After nearly two hours of traveling by plane, they landed safely in New York. With a taxi, they headed to the hotel while thinking about their next steps. There was no way the strange cult that was chasing them would be able to come. Up to this point, Nadja felt safe.
As soon as she arrived at the hotel, Nadja asked the little girl to take a shower immediately.
"You don't have many clothes. Use whatever you have and we can buy more later."
She threw some clothes at Gabriel. She herself only had the last clean pair of clothes. Nadja always throws away her clothes after every use. She did not have time to wash or send it to the laundry.
"You didn't bring my panties," Gabriel protested without mentioning Nadja's name.
"Just wait here, I will buy some clothes," replied Nadja nonchalantly.
"I'll go with you! My stomach is hungry and I don't want you to get me the wrong size!" said Gabriel stubbornly.
Nadja sighed. Maybe it's the right choice. She never shopped for anyone. The possibility of being wrong would be big.
"Don't be such a crybaby or whining! Shut your mouth and don't talk!" threatened Nadja firmly. Gabriel looked away.
The two immediately headed for the shopping center. Once she got everything, Nadja brought the girl to dine. She didn't care what menu Gabriel chose, Nadja was busy ordering for herself.
"Are you sure your daughter can eat ice cream before lunch?" asked the waiter doubtfully.
"Yes, she is free to eat whatever she wants," answered Nadja without looking away from the menu. The waiter rolled her eyes and quickly left after taking notes of their choices.
Quiet dining atmosphere. Without another word, they returned to the hotel and slept. Maybe because last night they didn't rest properly, they both fell asleep until late at night.
Suddenly, someone kicked in their bedroom door and stormed in. Nadja instantly woke up and grabbed the gun that was always on her thigh. Gabriel screamed as Nadja quickly shot the two attackers. Both men die and collapse on the floor.
"Damn!" cursed Nadja. "Get your clothes on!" Nadja's orders.
Gabriel seemed to be shaking and stuffed all her clothes into the pink backpack that Nadja had just bought for her. Not out of sympathy or as a gift, but Nadja didn't want to carry the little girl's belongings. The two of them quickly exited the room and descended the emergency stairs.
Once they're in the lobby, Nadja can see several security officers running upstairs. She was grateful that they moved fast enough. Now the police will make them fugitives because of the incident at the hotel. Nadja zipped up her backpack and looked for a smaller inn to escape the search.
"From now on, our lives will be hunted by them!" said Nadja angrily.
Gabriel glanced back several times and looked nervous. The two of them walked down the busy New York sidewalk.
**
Mark closed the door to his office in one of the rooms in the Vatican, Rome. As a newly elected cardinal, he had to work quite hard. Some matters related to secret documents as well as historical items that have magical elements, are Mark's responsibility. He slowly pressed the phone and a dial tone sounded.
As soon as he finished the call, there was a knock on the door and Mark answered loudly to come in. A brother, or future priest, came in. His face is very handsome and charming.
He had slightly curly dark brown hair with moss-green eyes and a tall build. A black robe with a white-collar adds to his handsomeness and makes his face shine. A clean-hearted young man.
"Did you know that my niece is on her way to the Vatican?" Mark asked as he sat down at his desk. The young man named Liam was still standing and nodded.
"Yes, Cardinal Castain. I've prepared all your niece's needs and arranged a pick-up at the airport which can be on standby at any time," Liam replied with a thick British accent.
Mark motioned for Liam to sit down.
"Do you think you could increase the guard so I feel confident and safe?" Markus asked again.
"Yes, Cardinal. I'll do that right away," Liam answered quickly.
Mark Castain, the fifty-five-year-old man nodded in satisfaction. Liam is his second confidant after Gill, a man who used to be a corrupt cop, and decides to repent.
Both worked for Mark all this time. If Liam is a brother or aspiring priest, Gill is a former cop trying to atone for his past mistakes. Despite not becoming a priest, Gill never married and lived a life of his own as penance, at least from the man's personal point of view.
The slightly blonde-haired cardinal with a few silver-white streaks adorning his head looked thoughtful. His dark blue eyes looked gloomy.
"You know what? I am the son of a Castain who has the darkest family history in my hometown?" he said slowly.
Liam lowered his head and nervously fiddled with his nail knuckles. He had worked under Mark's orders for five years but had never had a chat about his cardinal family.
Mark himself pulled Liam from seminary school (a special school for priest candidates) because men have a special ability to recognize documents and items that contain curses and miracles.
Liam is also the one who tells an ancient prophecy they found and opens Mark's eyes to what his sister, Jeany Castain, has been through all this time. He put Ben there as a protector, without his parents ever knowing. The death of his parents and younger sister made Mark slump.
"My parents were disappointed after I decided to become a priest. They married very young and had me when I was no longer a teenager. After all the effort, Jean, my sister, was born. I was thirty years old then. It turned out that giving birth at a very old age, made my mother produce babies who were susceptible to disease. Jean had cancer at the age of two…" Mark paused for a moment and grabbed the glass of wine and took a sip.
Liam looked uncomfortable and swallowed nervously.
"They took all the risks to make Jean recover and eventually ally with the devil, it was their choice. Unfortunately, when Jean was sixteen years old, the demon demanded a promise. My beloved sister bears the seed that will become his offspring and as a weapon for world domination." The continuation of Mark's story made Liam sweat even more.
"D-does that mean Gabriel is the daughter of the devil?" stammered Liam.
"Based on Solomon's prophecy that you have translated, yes. But there was also Castian's blood flowing in her body. I believe that it can be changed!" Mark answered while emphasizing his hope.
"Which document, Cardinal? Is that King Solomon's final prophecy?" Liam asked, startled.
"Yes," said Mark quickly.
The atmosphere felt silent, while Liam remembered well all the contents of Solomon's prophecy he had just completed. All are written in Hebrew or ancient Hebrew which is almost extinct. Only a few people can speak and know the language and writing. Liam is one of them.
"When will Gabriel be here?" Liam asked, breaking the silence.
Mark paused and pulled out his laptop. He quickly opened the email.
"According to Fidelis, the woman who brought Gabriel was trying to get to Rome, but the group of monks continued to hunt them down. Be patient, I also want to go my own way, but Fidelis apparently has other plans," said Mark.
"Fidelis does work in strange ways, including when he contacted me and brought us together," Liam said.
Mark, who had been gloomy before, now smiled.
"Do you know who he really is?"
"No, Cardinal. I can't find out who he is. That's the weirdest thing," Liam replied with a pensive face.
"Never mind, we wait for the next news," concluded Mark.
Liam nodded and excused himself.