The Keeper

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The next few days were uneventful but the trio remained on alert ever training and discussing possible strategies to utilise if needs be. They had no idea of what might occur, wanted to be ready for whatever came their way. Brindle missed Marcus an enormous amount, but was smart enough to know that she had to work with what she had and at the moment she had Brae and Arias.

The funny thing was all three were working together extremely well, not as good as she and Marcus of course, but well enough that she believed she wouldn't get killed right off if they were attacked. Brindle shook her head when she had this thought, attack or not they needed to be ready for everything and anything that the demon world threw at them.

Brindle sighed softly she wanted this to be over, she wanted Marcus by her side where he belonged and she wanted to know the truth about what was really going on. She wanted to understand her link with the first 'Keeper' and why the Arch's were so adamant that Marcus no long be her Guardian.

There were so many questions that she needed answers to, she wasn't at all sure if she'd like the answers, but she'd deal... for now she'd stay strong and when it was all over, then she'd see where things stood. She had her suspicions about the past, about her connection with the things she'd seen, but she couldn't put voice to them... she didn't dare, she needed to stay on top of it all. She needed to be 'The Keeper' and all that that role entailed.

Brindle looked to her companions and smiled shaking off the feelings of doubt she still held. He hand went unbidden to her neck and the cord she wore there, she found herself doing this a great deal the past few days. She pulled the cord out of her shirt and held the cross in her hand looking at it curiously. There was something different about it, she wasn't sure what, but something. She rubbed it between her finger and thumb, noting it helped calm her.

She saw Arias looking at her and she quickly placed it back under her shirt. No one knew about the cross... no one that is except Obanab, giving her yet another question that needed answering... how did he know, what did he know about the cross she'd found in the journal that Marcus had sent to her?

She turned to walk away from not wanting to answer any questions he might have regarding what she was wearing around her neck. She took a step towards the back door and froze. Brae reacted first, moving to her and placing his hands on her arms both to steady her and to get her attention. "My Lady?" was all he said and she came back to herself.

She looked up into his concerned eyes and let out her breath, "A vision of some sort Brae. I felt more than saw..." she trailed off and by this stage Arias was beside her as well looking at her questioningly.

"Come," she said quickly, "I feel something unnatural, something... oh God!" She placed her hand on Brae and disappeared, Arias tailing her. When they arrived at their destination she was shocked to find herself at the top of a large cliff. She turned and saw that there were caverns or caves in the side of the mountain and there was a group of people close to the entrance to an opening near the edge of the cliff.

Without thinking Brindle moved forward pushing through the people to discover why they had gathered there. She was shocked to see several children cowering on the ground trembling as a huge man stood over them with what looked like a club. She stood stock still wondering what the hell he thought he was doing, when he spoke she could feel the fear emanating from the children.

"Heathens! You have no right to be here, no right to live! It is our duty to send you back to where you came from, back to the fiery pits of hell!" Then he pulled his arm back in preparation to swinging the club at the young ones before him.

Brindle didn't think, she reacted, before anyone knew what had happened she'd taken the club from them, put him on his ass and was glaring at those surrounding them. "What the hell do you people think your dong?" She demanded, "You would kill, no murder children!" She shook her head and turned towards the children wanting only to comfort them as she could still feel their fear.