~PROLOG~
Reginald, gently brushed the hair out of Angiolas face. He was heartbroken. She had been a daughter to him, she was the future. Simon, Thomas and Philip were there as well. Gently Simon placed a hand on Reginald's shoulder. “I am so deeply sorry... It seems we both lost our proteges to this. We will bring her home, and bury her with honor”. Reginald shook his head then stopped with a start. “NO!” he cried out reaching into his pocket. He opened his hand and showed the group the silver cross. They all knew what it was, but it was too late... Wasn't it? “I was going to award her with this today when the mission was over. I wanted her to know she had my blessing, and could become a full member whenever she was ready. Help me!” Reginald said frantically, tearing Angiolas shirt open. He took a small blade out and began to cut into her skin over her sternum. Thomas and Philip stood there dumbfounded. “Philip, has this ever been done before?” Simon asked. “Well... The archives and rites go back over two thousand years,but you would know better than anyone. You have been here from the beginning haven't you?” Simons face was turning red. His true identity, the knowledge that he was Simon the Zealot, one of the original apostles was NOT spoken about or even referenced anywhere. “I wasn't at EVERY coronation. HOW could you know my true identity?” Reginald broke in. “None of this matters right now, he's the ARCHIVIST so he has access to EVERYTHING. NOW… WILL, IT, WORK???” Philip shook his head unsure. “I don't know… This is uncharted territory. The cross, when it binds, technically kills us and it's up to God to bless us back. That's what makes us heal and not age. It's the blessing, we become a weapon for God.
“Then God will have to make the final decision. I've done my part”. Reginald said, his trembling hands covered in blood. The cross was there, under her skin and above her sternum bone. If it took, it would imbed itself into the bone. Thomas, Reginald, Philip and Simon all knelt down, surrounding her and began to pray for another miracle.
Almost 6 months later…
Tobias: Exact location unknown. Somewhere in Russia. West of the Ural mountains. April.
I woke up in the back of the Rv that had been my home for the last few months. It smelt like mold, fish and cigarette smoke. It was an older model made around the time the iron curtain came down. It was pretty small with hunter green shag carpet and peeling faux wood stickers coming off of all of the factory furniture. The walls were off white, not eggshell but dirty from decades of time and the previous owner chain smoking inside. Mouse was there with me, he was happy to be with me, if not too thrilled with our surroundings. I gave him a few scratches behind the ear and opened a can of what I think was cat food for him. It smelled like fish and had a picture of a cartoon cat on it so... Probably cat food??? I was never too good with reading cyrillic. I had been camping and following a trail of Roma or Gypsy for a bit now. At least they left me alone. I closed the house in Florida and left all my identification and electronics there. I was sick of calls from The Order. I was sick of the news, and most of all I was sick of living. I picked up the tin foil packet off the “dining room” table as I sat down across from Mouse as he ate. I opened up the window to the right and fished a lighter out of my pocket. Running the lighter over the tinfoil slowly until white smoke came up, then inhaling the silky heaven through the plastic tube of a pen. I held my breath until my vision began to swim from lack of oxygen then I exhaled the flowery smooth stream out the open window. Don't want Mouse to get any of this... I started smoking opium many many years ago as a way to enhance my dreams. I would only do so on extremely rare occasions. With modern laws and my dreams being too much to handle normally I also hadn't done this in MANY years. With the events of last November, the plague and... ...And losing. Losing her, I... This helps a bit. I still see her every night. It's like she is still here, alive. At least when I'm asleep I can still see her. I smoked a bit more and curled up going back to bed. Hopefully the convoy wouldn't move on without me. O well.
