Eli Fletcher: Mark of the King: Book 1

Heading toward the mountain is the only thing I can think of doing. I try to remember signs I’d seen when I was with the Psycho Family. I know Cimarron is the best way to get there. It’s how we got to Manitou, and I remember seeing something about a Ghost Town. I assume that’s where Old Gold Camp Road is. What better place to put a hell mount than in a ghost town?

We’re no more than a half an hour walk from the group home, though, when Miss O’s van pulls up next to us. The side door opens, revealing the soft glow of the dome light.

“Get in,” she demands calmly.

“No,” I say and keep walking.

“Eli, get in, now,” she says a little more forcefully this time.

I kick a rock, turn on my heel and get in the van; Billy sits in the bucket seat next to mine, looking relieved that they showed up. Miss O doesn’t say anything, she just drives. I don’t ask where we’re going; I just sit there fuming.

Mr. Reese is in the passenger seat silently clutching something in his left hand. I can’t tell exactly what it is, but the street lights reflect off of it as we pass. It may be a sword, but because of the dark, I can’t really get a good look at it.

Miss O makes a turn a minute later, but she isn’t heading back towards the home. My heart begins to race. Is she possibly taking us to the hell mount? I don’t dare speak in case something I say makes her change her mind.

“Where are we going?” Billy asks a little fearfully.

My heart sinks into my stomach. I really hope Billy’s question doesn’t ruin things. But Miss O doesn’t answer. She just keeps driving. Turning onto Cimarron, she heads towards the mountain. She is taking us to the hell mount! I can’t believe it! What changed her mind? Did she realize I’m right?

I continue to keep my mouth shut as we make our way up into the foothills. We turn down a street I’ve never seen before, and begin up a long hill. I see one of the street signs read “26th Street”. I’ll have to remember that one day, I’m sure. Eventually we’re on an unpaved road. We take that road for what seems forever. After a few minutes of bouncing due to the many potholes, we come to a tunnel, but Miss O presses on. A little while after that, we come to another tunnel, where Miss O stops the van and kills the engine.

“You wanted to come to the hell mount, well here we are,” Miss O says seriously. “If you really think you can save Fiona and the others then go ahead. Get out and see what you can do.”

She sounds angry in her challenge, but I don’t care. I’m here to save Fiona and, hopefully, the rest of the kids. I open the sliding door of the van and jump out; Billy follows right behind me even though I know he’s scared. Mr. Reese’s door opens and he steps out of the minivan, Miss O does the same and Mr. Reese joins her. I hadn’t noticed before, but she’s wearing a sword on her back.

“Before you go inside, I want to show you something,” Mr. Reese says.

I eye the object in his hand; it looks like some kind of mirror. He holds it up to show it to me.

“This is a speaking glass. It allows you to speak to whoever you want, as long as they’re alive. There are a couple of people I’d like you to speak with.”

“Who?” I ask curiously, despite the anger I’ve been harboring.

He holds up the glass and faces the mirror towards himself.

“Raymond and Elizabeth!” he says firmly, staring at the glass. I step forward and see something like smoke swirling in the glass of the mirror, and then as it clears, I see the forms of two people, probably in their late 20s, shackled to what looks like a cave wall. Why would Mr. Reese want me to speak to these people? How can they be any help? They’re prisoners! Then I take a closer look. They seem familiar, as if I know them.

“Are they…?”

“David,” the woman in the glass says. She sounds weak and defeated.

“Hello, Elizabeth,” he says softly.

“You know not to call me that,” she says. I see a weak smile spread across her face. “Why’d you call us?”

“Because, Eli is about to enter the hell mount to rescue a friend of his,” he tells her.

“Is he ready? Does he have all the pieces of the sword and the shield?” the man asks. He sounds eager despite his weakness.

“Not yet,” Mr. Reese responds with a shake of his head.

“What does he have?” Elizabeth asks next.

“He has the stone and blade.”

“That’s all?”

Mr. Reese nods.

“He won’t have long before his strength runs out, and we can only do so much.”

I look up at Mr. Reese; what are they talking about?

“Let me speak to him,” Raymond says.

