Jar of Souls

by Bradford Bates

  Something else that was bothering me was the lack of information on the demon front. Where had they disappeared to, and just what were they doing? Demon sightings and attacks were way down. In fact, right now they were almost unheard of. It gave us the chance to do what we did best and police the supernatural world, but it also filled me with dread. The demons never did anything without a purpose, and if they were gathering their strength, it wouldn’t be good.

  Maybe it was time to set Jackson on the path to his destiny, to forget about the supernatural and focus on hunting and destroying demon-kind. It felt too soon, though, and he still had so much to learn. When the time came for him to fulfill the prophecy, he had to be ready, and something in my gut told me he wasn’t just yet.

  Those dreams he continued to have were of some concern, yet I hadn’t seen any real shift in his personality. It seemed to me he was slightly repulsed but ok with killing the man who murdered his family, but sickened by the rest of the dream. That was good, a small revenge could be overcome; the destruction of a city couldn’t be. I had meant to ask him the last time we met to tell me about the man in his dreams. Maybe with a good enough description, we could track him down.

  A knock at the door stirred me out of my thoughts, and Henry poked his head into the office. “Adam, the inspector is here to see you.”

  “I’m ready for him, Henry. Send him in.”

  Henry backed out of the office, and the inspector came in. Henry was the best assistant I could have asked for. He did exactly what I asked of him, and he never questioned why I asked him to do it. We had been together for over a century, and if he ever left, I’m sure my world would fall apart.

  Jean unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down. He was dressed for travel, and that was a good thing. There was one more burden I planned to give him. He looked tired, and frankly we all deserved to be. The last few days had been hell. It had been harder on Jean because of the bite he had suffered from Gaston. I wondered as I looked at him if it had any other lingering effects. I shoved that thought aside and prepared myself to ask him the question.

  “Inspector, it looks as if you are ready to go?”

  “Well, as fun as this has been, I’m ready to get back to my quiet and solitary lifestyle.”

  “There is nothing you deserve more, although I know a certain young nurse who will be disappointed to see you go.”

  He blushed for a moment. “Ah, well, we might have exchanged information before I set my plans for departure in motion. It’s possible that adding one person to my little slice of solitude might be ok.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. If I need to call on your services again, are you available?”

  “You know me, Adam. For the right price, I am always available for consultations.”

  “What if I had something slightly more permanent in mind?”

  “I guess I could entertain the possibility,” he said with a wry smile.

  “There is something that I must ask you to do for me.”

  “I have the feeling I’m not going to like what you have to say next.”

  “I want you to take the Jar with you when you leave and keep it safe.”

  “Why me?”

  “Its power seems to hold no sway over you, and right now, there is no one I trust more than you to carry the burden. If it ever becomes too great, all you have to do is return it, and I will find someone else.”

  “What does something like that pay, I wonder?”

  “I think you will find that a rather substantial bonus has been added to your normal fee.”

  “I’m sure whatever you included will be enough, and remember I’m still available for limited consultations.”

  I pulled the Jar from around my neck, and already I felt lighter than I had only moments before. The Jar weighed on me heavily, asking me to use its power, whispering to me that it could make me great. When Jean slid the necklace in place, he showed none of the signs that I had seen from others who had worn it. Something about his lack of interest in what the Jar had to offer, or maybe some kind of natural immunity to its charms, I couldn’t be sure, but I knew there was nowhere else it would be safer.

  Standing, I reached out to shake his hand. “It’s been a pleasure.”

  “Let’s call it a profitable adventure. Pleasure is too strong of a word for what we dealt with the last few days.”

  He started to walk out the door. “Until next time, Inspector.”

  I heard him say, “Next time.” And then he was gone. I hoped it would be another few years before I had to call on him, but I had the feeling it would be sooner. For all of his bluster about only caring about the money, I knew he cared deeply about our cause and would come whenever I called him. He had been a friend for too long, and I wouldn’t try and force him into a lifestyle that he detested. So I let him go, even when he would have been a huge asset to the Ascendancy.

  I was sure this next meeting would be nowhere near as cordial as the last one. Julian was sure to be angry about the loss of life that his pack had suffered, and even more upset that although he had led the charge, my students and I killed all of the high-profile targets. Was there really a better way to start the day than by having a staring contest with a werewolf?

  When I entered the room, all conversation stopped. Julian moved to the front of the pack, and they formed up behind him. I was sure it was intimidating to most people, but for me, it wasn’t as impressive. There was a time when we had been pitted against armies of Lycans in pitched battles. Eight younger wolves weren’t enough to even make me break a sweat. I did notice that Jackson’s mom was standing off to the side, not joining in on the pack’s show of dominance. There was a story behind that, and I hoped to hear about it.

  I almost laughed when I looked back toward Julian, and that would have been a mistake. I could see the rage burning in his eyes. It was just the image of him with the pack spread out behind him reminded me of some kind of boy band. Somehow I pulled it together and waited for him to say what was on his mind.

