Madly & the Jackal (Madly Series, Book 3)

by M. Leighton

  I turned my head to smile at him. “I love you.”

  “As I love you,” he said, leaning forward to brush his lips over mine. Fire kindled immediately in my belly and I tried to deepen the kiss. Jackson quickly pulled away. “You’ll be sore as it is. We’d better wait.”

  I wanted to pout. I wanted to throw caution to the wind and attack Jackson, devour him. But, he was probably right. Besides, it would just give me something to look forward to. A lot!

  “So,” I began, knowing I needed to change the subject if I was to keep my hands off him. “Are you gonna finish telling me about what happened?” Jackson sighed and rolled onto his back. I turned up on my side to face him.

  “As I was leaving, I heard some chatter about the Warden Major giving the order to guard the portal.” Just as I started to protest, Jackson held up his hand to stop me. “Not that I believe that’s what happened. Or at least not that he’d do it willingly. At any rate, we know there’s a mole very high, which I already told you.”

  I took a deep breath, reminding myself to be patient and let him tell his story, not to interrupt with rants or a thousand questions.

  “Go on,” I encouraged patiently.

  “I had an idea when I got out. Probably wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but since they’ve tried to help before, I thought…”

  “What? What did you do?” I could feel fingers of unease working their way down my spine.

  “I called the Seers.”

  Silence fell down over us where we lay on the bed. I could feel my mouth hanging open in utter shock and Jackson said nothing. He had to know what my reaction would be. That’s why he hadn’t wanted to tell me right away.

  Rolling onto my back as well, I clamped my lips shut tightly. I wanted to bluster and scold and threaten, but it was over and done with. And, even though it was incredibly dangerous and, in my opinion, outrageously stupid, there was no sense in fussing about it now and ruining what time we had together. So, I kept quiet.

  “You don’t have to say anything, Madly. I knew how you’d feel about it. One day, you’ll learn to trust my instincts. They are rarely ever wrong.”

  “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Jackson. It’s just that I’m terrified of something happening to you! Can’t you understand that?”

  Jackson sat up and looked back at me. “Yes, I can. It’s exactly how I feel. The thing I understand, though, is that there are things that we have to do sometimes, things that are dangerous and that the other person won’t like.”

  “What a crock!” I said, sitting up as well. “You say that as if you are all understanding when I have to do something dangerous for the right reason. You freak out every single time!”

  Jackson surprised me with his smile. “Yeah, pretty much. It’s called a double standard. I won’t even deny it.”

  I was stunned into silence for a moment, but then I laughed. “Well, at least you’re honest.”

  “Part of it is just who I am. The other part is that I love you too much. I’ve waited too long for you to let something happen to you. I couldn’t stand it. Plain and simple.”

  How could I be mad at something like that? I couldn’t. That’s how. So I smiled, even more brightly. “Plain and simple, huh?”

  Jackson grinned, shaking his head. “Plain and simple.”

  My attraction to Jackson grew in those lighthearted moments, even when I thought it couldn’t get any better, any deeper. I bit my lip as I looked into his clear blue eyes, eyes that twinkled with mischief. I wanted him so badly, but I knew what he would say, so I kept my thoughts to myself.

  Jackson’s eyes dropped to my mouth and he half groaned. “Stop doing that,” he commanded hoarsely.

  “Doing what?” I asked, recognizing the look in his eyes and becoming breathless with anticipation.

  “Biting your lip like that.”

  “Would you rather I bite you?” My eyes never leaving his, I leaned forward and playfully bit his shoulder. Even in the dim light, I could see his pupils react. “Or maybe you like to be bitten lower,” I said, bending to nip the skin on the inside of his thigh.

  I squealed when Jackson grabbed me and threw me back onto the bed, his body rolling smoothly onto mine.

  “Are you sure you’re not a witch?” he whispered, his teeth grazing my ear lobe.

