Solstice - The Goddess Awakens

As soon as they turned the corner towards the driveway of Chateau Bacchus, Lola and Aibgrene were hit by an invisible wall of dark energy.

‘We’re definitely at the right place,’ wheezed Aibgrene. Lola felt short of breath too, as if she’d been winded or struck in the solar plexus. She could see the murky force field around the house. It started where the two large stone owls sat perched on columns on either side of the pathway. ‘We’re going to have to find another way in, Lola. That magick is too strong, it could kill us,’ spluttered Aibgrene. They didn’t have time to drive up the coast, thought Lola, and besides that would mean they would lose the element of surprise. She had no doubt that Carl Stein would have the perimeter guarded.

‘We have to go in this way, it’s our only chance.’ Turning back Lola found Aibgrene hunched up against the wall struggling to breath. Her nose had started to bleed and she was retching. ‘Aibgrene! Are you alright? Maybe you should go back to the car.’ But Lola knew that she would risk the chance of dying before she would go back, if it was her mother in there she would feel the same. Although she could feel the heaviness, and her head was starting to hurt, it didn’t seem to affect Lola the same way. Then she realised that this may have been simply because she was wearing the ring. Fishing it out from under her clothes, she took it off the chain and slid it onto her index finger. It was a perfect fit and the effects were immediate.

Closing her eyes she tried to channel her energy, and the power of the ring. She could feel the warmth and see the light as it expanded around her entire body like a shield. Aibgrene sat with her mouth gaping, awestruck. Lola was relieved when Aibgrene’s breathing began to regulate itself.

‘I told you I knew what I was doing,’ winked Lola smugly. ‘Come on let’s do this.’

Although she could only see a slight silver ripple in front of her, Lola could feel the powerful auric shield encapsulating the two of them. ‘Here goes nothing,’ said Lola. Stretching out her index finger once again she led Aibgrene over the threshold. There was quite a bit of resistance, it felt as though they were wading through deep water. Finally they reached the door.

‘Quick follow me,’ whispered Lola, as her intuition guided her towards the glass staircase and the upstairs level of the house. Aware of what she was looking for, and more familiar now with the house, Lola managed to avoid making the mistake she made that first summer night. She skirted nimbly around the outside of the transparent structure, and was just about to warn Aibgrene, but it was too late. She collided with the staircase letting out an involuntary yelp. Lola sprang towards her friend who was now sprawled out on the floor almost knocked unconscious. If their predicament hadn’t been so serious it would have been funny. Lola froze as she heard movement on the corridor above – it was coming towards them. Their cover had been blown! Grabbing the still disorientated Aibgrene, she pulled her across the polished marble floor, taking refuge behind the long white sofa at the other end of the room. Someone was at the top of the staircase and about to come down when a phone rang. Lola recognised the ring tone immediately, and knew who it was before Alex answered the call.

‘Hello. Yes, Father, I’m at the house now, I am on my way. I’ll be there in a few minutes.’ It was Lola’s turn to hyperventilate now. Despite everything that had happened, the sound of Alex’s deep soft voice made her heart ache.

Aibgrene was coming round and was sporting a massive lump on her head. Touching it she winced with the pain. ‘I feel like I’ve just been hit with a baseball bat. Was that who I think it was talking on the phone? Or am I still out of it?’ Lola just nodded, she was always grateful that Aibgrene never used his name; it made it easier for her.

‘Are you sure that you’re okay to continue?’ asked Lola, but Aibgrene glared at her making her immediately regret asking such a stupid question.

‘Are you?’ retorted Aibgrene. There was no venom in her tone, only concern. Lola didn’t reply.

‘I think it is safe now. Let’s try this again, and watch the staircase this time,’ laughed Lola.

‘Very funny, Lo, my little accident saved our hides. He was still up there,’ replied Aibgrene.

‘I know,’ smiled Lola, rolling her eyes in relief.

‘Stupid staircase, who makes a staircase that you can’t see?’ mumbled Aibgrene as she climbed the steps.

Lola laughed to herself. She had the same reaction when she first encountered it. When they reached the familiar long corridor, Lola tried to recall at which door she’d heard Celeste’s voice.

‘Where to now?’ whispered Aibgrene, growing more and more anxious.

Passing the first door on the left Lola stopped and walked back towards it.

‘I think it’s in here. I heard Alex saying on the phone that he would be there in a few minutes. So there must be some sort of passageway to the temple from the house. It makes so much sense – no one would suspect anything!’

Putting her ear to the door, Lola listened, but there were no giveaway sounds. Opening it gently, she let it slide ajar before stepping into the room. Following behind, Aibgrene closed the door with a soft click. They were in a library with large vaulted ceilings. The wall space was completely covered in books and at the top of the room sat a black desk and large chair with the initials C.S. embedded in gold lettering onto the cracked leather. Aibgrene’s face turned white, and for a moment Lola thought she was going to faint again.

