PART SEVEN
Once he was able to shake the assassin, he had no problems making his way back to the Mythkeeper's home and gaining access. Walking among the statues and other pieces of history, he understood where the man's power came from. It came from understanding the mysteries of the items here, carefully stacked and displayed. The man did wonder, however, if the Mythkeeper understood the power he possessed.
Careful not to move anything, or disturb the smallest detail of items, he began his search. Somewhere in the chaos of this place was the Book he sought. Somewhere was half the prize he sought. Once he obtained the Book, he would have no problem retrieving the child, the key to his success.
"So I guess that wasn't you in the Circle." Gabriel questioned Sara as she shook her head. "Interesting, I wonder who it was?" He ran a hand through his hair as he thought. "And you say in your vision, you saw Dianna as an adult?"
"With the Witchblade." Sara spoke evenly. "She must have been in her early twenties."
"Could mean something totally symbolic, in which case we would have to figure out the symbolism." Gabriel tapped his upper lip lightly with his finger in concentration. "Or it could be literal and mean the Witchblade will end up with Dianna later."
"Which means either the Witchblade finally abandons me or I am dead." Her voice was soft. "Either way I don't know that I like the outcome."
"Sara, it could also mean that you give up the Witchblade. Abandonment goes both ways." He could tell by her expression that Sara had never really thought that particular scenario was available to her.
"Miss Sara, Gabriel, look." They both turned at the small girls voice. She stood dressed in jeans and a brightly patterned shirt, complete with a leather-fringed coat. "This is so cool."
"I like it Princess." Gabriel smiled widely and glanced at Sara, whose mouth had dropped opened. "What? Don't you like it?"
"Gabriel, what have you done to that poor child?" She whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
"Miss Liz has more for me to try on. You two stay right there." Dianna turned and skipped off to try on more outfits as Gabriel simply giggled under his breath at Sara.
As he continued to search, he became more and more reckless, moving objects, knocking others over and throwing packing slips on the floor. He had already gone through the child's things once he saw that they had been unpacked. The book was nowhere to be found.
"Where is it!" He growled as he began to toss things haphazardly. "It's got to be here somewhere." He stood in the center of Gabriel's bedroom and turned in a circle. "Damn it, it has to be here!"
As he turned a second time, he noticed the chair where Gabriel has fallen asleep the night before. There, beneath and slightly behind the table next to the chair, was an open book. Taking a deep breath, he fell to his knees and crawled slowly to the object, hoping it was what he looked for. With trembling fingers he reached under the chair and felt the cool paper touch his skin. Afraid to believe he had found it, he slowly closed his hand around its cover and pulled it toward him. He closed his eyes and sat on his knees as he brought the slender book closer, then carefully he opened his eyes.
"Yes." He hissed quietly, fighting the urge to scream in triumph. "I knew I would find it." He thumbed through the white paper, covered with the neat script of Dianna's mother. "I got it after all bitch, and I'll get the girl too." Victoriously, he stood and rushed out of the room, leaving the shop and the things of history behind. He had the book, now he must plan carefully to get the child so that he could claim the power that was so rightfully his.
Ian watched Sara and Gabriel, laden with packages walk with the child back to Gabriel's shop and home. He kept to the shadows until he saw Sara stiffen and place the box she held next to the door, raising a warning hand to Gabriel. All three adults could see the gem in the bracelet brighten and dance. Dianna instinctively took a careful step back and looked at the two for protection.
"Something's wrong, isn't it Miss. Sara?" Her small voice seemed to echo in the hallway. "He's been here, hasn't he?" Tears formed in her eyes.
"Sara?" Gabriel asked as he crouched next to Dianna. "Why is it doing that?"
"I don't know Gabriel, but better let me go in first." She reached for Gabriel's key with one hand as she pulled her gun with the other.
"We go in together." Suddenly Ian could no longer stay in the shadows, hidden. He moved gracefully to Gabriel and Sara, looking softly at the little girl.
