Fate (Drift Series Book 4) (3 page)

CHAPTER 3

CLARITY

When I returned to my old stomping grounds, I noticed that in my absence some of the vegetation had come back. I could tell even though it was the tail end of winter. Fallen leaves were all around, the area felt lighter, weeds had started to sprout up and there were footprints from the local wildlife all over the place. Life had returned to my old home while I was away. It was sprouting everywhere except for my old tree. That was as dead as ever, towering above the edge my scenic overlook. It was as if the stain of my presence upon it could never be washed away.

Doing what I’d always done, I leaped up upon my branch and hunched down, staring down into my area of residence in the town below. Out of habit, I turned to look for Shadow and instantly came to my senses—my old friend would never be back again. For the first time in a while, I was lonely again, almost on the brink of despair.

To avoid wallowing in self-pity like I used too, I spent the days exploring the land around me and taking flight on short journeys when I knew I could get away with being unseen. As time slowly passed, I felt a full change in the air, the change of seasons. A sliver of warmth began to return to the environment, animals started to come out all over the landscape, spring was unveiling itself. I knew the wedding was getting closer, but yet, no phone call from anyone, no visit from Shade, nothing. No good news or bad about their health. I figured, no news, was good news though. If one of my loved ones had succumbed to their illnesses, I would have surely received a call from Shade about it. At the very least, I could take solace in that at the moment.

I knew nothing about what was going on in the world around me either. How much of Christian’s and War’s reach upon the earth had extended. Deep down, I guess I cared, but I remained stubborn about it. Heaven can clean up their own mess, that’s
their
job. I belong to no faction anymore. I was very bitter about the lack of presence from either Argento or Elysia.

One early morning, I returned from a short flight out and perched myself upon my branch. From out of the woods nearby, a very familiar bright white light began to illuminate from deep within the woods. I knew who’s presence it was, and when the two figures softly stepped out from amongst the trees, it was confirmed that
finally
Argento and Elysia had returned.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the absentee landlords. What are you two doing here?” I scoffed at them, never turning my gaze to them as I kept staring out at the mountaintops around us.

Argento and Elysia pulled off their hoods and approached the base of my tree, staring up at me.

“I sense a bit of aggravation coming from you, Leo,” Argento said, humbly.

“Ya think?” I shook my head.

“What’s troubling you?”

“What is troubling me?” I scoffed again and continued to shake my head in frustration. “Don’t play stupid with me.”

“I’m afraid we do not understand.” Argento sounded confused which only angered me further.

“How can you not understand?” I looked down at them in disgust. “How can you not know? The world is descending into madness around us all and the Heavens have done nothing! Not a word from either of you, not a helping hand, nothing!”

“You do not understand, Leo, the Heavens are always helping—because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean we’re not there. Events must play out until a time comes when they must cease, I’m afraid we can tell you no more than that to comfort you,” Argento said, a little more forcefully.

This infuriated me enough and I reacted by leaping down from my branch and landing in front of them to face them.

“That’s it, that’s your answer? When will the time be right for you, Argento…Elysia, to make
your
move? Hmm? When the world is burning and lying in ruins? When all are dead? When Christian's hold upon mankind is so strong that nothing can be done to stop him? Is that when Heaven will step in and clean up the mess they ignored long enough to let happen? Is that when?” My voiced got higher and higher with each question.

“I’m tired of being pushed aside by the two of you…told things on a need to know basis. Maybe Christian was right. Maybe I am the pawn in this sick game, being used by both sides to achieve a goal that serves no one other than the two parties pulling at me and my friends. Then when the time comes, when we are all dead, one side or the other will achieve their means after we, and the world around us, have been discarded like trash. Well, if that’s the case, then I no longer need your help either, none of us do. I no longer seek your counsel.” I pointed at the two of them before turning my back to them.

“Is that what he’s told you, Leo? Is that what Christian has diluted your mind with? Have you forgotten that he is a master at deception, feeding you lies to isolate you? Making you weaker in the process and more easily defeated?” Argento asked.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore…or who. All I know is that I
do
feel like I’m being used for some other purpose other than just my quest for Diccittidel, and I can’t have that. I don’t know what Heaven and Hell are really fighting over this time, all I know is that I’m fighting for my freedom and those that I love. That’s it. Nothing more.”

“We know, Leo.” Elysia stepped up to me and placed her hand on my shoulder from behind as she spoke, “we know what you’re motives are. We would never do anything to hold you back on your quest.”

“Then why…why aren’t you helping? Where were the two of you when I was hopping all over the world trying to stop the madness like some comic book superhero? I received nothing from you. No help, nothing, nor did the humans that were having horrible acts committed to them, by them. You were absent.”

“We are never absent when man commits his atrocities. We are always there,” Argento said and I turned to face them as Elysia’s hand slid off from my shoulder.

“I sure didn’t see you around,” I said sarcastically.

“I know it doesn’t make sense to you, and even frustrates you, but like we’ve mentioned before, events must unfold before pieces can be put into place to counteract.” Argento pushed.

“But what does that mean? All I hear from my perspective is that you must turn a blind eye until it best suits you to intervene. No matter the collateral damage. That doesn’t feel righteous to me. I can’t trust in that.” I pushed back.

Argento and Elysia turned to look at each other in assurance then glanced back to me before Argento spoke further.