  “You used us as cannon fodder.” The Lycans behind him nodded.

  “No, I explained to you exactly what your job was. Instead, you ran off like some halfcocked puppy and almost got all of us killed.”

  “What did you say to me?” He growled.

  “I said you’re a halfcocked puppy, and your father would be disappointed in you. There is much that you still have to learn about this world, but you won’t get the chance. Not if you fight like that. Maybe I would have done your father a kindness by letting you die.”

  I knew that I had pushed him too far, and frankly I was surprised he even let me finish before he took a swing at me. I let his fist bounce harmlessly off my shield. It was satisfying to hear some of the bones break, but they were already healing before he had finished his cry of pain.

  “As I was saying, that kind of action is a perfect example of why you aren’t ready to lead.”

  He swung at me again. This time I moved out of the way and used my gift to augment the strength of my punch. It hit him in the ribs, and again the sound of cracking bones filled the air. I stepped back, letting him compose himself. Instead, he threw a wicked backhand at me as he stood up. This time I let my shield take the blow, and his arm cracked when it hit it. I moved quickly, twisting his broken arm behind him and forcing him to his knees. The pack pressed forward, and I froze them with a single glare.

  “Just know that I could have killed you many times over already, so now you only live because I wish it to be so.” He struggled against me, and I used magic to hold him in place. His growls and the growls of his pack filled the room. I waited until he stopped trying to get free before letting him up. “I expected more from the son of the Alpha of Alphas, but you will learn or you will die.”

  “I’ve heard enough from you, old man. I don’t have to take this shit. Our business is done, and I’m out of here.”

  “I have someone waiting to portal you back home.”

  “At least you gifted are
good for something,” he snarled.

  I cast a little spell that made him stumble and laughed when he glared back at me. It was petty, I know, but I just couldn’t resist. I had forgotten how appalling pack politics could be. It was all posturing and chest thrusting until a real fight happened. Unfortunately those were few and far between. Something about always struggling to be dominant just didn’t sit well with me.

  “That was a little harsh, don’t you think?” Sarah said, walking forward to stand in front of me.

  “It probably was, but those young wolves just get under my skin sometimes. I mean, he really could have gotten himself killed. He has to understand that.”

  “He doesn’t. His entire life has been about proving that he is better than everyone else, that he can live up to other’s expectations. It will probably get him killed, unless he figures out that he just needs to be himself. It’s been tough for him with all of the packs wondering if he will be the successor to his father.”

  “If he is the best they have, then I hope his father lives a longer life than most.”

  “You wouldn’t be the only one who shares that same feeling. Still there is hope for him yet. That is, if he can take any lessons away from his first defeat.”

  “So why are you still here, Sarah? Planning to spend a little more time with Jackson, or is there something else on your mind?”

  She sighed. “A little of both, actually. I want to be close so I can be a part of his life, but I also know that if the prophecy is real, then you will need all the help you can get. There are Lycans who believe in what you have said about demons. I think I could recruit some of them to come and fight with us.”

  “So you’re back!” I said with probably a little too much enthusiasm. It had been too long since we had any of the Lycans working with us.

  “As long as you can meet a couple of conditions for me.”

  “Anything you need, you only have to ask,” I said. For some reason, I couldn’t stop smiling.

  “One, I want full control of the pack. Their missions and their uses in missions all goes through me.”

  “Done.”

  “Secondly, I want the pack to train and work with members of the gifted from the get-go. I want them to be partners.”

  “Done.”

  “Lastly, I want them to have their own quarters and meeting places. They need to be able to hold on to their traditions and pack structure even if it doesn’t fit in with what you would like.”

  “I can make that happen.”

  “Well, then, I guess we have a deal. I’ll be heading out in the morning to get started, but tonight I am having dinner with my son and his friends.”

  “I can’t tell you how good it is to have you back, Sarah. I’ve missed you, and I know that Jackson will love having you here.”

  “Thank you for making it so easy for me to come back.”

  “It is the least I could do; I owe you so much more.”

  “Let’s just worry about what we need to do moving forward and leave the past where it is.”

  “I’d be more than willing to try.”

  “Good,” she said, and exited the room.

  On the way back to my office, I was thinking about what kind of call I would get from Nicholas. It certainly wouldn’t be a happy one. I had humiliated his son in front of his pack and poached another member to recruit Lycans to my cause. It didn’t look the best, even if I could sugarcoat all of it. The good news was if we could recruit enough Lycans into the Ascendancy, I wouldn’t be beholden to Nicholas for support. It was going to be interesting to see how it all played out.

  When I made it back to my office, Henry waved me over to his desk. “Stillman is on the line for you.”

  I motioned for Henry to transfer the call to my personal line, and closed the door behind me. Whatever this was, it couldn’t be good, and really I wasn’t in the mood to deal with it. Why could things just never remain simple? I had a war to fight, not elbows to rub.