Mr. Reese nods again and hands me the mirror so I’m the only one looking into it. I look at him uncertainly. I take the glass from him and turn it until I’m looking at the faces of my parents more clearly. They look tired and malnourished; their cheeks are sunken in and their limbs extremely bony.

“Eli,” Raymond says with a smile. His eyes brighten as they meet mine. “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown. Have we really been down here that long?” he asks his wife rhetorically.

“Dad?” I ask, tepidly.

“You’re smart too, like your mother.”

I look at her. She has the same color eyes as me. I have her mouth too, but I have my father’s pointed chin and small ears. My wiry hair seems to come from my mother, but the brown color is definitely from my father seeing as my mother’s is golden blond; or, at least, it used to be. The color’s faded over the years.

“What’s going on?” I ask them, emotion beginning to fill my chest unexpectedly, a lump swelling in my throat.

“You won’t have long inside the tunnel without the full armor,” my mother says gravely.

“Arma Dei,” my father interjects.

“Arma Dei?” I ask, something about those words is familiar to me as well. I try to remember when I’ve heard them before.

“Yes, the Armor of God.”

This is all about the remaining pieces of my sword and the shield.

“Where are they?” I ask, hoping they know or have some kind of clue.

“Have you found the list yet?” my mother asks.

I shake my head.

“You need to find it. It will lead you to them all.”

“But I need to get Fiona back first.”

“Fiona will be fine,” my father says, but something in his voice causes me to doubt.

Miss O steps up and takes the mirror from me.

“Alison,” my father says; apparently he knows the members of the Custodes Avis too.

“Hello Raymond, Elizabeth. Fiona is one of the ones he chose to help him in his mission.”

“Then he does need her back,” my mother says.

Finally! Someone is supporting me.

“How did she get taken?” my father asks.

“Tentatio has one of his stronger soldiers inside of a boy named Aiden,” Miss O explains. “He’s the vessel Tentatio has chosen to possess. Aiden grabbed Fiona and vanished from sight.”

There’s a long silence. My father is the one who breaks it a moment later.

“Okay, there isn’t a whole lot we can do from here, but we can give you information you need. Eli,” he says and Miss O hands me the mirror again. “Once you get into the cave, you must not pay attention to the children. It’s the bus driver you need to speak to. He is a demon, but he is the only one who can take you in deeper.”

“I have to get help from a demon?” I ask in disbelief.

“He is not helping you; in fact, he will be taking you to Tentatio. Once you are inside, you won’t have much time to secure Fiona. The way out will be shown to you.”

“But-”

“Eli, you don’t have time to argue.” my father interrupts me. “You will probably only be able to take Fiona back with you. We can look after the children.”

“But how? You’re chained to a wall!”

“God has given us a way. Just trust us, dear,” my mother says.

I don’t know what else to say.

“May God be with you, honey,” she says again and the smoke begins to swirl once more; within seconds, they’re gone. I’ve just spoken with my parents for the first time in my life. They’re going to help me! I still don’t see how, but they’re going to.

“Are you ready?” Mr. Reese asks. His hands look silver, like he’s wearing metallic gloves.

“I may not be a part of the Custodes Avis,” he says bitterly. “But, I knew I could be of some help.”

“Why aren’t you a part of the Custodes Avis?” I ask him.

“It’s a long story, but I got the idea for these gloves from my younger days. I used to be a boxer and I won these,” he says, pulling out a silver chain holding a tiny pair of silver boxing gloves. “Anyway, let’s go.”

I nod and then we enter the tunnel. At first it’s dark; pitch black. We can’t see a thing and my night vision isn’t kicking in. Evil darkness must be stronger than natural darkness. I start to hear something; it’s faint at first, but the sound grows louder. It isn’t a threatening sound, but it’s eerie all the same: children’s laughter. One runs across the tunnel, out of one wall and through another; a little girl in a pink, flowery dress followed by three more children; two more girls and a boy. Their clothes are old; from like the fifties or something. All of them glow with an unearthly light.

More children run behind me, passing through the walls in an endless game of tag. They don’t look much older than about eight or nine years old. Another group of children runs out from the wall to our right and stops in front of us. A boy in the front of the group approaches me.

