by Ron Francis
"That's great, Grandpa!" Abby smiled and hugged her grandfather in front of the rest of the council.
"Congratulations, sir!" Thomas added with a firm handshake.
"This next announcement won't be as pleasant for you, Thomas," Gunter continued, "Devlin revealed the existence of his son today, a powerful Shadow Mage. He was married last night to the Dark Clans' most powerful Dark Shifter. I believe you know Devlin's son as Lucas."
Thomas was stunned; he felt like he had just been punched in the gut. He stumbled a little as he felt for the couch to sit. He could see the worry on Abby's face when he asked "Are we sure he's the Lucas I know?" Or that I thought I knew, he reflected bitterly. Abby put her hand on his shoulder to console him.
Gunter held out a picture of Lucas and Darcy. Lucas didn't really look as happy as a man that was just married should look.
"It's him," Thomas replied, and then looked away. "I can't believe this. Nothing in my life was ever real! No one in my life was ever truly my friend."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, but we have bigger things to worry about." Rupert interjected without sympathy.
"Bigger things!" Thomas started. "Bigger things! I just found out that my best friend is the son of the man that murdered my parents. Could you give me a minute?"
"No, we can't," Rupert frowned.
"Well, tough," Thomas replied, "Because I need to process this whether you think I have time to or not." He stood and started pacing the living room. Even Abby had given him some space.
"Just give him a moment," He heard John say to the Council.
"Someone needs to teach that boy the proper way to address members of the council." Rupert said with more than a little outrage in his voice.
"We'll get right on that, as soon as he saves our race from Devlin's madness." John replied, sarcasm heavy in his tone.
"Let's not forget, he is still new to our world, he doesn't know our customs or ways. We should give him some time to learn." Gunter surmised diplomatically as the rest of the council nodded.
On that note, Thomas left the house with Abby right on his heels. He sat down on the front porch and Abby sat down next to him. He leaned on her shoulder, and she caressed his head.
"I guess I was just stupid to think that there might have been one person I cared about that wasn't in my life because of this stupid prophecy. I can't believe Lucas is a Shadow Mage. I don't want to even try and reconcile the fact that he is the offspring of the man that murdered my parents. How could I not know he was faking for six years, Abby? It really seemed like we were friends. It seemed so real."
"He didn't seem evil to me. He seemed a little too interested in women, but not evil. Maybe he was your friend."
"I doubt it, just like Laura and Pete are not really family, and Kendra was forced to be my friend by Asa. I have no one left. No one I ever met was interested in me for me."
"I am," she replied with a hint of sadness.
"I know you are," He grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. I meant before... before I found out about all of this stuff. Why couldn't they have just left me with my memory, then at least I could have been prepared for all of this."
"I'm sorry, TJ, none of this has been fair to you, but you can't lose hope. They may have been misguided or forced at first, but you do have great people in your life. Your aunt and uncle would die for you, as would Trevor and Kendra. It may have started out as a lie, but you have some special people in your life. Even Lucas might not be bad. Maybe he doesn't even know of your history with his father. Let's just wait and see what happens before you give up on him."
"You're right, Abby." He leaned in and kissed her with passion. "I do have some special people in my life." He brushed a lock of her chestnut colored hair out of her eyes and studied her face. "Let's go back in and hear the rest of what the council has to say. Please sit with me, in case I get the urge to throttle Rupert."
She kissed him back, a little longer. She nibbled his lower lip and lingered there for a moment before replying. "I think I can do that." They stood and he took a deep breath while she opened the door.
"All right, I'm ready to proceed," Thomas announced. Then, he and Abby stepped back into the living room. "I've discussed it at great length with the Fitzpatricks. I am going to lead a small team into Devlin's—"
"No, plans are changing, Tommy," Uncle Pete interrupted while entering the room with Conner. He had a look of seriousness Thomas had never seen on his uncle's face before. Connor plugged his tablet into the television and played a video. A normal human was given an injection by one of Devlin's scientists. Within minutes he had become insane. The next clip showed him committing a brutal attack on a helpless old man. The next clip showed another man trapped in a room when a gas filtered in. Within minutes, he had descended into madness. They sent in a much larger man and the insane man attacked him without hesitation. The larger man was able to restrain the insane man, but the afflicted man had scratched him during the fight. Minutes later, the larger man was driven to insane violence. As the screen flared off, an eerie silence filled the room.
"Devlin has united the last of the Dark Clans to his cause. He has challenged us to fight him in the Blue Ridge Mountains. If we refuse, he's going to release that virus in twenty of the world's largest cities simultaneously, and then reveal the existence of all Ethereals. As we can see, the virus is transferrable, person to person. If this gets out, millions of innocent people will slaughter each other and the world will never be the same." Pete reported.
Jonathan let out a low whistle. It was the only sound anyone made. It was as if the air had been taken out of the room. No one wanted to believe something this evil could even exist, let alone be used to kill on so grand a scale. The members of the council spent the next several seconds looking to one another, shaking their heads, and trying to process what they had just seen and heard.
