The Brimstone Chronicles - The Book of Eternity (Book 3)

CHAPTER 7 - Immortal Night

"Mi Amor?" Alexander had to stop himself from laughing, though Seth's embarrassment was barely visible.

"That was a long time ago, Mia." Said Seth, as they held hands and walked through the moonlit forest with Alexander a short distance behind.

"Ah but I'll take no other man." Alexander watch as Mia squeezed Seth's hand gently in reassurance.

"You have all of forever to take anyone you choose." Seth argued.

"And I only have eyes for you." Then suddenly her tone changed, "Besides, any other man is only good for practicing spells and rituals on. Then there's the occasional sacrifice, or if I need a certain male appendage."

"Try not to scare the boy, Mia. He is here to be apprenticed."

Mia stopped and turned instantly towards Alexander. Her cat-like eyes glowed emerald green as Alexander heard whispers in his head. Then they stopped as abruptly as they had begun. Mia's eyes stopped glowing and returned to their preternatural yellow. She cocked her head to her left, "Hmmm. His destiny is clear, but his fate is uncertain...like yours." Mia then looked to Seth.

"Alexander is the Fourth and last Arch Mage. The Universe will no longer have need for us should we succeed."

"Then don't."

"Mia. You know we cannot do otherwise."

"Oh but you can. You just choose not to, son of Adam."

"I came here seeking neither your judgment nor your desires. There is work to be done."

"Isn't there always? It's the only thing that brings you to me." And with that, Mia walked off into the woods, Seth following behind with Alexander catching up to him.

"Whose side she on?" Alexander asked in a whisper.

'Her own,' Seth replied in Alexander's mind,'some immortals are like that. For some, immortality means living longer so more people can betray them. And if you wish to keep something from a Witch, speak telepathically. One of the few things they cannot do is read minds.'

'The one thing?' Alexander asked.

'Yes. There is very little a witch cannot do. All of which you will learn very soon. If we can convince them to teach you.'

'Why can't you teach me?'

'Because we are equal and there is naught that I can teach you that you don't already know.'

'Then what can these Witches do?'

'You have the knowledge; they will impart unto you, the understanding.'

Mia had stopped at the edge of a clearing in the forest, where in its centre stood a single oak tree bathed in the moonlight. "Enter at your own risk." She smiled before continuing toward the tree and waited for them there. Alexander and Seth stood behind Mia as she turned to the tree and rapidly uttered an incantation under her breath. Symbols glowed blood red around the tree's bark, then suddenly they were standing in the middle of a large town and the tree had become a statue of itself. "Take him to the Chamber of Invocation. I will call on Hecate." Mia walked off quickly and Seth took Alexander's arm.

"Come." Seth led Alexander through the crowds of men and women, past shops and stands, and up a wide array of semi-circular steps. At the top of these steps were three large doors on a very massive dome shaped building. However, Seth took Alexander to the wall of beside the door on the far right and straight through it as it dissolved into an arc and closed back behind them.

The room was a perfect circle and about the size of a school cafeteria...if they were circular. There were no windows but wind could be felt, and the floor was marked with a large pentagram enclosed in a circular pattern of symbols with Latin words in each of the five the tips. In the centre of the floor, at the middle of the pentagram, was an altar clothed in some silver material.