Come The Night Page 12

  “The Grigori were angels of the tenth choir. In Paradise, there are nine levels or choirs of angels. The Grigori is of a choir that no longer holds rank in the angelic realm. We fell from grace after coupling with the children of Eve. When the flood came, the angel Uriel and others warned Noah and the Grigori of the pending danger. I wanted to return to Paradise, as my Father had forgiven us our transgressions. But Lexliel, my brother, chose to take refuge in the dark side of Heaven. He was ashamed of his sins and could not face our Father. Plainly put, he descended to Hell or the Under Universe as those of the angelic realm refer to it.

  “I couldn't let my brother go alone. I feared for him. His soul was in such turmoil at the time that I couldn't leave him, so I followed his path to Hell. I didn't return to man's world until the time of the Roman Empire. I thought I would find a new Eden in Rome. I was wrong, so very wrong.” He closed his eyes as if the thought of his wife and child no longer being with him was almost too much to bear. He stopped pacing the floor and faced Neomina. “In the days just prior to the fall of the Empire, I met a woman in Rome. I had a very different life back then, nothing like what it is today. My soul became so engrossed with man that at times I forgot the fact I was angel.” He swallowed, fighting back the tears that now filled his eyes.

  Neomina could feel his pain and his joy. See his visions of the past. There was a villa surrounded by fertile crops and fragrant flowers. The scent of jasmine filled the room bringing Montgomery's thoughts to life. Neomina backed away frightened. The power of bringing to life a vision alarmed her.

  “Don't fear it, Neomina. What you are now experiencing is the dark gift combined with my own abilities. I can't help remembering the life that once was. Your senses merely capture the vividness of my thoughts.”

  “Go on, I want to know more.” Curiosity getting the best of her, she fought the fear.

  “I fell in love.” He laughed as if trying to ease the pain. “Can you believe that? An angel in love with a mortal? I had never loved before. The incident at Eden was born out of lust and simple curiosity. We desired to feel all that man felt back then. If I were to do it over again, never would I sin in such a manner.”

  He stared out into the great hall as if searching for what once was, searching for the souls of his family. “I remember a time when my own house stirred with life and laughter. When I felt joy and peace.”

  “What happened to your wife and child?” The words tumbled from Neomina's lips before she had a chance to think about the consequences of asking such a question. She feared causing Montgomery pain in being asked to retell his past agony.

  “We had a villa perched high in the hills above Rome. I thought my family would be safe there away from the mob of the city. But I failed to think about the dangers that lurked outside man's realm. I became so involved with the mortal world that all else faded from my mind. I even kept my wings hidden at all times, never unfurling them, never feeling the true essence of love that is carried in the fibers of an angel's wings. I lost all touch with Paradise.

  “I remember the day as vividly as if it were only yesterday. I woke early, disturbed by the stirring of my soul. I turned to my wife, Aurelia, but found no one in bed beside me. A sudden panic filled every fiber of my body. I rose from the bed and went in search of her.

  “I can still feel the coldness of the marble under my bare feet as I ran through the corridor surrounding the villa. Near an entrance to the fields, I found Aurelia's body. Never had I seen such a sight. Dotted with two tiny droplets of blood upon her neck, her skin appeared whiter than alabaster. There was nothing left to her except an empty shell. I wept like never before.”

  Neomina felt a sudden repulsion rise inside of her as she saw the vision that flashed in Montgomery's mind. The thought of the Vampyre feeding upon mortals sickened her.

  “Where was your son through all of this?”

  “He was nowhere to be found. Outside, I searched through the endless fields of wheat and other crops only to find countless victims all having met the same fate as Aurelia. Her entire family had been destroyed.

  “I asked myself why? In the first days that followed my loss, I thought I paid the price for my transgressions in Eden and for descending to the Under Universe. But the Soul of Paradise is a loving creator and not a damning one. I searched my mind until I thought all would be lost to madness. All the while I kept looking for my son, Lucius, in every corner of the earth. I even went to Hell. But Lucius seemed to have simply vanished from the face of existence.

