Mortal Sin (57 page)

Moira pointed to the mission. “I still think the mission is their key spot. They took Kyle Callahan because he has a gift in helping spirits find the light, so to speak. He revealed himself at Victoria to Gabriel’s Sword, and it’s clear that Adrienne gave that information to Matthew Walker. The question is why… and the conclusion we’ve all agreed with is that Walker wants to communicate with Jeremiah Hatch, the priest who set up the slaughter at the mission in the first place. He died there, his spirit is there—or can more easily be summoned there.”

“It’s why they put me in a coma,” Rafe said. “I don’t know if their magic gave me the memories of the dead priests, or if that happened because I was there at the moment of death and God knew I’d need the memories, but they definitely thought they could find out what Hatch knew. I can’t swear to it, but it makes the most sense.”

“The school is in the center. A high school with all the teen angst, the jealous, the sex drives, the anger and resentment and laziness and more… it’s the perfect draw for the Seven. They have four,” Moira said, “and perhaps when you have four, the other three find their way home. I have no idea, but they wouldn’t go to all this trouble unless they had pretty good information that this would work.”

“Why the triangle?” Nikolas asked. “Why not just pick a place where they know the layers between worlds are thin?”

“Each spot,” Moira said, “has been especially prepared. Nothing we can see. You might feel an uneasiness, but because they worked a spell, without casting a circle, they can cloak their plans. The only sign will be death—dead plants and animals, for example. People might feel sick or tired.”

“Does that even work?” Gideon asked.

“Yes,” Moira said. “Most of the theatrics of altars and circles are just that—theatrics. Getting the coven pumped up and feeling part of something bigger than themselves. Make no mistake—they need certain items to complete their ritual, but they can cast invisible circles. I think the other part of this triangle is that in each place there is something we can’t see that directs all supernatural energy in the region to the center point. It has to come together at the right time. It’ll be drawn in by their ritual at the high school. This is what’s going to make defeating them difficult. We need to take out each of these points in the triangle, but we won’t know what to do until the ritual starts. Then it should be obvious.”

“That’s rather vague,” Phineas said. “Lights? Demons? What are we supposed to see?”

“I don’t know,” Moira admitted. “This is complex and multi-layered. But the points will give them power. That means the Seven will have added power. We were barely able to defeat Envy and Lust; if the Seven are together and given a shot of supernatural caffeine?” She shrugged. Talking, she was defeating herself.

Anthony said, “We are all well-versed in seeing the signs. That is why we are pairing up to go to each point. Skye and I will be at the mission. Rico and Phineas will go to the cliffs where the Seven had originally been released. And Nikolas and Gideon will go to Rittenhouse. Jared, if you are willing, Rafe and Moira can use your help in navigating at the high school. But do not engage. Fall back to the rectory across the street. It was spared from the fire.”

No one seemed happy with the arrangement. Phineas said, “Two against the entire coven? You’re sending Rafe and Moira into a suicide mission.”

“No,” Moira said. “It has to be this way. Rafe and I trapped the first two. We can do this—if you all take out whatever is giving them an energy boost.”

Rico said, “As much as I loathe agreeing with Phineas, he’s right. One person at each point; the other three will back up Moira and Rafe.”

“We don’t know how dangerous the points will be,” Moira said. “No one should be out there alone.”

“We are all well-aware of the risk,” Rico said. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here. Moira, you and Rafe are capable of going up against whatever comes at you, but to split us up like this isn’t going to work. You need back-up. Take the help, Moira.”

Moira didn’t like it, but Rico was right. They would be stronger in force.

“I know the school well,” Skye said.

Gideon cleared his throat. “I haven’t been fully trained, but I can see things that others can’t.”

Moira frowned. “Explain.”

“I knew Lily was possessed when the spirit Jezebel was attempting to deceive us. I looked in her eyes and just knew. I tracked her here because I saw… I don’t know how to explain it. A trail. I can find her now if I return to the school.”

“Well. That’s a new one.” She glanced at Rico. It was clear, even though his expression barely changed, that he hadn’t heard of Gideon’s little gift.

