Chapter 54 – The Woman in the Forest
The monastery was quiet again.
Too quiet.
Brook stood alone in the central hall, staring at his hand.
The blue light had appeared again.
It moved across his fingers like liquid.
He closed his fist.
It disappeared.
He opened it.
It returned.
For the first time, the power wasn't fighting him.
It was listening.
Brook looked toward the broken entrance.
Snow was falling outside.
Behind him, Henry and Sera were asleep.
Elias had taken the horses to search for food.
Crowley was somewhere beneath the monastery.
Brook wasn't sure where.
He wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Michael's voice still echoed inside his head.
Power does not make you righteous.
Brook hated how much the words bothered him.
He walked outside.
The cold air hit his face.
He breathed slowly.
Then stopped.
Someone was standing across the snow.
A woman.
Dark coat.
Long hair.
She wasn't moving.
Brook's hand immediately went to his sword.
The woman smiled.
"Still pointing weapons at people you don't know?"
Brook stared.
"Mara."
She nodded.
"It's been a while."
Brook remembered her.
The forest.
The pressure that had pinned him to the ground.
The way she had looked at him as though she'd already known what he was.
He didn't lower his sword.
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you."
"Why?"
"Because you finally found the monastery."
Brook frowned.
"How did you know?"
Mara walked closer.
"I know a lot of things."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Brook almost smiled.
"You haven't changed."
"Neither have you."
Mara stopped several feet away.
Then her eyes moved toward Brook's hand.
"Three."
Brook's expression hardened.
"You can sense them?"
"I could sense the first."
She looked at him.
"Now I can feel the other two."
Brook lowered his sword slightly.
"What do you know about them?"
"Enough."
"Then tell me."
Mara shook her head.
"You're not ready."
Brook laughed.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"Because you're impatient."
"I'm tired of people knowing things about me that I don't."
Mara's expression softened slightly.
"Then you should start asking the right questions."
Brook stared at her.
"Fine."
He stepped closer.
"Who made me?"
Mara didn't answer.
"Why can I carry three Sources?"
Silence.
"Why does Michael exist inside my head?"
Mara's eyes narrowed.
"So you've met him."
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"He rejected me."
Mara smiled faintly.
"Good."
Brook frowned.
"Good?"
"If Michael had accepted you immediately, I'd be worried."
"Why?"
"Because Michael doesn't accept people easily."
Brook looked at his hand.
"How long does it take?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"On whether you're trying to master the Source…"
Mara looked directly into his eyes.
"…or trying to control it."
Brook didn't answer.
Mara smiled.
"Exactly."
The monastery doors opened behind them.
Henry stepped outside.
He immediately stopped.
"Mara."
She looked at him.
"Prince Henry."
Henry's hand moved toward his sword.
"You know who I am."
"I know who everyone is."
Henry frowned.
"That's unsettling."
Mara smiled.
"You're learning."
Brook looked between them.
"You two know each other?"
"No," Henry said.
"Not personally," Mara added.
Henry didn't lower his guard.
"What do you want?"
Mara looked at Brook.
"To warn him."
Henry stepped closer.
"About what?"
Mara looked toward the mountains.
"What's coming."
Brook frowned.
"What?"
Mara's expression changed.
"The monastery isn't abandoned."
Brook looked around.
"What do you mean?"
"Something has been living beneath it."
Henry's face hardened.
"The creature?"
Mara shook her head.
"No."
Brook felt the first Source react.
"Then what?"
Mara looked at him.
"The thing the creature was protecting."
Brook's expression changed.
"What?"
Mara stepped closer.
"The creature wasn't trying to kill you."
"It was protecting something."
Henry looked toward the monastery.
"Protecting what?"
Mara didn't answer.
Brook's patience disappeared.
"Stop doing that."
Mara smiled.
"Doing what?"
"Giving half answers."
"You'd be surprised how dangerous a full answer can be."
Brook stepped closer.
"I don't care."
Mara's eyes hardened.
"You will."
A sound came from the monastery.
Metal scraping against stone.
Everyone turned.
Henry drew his sword.
Mara didn't move.
Brook stared at the entrance.
"Was that the thing?"
Mara shook her head.
"No."
The sound came again.
Closer.
Crowley emerged from the monastery.
His sword was already drawn.
He looked at Mara.
She looked at him.
Neither spoke.
Henry noticed.
"You know each other too."
Crowley lowered his sword slightly.