  I just laughed. We didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  I had exchanged Jackson’s t-shirt for the shorts and t-shirt from the previous night. It wasn’t late by any means, especially for a Sunday, but it was high time Jackson made an appearance at Transport and I needed to check in with Jersey. I knew she’d be worried about me.

  I couldn’t very well go next door and unleash the Jersey whirlwind in her brother’s shirt, so I had changed. I smiled thinking of her. She’d crap a turtle if she knew what Jackson and I had spent the night doing. But, even though she was like chaos wrapped in skin, I loved Jersey like a sister and I missed her when she wasn’t around.

  Trying my best to tame my crazy hair, hair which had been mussed throughout the night by Jackson’s fingers and our extended romping sessions, I noticed Jackson watching me in the mirror. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling.

  “What?”

  He shrugged.

  “What?” I asked again.

  “I just can’t believe you’re finally mine.”

  That made me smile as well. I turned and went to sit in his lap. “Yep, I’m yours. You’re never getting rid of me now.”

  “Like I’d want to.”

  “I don’t know. I can be a handful sometimes.”

  Jackson’s hand rubbed over my butt. “Mmmm, handful,” he mumbled as he nuzzled my neck. The warm flush of desire I felt was becoming very familiar to me.

  “I really will be sore if we don’t get out of this room,” I teased, kissing him quickly and hopping off his lap. I had a feeling that, when he wasn’t worried about something else, Jackson would be insatiable. It made me tingle just thinking about it.

  Jackson got up and went into the closet to get some clothes. He returned with his usual black Sentinel attire. As if he’d done it for years, he stripped off his shorts and went to pitch them in the hamper that sat in one corner of the bathroom. When he re-emerged, I couldn’t help but gawk at him.

  I hadn’t really taken the time to examine him. We’d been engaged in one-on-one combat all night. But now, in the rosy light of dawn, I could see—really see—Jackson in all his glory. And what glory it was!

  He was amazing from the top of his head to the tips of his toes and everywhere in between. I couldn’t imagine God having made any more perfect creature.

  It was as I was staring quite rudely at Jackson that I realized it was turning him on. His body hardened right before my eyes. My gaze flew to his face. He was smiling devilishly and I blushed furiously, looking everywhere but at Jackson as I scrambled for something to say.

  “I, um, did you, uh, you never said what happened with the Seers.”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Jackson throw back his head and howl in laughter.

  “Shhh,” I chastised. “You’re gonna give us away.”

  “I don’t care,” he said, quieting as he moved over to me. “If you could see just how charming you are. I mean, it’s not like we didn’t make love half a dozen times last night. And you’re blushing just looking at me? You are hilarious!” As if to punctuate his exclamation, Jackson wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug and picked me up to swing me around. I couldn’t help but giggle, enjoying his amusement as much as anything.

  When Jackson set me back on my feet and turned to walk back to his clothes, I had to look away from the image of his perfect backside. I didn’t know what had gotten into me; I could barely keep my thoughts or my hands off him!

  I busied myself with making the bed, even though Jackson would probably re-do it later in that severe military style he’d been taught. No one could accuse him of being a slob.

/>   I noticed there was no blood on the sheets. I thought back to Jackson excusing himself to go to the bathroom. I surmised that most of the blood had ended up on him, as there had only been a little smeared on my thighs this morning. He’d made a point to clean up discreetly. He was so considerate.

  Again, I had to redirect my thoughts away from Jackson and the incredible night we’d shared. “So, what happened? With the Seers, I mean. I’m assuming they came since you were so long returning.” That alone was bizarre and surprising.

  “Well, as you might expect, they nearly dragged me into oblivion before I could get any help from them.”

  I shivered involuntarily as a mental image of Jackson disappearing into the depths ran through my mind. “But they did help you?”

  “Believe it or not, they actually did.”

  I turned to look at him, surprised. He was tucking his shirt in, so I was much better able to maintain my composure. “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How? I mean, why?”

