The Chronicles of Delilah Faylinn: Volume 2

"The Game is Afoot"

(Elders) We may have inadvertently given ourselves away at the hearing. The one called Lovell searches for us in the provinces. We believe he suspects us. We must act quickly or we will lose our hold here. What should we do? Send the Jinn, we must strike now! We must be precise in our actions, we must plan accordingly. Have the Jinn find out what they know for now. Yes... reconnaissance! 

        As the Elders deliberated and agreed amongst themselves to send the Jinn to the Faylinn compound, they called it forth to do their bidding. The Jinn appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of the Elders waiting for its next command.

(Elders) Jinn, we have an important task for you to be carried out immediately.

(Jinn) I am here as your humble servant, your wish is my command.

(Elders) We shall skip the formalities for now "wayward". We need you to gather information from the Faylinn compound. See how much they know about "us".

(Jinn) Who are "they" in which you speak?

(Elders) The Faylinn girl and the one called Lovell. They threaten our plans and we need leverage.

(Jinn) Why not rid yourselves of the threat before it becomes a problem?

(Elders) First you disobey orders landing you in purgatory and know you think you are smarter than us now do you?!

(Jinn) No masters, I only intended to offer a suggestion.

(Elders) Mind your manners, we have thus been able to maintain our order for ions because we are meticulous in our efforts. Killing them with our own hand now would surely expose us and bring attention that we do not need. Maybe when you have been around as long as we have your suggestions would be warranted but presently it is not so hold your tongue you imbecile!

(Jinn) I meant no disrespect. Yes masters as you wish, my apologies for speaking out of turn.

(Elders) Your apologies are worthless and infantile. Do as we command this time or we will return you to the prisons from whence you came!

    The Elders dismissed the Jinn with the full confidence that he would report back to them. They were completely unawares  that the Jinn was already acquainted with Delilah and the deal they had struck. The Jinn immediately went to the Faylinn compound, rang the bell and made his presence known, only he did not show up in the form that Delilah remembered.

(Jinn) Uh, yes hello! Does Delilah Faylinn reside here?

(Doorwomen) Might I ask who is calling for her?

(Jinn) You may tell her that it is an old acquaintance.

    At the sound of the door, Delilah had already begun to descend the spiral staircase leading to the entryway. At the sight of Delilah, a wide grin had spread across his face. He attempted to push pass the doorwomen but found himself rebounded by a shield forcing him to stay put. His appearance left her puzzled.

(Jinn) Is this how you treat your "dear" old friends, just glaring at me as if I have wronged you?

(Delilah) How dare you try to waltz into my home, and how is it that you think you know me?

(Jinn) We have a pact. You agreed to free me.

(Delilah) When was this? You are no friend of mine!

(Jinn) Well now you are insulting me! Are we going to speak cordially or do I take my business elsewhere?!

(Delilah) What business do you have with me?

(Jinn) Do not toy with me! You and I have a game to finish, and if you do not play you will die!

(Delilah) It's you! Who's face do you have, is this a glamor spell?

(Jinn) For all intensive purposes, I must fit in so as not to arouse suspicion. So are you going to invite me in?!

    Delilah removed the wards that she had put in place for protection to allow the Jinn in and put them back up once he entered. She called Lovell so that they could meet in the parlor. Lovell at first glance starred at the Jinn almost as if he was scanning him for a potential threat level. He sincerely did not appreciate the fact that he was in his home, unannounced on behalf of the Governors Council.

(Lovell) Friend or foe?

(Jinn) Neither, I purely work in my own self-interest.

(Lovell) That is not very reassuring.

(Jinn) At least for now it should be. Delilah and I have struck an accord and as long as that remains she is of great importance to me. It is also because of that fact that I am willing to play devil's advocate.

(Delilah) What do you mean?

(Jinn) You guaranteed my freedom from my masters, the very same masters that want you dead.

(Lovell) Dead?! For what reason?!

(Jinn) You must restrain your emotions, you are making me uncomfortable.

(Delilah) Please help us to understand and please forgive our manners, but what do we call you now?

(Jinn) No one has ever called me by my given name and how nice of you to finally ask. Given how we met I understand the delay. My name is Lazarus, and you must not perceive the council members as innocents. They are not even of this world.

(Delilah) Why do they want to kill me?

(Lazarus) Have you honestly no clue?! You know of something that you should not and it threatens them.

(Lovell) Tell us who they are!

(Lazarus) That is the one thing that I can not do. I can only point you in the right direction.

(Delilah) Hence the game in which you speak.

(Lazarus) You were always the quick witted one. You know how much I love to play games!

(Lovell) Why can you simply not tell us?

(Lazarus) To give you that information I would be condemning myself. The mere mention of their true identities will kill me! As I told you before, my loyalty is to myself first.

(Delilah) We have no choice but to play.

(Lazarus) That's the spirit! As old as your family is dear girl you should have access to a knowledge base, some sort of chronicle so to speak, am I correct?

