Chapter Twenty-Two – Jack

“For fuck’s sake, Lucas, give me the damn Dragon’s Tear,” Jack yelled at Lucas for the tenth time.

Lucas stood on his bed in the corner of the room, his hands clasped together, chanting. It was difficult to make a druid do what you wanted when he had a protection spell working for him.

“Lucas, please. Once they know you have it they will come for you.” Jack hurled himself at the barrier Lucas had erected around himself. He bounced off it, crashing back into the wall, before picking himself up and trying again.

“Lucas.” Jack threw himself against the barrier again.

“Just go, Jack. It was my choice not to swap it back.”

“And it’s us who will pay the price.”

“Not when I tell them the truth.”

“What truth?” Jack steeled himself, ready for the force of impact, and hurled his body at the barrier. Sooner or later Lucas would lose concentration and Jack would get through. Probably about the same time the young druid needed to pee. Worked every time, druids might have great powers, but they still needed to use the bathroom.

Behind him, he heard Sophia coming up the stairs, and then felt the presence of Eva close behind. He didn’t want Sophia to see her son in such a position, but maybe she might be able to talk him down.

“Your mom is coming. Give me the stone now, she doesn’t need to see this,” Jack said.

“See it? My mom is the one who told me not to go and swap it,” Lucas informed him, just as Sophia entered the room.

“Why, Sophia?” Jack asked.

“Because Gareth does not deserve to have the glory from this.”

Great, a delusional mother who thought the sun shone out of her son’s ass. “You can’t win this. There is no way this will end well, unless you give me the Dragon’s Tear. I’ll tell the Council I had it for safekeeping.”

Those words sounded plausible in his head, but by the expression on Sophia’s face, she wasn’t feeling it. “I want Lucas to come out of this a hero.”

“A hero?” Eva asked. “What kind of a hero?”

“The kind that went with you to get back the Dragon’s Tear, which you handed over to the Templars. I want you to tell the Council that Gareth never swapped the stones,” Sophia said, and titled her head to one side. “Lucas has told me all the details. I know the witch whore went and swapped the stones. This story sounds much … cleaner.”

“Don’t call her a whore,” Lucas said, dropping the barrier around him and getting off the bed.

“Oh please, we all know what she’s like. All free love and sex.”

“Mom,” Lucas reprimanded. “You can’t talk about my friends like that.”

“Friends…” Sophia began.

“Yes, friends,” Jack said.

“Is that why my son had to put a magic barrier up against you? Because you are friends.”

“You are twisting it all around, Mom,” Lucas said.

“It doesn’t matter.” Sophia sighed. “Look, if you want the Dragon’s Tear, you have to let Lucas hand it over. He will tell them he went with you to get it, he risked his life to make sure it was safe.”

“Safe from us?” Jack asked.

“Yes, since you’ve shacked up with one of these.” She pointed at Eva. “A Night Hunter, of all things.”

“Wait. This doesn’t add up,” Jack said, keeping hold of his temper. “You want us to say that Eva handed the stone over to the Templars?”

“Correct,” Sophia said.

“Then why would she come to us? Why would she tell us where the warehouse was?”

“Do I have to do all the thinking?” Sophia asked. “They double-crossed her. Or maybe you picked up a piece of her clothing and you traced her. I don’t know, just make sure they buy it.”

“What’s the point of all this?” Jack asked.

“This will lift my son up in the eyes of the Council. It will lift him higher than Gareth. And right now, I will settle for one step at a time.”

“One step…”

“Toward being the leader of the Council,” Sophia said.

Lucas puffed himself up. “My mom has seen it.”

“Seen it? Come on, we all know these things aren’t accurate,” Jack said.

“This is the deal. One day you will thank me for it. One day Lucas will be in charge and he might think a shifter would make a good Council member.”

“What?” Lucas asked.

“Yes.” Sophia nodded. “I’ve seen it.” She moved to put her arms around Lucas, and whispered in his ear. It was not so quiet that Jack could not hear. “I have seen so much for you, my son. We will show them all, that humble beginnings do not make a man humble. You will see dragons, and be the greatest leader the Council has ever seen. But you will need support from outside of the druids. They will never fully accept you.”

