Cast of Characters
Warlocks
Mark Glassner -- Mary Sullivan
Sex Slaves "The Sluts"
Alison -- Desiree Fitzsimmons -- Xiu -- Korina-- Violet -- Lillian -- Chastity (deceased) -- Karen (deceased) -- Jessica St. Pierre -- April
Servants
Samnag "Sam" (Holy Vizier) -- Candy (Sam's Girlfriend) -- Dr. Willow WolfTail -- 51 (Chief Bodyguard) -- Rachel -- Leah (Chauffeur) -- Jacob -- Monique -- Lize -- Lynda (Pilot) -- Joslyn (Pilot)
The Living Church
Daisy & Rose Cunningham (High Priestesses)
Demons
Lucifer -- Lilith -- Marduk -- Molech
The Cult of Lilith
Lana -- Chantelle -- Babylon -- Crystal -- Starlight -- Nurse Thamina -- Fiona -- Tir (monster) -- Lamia (Monster) -- Cora (monster) -- Ziki (monster) -- Luka (monster)
Sisters of Mary Magdalene
Mother Superior MaryΔm -- Archangel Gabriel -- Dominion Ramiel (Angel) -- Doug Allard -- Tina Allard -- Azrael (Angel)
Other
Antsy (Mark's Sister) -- Alice -- Sandy (Mark's Mother) -- Sean (Mary's Father) -- Tiffany (Mary's Mother, Sister Theodora Mariam) -- Shannon (Mary's Older Sister) -- Missy (Mary's Younger Sister) -- George (Shannon's Fiance)-- Damien (Missy's Boyfriend) -- Avialle (Antsy's Girlfriend) -- Agent Noel Heinrich, FBI (Former Slut) -- Craig Erikson (Mayor of Seattle)
Chapter One
And like the brave Holy Vizier, accompanied by her faithful lover Candy, we too must walk into the darkness unafraid. No matter the dangers that await us, know that our Living Gods watch over us, love us, and protect us so long as we do not give in to despair.
--The Epistle of Isabel to the Faithful 1:4-5
Tuesday, October 1st, 2013 - Sam Soun - New York City
"Now boarding British Air Flight 482 for London's Heathrow Airport," a calm, feminine voice announced over the loudspeaker.
That sounded important, the rational, thinking part of my mind told me. But I was too tired to care. I didn't sleep at all over the weekend. How could I when my very life rested on Mark and Mary overcoming Brandon's seemingly insurmountable forces? And despite trying to sleep on the flight from Seattle to New York's LaGuardia Airport, I couldn't. Mary's mysterious command plagued me.
Mark and I need you to do something that is very important,
Mary had said to me last night.
Go to the Motherhouse in Rennes-le-ChΓ’teau. In the basement, you will find a room. Study it carefully. I need you to reconstruct it perfectly here at the hotel.
I was so curious. What was this mysterious room that was so important I had to leave immediately to investigate? Could it be a
Matmown?
The Magicks of the Witch of Endor spoke of something called "Hidden Rooms," places where spiritual beings could not see into. Angels, Demons, Spirits. None of them could so much as enter one of these rooms. But the book didn't explain how to make one.
I shifted as I dozed, my rational brain still crying at me, intruding on the fuzzy darkness sagging on my mind. I appeared to have fallen asleep while waiting for our flight to Toulouse, France, with a layover in London. Despite how uncomfortable the plastic chairs in the airport's terminal were, I had drifted off to sleep.
That announcement was important. But so was sleeping.
Someone shook my shoulder, fingers gripping me. A voice whispered, calling my name, speaking with some urgency. I knew that voice. That voice was important to me. Someone special. Someone I probably should listen to.
Candy, my half-asleep mind realized. My lovely and vivacious toy.
"What," I muttered in irritation. "Trying to sleep."
"Our flight is boarding," Candy urged. "C'mon, Sam."
"Fine," I groaned.
My eyes came awake, feeling sandy from the half-doze. My thoughts were still sluggish as I stared around the terminal. There were other people rising, gathering their carry-on bags, happy to be traveling again now that the ban had been lifted last night. If we weren't servants of the new rulers of America, we would have had trouble getting on this flight.
"Let's go, Sam," Candy said, grabbing my hand and pulling on it.
I didn't resist. I let Candy drag me to my feet.
She maneuvered me as I shuffled through the boarding procedures, holding onto my hips. I was so damned tired. Since we were in First Class, we were in the first group to board. The First Class tickets were expensive, but I wasn't paying for them, and Mark and Mary sure could afford to. They gave me a credit card months ago to use for any expenses I needed.
We handed our boarding passes to the gate agent, who smiled at me. I wondered if she was under Mark and Mary's power. And if she wasn't, what did she think of the new "gods" ruling America, setting up their own Theocracy? They planned on ruling the world, making sure that no other warlocks like Brandon Fitzsimmons could ever challenge them again.
And since my life, through the
Zimmah
bond, was tied directly to theirs, it was a goal I supported. If Mark died, I would die. And so would Candy, the sluts, the bodyguards, and all their other close servants. The spell protected us from being dominated by any Nuns or other magics, so we couldn't be used as weapons against them. Thanks to their wishes, we gained the same healthy, youthful, long lives that they possessed through the bond.
Candy and I would never age.
And it gave me access to the most fascinating subject I had ever studied--Magic. I was an undergraduate student at NYU in Ancient Semitics. I loved old languages. I spoke more than a dozen extinct tongues. And now, to learn that many of the ancient beliefs in gods, angels, and demons were true, that there were real magicians, and that I was one of them, was so exciting.
I couldn't wait to get to France.