Chapter One Hundred & Nineteen

Gavin hung up the phone. It immediately started ringing again. “You won’t see the shadow room or Eudom. So don’t suggest it again.” Blunt. That’s what he was good for. It’s why Bram appreciated him. “If you have something to say, say it. I’m out of time.”

“You should ask Bram’s pretty little mate. She was Corvino’s daughter. He had to have told her something. If anyone knew about the Templars, it was him.”

“Sorry, Scarlet, but you’re an idiot. You think if she had half an idea I would be talking to you? Izabella is beside herself with worry about your son, something you don’t even seem to care about.” He hung up a third time. Tossing his phone across the room. It shattered into a dozen pieces.

Izabella cocked her head. When her phone started ringing a moment later, Gavin took it. “Leave us alone.”

“Don’t hang up. She can help him. Izabella’s a unicorn. Her blood will do him a million times better than anything else. It’s probably why he’s holding on as well as he has. That’s assuming he’s fed off her. For his kind, it’s the best possible cure-all. Unicorns have untold potential.” Scarlet rambled quickly. Gavin bit his lip, looking over at Izabella.

Sighing heavily, he said, “Thank you for that. I’ll relay the message. Is there anything else? I have to go.”

“Let me talk to my daughter.” Scarlet demanded.

Gavin chuckled, clicking the phone off and throwing it away. Pulling out his spare, he sent a text. At the same time, Tyler was walking back in the room. “So, someone from X-BUY will be coming by today with a new phone for you. Scarlet’s number will be loaded in it, but she won’t have yours. You can reach her, but don’t let her near Eudom.”

Izabella nodded. “I won’t. Eudom's always been afraid of her. I think that’s how Vlad ended up with that shadow cloak.” Fidgeting, she messed with Bram’s hair. "Eudom's family was used in the making. They were so happy to get it back.”

“You get to see a completely different side of them, don’t you?” Gavin smiled. He knew it was true. Gavin had been lucky enough to see it too.

“It’s not openly shared, but those who get to see it are blessed.” She smiled, “At least I think so. They’re so sweet. I never had a mother, and they knew my father better than I did. It’s like having a mother hen watching over me. I’m not unhappy with their involvement.”

“Me either.” Gavin smiled. Looking up at Tyler, he asked, “Did you bring Eudom some water?”

Shaking his head, he held up the blankets. “No. Scarlet called and yelled at me. Then I went and got these.”

“Can I see your phone please?” When Tyler handed it to Gavin and he tossed it across the room, smashing it, Tyler looked at him. Clearly no idea what was going on. “Don’t talk to Scarlet. She’s going to try to get us to sell Eudom out. She’ll promise to help Bram, but she’ll kill Eudom. Bram doesn't stand a chance without them, so…”

“We won’t hurt him.” Izabella touched Gavin’s arm. “That was one thing Bram made clear. He wanted Eudom and you to be safe. No matter what.” She looked at Tyler. “That doesn’t mean he didn’t want us safe, of course.” She looked down. Bram was still sleeping. Though not soundly. As she pressed his hair back, he calmed. “He said you could make the difference. That means I’ll do whatever you want.”

“I’m going to go try to find what I can from the shadow room. I want you and Tyler to take care of Bram and Eudom.” Though Tyler flinched, Izabella didn’t. And she was the one Gavin trusted more anyway. Tyler would do as she said. He liked to look like he was in charge, but didn’t actually like taking the reins. “How long have you known? Cause I would have been great to not have it dumped on me at the last moment.”

“I found out last night. He wanted to talk to Bram next. I was supposed to talk to you. I’m sorry. But wishing I had more time doesn’t make it so.” Izabella looked away. “I’m so sorry this comes down on you, Gavin. But, I don’t know…I don’t.” She covered her face. Again, Gavin moved in, holding her close. He got it. Right now he felt the same way. He knew Tyler could feel it too.

Holding her to his shoulder, Gavin rubbed her back. Sometimes her hair. “I don’t blame you for anything. Don’t cry. We’ll get through this. I have to go though. I’m sorry.” As he walked by Tyler, he leaned in, giving him a brief kiss on the cheek. “I love you. See you soon.”

******

Soon didn’t come soon enough. Gavin was gone for more than four days. Bram was getting weaker and weaker. Izabella fed him. Not only from herself, but Millie brough him something too. But it just wasn’t enough. A pain had started to grow behind her heart, and she knew Bram’s was weakening in a very dangerous way. All she could do was check with Eudom to see if there was anything she could help with. Anything she could do for him. And wait.

Izabella was grateful for the few hours of sleep she got by his side when he was doing well. She’d hired an emergency nanny. Each of the kids knew what to do in an emergency, but she wouldn’t leave the bedroom. And the kids couldn’t just take care of themselves. The kids came in often. Especially Devon.