  “I buried Aurelia together with her family members and left the villa. My brother, Lexliel, lived nearby and it was to him that I turned in my agony.”

  Neomina remembered the name.

  “Lexliel was Lazarus’ father, was he not?”

  Montgomery nodded.

  “When I arrived at my brother's home, I was told he had been called away on an urgent matter. I asked to see Octavia. At the time I had yet to meet her as Lexliel and I had grown apart after our stay in Hell. The slave simply said no one was at home.

  “I left the villa and went in search of Lexliel. I could feel his soul and followed him to where he had gone. He rested in a place no one should ever have to go to. He rested in the lair of the Nephilim.”

  “The Nephilim?”

  “Those are the demons born to the Grigori. Not all souls are as righteous as Lazarus. A child born to a Grigori must have its mortal parent bound to Paradise. If not, the soul will be that of a demon's. There is a creature among the Nephilim who has been feeding on mortals since the time of Eden. It gave birth to the Vampyric soul and rules over the Dark Breed. It took my son from me.”

  Montgomery fell silent. He closed his eyes and recalled the moment he had found his son in the clutches of the Nephilim. He found it difficult to continue, but felt the urge to tell Neomina the entire story.

  “Lexliel felt Lucius’ fear. He knew my son was still alive and in great torment. Lucius was crying out for help but only Lexliel heard him. My brother felt my son's soul reach out to him on the ethereal plane. I had been so overburdened with grief I was unable to feel my own son's soul and the guilt of that has haunted me ever since.

  “My brother found Lucius pinned down upon a slab of rock and cradled in the arms of this wild, blood-sucking beast. He raised his sword of lightning and plunged it deep into the creature's soul. At that very moment, Lucien, Lord of Hell, appeared and killed Lexliel for attempting to destroy the soul who was feeding off my son.

  “The Devil immediately restored life to the beast who held Lucius in his arms. The act served to intensify the creature's dark essence. My son died instantly and in his place a hideous creature was born.”

  Neomina stared at Montgomery with wide eyes.

  “What did you do next?”

  “I wanted to lash out at my fallen brother, Lucien and the beast he had just restored life to. But my wishes were never to materialize. The powers of Paradise descended and pulled me back. I was immediately clutched in the arms of an unseen force and lifted to Heaven before I could I do anything.

  “I heard the voice of the Nephilim as a collective, the chilling sound of one soul echoing eerily through the realms of existence as it baptized my son with a new name. I heard the haunting voice trail away as I was drawn into Heaven. To this day, it still haunts my dreams.”

  A jolt of fear rushed through Neomina's soul and she knew too well what words Montgomery would utter next.

  “They called him by a name never before used by man. They called him Percival. And then they wiped him from the face of existence.”

  She gasped. The mention of the name caused her soul to churn.

  “Neomina? Neomina, are you alright?”

  Montgomery leapt across the room to Neomina's side. She collapsed in his arms, her strength suddenly gone.

  “Child, what have I done?”

  “He lives...” The words fell from Neomina's lips accompanied by short gasps of breath. She found a great pain growing insid
e of her.

  “He lives. Percival lives. My father told me so.”

  Montgomery cringed. The realization sliced through his soul like a sword thrust deep into the very essence of his being. Montgomery had never imagined his son to be still alive.

  “Lazarus.” He called his nephew's name and feared for what fate might meet him. “We have to get to Lazarus, Neomina. I have to save him. I never told anyone about Percival because I feared the power of the spoken word. I thought should I mention my fears about him, they would materialize. I should have said something. Percy wants to destroy Lazarus and the Tribe.” He closed his eyes. “He is my son and I can sometimes tell what he is thinking. All this time I thought it was me, my mind playing tricks on me. I thought it had to do with Hell and temptation. I wanted to believe my son still lived but I never told anyone. Now Lazarus is in danger. My brother sacrificed his own life for my son's and in return I have pledged my soul to repay Lexliel. I can not allow Percival to destroy Lazarus.”

