by Pamela Labud
What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, he thought.
Once they made the parking lot, Hawke motioned to a motorcycle.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
Hawke went to the bike, pulled off one helmet for Matty and one for himself. “Here. Protect your brain case. And no. All this charging around is getting a bit expensive and I picked up this baby for a song.”
“Great.” Matty took the helmet and once Hawke got on, he jumped on behind him. “But this doesn’t mean we should be picking out curtains.”
Hawke laughed. “No chance. You’re a bed hog.”
Thirty minutes later, they were outside of Nocturne Falls, in a deserted parking lot at the dead end of the road. On the other end was a local breakfast diner. Though it was almost midnight, Matty could smell fresh baked biscuits, muffins and rolls. His stomach growled in response to being so close to food.
“Wait, this is where the Druids want to meet?”
In answer to his question, three more motorcycles roared into the parking lot. A minute later, a long, black caddy arrived as well. The warty form of Drax Remmington emerged from it. The others climbed off of their bikes as well. The men, dressed in bland white shirts and distressed jeans, pulled robes out of their bikes’ saddle bags and donned them. Two wore brown robes and the third wore gold. Once they were prepared they walked to the edge of the parking lot.
“Wow. Such a reception. I sure feel special,” Matty said.
“You shouldn’t be so cocky.” Hawke muttered behind him. “Especially since your life is completely in their hands.”
“Well, there’s my bounty.” Remmington roared. “Good to know I’m getting paid.” The thick bodied gangster rubbed his hands together. “Good job, Hawke. Glad to see you haven’t lost your edge.”
Hawke stared hard at him. “You’ve got what you wanted. Let me talk to my sister.”
The other man shrugged. “One thing at a time, cop. Let me get paid, first.”
The Druids approached Matty, reminding him of three old guys that were play-acting as judges.
Matty could have laughed, but bit down on that. This was serious business, after all.
“You have answered your summons, Immortal,” the first one said. “That is to be counted in your favor.”
“Thank you,” Matty said, and meant it. He’d take whatever grace could be given.
“We were told that you have a ceremony to attend to. That you are to be married. Is this true?”
“It is.” Matty’s chest tightened as his breathing became rapid and his heart was pounding out of his chest. Or, at least that’s what it felt like.
The three exchanged glances. “This is a person you have pledged to, not just a convenience?”
Matty swallowed. “I’ve known and loved Fiona for many years. Just a bit slow about commitment.”
Remmington stepped forward. “So now you ask the girl to marry you? So, you can evade capture?”
“So, I can make one person happy.” He turned to the Druids. “She deserves happiness, my Fiona does.”
Hawke cleared his throat. “He’s petitioning the council for a stay of delivery, long enough to get married.”
Matty shot Hawke a surprised expression. “A romantic, are you?”
“Shut up.”
Now, that was unexpected.
“How long are you asking for?” One Druid asked.
Matty shrugged. “It takes a year to really plan a good wedding, you know. Venue, bridesmaids, invitation choices, family to reach, my tux, oh, and then there’s the reception…what flavor of cake, if you want balloons…”
“Stop,” the Druid held up his hand and Matty was compelled to silence. Druid magic was strong, after all.
“The council has decided. You have forty-eight hours to conclude your ceremony, after which, you will report for processing.”
And that, was that. The Druid council left the meeting, removed their robes, donned their helmets and leather jackets, climbed on their motorcycles and left the parking lot.
“Wow. They are curious fellows, eh?” Matty watched them disappear down the main highway.
“That’s an understatement.”
“What do they mean by ‘processing?’ Is that their term for judgement? For prison? For torture?” Matty scratched his chin.
They both turned to Remmington, who was lamenting his loss of payment. “How should I know. They give me orders, I fetch their bounties. That’s the whole of our acquaintance.”
“Right.” Matty said. He’d expected no less from the Druid’s lackey.
“So, it looks like we are on the clock. Time to figure out what you’ve gotten yourself into.” Hawke said, motioning them back to his bike.
Matty stopped. “Why do you care?”
Hawke paused, but did not turn around. “Believe me, it’s not you that I’m thinking of.”
Fiona. That’s right. The man had a thing for his girlfriend, no, his fiancée. Jealousy and anger stirred in his blood. How dare he even think about her?
And yet, how could he not? Hawke or any other man for that matter? For Fiona, his Fiona was an amazing woman. Strong, opinionated, passionate and beautiful.
“Right,” he said again. Deciding it was best to let it go. The guy had practically changed sides and he had Fiona to thank for that.
Chapter Fourteen
It was after midnight by the time Fiona finally settled down to sleep. It felt odd, now that she was engaged to Matty. Was it true that they weren’t meant to be together? Restless, she tossed and turned, sleep was an elusive ghost that she pursued through an achy slumber.
She loved Matty, of that Fiona had had no doubt.
Surprised that she’d even fallen asleep, Fiona was awakened by a knocking on her bedroom door.
“Miss Fiona,” the spritely servant called. “Breakfast will be ready in half an hour.
