie’s familiar face cautiously peered out. Katie’s eyes widened and her mouth opened. She immediately clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle a scream.
Connor smiled at her and motioned with his head at the locked window. Giving him an awkward half nod, she complied, unlocking the window and pushing it open for him.
“Connor, what are you doing here?”
He entered the room and placed his forefinger to his lips, motioning her to keep quiet. He pointed to his own ear and motioned in the direction of the closed door and the Elite that stood guard. Katie nodded, waiting for him to take the lead. The room was an exact replica of the one he’d woken up in that morning. Connor took her hand in his and led her to the bathroom, turned on the fan and light, and closed the door behind them.
Katie launched herself at him. He held her just like he’d held her so many times before. Katie wasn’t a crier. She cried now in his arms. They weren’t long, mournful sobs, but tears and quivering breaths of joy and relief.
Katie separated herself from him, wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her cardigan sweater. Katie looked as healthy as ever. The bite on her neck, much like his own, was healed, leaving not even the slightest hint of a scar. Her hair was down and eyes shone brighter than he remembered.
“Oh, Connor, how are you here? What’s happening to us?”
Connor needed to make a choice. He was forced to decide exactly how much he was or was not going to tell Katie. On one hand, he didn’t want to lie, on the other hand he didn’t want to burden her with all of his problems.
“Connor Moore, you tell me everything.”
“What?”
“You have that look on your face when you’re deciding exactly how much you should or shouldn’t say. I remember that face when Major Waffles died.”
Connor smiled, he knew exactly what she was talking about. Major Waffles was the guinea pig she’d owned when they first started dating. One day she had forgotten to lock him up and he escaped, meeting his end halfway down the street under a garbage truck. Connor found him, and not wanting to upset her, told her that Major Waffles succeeded in his attempt and was probably off enjoying an escaped convict’s life. A year later, Connor let slip what actually happened. Katie decided to let it go because she knew he had been trying to help her.
This time, Connor decided to tell her everything. For better or worse, she was in this with him and she deserved to know. There, under the halogen glow of the bathroom lights, Connor told her everything. He told her of meeting Laren and Lu, of being turned himself, about the Five Families, finding out who his father was, the prophecy, and their current dilemma.
Katie stared incredulously, stopping Connor every now and again to ask questions or to gain clarification on a certain point. “Joe and Pete are dogs? Wait, you killed someone? Oh, that’s so gross—you jammed his eyes with your fingers?”
When Connor was done, the two were silent, Katie sitting on the edge of the tub and Connor leaning against the marble sink.
“So, what now? What are we supposed to do?”
“There’s nothing we can do. The Council has to make their decision. If they decide I’m the one the prophecy foretold, we’ll be safe. If not, well then, I guess the trial will continue and Morrigan would call on you for your statement.”
“There’s still so many holes that need to be filled. I don’t even know where my mom is or if she’s even alive. I must have gotten the gene from her side of the family. Did she know? Did she know about this all along and hide it from my father and I?”
“I’m sure she’s fine. I’ll see if I can find out anything.”
“I hate waiting.”
“So do I, Kat. It’s all going to work out. In the meantime, we’re basically both superheroes.”
“Leave it to you to find the silver lining.”
“Just wait till we learn how to use and control these abilities, Katie,” he winked. “Things are going to start getting better—you’ll see.”
“I’m just glad you’re here now and at least I know what’s going on.”
“I promise, I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I know you won’t.”
Katie got up from her makeshift seat and again pressed herself into his safe embrace. The two stood there in that moment, forgetting everything else. They dismissed their present circumstances, what the future held for them, and lost themselves in each other.
“I better get going soon, Kat. People are going to start wondering what happened to me, if they haven’t already.”
She looked up at him and nodded.
Hand-in-hand, they entered the main room and walked toward the open window.
Katie stopped him before he climbed out onto the ledge and whispered in his ear. “I always knew there was something different about you, Connor Moore. Whether you’re this savior fulfilling a prophecy or not, you’ll always be my knight in shining armor.” She kissed him on his cheek and smiled.
Connor didn’t know what to say. He gave her a smile and pulled himself onto the ledge. It was dark now; the sun had given up its battle to the moon and its army of stars. The trip back along the ledge seemed easier. Connor wasn’t sure if that was due to the fact that it was familiar now, or the kiss Katie gave him added strength to his quest.
Connor entered the room and quickly closed and locked the window, then drew the curtains. Opening the door, he looked at the clueless guard to his left and waved. Connor turned to his right to begin his journey in finding his own quarters for the night.
Following his original plan, he made every left on the return trip. The halls were dark now, illuminated only by dim lights that sprouted from the walls every few yards. The moon’s rays shined through the exposed window, scattering down the hall whenever an open curtain permitted. The scene was eerie. A few hours ago, Connor had run across more than one passerby, now the halls were deserted.
As he was passing one of these particularly dark and desolate halls Connor heard a noise. It was faint, coming from a hall on his right. Whatever it was stopped him. It was a sound he’d never heard before. The closest thing Connor could compare it with was the humming of a high-end sports car.
This noise was soft though, almost non-existent. He turned his head and looked down the hall to see where the noise originated. The passage was like any other of the dozens he’d already passed, except the last door at the end of this hall was slightly ajar.
Connor would usually just ignore the noise and go on his way, but this time he couldn’t. Not only was he hearing a noise he wouldn’t previously have been able to fifty yards away, it was calling him. It reeled him in, demanding his presence.
Connor put one foot in front of the other and quietly made his way toward the noise. The sound was steadily growing in intensity.
Connor reached the door and saw it was hardly ajar at all. The door was a fraction of an inch from being closed all together. Inside, the noise was steady. Connor hesitated and decided against knocking. Ever so gently, he placed his hand on the doorknob.
He winced as he gently pushed open the door, praying it wouldn’t make a sound. His luck held. Connor opened the door just enough to be able to make out what was inside. His mouth fell open.