The Adventures of Emily Tual: Revelations Book Three
Chapter 20

“This changes things.” James said as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was in the foyer of the cabin, watching Audrey and her mother through a window. The two women were sitting on the porch swing talking. “Are we sure that we can trust Anastasia?” He asked, turning to Gabriel and Jasper. “She was after all a member of the Black Hand and the Horseman of War’s daughter.” That was when he noticed that something was wrong. Gabriel looked pale. A little too pale.

James looked at Jasper. Jasper also looked pale. “What is it?” He asked. What did the two men know that he didn’t know? He seriously doubted that it had anything to do with Anastasia being there. Gabriel seemed to know her for when she was living in Russia. Something else had to be wrong. That was the only thing that made sense to him.

“Can’t you sense the change in power?” Gabriel asked. He could and it terrified him greatly. He wasn’t sure how but something had happened and whatever it was, was heading towards them. James was shocked by how grave the old man sounded. It was almost as if Gabriel had just found out something terrible had happened. “The power has changed and it’s not for the better.” Gabriel stood up. “We’re in danger now James.”

James was confused by all of this but before he could say anything, the power went out and it was like the temperature had dropped to a very low degree. They could see their breath and, despite it being summer, they found themselves wishing they had their warmer clothes on. The sound of horses whinnying could be heard in the distance.

“The three Horsemen of the Apocalypse are riding towards us.” Gabriel said. James frowned. Gabriel was off a horseman. “Don’t you mean four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?” He asked. “There are four Horsemen, not three.” They had seen the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse during the ritual and the news reports had said that four horse riders were seen during the attack in New Philadelphia. Why would Gabriel said there were only three now? It didn’t make any sense.

Anastasia and Audrey came in. “You felt that, didn’t you?” Anastasia asked Gabriel. “The shift in power and that something has happened.” Anastasia knew her answer the minute that she saw Gabriel’s face was very pale. “They’re coming aren’t they?” She then asked before she took her daughter’s hand.

Gabriel nodded. “The three Horsemen of the Apocalypse are coming here to kill you and to take someone as the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse.” He told everyone there. It got really dark in the room. James went to the window and looked outside. The sky had gotten cloudy and dark. It was hard to see beyond the porch. Even with the porch light on, it was hard to see. It was like all light had been snuffed. The sound of whinnying got louder. James had a feeling that the Horsemen of the Apocalypse were out there waiting in the dark.

“Why would there only be three and why are they here to kill my mother?” Audrey asked. She didn’t want to lose her mother. Anastasia might have been a member of the Black Hand but she was the only living family that Audrey had left. She couldn’t lose any more of her family. She looked at her mother. Anastasia had a worried look on her face. Audrey looked at Gabriel. “Why would the Horsemen want to kill my mom?” She asked. She was the Witness, not her mother. She was the one that the Black Hand should be wanting to kill.

Anastasia knew though why the Horsemen of the Apocalypse were going there to kill her. It made sense if there were only three of them coming there. “They’re coming to fix Derdrom’s mistake.” She told them all. “Derdrom kept me hidden from the Darkness and now they’re coming to kill me like Derdrom was supposed to.” She looked at Gabriel. “And that means they’re going to change one of you into the Horseman of War. Derdrom is dead.”

It became too quiet in the room. The only noise that they could hear was the whinnying of the horses as the Horsemen of the Apocalypse were approaching them. Audrey thought about how she was a Witness. She and someone else, maybe Gabriel, were supposed to defeat the seven tribulations together. That was when it clicked in her mind. She went to the window and looked towards the darkness. “We have to fight them.” She said. “We have to complete the Second Tribulation.” She thought being reunited with her mother and being able to face that truth was the second but now she realized, that like the First Tribulation, she had to protect a possible Chosen One from evil and this possible Chosen One was her mother.

“How are you sure that this is a part of the Second Tribulation?” James asked. It made more sense to him that the three Horsemen were the Third Tribulation. Audrey pointed at her mother. “In the First Tribulation I was sent to try to help a possible Chosen One.” She reminded James. “What if each of the Tribulations has something to do with trying to help or protect a possible Chosen One? If that’s true then the Second Tribulation is about me trying to keep my mother safe.”

That made sense to Gabriel. “Then this is the Second Tribulation.” He told Audrey. “Your mother is the one we have to protect. So what do you suggest we do about it?” He wanted to see what Audrey was planning this time. He knew that Audrey had had no control over when she had returned to their time from the past but he was hoping that Audrey would have a plan this time.

