Dark Faïz (Book 2) [Completed]

Chapters 2-4

The three of us got out of Ray's SUV. The two friends hadn't exchanged a word during the whole trip, barely a glance. Everyone seemed to be immersed in their own thoughts, and these were surely going in the wrong direction from what I had heard that morning in the living room. When we rushed inside the building, my pulse quickened and concern won me over. Indeed, I hadn't seen Faïz since the drama, nor exchanged a word with him. Only his mother had been authorized to contact him for the preparation of the funeral. I dreaded when I would cross the threshold of his loft. Snuggled in the corner of the elevator, my breath echoed in my ears until the doors opened onto a large living room. My eyes immediately found my three friends, sitting on the huge sofa in the living room. The place was lit despite the still gloomy weather, but without rain. Lexy and Asarys got up immediately when they saw me and came without waiting to meet me.

"Are you okay?" Lexy hastened to ask me, taking me gently in her arms.

"Who... But who contacted you?"

I was relieved to find the girls and David. They were my pillars in this ordeal.

"It was Will, last night," David answered behind them. "I have urgent information to share with you."

"Very well, we're listening!"

The sound of that voice froze me on the spot. My three friends stepped aside to let Faïz pass. He came to plant himself not even a meter in front of me. His hands went to his pockets, waiting for us to tell him what to do next. When his eyes met mine, like a black anchor, they gave me all the anger he had in him. Nothing could have prepared me for that. I looked down. What else could I do? Apart from agreeing to live with this heavy burden until the end of my days.

"Okay, come over here," David said, clapping his hands to end this moment of killing.

My friend moved to the large rectangular table where his computer was placed. We all stood around him, with the exception of Faïz who preferred to stay back, leaning against one of the walls not far from us, looking towards the large windows. He was exhausted, too. He was here, but not here. His mind had just wandered across the large window and I knew all too well where he had gone.

"Zoe? Are you with us?"

William's voice forced me to turn my head towards David, who seemed to be waiting for me before starting his presentation.

"Yes, we can start," I said, glancing uneasily at William.

He didn't hide his annoyance at my interest in Faïz. Damn it, but what's his problem? I worry about him, that's it! I pretended not to notice his annoyed pout.

"The coded part, studied and translated by the algorithm that I have established, tells us that what we are looking for is not on American territory, but on another continent."

"Wait," interrupted Faïz, raising his hand into the void, "The Maestro's tomb isn't here? Have we had it all wrong from the start?"

"Actually," David continued, "the Callis was not talking about an exact location. What it was explaining, however, was how to weaken The Maestro in order to push him to his last entrenchments before sending him back to his burial."

"So, what exactly are we looking for? And where?" Asarys got impatient.

"Eros!"

"Lord, no. Tell me I'm dreaming," said Faïz softly, pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed.

"Okay, okay, two minutes please," Lexy said, shaking her head. "Eros? What the heck is that?"

"Eros is an island off the coast of Japan that doesn't exist on Earth maps," explained William.

"On Google Maps, there is no such place!" Lexy said, putting her cell phone in her pocket.

"He just told you it's nonexistent!" cried Asarys, who was already browsing the internet on her phone.

"What will we find there?" asked William.

"A stone," replied David. "More precisely, a ruby."

"What is this madness?" Lexy asked. "A ruby? A stone that we can find here, at home, in any upscale California villa?"

"THE ruby," David said, "the one that belonged to Kushisake-Onna."

"Kushicake, shit, who's that again?" asked Asarys.

"Kushisake, another legend. Let me continue. It's said that this woman held, and still holds, a ruby that can free the Banshees from their spell. If we find this stone, the Sylphids will then find their celestial powers and lead the fight by our side."