Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(92)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“I’ll get a trash bag,” I murmured and went from the room to find a large bag. Half of her stuff was going out to the garbage. I would like to throw it all out, but some of it was usable and someone might need it, so those items would be donated. None of the stuff in here would be making the move with Sam. I shuddered at the thought.

“You really don’t need to do this,” Sam said, taking the bag from me.

I grabbed the shoes and tossed them into the bag. He chuckled and began taking the bedding off the bed. We made short work of the room. I filled a few boxes for Goodwill and two big trash bags.

I was giving the room a final ‘once over’ before shutting the door, when something struck me as odd.

“What is it, sweetheart?” Sam asked, coming up behind me to run his hands down my arms.

“There’s something there. It looks like there’s something sticking out beneath the…”

Sam moved swiftly, lifting the mattress up. Between the mattress and mattress pad was a cylinder-shaped tube. It looked like it was made of metal – bronze, in fact. Sam frowned and picked it up, letting the mattress fall back in place.

“What is it?” I asked, peeking around him to see.

He shrugged, “Probably junk.”

It wasn’t junk. “Why would she hide junk under her mattress?”

The object was pulling me forward. My hands tingled with the urge to touch it. “Can I see it?” I whispered.

Sam looked up, his eyes narrowing. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” I said impatiently. “Can I see?” I held out my hand while studying the tube. It was maybe six inches in length and was about as wide as a drinking glass.

He handed me the object. My hand closed around it, and I swear the metal vibrated in my palm. It was lighter than I would have expected. I turned it around, feeling a little lightheaded. “Look.” I pointed to the top of one end. “You need a key to open it.”

He looked down. “Weird.”

“Yeah, it…” my voice trailed off as the room began to spin. “I – I’m not feeling…” I reached out to grab for Sam.

“Heven?” He grasped me with both hands. “What’s wrong?”

Everything went white.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Heven

“Heven?” Sam called. He sounded so far away.

I turned my head toward his voice. Where was he?

“Not again,” he murmured.

I could feel his panic and worry. I didn’t want him to be worried. I forced my eyes open, blinking against the light.

My eyes adjusted to the light and I looked around. The place was familiar. We’d been here before.

The last time we both died.

“Hello, Airis.”

“We meet again.”

“Why is that?” Sam asked.

I realized that I was still clutching the bronze tube in my hands. I held it out.

Airis inclined her head. “You found it. Well done.”

“I didn’t know we were supposed to be looking for it,” Sam said.

“It was time,” Airis replied.

“I guess you want it…is that why we’re here?” I asked, not quite knowing how I felt about that.

“It is yours, for now. We need you to keep it safe.”

Curiosity flowed through me.

“Can you tell us what it is?” Sam asked.

Airis inclined her head. “You hold in your hands a true treasure.”

Beside me Sam jerked. He looked down at the bronze tube in my hands with renewed interest. When he caught me staring at him he said, “This is what China has been searching for. She found it.”

“So it’s a map? Like – to find treasure?” I asked, knowing it felt wrong.

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. She never told us anything about it. Just that it was a map and she wanted it. I didn’t really know what to expect.”

We both looked at Airis, hoping for some sort of explanation.

“This parchment doesn’t lead you to treasure. It contains very specific words of God’s knowledge that reveals certain appointments for people who will do extraordinary things in their lives.”

“It’s a list of names?” Sam asked a little disbelieving. Then he muttered, “I’ve been searching all this time for a list of names?”

“It’s not just any list,” Airis said. “This list is very important. It contains the names of the people who will do extraordinary things…the people who cure cancer and initiate peace. This list contains the names of every single person, in the present and future, who are going to be responsible for stopping the evil influences that Satan has spread on earth. These people are going to return Glory to the world.”

The bronze tubing that I held suddenly seemed heavier.

“And China wanted it so she could destroy it and spread evil.” Sam stated, flat.

“It’s possible.” Airis said, bowing her head. “Those down below have been searching for that scroll for centuries. It could mean the difference between world salvation and world destruction. China was most likely looking for it at the request of a higher power. Someone was probably using her as a means to an end.”

“That doesn’t sound like something she would agree too.” Sam said, shaking his head.

“Would she if she was promised power or something powerful that she wanted?” Airis asked, patiently.

“She was obsessed with power…” Sam said thoughtfully. “And that might explain why it seemed like she was killing people like she had something to prove.”

Airis nodded encouragingly.

“But where did she find it, and what was she going to do with it?” I asked.

“I would think she meant to take it to Hell.” Airis replied.

“Hell!” I exclaimed. “How in the world would she be able to do that?”

“There are portals to Hell all over Earth. Ordinary humans do not notice them; they never realize what could be right in front of them. Even if they did find one, they wouldn’t be able to open it. But China was a hellhound. Hellhounds can sense them, sometimes they are drawn to certain places where the portals are. A hellhound has the ability to open a portal. The portal itself recognizes what once resided within, and the portal opens for them.”

I glanced at Sam. “Did you know any of this?”

“No.”

“I am thankful that you found the scroll before she was able to carry out her plan.” Airis said.