Sentinel's Rise: Book 1 - The Watcher and the Sentinel Series Read online

  The Press Secretary smoothed his features with obvious effort and looked at the camera. “We will do everything in our power to identify this group who thinks they can threaten us. If anyone has any information that will help in our investigation, please call the number on your screen.”

  The Press Secretary left the stage with dozens of reporters still screaming questions at him.

  Claud pushed the mute button on the remote. “Any idea what that’s about?”

  “Possibly,” Darian replied. “I hope not.” He stormed to his private office and slammed the door.

  Claud turned to Eva. “What’s up with him?”

  Eva stared at the solid wood door between them and their boss. His mood reflected the building tension in the room. “We saw Zar’Asur this evening. Well, I saw the demon, who immediately felt Darian’s presence,” she said carefully. “I think the Overlord has something to do with this evening’s news.”

  “That can’t be good,” her brother replied, following her gaze. “I’d rather deal with terrorists than demons.”

  “I’d almost rather deal with demons than Darian right now,” Eva muttered, dropping onto the upholstered sofa and changing the TV channel. Every news station replayed the short interview.

  “Why is the boss in such a foul mood?” a new voice asked from behind her.

  She turned and looked over the back of the couch at the newcomer. Stephen, another of their co-workers, walked up behind her and placed his hand on the sofa near her head. A smile emerged beneath his short beard and mustache, spreading to his light brown eyes.

  She and Stephen had an interesting relationship. She thoroughly enjoyed his company. He was genuine. His lack of tact rarely bothered her, and his quick, sarcastic tongue frequently made her smile.

  “Two reasons.” She held up her index finger. “First, we overheard a conversation with his favorite Overlord, who felt Darian’s presence immediately. He’s unhappy that he was forced to leave.” She added her middle finger to the index and continued. “Second, I got a text from Sara while we were out.”

  “Oh,” Stephen and Claud replied in unison.

  “I still don’t know why we can’t pick her up and bring her into the fold,” Stephen said. “It’s not like we don’t all know what her role is.”

  “But she doesn’t know,” Eva replied, glancing back at Darian’s office door. “And as much as he likes to complain about it, Darian doesn’t want to be the one to take her away from her family and everything that makes her happy.”

  Chapter 2

  Darian

  Darian threw his black duffel bag onto the tan leather sofa in his office. He picked up the TV remote from the low coffee table, turning on the small flat screen television across from him. He flipped through the news channels, but they all said the same thing. Nine countries received demands to surrender their governments or die. Each government had ten days to respond to the demand. A special meeting of the UN General Assembly had been called for Thursday, less than two days from today. There had to be so much more going on in the background. Governments received ridiculous threats every day, and they never led to this.

  He cringed, falling into the executive chair at his desk. Two days of talking heads spouting their opinions. He needed to make several phone calls to his contacts within the intelligence offices of each of those countries. It had taken him decades to establish trusted relationships with each government, and he hoped it would pay off now. His gut told him the demand came from Zar’Asur, not some terrorist group or fanatic, but he couldn’t tell them that. Humanity was still unaware that demons existed. He would need to set up his own meetings and pool resources, as well as information. They only had ten days, probably less if they intended to stop what was coming.

  Three phone calls later and no wiser, Darian leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the desk. The picture collage of Seraphina’s life stared back at him from across the mahogany surface. Her birth, her sixteenth birthday, high school and college graduations. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Her wedding day and the birth of her daughter.

  He released the breath he’d been holding. She lived her life without him. She was his Sentinel or was supposed to be according to Aneera, the Council’s Seer. They were destined to be the bonded pair who would bring balance to a broken world. But she fell in love and got married, had a family, and a career. He protected her from the Overlord’s cultists who never stopped searching for her, but she didn’t even know she was in danger. Eva befriended her in college and stayed by her side for as long as she could. But like everyone in the Council of Light, Eva aged very slowly, while Seraphina, or Sara as everyone else called her, continued to grow older, year after year.