"Yes."
Brook looked at him.
"How?"
Crowley didn't answer.
Mara smiled.
"He's very good at keeping secrets."
Brook looked at Crowley.
"You knew she was coming?"
"No."
Mara laughed.
"He didn't."
Crowley looked at her.
"What are you doing here?"
"Same thing as you."
Crowley narrowed his eyes.
"That isn't an answer."
"I've missed you too."
Brook looked between them.
"What the hell is going on?"
Mara turned toward him.
"Your parents."
Brook froze.
The entire world seemed to stop.
"What about them?"
Mara's expression became serious.
"I found something."
Brook stepped closer.
"What?"
"Proof."
His heart started beating faster.
"Proof they're alive?"
Mara nodded.
Brook stared at her.
"Where?"
Mara looked toward the mountains.
"Beyond the northern pass."
Crowley immediately stepped forward.
"No."
Brook turned.
"Why?"
Crowley looked at Mara.
"Because that pass is sealed."
Mara nodded.
"Exactly."
Henry frowned.
"By who?"
Mara looked toward Brook.
"Your parents weren't trapped beyond it."
Brook's expression changed.
"They went there willingly."
Silence.
Brook's voice became quiet.
"Why?"
Mara looked at him.
"To find the person who created you."
Brook's face went pale.
Crowley closed his eyes.
Mara noticed.
"You knew."
Crowley opened his eyes.
"I suspected."
Brook stared at him.
"Again."
Crowley didn't answer.
Brook stepped toward him.
"How many times are you going to say that?"
Crowley remained silent.
Mara looked between them.
"There's something else."
Brook turned.
"What?"
"The northern pass isn't just sealed."
She paused.
"It's guarded."
"By what?"
Mara looked toward the mountains.
"An angel."
Brook's hand tightened around his sword.
"Michael?"
"No."
"Then who?"
Mara looked at him.
"One of his kind."
The wind suddenly stopped.
Mara looked toward the forest.
"Something's here."
Henry raised his sword.
Crowley moved beside Brook.
Sera came running from the monastery.
"What happened?"
Brook pointed toward the trees.
"Something's coming."
Sera raised her hands.
Fog began spreading.
Mara immediately grabbed her wrist.
"Don't."
Sera frowned.
"Why?"
"Because it can see through it."
Sera lowered her hand.
A figure stepped from the trees.
Tall.
Thin.
Wearing white armor.
Two enormous wings folded behind it.
Henry stared.
"Angel."
The figure looked at Brook.
Then at Mara.
Then Crowley.
Its eyes settled on Brook.
Three Sources reacted simultaneously.
Brook dropped to one knee.
Michael's voice echoed inside his mind.
Do not fight.
Brook looked up.
The angel raised its weapon.
Mara whispered:
"That's not an angel."
Brook stared.
"What?"
Mara's expression hardened.
"That's a messenger."
The figure spoke.
Its voice echoed across the mountain.
"Brook."
Brook slowly stood.
"How do you know my name?"
The figure looked at him.
"Because Michael has awakened."
Brook's eyes widened.
Crowley stepped forward.
"Who sent you?"
The figure looked at Crowley.
"You know the answer."
Crowley's expression changed.
"Don't."
Brook looked at him.
"What?"
The messenger raised its weapon.
"Leave this place."
Brook tightened his grip.
"Why?"
"Because the one who made you knows where you are."
The messenger's wings opened.
Snow exploded across the ground.
Brook stood his ground.
Mara stepped beside him.
Henry and Sera moved into position.
Crowley drew his sword.
The messenger looked at all of them.
Then it said:
"Run."
Brook stared.
"Or what?"
The messenger's eyes began glowing.
"Michael will not be the only one to awaken."
The mountain shook.
Deep beneath the monastery…
something answered.
Brook's three Sources erupted.
Blue.
Black.
And dark as death.
The messenger looked at him.
For the first time…
it looked afraid.
Then it disappeared into the snow.
Brook stood frozen.
Mara looked toward the monastery.
"That wasn't supposed to happen yet."
Crowley turned toward her.
"What do you mean?"
Mara didn't answer.
Brook looked at her.
"Mara."
She finally spoke.
"The seals are opening faster than they should."
Brook looked down at his hand.
The blue light moved across his fingers.
Michael was still inside his mind.
Still watching.
Still judging.
And somewhere deep inside Brook…
something else had begun to wake.
End of Chapter 54