“Then if trust is what you need, trust we must give to you. The time has come for a little clarity.” Argento nodded and stepped a little closer to me.

“What do you mean?”

Argento looked to Elysia and nodded. Elysia approached me and raised her hand over my eyes.

“Close your eyes, Leo, and relax. The time has come for you to learn a little something about yourself…to learn a little something about your enemies.”

I stood there perplexed as she placed her warm hand upon my clammy skin, covering my eyes.

“See what has been hidden from you, Leo,” Argento said.

It took only a second after I closed my eyes behind her hand when suddenly an explosion of colors fired off from under my eyelids. It was as if I was traveling through a rainbow-like tunnel surrounded by all the stars in the universe. Before I knew it, I was taken to another time period upon the earth, another place.

I was hovering over various people from this era. I focused myself, trying to hone in on when and where I was at. Below me I could see various tents. It looked like a military encampment. As I started focus in on the people, I recognized colonial military uniforms. I started to lower to the ground and could see filthy and embattled men cooking over campfires outside of tents with what looked to be eighteenth century type rifles lying around, as well as being toted by the apparent soldiers. It came to me that I was somewhere in eastern America, during the American Revolution.

I was gliding through the soldiers, unnoticed, hovering around them until I was taken into a tent. Once inside, I could tell that I was in some sort of officer's quarters. There was a general of the continental army with long blond hair with his back turned to one soldier standing a few feet behind him while he hunched over a table that appeared to have some maps and other paper upon it. Another soldier stood at the general's side facing the lone standing man. The general appeared perturbed at the soldier behind him. Just then, I was taken inside the body of the lone soldier through his back and suddenly I could see through his eyes and hear what he was hearing.

“She is a spy!” The general smacked his hands upon the table, never turning to look at me—well the soldier I was within.

“Your mindless relationship with her has endangered us all! She was stealing correspondence from your marked case and giving it to Colonel Charles Wallace in the British Army…a soldier I might add, that she has fallen for and is having an affair
with
! On you! Your love for your wife has blinded you, Leonard. My men are beginning to think that you are a traitor. That you purposely leaked information of our military movements to your wife which was then handed over to the British, all while your wife was being coveted in the enemies bed!”

“Sir,” I—he—said, “my wife has always been a trusted partner, I find this hard to believe. She has always been supportive of me and loyal to our cause. I am in no way a traitor. I will die for those men—for you—to honor those words I speak…to prove my innocence…and hers as well. I do not believe she has been unfaithful to me either.”

The general didn’t speak, only shook his head, still hunched over the table. He fumbled around for a bit, grabbing at a small stack of papers, handing them to the soldier standing at his side.

The soldier walked over and placed them in my—in Leonard’s—hands. I started to see various secret letters that apparently this soldier had indeed possessed at one time. Attached to these correspondence letters were personal letters, written in the hand of a woman named Isabelle. I could physically feel the shock permeate throughout the body of the soldier I was inhabiting as he began to read. I could feel his jealousy rise within him, his disgust, and feelings of confusion and betrayal as he sifted through each of the letters one by one.

The letters confirmed that this Isabella was stealing, then copying the letters for this Colonel Charles Wallace and taking them to him. Throughout the writings, she professed a distain for her husband, Leonard Smithey, for fighting a losing cause and being disloyal to the British Crown. Isabelle talked about how she longed for the war to end, for the British to win. She knew that the fate of her husband might be execution by the British, or at the very least prison for being a traitor should the American cause falter. She mentioned many nights spent with this Colonel Wallace, longing to remain in his arms, in his bed, hoping that her husband would be killed so she could marry him.

I could feel this poor man's heart sink as he released the grip on the letters letting them seep out of his hand and onto the ground.

“Do you believe me now, Captain Smithey?” The general asked.

Leonard didn’t say a word.

“Would you like more proof?”

“What do you mean?” Leonard replied. I could feel the man's heart racing inside of his body.

“My men have been keeping a close eye on Isabelle since we intercepted these letters. At this moment you are close to home, but nonetheless she knows you are away. Charles Wallace is with her…right now. While your daughter sleeps in the next room, your wife is being bedded by another man, a British soldier, in your home, in your very bed. Your wife is sleeping with the enemy. Go see for yourself.”

I could feel the torment inside of Leonard. He turned his head and stared to the front of the tent.

“Better yet, I will have you prove your loyalty. You say you’re still a loyal and obedient soldier. The time has come for you to rectify this situation and your reputation among the men…and to me.” The general kept his back to Leonard still.

“What would you have me do…sir?”

“I would have you do your duties as a soldier. Colonel Charles Wallace is an important leader within the British Army. His death would be a mighty blow dealt to the British. I would have you avenge yourself, this situation, and kill him,” he ordered.

“I will see it done, sir.” Leonard began to walk out of the tent, just before he got outside of it, the general called to him.

“There is just one more thing, Captain, we can’t have traitors getting away with their treason.”

“Sir?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know Leonard. The rules of war apply to all. The sentence for treason is death. You must kill your wife…and your daughter.”

The general slowly turned around to face Leonard. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw who the general was. It was Christian. His English accent was gone. As a matter of fact, his entire voice had changed, but it was him, no doubt. One thing hadn’t changed, though—he reached over and grabbed a very familiar looking walking cane with a shining silver ball on the top as he approached Leonard.