Cardinal Richard sat in a large, red lavishly upholstered chair, a throwback to the reign of Queen Victoria, which perfectly matched the décor of his luxurious apartment. He had bought the apartment a few years earlier and furnished it as if it was a palace. He loved visiting Catalonia because it was part of his carefree childhood. Although he was not particularly sentimental he did feel at home despite the fact that for many years his home had been Rome and the Vatican, where his hard work, stubborn character, and great dedication to a single purpose had made him what he was today. Despite his austere nature, even in his stony heart there was a small longing that compelled him to visit Catalonia at least once a year. However, being homesick was not the reason for returning this time, it was something much more important. Soon he would have in his hands the most powerful weapon in the world, which would bring all humanity to its knees. He had given his whole life in the service of God

Darren was sitting in his hotel room, drinking whisky from a tiny bottle he had found in his minibar. He felt completely out of his depth and utterly lost. Always a man of strong character, unpredictable, and self-confident, he was now distracted and affected by the emotions that Margaret had suddenly evoked. Things were already quite complicated. Just a few minutes earlier, he had coordinated by telephone, all the details for the transfer of the bodies of the murdered men with the French Security Department, before informing Nathaniel of the events in Cairo surrounding the loss of the ring. Nathaniel was, of course, not happy with this sequence of events, but he did not blame Darren for what he could not change. On the contrary, he thanked him sincerely for the hard work he had done and the responsibility he had assumed at a difficult time for the Brotherhood and urged him not to give up. Darren thought otherwise. Too many people were already involved in what should have been a simpl

Paris, France. Kate looked wide-eyed with surprise. It wasn’t a dream. She was actually lying in a king size bed in a huge room in a seemingly luxurious palace, and sitting next to the bed was the great guardian of the Brotherhood of the Guardians of the Stone, Nathaniel Thorne himself. He looked completely calm, with a faint smile on his face, betraying the fact that he was genuinely enjoying this unusual moment. Kate looked around slowly and realised that she had no idea how she had come to be here, and was naturally a little frightened. Fortunately, when she looked to her left, she saw Pierre standing there, looking just as scared as she was. A familiar and warm face was now just what she needed and Kate calmed down a little. Then she realised that she hadn’t said anything in response to the man’s presence, which was very rude, and she quickly tried to make amends. “Yes. Sorry... All this... I... I’m Katelyn West,” Kate struggled to get her first sentence together. “I’m pleased

“Get up! Get up! How long can you sleep for?” and Jake jumped out of bed, almost deafened by Megan’s loud voice. “What... What happened?” he was scared. “Have I ruined something again?” “No, at least not yet. But you sleep too long. Get ready and let’s go and have breakfast. We’re in Paris!” Megan was obviously in a great mood. Jake didn’t say anything and just smiled. He liked that Megan was finally in a good mood. He liked that she wasn’t thinking about him putting her in such a horrible situation. Without even thinking of contradicting the girl’s order, he dragged himself towards the shower. Within an hour, they were sitting at a small outdoor café in one of the older parts of the city, enjoying strong coffee and fresh croissants. Megan was studying a map of Paris, intently plotting the route she had already planned for the day. Jake showed no interest. In his mind he was trying to move the spoon on the table. “Jake, stop it!” said Megan in a commanding tone. “Your superpower

“Ok, ok. I agree that it’s pretty good,” said Jake, tucking into his second steak. They had been in Paris for just over two days, and Megan was in love with the romantic city. She was fascinated by everything around her: the people, the architecture, even the sky seemed different from what she was used to seeing in Cairo. She succumbed to this new fascination and spent the morning arguing with Jake that they should stay longer and see what happens. “We could rent a small and cosy apartment near the Old Town. The prices are not as high as I thought,plus, I think I could easily find a job here.” “Meg, take your time. Yes, we can rent an apartment, but let’s get settled first. We’ve only been here for two days,” said Jake with a mouthful of food. “Great. I’ve already found a few noteworthy rental ads. Later this afternoon, we could look at some apartments not far from here,” Megan said happily. Jake didn’t argue. He liked Megan’s happiness and Paris seemed like a good place to live.