Pete took a deep breath and continued. "We know the base components of the virus and have already begun working on an antidote. The reality is, however, even if we have one ready, millions will be killed if he releases it. Economies could collapse in the panic and countries could fall if the wrong people seek to take advantage of the distraction. Then, when the dust settles, it will be open season on all Ethereals among the survivors. I believe the only reason he hasn't already used it is that he knows we can counter it before it reaches the magnitude he desires. He needs us out of the way. Still, we have no choice; we have to meet him on his terms." Connor snorted in disgust when Pete finished his report.
"Can he really do it? Does he have enough of the virus?" Rupert asked in a near panic.
"We believe he does," Connor answered. "And we have no doubt he'll use it."
Gunter's expression was somber as he prepared to respond. "As soon as we have an antidote, I want enough synthesized for the top fifty cities in the world as soon as possible. We should plan to have the antidote ready and helicopters or planes on standby to disperse it. There's nothing to stop him from releasing it, even if we meet his terms. If we are proactive enough, we may be able to keep the damage limited." He paused before continuing. "I will also have some of my company's satellites diverted to cover the Blue Ridge Mountains. He no doubt has some traps in store for us, but I would like to see what we will be walking into. I doubt he wants full scale war. That would draw too much attention and leave him without the manpower to subjugate the survivors of his mad plan. It is probable he will demand Thomas and a small force, no more than a couple hundred, meet him and his top people in battle. We of course will have a larger force ready to intervene when he breaks his word, but I still doubt this will be a conflict on a grand scale."
"I'm not sure, Sir," Thomas interjected. "Grand scales seem to be Devlin's modus operandi. I would prepare for at least thousands. We should send an equal amount from each clan. For my team, I have already picked fourteen people from among the Fitzpatricks and their extended families. I also have Trevor and Uncle Pete. I would also l
ike Stephen, Jake, Sam and Stacy for a couple reasons. They are all powerful, and it will weaken whatever it is Asa is working on right now. I don't trust him to accept his demotion for a minute."
"I will then command the rest of the initial force we send in," John added. "And Tor Stevenson will command the larger backup force. We both have the necessary military experience for this sort of operation. If this is what Devlin wants, it will be the first time in over ten thousand years that two Ethereal armies march into battle against one another." There was another round of silence. No one in the room wanted to believe it had come to this.
Connor picked up where his father left off. "In the meantime, we should beware of more dark assassins. They won't just be coming after Tommy; the Council are all targets, as well as our most powerful people. Devlin wants us all out of the way so there'll be no one to stop him."
"Connor's right," Gunter added. "We should issue a warning for all of our people not to go anywhere alone. Everyone of any strategic importance should have backup with them at all times."
John looked at his daughter and said, "And, Abby, that means no more walks with Tommy until this is over." Connor looked at his little sister's countenance as it fell and Thomas could tell he felt terrible for his little sister. "On the bright side, this should all be over in about a week and then you two can finally get married and break that betrothal spell."
Jonathan put his arm around his only granddaughter and smiled. "Abby and Thomas will be all right." He mussed her hair, and she let him. She just wished she believed him.
Grams, Kendra and Laura began to bring some food out and place it on the dining room table. "Time to eat," Grams called out. "You can go back to your plans for war later." Thomas took the opportunity to sneak into the kitchen and pick up little Sarah. He picked up her pacifier as well, just in case and paraded her out into the room.
"I've been waiting to get you to myself all day," he started. "But Grams won't give you up. Now that she is busy, I get to sneak you away." Everyone knew that Grams would be back for Sarah as soon as all the food was served. Thomas also noticed that the moment William appeared, he and Kendra disappeared. It must really be great for her to finally have people she trusts with Sarah so she can take a break, or meet a guy like William. He continued to play with the happy baby, but she soon turned into a fussy baby. Thomas didn't know what to do when Abby took the pacifier out of his hand and put it in the little girl's mouth. Once again she was happy, and she cooed at Abby, studying her with inquisitive eyes.
After lunch, Gunter called everyone back to order for another round of talks. Grams returned to pick up Sarah and took her back into the kitchen. The next several hours entailed planning and more planning. When the time came, Thomas knew they would be ready. He only hoped the people he cared about survived. His thoughts drifted back to Lucas, and he wondered, Is he still one of the people I hope will survive? Thomas wondered what would happen to their friendship when he was forced to kill Devlin.
Chapter twenty-eight
Lucas was tense. He had been forced to marry Darcy against his will and his father wanted to start a conflict that might engulf the entire world. Under normal circumstances, marrying a woman as attractive as Darcy wouldn't be a bad thing, but he knew she wanted his father's power, and she was just plain evil. He had enjoyed his wedding night, at least we have that part down, he mused. Now he was left to himself to wonder about what was going to happen. Would his father really try to kill his best friend? Would Thomas even still be his best friend after he found out? As he thought about his problems, his wife walked into the room. He could see that she was as unhappy with their situation as he was when she looked his way.
"Your father would like us both to appear with him before the Shadow Assembly in an hour if you can manage to drag yourself out of bed. I think we should make a good showing of ourselves."
"I don't care what you or my father want, Darcy, I'm staying here. Sooner or later he'll figure out that he has a son that doesn't want to rule the world."