Though she didn’t feel much like eating, Fiona slipped out of bed and quickly dressed.
It was one thing to marry a guy, but it was quite another to buy him a week and then give him up to those Druids. Fiona was not going to give up so easily.
“You’re a stubborn woman,” Hawke said as she entered the dining room. “Still hanging in with that guy.”
“I do not need to hear it from you this morning, bounty hunter.” Fiona meant to distance herself from him.
“Bad night?”
Fiona sent him a warning glance. “Really?”
He threw up his hands in surrender. “You win.”
They sat in silence as the food was set out for them, fresh ham, eggs, bacon, toast and muffins. An array of warm cereals were offered and declined.
“Just coffee for now, please.” She took her first sip and let the caffeinated goodness spread throughout her body. “So, where’s Matty. Still sleeping?”
Hawke sat quiet, picking at his food, and yet not eating. “He’s at his brother’s place.”
“What? Why?”
Hawke shrugged. “I guess he thinks it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”
Setting her cup on the table gently, avoiding the urge to smash it in his face. “You think you’re funny?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am.” He let out a breath. “Look, he thought you’d be safer if he didn’t stay here for the time being. The two of them are concentrating on what might be done about his situation.”
“And your job is what? To babysit me?”
He laughed at that, it was a brittle sound, and not one that conveyed humor. “If only. It doesn’t matter because you wouldn’t accept my help. And neither will your wooden-headed Immortal boyfriend. Thinks because he’s Immortal it means he’s invincible.”
Fiona crossed her arms. Of course, he called it right. Matty always did have an attitude of carelessness. Always walking on the edge. Never worrying about the consequences of his actions.
“Well, I appreciate your difficulty,
Mr. Hawke. I do. This has put you in a terrible position, but something is wrong and Matty, whatever he’s done in his past, he’s never hurt anyone, and certainly has not done anything terrible enough to warrant this.”
“I’m in a strange place,” he told her. “I can’t complete my job until we get the go ahead. So, while I’m waiting to see what transpires, I told them I’d watch over you.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard.”
He shrugged. “Then, it’s an easy job for me.”
Fiona crossed her arms. “I don’t have time to trade words with you. I’m going to call Matty and find out when they plan to meet with the Druids.”
She started to stand, but he put his hand out.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because we already went. Last night.”
Stunned, she dropped back to her chair. “He went without me?”
“He thought it best to keep it between myself, my handler and the council.”
“He had no right to do that. I can handle myself.”
“Against humans, witches, vamps, other werewolves, sure. But, these guys are on a whole other level.”
Fiona slammed down her hand. “I don’t need a ‘bodyguard’ and I don’t need anyone to tell me what to do. Whether he or you like it or not, I’m part of this.”
She pushed herself away from the table then and strode to the door.
“You should stay away from him, you know.”
She stopped but didn’t turn around to face him. “Says you.”
“He’s dangerous and in danger.”
“You don’t know him. You don’t know me. I’m dangerous.”
The bounty hunter chuckled again, “I never said you weren’t. But you think you love him. Maybe it’s that bad boy persona that attracted you in the first place. Maybe you think you can save him.”
“Maybe I can,” she said, though she realized too late that it had been a mistake.
“Trust me, you can’t.”
“How would you know what I can and can’t do?”
She felt movement behind her, and Hawke was standing close. “Because I was you. I tried to save somebody that didn’t want to be saved and look where I am now.”
That’s when she saw it. His pain was visible in the depths of his hazel eyes. A murky cloud that appeared one moment and then disappeared the next. It was long enough for her to recognize it.
“You’re wrong about him and you’re wrong about me. True, Matty’s not a great boyfriend. He’s irresponsible and annoying, and very often disappointing. He also knows what’s at stake. And at his very heart, he’s a good person.”
“Is that enough to base a marriage on?”
“Well, if the Druids get their way, I won’t have to worry about it, now will I?”
He stepped back then. “You’re right. I know you don’t believe this, but I don’t want any of this to happen. The truth is…” he paused.
Fiona watched him a moment. She saw it, just under the surface. “The truth is what?”
He shook his head. “You both are really decent people. I don’t know whether the Immortal deserves this, but it seems like he doesn’t deserve you.”
“I’m touched by your vote of confidence. I really am. You’re sweet and I’m thinking that the burden you carry is not one of your making. You’re a decent sort, too.”
He dropped his head. “Well, if you don’t need a bodyguard. How about a chauffeur.
“I saw your motorcycle. Do you have a car, too?”
He grinned. “I rented one this morning.” He held out the keys and shook them.
“Fine.”
#
It had been an extremely long night and with the dawn, there was no promise of it getting any better.
They’d set up their ‘war room’ in Max’s meeting space. Several books open, a laptop and their phones, they’d spent the night picking apart every bit of Matty’s life the last hundred years or so. All in all, it had been a sordid story and though he’d hit the highlights, there was a great deal that he didn’t want his brother to know.
