Page 59 of Sinistram
“I’m not sure I’d call nuclear annihilation a downside, but I get what you’re saying,” Brent admitted. “We need to consult with Father Jacinski. Even if he hasn’t studied that particular book, maybe he has some insight into how you can work the magic and still survive.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“You look like you need a break,” Brent said.
“We don’t have time?—”
“If you push yourself until you collapse, it will take longer than if you stop for some sugar and caffeine,” Brent reasoned. “It’s pretty obvious that everything you’re doing is taking a toll.”
Travis gave up arguing. He stepped out of the circle, and Brent refreshed his coffee and shoved a plate of cookies into his hands. Despite the urgency of the situation, Travis knew Brent was right. Powerful spells were taxing to read, a built-in precaution. Travis already felt a headache starting. He always thought of the effects as being a way the writers screened for those strong enough to handle the magic.
“When we’re ready to go, I thought about calling CHARON and telling them that we’re going up against the ones who murdered Shane,” Brent said. “They won’t give a damn if vampires want to kill me, but they might want to avenge him.”
“Do you think CHARON’s been compromised like the Sinistram? We don’t want to give away the plan.”
“Shane didn’t seem to think so. But we can table that and see if we need reinforcements,” Brent acknowledged.
Travis called Jacinski, who answered on the second ring. “Travis? What’s wrong? You don’t make social calls.”
“What do the Logonje know about a grimoire called the Precepts?”
He could hear Jacinski catch his breath in surprise. “Why do you ask?”
“Because a Keeper stole it from the Sinistram and told me it might be the key to stopping the Apocalypse,” Travis replied.
“Okay,” Jacinski drew out the syllables of the word. “You have it in your possession?”
“Yes, and I’m working on figuring out what we need to stop the vampires who have taken over the upper echelons of this branch of the Sinistram.” Travis figured he might as well get all the crazy out of the way up front.
“Jesus, Travis. You don’t do things by halves, do you?”
“Believe me, Pawel, I’d rather be doing pretty much anything else,” Travis assured him.
Jacinski was quiet for a moment. “The Logonje are a secretive Order of Polish priests who deal with supernatural threats, much like the Occulatum. We were never quite as convinced of our importance as the Sinistram—no offense meant.”
“I know what you mean,” Travis replied. “No offense taken.”
“I think on some level, the Order always suspected we might end up facing off against the Sinistram,” Jacinski said. “But maybe not over the Apocalypse.”
Travis and Brent took turns filling him in on what they had learned.
“We have the who: Sinistram. And the what: bring about the End of Days,” Brent said.
“And we know the why,” Travis added. “Because the Sinistram trained and prepared for the Apocalypse and felt cheated when it didn’t happen, so they decided to bring it about themselves.”
“Fuck,” Jacinski muttered.
“We also have a good idea of the how: massive explosions,” Brent added.
“And the where: Moraine State Park, although it could spread to other locations.”
“Do you know when?” Jacinski asked.
“Soon. Next couple of days at the most,” Travis said. “Is there an auspicious date coming up?”
“A full moon. No special ritual dates,” Jacinski replied.
“I think the answer to stopping the Sinistram is in the volume the Keeper brought me. If I can figure out the spell, I’ll need backup magic to work them and keep everyone else safe. Would you join us? Are there any others you’d trust to come along?”