“My leg isn’t up for an intense battle,” Rico said. “I will go to the cliffs.” He looked at Phineas.

Phineas nodded. “I’m ready.”

“If anyone sees the Box of Cain or Jezebel’s Blade, do not touch,” Anthony said.

“You’re certain it was Jezebel’s Blade that was in that storage room?” Rico asked.

“Yes. Before we started disbanding St. Michael’s, Bishop Aretino confirmed that the archives recorded that the Blade had been encased and sent the mission for safe keeping.”

“What happened to it? Shouldn’t it have been in a vault somewhere?”

Rafe said, “I never saw it, but I suspect one of the priests at the mission had it protected. When Jeremiah and his followers began to drive them insane, maybe the one who protected it thought it was the blade. Gave it to someone for safe keeping.”

“And they put it in the storage locker,” Skye said. “It’s plausible.”

Anthony said, “The Blade had contained Jezebel’s spirit, and it’s clear to me that Serena and Walker found a way to draw out her spirit and send it to Lily. But the spirit is wild and dangerous. Jezebel is responsible for slaughtering hundreds of prophets. We also think that these items—the Box of Cain, Jezebel’s Blade—are being used to contain or control the Seven. They may have more such artifacts.”

Phineas said, “There were two murders with the Blade here in Santa Louisa. Do those have anything to do with their plans tonight?”

At first, Anthony didn’t say anything. He glanced at Skye. “I don’t know,” he said. “Moira—could those deaths have been sacrifices?”

“A demonic blade killing a devout priest? Yeah, that has sacrifice written all over it.”

“Joe Smith was a veteran,” Skye said. “He had problems, but he wasn’t violent. He had psychological problems related to what he saw in Vietnam. He kept to himself.”

“We can’t know what’s in his heart, but there is a special love in the church for those who are downtrodden and broken,” Rico said.

“Pure of heart,” Rafe murmured.

Moira stared at him. He was rubbing his temples like he did when he had a bad headache—a headache brought on by those damn memories rattling around in his head.

He continued. “‘
Give me a pure heart and I will give you power times ten. Give me three pure hearts and I will give you the nectar from the Tree of Life
.’”

Rico stared at Rafe. He was still skeptical of Rafe’s abilities. But Moira trusted them now, after months of doubts. She trusted Rafe with her life.

“Rafe, do you know where that’s from?” Moira asked quietly.

“The
Conoscenza,
” he said. “Jeremiah Hatch lied to his coven. He told Serena he couldn’t read the book, but he could.”

“A third sacrifice. Tonight. That’s where they’ll do it,” Moira said. “Fiona has been looking for my entire life for the Tree of Life. It’s why she conceived me. It’s why she planned to sacrifice me. If I were to walk between worlds, I could learn the secrets and share them with her. If Walker and Serena cut her out now—after she’s spent her entire life searching for the Tree of Life, she’ll kill them. She’ll kill everyone who gets in her way.”

“Who is this third pure heart?” Phineas asked.

“I have no idea,” Moira said. “It can be almost anyone. A homeless veteran, a devout priest—whoever they can find who fits the criteria. The blade itself will tell them.”

She snapped her fingers. “Anthony, you said Jezebel was trapped in the blade.”

“Yes, she’s been imprisoned for hundreds of years.”

“The blade is powerless without her trapped inside. They released her. The blade is now just a sharp edge. It can kill, but it can’t sacrifice, at least not the way they need it.”

“Which means,” Gideon added, “for the ritual to go through, Jezebel has to leave Lily’s body and go back into the knife.”

“They’re cutting it close. They have to gather the Seven—I think they’ll need all of them, but honestly, I don’t know. Then exorcise Jezebel, trap her in the knife, and sacrifice a pure heart.”

“Then what are they going to do with the Seven?” Gideon asked.

“It won’t be anything good,” Moira said. “One more thing. Fiona is here in town. She’s not working with Walker and Serena. And if I know her—and I do—she’s as angry with them as she is with me. She’s the wild card. I have no idea what she will do, but destruction is her middle name.”

Anthony said, “If anyone encounters her at one of the points of the triangle, do not engage.”