  I picked up the phone. “Stillman, what can I do for you?”

  “Damn it, Adam, I’ve been waiting on hold for twenty minutes. I was just about to hang up.”

  “Well, obviously you had something important to tell me or you would have.”

  He let out a sigh of frustration. “I heard that you handled your little problem over there, rumor is with the assistance of the Lycans.”

  “I wouldn’t call it a little problem; if we had failed to stop him, it would have been catastrophic.”

  “I’m sorry that you had to go it alone. The council as a whole still has the west coast off limits for any active personnel. I’m working on it, but frankly most of them are just waiting for things to fall apart so they can swoop in and take over.”

  “Don’t feel too bad about it, Stillman. I could never get the council to agree on anything either. They are too set in their ways to embrace any kind of change. I expected more from you, though; don’t forget you are serving there because I let you.”

  “Yes, yes, we all know that Adam will smite us if we step out of line. It hasn’t happened yet, though. Also, the council isn’t as opposed to change as you think. Once they heard you were working with the Lycans, they banded together quickly enough.”

  “What in the hell are you talking about?”

  “They have put measures in place to end your little experiment if they think it is getting too big.”

  “You mean they are threatening to kill us if we don’t follow their orders.”

  “Well, yes, that is exactly what I mean.”

  “Damn it, Stillman, you are there to specifically make sure nothing like that ever happens.”

  “Well, I can only steer the ship so far when every other member of the council votes in favor of a measure. The good news is right now they are content to sit and wait.”

  “That’s not much of a bright side. They have forgotten their oaths. The gifted are not meant to war amongst themselves. They fight together for one cause. Only once has the council overstepped that order, and it nearly ruined us. A good man died that day.”

  “John was my friend as well.”

  “I know. That is why we need the council to stop this madness.”

  “I’ll do what I can,” he said, and then the line went dead.

  Doing what you can might as well mean doing nothing at all. No one ever said this battle was going to be easy. The council would come after us eventually, and I probably alienated an ally by insulting his son. Sarah staying with us was an unexpected bonus, though. Jackson and his friends proved themselves to be formidable in battle. As long as I could recruit a few more assets, we may actually be able to stand against the demons when they attack.

  Something told me that it would be sooner rather than later. We had to be ready. Jackson had to be ready. That meant he needed to keep training and start spending more time in the field with our seasoned warriors. The time for classrooms was done for him. From here on out, he would learn by doing. It was a risk, but one that needed to be taken. The demons wouldn’t wait until we were ready to strike.

  19

  Jackson

  When I woke up, I had April pulled tight against me, and my arms were wrapped around her. My first thought was it felt good to sleep for an entire night without having the same horrible dream. My second thought was what in the hell was I doing? I had a girlfriend, and here I was in bed, albeit a hospital bed, with another girl. I was going to have to make a decision on my feelings soon before someone got seriously hurt.

  I still wasn’t sure that if I broke up with Britta that April would even have me. This world was so different than the one I grew up in; sometimes I just couldn’t be sure of anything. I mean, I knew she liked me as a friend, and she probably liked me as more than that, but what if she didn’t? Should I just stay with Britta? If I stayed with her just because it was easy, was that the right choice?

  Britta hadn’t really done anything wrong; in fact, she was the best girlfriend I ever had. She seemed to want to
place my needs in front of hers most of the time, and she was smoking hot. Not just hot, but nice, funny, and a little geeky at times. All of that made her even better in my book. But here I was in bed with April. Sure, we hadn’t fooled around, but it just didn’t feel right to me somehow.

  I guess the only good news was that Britta was still gone and hadn’t come to check up on me. If she had seen this, I’m pretty sure she would have flipped out. I mean, April was just a friend, right? And we were both wounded from battle. It made sense that we would cling to each other for comfort. Isn’t that what people did?

  Seriously, where was Britta, anyway? It wasn’t like her to run off when I was hurt, let alone be gone for an entire night. I hadn’t seen her for almost a day. What could she possibly have been doing? I mean, I didn’t expect Marcus to come check on us. He was a guy, and frankly I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he was seeking some comfort of his own, but Britta had always been there at every turn, and now, after our biggest victory, she was gone.

  April stirred next to me and let out a little moan while she stretched. She looked into my eyes and whispered, “Good morning.”

  I shifted, trying to put just the tiniest amount of space between us, still feeling massively guilty even though nothing happened. “Good morning to you too. Feeling any better?”

  I could still see the bruises on her body, but the rest had returned some of the life to her eyes. “Nothing the healers won’t be able to fix, I’m sure. I’ll probably head to the gym later and get some yoga in. After that if you want to spar, I’ll be ready.”

  “You want to spar, today?”

  “Well, yeah, if you aren’t working every day, you get slow, and slow means dead.”

  “Don’t you think we deserve a little time off?” I said, cracking a smile.