Skulls and Bones

Chapter twenty five

The cage door opened. The loud creaking of the metal sounded out through the quiet of the village. Gabriel stood there with a hauntingly creepy smile and for a second I was frozen in my spot. I couldn't leave the cage because that would be final. I would be walking to my death and leaving Rick behind.

"Come," Gabriel said holding out his hand. "I must prepare for the ritual and I would like you to join me. I thought it would be fun."

Fun. That word snapped me out of my daze and I looked at him with anger. The anger consumed me and Gabriel was holding my hands behind my back before I even realized what happened. Apparently I ran out of the cage to attack him in a fit of rage and he was faster. Rick was screaming at him but I couldn't hear a word. Everything was hazy.

"That wasn't very smart," Gabriel whispered in my ear and I tried to pull away in disgust. His hold was strong.

Gabriel started to pull me away and my struggles became frantic.

"I want to say goodbye to him," I said as I tried to pull away. My shoulders started to hurt but I couldn't stop. Rick was watching helplessly, I knew he gave up all hope. I could see him going inside his shell, becoming this cold person that I saw when we first met. I hated seeing that.

"Unfortunately you wasted your last wish on me," Gabriel chuckled and the hate I felt only grew for the man in front of me. I didn't think such a monster could exist.

"What are you?" I whispered as he turned me around to face him. His grey eyes held a glint of a man on the verge of losing his mind. "What are you really, Gabriel?"

He smiled. "I am one of the few Descendants," he answered. "Those who were mortal converted to Skull. I am able to pass through Underworld and mortal and remain visible in both." It explained why Kat was able to see him. "And I am here to create order in this corrupt world."

"You're not doing anything but destroying it," I reasoned. I could feel my heart beating faster. Descendants? I didn't think mortals could turn Skulls. How did that even happen?

Gabriel's smile never left his face. "That's the only way to restore order."

*

I watched as Gabriel drew a circle in the ground with a stick. I could barely make out the cage in the distance where Rick was being held. I could try to run but there was no where to go. Plus Gabriel would catch me. The paper for the ritual felt heavy in my dress and I fought the urge to take it out. He couldn't know I had it otherwise this would all be for nothing.

"What are you doing?" I asked. The circle was large enough for both of us to fit in and have considerable room to move in.

He didn't answer. Completing the circle around me, he faced me with a smile. He took out a small pocket knife and held it to his wrist.

"A few drops of blood from the strongest Skull and Descendant will complete the circle," he said instead and proceeded to cut himself. He held his wrist above the circle and I watched at where the blood landed, the ground began to sizzle. The few drops spread throughout the circle along with the sizzling.

"Give me your hand," he ordered. When I didn't answer, his eyes became angry and he stormed toward me. Grabbing my wrist, his face loomed closer to mine. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

I saw a shadow move from the corner of my eye. I tried my best to hide my expression when I realized that it was Cornelius sneaking around. That meant that Zain was able to get to him. I could see the anger in his eyes from here as he glared at Gabriel's back. More figures started to appear from the mist but they were more frantic as if something was chasing them. I didn't doubt that it was Harm, the Bones and maybe the Descendants. I turned back to Gabriel's angry face as my dad mouth for me to stall.