Marked - Prophecy of Aries - Book 1 Read online

  Madeline got out of the car. Alex followed suit. They stood in front of the car, facing the giant woman. “What are you going to do, Madeline? Stab her with your little knives?”

  “She wants you, not me. There’s no reason for me to kill her.”

  “Alexander,” the woman called with a purring, throaty voice.

  Madeline chuckled. “That name makes you sound like you’re a thousand years old.”

  “I’m only a few hundred years old. And only nut cases call me by that name.”

  Madeline smiled at the woman. “He thinks you’re insane. What do you want from Alex? I’m the first councillor of Eudaiz. We invited him on this trip. He’s our guest. It’s our responsibility to keep him safe during the visit.”

  The woman’s eyes sparked with recognition. If she had been to the multiverse, she would know of Eudaiz and its power. Madeline’s speculation was right.

  “I’m a soul trader. I have marked him, and now I’ve come here to claim him.”

  Madeline nodded. “I understand how the market works.” As she spoke, she performed a mind scan to see if she could read either Alex’s or the soul trader’s mind. It didn’t surprise her when she couldn’t read the soul trader’s mind. But it was rather amusing to get a glimpse of Alex’s. His mind was as youthful as a twenty-year-old, and in it, there was nothing about soul trading.

  “There’s no mark on his soul. I’d say your claim is not legitimate.”

  “You can’t see his soul.”

  “I can, but I don’t need to prove it to you.”

  Alex shook his head. “Well, I don’t recall making a deal with you, let alone being marked.”

  Madeline smiled. “If he can’t recall it, and there is no consent to a deal, then you can’t claim. If you do, your trading partner will kill you. How about that for my knowledge of the market?”

  The woman nodded. “Then I shall return his memory so he can recall he was begging me for his life and his soul.”

  Alex grabbed his head, grunted with pain, and his knees buckled. He slumped to the ground. Madeline grabbed his shoulders and looked into his eyes. “Open your mind to me. I can read it, and I can help you, but you have to trust me. Will you, Alex?”

  He nodded.

  Madeline concentrated and peeked into his mind. Her vision was flooded with the old memories coming back to him. The part before he was turned stood out. She zeroed in on the event just before that. She recognized it.

  Madeline was time traveling with Arik to Dorset, England in 1348. Alex’s memory suggested that he had seen Arik and her and knew what happened to the officer in the trading station. Madeline looked at Alex now, and he registered the same thing. Alex never knew what had happened inside the station before he got there or what happened to the officer he had been accused of killing.

  Madeline frowned at another piece of information about Alex being accused of the murder and turned by the Red Widow. Madeline smiled at Alex and then returned to address the Red Widow, who was now in the gigantic form of a soul trader.

  “I can see you’re a soul trader and a vampire as well. This is a rare combination I didn’t even know existed.”

  The Widow smiled. “You have seen what you needed to see. I marked him. Now I can claim him.”

  Madeline nodded. “Certainly. There is one thing, though. I’ve told you he’s a guest of Eudaiz, a universe you don’t want to mess with. So if we go back to Eudaiz, you can’t claim him. If you take him now, however, Earth is outside our jurisdiction. I’ll consider it an accident and will talk to his wife afterward.”

  “Madeline!” Alex exclaimed.

  “Sorry, Alex. There’s not much I can do. She marked you, so now she can claim you.”

  The Red Widow smiled. “I shall claim him then.” She waved her hand, and the left shoulder of Alex’s shirt was ripped open. A round mark appeared under his skin and glowed in red. He appeared to be paralyzed by the impact and stood still.

  Madeline raised her hand. “There is one more thing.”

  “What?”

  “Can you confirm that the claim for Alex’s soul was made on the grounds that he is a bad spirit, and he killed a good spirit for greed? This is a very rare deal, and you must have benefitted from this trade for hundreds of years. I need to be sure.”

  “Yes,” the Red Widow growled. “I traded him as a bad soul caught in the act of destroying a good soul for greed.”

  Madeline nodded. “Very well then.”

  She pushed Alex forward. The Red Widow reached out for him. His body was lifted from the ground and spun around. Then he was dropped to the ground. He passed out. The mark on his shoulder disappeared.

  The smile drained from the woman’s face. She let out a bloodcurdling scream and exploded into nothingness.

  On the ground, Alex gasped and awoke in his body. Madeline helped him sit up. He glanced around groggily.

  “You killed the Red Widow?”

  She grinned. “I did. You’re free from this soul trading deal now.”

  “And you killed her with what?”

  “Her own deal.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Six years ago

  MARGARET LOOKED behind her and could see that everyone from the boot camp had turned in another direction. She smiled and sauntered into the remote French countryside by herself. The idea behind the boot camp was to get a group of sixteen-year-old girls into the forest and teach them survival skills and enhance their appreciation of nature. Margaret already had plenty of appreciation for the French countryside. She liked to spend time with nature and enjoyed the tranquility it offered.

  She squinted in the bright sunlight reflecting in the humid air. The bush grew thicker as she walked. She wasn’t afraid, though. She was here with a purpose, and she was going to accomplish what she’d set out to do.

