CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

**OLIVER**
I sat deathly still and hunched over my brother’s journal, my mind buried in the pages and my brain devouring the instructions for the ritual. My eyes ran over my brother’s handwriting, a feeling of nostalgia washing through me as I was forced back to the time when he was alive. I took a deep breath, and continued reading, burning the words and images into my mind. My back ached, but my soul was convinced that to move was to cause a shift in understanding, and so I remained…hunched over…ignoring the growing pain in my back.
So engrossed I was in Jamie’s journal that I didn’t hear the sound of Gabriel coming into the room or walking up to me. I felt my soul take leave of my body when I felt his hand on my shoulder, and I immediately snapped the book shut.
I turned to look at Gabriel, a worried look on his face. “You’re here,” I said. “What are you don’t here?”
He wasn’t supposed to be home. He was supposed to be at the border all day today, ensuring that it was safe and secure and strengthening defenses. What was he doing here?
“Are you asking me what I’m doing in my house, Oliver?” Gabriel asked, his voice carrying a hint of suspicion in it.
“Umm…no. No. I'm just surprised that you’re home so early,” I answered and plastered a smile on my face.
“Why would you be surprised? It’s not like I went that far.”
I held on tighter to Jamie’s journal, an action that didn’t go unnoticed by Gabriel.
“What are you reading?” He asked and took a step closer to me.
I jumped out of the chair and out of his reach, my back immediately communicating its complaints about the sudden change in position. “Nothing,” I replied.
“You’re lying to me, Oliver,” Gabriel stated, his eyes filled with sadness. “You’ve not been yourself the last few weeks…”
I laughed nervously. “Of course, I haven’t. Look around, our pack members are dropping like flies and we still don’t know the cause, or who’s causing all the chaos. Oh, and why do they want me!!”
The words rushed out of my mouth in one breath leaving me heaving and panting. Gabriel just stood there, his expression saying he wasn’t convinced with my performance. He took a step toward me and I took another back.
“Stop,” he said firmly, his voice forcing my feet to plant itself into the ground. “What are you hiding from me, Oliver?” He asked, his voice calm, soothing, appealing to me in a way that pulled my heartstrings.
My breath shuddered and I held on to the book tighter. I thought about telling him about the ritual, that there was a slight chance that we could be rid of the goddess and whoever is after me because of her…and just as the idea formed, I scoffed and banished it. It was Gabriel. Everyone would die before he would let it happen.
“You’re not responding.”
Gabriel’s voice pulled me from my reverie. His brown eyes held mine as he closed the distance between us, and his hand reached for the book clutched in death grip. His hands carefully pried it from mine, and at that moment, I hated that I made use of the ribbon bookmark.
Gabriel opened the book down the center…right where the ritual instructions were. I stood in the corner, shifting on my feet, clenching and unclenching my fists as I watched Gabriel’s expression change in real-time. His face darkened, his grip on the book tightened, and when his eyes rose to meet mine, they were stormy.
“What the fuck is this?!”
I reached my hand out to him and my heart broke when he took a step back, the book still suffocating in his hand.
“I can explain,” I said pleadingly.
“Explain how you plan to kill yourself?!” Gabriel asked, his voice rising to a crescendo.
“I’m not going to kill myself, Gabriel…”
“Then explain this!”
I took a deep breath and started. “The ritual would move the consciousness of the goddess to an object that I can carry on me and can be passed down to the next priest.”
“That will kill you!”
“I have a high chance of survival,” I said meekly.
“That’s funny because it says here that that chance is quite low!”
“Yes, but…”
Gabriel didn’t let me finish, he slammed the book down on the floor. “I cannot believe you would even think to do this, Oliver.”
My heart broke as I saw the tears gather in his eyes, and the vein throbbing steadily on his forehead.
“I’m sorry…”
I wasn’t sure what it was I was apologizing for, but it just felt like the right thing to do in the given moment.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” He asked, his voice breaking as he spoke.
His eyes met mine, and I immediately lowered my gaze, not wanting to see the raw pain reflected in the brown depths.
I shook my head slowly, “Not until it was done. It would have been better that way…”
“Oliver…”
“We would be free of her hold, and whoever…whatever would leave us alone!!”
“You don’t even know what they want! Who they are!!”
“I know that they want me because I’m the priest of the river goddess. We know that much. And why else would anyone want me except for her powers!!”
“I love you, Oliver. Do you understand that?!” Gabriel asked, finally closing the gap between us and taking me in his arms.
“Yes, I do,” I replied. “I love you too.”
Gabriel nodded. “Then please don’t do this,” he pleaded.
I paused and wrapped my hands tighter around him, buried my nose in his neck, allowing his scent to drift up my nose, and imprint itself in my brain.
“I’m sorry, Gabriel…” I said. “I have to try.”
Gabriel pulled away from me hard and fast, his eyes burning with anger and glistening with fresh tears. He took one last look at me and turned to leave.
“Gabriel, please don’t leave like this, my love…”
He left. I stood there and listened as he slammed the door on his way out, causing the house to vibrate with the force of his strength. I lowered my head and watched the tears flow. Amid my sorrow, the wind blew, carrying in it a voice. My ears perked and my eyes snapped up, as I struggled to pick up the voice.
The wind came again, heavier this time, and once again carried the same voice from the river. Only this time, I knew that it wasn’t the river goddess. Something else was in the water and was calling to me. I swore under my breath as the wind blew harder, I wondered if it was the same being…entity that had been in my room the other night. I wondered what it was he wanted.
My feet began to move me to the back door, towards the footpath that had become so familiar to me. And that’s when I heard it…the first ear-piercing scream. My breath caught in my throat as I looked back at the house, wondering what was happening. That scream was followed by another and then another, and then the sounds of running and growling filled the air.
I looked back at the forest, feeling the intensifying call of this entity, curiosity gnawed at my soul…but it would have to wait. And so I turned around and headed back for the house.