The Soul Prophecy, page 28
My spirits lift momentarily, however, when I spot Caleb. He’s kneeling beside the central altar, his head bowed in apparent prayer. Leaving Phoenix in Tarek’s care, I head over to the Soul Seer. Goggins nods at me as I pass, and I notice his eyes are rimmed red with smoke or … are those tears? That’s when it really hits me. Our situation must be truly dire if even the Chief Protector is crying.
At that moment Tasha dashes into my arms and buries her head in my chest. ‘C-Clara’s gone – forever,’ she wails. I hold her trembling body tight and gently stroke her hair as she sobs. ‘She held off the Incarnates – so I could enter the p-pyramid – but Tanas got her – and k-k-killed her … in front of us!’
I turn my attention to the barricaded door. Tanas is standing outside with her cohort of hooded high priests, all wearing dark glasses as if the night is too bright for them. Clara’s body lies at their feet. Sickened, I look away and spot an aggrieved and glowering Damien rejoining his master; the remainder of his gang, bar Spider, follow some distance behind him, limping and nursing their multiple injuries. Surrounding the pyramid in an unruly mob are the rest of the surviving Incarnates. They hammer incessantly on the windows. One of them even tries to shoot us through the glass, but the bullet ricochets off and kills him instead.
Goggins grunts a humourless laugh. ‘Haven’t they learned yet? The glass is bullet- and bombproof!’
Leaving the devastated Tasha with Viviana, I head over to the altar. ‘Caleb?’ I say softly.
He looks up despondently. For a moment he seems not to recognize me, then his whole face lifts with joy. ‘Thank the Light you’re safe!’ he exclaims, clambering to his feet. ‘I lost my soul link to you when Jintao and Song were both sacrificed. For a while, I believed you were gone too.’
He grasps me with both hands, his grip unduly firm on my arms as if afraid to let me go again.
‘We went to get weapons,’ I explain. ‘From the dome.’
‘We don’t need weapons,’ he says, gazing at me with an almost devout reverence. ‘You’re our weapon!’
I return his stare, perplexed and increasingly concerned by the maddened gleam in his eyes. ‘What do you mean?’
Caleb straightens himself up and clears his throat. ‘HOPE IS NOT LOST!’ he announces to the room. ‘For the one foretold in the Soul Prophecy is among us!’
He takes my hand and raises it to the sky. A stunned silence falls over those in the Sun Room, only the banging on the glass from the frustrated Incarnates intruding on the shock announcement. The weight of everyone’s gaze upon me seems to crush the air from my lungs and for a moment I, too, am left speechless.
Then I turn sharply to Caleb. ‘I thought you said you didn’t know!’ I hiss under my breath.
‘Well, I do now,’ replies the Soul Seer with a sanguine smile. ‘In fact, I first saw the truth during our tea ceremony when I discovered you could soul-link with others.’
I frown at him, recalling the strange look he gave me when he peered into my eyes. ‘You’ve known since then?’
Caleb shrugs. ‘I knew, but I didn’t dare trust my instincts.’
‘So why should we trust your judgement this time, Caleb?’ calls out Santiago, casting a sceptical look in my direction. I turn back to Caleb, equally doubting his judgement. I certainly don’t feel like the chosen one. What if he’s wrong – again?
Caleb steps boldly forward. ‘Because it was Empote who proclaimed her first. He witnessed Genna’s su’mach. He saw her defeat the Dark!’
‘I didn’t defea–’ I begin.
‘We all know Genna’s soul shines brighter and bolder than the rest because of her Soul Twin,’ Caleb goes on fervently, and a few of the Ascendants nod in agreement, including Viviana. ‘Her Protector, Phoenix, has been secretly training her in the Glimmer Dome. Genna is not only a First Ascendant – she’s now a Soul Warrior too!’
A murmur of astonishment ripples round the Ascendants and Protectors and their focus turns to Phoenix, who gives a simple nod.
‘Even so, that doesn’t necessarily mean Genna’s the one,’ counters Santiago.
Caleb urges me forward as if presenting me as some prize fighter. ‘Through my soul link I witnessed how Genna fought the Hunters in the Glimmer Dome,’ he reveals. ‘Only the one true soul could defeat such a number of powerful Incarnates single-handedly. She wields the Light like a weapon!’
