novelxo Chapter 23: Beneath the Surface
Ariel's POV "Ariel," I whispered at last, shattering stillness. "We have to work out what that man is after. He has to be targeting your sister for some reason.
Ariel spoke slowly, her eyes still riveted on the passing landscape. Her voice was gentle, almost defeated when she did speak. "I don't know, Alan. I merely... I'm not sure how this got to be. Marie kept us all together and was always the strong one. How could she drop so far?
Though the fact was I was just as clueless, I wished I had an answer for her. "We'll figure it out," I answered, trying to project more confidence than I felt. "We must, however, reorganize immediately now. We must use wise thinking about this. She turned to stare at me then, determination mixed with terror in her eyes. "We cannot let her go, Alan. We have to bring her back whatever it takes.
I nodded, even though a part of me questioned if that was even conceivable. The Marie we visited tonight did not match the woman I had in mind. She had undergone something dark and dangerous. But not when so much was at stake I let Aerial lose hope.
"We will not give up on her," I said. We do, however, need support. Not one of us can do this by ourselves.
Ariel wrinkled, obviously not liking the thought of involving anybody else. "Who would we be able to trust? Should the man have employees serving under him...
"We'll have to be careful," I cautioned. "But our options are limited. We have to be aware of what we are dealing with and have supporters to enable us to fight back."
She nodded gently after a quiet minute. "We may go to someone else here. a former buddy of my father's. Though unusual, he might be familiar with our situation.
Unconventional how? Inquired, intrigued.
Ariel hesitated, as if not knowing how much to expose. "He is rather of a recluse. Lives distant from society in the forest. But for years he has studied the supernatural. If someone could assist us, it is him. Though little to go on, it was better than nothing. "Alright," I responded. "We are heading there right now. The sooner we have responses, the better."
The air grew heavier as I turned the car onto a small, twisting road leading more into the forest; the trees closed in around us like a dark, suffocating tunnel. The moonlight hardly reached the thick canopy above, creating spooky shadows that moved along the trail.
Ariel moved uneasily in her seat, her fingers nested together on her lap. "His name is Elijah," she broke the silence. "He knew my father prior to things turning south. He is the one who could clarify what we are fighting against. Though I trusted Ariel's judgment, the name didn't really speak to me. We had to gamble if she believed Elijah might assist. We couldn't afford to be discriminated against among our allies.
The road got smaller, almost entirely composed of dirt. The headlights of the automobile bounced off the trees, the beams flickering as though trying to cut through the deep gloom. The weight of the uncertainty crushing down on our shoulders made me sense the strain developing between us.
Almost there, Ariel whispered, more to herself than to me.
At last the woods separated to expose a little clearing in the middle with a run-down cabin. The home appeared to have not been touched in years; the gray, aged wood, the gloomy, unwelcome windows. But one of the windows had a faint glow that seemed to pulse in sync with the rhythm of my heart.
"This is it," Ariel whispered, her voice taut with nervousness.
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After parking, we got out; the chilly night air stinging at my skin. I couldn't get rid of the impression we were under observation when we got to the cabin. The shadows seemed to trail our every step.
Ariel tapped on the door; the silence night echoed oddly. We silently waited, the strain between us thick and stifling. The door creaked open after what seemed like an age to expose a tall, skinny man with wild gray hair and piercing blue eyes. He seemed to have not seen another live soul in years.
"Ariel Thorne," he said, his voice gravelly and deep. "I wondered when you would have come."
Ariel forced a faint grin. "Elijah." We rely on you.
Elijah moved aside, pointing for us to come in. Books, papers, and odd relics crowded the cabin's inside; the air smelled strongly of burning herbs. It felt like entering another realm, one far apart from the reality we would have been leaving behind.
"what's happened?" As Elijah closed the door behind us, his eyes narrowed to take in our messy look.
Before embarking into the narrative, Ariel paused for a moment to remember everything that had happened with Marie and the enigmatic man. Elijah listened carefully; his countenance was unreadable, but I could see the wheels spinning in his head.
Elijah sat quiet for a long time, his eyes far off as she concluded. "This individual you characterize is not your typical human. He is something far darker and more menacing.
"What do you mean?" I asked, a knot of terror developing in my gut.
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Turning to me, Elijah had cold, calculated eyes. " Alan, he's a sorcerer. A dark arts practitioner, someone who has contracted with forces outside our comprehension. And Marie is at far more risk if he shows an interest in her than you might know."
Ariel paled, hands shaking. "What is our next step? How are we going to stop him?"
Elijah gave a slow head shake. " Stopping him will not be simple. Like him, sorcerers get their power from old, wicked sources. You will have to sever his ties to those powers in order to beat him, and that is no little chore. "How are we to do that?" I pressed; my heart was pounding. There has to be a way.
"There is," Elijah bitterly remarked. "But it will call for enormous giving up. You will have to compile particular objects of great power and carry out a ceremony to cut his links to the dark. You should be advised, though, the rite is perilous. One mistaken action could cost you everything.
Fear and drive entered Ariel's eyes as they locked with me. She said gently, "We have no choice." "We have to try.
Elijah nodded with a gloomy look. "I'll help you get ready. But know this: once you begin down this road, you cannot turn back. The darkness will battle to defend its own and do all in its ability to thwart you."
I drew hard, his words weighing in. Nevertheless, there was no alternative. We had to save Marie at any expenses.
"Tell us what we need to do," I murmured, my voice firm despite the terror biting at my gut.
As Elijah started to go over the ceremony, the list of objects we had to locate, and the actions we would have to take, his eyes clouded. Every word he spoke chilled my spine, but I pushed myself to concentrate. We had gone too far to turn around now.