Chapter 65 – Mara's Warning
The road stretched north through a forest of dead trees.
No leaves.
No birds.
No sound except their footsteps pressing into the frozen ground.
Kael walked near the back of the group, still adjusting to traveling with Xcution.
He didn't speak much.
But he no longer looked at them with suspicion.
That was progress.
Brook walked ahead with Henry.
Henry glanced back.
"He's starting to fit in."
Brook looked at Kael.
"Yeah."
"Still hates Watchmen."
"Can't blame him."
Henry nodded.
Brook looked down at his hand.
The white mark appeared.
He stared at it.
Then closed his fist.
Gone.
Henry noticed.
"You've been using it less."
Brook nodded.
"I'm trying to."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to depend on it."
Henry smiled.
"Good."
Brook looked at him.
"You really like agreeing with Michael."
"I haven't met him."
"Yet."
Henry laughed.
The forest became darker as they continued.
Crowley eventually raised his hand.
"Stop."
Everyone stopped.
Kael looked around.
"What?"
Crowley pointed toward the ground.
Footprints.
Several.
Fresh.
Henry crouched.
"How many?"
"Four."
Elias looked toward the trees.
"Watchmen?"
Crowley shook his head.
"No."
Brook looked at him.
"How do you know?"
Crowley didn't answer.
Brook sighed.
"Of course."
Crowley looked at him.
"You're learning."
Brook smiled.
"That phrase is starting to annoy me."
Sera laughed.
Then she noticed something.
"These footprints aren't human."
Everyone looked down.
The footprints were long and narrow.
Three toes.
Deep impressions in the snow.
Kael stepped backward.
"What made those?"
Crowley drew his sword.
"We don't know."
A branch snapped.
Everyone turned.
Nothing.
Another snap.
Closer.
Brook's hand moved toward his weapon.
Then a voice came from the trees.
"Brook."
He froze.
The voice was familiar.
Not Michael.
Not Lucifer.
A woman stepped from behind the trees.
Long dark hair.
Dark coat.
Calm expression.
Brook's eyes widened.
"Mara."
Henry immediately drew his sword.
Sera raised her hands.
Crowley didn't move.
Mara looked at them.
"You've gotten more people."
Brook lowered his weapon slightly.
"How did you find us?"
"I didn't."
She glanced toward the forest.
"They found you."
Brook frowned.
"Who?"
Mara looked at the footprints.
"Not who."
She paused.
"What."
Crowley stepped forward.
"You knew this was coming."
Mara looked at him.
"I suspected."
Crowley narrowed his eyes.
"That's not an answer."
Mara smiled.
"You sound like Brook."
Brook looked between them.
"Can someone explain what's happening?"
Mara turned toward him.
"You need to leave this forest."
Brook frowned.
"Why?"
"Because something is hunting you."
Henry looked around.
"What?"
Mara didn't answer.
Brook stepped closer.
"You always do this."
"Do what?"
"Show up, tell us something terrible is coming, then refuse to explain."
Mara smiled faintly.
"Because if I explained everything, you'd stop thinking."
Brook sighed.
"You're impossible."
"Perhaps."
Mara looked at him carefully.
Then her expression changed.
"You've opened the first Source."
Brook nodded.
"Partially."
Mara stepped closer.
She examined his eyes.
"Michael has begun testing you."
Brook frowned.
"How do you know?"
"Because you look different."
Brook looked at Henry.
"What does that mean?"
Mara answered:
"You're becoming more disciplined."
Brook smiled.
"That's a good thing."
"Usually."
Her expression became serious.
"But discipline isn't the same as control."
Brook's smile faded.
"I'm working on it."
"I know."
Mara looked toward the trees.
"That's why I'm here."
They moved deeper into the forest.
Mara walked with them.
Brook stayed beside her.
"You know something about Michael."
"Yes."
"How much?"
"Enough."
Brook sighed.
"There it is again."
Mara smiled.
"You really hate that answer."
"Yes."
"Good."
Brook looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because eventually you'll stop asking people for answers."
She pointed toward him.
"And start finding them yourself."
Brook thought about that.
"Fair."
They continued.
After several minutes, Mara stopped.
Everyone stopped with her.
She pointed toward the trees.
"Don't cross that line."
Brook looked down.
A faint black line ran across the snow.
"What is it?"
"A boundary."
"For what?"
Mara looked at him.
"A place that remembers."
Henry frowned.
"That doesn't make sense."
Mara looked at him.
"Neither does Brook."
Henry went quiet.
Brook smiled.
"She's got you there."
Henry shook his head.
"I don't like her."
Mara smiled.
"Good."
They went around the boundary.
Brook kept looking at it.
He could feel the third Source reacting.
Death.
Not strongly.
But enough.
Mara noticed.
"You felt it."
Brook nodded.
"Death."
"Yes."
"What's beyond that line?"
Mara didn't answer.
Brook stared at her.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Yes."
"Can we fight it?"
"No."
Brook frowned.
"Why?"
"Because you don't fight everything."
Michael's words echoed in Brook's mind.
Power is not what you do to others.
Brook looked at Mara.
"You and Michael talk?"
Mara smiled.
"No."
"Then how do you know what he teaches?"