  Standing in front of a rock shaped like a mirror and as tall as she was, she dusted its surface. She looked around. The setting was right. Trees with purple leaves formed a circle around the giant rock. The leaves stayed purple for months before turning yellow, drying out, and dropping to the ground

  This was exactly what she had seen in her dreams.

  “I’m here,” she said to nobody. She waited for a while, and then the surface of the rock became smoother and clearer. The image of a beautiful woman dressed in a long white gown was reflected there.

  “Margaret, I’m glad you have come to see me.”

  “Lady of the Forest, where is my sister?”

  “I’ve told you, Margaret, she’s trapped in a prophecy. Her soul was promised without her consent. It’s up to you to rescue her.”

  “I need to at least know she isn’t dead already. I’ve never been told about her. Why would my family withhold that information from me?”

  “You’ve come here, so now you can see with your own eyes that I am real. Your family promised Lyla’s soul so that Frida could live. They forgot one thing, though—Lyla and Frida are twins, so they share a spirit. Frida’s life can never be complete without Lyla.”

  “Why did you tell me but not Frida?”

  “I hold prophecies. I know too much. Frida’s spirit has been broken, and she will die young. But Lyla’s spirit can still be saved. When she lived in the village and took lessons from me, she was a pure soul. An untainted spirit. My heart was broken when she passed away.”

  Margaret shook her head. “I’m confused. Is my sister alive or dead?”

  “Your family promised her soul to a soul trader, who traded her soul later and then placed the spirit into the body of a French baby named Lyla, born and raised in the village just outside this forest. Lyla lived until she was thirteen. Before she died, she promised her soul to someone under the sign of Aries. That promise was on hold. Her soul was never claimed and now floats in the oblivion. If you save her now, she could be returned to a live body.”

  “But that would be unnatural.”

  “What is natural? You need to understand beyond the realm of human consciousness
. Open your mind to the supernatural, the paranormal, and the many worlds out there. Your sister deserves better.”

  “Who is the person with the Aries sign my sister promised her soul to?”

  “A child named Ciaran LeBlanc. He has never taken her gift. But because she promised it to him, he will still be able to, and he will claim it in the future. That’s what the prophecy says.”

  “Prophecies are made for important people and events. Is Ciaran LeBlanc important? If he was destined to have my sister’s soul, is there a good cause behind it?”

  “All things and all creatures are equal. One is no more important than the others. The difference is whether an individual is worthy of what he has.”

  “So is he worthy of my sister’s soul? She promised it to him by choice?”

  “I don’t have that information. The only encounter I had with that individual was when he entered these woods and met your sister. He was a very strong-spirited child with a strong will and a mind full of rage. I will leave it to you to judge. Study up, and make your decision. I’ve let you know more than I should.”

  The image flickered, and the Lady of the Forest went away. Margaret stood there a little longer, taking in the scenery and digesting the information she had just learned about a sister she had never met—the twin of a sister she had never gotten along with well.

  Frida had always been so difficult. Margaret had always thought of her as a resentful person who was discontented with life because she had great talent and longed for the big city. A small town in the countryside would never make Frida happy. But now things were clearer to Margaret. If Frida’s spirit was broken and her self was incomplete because her twin had been separated from her, that was hardly Frida’s fault.

  Margaret made a mental note to try to understand Frida better and provide her older sister with more companionship. As for the Aries sign and Ciaran LeBlanc, she would do some research and make her decision. She had always been interested in spiritual matters, so choosing a relevant subject to study when she finished high school and attended the university wouldn’t be difficult.

  She exited the woods and returned to the camp.

  CHAPTER 29

  Egon traced his hands across the wall leading to his master chamber in a mansion in the middle of the remote forest in York County. Vampires had super senses. But still, without his eyesight, everything was a struggle now. He needed more time to get used to it.

  He was done cursing Frida. He’d always known she was difficult to handle. A difficult person in life and in death. He decided to take a detour. Reaching the laboratory door, he pushed it open and sauntered in, acting as calm and collected as he could.

  “What happened to your eyes?” a female voice asked.

  “Nothing you have to be concerned about. And I don’t need any remedies from you, Witch. How’s your voodoo practice?”

  “Good, very good actually. It would go faster if I could move around more freely.”

  “Don’t you even think about it. I’m not releasing you until you kill all the relevant Aries for me.”

  “Well, that’s one-twelfth of Earth’s population. It might take a while!”

  Egon smirked. “I’ve got time. I’m immortal. You’re not.”

  He raced suddenly in the direction of her voice, his nose flared, tracing the woman’s floral scent, and he grabbed her by the hands. “Witch, I don’t need eyes to see you’re trying to conjure up some magic against me. Remember, your son’s life is in my hands. If you kill me, I’ll let him die and rot somewhere you’ll never find him.”

  “He’s only a child. Please show some compassion, Egon.”

  “Who will show compassion for me? See my eyes? See what that bitch did to me?”

  “You killed Frida, didn’t you?”

  “She deserved it. Every bit of it.”

  “What has my son ever done to you?”

  “He carries the sign of Aries.”

  “How is that his fault?”