  Jackson shrugged. “Maybe they’re more willing to help since Lore have escaped. Maybe they were helping me like they helped you that night in the shower.”

  “Maybe,” I said vaguely, wishing it was that simple, yet fairly certain it was not. I had questions. Many questions. I couldn’t help but think of the way the Seers had reacted to Jackson that afternoon in the ocean, when they’d released me and essentially fled upon his arrival. That was not normal behavior for Seers. At least not as far as I knew. But, that was a puzzle that neither could nor would be solved this day, so I pushed it out of my mind in favor of something more helpful. “So what did you find out?”

  Jackson didn’t answer for a long while. Finally, I turned to him. “Well?”

  He was standing, fully dressed, in the exact same spot, frowning and staring off into space. “It’s hard to say.”

  I snorted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “They didn’t help me the way they helped you. I didn’t see a vision of what’s to come or what has been. I didn’t really see anything per se. I more…perceived it.”

  “Then what did you perceive?”

  “Several helpful things, I think. I hope.” Jackson crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me what you remember about the life of the Jackal.”

  “The Jackal?” He nodded. I had no idea what the Jackal had to do with anything, but I went along with him anyway, humoring him. “I know the Jackal is the spirit with the key to reincarnation, to life after death. It seeks to destroy life in others, however, feeding on the destruction of pretty much anything good—life, love, peace, health. I know it can take possession of human bodies, but the host must have an evil spirit as well. I know the Jackal is monogamous and can only hunt when with its mate.”

  “And who was that mate?”

  “They simply call it Hyde. Whatever the identity of the reincarnated Hyde, that’s the mate of the Jackal.”

  “It’s so funny to me that humans have always perverted that story.”

  “I know. The famous Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

  “What they didn’t know was that Hyde was merely the evil spirit of the Jackal’s mate. The Jackal’s brilliant mind was what made Dr. Jekyll believable.”

  “So the Seers only told you what you already knew?”

  “No, they did tell me something I didn’t know.”

  “Which was?”

  “The reason the Jackal always worked in some sort of medical or scientific field was that it was seeking a means through which to occupy another body, one without Hyde’s spirit. The Jackal wants a body of its own.”

  “But why?”

  “That’s the million dollar question.”

  I had to admit to finding it a little frightening, thoughts of what a spirit like the Jackal could do with another body. Hyde was evil enough, but at least the two evils were contained within his body. To have both spirits with a physical presence of their own…I could only imagine what kind of havoc they could wreak together.

  “But the Jackal hasn’t found a way yet, right? I mean, it’s still confined to Hyde’s body?”

  “That’s debatable. Some are suspicious that, just before capture, they’d found a way. That the Jackal and the last Hyde had found a way.”

  “So even though there will be only one descendant, the Hyde descendant, we don’t know if we’re looking for one body or two. Is that what you’re saying?”

  “That’s what I’m saying.”

  I nodded as I digested the new information. I felt ill-prepared to capture one Lore at a time, much less two. And two different bodies would only make it that much more difficult. The Jackal wouldn’t be tied to a specific family or lineage if that was the case. It could possess anyone, as long as the body contained an equally evil spirit. That left an enormous pool of hard-to-pinpoint suspects.

  Shaking off the feelings of dread, hopelessness and inadequacy that I felt creeping up on me, I pulled out every shred of optimism I could find. “Well, in a way it’s good news. At least we know, right? I mean, forewarned is forearmed, right?”

  Jackson smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was worried, too. When he spoke, I knew why.

  “There’s more,” he began. When I said nothing, simply watched him expectantly, he continued. “Madly, I think the Sea Witch is somehow involved.”

  My heart dropped into my stomach. “The Sea Witch? But she’s just a legend. She’s not even real.” Or so the Mer had always thought. Hoped.

  “The Seers seem to think she is. Real, that is.”

  I moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “What does that mean? For us? For humans?”

  “The most powerful Mer to ever live? I guess it depends on whether she’s as evil as what legend says she is or not.”

