Order of the Golden Dawn (Neophyte Series 2)

CHAPTER 31 : A FAMILY REUNION

        Standing with my back against the elevator wall I braced myself for an attack, but they did not move. It was clear that Mordecai had them under control. I was to fight or bargain. Outnumbered twelve to one by my count, what other choices did I really have?

    In this moment I thought of Jordan. Was this what I was warned about? Had the decision to infiltrate the Cremation of Care ritual been the domino that triggered the End of Days?

    'There are two ways to go about this, Meric. Only one way ends with your survival.'

    'If that is my path then I walk it proudly.' I retorted.

    'Don't be a fool! Your death is not what Lucifer wants. On the contrary, your skills are required; but priorities are priorities, after all.'

   'You need me?' I asked, rather surprised.

    'Possibly.' He answered plainly. 'I wonder if a bargain would be of interest.'

    'Name your terms.' His interest suddenly peaked as I stalled.

    'I want to know everything. No more secrets. In return, if I am satisfied, I will hand over the Spear.' I lied hoping my tone was convincing enough.

    'You truly are a Bishop, young Meric. Just like you father, always willing to negotiate. We accept your terms.'

    'I am nothing like my father.' I stated rather threateningly. 'Now, send your cronies away so that we can talk in peace.'

    Without a word the room filled with black smoke as the Living-Demonic made way for us. This was a good sign. Knowing that it was possible to teleport within the walls gave me hope for a possible way out. I stepped out of the elevator and examined the cold concrete walls of the facility within.

    'What is this place?'

    'This is one of the many headquarters of the Illuminati. Things have come a long way since the Order of the Golden Dawn, Meric. Come along; I will show you.' As I walked beside him, I kept my distance.

    Lights began to illuminate our passage through the hall as we ventured deeper into what was indeed an artificial volcano.

    'Why was I made to skip through time in that prison cell in Hell?' I cut right to the point.

    'You were a threat. We couldn't risk you retrieving the Spear before we got the chance. The incident in Northern Ireland convinced us that you were too far gone to be trusted; what with the Traitor guiding you and all.'

    'I guess the Vatican had you beat there, huh? Having the Spear shipped and on its way before all hell broke loose here on Earth.'

    'Not exactly. If it wasn't for you and your little friend, we would have retrieved the Spear that night at sea. We would have seized control of the planet and kick-started Armageddon years ago. The only problem was that we didn't exactly have full compliance with every member of the clergy.'

    'Everything happens for a reason.' His expression of disgust revealed instantly that he despised this very idea; or perhaps it was the fact that such ideals were coming from an unlikely source.

    'Whether you harbor that belief or not is irrelevant. The fact remains that Hitler was a revolutionary amongst the demonic. He was the first to bring forth the idea of experimentation with Black Matter; well at least on a mass scale anyways. It was a tool that proved to be most useful in the following years. This was a vital piece of the puzzle that would slant the End of Days in our favor in quite a significant way.'