"I know! You just want to go out and meet women, drink beer and have fun. There's more to life, Lucas, you're a married man now."
"Let's be real, Darcy, you don't want to be with me anymore than I want to be with you. You've only ever wanted power and you think I'm shallow because I don't. In time, you'll grow to despise me when my father starts punishing you for not being able to get me in line." He mimed an ah-ha face as the realization of what he said hit her. He watched her countenance drop as she realized that by agreeing to marry him, she lost her chance at any real power unless he wanted it. "At least we find each other attractive enough for this arrangement to not be a complete disaster, but we both know that's not enough for the long haul."
"Don't be too hasty, Lucas." There was a subtle change in her tone, but he heard it. "You're right that I find you attractive. I may not have liked the way you treated women, but I have no doubt we can make this work." She sat down next to him and began to caress his leg. The disinterest was gone and in its place was something else. "Why don't we start over? Let's see if we can make this work? No motives, no agendas, just two beautiful people with an insane attraction to each other. What do you think?" She put her arms around his shoulders and looked confidently into his eyes, her lips hovering mere inches from his while she awaited his response.
He knew she was trying to manipulate him, but how sweet would it be for him when she found out she wasn't the only one manipulating things. His expression echoed her confidence, and he replied. "I think I might be able to work with that." He pressed his lips against hers, and she leaned back on the bed. He then shut the door with his powers and dimmed the lights.
An hour later, they were standing in front of Devlin, holding hands and smiling. They both looked like happy newlyweds. Lucas suspected that Darcy knew he wasn't on her side, but he could sense she was playing a long con, hoping to change his mind. He also knew that she wasn't on his side. She would pretend to be happy with him until she no longer needed him. If anything ever happens to my father, I'll have to be on my guard or I might wake up dead. Still, he planned to make the most of his current situation with his beautiful blonde wife, until he could get away from it all.
"So, it would seem that you two can coexist in the same room." Devlin looked content surveying his handiwork. "Give it some time. You may even come to love each other!" Then he turned to Antonio. "Let's begin." Antonio played the message Thomas and the Council of Light had sent in response to their challenge.
Thomas face appeared on screen, and Lucas tensed. "Devlin, you want to meet in the Blue Ridge Mountains, you got it. How about just you and me? We each bring fifteen to twenty of our people with us to make sure neither one cheats and we see once and for all if you're the destroyer and I'm the child of destiny. What do you say? Are you man enough to meet me one-on-one? I still owe you for killing my parents when I was seven."
When Thomas said that last line Lucas looked up in shock. "Pause that," he yelled to no one in particular. "You made me become best friends with a man whose parents you killed?" He asked in a rising voice in front of the rest of the council.
"Yes, of course, and I would do it again. This is what it takes to lead, Lucas. I have to make the hard choices, I have to sacrifice my family's feelings and my own desires..."
"You're so full of it! You've never sacrificed your own desires for a second. You're so selfish and everything you do is for your own twisted ends."
"Be careful, Son," Devlin warned. "I will not tolerate this kind of insubordination from any of my people. Resume play," he said in a manner meant to end the conversation. Lucas refrained from further retort while he seethed in his seat.
"The Council of Light will yield to you if I lose to you in a fair fight. If you break your word, it's all out war and then you won't have enough manpower left over to keep the survivors in line after you release your plague. So, what do you say, are you man enough to fight me alone? And, Lucas, I'm really sorry I have to kill your fa
ther. This has nothing to do with us, or the lie you've been living for the last six years. He's not gonna stop until I'm dead and he's already killed my parents." The screen winked out and Devlin looked around the room.
"This proposal seems good to me. I will amend it, of course. I would like five groups of twenty in the mountains with me, and a large assault force ready to come in and take out the best light warriors after I kill Thomas. At the same time, several assassins will be eliminating the Council of Light. Then, the light will be in disarray, and we can implement my plan." He turned and left the room and one by one, Antonio, Darcy and the Shadow Assembly left the room until Lucas sat alone with his thoughts.
This is just all so surreal. My best friend just apologized to me in advance for killing my father. If he succeeds, can I still be his friend? My father did kill his parents, maybe this is justice. He thought through every scenario for the next fifteen minutes until Darcy came back in to the room, put her arms around him and left a gentle kiss on his neck.
"Come on, Lucas, let's go to dinner." She pulled him to his feet and slid her arm around his waist while they walked. He wanted to think she felt bad for him. He was sure this was part of her act, but he almost believed it.
Lucas and Darcy had just finished dinner when Antonio summoned them back to the council room. Devlin was preparing to send a live transmission to the Council of Light to work out the final details of their arrangement. Lucas knew he wasn't alone in disliking his father's plan, but he was sure none of the others had said as much. His father's entire vision for the future hinged on being able to defeat the man that the Council of Light believed to be the child of destiny. If he were to fall, the Satarra clan would choose a new leader and the Shadow Assembly would resume business as usual. Just then the Council of Light appeared on screen, and Thomas was with them. The light side seemed content to let Thomas do their speaking for them.
"So, have we come to a decision yet?" Thomas asked. He carried himself in the manner of a man not intimidated by anything, and Lucas could tell that annoyed his father.