"Because I've known people like him."
Brook looked toward the trees.
"Like who?"
Mara didn't answer.
They reached a small clearing.
Mara stopped.
"We're safe here."
Crowley looked around.
"For how long?"
Mara glanced at him.
"Until sunset."
Crowley frowned.
"Then?"
"You leave."
Brook looked at her.
"Where?"
"North."
"That's where we're already going."
"Further."
Brook stared.
"Why?"
Mara's expression changed.
"Because something is coming south."
Elias looked toward the forest.
"What?"
Mara answered quietly:
"Men."
Henry drew his sword.
"Watchmen?"
Mara shook her head.
"No."
"Then who?"
Mara looked at Brook.
"People who don't want you dead."
Brook's expression changed.
"What do they want?"
Mara answered:
"To take you alive."
Silence.
Brook looked at Crowley.
Crowley was already preparing his weapon.
Mara continued.
"Don't fight them."
Henry frowned.
"What?"
"Don't fight."
Sera looked confused.
"Why?"
Mara looked at Brook.
"Because that's what they want."
Brook stared.
"They want me to fight."
"No."
Mara's voice became quiet.
"They want to see what you can do."
Brook's expression hardened.
"They're testing me?"
"Yes."
Mara looked toward the mountains.
"And if they learn what Michael has taught you…"
She paused.
"…they'll know how to kill you."
The forest suddenly became silent.
Mara looked up.
"They're here."
Brook drew his sword.
Mara grabbed his wrist.
"No."
Brook looked at her.
"You told me not to fight."
"Not yet."
"What do we do?"
"Wait."
Brook hated that answer.
But he listened.
Seconds passed.
Then footsteps.
Four men entered the clearing.
They wore plain clothes.
No armor.
No insignia.
No weapons visible.
The first man smiled.
"Brook."
Brook stared.
"Who are you?"
The man looked at Mara.
"You're making this difficult."
Mara stepped forward.
"Leave."
The man laughed.
"You know we can't."
Mara's expression hardened.
"Then you're going to regret staying."
The man looked at Brook.
"We don't want to hurt you."
Brook tightened his grip.
"Then leave."
"We can't."
"Why?"
The man smiled.
"Because you're too valuable."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"To who?"
The man didn't answer.
Mara whispered:
"Don't move."
Brook looked at her.
The man suddenly raised his hand.
A strange device appeared.
Mara immediately shouted:
"NOW!"
Brook moved.
Flash.
He teleported to his mark.
The device exploded.
A wave of energy tore through the clearing.
Brook reappeared beside Henry.
Sera raised a barrier.
Crowley attacked.
The four men scattered.
Brook realized something.
"They knew about the marks."
Mara nodded.
"That's why I told you not to use them."
Brook looked at her.
"You knew."
"I suspected."
Brook laughed.
"Of course."
One of the men attacked.
Brook raised his hand.
White energy gathered.
Michael's voice echoed inside his head.
Control.
Brook stopped.
He lowered his hand.
Instead, he moved physically.
He blocked.
Dodged.
Countered.
No Source.
The man stumbled.
Brook struck him in the chest.
He fell.
Brook stood over him.
The man looked up.
"You didn't use it."
Brook frowned.
"Use what?"
The man smiled.
"Good."
Then he bit down.
Crowley tried to stop him.
Too late.
The man died.
Brook stared.
Mara looked at him.
"Now you understand."
Brook's expression hardened.
"They wanted to see my power."
"Yes."
"And I didn't give it to them."
Mara nodded.
"That's control."
Brook looked down.
He understood.
For the first time…
he hadn't used Michael's power because he didn't need it.
Not because he couldn't.
Because he chose not to.
Michael's presence stirred inside him.
But he didn't speak.
He didn't need to.
The other three men fled.
Crowley looked at Mara.
"Why didn't you tell us about them sooner?"
Mara looked at him.
"Because Brook needed to make the choice himself."
Crowley frowned.
"You used him."
Mara shook her head.
"No."
She looked at Brook.
"I gave him a chance."
Brook stared at her.
"Are they coming back?"
Mara nodded.
"Yes."
"How many?"
Mara looked toward the forest.
"Enough."
Brook sighed.
"That's comforting."
Mara smiled faintly.
"It wasn't meant to be."
She turned to leave.
Brook stopped her.
"Mara."
She looked back.
"Thank you."
Mara nodded.
Then she said something that made Brook's expression change.
"Don't trust anyone who tells you they know what you were made for."
Brook stared.
"Why?"
Mara looked directly at him.
"Because even the people who created you may not know what they created."
Then she disappeared into the trees.
Brook stood silently.
Henry approached.
"What do you think?"
Brook looked toward the forest.
"I think she knows more than she's saying."
Crowley nodded.
"Definitely."
Brook looked at him.
"And I think…"
He looked down at his hand.
"…Michael knows more too."
The white mark appeared briefly.
Brook closed his fist.
It disappeared.
For once, he didn't feel the need to use it.
He simply walked forward.
Xcution followed.
Behind them, hidden deep within the forest, Mara watched.
She whispered to herself:
"First test."
Then she looked toward the northern mountains.
"He's closer than he thinks."
End of Chapter 65