SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Forty
Out in the forest, the sound of horses neighing could be heard. It seemed that with each horse neighing, the storm clouds got darker and darker and fog would appear on the ground. The power in Carrolton went out all over town and the blackout kept spreading out from that town, hitting each town and city. It didn’t matter how big or small the town or city was, the power went out. Not just the power but cars died. Things that ran on batteries died. Things that ran on gasoline and fuel died. The water pressure dropped until it was gone. Nothing worked as the blackout kept spreading out.
On the road leading to the ritual grounds, three horsemen were riding. The first one was in black armor. His horse was blood red just like his sword. It looked like his sword had blood dripping off of it. The second horse was ashen pale and very thin. It looked like it was dead. The rider on it was very thin, bony even. He had long white hair. It was impossible to see his eyes because of how sunk in they were. He had a very long scythe. The last horseman was on a black horse. She was wearing yellow armor. She had a weighing scale in his hand that was broken. It looked more like a weapon that way.
Everyone who was on the road that saw the three Horsemen of the Apocalypse ran from their vehicles and off the road to hide. It was a good thing too. As the Horsemen of the Apocalypse rode, the cars in front of them slid to the sides and smashed into each other, creating large fires. The Horsemen of the Apocalypse, even though there were only three of them, were showing a lot of power on their own.
At the site of the ritual’s ground, the Man with the German Accent looked up into the sky and smiled. At long last, the Darkness would rise, the Chosen One would be dead and the world would be theirs for the taking. Around the Man with the German Accent, Black Hands were eagerly going into the temple ruins. None of them wanted to miss the chance to see the Darkness rise. As the horses neighed, the Black Hands would look around with excitement. Rumor was that the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse would appear by the end of the ritual and all of them wanted to see the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse together at last.
In the temple ruins, Emily saw the Black Hands taking their seats around the altar table in the center of the room. She was still chained to the wall. The Black Hands were glaring at her, their eyes full of hatred. Emily felt her heart sank as she realized that the Black Hand was accelerating their plans for her demise so that the Darkness could rise. She had a feeling that James wouldn’t find her until it was too later.
Caterina went up to her. “Looks like your ending is tonight.” She told Emily before she smiled wickedly. “And not just your end but the end of my family’s suffering as well.” Caterina was really enjoying this. Emily could tell that she was. Gone was the counselor who had appeared to care for her campers. Instead, there was the cruel woman whose mother had taken Emily’s own mother away. The cruel woman who was loyal to the Black Hand and wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice a child just so that the Darkness could rise. Caterina knelt in front of Emily. “Any last words you want to say before the Magician starts the ritual to end your miserable?” She asked the child.
Emily looked at Caterina. “I hope you can live with yourself after killing Savannah and me.” She told Caterina. She hoped that by saying that, she could try to appeal to Caterina’s more human side. That was if Caterina was even human.
Caterina simply laughed. “I’ll be able to live with myself chosen one.” She told Emily. “After all, I’ll finally bring honor to my family and even become a member of the First Circle because I was able to capture and bring you here.” Just hearing that made Caterina feel even happier. She couldn’t wait until she became a member of the First Circle.
Before Emily could say anything, another Black Hand went up to Caterina. He was in a black suit. His black hair was cropped close to the top of his house. He had black eyes. He wore gloves over his hands. “You brought the Chosen One here?” He asked her. “From what I heard, the Magician brought her here because you were having an identity crisis.” The Black Hand smiled as he finished talking. A few of the nearby Black Hands all snickered as they heard that.
Caterina glared angrily at the Black Hand. How dare that this Black Hand acted like this in front of the other Black Hands. She had risked more than any of the other Black Hands. None of them had gone undercover and had to fool Gabriel and Jasper for so long. “And who are you?” She demanded. “You talk about people having identity crisis issues but I’ve never seen you here before. So who are you?”
The Black Hand smiled and his eyes glowed red. Caterina took a step back. She had a feeling that she knew who this Black Hand was, even if he had been wearing a mask. “My name is Josiah.” The Black Hand told her. “And I’m from Italy. I was sent here though to represent the Black Hands from Italy since not all of them could come here to watch this moment.” Josiah smiled. Anthony had told him that he wouldn’t be making it to the ritual ceremony days before. Josiah knew that Anthony wasn’t coming just to avoid the Man with the German Accent and that there was a good chance that the ritual would fail.
Emily watched Caterina take another step back. She wondered if Caterina was scared of this Black Hand. If Caterina was, Emily was terrified of the Black Hand who called himself Josiah. She was surprised to hear that there were Black Hands in Italy. She thought that they were mainly in the United States or Russia. She realized that of course there would be Black Hands all over the world. She looked at the other Black Hands all around the room. Most of them looked like thugs. Some though looked like they were police officers, lawyers, teachers, governors even and she recognized a few of them as senators from when her father watched the news. She couldn’t believe it. The Black Hand had that much power? Her question was answered when she saw Black Hands that had been in the news before from over in Europe. She was disgusted when she saw an American senator shaking hands with a terrorist from the Middle East. It looked like the Black Hand would use just about anyone and had power everywhere.