Audrey looked out the window. She could hear the three Horsemen of the Apocalypse galloping. The horses were louder and Audrey was sure she could see the three Horsemen of the Apocalypse just along the edge of the forest. If she had to take a guess, the three riders were circling the building. She thought back to every show that she had ever seen that had featured the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She knew it was ridiculous too because the people behind those shows never had to face the actual Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She had to start somewhere though.

Audrey spotted a Horseman with a scythe. She instantly knew that he was the Horseman of Death. She thought about the first time she had seen him. He had been weakened severely when he had been exposed to bright light. She turned and looked at Gabriel. “Can you cast a bright light to expose the Horsemen?” Audrey asked. She wasn’t sure if it would work to expose the Horseman of Death to a bright light again but they had to try something. It would also be helpful if the Horseman of Conquest and the Horseman of Famine were on their own.

“I can.” Gabriel told Audrey. “But what about the other two Horsemen?” Even if there were only two of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, they were still powerful and wouldn’t be easy to defeat. Anastasia stepped forward. “I believe I can help with the one Horseman.” She told them. Everyone looked at her. “I created the last Horseman of the Apocalypse by using someone who was poisoned by the Magician.” She explained.

Before anyone could stop him, James flew to Anastasia and slammed her against the wall, keeping his arm against her throat. “James, stop this!” Gabriel roared. They were supposed to be trying to protect Anastasia from the Black Hand, not kill her. James looked at Gabriel. “It’s her fault that Savannah is the Horseman of Conquest!” He shouted angrily before he looked at Anastasia. “Why did you turn her into one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse?” He demanded. He really wanted to see what Anastasia would say to defend herself.

Anastasia looked at her daughter. Audrey’s face was full of shock. She knew that it had nothing to do with James’s sudden burst of violence. Anastasia looked back at James. She owed them all an explanation. “I turned this Savannah into the last Horseman of the Apocalypse to try to protect her from the Chosen One and what usually happens to those around Chosen Ones.” She told them. “Wherever there is a possible Chosen One, there is always death and destruction. Nine Eleven, World War Two, the Assassination of Czar Nicholas and his family, the Salem Witch Trials, the Spanish Inquisition, the Civil War. Look at every major conflict in history and you’ll see the Black Hand killing thousands just because of one Chosen One.” She knew that Gabriel and Jasper couldn’t deny that. They were usually present at nearly every conflict.

Audrey looked at Gabriel and Jasper. The two men looked uncomfortable and were failing at trying to hide it. “Is that true?” She asked. “Was each of those events because of a possible Chosen One?” She thought about it. She had been there for the Salem Witch Trial. Aunica had been a possible Chosen One during it. Her own mother had been the sole survivor of the assassination of Czar Nicholas and his family. James had told her that Hannah and Harold had killed a possible Chosen One shortly after Nine Eleven. Her heart sank and she backed into the window. “It is true, isn’t it?” She asked.

Gabriel and Jasper didn’t answer her. “Tell me the truth!” Audrey demanded. “Were there possible Chosen Ones for all of those events?” She had to know. She and Emily both deserved the truth. Emily wasn’t there but Audrey would still find a way to let her know what Gabriel and Jasper were keeping from them.

James released Anastasia. “It is true.” He told Audrey in a broken voice. Audrey looked at James. To her surprise, the boy looked broken. James sat down. “The Black Hand was better at finding Chosen Ones then we were before the end of World War Two. They would have their scouts locate possible Chosen Ones and report it back to a man in Europe. No one knew who he was but he was a powerful Black Hand in Europe with ties all over the world. He would set up everything up so they would lead to the events in Europe and Asia. He was the one who told Hitler to go after the Jews during World War Two. Every Nazi in the prison camps were Black Hands. We even thought that Hitler himself was a Black Hand. This man sent the Magician with Black Hands to the Russian Revolution and got them into a murderous frenzy that wiped out a good man and his family. This man would locate possible Chosen Ones and set up events that were supposed to result in the deaths of possible Chosen Ones.”

James shook his head as he realized something. “This man, we never did find out who he was, but he could very well be the one controlling the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and was the one who sent Harold and Hannah after you.” He told Audrey. “And if that’s true, then he’s more powerful now that the Magician is gone.”

“I know who he is.” Anastasia told them. “His name is Anthony and he is very dangerous and powerful. Derdrom told me that he was the one who ordered them to attack New Philadelphia to kill two people.” Audrey realized what her mother was saying. “Anthony killed my adopted parents?” She asked even though she already knew the answer. She felt her anger rising. She would make Anthony pay for all of this.

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