  “She could shift the balance of power, to the point we’d never be able to get it back. She could turn the Lore loose and enslave both Mer and humans. I mean, she could bring about the end of life as we know it.”

  “I know,” Jackson said quietly. “It makes me uneasy that we don’t know that much about her either. All we really have are the legends. And even those don’t tell us very much.”

  “Maybe we should go back over them,” I said thoughtfully, adding in as casual a manner as I could muster, “tonight.”

  Jackson’s lips curved knowingly. “Tonight, huh?” I couldn’t stop the tiny, shy smile that trembled on the edges of my lips.

  “Sure. Why not? I mean, we’d better get started, right? The sooner, the better.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Of course,” he said, walking slowly toward me. “In fact, we might have to pull a few all-nighters.” When he reached me, he bent and placed his hands on the mattress on either side of my thighs, his face inches from mine. “You know, just to make sure we don’t miss anything.” He buried his face in the curve of my neck. “I’d hate to miss one tiny spot,” he breathed, nipping the skin under my ear. “I want to know every single detail.”

  Chills spread down my chest and back. “You are positively wicked,” I commented breathlessly.

  Mmm was his only response.

  A loud pounding at the adjoining door caused me to jump. Jackson leaned back and our eyes met. His wrinkled at the corners and we said in unison, “Jersey.”

  Giving me a quick peck on the lips, Jackson pulled me to my feet and we made our way to the door together.

  “So how much do you want to tell her?” Jackson asked.

  Of and on, I had been wondering the same thing. Would my oldest and dearest friend be happy for me when she found out about her brother and me? Or would it cause a rift between us?

  I didn’t have an answer for either question, which was why I thought waiting might be best.

  “Maybe we should wait. Let me test the waters a little bit first. You think?”

  Jackson shrugged one big shoulder. “Up to you. Makes no difference to me.”

  “Let’s wait then.”

  With a nod, he moved forward to open the door.
/>
  Jersey threw her arms around Jackson’s neck. “Thank God! I’ve been so worried!” she said, relief evident in her voice. When her eyes found me, they widened and she squealed. “Madly!”

  Extricating herself from her brother’s arms, she ran around him to treat me to the same exuberant greeting. “Where have you been? When did you get here? Why didn’t you come to our room? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

  I giggled. “Okay, let me just start with the last one and work backward. Why didn’t I wake you up? Are you kidding me? And poke the bear? I think not,” I teased, drawing in the familiar scent of her shampoo.

  Jersey leaned back, narrowing her eyes on me. She said nothing for several long seconds, during which I worried she was going to sense I was hiding something. But she didn’t. Her features eased and she grinned. “I see your point. Good choice.” She squealed again and hugged me a second time just as fiercely as the first. “Tell me everything,” she demanded when she finally leaned back.

  “Can it wait until after I’ve showered and changed clothes? These have been in the sea,” I said, looking down at my conjured clothing. And that was entirely true, not to mention a very handy excuse to get a few more minutes to think about and perfect my story.

  Jersey sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically. “I guess,” she said and then mumbled, “What a diva!” Even if I hadn’t known her long enough to know she was joking, the wink she tossed me would’ve told me as much.

  With feigned arrogance, I flipped my hair. “You know it!”

  “All right you two,” Jackson interrupted. “Take this love fest somewhere else. I need to lock up and get to Transport.” He shooed us through the adjoining door. Jersey stuck her tongue out playfully as she passed. I did the same. Jackson winked one azure eye. My stomach fluttered. “See you later, ladies.”

  “Laters, bro,” Jersey tossed back over her shoulder before Jackson completely closed the door. In their relationship, with their dynamic, that was as good as I love you.

  Just inside the door, I stopped and took a deep breath. Although it hadn’t been my home for very long, the familiar sights and smells in the space brought great comfort to me. In a way, it was a reminder of what I was fighting for—freedom, family, friends, our race and our way of life.