"For once, I am glad you're stalking me." Sara nodded at the dark man who waited for the door to be unlocked then follow her into the apartment. Gabriel waited with Dianna next to the door, but watched as Sara and Ian quickly and thoroughly checked each room, each counter and each place where someone could be hiding. Finally Sara turned. "All clear Gabriel." She put her gun away as he led Dianna in. Turning he made sure all the packages were inside the door, then closed and bolted it. "Looks like you had a visitor while you were gone." She pointed as the papers on the floor around the desk. "He was looking for something."
"Lilith's book!" Gabriel's eyes grew wide as he rushed into the bedroom, looking around the table and chair. "I had it last night when I fell asleep. It should be here." He moved the furniture frantically. "Damn! Where is it!"
"Gabriel." Sara moved to the younger man and caught his shoulders, turning him toward her. "Calm down or you will scare Dianna." She waited till he took several deep breaths and nodded. "Okay, if it isn't here, then whoever broke in, has it."
"Are you the man in the dream? Ian?" Dianna looked up curiously. "The one that fought the bad spirit?"
"I am." Ian knelt on one knee before Dianna.
"Thank you." She threw herself around Ian's neck, hugging him tightly as Gabriel and Sara watched in astonishment.
"I was only doing what I had too young Princess." Ian waited till she pulled back before he stood. "And I will continue to watch over you if you will let me." He turned to Gabriel. "And I will help you in any way I can, Mythkeeper." He bowed his head slightly as Gabriel nodded to him. "Then I will leave and attempt to locate the one that took what does not belong to him." He looked at Sara and Gabriel and started to leave, but stopped as he felt Dianna tug at his coat. He again knelt in front of her. "What is it young Princess."
"Stay right there. I want to give you something." She ran to the bed and reached under the pillow and pulled something out. Holding it in her hands carefully, she moved back to Ian. "Hold your hand out." She waited patiently until he did, and then placed something in his glove. "It will protect you." Slowly he brought the object to his eyes and realized it was a small pendent made of silver. "Will you take it, please?" Blinking back tears, Ian held the chain out and watched as the small dragon twirled.
"I will wear it with honor young Princess." He placed it around his neck as he stood. "Sara, I will contact you when I find him." Again he was about to leave but stopped and stared at Gabriel. "Do not let her out of your sight Mythkeeper. She is precious and has a destiny." Gabriel nodded knowingly as Ian disappeared out of the room.
"I'll go make sure the door is bolted." Sara broke away from Gabriel who had sat in the chair.
"Dianna, I am sorry he got your mother's book. I'll get it back." He noticed the child had begun to grin. "What is it? You said it was important that no one else read that book."
"I fooled him." She skipped out of the bedroom and to one of the suitcases with Gabriel following, very confused. "He thinks he's got Mommy's secret." She frowned suddenly. "Ms Lopez took away my athame." Looking around, she saw the knife that Sly had been handling and ran to it. "This one will do good."
"Dianna, be careful with that, it's sharp." Sara warned as Gabriel moved to the child. "What is an athame?"
"A ceremonial knife. Dianna, Sara's right, that's sharp, be careful with it." Gabriel sat on the floor next to the child as she again started looking in the suitcase. "What are you looking for honey?" He quickly picked up the dagger that Dianna had placed next to her legs fearing she might cut herself.
"Here it is." She pulled out a binder full of paper. "Mommy hid it here." She opened the book and pointed to the inside of the hard plastic cover. "Just cut here on the side and you'll see what I mean." She smiled and handed the book to Gabriel who noticed that there seemed to be something under the material. Carefully he took the blade from his sheath and began to slowly cut along the edge. Finally he tried to slip his fingers between the plastic and the cardboard, but found his were too big. "Here, let me." Dianna grabbed the book again and slid her tiny hand into the opening and slowly pulled out a computer disk. "See, all Mommy's secrets are on that. We went to the library and used the computer there all the time." She handed the disk to Gabriel then stood up and ran to the packages they had brought in. "I'm gonna go put these away, okay Gabriel?"