Lucas pulled away from her, went to the night stand beside his bed, and pulled it open. “It’s gone,” he exclaimed.

“I took it, while you were asleep. For safekeeping,” Sophia said.

“You didn’t trust me?” Lucas said.

“I didn’t trust you to be strong enough.” Sophia cast a look at Jack. “Your friends make you weak.”

“You are wrong,” Jack told her firmly. “Friends make you strong.”

“Then be Lucas’s friend. He needs this to have a shot at getting on the Council,” Sophia urged.

Jack shook his head and wiped his hand over his face. “OK. Let’s see if we can convince the Council of this. Otherwise we’ll be too dead to regret it.”

He took out his phone and called Kurt. It went to voicemail. Crap. It could be down to a bad signal, or it could be the Council had already got them. Whichever it was, they had to get to the Council Chambers, and fast.

“We need to move. Give the Dragon’s Tear to Lucas,” he told Sophia.

“You swear to let him take the credit?” Sophia asked.

“We don’t have time for this,” Lucas snapped. “Give me the stone, Mom.”

“Not until he swears.”

“I swear.” Jack glowered at Sophia, but she either didn’t care, or didn’t notice. It was impossible for Jack to intimidate her, and he was an expert at intimidation when he needed to be.

Sophia put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the Dragon’s Tear. “Here.”

Lucas held out his hand for it but Eva beat him to it. “Let me hold it first.”

“No, I’m giving it to Lucas.”

“Then the deal is off,” Eva said. “I know what the real thing feels like. If you want Jack to lie to the Council, I want to make sure they are lying for the right reason. For all we know, this could be a fake too.”

“It’s not,” Sophia said.

“Then handing it over will not be a problem,” Eva said.

“Give it her, Mom,” Lucas said. “We need to hurry.”

Lucas sounded sincere, which set Jack at ease. Before, Jack could not say he trusted the young druid, but now he did. If for no other reason than it was in his favor to hand over the true Dragon’s Tear. Damn, if Jack had his way every single fake Dragon’s Tear would be smashed and the spell erased from the Grimmwold’s memory.

Sophia dropped the Dragon’s Tear into Eva’s hand. It shimmered, blues and greens, followed by oranges and yellows, like flames flickering over dragon scales. “Is it real?”

“It’s warm.” She passed it to Jack. “Here, feel.”

He took it in his hand, ignoring the snort of disgust from Sophia. It was warm like a newly laid egg, but there was something more. He could feel the power it contained. The Dragon’s Tear resonated with him, and his bear shifted, and woke, to stand alert. There was life in the stone. Life, and hope. The Grimmwold’s words came back to him.

The Dragon’s Tear belonged with the last dragon. Wherever it was in this world, one day they would find it and return the Tear.

“We should go.” Jack handed the Dragon’s Tear over to Lucas, took Eva’s hand, and left the room. He had nothing more to say to Sophia; the woman was a schemer of the worst kind, willing to promote herself and her son, above all others. In doing so, she had potentially put his brothers and the rest of the squad in danger. An unforgivable act.

“Are you sure about this?” Eva asked as they left the house, heading for the car. The sun was rising in the sky, breaking out of the clouds as it crested the tips off the trees.

“Yes. We have little choice. And anyway, at least Gareth gets taken down a peg or two. I don’t like Sophia’s methods, but I would rather have Lucas in charge of the Council than Gareth. If Gareth ever leads the Council, I know his father will be the one pulling his strings.”

“Do you think Sophia is right about what she saw?” Eva asked, a haunted look in her eyes.

“Scrying is not a science. It’s not as accurate as the seers. It’s open to the influence and emotions of the person scrying. Sophia wants Lucas to be leader, it does not mean it will happen.” He paused by the side of the car, and while they waited for Lucas, he bent his head and kissed Eva. “Don’t worry about her. Don’t worry about the future. Our world is in the now.”