“Are you here to save us?” he asks.

I look at Miss O. He looks just like one of the children from the group home.

“Eli, are you here to save us?” he asks again.

He knows my name! How does he know my name? My heart is racing. Is he one of the children who have been taken? I look at Mr. Reese and he’s shaking his head.

“Leave us, demon!” Mr. Reese barks at him.

The boy doesn’t flinch; he just stares right at me and asks his question again. “Are you here to save us? Tentatio will take our souls if you don’t,” he pleads; his sad eyes look like they may form tears soon.

“Eli, if you free him, more demons will escape the hell mount. He’s not one of the boys who were taken,” Mr. Reese says, bending down so his mouth is close to my ear. “The children who were taken would not be able to run through these walls.”

He’s right. This is a demon trying to trick me into setting him free. I stare at the boy, waiting for the demon to slip up and let its guard down. I see a flicker, like the picture of a TV screen going out. For a moment I see the demon’s true form. I pull out my blade but as I do, I notice that we’re now surrounded by children. They’re all pleading for help, begging to be taken from the tunnel. The power of the demonic presence is almost overwhelming. I haven’t been surrounded like this before. Then there’s a surge in my stomach. I look up and there he is, walking towards me: a demon that looks like the ghost of a bus driver.

“Eli Fletcher,” the demon says in a whispery dark, voice.

I look at Mr. Reese again, but he’s staring straight at the ghost.

“Yeah?” I reply, trying not to sound scared. I’ve faced demons before, but this is different. Something about how ghostly he is makes me nervous. Will I be able to fight him in this state?

“Come with me,” he says and turns away.

He isn’t going to fight?

Confused, I follow the demon, Billy right behind me. Miss O and Mr. Reese bring up the rear. The demon disappears through the rock wall and I stop dead in my tracks. How am I supposed to pass through a solid wall of stone?

I look back at the adults behind me, unsure of what to do. Just as I turn my head back to the wall, the demon pops his head back through.

“This way,” he says.

“But it’s solid rock,” I protest.

“Stupid human, aren’t you taught to have faith?” he mocks me.

“Yeah, but not in you,” I counter.

The demon chuckles. “Just walk through the wall; you’ll make it through just fine.”

He disappears into the wall once again and I look back at Miss O nervously. She nods and I do as well, though I’m terrified. I take a deep breath and dare to go through, saying a quick prayer for protection. I’m not sure what to expect on the other side.

My world goes black. I can’t see anything and my chest feels constricted, as if I’m being crushed in a trash compactor. I can barely breathe and then as quickly as it starts, I feel the pressure release from my chest and I stumble into a large, cavernous room. The stalactites and stalagmites look more like the teeth of a dragon, and there’s an orange glow from an unseen fire.

Billy appears behind me, but no one else comes through the wall.

“Where are Mr. Reese and Miss O?” I ask Billy.

He spins around to look for them. “I don’t know. I thought they were right behind me.”

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I turn back to Billy, my blade extended out in front of me, glowing bright red. I feel like a Jedi with our swords glowing in such bright colors in the dark cave.

“Let’s go,” I say, trying to sound braver than I feel. I barely take a step forward when…

“Eli Fletcher,” says that smooth, familiar voice I’ve heard so many times now.

“Tentatio,” I say quietly.

“I’ve been expecting you,” he says, but I can’t see where he is.

I step forward, searching for him when flames shoot towards my face. I hold my sword up in front of me and the fire separates, moving around either side of me and Billy. When the flames die, I look back at Billy, his face is sweaty and his eyes wide.

“You okay?” I ask.

He nods, but I can tell he doesn’t mean it. He looks as scared as I feel.

“Good reflexes,” Tentatio compliments, materializing in front of me, in human form, wearing a black suit, with his hair slicked back.

“Nice of you to show yourself,” I say, feeling braver now that I can see him.

“I couldn’t stay invisible for too long; where would be the fun in that?”

I don’t say anything; I just stand silently, waiting for him to attack me again, but he doesn’t. He shows off his charming smile, as if he’s about to offer me a good deal on something.

