GAME ON - GoM 2

18

Alice woke up to find Markus wasn't back yet. She checked the time: three a.m. She got up and wore her night robe. Circling the bed, she glanced out the window looking south and had a glimpse of a golden flickering in the woods south of the property limits. She paused. A campfire out there? In May?

She went down the stairs, straight to Markus' office. No light on in there, but she knocked anyway. Maybe Markus was out at the deck. No answer either. She tiptoed into the office, aware that Markus would get mad if he ever found her there without his permission. He wasn't on the deck, or anywhere to be seen. She went to the window behind the desk and looked out again. There it was, the flickering of fire. And what was that? Shadows of people moving around it? What the heck?

A chill ran down her spine when she registered the low humming from the cabinet to her right. She glanced that way and noticed a soft amber glow inside the cabinet. She didn't stop to think. She just reached out for it. It was supposed to be locked, yet it clicked open at her touch.

Curiosity pulled stronger than caution. Alice opened it wide. The glow came from an ancient wooden chest. She grabbed it without hesitation. It was heavy, and it was the source of the low humming as well. What kind of device was in there? She rested the chest on the desk, sliding her fingertips over the strange carvings on the lid before pulling it up. She looked in and gawked in wonder.

A Celtic cross rested on a rich blue velvet cushion, and the whitened wood was the real source of that soft glow. She felt the weird warmth wrapping around her as she admired the cross.

A truck driving down the road by the lake toward Main Street, right by the house, startled her. She looked out and had another glimpse of the flickering under the trees. All of a sudden, she realized where she was and what she was doing. She hurried to close the chest, put it back in the cabinet and rushed out of the office.

* * *

Ian Blake sat before the bonfire while the men circled it, the high school teacher among them. At the other side, Markus stood by the Protector. The poor man was awake enough to stare at Blake in open terror.

The teacher left the circle to bring Markus a knife with its blade carved. Markus took it, traded a nod with Blake and turned to the Protector. He grabbed the man's hair and pulled his head up roughly. The teacher brought a golden goblet with gems on the sides.

The Protector knew he had it coming the moment he was captured. Especially because he hadn't given them any answer to their questions about the Order. So he held Markus' eyes and he didn't let out a single sound when the carved blade ran around his throat. Markus traded blade for goblet and held it under the Protector's bleeding wound.

When it was half full of blood, Markus circled the bonfire to bent his knee before Blake again, lowering his head to offer Blake the goblet. Blake accepted it. The techs smiled when all the men kneeled.

As if preceding a toast at a fancy restaurant, Blake held the goblet in one hand as he said, "Markus honored his word and brought the Cross to our keep. Now his mission beings to keep it safe from our sworn enemies. And all of you are here to help him carry it out. As for me, now I can finally set on our real quest." He glanced down at Markus. "Rise."

Markus straightened up and faced Blake, oozing confidence. Blake raised the goblet at him.

"To you, my boy."

Hidden behind a tree, Alice covered her mouth to suffocate a cry when Markus drank from the goblet. She rested against the tree, her knees trembling, choking in horror at what she'd just witnessed.

Markus gave the goblet back to Blake and retreated into the shadows of the woods, while the men took turns to kneel before Blake yet again and pledge their loyalty.

Alice staggered a few steps backwards and spun around to run away. But she stumbled into Markus' arms instead. He held her up with an ironic smile, his eyes glowing red, no trace of their natural blue. She tried to push him away but he grabbed her tighter.

"Told you to go to sleep, love."