Moira nodded. “She’s unstable, but she still has great power. Do not underestimate her. Or Serena. If Serena has turned on Fiona, that means she’s found a source of greater power. I have no idea what she’s done to get the power, but I’m pretty sure whatever it was gave her the ability to read the
Conoscenza.
”

“And,” Anthony said, “that brings us to the final step of tonight. Moira is the only person here who can destroy that book. Based on Dr. Lieber’s notes—his untainted notes—if the book is destroyed, the Seven will be pulled back. It’s a theory, but it makes sense.”

Moira had to find a way to get to the book.

“If anyone gets eyes on the book, let us know.” He said to Jared, “You’re the communications center, Jared. At the rectory, you get information, you get it out.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Moira is going to take everyone to the points of the triangle,” Anthony said, “and let you know if there’re any traps or places to avoid. We’ve lost too many people in this war. I don’t want to lose anymore.”

Rafe walked over and put his arm around Moira. “Skye just gave me this notebook. Juan wrote it. I’m going to translate it. He said it was important, but so far I can’t see anything here that we don’t know.”

“I’ll meet you at the rectory,” she said. She kissed him. “I love you.”

Moira took Rico to the cliffs first. As soon as she walked out there, she felt the surge of the Underworld pulsing beneath them. She refused to cave into her fear. For the first time in her life, she had people behind her, people who believed in her. She’d seen her mother and what the power and demonic promises had done to her. Fiona had gone half-crazy, but more than that, she was dying. Aging rapidly, losing control. She still terrified Moira because a person with nothing to lose might do anything, but Moira also pitied her. Fiona’s own greedy, selfish decisions had turned her into the monster she was.

Moira walked around and let the residual magic wash over her skin. There was no active spell here, but an undercurrent of something… different. She remembered that Adrienne had set up a spell but wouldn’t use it until necessary. Was that what Walker and Serena had done? How were they going to spark the spell, make it work for them? Were they going to send someone, or do it from afar? Not impossible, but Moira had never heard of distant spells being successful. Too many potential interferences.

Within the original circle, no plants had grown back. Rodents and birds who accidentally crossed the threshold lay dead and rotting.

But there were no traps, nothing that might bring forth a demon or spirit like the traps in the tunnels in Victoria.

She walked back to where the others were standing. “There are no active spells, but there is something here. You may have company, Rico. I’d suggest you stay in the trees over there.” She gestured to the grouping of trees about a hundred yards away, where Moira had hid when Fiona released the Seven. “They’ll give you cover, but you’ll be able to see everything.”

“Not if this fog gets any worse,” he said.

Rico pulled Moira aside. “Are you really okay?”

“Yes.”

“And Raphael—these memories—you believe they don’t have anything to do with magic.”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “But
he’s
not using magic. I’ve thought about this a lot—what if Jeremiah Hatch had some weird-ass spell working while he was in the middle of watching all those priests die? What if
he
wanted their memories? Because those priests had dark secrets, secrets that haunted them. Secrets about where dangerous supernatural artifacts are buried. Someone like Hatch, who was willinging giving himself to a demon, would want that information. It would make him even more powerful.”

Rico continued her thought. “And when Raphael interrupted the ritual and Hatch died, the memories implanted into the only living human in the room.”

“It sounds crazy, but no crazier than anything else we’ve confronted. Considering the lengths that Fiona and her coven went to trying to pull the information out of Rafe’s brain, it makes sense that they knew what Hatch was doing.”

Rico nodded. “And they think Kyle can locate Hatch’s spirit and ask for the information.”

Moira shook her head. “I don’t think that’s their plan.”

“Then what?” Realization crossed his face before Moira said a word. “To possess him.”

“Kyle is strong, he knows how to repel spirits, but he’s doing this to save his uncle, which means he won’t try to protect himself.”

“Then we have to find him first.”

“Only Matthew Walker can undo the spell.”

“I’ll make him.”

“Spells die along with the magician,” she said. “Keep that in mind.”

But curses didn’t, she thought as she left with Anthony and Nikolas. Which meant she was cursed for the rest of her life, no matter what happened to Fiona.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a glass vial filled with her blood and handed it to Rico. He knew exactly what it was.