“I know why you’re here, Eli. But I’ll warn you now, you’re going to fail,” he warns with a pained expression.

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, now comes the part where I must be mean,” Tentatio says with the same grimace. “I don’t like playing this role, you know. I’d rather give you what you want and be friends. But, we already know that’s not going to happen, don’t we?”

I nod at him.

“So, you’re going to have to make a choice today, Eli,” he begins. “First, your dear friend, Fiona,” he continues, gesturing at a tall stalagmite. Fiona appears, bound tightly with a yellow-orange glowing chain and gagged with a white cloth that I see was ripped from the bottom of her T-shirt.

“Let her go!” I shout angrily.

“Now, now, wait until you see all your options, Eli,” he says with a sly grin.

I tighten my fist around the end of my blade, risking cutting my hand, but I don’t care.

“Your second choice,” he points at another, very thick stalagmite. A group of five children appear, bound together, but not gagged like Fiona. They’re sobbing in fear, and then one of them recognizes me.

“Eli!” Abby screams.

“Abby,” I say to myself, taking a step forward.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Tentatio says, waving a finger at me. “Not yet; I’ve got one more surprise for you.”

He snaps his fingers and two adults appear, bound together at another stalagmite, looking frail and tired.

“Mom? Dad?” I ask out loud.

“Eli, don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine,” my father says.

“Quiet, you!” Tentatio shouts then strikes my father with a whip of fire.

“Leave him alone!” I shout.

Tentatio looks back at me with an evil grin and laughs. Then for good measure, he whips my father one more time before putting the fiery weapon away. Two deep cuts open up on my father’s chest, the skin surrounding charred like a well done steak.

“Study your options, Eli. Make a wise decision,” Tentatio says.

I tear my glaring gaze away from him to look at all three of my options. How can I choose? Fiona’s my best friend, and I need her to help me. But she probably wouldn’t forgive me if I chose her. She wants me to choose the kids. But if I choose the kids, I’m not sure only Billy and I will be able to save the others.

But how can I not take my parents back? I’ve never known them and they can probably help me even more than Fiona. But my dad did say not to worry about them. I know they’ve been captive for so many years, but can they hold on a little longer until the day I can rescue them?

“So, who’ll it be, Eli?” Tentatio asks but I don‘t have an answer. Then, out of the blue, Tentatio has a strange look on his face, as if he’s just thought of something fun to do. I’m sure it’s been his plan all along, though.

“Hold on, I have a better idea,” he starts. “I will make this offer to you, but only once. I will ask you a series of questions, each correct answer will release a captive, but as soon as you answer one wrong, the game is over.”

“Will I get to take who I’ve won from the correct answers with me?”

Tentatio thinks about it for a minute. “I’m not unfair. Yes, you may take whomever you win from the questions I ask. But I will decide who from the captives you can take.”

I look at Fiona and she shakes her head.

“Or you could join me and they all go free, no questions asked.”

“NO!” my parents shout together which forces Tentatio to whip them both.

“NOOOO!” I scream at him. He puts the whip away and I face him again. “I’ll never join you, Tentatio; ask your questions,” I tell him; Fiona shakes her head violently.

I have to. I think, knowing she can hear my thoughts. She closes her eyes forcing a tear down her cheek.

“Ask your questions,” I repeat.

Tentatio looks disappointed for a moment but then flashes that suave smile of his. “Very well.”

“I think I will make sure there is no deception,” says another familiar voice to my left after a bright flash of light.

When I look back I find Coquo standing there; Luce and Torrey stand behind us, swords ready with fierce looks on their faces.

“Ah, Coquo. Of course, you can referee.”

Coquo looks at me, gives me a small nod, and then glares back at Tentatio.

“What to ask, what to ask,” Tentatio says, rubbing his chin. Then as if a light bulb clicks on over the demon’s head, his face shines with an idea. “Riddle me this, Eli. What is smaller than you, more tangible than the mind and yet inside, universes you will find?”

I gawk at him. What the heck is he talking about? A riddle; I have to solve a riddle to save someone?

“Who will this one save?” I ask.