  The phone rang, startling him from his misery.

  “What is it?” he asked, his voice raw.

  “We need to talk,” Mikel, the Council’s leader responded. “Bring the scouts with you.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  Darian hung up the phone and pulled a small green gem from his pocket. He mentally said the names of all his scouts and the gem glowed brightly. He could’ve used his cell phone to send a group message, but he still clung the old magic stored in their gems. It didn’t rely on cell towers or data usage or any other technology known to man. His scouts would receive the signal to come to him, regardless of the circumstance.

  He walked into the reception area to find Eva, Claud, and Stephen staring at him.

  “Mikel needs to talk. I’m sure it has something to do with today’s news,” Darian said. “Claud, will you stay here and direct everyone else to the tower?”

  “Sure thing, boss,” Claud replied, but Darian saw the twins exchange a look of concern before he mumbled the teleportation spell that would take him to the Council’s stronghold:a small fortress in South America.

  He arrived inside a stone room and stepped off the magical rune at his feet just in time for Raphael to appear behind him. Raphael was the Council’s Runemaster and the man who created the portal he just used, along with the gems used to summon his scouts. The man’s normally carefree countenance was marred by his furrowed brow.

  Darian raised an eyebrow at him, but the Runemaster shook his head and crossed the hall into the meeting room. Apparently, he wasn’t sharing the bad news he carried, at least not yet. Darian followed in his wake, with Stephen and Eva arriving at his heels.

  The room hadn’t changed in the many years that Darian called Santuario home. The large open space housed a dozen tables, now pushed together into one continuous piece of wood, surrounded by twice as many chairs. The stone walls followed the natural curve of the tower, and open windows allowed a cool breeze to blow through the room. Maps hung on the walls, each from a different time, outlining country borders that no longer existed. It was a chronological history of the world’s changing governments. It was also a reminder to the Council the number of the times the demon Overlords interfered with humanity.

  The only real change in the room was the addition of electricity supplied by solar panels, and the Smart TV standing on a tall cabinet situated so that everyone at the table could see the local news.

  Darian dropped into a chair on the right side of the table, feeling the weight of concern and apprehension building. Stephen filled the chair next to him, and Eva took the one immediately next to Stephen. The muted volume on the television forced Darian to watch the text scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Mexico and Brazil had also received the demand to turn over their governments, and the local news casters were quick to broadcast their leaders’ response. They would not be bullied by terrorists. South America would not cower to the demands of others. Again, Darian wondered what other threats they received to make them finally react. What was the final straw that forced the world’s most powerful leaders to react as one?

  Mikel entered the room with Aneera and Magdelin at his heels. Adalina and three of her warriors soon followed, filling the large space quickly.

 
“Are the scouts on their way?” Mikel asked as he moved towards the end of the table, standing in front of the silent television.

  “Yes, they should be here soon,” Darian responded.

  Mikel unrolled a new map, spreading it across the table. Red circles marked the thick paper across Europe, Asia, and North America. He pulled a red marker from his pocket and circled the capitals of Mexico and Brazil. He tossed the pen and watched it roll across the map, then rested his hands on the table.

  “Has anyone claimed responsibility for the threats?” Mikel asked, looking directly at Darian.

  “Not that I know of,” Darian responded. “When I left Chicago a few minutes ago, Mexico and Brazil hadn’t even been on the list.”

  Mikel glanced at Raphael, and Darian followed his gaze. Raphael’s icy blue eyes met Mikel’s gray orbs for a second, and he shook his head. Their leader’s stern countenance deepened, and Darian hoped Mikel would reveal Raphael’s concerns sooner rather than later. They’d obviously discovered something relevant.

  The arrival of Claud and a dozen more scouts drew everyone’s attention. The men and women found chairs and turned to their leader.

