Chapter 8
Brent dropped his head forward as Amelia dug into the knots in his shoulders. She took her time massaging. “She’s powerful,” Amelia said. “Like you.”
He snorted. “More than me. And that’s fine. She has threads of magic I can’t even define. But I definitely sense our kind of magic. I wonder how deep her sorcerer talents run.”
“What do you mean?”
Brent couldn’t help smiling. “When she first looks at someone, she looks off to the side or just above. She’s gauging auras. Doesn’t mean she hears the spirits, but she sees ours.”
“Hmm, is that what the aura is? Our spirit?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know for sure. I’m not a Deathcaller. I can’t see the dead. But perhaps it’s something like that. I wonder how much of the original Thanatos is left in the monster hunting her family.”
“Does that honestly matter?” Amelia asked.
“Remember how you wanted to save Eamon?”
She rolled her eyes. “Only because he wasn’t truly evil. And he didn’t seek Crom Cruach. That was my fault, if you recall.”
“No Eamon wasn’t, but can we be sure Thanatos didn’t seek this entity?”
“You want to save the creature who killed your son?”
“Oh no, the creature must die. I doubt there is anything left worth saving, but I do wonder what’s really left in there.” He sighed. “You made me look at things differently. I was ready to kill Eamon for wanting what’s mine.”
She rolled her eyes.
He sighed. “Yeah, I know, you are your own woman, but you’re still mine. You always will be, love.”
“Same goes for you.” She glanced at the clock. “Think she’ll be ready for dinner?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Only one way to find out, and maybe if enough of us are there and talking about everything but her current mess, she may be able to stop thinking for a little while.”
“True.”
“We’re going to stop that thing,” Brent said, more to ensure he believed it. There was still so much to figure out. Records to find, and if the monster was as old as he believed, that could prove hard. But even Draecyn was looking into it for him. And Brent had a feeling he’d be sucked into the age-old battle he’d avoided for so long. Jacinda would too. He’d seen it.
* * * *
Matoskah flipped through the pages of Tyrell’s journal. Closing his eyes, he lay back. Those kids were expected to do so much. And the fight against Thanatos was so much worse than either of them could ever expect.
Loretta had already told him the good news. Chatan’s magic had been unleashed. Something he knew would happen but wished the truth wouldn’t have to go with it.
The story may break Chatan’s heart, but it was one he needed to understand, especially now that he’d found Jacinda. Oh, how he wished there were more time. Chatan may not understand why his mother did what she did. He still didn’t.
All to protect him from what would come.
Tomorrow, he’d worry about that. Now, he needed to figure out the best way to approach them both. He’d called, left messages. All their families’ secrets, and some of the Branches of Emrys. So much knowledge, and so much responsibility. And they were supposed to trust such youth to unravel the mysteries.
Some days, he wished he’d never met Ceridwen Murdock or Draecyn Montgomery.
His phone rang once again. He looked at the number. Chatan.
After a deep breath, he hit talk and put the phone to his ear. “How is she?”
“What do you know?” Chatan asked.
“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Bring whoever needs to come. They all need to hear the story. I’ll be inviting a few people. They also need to know the details.”
“Should I be worried?” Chatan asked. “Should Jacinda? She just lost her mother.” The warning in his tone made Matoskah proud.
And when the story came out, Chatan might feel like he lost his mother all over again. And there was always the chance he would break their relationship further.
“About Thanatos, yes. Bring her to the longhouse tomorrow. Please. I have something she needs.”
“What time?”
“As soon as she’s ready. Give her tonight, though. Do what you can. Eddie already told me more about her mother.” Mina was a good woman. Protective of her daughter and her husband.
“How well did you know her?” Wary curiosity. That was Chatan. One day, he hoped to gain his trust back, but didn’t think that would happen anytime soon.
He blew out a breath. “Well. I introduced her to Tyrell.” Once, they were close, but after Mina lost Tyrell, she started running, and he didn’t see her again.
“I see. How much don’t I know?”
“A lot. But that changes tomorrow. I need to go, Chatan. Hopefully, you won’t hate me by the end. Or your mother.”
“What?” he whispered harshly.
“Tomorrow, Chatan. Be there for Jacinda, tonight.”
“I will. But I want answers. I need to understand.”
“You have my word. Tomorrow.”
Chatan hung up. Yup, he was mad. Matoskah didn’t even blame his son. Hopefully the truth wouldn’t divide them further.