The Children of Wisdom Trilogy Read online

  There are answers in this room, ones I’m not prepared to retrieve, and so I’m left with more questions than I had before.

  “I promise, Kismet.” I say to her. But I don’t know if I’m getting through to her. When I hear movement outside again, I decide I can’t waste another moment. I need to leave so I can get to work on rescuing them. I can’t hope to get seven souls out of hell unnoticed. I need help—and a plan.

  It’s agony to leave them. But I’m no good to them now. Without knowing how to free them, I might as well be trapped in there myself. I consider asking them more questions, trying to get more information, but the sound of another demon walking by spurs me into action. I need help. The others will know how to attack this problem better than I could on my own. I have to leave them, even if it breaks my heart to do it.

  I slip back out of the prison, and then wind my way back to the gate. A few demons walk past me, but they pay me no mind. I’m a Reaper, after all. I don’t spend a lot of time in hell, but it’s not unusual for me to be here, especially since the Guardians are off duty for some reason. If one of them stops me, I will demand to know where the Guardians are. Hopefully, I’ll manage to keep my cool.

  Tears stream freely down my face as I arrive at the gate and make my way back out to the mists. I stand in front of the golden door that leads to my home, but instead of going inside, I sob. I cannot get my mind around what’s happened, and why. I consider going straight to God with this information, but then I reconsider. He already knows. I’m sure of it. So the question is—did He mean for me to find it? If so, why? What am I to do with this information?

  The question spurs me into action, although it doesn’t dry my tears. The running does that. The more I think about the souls trapped in there, the faster my feet carry me across the heavens to find the banished Fate.

  Penn isn’t in my room, but I didn’t really expect to find him there. It’s dangerous for him to wander the heavens on his own, and I told him so before leaving for my shift.

  Banishment doesn’t come with second chances. If he’s discovered, he really will be eliminated. But I’m not surprised he didn’t sit still in my chambers. He had to watch me snatch his beloved from him, long before her time, knowing all the while that it wasn’t supposed to happen. He wants answers as much as I do, and he must be anxious to see his sister Fates, despite my warnings against doing so.

  I asked him to stay out of the weaving room, at least for now, but it’s the obvious place to look for him. He can no more resist the pull of that place than a moth can stay away from an open flame. I’ve been gone all day, so he’s had plenty of opportunity.

  And maybe it’s not such a bad thing that he got a head start on me. We need information from the tapestry of life—data that only Penn or one of the other Fates can get. When I look at it, I see a beautifully designed weaving of multi-colored threads—the type of diversity that keeps life on Earth, and in the heavens, interesting. But the bigger picture is all I see. As a Fate, Penn can see each thread as an individual life. What’s more, he can actually watch that life play out like a soap opera on a TV. For the Fates, who don’t actually travel to Earth, it’s a way of keeping in touch with the constantly changing human world.

  In my hurry to find him, it doesn’t occur to me what this news might do to him. Reality kicks in when the weaving room comes into view. He loved Kismet with all of his heart. They grew close in his time on Earth. To find out that her soul isn’t in heaven where it belongs will destroy him.

  I stop short at the end of the hall. The door to the weaving room is slightly ajar, but I can’t see if anyone is inside from this distance. What in the heavens am I going to tell him? It takes only an instant for the answer to bloom inside of me. The truth. I must tell him the truth. We have to save her—and all the others, for that matter—no matter how much it hurts.

  I sprint the rest of the way to the weaving room.

  As I burst through the door, I instinctively know he’s on the other side. I don’t even scan the room for him. I just start talking. “Penn. It’s Kismet,” I say, bending over, leaning on my knees. That last sprint winded me a little. My blonde hair cascades around my face on either side, effectively creating blinders.

  “I found her in the prison of souls! We have to save her,” I emphatically say.

  He’s confused. “The what?”

  “The prison of souls,” I pant out. “It’s not supposed to exist, but someone’s opened it. And she’s trapped in there, along with Andrew and the other five. Penn. They didn’t go to heaven, where I left them. Someone’s kidnapped them in the worst possible way.”

