Fateful Signs (Ballad of the Seer, Book Three)

Chapter 4 - Going to Church

"Take a left up here." Lily pointed to the side street. Duncan made the turn, driving a couple of blocks. And there it was, on the next corner, just as Lily had seen it in her mind. The old church was larger than she thought it would be, but it was still a rundown mess, with broken windows and holes in the roof. Lily didn't understand the appeal of a place like that. Why would the warlocks choose such a dump as a hideout?

Duncan stared up, through the windshield, at the dilapidated church. His face was hard to read, trying to put up a brave front, but his mind betrayed the tension he felt. "That's where they're keeping him?" He seemed as baffled as Lily.

"Either there or somewhere nearby." Lily suggested. "But we're really close. I can feel it."

The rest of the street was lined with small businesses; the sidewalks empty at such an early hour. Not even the sun was up yet. But Duncan had insisted when he realized that they were so close. He had driven through the night to get here.

Duncan parked across the street from the church and cut the engine. When he opened his door, Lily grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?" Lily asked. With the dome light on, illuminating the car, she could see the look of determination on his face.

"I'm going to see if this is the place."

"And if it is?" Lily asked, skeptically. He obviously wasn't thinking straight. "What then? There could be a dozen warlocks waiting inside there."

Judging by the defiant look in his eyes and the set of his mouth, she could see that that wasn't going to deter him. He was ready to go charging into the abandoned building with no regard for his own safety. He turned to get out, but she pulled him back. "Let me, at least, do a quick scan of the place. Make sure that this isn't some kind of ambush."

"Fine," he agreed, not sounding pleased to have to wait. "Just hurry."

Lily ignored his belligerent tone; she knew that it was a result of his anxiety. She closed her eyes and let her mind move through the church, searching every inch of the grounds until she was satisfied that there was no one waiting to attack them. The only living beings inside were rats and birds. "It's clear." she told him. She tried to tell him that his father was not in there, but he was out of the car before she could even get one word out.

Lily tried to keep up with Duncan, following him past the crooked gate and up the steps to the front doors that were chained together. Lily took the heavy padlock in her hand, letting her power flow through the metal. After it popped open, Lily pulled it free from the chain. Duncan yanked the chain away and pushed through the wooden doors; a loud squeal sounded from the hinges, causing Lily to wince. Dirt, grime, and dead leaves covered the floors. Lily waited in the foyer, watching Duncan search through all of the small rooms here. He was frantic as he moved in and out of each door. HIs hope rose with each new room, only to fall when he found it empty.

He moved into the main room and she followed; row upon row of wooden pews led up to the raised altar at the front. A mosaic, blackened with layers of filth from being left unattended for so long, covered the back wall, many of its pieces missing. Lily's eyes drifted up into the soaring rafters, where it was too dark to see much of anything. "Illuminate." she whispered. A tiny spark of light shot from her fingers when she snapped them, flying skyward to light the room, shining down on the colorful pictures in the stained-glass windows and the statues of saints, whom Lily could not identify. Were it not for the years of disuse, she imagined the place would be beautiful.

"It's empty." Duncan screamed, drawing her attention back to him. He turned, around and around, in a circle, in the middle of the aisle. "Are you sure this is the place?" he asked, turning his gaze to meet hers.