"Sure Princess." He spoke softly as he stared at the disk then at Sara. "Sara, I…"
"You know that's bound to be evidence Gabriel." Sara stared at the disk as Gabriel stood up and moved to one of the many computers that graced the shop.
"Yeah, but it's probably also the key to why that bastard killed Lilith and is trying to get Dianna. I'll be damn if I let you or anyone else take it before I find out what's on it." He looked at Sara with stern determination, his jaw locked. When she didn't move, he turned and placed the disk into one of the drives and slipped a CD into another. Typing a series of commands, he was silent as he waited. Within seconds he pulled the disk and the CD out of the drives. "Now it can be evidence." He handed the disk to Sara. "You guard that with your life." His words were more a command than a friendly request.
"What are you going to do with that?" She pointed to the CD he still held in his hand.
"I'm going to study it later." Gabriel pulled out a jewel case with the word GODSMACK on it's cover, removed the musical disk, slipped in the CD he had just burned and then replaced it amongst the hundreds of other Musical CD's that sat on the shelf.
"Godsmack, huh?" She grinned as she zipped her own disk safely into her jacket.
"Somehow it seemed appropriate." Suddenly he was smiling again with a twinkle in his eyes. "Seriously though, I have a client coming in about thirty minutes. You take that and put it in a safe place." He walked her to the door. "I'm sorry if I snapped at…"
"No apology needed Gabriel. You just take care of that child. If she is going to wear the Witchblade one day, she must be someone pretty special." She absently touched the bracelet as she looked toward the bedroom.
"Agreed." Gabriel smiled warmly. "After all, it choose you and you are very special." He waited till she was down the hall before he closed the door and bolted it. Breathing deeply he looked at the mess surrounding the desk that the intruder had made, then slowly began to straighten things before the arrival of his only client. Once he had finished with business, and put Dianna to bed, he would take the CD and study everything on it, so that he could better protect the future wielder of the Blade.
Once he was able to shake the assassin, he had no problems making his way back to the Mythkeeper's home and gaining access. Walking among the statues and other pieces of history, he understood where the man's power came from. It came from understanding the mysteries of the items here, carefully stacked and displayed. The man did wonder, however, if the Mythkeeper understood the power he possessed.
Careful not to move anything, or disturb the smallest detail of items, he began his search. Somewhere in the chaos of this place was the Book he sought. Somewhere was half the prize he sought. Once he obtained the Book, he would have no problem retrieving the child, the key to his success.
"So I guess that wasn't you in the Circle." Gabriel questioned Sara as she shook her head. "Interesting, I wonder who it was?" He ran a hand through his hair as he thought. "And you say in your vision, you saw Dianna as an adult?"
"With the Witchblade." Sara spoke evenly. "She must have been in her early twenties."
"Could mean something totally symbolic, in which case we would have to figure out the symbolism." Gabriel tapped his upper lip lightly with his finger in concentration. "Or it could be literal and mean the Witchblade will end up with Dianna later."
"Which means either the Witchblade finally abandons me or I am dead." Her voice was soft. "Either way I don't know that I like the outcome."
"Sara, it could also mean that you give up the Witchblade. Abandonment goes both ways." He could tell by her expression that Sara had never really thought that particular scenario was available to her.
"Miss Sara, Gabriel, look." They both turned at the small girls voice. She stood dressed in jeans and a brightly patterned shirt, complete with a leather-fringed coat. "This is so cool."
"I like it Princess." Gabriel smiled widely and glanced at Sara, whose mouth had dropped opened. "What? Don't you like it?"
"Gabriel, what have you done to that poor child?" She whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
"Miss Liz has more for me to try on. You two stay right there." Dianna turned and skipped off to try on more outfits as Gabriel simply giggled under his breath at Sara.
As he continued to search, he became more and more reckless, moving objects, knocking others over and throwing packing slips on the floor. He had already gone through the child's things once he saw that they had been unpacked. The book was nowhere to be found.