‘She was in here. I can feel her. He had her here all this time.’ Aibgrene’s words hit Lola like a kick to the stomach. Celeste was in this very room the night she had passed that door? Had Celeste sensed that Lola was near? ‘The passageway could be anywhere,’ said Aibgrene, as she frantically moved around the room pulling random books from the neat shelves. Looking around the vast room, with row upon endless row of books, Lola felt unsure for the first time that night.

Her eyes scanned the library, finally resting on the chessboard that sat by Carl Stein’s desk. It lay untouched. Not one piece had been moved since the night they had played. One more move, thought Lola, and she would have won the game, and Carl Stein had known it. He had completely underestimated her and that was her trump card. Lifting the white rook to G8, Lola ended the game. ‘Checkmate, Mr Stein,’ she said aloud. She wondered if after all this was over he would notice he had lost the game. Looking out of the small arched window, she could see the temple silhouetted by the bright silver moon, perched high in the sky. Looking to the left of the window, Lola noticed a tower structure with small slit-like windows here and there, a perfect place for a stairwell. Moving slowly across the book shelves, she tried to position herself adjacent to the tower, hoping to find some sort of gap.

‘Have you found it?’ asked Aibgrene, the urgency clear in her voice.

Lola didn’t answer and continued to feel the wooden frames and shelves, not really sure what she was looking for, until she felt a gentle stream of air brushing across her face. Stepping back, she examined the shelf. It was very subtle, but her eyes traced a rectangular doorway. But how was it opened? All the books in that shelf were old and bound in leather casings mostly with Latin names that Lola couldn’t understand, but right at the centre of the stack there was one that was clearly out of place. Moving closer to take a better look, Lola began to laugh.

‘Clever,’ laughed Lola. ‘Very clever!’ This was one example where research had proven invaluable.

‘What is it, Lola?’ asked Aibgrene nervously.

‘Shakespeare,’ chirped Lola, pleased with herself. ’A Midsumner Night’s Dream, to be exact!’

‘I’m lost, Lo,’ said Aibgrene, with mild irritation.

‘I was doing a bit of research on the Hell Fire Club a while back. Do you know they have an official website? Well on that website they have a motto, and if I’m right this book will lead us to their temple!’ Stepping forward Lola pulled the book out. After all, this is what they did in all the movies and it worked every time, thought Lola. But this wasn’t the movies, this was reality and lives were at stake. Nothing happened.

‘I was sure I was right,’ said Lola deflated. She stood back examining the rows of books again.

‘Maybe it’s another book, Lola. Let’s try them all!’ Aibgrene began to pull at books here and there, but again nothing happened.

‘No. It has to be this book, it makes perfect sense,’ protested Lola. ‘Their motto is “Weaving spiders come not here”.’

‘I’m drawing a blank here, Lola, and time is running out. We don’t have time for a Shakespeare lesson. It’s almost midnight and we need to get a move on!’

’Look, Aibgrene. Look at all the other books around it, it’s totally out of place and it’s also positioned right at the centre. The Hell Fire Club’s motto is from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s the First Fairy’s lines to be exact. Magick, other realms, do I need to continue?’

Instinctively, Lola slid her finger down the worn spine of the book, and suddenly there was a soft click. The bookcase slid across, revealing a dark staircase that plummeted into the bowels of the cliff.

Holding onto the wall as they descended, each step brought them deeper and deeper into the darkness below. Lola could tell that they were nearing the water. The sound of the waves as they crashed against the cliffs was getting louder and louder. Finally, they were at the bottom, but it was impossible to see.

Taking Aibgrene’s hand, Lola inched forward with her other hand stretched out in front of her, trying to find a tunnel or passageway. Moving forward a few steps, she came to a painful halt, almost tripping over a large metal construction.

‘Stop, I think there are tracks here,’ said Lola. ‘But it’s nearly impossible to see anything. We need a light, this is useless.’

‘Move over,’ said Aibgrene pushing Lola to one side, suddenly offering a soft yellow glow to light their way. ‘It’s clearly a transport line to get them to the temple quickly without being detected above ground.’

‘I can’t believe you had a lighter the whole time!’ said Lola slightly irritated, rolling her eyes in disbelief. They followed the track, eventually coming closer to a small carriage which sat on a track slightly ahead of them.

‘I just remembered I had it, sorry. Come on, get into the carriage.’ Aibgrene climbed into the small craft first as Lola followed. Lola was still getting seated when it took off, almost throwing her out. Reaching for Aibgrene’s hands she was finally seated as they accelerated through an endless sea of black. Lola’s head began to throb and ache again as that same familiar feeling of heaviness began to bear down on them. Sensing her anxiety, the ring stirred and emitted a bright blue light encapsulating both of them in its warm womb.

The carriage began to slow and there was light up ahead. The loud baritone chants from the temple above them could be heard, as the small craft came to a halt at the bottom of another set of stone steps. Lola had never heard anything so chilling; a cold shiver ran right through her.

‘She’s up there; I need to get to her,’ said Aibgrene striding towards the lift cage, but Lola pulled her back.