“You are right, we need to get through today, and get everyone home safe,” she agreed, but didn’t meet his eye.

“OK, let’s go,” Lucas said, climbing into the car. He had changed into his druid’s robes.

“Your mom is not coming with us, to check that we play by her rules?” Jack asked.

“Nope. She doesn’t want the Council to suspect her involvement in this. They think she’s a simple woman who is only good for cleaning.”

“Good cover,” Eva said sarcastically. “Who would suspect her?”

“And who would bother hiding their work from the cleaner with no magic?” Lucas said caustically. “It is a good cover.”

Jack cast a glance at Eva. Sophia was more dangerous than he had figured. One wrong move by a Council member, and a word dropped in the right ear, would see them cast out. She was going to undermine them from the inside. On the drive to the Council Chambers, Jack took a moment to figure out how he felt about that.

The Council might have their faults—druids such as Gareth’s father were in it for their own gains—but they served a purpose and people, the Others, who lived in the forest, relied on them for protection, advice, and help. They were a powerful order capable of swaying happenings in the human world, in ways that were subtle and yet powerful.

An unfair dismissal caused by tardiness around a full moon—you went to the Council and they made the case go away. Crops failing—the Council would cast an invigorate spell. The same spell could be used for treating most ailments.

They were a force of good. Yes, they were trapped in the old ways, unable to pull themselves into the modern age. Yet most of the Others took comfort in that. They were never-changing in a world that was moving so rapidly, with bursts of new technology that took people further away from their true nature.

“Your brothers are here,” Lucas said from the back seat. “I can sense them. And Helena.”

Jack stopped the car outside of the Council Chambers, and turned off the ignition. “Are we all clear on what we say?”

“Yes.” Lucas opened his hand to look at the Dragon’s Tear. “Although I’m unsure if the Council are the best people to have this.”

“And you think you are?” Eva asked, her voice sharp like a blade.

“No.” Lucas shook his head. “It… I can hear it.”

“Hear it?” Eva asked, turning around to look at him.

“The sound of a thousand tears being shed. An eternal sorrow. I want it out of my possession. But I don’t trust the Council not to use it themselves. If the Templars become a bigger threat, they will stop at nothing to protect themselves.”

“Then we persuade them to put it out of sight and out of reach. Just as your father did, Eva,” Jack said, his hand touching hers lightly.

“Agreed.” Lucas opened the car door, and then immediately froze, his arms by his side. “I … can’t move.”

“Damn it,” Jack said, as three druids appeared from the side of the building. “They’ve been waiting for us.”

“What have they done to Lucas?” Eva asked.

“Bound him. Literally. He is under their control, physically, but not mentally.” Jack cupped her cheek in his hands and kissed her lightly. “We have to do what they want. For now. I swear we can trust them. I swear we will get out of this alive.”

“I trust you,” Eva replied simply.

They got out of the car, and immediately Jack’s movement was restricted, his hands forced to stay by his sides, while his legs were stiff, only able to shuffle forward. The druids did not speak, but led their three captives into the building through the front door. There was only one destination they could be heading for. The ornate Chamber used for full Council meetings.

Jack relaxed. If he fought the bind, he would tire himself, and look as if he had something to hide. “Eva, don’t fight it.” She looked at him, wide-eyed and frightened. “It will be OK.”

Eva nodded, but the fear in her face was still there, and he wondered if the voices in her head had broken through. There was little he could do. Or little he wanted to do. Until he saw how the Council was going to play this, he was going to behave as though he was powerless. But the talisman he wore around his neck might give him an edge, if he had to fight his way out of this.

“Jack. My apologies for bringing you here like this.” Master Donavon said, coming to meet them at the door. He looked at Lucas, but didn’t speak to him, the Master’s attention focusing on Eva instead. “So it is true, you have brought a Night Hunter among us.”

“She is my mate, Master Donavon.”

“I know.” He nodded, glancing at Jack sadly. “But she is an enemy all the same.”

“No, she’s not. She has had no contact with them. Her mother gave her up as a baby to keep her safe.”