"Where is it!" He growled as he began to toss things haphazardly. "It's got to be here somewhere." He stood in the center of Gabriel's bedroom and turned in a circle. "Damn it, it has to be here!"
As he turned a second time, he noticed the chair where Gabriel has fallen asleep the night before. There, beneath and slightly behind the table next to the chair, was an open book. Taking a deep breath, he fell to his knees and crawled slowly to the object, hoping it was what he looked for. With trembling fingers he reached under the chair and felt the cool paper touch his skin. Afraid to believe he had found it, he slowly closed his hand around its cover and pulled it toward him. He closed his eyes and sat on his knees as he brought the slender book closer, then carefully he opened his eyes.
"Yes." He hissed quietly, fighting the urge to scream in triumph. "I knew I would find it." He thumbed through the white paper, covered with the neat script of Dianna's mother. "I got it after all bitch, and I'll get the girl too." Victoriously, he stood and rushed out of the room, leaving the shop and the things of history behind. He had the book, now he must plan carefully to get the child so that he could claim the power that was so rightfully his.
Ian watched Sara and Gabriel, laden with packages walk with the child back to Gabriel's shop and home. He kept to the shadows until he saw Sara stiffen and place the box she held next to the door, raising a warning hand to Gabriel. All three adults could see the gem in the bracelet brighten and dance. Dianna instinctively took a careful step back and looked at the two for protection.
"Something's wrong, isn't it Miss. Sara?" Her small voice seemed to echo in the hallway. "He's been here, hasn't he?" Tears formed in her eyes.
"Sara?" Gabriel asked as he crouched next to Dianna. "Why is it doing that?"
"I don't know Gabriel, but better let me go in first." She reached for Gabriel's key with one hand as she pulled her gun with the other.
"We go in together." Suddenly Ian could no longer stay in the shadows, hidden. He moved gracefully to Gabriel and Sara, looking softly at the little girl.
"For once, I am glad you're stalking me." Sara nodded at the dark man who waited for the door to be unlocked then follow her into the apartment. Gabriel waited with Dianna next to the door, but watched as Sara and Ian quickly and thoroughly checked each room, each counter and each place where someone could be hiding. Finally Sara turned. "All clear Gabriel." She put her gun away as he led Dianna in. Turning he made sure all the packages were inside the door, then closed and bolted it. "Looks like you had a visitor while you were gone." She pointed as the papers on the floor around the desk. "He was looking for something."
"Lilith's book!" Gabriel's eyes grew wide as he rushed into the bedroom, looking around the table and chair. "I had it last night when I fell asleep. It should be here." He moved the furniture frantically. "Damn! Where is it!"
"Gabriel." Sara moved to the younger man and caught his shoulders, turning him toward her. "Calm down or you will scare Dianna." She waited till he took several deep breaths and nodded. "Okay, if it isn't here, then whoever broke in, has it."
"Are you the man in the dream? Ian?" Dianna looked up curiously. "The one that fought the bad spirit?"
"I am." Ian knelt on one knee before Dianna.
"Thank you." She threw herself around Ian's neck, hugging him tightly as Gabriel and Sara watched in astonishment.
"I was only doing what I had too young Princess." Ian waited till she pulled back before he stood. "And I will continue to watch over you if you will let me." He turned to Gabriel. "And I will help you in any way I can, Mythkeeper." He bowed his head slightly as Gabriel nodded to him. "Then I will leave and attempt to locate the one that took what does not belong to him." He looked at Sara and Gabriel and started to leave, but stopped as he felt Dianna tug at his coat. He again knelt in front of her. "What is it young Princess."
"Stay right there. I want to give you something." She ran to the bed and reached under the pillow and pulled something out. Holding it in her hands carefully, she moved back to Ian. "Hold your hand out." She waited patiently until he did, and then placed something in his glove. "It will protect you." Slowly he brought the object to his eyes and realized it was a small pendent made of silver. "Will you take it, please?" Blinking back tears, Ian held the chain out and watched as the small dragon twirled.