‘That I’d like to see,’ mutters Goggins, although his tone is more curious than hostile.
Without prompting, Tasha jumps up excitedly. ‘I believe Genna’s the one mentioned in the Soul Prophecy!’
A hesitant smile hides my panic at her enthusiasm. The situation is quickly getting out of my control. ‘Tasha, your faith in me is appreciated, but it may be misplaced –’
‘I don’t think it is,’ states Phoenix, rising to his feet too. ‘I believe in you, Genna. I always have.’
‘Me too,’ says Thabisa, her little son Kagiso all of a sudden settling into a quiet gurgle as if also in agreement.
My continued objections go unheard as Sun-Hi and her Protector add to the growing chorus of approval. Viviana stays silent, though, her wrinkled face etched with an unresolved grief, while Jude and Santiago’s expressions remain as unconvinced as mine. To me, it seems I am another false saviour, that Caleb’s pronouncement is merely a last-ditch attempt to bolster our morale. But the certainty in his gleaming eyes is undeniable. I just wish I felt the same way. My determination to stop Tanas is as strong as ever, but to do so with everyone’s fate in my hands – and with no idea of how to do it – well, it seems reckless … even suicidal.
Noticing my hesitancy, Phoenix limps over. ‘Genna, I saw for myself what you’re capable of. You have a gift and the Light burns bright in you.’
I turn away from the expectant gazes of my fellow Ascendants and whisper urgently to him. ‘But what if, like Mercia, I’m not the one foretold in the Prophecy? Caleb was wrong once before.’
He meets my question with a look of unwavering confidence. ‘I’m convinced you are. Remember what Empote said in his truck – Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. Whether you believe you’re the one true soul or not, you’ve given everyone renewed hope, and that may just be enough to help us survive this.’
‘Then what am I supposed to do?’ I ask him, my tone almost pleading.
Phoenix takes my hand in his and holds it tight. ‘Ignite the spark when put to the Darkest test.’
‘But I’ve no idea how to focus my Light!’ I protest. ‘Not in the way Mercia did against the Berserkers –’
‘Tanas is up to something,’ interrupts Steinar in his gruff voice.
We look towards the door and see that two large canisters have been placed by the entrance and the Incarnates are in the process of spraying their contents over the strengthened glass.
‘Don’t be alarmed. This pyramid is built as a safe room,’ explains Goggins. ‘They’d need a battering ram to get through that door.’
The glass begins to mist over and a frost forms.
‘I don’t think they intend to use a battering ram,’ says Tarek, peering curiously at the misted door. ‘Those canisters contain liquid nitrogen. Tanas is attempting to freeze the glass to weaken it.’
‘Jude, start handing out those weapons,’ orders Goggins, checking the empty magazine of his pistol and discarding the weapon in frustration. ‘Protectors and Warriors, save your Ascendants! And, Genna … if you are the one in the Soul Prophecy, then now is the time to prove it!’
52
I stand motionless amid the panic, trying to summon up my Light. As Jude distributes the few weapons Phoenix managed to retrieve from the Glimmer Dome, I think of Mercia, how she called upon her soul’s energy until she was literally ablaze.
‘I am the Prophecy … I am the Light …’ I mutter to myself, staring hard at my hands. ‘I am the spark that will defeat the darkness … I am the Prophecy … I am the Light …’
I chant the mantra over and over again, hoping that this will somehow unlock my supposed powers. Phoenix stands close by my side, a Roman gladius sword in his hand. Jude is on my other side armed with her bo staff. The rest of the Soul Protectors and Warriors take up position around their Ascendants, all of whom are looking expectantly in my direction. Outside the pyramid the Incarnates fall quiet, their silence more disturbing than their previous howls and hammering on the glass.
As the glazed doors to the entrance finally freeze solid, Phoenix turns to me. ‘Any revelations yet?’
I give the smallest shake of my head, aware I’m being watched by everyone, and resume my mantra with even more urgency. After several rushed repetitions with no effect, I become desperate. It seems I don’t have it within me to summon the Light. Then Empote’s last words come back to me – Look within yourself to ignite the spark.