  “I assume you’ve all heard of the demands being made on the major governments worldwide,” Mikel began. “We need information quickly. The United Nations meets in less than 48 hours. I know each government will have their most skilled people working to find the culprit, but I don’t think it has anything to do with any terrorist group.” Mikel nodded at Darian. “Let’s pool our information.”

  “Eva and I saw Zar’Asur in an alley in Chicago’s south side earlier this evening talking to a woman.” Darian cleared his throat. “She mentioned that a threat was sent to several governments. The demon also said he would see her again in two weeks.”

  “Zar’Asur was in Chicago?” Mikel asked, his eyebrows nearly reaching his hairline.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure it was him? How would you overhear the conversation if the demon can feel your presence?

  “I had to leave as soon as he showed up,” Darian replied, curling his lip in disgust. “He knew I was there. Eva stayed to hear what they had to say.” He turned to his scouts, trying to quell his frustration. There was so much history between him and the demon. The Overlord’s ability to sense Darian was only the icing on the cake.

  “Peter, what news from Austria?”

  A young man with straight, shoulder-length hair, a square chin, and brown eyes pushed his chair back and stood. “Their data security team was already working on tracking the previous threats before the Chancellor was notified of the demands,” Peter said calmly. “They have yet to discover its origins. Of course, they will not surrender.”

  “France?” Darian asked as Peter reclaimed his chair and the woman next to him stood.

  “They are much the same as the Austrians,” she replied quietly.

  They went through almost identical reports from Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Canada, China, Japan, and Russia.

  “Saudi Arabia is pursuing contacts in Iran and Afghanistan, trying to flush out known terrorist groups. The Crown Prince hasn’t received any demands, but he insists they are not involved.” A tall man with dark hair and trimmed beard explained as he stood. “Some of the Europeans have already implied that Saudi Arabia is behind the threats.”

  “And your opinion?” Darian asked. He trusted his scouts completely and valued their input.

  “No, they have nothing to do it,” he replied. “Nothing can be gained by these demands. The culprit doesn’t even identify who the world leaders should surrender to.”

  The last scout regained his seat, and Mikel pulled his fingers through his blond hair. “I know the news media is clueless, but do any of your sources know more? Is there even a hint of who our leaders are supposed to surrender their people to?”

  Darian looked around the table at his scouts. He’d spent years planting each one into the government intelligence offices around the world. They all shook their heads in denial.

  “I didn’t hear of the threats until today,” Peter stated, drawing everyone’s attention. “Our own intelligence community kept it well hidden until the latest. I don’t think they took it seriously until now.”

  “Or they did but haven’t been able to find out who’s behind it,” Mikel said. “Now they’re scrambling, just like everyone else. I have to assume Zar’Asur is the mastermind. It cannot be a coincidence that he shows up tonight right before our news reports. How is it we haven’t heard from him nor the Csökkent in decades, yet he obviously has a plan in place that will be enacted in ten days?” Mikel’s voice rose as he spoke. “And how did you not know that he left the Citadel, Darian? I know your scouts are watching it. I’ve even been there myself several times in the last year.”

  “If I had answers, I would’ve already voiced them,” Darian growled, not appreciating the insult. “One of my scouts is there almost daily. The Csökkent leave to buy supplies on a weekly basis. It’s possible the Overlord was with them, and we didn’t realize it.”

  Mikel’s tense gaze moved from Darian and landed on Raphael. Darian had never seen the Runemaster look so miserable. His forlorn countenance snuffed out Darian’s irritation.

  “Tell us what you’ve discovered, Raphael,” Mikel said, his tone still on edge.

  Raphael took a deep breath. “For the last several weeks, my apprentice has gone missing for hours at a time,” he began. “At first, I didn’t think twice about it, as we all need privacy. I suspected she found a love interest, but three days ago, she was gone for nearly twelve hours.” He lowered his head and rubbed his eyes with his palms. “When she returned, I questioned her about her absence. She said she spent the night in the village at the base of the mountain. I knew she lied because I’d already looked for her there.” He looked up at Mikel and Darian noticed the deep, purple shadows beneath his eyes. Was it lack of sleep or worry for his apprentice? Maybe both. “She left again yesterday morning and has not been back.”