  Montgomery lifted Neomina in his arms and carried her upstairs to her private chambers. There he gently placed her upon the bed.

  “We must pray Lazarus does not encounter Percival while searching for your father's killer among the Dark Breed. If he does, surely Percival will kill him. I know little of my son's life after the Nephilim took him, but some things I can sense in my mind. I think Percy wanted it that way. He has tormented me with bits and pieces of his life all these years and for what reason I do not know.”

  Neomina found it easier to breath now. She recalled the note given to her by Gerard.

  “Lazarus must know Percival is alive. My father sent a note he gave to me as he lay dying in my arms. I am sure he wrote about Percival.”

  “Where is the note?”

  “Lazarus placed it on the table next to his bed, but I don't know if it is still there.”

  In an instant, Montgomery vanished. He returned no more than a second later carrying the parchment note unfolded in his hand.

  “Lazarus has gone in search of Percival. He is the soul who killed your father. We have to find him and bring him back or else...” His words trailed off to silence and Neomina knew why.

  “You do not have to protect me, Monty. I know Lazarus is in grave danger.” She fidgeted with the white ribbon tied at the end of her long, braided hair. The silky fabric easily frayed. “He went in search of my father's killer and that is a task I should have taken on. I want to go with you to help Lazarus. The St. John Stake and the Amulet of Christ are now mine. You said so yourself. And I want to use them to help Lazarus.”

  “I don't know where the relics are hidden, child.”

  “But you are an angel. I thought guardian angels where supposed to help you in situations like this one.”

  “Yes, but I cannot interfere with the will of man. The Trackers have the relics and they are the only ones who can tell us where the items rest.”

  Neomina rose from her bed and rushed across the room. She searched through a large wooden trunk for a change of clothes. “Then we will go to Roderick. My uncle is a member of the Tracker Council and he will be able to help us.”

  Montgomery refrained from asking the one question that now troubled him, but Neomina picked up on his thoughts. She faced the angel standing near her bed.

  “Do not worry, Monty. Roderick will give me the relics. I know he will.”

  She silently prayed that she was right.

  CHAPTER 18

  Roderick sat on a small wooden stool inside the tent. He wore a brown tunic over a white shirt and a pair of black breeches. Worn leather boots covered his feet and calves. Neomina couldn't help but stare at him and admire the zest for the land her uncle carried in his soul. He was a man of simple means and fancied the forest as his home rather than a building made of stone or wood. Since the time of his father's death, he had remained ready both day and night to aid the Trackers. His sacrifice of living for the Trackers and nothing else had cost him his youth and the love of his life. By the time he grew on in years, his life had been spent protecting his people, and hunting the Vampyre. He never made time for a wife or for himself.

  “The Trackers will not be so eager to turn over the relics, Neomina, even if the items do rightfully belong to you.”

  “But why would they fight me on this? I am one of you. My mother gave her life for the Trackers and to deny me what is mine would be an insult to her memory.”

  Roderick stared at Montgomery. “Your father was not my brother by blood.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I know that.”

  “He came here as Vampyre made by a Dark Breeder named Percival.”

  A look of shock crossed Montgomery's face. “I had no idea.”

  Roderick shook his head. “My brother didn't think you did.”

  “Why was I never told of this?”

  “Percival had sworn Gerard to secrecy. Besides, as a Dark Breeder he could never have gone against one of his own. It is their way, just as it is ours. A true Tracker can never go against another.”

  Neomina rose from her seat and started to pace the dirt floor. “But why would the Trackers deny me the relics? I am not a Dark Breeder.”

  Roderick sighed. “But their blood runs through your veins. You must prove to the Tracker Council that you are worthy of caring for the relics in a responsible way. If you do not do this, the Trackers will refuse you all rights to their sacred relics. The main reason being once you possess the St. John Stake and the Amulet of Christ, they remain yours until your death or until you choose to will them away to another worthy Tracker.”