Mouse: Hi, its me again, Mouse. Tobias is NOT doing well. I don't know what happened exactly. He came home and was so sad. He was just broken inside. He didn't eat or even get out of bed except to use the restroom for 2 weeks when he got back. That girl Sam came over to feed me and she saw him there. He wouldn't talk to her. She thought he was dead at first. He just yelled at her to get out and forget she knew him. Then we left. One morning he showered and got dressed. I thought he would be ok but he just picked me up and we ended up in a forest. At least now we don't have to sleep outside. I don't know what to do or how to help him. I just watch over him for now I guess.
Tobias: Exact location unknown. Somewhere in Russia. West of the Ural mountains. April
I dreamt of her again all night. My heart still breaks when I wake up and realize it was a dream. Stumbling out of my RV I vomited on the ground around the back tire. I wiped my face with the back of my sleeve then patted my pants for Mouse to follow. I think he enjoys walks with me. He's a good hunter and gets us a fat squirrel or a rabbit almost every time. I enjoyed walking through the forest, barefoot and without anywhere to be. Leaning against a massive tree while I was relieving myself I began looking around. I had been to this area before but... I noticed what looked like a short wooden fence, and an old worn stone pathway. Zipping up my fly I whistled for Mouse. He came running over and lept up the tree to about waist height then jumped onto my shoulders. Scratching Mouse behind his ear like he loves gained me a loud purr as he dug his nails into my back and shoulders kneading contently. I walked down the moss covered stone path and between the gap in the short fence made out of woven branches. There was a small clearing inside the fence and an old dilapidated cottage. That was really strange because I knew I had been in this area before but had never seen anything. I could feel an all too familiar clenching burn in my stomach and knew instantly whose house this was. I walked up and knocked politely at the door three times. I waited a few heartbeats then repeated the three knocks. Then again the last three knocks, letting the dweller know that I knew who she was. The door swung inward and I walked into the pitch black, the door closing itself as soon as I was clear of it.
A hearth ignited and provided ample illumination, showing a cozy interior, a small rustic and hand made table with two chairs. On the table was a saucer of milk, a glass of milk and a plate with a steaming T bone steak with a crude knife and fork. Across from the steak was an absolutely gorgeous woman. Looks like I got The Maiden this time, Not that I would be letting her looks distract me. I sat down and started eating the steak, Mouse hopping onto the table and started in on the saucer of milk. “You do NOT belong here. We have no quarrel with The Order.” Said The Maiden. Swallowing a large bite of perfectly cooked steak I took a sip of milk and said, “I'm not with The Order.” The Maiden nodded her head, “We know, but you still do not belong here.” I kept eating the steak, this was somewhat typical when talking with The Baba Yaga. I hadn't met her before but I knew of her, and I had known what to expect to some extent. When I found a house popping up in the middle of nowhere, I knew they wanted to talk. I wasn't sure if I would see the maiden, the mother or the crone, thankfully I got the maiden. Taking another drink from the glass and setting it down to see it still as full as before, I said. “You arranged this meeting, I'm not here for you. I'm not with The Order, I was with the caravan of Roma wandering through the area. So why did you decide to show yourself?” The Maiden laughed, a beautiful sound, unlike the cackle of her counterpart. “I know why you are here. I have seen many things. I saw you in yellowstone... I saw you in Lakeland. I have watched you cry out for a death that won't come. I saw you love, then lose.” Her voice was sweet and almost seductive. “That's great, why have you been watching me?” I asked her flatly, then popped the last bite of steak into my mouth. There were a few small scraps left and some of the juices from the steak still on the plate. Mouse came over and began to nibble at the bone, removing some of the meat that was left on it. I scratched his back and he arched it slightly as he lapped up his treat. “I like your guardian here, he is a sweet soul.” She said nodding at Mouse. “I know many things about you. I could feel you arrive and I did a bit of digging to prepare myself. Once I knew you didn't come here for me, I figured a meeting should be arranged. There are many things you should know but do not.” This was getting me nowhere, but what else did I have going on honestly. At least the steak was good, I hadn't had a good steak since... Angiola. Dinner. I shook my head and tried not to vomit up the only meal I've had in a few days.
