Daniel Taylor and the Scepter of Power (eBook)

“It’s a trap, no doubt about it!” James cried, running his hand frantically through his hair as he handed Vanessa’s letter back to Anne. “Damn it, if only we knew where she’s gone!”

Anne had seen Vanessa slipping something into her mailbox and then riding off on her bike. Ever since Daniel’s disappearance, Anne had gotten into the habit of standing at the kitchen window and staring at the driveway, often for hours at a time, in the hope that Danny might suddenly come walking down the street. She still couldn’t quite accept the idea that her adopted son was half demon and had run off to the underworld. It all sounded too crazy. If James hadn’t shown her how he could summon energy in the palm of his hand and translocate, she never would have believed a word of it.

“I’m going over to the Barkley’s,” Anne decided. She had to know where Vanessa was planning to meet Daniel. “I can’t stand the uncertainty any longer!”

She went to the door, but James ran after her and took her by the shoulders. “What are you going to tell Vanessa’s parents?”

“Leave that to me,” Anne replied softly, squeezing his arm. She was happy that James was there with her; he gave her the support she so badly needed in this difficult time. And he was just as worried about his son as she was. “We’ll get through this,” she said, close to tears, and put a hand on his cheek. When she looked into James’ eyes, she saw Daniel. But she also saw the man in James — a man she had always felt attracted to — and his own private grief. They had gotten very close over the past few days, although Anne had at first been hurt to learn that her ex-husband Peter had known the truth about Daniel’s parentage from the beginning, while James had kept her in the dark. James, her best friend from kindergarten on, had deceived her. However, now she understood: He had taken everything on himself to protect Anne, as well as his son. Anne didn’t want to imagine how difficult it must have been for him to leave his son behind.

James embraced her and held her tight. He stroked her back and whispered into her ear, “I’m sorry. For everything. Seeing you so unhappy, it …”

“Shhh.” She put a finger to his lips. “Stop apologizing. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

She almost gasped when James hesitantly kissed her. The warmth of his body, his scent — it simultaneously confused and elated her. If her life had taken a different path, if she had been James’ wife … Dear God, what kinds of thoughts were these?

His soft lips pressed into hers yet again, and then the wonderful moment had passed.

“Please hurry,” he said in a raw voice as he released his grip on her.

Weak in the knees and dazed from the kiss, Anne walked over to her neighbors’ house, a little relieved that James hadn’t come with her. The Barkleys didn’t know him, and Anne could do without rumors flying about. The Barkleys would never speak badly about her behind her back — Anne knew them to be good people — but it was probably still better this way. If other neighbors saw her together with James, they would inevitably conclude that there was a new man in her life.

Suddenly, anger welled up inside of her. Why not? Why shouldn’t she have a boyfriend? After all, she was the one who had been abandoned!

Her heart was beating wildly. James and I … Anne didn’t even dare to entertain the idea, despite having obsessed over it for a good part of her life. Did he even want to be with her? What did she really know about him, except that he had been a watcher and possessed those strange abilities? Would they make a good couple? She was just a normal, human woman. There was also the fear of committing to someone new and ending up disappointed again.

That definitely hadn’t been just a friendly kiss — her lips were still burning. And that tightening sensation behind her sternum … Oh, dear, was she about to fall in love with James all over again?

She shook her head as though that might help shake off her confusion, and then she rang the Barkley’s doorbell.

When Mr. Barkley opened the door, he adjusted his glasses and raised his eyebrows. “Anne?”

“Hello, Richard, I’m sorry to disturb you so late, but could I speak with Vanessa for a minute? Daniel’s still sick, and I don’t want him to miss anything important in his classes. Maybe Vanessa can tell me what material is being covered this week.” This was a pretty good fib, Anne thought. She had in fact called in sick for Daniel, and Vanessa had told her parents the same story.

Anne had also taken a short leave of absence from her job at Peak Hill Hospital; in her current state, she couldn’t possibly focus on her work.

Richard stepped aside. “Of course, Anne, come in. Vanessa’s in her room.”

The Barkleys evidently had no idea that their daughter wasn’t at home.

“How’s Daniel doing?” Brenda had come into the foyer to greet Anne.

“A little better, but the flu has really taken a lot out of him.” Anne’s heart sank. She didn’t like lying to Brenda; over the years, they had become good friends.

“Vanessa!” Richard called up the stairs, so loudly that Anne flinched. “Could you come down here for a minute? Anne’s here!”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. I can go up there myself,” Anne hurriedly inserted.

Richard nodded, and Anne hastened up the stairs. She found her way easily, since she always house-sat when the Barkleys went on vacation.

Once upstairs, she ran straight into Vanessa’s room. The furnishings in the Barkley’s house had remained largely the same over the last fifteen years, but Vanessa had changed her room as she grew up. Anne remembered that the walls had once been covered in posters of rock stars, and there used to be mountains of stuffed animals on her bed. The posters were gone now, and there were plants adorning the little room instead of toys. Daniel’s room was still blighted by the threadbare light-blue carpet from his childhood days, but Nessa had gotten her parents to put in a hardwood floor. Richard and Brenda had good jobs and could afford such luxuries, although they rarely showed off their wealth; Vanessa had to fight to get her pocket money, and any special requests had to be justified on solid grounds.

Sighing, Anne looked around the room. There, on the desk! Her heart leapt for joy as she read the note — the message was clearly from Daniel. Vanessa must have forgotten it on the desk, or perhaps she had purposefully left it there so that her parents would know where to look for her if she didn’t come back.

“Oh, why didn’t you tell me?” Anne muttered as she ran out of the room. She said goodbye to the Barkleys as quickly and discreetly as possible and hurried back to James. Her heart was heavy with worry — why hadn’t Daniel come to see her?

“Nessa, stop kicking me!” someone hissed in her ear.

She immediately froze in place. The hand was removed from her mouth, and the arm around her chest loosened its grip so that she could turn around.

“Danny!” Sobbing, she threw her arms around Daniel’s neck and hugged him tightly. “You scared me to death!” She buried her tear-stained face in his shoulder. She couldn’t stop crying. Her relief at seeing him was overwhelming. She took a deep breath and was shocked to realize that his scent had changed. It wasn’t unpleasant … just different. Darker.

Daniel appeared to have changed in other ways as well. Instead of warmly greeting her, he just stood there, stock still.

Vanessa raised her head and put a hand to his cheek. It felt cold. Danny seemed to have grown even paler, and his face stood out from the surrounding darkness. Vanessa had so many questions for him, but she didn’t know where to start. “Are you okay?”

Daniel just nodded, his face rigid. He looked her in the eyes intently.

“Where have you been all this time? In the underworld?”

“Hmmm,” he growled, scratching his head. Then he squeezed his eyes shut as though he had a headache. “How long have I been gone?”

“Over a week!”

“Is that all?” Daniel’s eyes widened. “It felt like much longer.”

“For me, too,” sighed Vanessa, still clinging to him tightly. “Thanksgiving break is over. Everyone’s been asking about you, and you know what a bad liar I am.” She never wanted to let him go. Everything that had come between them was forgotten. She was just happy that he was alive and had returned.

“Time must function differently in the underworld,” Daniel murmured into her hair.

Vanessa sighed. Hadn’t he missed her at all? “Are you going to stay up here?” she ventured to ask, even though she already knew the answer. Daniel had changed; she could sense that with every fiber of her being.

“No. I came because I have a task to complete.”

The scepter … So the demons had already brainwashed him? She looked up at him. “What kind of task?” she asked, just to make sure. She felt an inner tension, like her body was crying out in pain. He was leaving her again? And why was his voice so cold?

“It’s...