  I take a deep breath and stand up straight. As I do, my eye catches some movement to Penn’s right. It’s Webber. Of all the people who could be in here with Penn, why does it have to be him? He’s the one who took over for Penn after he was banished to Earth. He coveted Penn’s job for over a century, so he ran off to God to tattle about Penn’s mistake, which led to the Fate’s banishment. I know he would give him over without even batting an eye, despite the fact that Penn’s punishment for returning would be much more brutal than banishment.

  “Webber, I didn’t see you there,” I say, taking care to guard my tone.

  Penn answers before Webber can speak up. “He found me here. We have no choice but to trust him, and him us. As he has so kindly reminded me, I’m fallen and have nothing to lose. I could destroy him just as easily as he could destroy me.”

  I look back and forth between the two Fates, and I can practically see the anger building between them. I’ve had enough of their constant competition to see who can go farther, faster, and longer. I approach them, frowning deeply. They back into the stools behind them, sinking down into seated positions as I come closer. The tapestry hangs behind them in all its majesty.

  “Listen, you two. I’m about sick of the pissing contest between you. I’m only going to say this once, and I’m not pleased that I have to say it at all. Get over yourselves. This isn’t about you. This is about saving lives. Human lives. The lives that we’ve devoted the entirety of our existence to protect and care for.” I clench my fists at my sides. I don’t think I’ve ever been this angry twice in one day. Dempsey’s attempt to hit me pushed me over the edge, and that act of hate may very well be fueling my rage. Whatever the reason, this is not the time for sibling rivalry or whatever this twisted situation between them has become.

  Penn glances at Webber, who’s totally cowed into submission.

  “Webber, either come with us or don’t, but if I hear that you breathed a word about Penn to anyone at all, Penn won’t be the only one you need to fear.” I stare at him until he nods. In all honesty, I have no idea what I would do to him, except maybe report him for his tattling. I’m not usually much of a rule breaker… at least, not when the normal rules are guiding our lives. But Webber seems to believe me more than I do. He shrinks away from me, avoiding my cold, stern stare.

  Disgusted, I say, “Penn, let’s go.” But as I turn to leave, I spot someone else in the doorway.

  Galenia, the Fate who determines how humans die, stands there with her mouth open, tears pooling in her clear blue eyes. As the light from the hallway pours in around her small frame, she looks a little angelic.

  “Penn,” she breathes.

  I halt, knowing this reunion will be emotional for both of them. Galenia and Penn worked side by side for centuries, but after his banishment, they had every reason to expect they’d never see each other again. An Earth year has passed since their last meeting, which translates to just over a week here in the heavens.

  A smile tugs at Penn’s lips as he whispers her name. “Galenia.”

  She runs to him, and they hug as if it’s the last hug two people will ever experience in the history of the world.

  “Well, this is a nice love fest,” Webber says, making me bristle yet again.

  Galenia ignores him completely, and I am happy to follow her lead. “What are you doing here?” she asks as
fear clouds her joyful expression. “If they find you—”

  He cuts her off. “It’s Kismet. She’s in trouble. And it’s not just her. There are others. Something is happening.”

  She frowns as she considers his words, and then chances a glance at me. I told Penn’s sisters about the mysterious deaths just after he was banished, but none of us could figure out what to do. I brought Penn home in the hopes that he could help, but I neglected to share my plan with the other Fates. I thought it would be safer not to involve them. Now, I know I made a mistake. The sheer joy that fills the room makes me wish Horatia—Penn’s other sister—was here too.

  “What are you doing here at this time of night?” Penn asks her.

  “I thought I heard voices.”

  “From your quarters?” I ask.

  “No, I was out walking. I couldn’t sleep, and anyway, it’s nearly time to start the day. There’s a lot of uncertainty around here lately. It’s not something a Fate deals with well,” she says as she looks at Webber. “As I’m sure you well know.”