I begin to think of everything I’ve done. Every life I’ve lived. Everything I’ve lost. My friends … my parents … my sister –
All of a sudden I get a flashback to the ancient stone circle near Andover and my intense Glimmer of a young girl with golden flowing hair and a divine light shining from within her as if her very heart was a miniature sun … my sister could channel the Light!
What she felt, you felt. What you experienced, she experienced.
Closing my eyes, I try to tap into my twin’s ability, recalling the way she opened herself up to the universe, letting the Light flow through her like a river. As I recite the mantra, my skin seems to take on a warmer glow. I chant faster and louder, noticing the radiance growing within me each time. A tangible heat begins to emanate from the palms of my hands, like embers in a fire.
‘That’s it!’ gasps Caleb. ‘You’re harnessing the Light!’
With each recital of the mantra, the sensation intensifies until I can almost envisage the Light shining in beams out of my palms –
A sharp bang resounds through the pyramid, startling me. I open my eyes, expecting to see the Incarnates surging through the doorway.
‘Don’t worry, Genna,’ says Phoenix, adjusting his grip on his gladius. ‘The glass held.’
‘For now,’ mutters Jude, her bo staff at the ready.
‘If the pyramid is breached,’ announces Goggins, ‘retreat to the tunnels.’
A second bone-shuddering thud echoes round the pyramid and an ominous crack spiders across one of the doors. The glass continues to hold, but the sudden noise is enough to break my concentration. The power of the Light passes from me and the glow quickly fades from my skin.
I grimly recall how Mercia’s Light faded too, allowing Tanas to regain his strength and overcome her. With dismay, I realize I can’t harness the Light in the way my sister did, and certainly not for long enough to wield it as a weapon.
Caleb and the others continue to watch me with bated breath, willing me to resume the mantra. But I look back at them searchingly, less sure than ever I’m the one foretold in the Soul Prophecy. Still, I’ve vowed to make amends for drawing Tanas here, so I’m determined not to give up. Not yet, anyway. I’ll have to think of something else.
I look up through the pyramid’s glass panels in hope of some divine inspiration. Night has fallen. The sky appears blacker than ever, the stars few and far between. Even the moon has all but disappeared, its crescent like a razor cut of fading light against the suffocating night. The inky sky reminds me of my two su’mach. In those dreams I had a flint and pyrite and a box of matches. But how am I supposed to light a spark now? I ask myself. I have nothing to start a fire with and my own inner Light wouldn’t be enough to ignite a match.
I need something bigger, something to gather and focus the Light.
‘What’s Tanas up to now?’ grumbles Steinar, his eyes narrowing as he tracks the silhouette of an Incarnate laying something at the base of the door.
‘While the glass should withstand freezing,’ says Tarek, his brow creased and troubled, ‘if rapidly reheated it could well go into thermal shock and shatter.’
‘Prepare yourselves!’ orders Goggins, hefting a teardrop-shaped Maori war club in his massive hand.
Phoenix glances at me. ‘It’s now or never, Genna!’
Caleb sees the desperation in my eyes. ‘Have faith! For you are the One!’
Have faith … I think of Caleb praying and my gaze falls on the altar’s crystal capstone. Once more I hear Empote’s voice in my head: The only way to defeat the Darkness is to confront it with Light.
I turn to Tarek. ‘Does this pyramid store the Light?’ I ask.
He nods. ‘We use the solar energy to power Haven.’
‘Is there any way to reverse the flow?’
His troubled brow creases further. ‘Technically …’
‘Then do it!’ I say urgently.
Tarek stares at me, uncomprehending. ‘But such a release of energy could be catastrophic.’
‘Exactly,’ I reply.
A crafty grin spreads across Tarek’s face. ‘Genius! It would be like –’
Suddenly there’s an explosion that almost throws us off our feet, the ground trembles and a fireball engulfs the pyramid. The glass doors shatter with an ear-splitting crack.
As we regain our senses, Tarek dashes over to the altar, swipes a finger across the display and begins to type furiously. Goggins and his band of Protectors and Warriors form a defensive wall against Tanas and her Incarnates, who charge through the billowing smoke and debris, fanning out and surrounding us in a matter of seconds.
Tanas quickly sweeps her gaze over the pitiful display of resistance. ‘The last of the Light,’ she gloats. ‘How dim and diminished you are.’
‘You’ll never extinguish the Light!’ snarls Goggins as he points the Maori club at her. ‘Not on my watch.’