  “Do you know where she went?” Darian asked, suspecting the Runemaster knew.

  “She’s with her sister,” Raphael answered. “I hoped that was not the case, but the residual magic from her teleport led me to the castle in Romania.”

  Silence filled the room as the implication of Silana’s move settled on everyone there. Silana and her sister were victims of the Overlords’ evil during their last battle nearly two hundred years ago. Silana chose to abandon Zar’Asur and join the Council of Light, while her sister, Victoria, embraced the Csökkent’s dark magic and pledged herself to their master. Silana hoped her sister would come back to her, but when Victoria willingly merged herself with a female demon, Silana knew her sister was lost.

  Darian frowned. If Silana decided to join her sister now, the Council would be severely compromised. She’d spent the last two centuries as Raphael’s apprentice, making her extremely skilled and very dangerous. She also knew everything about the Council, including the location of Santuario, which was something the Csökkent had never managed to find.

  “We need to go after her,” Stephen said, breaking the silence.

  “Yes, we do,” Mikel agreed. “Adalina, Darian, and I will go to the castle and confront Orin and Victoria. He swore to us he wanted peace, and for the last two hundred years, it appeared he was sincere. We don’t have time to play games with them. If they’re involved in Zar’Asur’s plans, I want to know.”

  Mikel looked directly at Darian. “I need your scouts to stay in contact at all times.” Darian nodded and Mikel’s gaze drifted to the men and women around the table. “If you hear anything that might help, come back here at once. I’ll be surprised if Zar’Asur doesn’t act before the ten days is up. He tells them to surrender or die but gives them no indication who they are surrendering to. Something isn’t right.”

  “You don’t think he’ll attack the UN?” Stephen asked in his typically abrupt manner.

  Mikel stared at him with gray, piercing eye
s. “That’s exactly what I think he’ll do.”

  Chapter 3

  Mikel

  Mikel, Adalina, Darian and a half-dozen warriors teleported to the edge of the valley where an old castle hid in the mountains of Romania. Little remained of the original stone structure, most of it destroyed by Darian during his first encounter with Zar’Asur. Orin rebuilt it to house the handful of demons and Csökkent that remained with him.

  As they walked through the narrow valley, Mikel listened to the small stream trickling nearby. The entire area seemed too peaceful to house the evil within. The castle gates loomed in front of them, the dark wood denying their entry. Movement on the wall betrayed the watchman, and Mikel heard muffled yells announcing their presence.

  Several minutes later, the gate swung open and Orin stepped out, alone. The man willingly endured the ritual to be merged with a demon, losing almost all his humanity. He stood over seven feet tall, but his scrolling horns extended another ten inches above the thick, black hair covering his skull. Plain tan trousers and a white shirt hung loosely on his large frame, but they didn’t completely hide the dark, scaly hide beneath. Everything about him said he was a demon, except for his eyes. Where every other demon, including the Overlords, had burning red eyes, Orin retained his own gray orbs with flecks of green.

  “It’s been a long time, Mikel,” Orin said in a deep, harsh voice while nodding at the others.

  “Yes, it has, Orin.”

  “You’ve come for Silana.”

  “I’ve come for several reasons, actually,” Mikel replied.

  “If I offer refreshments, will you accept?” The corners of Orin’s mouth twitched.

  Mikel chuckled, remembering how polite the half-demon could be. “If you will bring it outside the gates, I would love some tea.”

  “Thank you,” Orin said, his lips turning to a full smile. “I appreciate that you don’t insult my intelligence by walking blindly into my abode.” He turned and barked an order at the watchman in the Csökkent’s guttural language.