(Delilah) Wait a minute. You knew of my shade, you knew I would meet your masters... How do you know all of these things? 

(Lazarus) It is a part of my power. I know of some things past and yet to come but I do not know "when" it will happen and I cannot control "how" it happens. It is only definite that it "will" happen.

(Delilah) "Will" your masters kill me?

(Lazarus) I could never tell you that, that is cheating the game. Besides my power does not allow me to reveal the "end game" for any one. Its a clause.

(Lovell) We have been to the chronicle library.

(Lazarus) Great, then you are on the right track! My clue for you is "why read, when you can live it?"

(Delilah) What does that mean?

(Lazarus) You will figure it out, I also would like to offer a forewarning... since my masters have put me on your case do not expect our next meeting to be as pleasant. I have a role to play, please remember that.

    With those final words the Jinn disappeared in a veil a black smoke leaving Delilah and Lovell even more encumbered than they were before. The next day the pair took off to the hidden halls that protected her families chamber of chronicles as they did those few years before. As they descended the stairs a great feeling of warmth overwhelmed her. She recognized the sensation as the same one she felt in the realm of "Unfortunate Souls". She found relief in knowing that it meant she was truly and inherently connected to her Faylinn line by birthright... well the good ones anyway. Once they reached the ground floor the room lit up with acknowledgement of their presence. Delilah was delighted in the sight, seeing the spirits leave their texts just to greet her. She quickly realizing that this room was now her most treasured in all the compound. 

(Spirits) Look it's Delilah, she has returned to us! You haven't forgotten us after all!

(Delilah) No, How could I forget all of you?!

(Spirits) Lovell, you have been taking good care of our girl right? When are you going to marry?!

(Lovell) She has not a care in the world! As for marriage we have more pressing concerns.

(Spirits) Well this sounds serious, what brings you to us... another mission of research supposedly?

(Lovell) You hit in on the nose. We are facing a new threat and we have no idea who or what they are.

(Spirits) Is this true Delilah?

(Delilah) Unfortunately for me it is. All we have for a clue is a pendant made of black glass to identify them. We have no clue where to look.

(Spirits) Well we are all an open book, literally! Just take your pick!

(Delilah) Thank you so much! Lovell, how about you take one side of the room and I will take the other.

(Lovell) Sounds like a plan!

    Lovell and Delilah took to the chronicles and began their research. With each hour passing and the day slipping away they became restless and wary as they found no new information on the councilmen. Delilah had just about fallen asleep with her nose in a book  when something unexpected happened without her even realizing it. Lovell jumped to his feet when he noticed.

(Lovell) Delilah! Wake up!

(Delilah) What is it? Why are you yelling?

(Lovell) Because your head is literally inside of the book!

    Delilah opened her eyes to find that her view of the room she was in had changed. There was a breeze rustling through her hair in the distance, and people walking the streets unawares. With a gasp she jumped backwards almost falling out of her chair, with Lovell just in time to catch her. 

(Lovell) What was that? How did you do that?

(Delilah) I don't know!

(Spirits) It seems you have the gift of "clairvoyance" my child. As a fairy the gift is very rare but your predecessors have used it to influence emotions making anyone happy or sad for example. Your power is on another scale, we have never seen it do that!

(Delilah) Huh?

(Spirits) Our chronicles represent our thoughts, emotions, history, and experiences written in text. You are able to manifest those memories that of which you can experience, feel and see for yourself!

(Delilah) Lazarus did say, "why read, when you can live"! This is what he meant! I can look around for myself!

(Lovell) You never cease to amaze me.        

(Delilah) How do I do it?

(Lovell) What was happening when you did it before?

(Delilah) Um, I was asleep.

(Spirits) Your mind was clear of all thought. Your cup was empty so to speak allowing something else to fill it.

(Delilah) I think I get it. I have to stop thinking.

    Lovell watched in awe as Delilah repeatedly moved her hand in and out of the book in her hand. She then placed the book on the floor and prepped to jump into its pages. She took Lovell by the hand and they both jumped only to find themselves landing flat on their backs on the chamber floor. Lovell rubbed the back of his head and Delilah rubbed her bottom in pain. 

(Lovell) What happened?

(Spirits) You do not possess the gift and do not possess Faylinn blood. You will not be able to go. Do not worry she is safe within our pages.

(Lovell) I guess I can stay behind and search the other chronicles for answers.

    Delilah gave Lovell a reassuring look that she would be ok. Lovell was felt uncomfortable with letting her out of his sight again. It frustrated him as he felt he was losing control of the situation and felt even more powerless in being able to protect her. He pulled her in close and locked her in an embrace. As they locked eyes on one another, they were flooded with emotion. They leaned in to each other and kissed as if it would the last time they saw each other for all they knew it could very well be so. Delilah gently stepped out of the embrace and without another word jumped into the book or at least she thought she did. 

(Female Voice) Are you the one called Delilah?

