Part 24 (1/2)
”Yes. And this is a release from the Vatican, twelfth century.”
”This is in Latin,” Jessica said.
”Translation to the left,” Maggie warned.
”'As there shall be demons, so there shall be angels. And as the war within the world is not the war within the soul, there are those whose demonic strength shall cast terror into the innocents. Yet so there shall be warriors, those granted life and breath, to do battle. Therefore, have ye faith, have ye strength, have ye courage. Ever and eternally, such a battle will rage, for if there is darkness, there is light, if there is love, there is hatred. So shall they rise, by the strength and goodness of His love and mercy, those who were warriors, and where there is despair, they will bring hope. Thus may they fight the eternal battle.'”
Jessica set down the printed sheet, staring at Maggie. ”How did you find this?”
”I've been at it since you've left. I've found a dozen other references to these beings known as warriors. I had heard about them before. I remember a time in Europe when there was a great fear of them. I never came across any such beings, but...I should have remembered. Come on, think about it-you must have heard something, too.”
”Now that you mention it, I had heard of them, but...that was a long time ago. I thought that they were men sent out by the Church in a time when people believed that an old woman with healing powers was a witch, a bride of Satan-that people signed away their souls to the devil and danced naked in the moonlight. So...you think Bryan MacAllistair is one of them?” Jessica asked.
”I don't think he's just any warrior,” Maggie said softly. ”I think he is-or was-the champion who fought for Robert Bruce. The great warrior who strode onto the field at Hay Glen and allowed the fledgling king to escape when Edward III first took the throne and decided to battle the Scots.”
Jessica sank into a chair and stared at Maggie. ”That's not possible.”
”It is.”
”He'd be more than a thousand years old.”
”I didn't find a life span noted in any of the references to the warriors,” Maggie said.
”It's impossible,” Jessica repeated.
”Why?” ”He died. I've studied history. He died.”
”Things aren't always what they seem,” Maggie said grimly. ”You need to go back to your house and stay there.”
”I can't, and you know it. Thank you, Maggie. I don't believe what you're telling me, but I promise to be careful.”
”Just keep your distance from him.”
”He's living in my house.”
”Perhaps you should ask him to leave.”
Jessica couldn't help the guilty look that came over her face, followed by a hot blush.
”Oh, no,” Maggie groaned. ”You're not going to ask him to leave. You're sleeping with him.”
”Yes,” Jessica answered at last. ”And yes, there's something about him, but...” Unable to put her feelings into words, she let her voice trail off.
”Just be careful. That's all I ask.”
Jessica gave her friend a hug and headed for the door. Then she turned around. ”I saw Big Jim. He thinks the Master has help here. Someone close to me.”
”Who?”
”Someone who might have been in Romania, as well.”
”The kids?” Maggie said dubiously.
”No, Bryan MacAllistair. Your warrior.”
”I still say I'm right,” Maggie said.
”There was someone else there. Someone who got there before me and went up against the Master. That was when panic set in. I had to wait before I could make my move. His power over his followers is so great that if he's threatened, they'd die like lemmings tossing themselves into the sea in their single-minded willingness to protect him. He has to be taken by surprise. I had to see how the stage was set before I did anything, but before I could, the battle began. But the Master knew I was there, and...he'll be out to kill me.”
”My point, exactly,” Maggie said. ”You need to keep the h.e.l.l away from him.”
Jessica nodded. ”No, I need to make sure that I'm ahead of the game this time. But it's happening fast. The time is right...I can feel it.”
”Maybe you should back out-let MacAllistair face the battle. That's the whole point of his existence.”
”I can't. From the beginning, this has been my battle.”
”Let it go,” Maggie begged. ”But you won't, will you?” she asked, meeting Jessica's determined gaze.
At the door, Jessica gave her friend another fierce hug.
When she stepped outside, her unease grew. Dusk had not yet come, and yet, even by day, the sky was turning colors, streaks of red curling across it.
She held very still, afraid.
Something was happening.
Tonight.
To his own astonishment, Bryan was able to find Jeremy and Nancy. They were just a block down Bourbon Street, sipping green drinks in gla.s.ses that lit up and listening to a mellow rock group.
He slid into the booth next to Jeremy.
”Hey, Prof,” Jeremy said dully.
”Hey,” Nancy said, forcing a note of cheerfulness into her voice.
”You two doing okay?”
”Yeah, great,” Jeremy said morosely. ”My best friend is dead, and you all think she's a vampire who wants to kill me, so you want to stake her. Her mom has been calling me, and I haven't got the guts to call her back. On top of that, I'm thinking I'm going to have to spend the rest of my life hiding. I'm afraid, and I want to see her. And if I said this to anyone else, I'd be committed.”
”I think you captured the situation fairly accurately in the first few sentences,” Bryan said flatly. ”Meanwhile, it's getting late.”
”Yeah, right, late,” Jeremy murmured.
”I'm going to take you to Montresse House. Now,” Bryan said firmly.