“Tell me again,” Max said as he filled both of their coffee cups again. “What about a year ago? You know, that month and a half you disappeared. Did you bump into the Druids then? I mean, how did they pick you to recruit.”
Matty rubbed his eyes. “We’ve been over this a dozen times. I was in Europe, doing a tour with some old friends.”
“Old friends?”
“Yes. Some blokes that I met back in the sixties. We backpacked together. Thought it would be a nice reunion. Fiona and I were on the outs, so I thought we needed a little space between us.”
“Ah yes, that eighteen-week period when you didn’t call or even send her an email. She was pretty upset about that.”
“Well, she was upset enough that she ripped apart my favorite recliner. And set it on fire.”
Max grinned. “She didn’t want to destroy your furniture. Said she’d much rather take it out on you personally.”
“I know. She’s awesome, isn’t she?”
Max sat down his notebook. “We’ve been through it all. I don’t see how you got yourself into this. It’s not like the Druids have a recruiting office set up at the mall. Come to think of it, with all of their rituals, what were they even doing in a dive bar?”
“I’ve no idea. And this business about being processed. I’m going into military service, sure enough. I have memories of marching across Spain. Why does this seem even more dismal?”
“It does. But, the Druids are a serious order. They didn’t just summon you, they contracted a bail bondsman and a bounty hunter to fetch you.”
“Why don’t we just ask them?” Fiona said from the door. Hawke was behind her but stood saying nothing.
“Sweetheart,” Matty began.
She shook her head. “Don’t you ‘sweetheart’ me, Immortal boy. You two ditched me last night.”
“Hawke,” Matty began, “You told her?”
He shrugged. “She forced it out of me.”
“Great,” Matty said. “It was for your own safety.”
She let out an exasperated breath. “Right. So, neither of you thought to ask them why they picked you?”
“Because you don’t ask questions when you’re facing a Druid. They don’t like confrontation. And believe me, things can get pretty ugly when that happens.”
He watched Fiona’s expression darken. “I’d still risk it.”
“I still think it would be best if we pooled our resources and went from there,” Max said, drawing them back to the table. “Now, if my baby brother had told me all of the facts, there was only one time he came in contact with their order, they’d recruited him to service in their military.”
Matty stared at the calendar his brother had open. On it he saw a note written in his brother’s long, lazy scrawl. “Wedding Day,” it read.
“Has it already been that long?” A month had passed, and it seemed as if the two had only been together a few days.
“Since the wedding? Sure.” Max sat back. “There are days when I can’t believe I’m married. Then there are other times when I can’t imagine my life without Holly.”
“Speaking of which, where is she now?”
Max waved his hand. “Some sort of Reaper meeting or another. If they had their way, she’d never come home.”
“So, the job’s working out for her?” Fiona asked. “I know she was nervous about accepting the position.”
“She was, but I think she’s worked through it. The only thing she misses, however, is working her clients. Holly really loves people.”
Matty sighed. The two of them were good people. Fiona was a good person, too. How did he find himself in the midst of them?
That’s when it dawned on him. “Now, I remember all of it,” he said at last.
Four sets of eyes fell on him and he bit his lip and
for a few moments wished he were anywhere but there, anybody but himself.
“Well?” Fiona asked. The others just stared at him.
“I don’t know if I want to say.”
Max was the next to comment. “Matty, whatever trouble you’re in…”
“It’s the worst sort, actually.” Holly entered the room, her arms full of documents. “You are probably the worst record keeper I’ve ever met,” she told Matty. “But not to worry, dear brother-in-law, because I happened to be a born organizer.”
“So,” Hawke asked. “What is it?”
Matty dropped his gaze, his skin suddenly on fire. “I was a little impaired.”
“A little?” Fiona demanded.
“Okay, a lot. It was when you and I were split up,” he explained.
“Which time?”
Matty lifted his gaze and looked around the room. Nope, not an ounce of sympathy to be found.
“I only had a couple of beers, I swear. They said they could make all my troubles go away. I felt out of my body, you know. Like I was floating.”
“Service? With the Druids?” Fiona turned to Holly. “Do they have that? Like the Army or the Marines.”
“Turns out, they do. And they are very serious about it.” She turned to Matty. “It sounds as if you weren’t just drunk, Matty. You were drugged.”
“I think, before I left, I told them I’d changed my mind. And they said, ‘don’t worry about it.’”
“Of course, they’d say that,” Holly explained. “When your appearance date passed, they put out a bond for you. Skeezy Remmington picked it up and sent Mr. Hawke here to collect you.”
“That explains a lot,” Matty said, rubbing his chin.
“How long will you be in?” Fiona asked. “Three years? Five?”
The room went silent around her and the air left Matty’s lungs. He didn’t want to tell her that he’s screwed up again.
He couldn’t lie to her either. He knew for certain, no one else I the room would let him.
“That’s the thing with the Druids. When you serve with them, you serve for life.”
“Oh.” She said, the realization of what they were facing must have hit her full force. “You’re an Immortal.”