When Gavin finally came skidding into the room holding a piece of paper, Izabella bounced up excitedly. “Did you find something?”

Rubbing his eyes, he immediately hunkered down to sit beside her. Tyler was on Bram's other side, leaning over to try to see. Unfolding the paper, he looked at Izabella. “You don’t happen to know how to speak Latin, do you?”

“Not fluently, but enough to get by. I can recite a number of prayers in Latin.” She looked over the paper. Touching it with her fingers. “This talks about a staff?”

Gavin nodded. “Eudom said that it was a staff your father kept close to him. It was nothing but carved wood. Simple and unassuming in its nature. I can’t find it in the shadow room though. He thought it might still be in the church. I need to find the ruin to make it work too. Here,” he pointed to a prominent line on the handwritten page. "It states that the answer can be found in the protectors tome. I have looked all through the books down in the room, and found no protectors tome. Eudom thought it might be referring to the journals your father kept. Do you know where we could find those?”

Izabella shook her head. “No. I don’t have it. But I know where to get it. Dad kept a huge book in my library. It was always kept in a locked box. He said that there may come a day I would need it. And that his friend would be able to help me unlock it. The church has been trying to get into that box since he passed. No one knows how.” She looked up at him and smiled. They both nodded at each other, it was clear who his friend was. “Thank you for doing this, Gavin. I suppose it’s my turn to go get what we need now.” She leaned forward, hugging him. “You rest now. I’m going to go see Eudom.”

Gavin nodded, rubbing Izabella’s back. “I’m going to go lay down. I think my eyes are bleeding from trying to read everything in the dark. No matter how many candles I lit, even when Eudom left me in the room alone, it was never bright. I know my eyes work in the dark, but trying to read isn’t easy.” He leaned back, relaxing a little. He pat Bram’s shoulder. “We’re getting closer. Hopefully we’ll have you healed up quickly.”

Izabella leaned down, kissing Bram’s lips gently. “I’m going to go find what we need. I’ll be back as soon as I can, my love. Tyler, you’ll wait with him while I’m gone?”

Tyler nodded, “Of course I will. Izabella, the church isn’t exactly going to be safe for you. Please, be careful. After everything…” she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his temple.

“I’ll be careful. I’ll do anything for Bram. I’ll be back before you guys know it. If anyone can sneak around that church, it’s me.” She winked. “And, it’s late already. So, it should be quiet by now. I can’t imagine Pastor Tom stays awake past midnight.” Sweeping from the room, she ran up to the attic where Eudom dozed off in the corner. As she stepped into the room though, his face came up to smile at her.

“You figured that out quickly, my Izzy.” He was looking worse for the wear, and she felt awful about it. He had gotten pierced with the same weapon, and had continued to work to help the with Bram.

Kneeling in front of him, she rested her arms over his lap. “Eudom, I need your permission to use the ring to get to the shadow room. From there, I’m going to go through the church and find the items I need to help you and Bram. Then I’ll go back to the room and use the ring to leave. Is that okay?” She asked, looking up at him. His hand smoothed her hair, like a mother comforting a child.

He nodded, “Just don’t mess it up. Make sure you don’t use them out of turn. It will not end well.”

“I won’t. I just didn’t want you to be surprised or angry with me. I know you’re tired. Rest. Hopefully we’ll get you taken care of soon.” Pushing back their hood, Eudom blinked up at her as she rubbed their bald head and kissed the top of it. Eudom practically purred. They loved getting attention from her. “I’ll be back soon.” Clicking on the ring they gave her, she was swept up into the shadows and dropped into the room. She was becoming comfortable enough with the strange feeling that she was able to land on her feet, though it still made her dizzy enough. Looking around, she saw the dagger Gabe had used on Bram. It had been picked up from the floor and placed on one of the shelves. She would bring it back with her, just to make sure the item itself wasn’t needed. There was a nagging in the back of her mind that told her she would need it.

Climbing onto one of the stools, she removed the books hiding the exit and clicked out the password. Once again, she was swept through the shadows into her father’s old office. Easy-peasy. The room was dark and her father’s cane, technically now Pastor Tom’s, sat in the corner of the room. Grabbing it, she brought it to the corner of the room where she would make good her escape. She knew the upper levels of the church were in ruin, and that was the only thing that made her nervous. Where was Tom staying if his room was one of the many destroyed in the fire? That was the question right now. Slipping from her dad’s office, she only had to make it to the end of the hall.

Her phone blared with an emergency warning. Fumbling for her phone, she dropped it just as she clicked it off. Snatching the phone from the floor, she dove into the library where she could only pray no heard her.

***

**Hope you're all enjoying the story. Happy Reading. Little Miss Izabella is good at getting herself in more trouble than she should. Question is, what's so important that someone would contact her knowing she was sneaking through the church? Drop a line if you think you know. ;)**