The Maiden continued speaking in her riddles. “It's okay to feel as you do, loss is a terrible thing. The only thing worse is ignorance.” I was confused. I knew this was all a game, but I couldn't see her angle. “Okay, I'm listening, what is it that I need to know?” She smiled and showed off perfectly straight white teeth, almost too sharp. “The woman you mourn... Still walks the earth. Reginald was able to perform her coronation after you left. It was a desperate gamble from a desperate man, but it worked.” I sat there stunned and silent. They were crafty, but even unarmed she knew I was still a threat to her. “I watched her die, what do you gain from this farce?” The Baba Yaga cackled gleefully and leaned forward, showing off a large amount of cleavage. “Why must I have an angle to lend a hand? You said it yourself, you are not here to harm me. I could tell you a lie, or the truth, or both. You still have no reason to harm me.” Then she picked up my plate and shook it. She then held my cellphone in the palm of her hand. The phone was on speaker and rang once before a robotic voice came over the speaker.
“You have 20 new voice messages. You do not have room in the mailbox for more. First voice message.” Followed by a voice from a ghost. “Tobias, it's me. I don't know where to begin. They told me what happened and I am SO sorry. I'm okay, Reginald was able to bring me back... I'm a full member now. We can... We can be together now. Okay. I miss you... Please... Calling you was the first thing I did… I love you…. Call me soon okay? Bye.” The phone vanished from her hand, just popped like a bubble. I was trembling, my phone was still on the TV stand in my bedroom in Florida. “The other 19 messages are either from her, getting more and more desperate, or The Order. You have several unread Emails as well. I have no reason to lie to you about this. The problem you have isn't that SHE is alive, your problem at the moment is that HE is alive too.” I was so confused, I saw The Dark Pope's charred body. He was almost nothing but ash and bones, there was no way he was still alive. “The Dark Pope can’t be alive. He was bone and ash, and I know The Order has protocols for dealing with the magical dead.” The unearthly beauty shook her head again, “Not him, but his right hand man. The Vampire you tried to question. The Shoggoth quenched the flames, very unlike a shoggoth to deal with fire, but nevertheless It did. He survived the escape and was healing when the battle took place. He blames you and The Order personally. He has made it his mission to get vengeance, your love is in great danger. You prayed for a death that wouldn't come, but he knows how to kill your kind now.”
I would have to do some digging and find out if anything she was saying is true. I stood up and picked up Mouse. He climbed out of my arms and hopped onto my shoulders, laying down and purring contently. I left the small house without saying another word. There are some things you simply do NOT thank for ANYTHING. Yes, I ate the steak and Mouse drank the saucer of milk, but the Baba Yaga wasn't like most Fae. If I hadn't eaten, they wouldn't have talked at all. It would have been taken as an insult and a sign that I didn't trust her. I know I referred to the Baba Yaga in plural multiple times. She herself uses plurals and says things like “We think” ect. The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone. Three forums, three separate people, one entity. Mystical beings can be… Complicated to say the least. Walking back through the woods, I looked back at the clearing towards where the house sat just a moment before. To no surprise, as soon as I walked past the gate, the home and clearing were gone, leaving only more dense forest. I needed to get back to my home in Florida. I needed to get some answers.
This book is dedicated to my Father, Phil Ciminello. He passed away shortly after I finished this book, and about ½ way through the 2nd book. He was the inspiration for the character Philip, the archivist. My dad was truly like that, he soaked up information and loved history. He helped me with a lot of the research for the book, even while battling cancer. Frequently when I would mention a topic, dad would add facts or bits of information I hadn't found yet. He also came up with the characters Gaston Green and Renaldo Tumba, as well as the idea for the two proned plague attack. Words cannot express the loss I feel at his passing. I know I am a much better man for having him in my life. I love you and miss you dad. FOREVER
Joseph Philip Ciminello
8/6/1958 to 10/16/2023