Tanas smirks. ‘Oh, how the dog barks, yet its teeth are all but pulled.’
I glance anxiously over my shoulder. Tarek’s fingers are still flying over the console at the altar, his head bent in concentration. ‘How much longer?’ I whisper, his feverish activity blocked from Tanas’s view by Phoenix, Jude and myself.
‘Nearly there!’ he replies, a bead of sweat running down his brow.
Caleb bravely steps forward. ‘We don’t fear you, Tanas,’ he says. ‘For the Light will always shine through the Darkness … and the Darkness is at its end.’
Tanas chuckles softly. ‘Old man, you appear to be somewhat confused. It’s the Darkness that consumes the Light! And from where I’m standing, the night is already upon us.’
She gestures with her hand to the pitch-black sky.
‘That’s where you’re wrong, Tanas,’ asserts Caleb, striking his cane on the marble floor in defiance. ‘For the one foretold in the Soul Prophecy will end the night and bring about a new dawn!’
Tanas raises a slim eyebrow from behind her glasses. ‘And who might “the one” be this time?’ she sneers.
With a triumphant expression on his wizened face, Caleb turns towards me. ‘Genna … our Soul Saviour!’
Tanas looks over at me and laughs. ‘Her? Yet another false hope. Caleb, when will you learn? This schoolgirl saviour of yours is nothing but a candle in the wind. One puff from me –’ Tanas clicks her fingers – ‘and her feeble flame will be snuffed out!’
‘You couldn’t do it last time,’ Phoenix taunts her. ‘In fact, you were the one snuffed out!’
Tanas scowls at him. ‘You may have killed me once in this life. But I’ve come back stronger!’
Phoenix raises his gladius. ‘Then I’ll just keep cutting you down until you never come back.’
Tanas runs her eyes over his many knife wounds and bandages. ‘It appears one of my Hunters has left her mark on you. We should really finish her handiwork.’
As she ridicules Phoenix’s injuries, I notice Damien peering curiously past us at Tarek. I step forward and block his view. ‘I defeated your Hunters, Tanas,’ I declare, drawing my katana, ‘and I will defeat you!’
‘Oh, bold talk from a peace-loving First Ascendant,’ Tanas replies snidely. ‘When did you become so assertive? I thought you Ascendants always hid behind your Protectors.’
‘They may be our shields,’ I reply, ‘but that doesn’t mean we can’t carry a sword. And this one will run you through!’
‘Will it now?’ Her patience suddenly at an end, Tanas snarls, ‘Incarnates! Snuff out her Light … for eternity!’
With a roar, the Incarnates surge forward.
‘Fall back to the tunnel!’ Goggins orders.
‘We must give Tarek more time,’ I cry, fending off an Incarnate wielding an axe. ‘It’s our only hope.’
‘I thought you were our only hope,’ Goggins replies. He swings his club wildly, stunning three Incarnates in a single blow.
‘Just hold them back a little longer,’ I plead as I deflect a sword strike aimed at Tarek’s back.
Phoenix’s gladius flashes like a lightning strike, while Jude’s bo staff becomes a blur, knocking down anyone who steps too close. Steinar, Kohsoom and the other Protectors battle ferociously against the relentless onslaught, trying to forge a safe path to the service tunnel entrance.
‘Tarek!’ I cry as the tide of Hunters breaks through our defences.
‘Just – another – second … There! Done!’ he shouts. On the altar the circular sun-and-eye icon lights up, pulsating softly.
‘Then what are you waiting for?’ I reply, kicking at a Hunter coming at me with a baseball bat. ‘LIGHT IT!’
But, before he can, Tarek is knocked backwards by Thug’s sledgehammer of a fist and falls to the floor. Goggins and the few remaining Warriors are battling in an ever-tighter circle round the last of the Ascendants. Caleb has even drawn a hidden blade from inside his cane and is valiantly staving off any attacker who ventures too close. But there are simply too many of them. In the chaos Knuckleduster manages to snatch Tasha and carries her away, kicking and screaming, to Tanas. Immediately the hooded host of demonic priests commence their chanting – ‘RA-KA! RA-KA! RA-KA!’ – and Tanas begins the sickening ritual to sacrifice Tasha’s life and soul.