He looks over my three options then nods at Fiona. “Your girlfriend,” he says.

I feel my face grow hot. But despite his embarrassing jab, I think about the riddle. Smaller than me, more tangible than the mind and universes are found inside… Mr. Byrd had said something like that. Something about a world being opened up to you when you read. Could that be the answer? A book? I have to take a chance.

“Mind you, if you get the answer wrong, you don’t get to move on to the next one,” Tentatio warns.

I look at Fiona, her blue eyes bore into mine. I know she’s trying to read my thoughts.

Book. I think really hard.

Her eyes widen and she nods excitedly.

“What’s your answer?” Tentatio demands impatiently.

“A book,” I say confidently.

At first he looks angry, but then he smiles. “Good answer, Eli. Fiona, you are free.”

The fiery chains binding her to the stalagmite vanish and she immediately pulls the gag from her mouth. She doesn’t waste any time crossing the distance between us either. As soon as she reaches me her arms wrap tightly around my neck. I don’t let her hold on too long, though. My eyes haven’t left Tentatio as I wait for the next riddle. Fiona stands so closely behind me; I can feel her breath on the back of my neck.

“You’re a smart kid, Eli. Let’s see how you do with the next one. Think about those books you like to read,” he hints and then after a break continues. “Youthfully anointed; seven denied; mighty men followed; his star still flies.”

“Youthfully anointed,” I mumble to myself.

The only time I’ve read anything about being anointed or even heard about it in a story was in the Bible, and it was usually done with oil. What characters were anointed with oil? Unable to think of any right away, I move on to the next clue: Seven denied. Seven denied? What does that mean? Skip it and come back. Mighty men, now that sounds familiar. Someone’s mighty men. I wrack my brains trying to think of it. Mighty men…mighty men…mighty men of…valor! David’s Mighty Men of Valor!

“King David!” I shout before consulting the other clues. My stomach lurches until I see the extremely annoyed look on Tentatio’s face. I’m right!

“Smarter than I anticipated. Very good,” he says and waves his hand. The ropes around the children disappear and they run and hide behind us, crying and whimpering in fear. Fiona and Billy do their best to comfort and calm them while I wait for the next riddle. Abby’s the only one who slips past Fiona and clings to me. I put my arm around her, keeping her close. I’m not letting her out of reach this time.

“Since you’re so smart, Eli,” Tentatio says with a sneer. “Why don’t we make things a little more interesting?”

“What do you mean?” I ask suspiciously.

“Your parents are the only ones left. I say you answer a question for the release of each one.”

I look at them and they so looked tired and weak, I want to just end it for them. But their resolve is strong.

“Don’t do it, Eli,” my mother says. “He’s trying to trick you.”

“No, I’m not,” Tentatio says with an insulted gasp. “How can you accuse me of such a thing?”

“It’s in your name,” my father states flatly.

Tentatio considers what he said, frowns and then nods. “Fair enough. But you have Coquo here to make sure I don’t deceive you.”

I look at the angel to my left. His muscles flex as he waits, poised with his sword out, ready to fight at any given moment. He gives me another nod without taking his eyes off of Tentatio. Turning my head back towards the demon, I meet his gaze. He’s waiting patiently for my answer.

“Okay.”

“Excellent. However, if you get either of the questions wrong, you won’t get either one of them.”

I feel my blood turn ice-cold despite the heat of the cave. There isn’t any way out of this as far as I can tell. I have to answer both questions correctly to get both of my parents, or else they’ll both be taken away from me.

“Fine, what’s the first one?” I ask.

Tentatio smiles as if he has a big weapon to pull on me.

“How many of each animal did Moses take onto the Ark?”

Something sounds wrong about his question. Animals were taken onto the ark, but only two of each, but something about what he asked seems off? How many animals did Moses…? That’s it! It’s a trick question!

“Nice try,” I say. Tentatio’s smile fades from his face as I say, “It wasn’t Moses who took the animals onto the Ark; it was Noah.”

Tentatio gives a sarcastic bow. “Well done, young master,” he mocks bowing like a monk. “You know your bible well.”