  “I don’t care. My life is miserable, and everyone is at fault for that.” He tossed a piece of fabric on the table. “Here’s a piece of him. Sniff it, trace it, and try to believe he’s still alive.” He picked her up by the shoulders. “And that’s the only connection to your son I will ever grant you. Now get back to work and try not to upset me. I’m in a very bad mood.” He reached his hand out. “Where is the voodoo doll for the next Aries?”

  The witch placed a doll in his hand. He nodded, held up the doll, and ripped its head off. The witch yelped in horror but tried to refrain from making too much noise.

  On a street somewhere in Germany, a car slammed into a fast-moving train, and the driver was decapitated on impact. Strangely, no one else was injured in the crash.

  “Now, just so you feel better, I only want an army I can control. I won’t kill them all. This is only to show you that I can kill if I want to. But time is running short, and we must be more strategic. There are a few key Aries, and I need you to make the dolls for me. It’s a priority.” He placed some of his intended victims’ belongings on the table.

  Then he felt a prick on his neck and knew he had been poked with a silver needle. His knees buckled instantly.

  He heard steel chains being jostled and cut. Then he heard the witch freeing herself. Soon her footsteps raced toward the door.

  He turned himself over on the floor, got onto his hands and knees, and leaped in the air. He grabbed the witch from behind and threw her back inside the lab. He traced her floral scent and grabbed her again when she tried to scramble to her feet.

  “You should know your needle does nothing to me, Witch.”

  “I’m sorry…”

  “You are not sorry. You’ll never be sorry. You’re just like that bitch, Frida. But you’re more useful to me than she was. So I’ll do you a favor—I’ll turn you right now.” He sank his teeth into her neck, holding her tight until her protesting movements subsided. Then her body went lax, and her natural life left her. He chained her up again, this time with silver chains to ensure she wouldn’t go wandering around after she came to.

  But then she would be a newly born vampire. She would need time to adjust so she could function again. This would delay his plans. He sighed. Why did things always have to be so difficult for him? He didn’t ask for much in his immortal life. He wanted Margaret. But because she was destined to be with an Aries, he would have to kill them. Not all of them. Just those who were in contact with her.

  He’d never thought of it as a big task.

  CHAPTER 30

  M argaret made herself comfortable on the bench at the corner of the courtyard in front of the Bodleian library at Oxford University. Today was the day she got to meet the person with the sign of Aries. It had been six years since she had started studying the supernatural, the soul trading business, prophecy, and magic. She liked her studies.

  As of for the prophecy of Aries, the one the Lady of the Forest said caused her sister, Lyla, to be stuck in the oblivion because her soul was promised to Ciaran LeBlanc, she was still unconvinced. She knew Ciaran did extensive studies and research in extraterrestrials and alchemy. But apart from that, there was nothing about him that was supernatural or paranormal.

  Because of the secrecy of the LeBlancs, getting information about him was extremely difficult. Ciaran was hidden from the prying eyes of normal human beings. Despite her best efforts, Margaret still couldn’t tell whether he was a good person and worthy of her sister’s soul.

  She had been proud of herself when she discovered some of the philanthropic projects Ciaran ran anonymously. He supported medical research and was open-minded about natural medicines. But he was a scientist after all. If she hadn’t volunteered to help with one of the charity projects, using all the magic tricks she had learned to get the information out of some of the executive staff, she would have had no chance of knowing anything at all about Ciaran.

  She caught sight of him sometimes, but she always kept her distance and observed him. To him,
she was simply a volunteer for one of his several projects. They might have crossed paths. He might have greeted her with a polite nod of acknowledgment. But he had never registered her as a part of his close circle.

  She remembered the day she got wind that his stunning wife had died. They had been married for a short period of time. She caught sight of them at Oxford when he was courting her. They’d spent much time at this library. Regardless of what people said about the LeBlancs, what she saw in this couple was love, the passionate love of people in their twenties.

  He vanished for a while after his wife died. The first time she saw him again was at a charity event, and her heart wrenched. He had lost the passionate look of love she’d once seen on his face, and along with it, he might have lost trust in all humanity—and maybe even his good spirit. She didn’t know what went on inside the minds and hearts of the LeBlancs, but after observing him for a long time, she could feel his pain.

  She needed to make a decision. She had learned everything she needed to place a spell and get her sister’s spirit back. Today was the day she would make the decision about whether Ciaran was worthy of her sister’s sacrifices. She was sure he was an important man, and he could help a lot of people. But the Lady of the Forest was right, all creatures and beings are of equal importance, and to be worthy of someone else’s sacrifice was a totally different matter.

  Here he came, as she knew he would. It was the six-year anniversary of his wife’s death, and she had predicted his presence at the library.

  Soon after his wife died, Margaret had sent threatening notes to him, trying to incite fear in him about his wife’s resentful spirit seeking revenge. If Ciaran was guilty of his wife’s death, or if he even had a sense of fear, he wouldn’t be here now.

  He came toward her, walking out of the fog like a dark angel. And as usual, he didn’t notice her until he got closer.

  A brief conversation wouldn’t do any harm, she thought. So she introduced herself.