(Delilah) Who's asking? Wait a minute where am I? This isn't the chronicle is it?

(Female Voice) No, I have temporarily displaced you. It was the only way to get you alone.

(Delilah) Are you going to kill me?

(Female Voice) No, although I can see now what might have brought you to that summation.

(Delilah) Then what do you want? Why am I here?

(Female Voice) "We" are in need of your help.

(Delilah) "We"?

(Female Voice) Yes, I have been designated as your contact. We are the "Kinship" otherwise known as the "Guild of Peace".

(Delilah) And what are they?

(Female Voice) We are celestial immortals that govern the universe. Very few know of our existence, it is considered an honor to have been chosen.

(Delilah) Then what could someone as simple and lowly as myself have of interest to your eminence?

(Female Voice) I hear the sarcasm in your voice. I am under the impression that you do not believe me.

(Delilah) You guessed right! I've had voices in my head before and that did not go so well, please forgive my disposition.

(Female Voice) That is understandable, we have been monitoring your progress.

(Delilah) "Progress"? That is what you call it? If you have been watching, why have you not intervened? That shade nearly decimated an entire planet!

(Female Voice) We knew nothing of the matter until you and we do not intervene unless it is absolutely necessary! We have been around since the beginning of time and when you are that "seasoned" you understand that things have a way of working themselves out in the end or as it was meant to. Trust and believe that we were tempted to destroy you until we realized what was really happening. Be grateful we chose "not" to step in! Now, please forgive my tone but I am beginning to lose my patience with your insolence. No one addresses us in this manner! The simple fact that you have been chosen means the situation demands our intervention now. Are you ready to listen or should we continue with this insipidus banter!

(Delilah) Ok, ok! I deserved that! I'm all ears.

(Female Voice) As I have mentioned before we have been monitoring your progression and recent events have brought us to the conclusion that there is a presence on your world that does not belong. We have some idea as to what it may be but we need confirmation before we can proceed further.

(Delilah) Events, huh?

(Female Voice) A Jinn has been called to your world and doing a poor job of hiding itself with disguising seals which means its presence is no accident. It has approached you, yes?

(Delilah) Yes, I guess you are really watching.

(Female Voice) Rather intently now, yes. Upon further investigation of your world there are cataloged occurrences leading up to your birth of a shade hijacking souls and causing repeated chaos. Up until now, the shade changed faces so many times that we did not catch on. It appeared as though your world was inherently evil. We predicted it on a course to destroy itself, we had no cause to believe it was something more. We have reason to believe that this is no longer a coincidence. The chaos have led to countless deaths and those poor souls are unresolved and unable to ascend. 

(Delilah) Speaking of unfortunate souls, there really needs some cleaning up down there. It's a terrible place!

(Female Voice) Please do not interrupt. It's rude. As I was saying... Those unfortunate souls are missing. There is no record of them entering the realm as by design. Which means something else is collecting them.

(Delilah) I am guessing that is bad?

(Female Voice) For beings like us, yes. Unauthorized collection of souls is deplorable and in terms you understand "illegal" by our laws. It is a crime punishable by a permanent death. Whoever is collecting must intend to use them for power. In the wrong hands, souls equal power. Our power has never been contested and if this is indeed a threat as we presume, it must be eradicated. 

(Delilah) What do I have to do with all of this?

(Female Voice) It is obvious that you are connected to this threat in some way if the Jinn came to you. Whoever that thing works for is the threat. We must know who this is. Will you help us?

(Delilah) Do I have a choice?

(Female Voice) Of course you do, as long as you understand the gravity of your decision.

(Delilah) Which is?

(Female Voice) It is better to be in our favor, than it is not to be.

(Delilah) Well that makes things easier...not really.

(Female Voice) I thought it would. So you will help us! Inform me of whatever you find.

(Delilah) How do I do that?

(Female Voice) The bracelet on your wrist holds a charm of red glass. Just rub it for an audience with me.

(Delilah) That's funny, this charm almost favors that of the black glass pendants I've seen recently.

(Female Voice) What did you say?! A pendant made of black fortified glass? Where did you see this?

(Delilah) On the new Governors Council that currently presides over my world. There are six of them.

(Female Voice) So not one, but six! Thank you, I must go now. We will be in touch.

(Delilah) Wait! You know who they are, don't you?!

(Female Voice) I have an idea and I must seek council. You will hear from me soon either way. Until then keep a low profile and tell no one we have spoken. They must not become aware! Your life depends on it!

(Delilah) Great! No pressure!

    The voice released Delilah back into the hall of chronicles. She found herself a bit winded by the whole ordeal and when she caught her breath she realized she was once again standing over the chronicle next to Lovell.

(Lovell) Well, are you not going to delve into the book?

(Delilah) I don't think I have to anymore.

(Lovell) What do you mean? Did something happen?

(Delilah) Yes and no. One thing is for sure, nothing is what it appears to be.