The Dark Lord's Vessel

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

When the owl sings,

the night is silent.

.

― Charles de Leusse

.

MIKHAIL

The small, dark-winged Angelic stares at me from across the chess board. Beside us a timer counts out the seconds. The sooner I beat him, the sooner I can go live forever with Amhrán.

"It's your move, Gabriel. You're almost out of time."

His blue eyes are sullen because he doesn't understand the game. He picks up his black bishop and makes an L-shaped move across the chess board to capture my white queen.

"That's not the way that piece is supposed to move."

The boy's lower lip quivers as he projects an image into my mind.

"You're mean!"

With a chubby arm, he sweeps the chess pieces onto the floor.

A knock pounds on our front door. The door bursts open. Backlit by the sun stands the largest l