  Webber seems to shrink back into his chair. “I’m sorry,” he quietly says. I’m pretty sure Galenia is the only person to whom Webber has ever willingly apologized.

  “Horatia will want to help too,” she says.

  “Too?” Penn asks. “No. I don’t want to get you involved. You don’t need to endanger yourselves.”

  “Penn,” I say a bit more sternly than I intended. Taking a calming breath, I soften my tone and say, “We need all the help we can get.”

  He sighs and nods, and it’s all the encouragement Galenia needs to bounce joyfully from the room, off to retrieve her sister.

  Once she’s gone, Penn wastes no time before he starts firing questions at me. “What is the prison of souls, Michaela?”

  How can I explain it to him? Somehow, I have to tell him that the human he loves is trapped in hell, her soul withering away in a place that isn’t supposed to exist. “The humans refer to it as purgatory—a place where souls would go before their ultimate place in the heavens was decided. The problem was that they could stay there indefinitely. It was unnatural. A soul needs a home, a place, even if it’s hell. Plus, those who ran the prison were… unsavory. They tended to go outside their duties to punish the souls inside. So, centuries upon centuries ago, the prison was sealed, although many of the humans still think it exists. To be trapped in there is a fate worse than death.”

  “Punish?” he asks, his voice thick with uncertainty, and I cringe, upset that he zeroed in on that word.

  “Try not to think about it,” I say, imploring him to move on.

  “So who could have opened it now? Who would even be capable of doing such a thing?” Webber asks timidly from his stool next to Penn’s now-empty seat. Once he realizes he’s drawn my attention, he returns his gaze to the gold sandals on his feet.

  I shrug, attempting to exhale my frustrations in one heavy sigh. “Aside from God, I don’t know. And since He was the one who closed it in the first place, I can’t see Him reopening it. The demons that run the outer gates of Hell don’t have the resources or the intelligence for something like that. Their jobs are simply to keep those who belong inside, and those who don’t out. They’re the ones I found wandering closest to the prison.”

  “So, if God is capable of closing the prison, why not take this to Him? I think He could wrap this up in a nice little package for us,” Webber persists.

  After taking a moment to think about it, Penn offers an answer. “Maybe He’s using us to do just that.” All I can do is smile and nod. I’m so grateful that Penn is back home to help us make sense of this mess.

  “How did you even find it?” Penn asks as he paces around the weaving room.

  Knowing his sisters will be back soon, I give him a two-minute synopsis, ending with what I found inside the strange room.

  “I’m not sure what’s worse. The souls I saw trapped there or the shackles lined up on the walls. There were so many empties.” I pause and look at Penn for reassurance. What lies ahead is so… frightening, like nothing we’ve ever faced in our centuries of predictable routine. “This isn’t over, Penn. Not by a long shot,” I finally add.

  We stare at each other for a long moment, sharing a knowing look, and then I suddenly remember the note I was given by Fia, his mentor, and a former Fate who retired to Earth when Penn took her place. “I almost forgot.” I pull out the letter and a small package from a hidden pocket in my dress. “It’s from Fia. I really like her.”

  After I brought him back to the heavens with me, he asked me to deliver a note to Fia to assure her and the rest of his friends back on Earth that he was all right. I stopped in New York to see her before picking up Dempsey. She asked if I could linger a moment or two so she could write a response. Of course, I could hardly say no to that.

  As I watch Penn read the note while munching a cookie Fia sent, I reflect on how far he’s come in such a short time. Penn’s time on Earth has changed him, and so has his love for Kismet. Fates are naturally inflexible, perhaps because they know what the future holds for so many souls, but his time on Earth seems to have taught him there’s more to life than just creating it. In spite of our dire circumstances, the thought makes me smile.

  Then Horatia, the third Fate, bursts into the room, followed quietly by Galenia. She’s different from her sister Fate in almost every way. She exudes confidence as she crosses the room, her dark hair flowing behind her. Her gold robes billow behind her straight, almost rigid form as she grabs Penn in a huge hug. They spin around.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” she says through tears. Normally, she maintains a tough exterior. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry. The sight brings tears to my own eyes.