“Safe from whom?” Master Donavon asked.

“From the other Night Hunters,” Eva said.

“Why?” Master Donavon’s frown cleared. “Your mother didn’t want you to give the Dragon’s Tear to them. Of course, blood magic. That was why you could retrieve the Dragon’s Tear when so many have failed.”

“She is the daughter of Henry Talbot.” The Grimmwold’s voice crackled like dried-out parchment, but it was strong and firm. “He was my friend. I can vouch for his daughter.”

“Vouch?” A voice boomed across the room. Master Thaddeus strode through the assembled druids, his robes flowing behind him. Gareth was at his shoulder, like a well-trained dog. “She is our enemy. Do you think the Night Hunters would be so forgiving if one of us infiltrated their inner sanctum?”

“She hasn’t infiltrated anything,” Jack spat.

“Stupid shifter. So consumed by the mating bond that you have betrayed your own people. Your own family. You are no better than a dog in heat.”

Master Thaddeus turned, his robes sweeping around him dramatically. Jack was sure he must practice his moves in front of the mirror to perfect such high drama, but that did not make the man less dangerous.

“She helped us.” Lucas spoke at last. “She retrieved the Dragon’s Tear and gave it to the Templars. When she realized what they were, she came to us and begged us to help retrieve the stone, and rescue her mother.”

“Is this true?” Master Donavon asked, coming to stand in front of Eva. Jack’s bear roared inside; he hated how close the druid was to his mate.

“Yes. The Templars promised me they would free my mom if I gave them the stone. They lied.”

“Your mom?” Master Donavon asked.

“Yes, my real mom, they had found her, I don’t know where. They told me to go and get the Dragon’s Tear and they would trade it for my mom.”

“And how did you retrieve the Dragon’s Tear?” Thaddeus asked. “We have searched for centuries for it. We knew it was in the labyrinth in Deadman’s Gully, but it never appeared, no matter what spells we cast.”

“I just knew. They told me where to go, and then it called to me.”

“Called to you? Do other voices call to you, my dear?” Master Donavon’s voice was soothing, but Jack saw the danger they were in. If they knew about the voices in her head and her lack of control, they would never let her leave here. And that he could not bear.

Jack closed his eyes, focused on the power in his talisman, and ripped the bind. He was free. The druids in the room stood in shock as he grabbed Eva, putting her over his shoulder in an attempt to get her out of there. Several druids moved to intercept them, but before they could cast their spells, his squad was moving, taking up defensive positions.

“Go,” Liam called as he shifted into his bear. The druids had a harder time binding the animal side of a shifter—their minds were not as easy to enter.

Jack hated leaving his squad, but he had to get Eva to safety. He turned, making for the door, but the Grimmwold was there, blocking their path. “Let us go, I don’t want to hurt you,” Jack shouted.

“This is not the way,” the Grimmwold said kindly.

A roar of pain behind him told Jack one of his brothers was hurt, and his heart ripped in two. He was sworn to protect his squad, but Eva was his mate.

“This is not the way,” the Grimmwold repeated.

“He’s right, Jack,” Eva said. “Put me down.”

“No,” Jack said.

The Grimmwold stepped forward and placed a hand on Eva, and she moved, wriggling out of his arms. “This is not the way.” The crackling voice was gone, replaced by an authority that shook the chamber.

Jack turned around. Everyone had stopped; they were all looking at the Grimmwold, a mixture of awe and astonishment on their faces.

“Then what is the way?” Master Donavon asked.

“Jack, you must turn Eva.” The Grimmwold’s face showed his sympathy, but the old man’s words were firm.

“No.” Jack shook his head.

“What do you mean, turn me?” Eva asked.

“Make you one of us. A shifter.” He should have told her before, should have prepared her, but there had been no time. At least, no right time.

“You can do that?” she asked.

“Yes.” He took her hand.

“The Grimmwold has spoken. You must turn her, Jack, or I will find another who will.”

“No.” Jack stood between Master Donavon and his mate. He would die for her if he had to.

“Yes,” the Grimmwold said.