That isn’t really true, I just remember stories well. I tell them to the kids all the time, something about storytelling just sticks in my mind. My thoughts are distracted, however, by the release of my mom. She stumbles away from the stalagmite, stepping lightly; her legs are thin and brittle. Fiona rushes to her side and helps her walk. Once she reaches me, she wraps her arms tightly around my neck. I’m surprised at the grip she has in that moment. This frail looking woman, my mother, holds onto me so tightly I can barely breathe.

“Oh, Eli. I’ve missed you so much. When we were taken from you, it was the worst day of my life. I was so scared you wouldn’t be taken care of, but…”

“Mom, it’s okay,” I gasp.

She realizes that my air passages are cut off from her embrace, so she relaxes her grip on me.

“I’m sorry,” she says stroking my hair.

“It’s okay, Mom.”

“How touching,” Tentatio says in a bored voice, studying his fingernails, as if this small, tender moment has done something to the air to damage them. “Shall we continue then, so you can have a proper reunion?”

I glare at the demon, wishing I could just kill him and be done with it. But I don’t know what will happen to my father if I kill Tentatio. He could be stuck, tied to that large, jagged rock growing out of the floor forever if Tentatio isn’t the one to release him. With a nod, I wait for the final riddle.

“Blood spilt by grace, blood given from love; like Him who would, one day come from above; giving up His life, for all mankind; Like Him I was sacrificed, for the son who would become; the father to a nation, as the scriptures proclaimed.”

I stare at him blankly. Where did this come from? The others were tricky, but this…this was impossible. Nothing in here gave me any clue. Fiona tugs on my sleeve and I turn back to look at her.

“NO!” Tentatio bellows. “He must come up with the answer himself. If you give it to him, then you will all be mine again!”

Fiona shuts her mouth and I turn away from her in hopes it makes it harder for her to speak to my mind. I think about the riddle over and over. The clues rattle in my brain in no particular order. Blood spilt by grace, like Him who would one day come…from above. Jesus? No, like Jesus. Who was sacrificed in someone else’s place other than Jesus?

“Hurry up, Eli. You don’t have forever to give your answer.”

I look to Coquo but he’s still staring, unblinking, at Tentatio. I’m completely on my own. Scared, I look to my dad. He smiles at me and nods his head. He knows I don’t know the answer.

“It’s okay, Eli. Your mother and I will be fine.”

I open my mouth to speak, but no words form.

“Are you giving up, Eli?” Tentatio asks hopefully.

My head hangs in shame. I still have no clue.

“Yes,” I say my voice thick with sadness.

Tentatio lets out a roar of laughter so dark it shakes me out of my sulkiness. He changes into his true form; a large, black, curved sword gripped in a hand the size of a large pizza. Long, sharp, black nails grow out of the tips of his fingers. I turn towards my mother, who disappears like a pillar of dust blown by the wind. Spinning in place, I face my father, who also vanishes in the same fashion. They’re gone! I was so close to them, but now they’re just…gone.

“This is your only free pass, Eli. Leave before I take you all.”

Before I can react, Torrey and Luce escort us back through the rock wall and into the tunnel filled with demons pretending to be children. They don’t seem as creepy this time. Not after facing Tentatio the way I had. Miss O and Mr. Reese are waiting anxiously for us. Miss O is crying, nodding her head as if someone is speaking to her. I see the mirror in her hand and dash for it to see my parents again, but when I take it, all I see is my own face looking back at me.

Miss O suddenly wraps her arms around me as tight as my mom’s had been a few minutes ago. A part of me wants to cry, but I feel too empty to cry. I’m completely and utterly numb. Not even Fiona can bring me out of it when she takes my hand and leads me to Miss O’s van.

I take a seat in the backseat without saying a word. Fiona sits next to me, pressing in tightly to make room for the younger children climbing in as well. Abby bypasses the open seats and climbs into my lap. She curls up, putting her feet in Fiona’s lap while resting her head against my chest. I hold her close, trying to assure her that I’ll never let anyone take her from me again.

“I think she knows,” Fiona says softly.

“Thanks, Fi,” I say and then let my head fall back against the headrest, allowing exhaustion to finally take over.