  Neomina stopped in her tracks and studied the hem of her gown. The purple velvet edge was covered in a light dusting of earth kicked up from her pacing about the tent's dirt floor. She bent down and gently wiped the soil from her gown. The smell of earth rose to her nostrils and filled her with a sense of wonder. The forest was her home, the Trackers were her people, yet deep inside she felt an attachment to the Tribe that now went beyond her relationship with Lazarus. Confusion struck her soul once again.

  She reached over and grabbed the stool she had previously sat on and placed it directly in front of Roderick. Neomina took her seat and stared at the man she knew only as her uncle. The difference in their blood meant nothing to her.

  “What do I have to do to prove myself to the Council?”

  Roderick studied her face. “You must swear allegiance to them over the Vampyre.”

  She couldn't help the deep frown that covered her lips. “But you are asking me to go against my own husband. How can I do such a thing?”

  “You must swear allegiance to the Trackers or turn away from them. They are Vampyre hunters, Neomina. They cannot afford to have a weak link among them.”

  The Trackers depended on their unity to survive. Her uncle was right. They were a people who depended on each other's loyalty. One betraying soul and their world would crumble. The oath of allegiance was what kept them safe.

  She rubbed her hands across her face and then met his gaze. “What if I pledge my soul to the Trackers and promise not to cross over to the Vampyre until it is time to will away my powers, along with the relics, to another member of their society? I will be going against the man I love. Surely this is a sacrifice worthy enough to prove my allegiance to the Trackers.”

  Roderick folded his arms in front of him and sat silently as if thinking over her words. “The council could agree to such an arrangement. After all, once you take the oath it cannot be broken by you or anyone else. The power of the oath is bound to the powers that be; the powers of good and evil. If you break this vow, your soul will be condemned to Hell and you will be shunned until your death. Neither the Trackers nor the Vampyre have ever accepted a traitor among them. The powers that be are ruled by Heaven and Hell and as mere mortals we have no control over them.”

  Montgomery turned to Neomina. “Are you prepared to place yourself in that position? Think about Lazarus and your life together with him.”

  She cl
utched Monty's arm. “I have and this is the only way to help him.”

  A warm wind ruffled the flap used as a door on the tent. Roderick rose in an instant.

  The rough fabric used to close the tent parted on its own revealing a woman dressed in black silk. Her raven locks flowed free from loose ribbons and a large gold cross hung about her neck.

  “Octavia,” said Montgomery, his voice filled with surprise. “What brings you here?”

  Roderick's countenance showed his alarm at the presence of the Vampyre.

  “Montgomery.” She nodded a greeting, acknowledging her brother-in-law and then Neomina, but refrained from looking at Roderick. “I come on behalf of my parents’ souls.”

  Roderick rubbed his chin. “The council convenes as we speak.”

  “Yes.” Octavia glanced around the tent and settled her gaze on the earthen floor.

  Neomina knew why Octavia didn't look at Roderick. As Vampyre, Octavia could not meet Roderick's stare head-on lest she feel the pain of being staked. Roderick, like all leaders of the Trackers, had immense powers and could wound a Vampyre's heart by merely looking on its face.

  Octavia kept her gaze low, avoiding Roderick. “My late mother has spoken to me as has Romulus. Give Neomina the relics. She will not betray you. The council has my word.”

  “But you are Vampyre, Octavia,” said Neomina. “How could it be that the Trackers would accept your word?”

  “Neomina, my dear child. My father first brought the relics to the Trackers. One of the twelve apostles gave them to him on the direct command of the risen Christ. I have final say over into whose hands these items shall pass. In all my existence, I have never exercised that right until now. As I told you before, I knew your father well and I met with him on an almost daily basis. The reason for those meetings was to insure the safety of the Trackers. I keep close tabs on the relics. It is my duty.”