Another Black Hand went up to Caterina, Josiah and her. Emily recognized him as the President’s oldest son. She wondered if his parents knew that he was a member of the Black Hand or that he was with a group that wanted to end the world. “So this is the Chosen One.” The President’s son said as he looked at her. He smiled. “She doesn’t look like a threat to me.” He reached out to her and brushed her cheek. To his disappointment, Emily didn’t flinch.
The President’s son looked at Josiah. “Has your employer convinced my father to go along with his plan?” He asked Josiah.
Josiah looked at him and shook his head. “Sadly no.” He answered. “Your father is proving to be rather stubborn about doing what my employer wants him to do.”
The President’s son sighed and shook his head. “Give him a few days and once the Darkness rises up, he’ll be more than willing to do what your employer wants.” He told Josiah.
Caterina frowned. “Your employer?” She asked Josiah. “I thought you were a member of the Black Hand.” That’s what Josiah had told her. Was he lying to her?
Josiah smiled. “I am a member of the Black Hand.” He told her. “But just like how you work for the Magician, I also work for a higher ranking Black Hand.” Caterina didn’t need to know that he was really a demon. None of these fools needed to know that. Josiah cleared his throat and walked away with the President’s son.
Caterina glared at the two men as they walked away. She could see them talking. No doubt it had to do with whatever Josiah’s employer wanted from the President. She wondered what it was and found that her happiness was gone. In its place was anger and impatience for the ritual to begin. She looked at Emily. “Enjoy whatever little time you have left to live chosen one.” She spat angrily before she stormed off.
At the camp, Jasper looked outside the window as it started to pour down rain. He had sent all the groups to their storm shelters. He had done that for their protection once the power had gone out. The only things that kept the dark office lit were the candles. He was all alone in the office. Gabriel had left shortly after James and Audrey had left. No doubt he had gone to try to help the two teens save Emily. He hoped that the three of them made it.
In the basement of the lodge, Rachel was clinging to Delaney and Elizabeth. She was really scared. “Do you think Emily will be okay?” She asked her cousins.
Delaney and Elizabeth looked at each other. They didn’t even know where Emily was. “I’m sure that Emily will be okay.” Delaney told Rachel. “Remember, she’s in a safe place.” She didn’t believe that to be true but she was saying that more for Rachel’s sake. Rachel curled up and held onto her cousins. The rest of their groups were worried about where Audrey was. Jasper had told them that Audrey and James were with Gabriel running around the camp making sure that everyone else was safe as well but they were still worried.
In the medical building, a figure appeared. She was wearing a cloak and had a hood over her head. She looked at the medical staff and waved her hand at them. The medical staff fell to the ground unconscious. She didn’t need them getting in her way. She had work that she needed to complete. She went to Savannah’s room and looked down at Savannah. The little girl looked so pale and death-like. The hooded woman removed her hood. Anastasia shook her head. “My dear child.” She told Savannah in a soft voice. She reached out to Savannah but pulled her hand back last minute. “Once I was like you. An innocent child who knew nothing of what was happening around her.”
Anastasia thought back to her family as she spoke. “But now your life, like mine, has been ruined because of the Chosen One.” She shook her head. She couldn’t get distracted now. She had a job to do. She took out a small brander. It was in the form of a crossbow. She looked down at Savannah. “And now the last of the four shall join the Darkness.” She had never thought that this little girl would become the Horseman of Pestilence but the plan had changed. If the Black Hand just waited until the next night, they could have found a better vessel but now they were pressed for time.
Anastasia’s eyes glowed silver as she pressed the brander against Savannah’s arm. “Now become the Horseman of Pestilence.” She said as the brander left the crossbow burned into Savannah’s arm. Savannah’s eyes opened. They were white. She sat up in her bed and looked at Anastasia. Anastasia smiled. The little girl was now the Horseman of Pestilence. Savannah got out of her bed and as her feet touched the ground, a white cocoon appeared around her and grew in size. When the cocoon vanished, Savannah was in green armor. She had a crossbow in her hands.
The Horseman of Pestilence looked at Anastasia and knelt before her. Anastasia smiled. “Follow me.” She told the Horseman of Pestilence. The two left the medical building. Outside the medical building, a white horse galloped up to the entrance. The Horseman of Pestilence got onto her horse and looked at Anastasia. Anastasia smiled. “Go ride to the ritual.” She told the Horseman of Pestilence. She raised the brander. “Remember that you’re mine to command.” She added. That was why it had been so important to her that she made the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. Now if the Darkness ordered the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to go after her, one of them would fight the other three for her. The Horseman of Pestilence nodded and galloped away.