Phantom Pain (trilogy)

Cursed Branch

Chapter 27: Cursed Branch

The first thing we did was plot our path. This part of the city was pretty consistently flooded, but we did have to pick and chose our route so that we could keep the boat.

The second thing we did was try and establish contact with those we were going to meet. Dez tried to get a signal on her phone, to no avail.

"What do they have?" I asked. "The group who never arrived at the catacombs?"

"It's two families," said Lucas, pausing in his plucking. "I've met some of them before. The two objects are the shroud of Turin—the real one—and a tree branch."

I was shocked. Sure I'd already been made aware of the location of the holy grail. But all the same, these revaluations never stopped being surprises. The shroud of Turin was the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Where did they find these things?

"A tree branch?" Dez asked.

"From a fig tree that Jesus cursed. The story is, that it kills anyone it touches."

"Ramie?" Dez asked.

I shrugged. This was not the sort of thing I was in the habit of confirming or denying. But I had to remind myself I was no longer an angel. The head movement turned to a nod. "It was a mess. That's what happens when man kind gets access to power like that." I was glad Gavyn wasn't here. "It was just a damn tree," I muttered.

Dez laughed at my frustration, looking genuinely overjoyed. "I love relearning my history from you. It puts everything in a whole new light."

"It was destroyed," I said. "I have no idea why you would have wanted to keep a branch."

It was Lucas's turn to shrug, plucking a non-committal note on the harp. "Could be useful."

The boat skidded to a stop, and I had to catch myself on the edge.

"Dez what the-?" Lucas was on his feet.

"Look." Her voice was a low hiss.

I followed her eyes and saw it. A block over, just visible above the buildings, angels hovered. There was something going on. I could sense emotions of battle, and the dread was back, hanging over us in a way the harp could not banish.

"We should probably go around?" Lucas asked, eyes flitting between Dez and I.

We nodded in unison.

"Who are they?" Dez asked me, as the boat purred quietly, staying in the shadows of the looming buildings. "Can you tell?"

I squinted, then closed my eyes all together, trying to feel them without them feeling me.