  “Me too,” is all he can manage.

  She clears her throat after Penn puts her down. “So, what’s the plan?” She is always ready to spring into action, which is why I love her. We need that now.

  “To save Kismet and the others,” Penn answers simply.

  We stand in a circle, and I know this is the start of something big. I take Penn’s hand, and Galenia and Horatia follow suit. Even Webber joins in.

  “So now what? We sing Kumbaya?” Webber asks.

  We all chuckle. I have to believe we will be enough to save this world. These seven souls are a sign of a cancer on Earth, a disease that will kill it if we don’t intervene. There is too much good. Too much light. Too much joy to let it fade away, buried inside the prison of souls. No. We will stop it. We will be enough.

  3

  Unfortunately for us, the workday is starting. People are bustling around outside, and I know we can’t stand around in the weaving room forever. But we don’t have time to come up with a plan of action either. Besides Penn, each of us has responsibilities that can’t be ignored during the coming day. Not only would people notice if the three Fates stopped working, but production of human life would come to a screeching halt, and the number of ghosts I would leave in my wake if I took an unplanned day off would be disastrous.

  “What should we do?” Horatia asks, searching each of us for answers with her dark chocolate eyes.

  “We all have to get back to work. We need to try to stay ahead of whoever’s behind these surprises. Penn, I need you to take the lead here, since you aren’t working. Find out what you can while we’re gone.” He nods. “Webber, do what you can to increase your production. We need you to step up, now more than ever,” I say, but he glares at me in response.

  “Like I haven’t been trying hard enough already,” he answers, his voice low and thick with hurt.

  Sometimes, I feel a little sorry for him, but I’m short on patience today. I shake my head. “Webber, now is not the time for self-pity. We need you to get to work. That’s all. Do your best, and I’m sure it will be better than nothing.”

  Penn claps his hand on Webber’s shoulder. “Hey, it’ll be fine as long as you don’t make an accidental stillborn,” he says, making a joke
about how he was banished. It’s nice of him to try to make Webber feel better, particularly after everything they’ve been through, but Webber doesn’t laugh. He shrugs Penn’s hand off and heads into the Fates’ workroom, moving just out of earshot.

  Horatia leans in and lowers her voice. “He’s a bit of an unknown. Think we can trust him?”

  Galenia looks sadly after him. “He’s not an unknown. He’s told us who he is over and over again. It’s up to us whether we want to accept that.”

  I nod. “I agree. But I think we’re kind of stuck with him now. He knows too much for us to move forward without him.”

  Penn frowns, but he doesn’t comment further. “I’m the only one who’s free today. What should I do? I want to stay here and examine the tapestry, but the new Weaver will be here any minute. I can’t linger.”

  I shift my weight. I have no idea what to tell him. Everything is happening so quickly, and I have no answers.

  “We have to go back into hell to get them out of the prison of souls, right?” he asks me.

  I nod.

  “Okay, then I’m going to spend my day with the Keepers to find out everything I can about what we’ll be up against. I’m already dressed like a Keeper, so I shouldn’t draw too much attention.”

  “Yes.” I nod emphatically. If anyone in the heavens has the knowledge to help us, it’s the Keepers. Their duty is to maintain all the knowledge of history, science, and creation, both on Earth and in the heavens. “That sounds perfect. We can reconvene in my quarters at the end of the day.”

  We all nod and part ways, but not before I remind Penn to pull up the hood of his Keeper uniform. If he’s discovered, we’ll probably never see him again—he’ll simply disappear. With everything that’s going on, it’s more than I can bear. My breath hitches in my throat as I watch him cover his blond curls with his hood.

  Penn’s sisters join Webber in the Fates’ workroom. They look miserable, all of them, but we have no choice but to try and proceed as normal, impossible as it feels to concentrate on work with the knowledge that Kismet and the others are waiting desperately for us to help them. But we are the ones who keep the world turning; we are the bringers of life and death. We must do our duty, for now at least.