Nathaniel Kent

Chapter 16

France, 1604

A woman tried to open a lock that kept her and 2 other women trapped in a carriage, "It won't open." She said looking to the other panicking woman as the other was composed with her red cloak covering her face

"We must escape before we reach the pyres. Isabelle..." woman2 said

The woman in the cloak, Isabelle, replied unconcerned, "They've taken the book and with it our powers. What would you have me do?"

"Anything. We're running out of time." Woman1 said

"Time is the one thing we do have. If we fall this night, I promise you, we will rise again to finish our quest." Isabelle assured

A crowd with torches and pitchforks stood in front of 3 pyres, all yelling for the death of the 3 women calling them witches, the 2 women screamed in fear as the carriage was unlocked amd they were dragged out of the it into the crowd Isabelle's cloak was removed revealing a woman that looked like a perfect doppelganger of Lana Lang,

The women were dragged to the pyres and tied to them, as Isabelle was held back, as a man walked over, "Magistrate Wilkins. Come to enjoy your handiwork?" She asked only to be backhanded by Wilkins

"Tell me the three stones of power, Countess. You may yet escape the pyre's flames." Magistrate Wilkins said

"In my book, there's a page marked." Isabelle said and quickly Wilkins presented the book to her as he found the page where the mark of Transference was

"What means this?" Wilkins asked

"It means that the stones of power shall be mine, and once I possess them, you shall tremble at my feet and never again persecute my kind." Isabelle said before she spat blood onto the page, "Anima Renito."

The Mark of Transference appeared on the small of Isabelle's back as she began to laugh while Wilkins glared at her, "Demon. Join your confederates."

Isabelle continued to laugh as she was dragged away, as her friends pleaded for mercy, "Madeline Evans, Briana Withridge, Countess Marguerite Isabelle Theroux... You have been found guilty of committing the darkest art -witchcraft. For this affront against God, I hereby condemn you to burn in the fires of Hell in which you so eagerly seek communion." Wilkins said

"You think this ends with a lick of flame? I sleep but a while... and when the time is appointed, my heir will awaken me, and I will have vengeance! Heh heh heh heh!" Isabelle laughed before the pyers were set aflame

Present Day, Lana's Apartment

Lana was opening a box as her boyfriend sat across from her, "So you found it on eBay?"

"Nate got it from this old guy in Nice who was planning on auctioning it off."

"Why would he give this to you?" Jason asked

"I told him about the tattoo, he thought it would be best to investigate everything about the Countess." Lana said opening the box and she smiled, "Looks like he was right, the spellbook of Countess Isabelle Marguerite Theroux. And look it has the same symbols in the cave."

"Yeah... maybe it will help explain what happened in Paris when you touched Isabelle's tomb., About the tattoo and the missing 12 hours..." Jason said

"Mm, so, uh, how's your Latin?" Lana asked as she looked through the book

"About as good as my Italian, which... I don't speak." Jason said

Lana sighed as she turned into a page where Isobel's blood-splattered stained amd the fire in the fireplace went out, "I'll get it."