"I will wear it with honor young Princess." He placed it around his neck as he stood. "Sara, I will contact you when I find him." Again he was about to leave but stopped and stared at Gabriel. "Do not let her out of your sight Mythkeeper. She is precious and has a destiny." Gabriel nodded knowingly as Ian disappeared out of the room.
"I'll go make sure the door is bolted." Sara broke away from Gabriel who had sat in the chair.
"Dianna, I am sorry he got your mother's book. I'll get it back." He noticed the child had begun to grin. "What is it? You said it was important that no one else read that book."
"I fooled him." She skipped out of the bedroom and to one of the suitcases with Gabriel following, very confused. "He thinks he's got Mommy's secret." She frowned suddenly. "Ms Lopez took away my athame." Looking around, she saw the knife that Sly had been handling and ran to it. "This one will do good."
"Dianna, be careful with that, it's sharp." Sara warned as Gabriel moved to the child. "What is an athame?"
"A ceremonial knife. Dianna, Sara's right, that's sharp, be careful with it." Gabriel sat on the floor next to the child as she again started looking in the suitcase. "What are you looking for honey?" He quickly picked up the dagger that Dianna had placed next to her legs fearing she might cut herself.
"Here it is." She pulled out a binder full of paper. "Mommy hid it here." She opened the book and pointed to the inside of the hard plastic cover. "Just cut here on the side and you'll see what I mean." She smiled and handed the book to Gabriel who noticed that there seemed to be something under the material. Carefully he took the blade from his sheath and began to slowly cut along the edge. Finally he tried to slip his fingers between the plastic and the cardboard, but found his were too big. "Here, let me." Dianna grabbed the book again and slid her tiny hand into the opening and slowly pulled out a computer disk. "See, all Mommy's secrets are on that. We went to the library and used the computer there all the time." She handed the disk to Gabriel then stood up and ran to the packages they had brought in. "I'm gonna go put these away, okay Gabriel?"
"Sure Princess." He spoke softly as he stared at the disk then at Sara. "Sara, I…"
"You know that's bound to be evidence Gabriel." Sara stared at the disk as Gabriel stood up and moved to one of the many computers that graced the shop.
"Yeah, but it's probably also the key to why that bastard killed Lilith and is trying to get Dianna. I'll be damn if I let you or anyone else take it before I find out what's on it." He looked at Sara with stern determination, his jaw locked. When she didn't move, he turned and placed the disk into one of the drives and slipped a CD into another. Typing a series of commands, he was silent as he waited. Within seconds he pulled the disk and the CD out of the drives. "Now it can be evidence." He handed the disk to Sara. "You guard that with your life." His words were more a command than a friendly request.
"What are you going to do with that?" She pointed to the CD he still held in his hand.
"I'm going to study it later." Gabriel pulled out a jewel case with the word GODSMACK on it's cover, removed the musical disk, slipped in the CD he had just burned and then replaced it amongst the hundreds of other Musical CD's that sat on the shelf.
"Godsmack, huh?" She grinned as she zipped her own disk safely into her jacket.
"Somehow it seemed appropriate." Suddenly he was smiling again with a twinkle in his eyes. "Seriously though, I have a client coming in about thirty minutes. You take that and put it in a safe place." He walked her to the door. "I'm sorry if I snapped at…"
"No apology needed Gabriel. You just take care of that child. If she is going to wear the Witchblade one day, she must be someone pretty special." She absently touched the bracelet as she looked toward the bedroom.
"Agreed." Gabriel smiled warmly. "After all, it choose you and you are very special." He waited till she was down the hall before he closed the door and bolted it. Breathing deeply he looked at the mess surrounding the desk that the intruder had made, then slowly began to straighten things before the arrival of his only client. Once he had finished with business, and put Dianna to bed, he would take the CD and study everything on it, so that he could better protect the future wielder of the Blade.