“I texted Nathan last night, let him know to expect Markus. I figured I’d be too distracted once you saw my dress.” She slanted a glance at him; her seductive smile heated his blood.
She certainly hadn’t been wrong. Damn, she needed to wear that dress again for him.
Soon. Very soon.
The rest of the morning passed peacefully as they spent time getting to know each other. Jackson enjoyed hearing about her family and he could see the love she had for her parents and three siblings; two brothers and one sister. They had monthly dinners as they all lived in the Toronto area. Not that it made much difference thanks to teleportation. As a family of mages, with Julia as the sole Enforcer, they didn’t need to hire one for travel purposes.
“So then, my youngest brother yelled, ‘Mom, what goes through walls? Does a jackhammer break through walls?’ Mom yells, ‘Yes.’ His reply, ‘I need a jackhammer. With a man. A jackhammer with a man.’ He wanted to break down the wall between the bathroom and their closet since that’s where they hid his birthday presents. The rule was if we snooped, the presents were returned. This way, he didn’t get in trouble if someone else broke the wall.” Julia giggled, the love for her family shining through, her childhood a happy one.
A pang of envy poked him. Much of his childhood consisted of Enforcer care with no parents. At least he’d been one of the lucky ones. He’d shown an aptitude for magic and avoided foster care.
He never felt like an outsider though. Many of the kids there only interacted with their family on holidays and occasionally on the weekends. Some parents, like Julia’s, stayed involved with their kids while others welcomed the chance to have a less hands on approach. As it was prestigious to have an Enforcer child, few parents ever denied sending away their child.
Around noon, Jackson heard the ding from his cell indicating an incoming text. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and checked the message.
“Turn TV to CP24. The one they’re interviewing is the main guy, G says.” Jackson grabbed the remote from the table and changed the channel to CP24, the local station for Toronto news.
The reporter was talking about the Werewolf Treaty and how it helped integrate werewolves into society. The man, no scratch that, the werewolf with her was terrifyingly familiar to Jackson. Dread coated his mind, slimy and foul, as the reality of the situation collide into him.
“Shit! Oh, shit! Julia, tell me that’s not who I think it is. Damn it!” He threw the remote onto the bed, unable to trust his eyes. “We need to talk to Markus now. The shit will fly if this ever gets out.”
He paced the small room, dragging his fingers through his hair, tugging at the ends. How they could possibly fix this mess?
Julia’s fingers trembled as she called Markus and put him on speaker phone.
“Markus, we have a problem. Our source identified the leader. He’s on CP24 right now.” Shuffling drifted through the speaker followed by strong cursing.
“Are you sure this is the guy? Do you know what this means?” Markus sounded as stunned as Jackson felt.
“Yes. And it’s confirmed.” Julia replied. She sank onto the bed, horror stamped on her face. She understood the implications and end results as well as the two men did.
Furious thoughts slammed into Jackson’s mind. These hunts needed to stop. If they continued, humans would begin their own hunts, targeting everyone they assumed to be a werewolf. The tenuous peace of the past two hundred years destroyed.
The other races would join in, grinding their own axe in the ensuing conflicts. Millions of lives lost and all because some asshole believed he was above the law.
Angry and infuriated, he realized there was only one way to nail this bastard. He had to throw himself on the grenade.
“Markus, get a full Coterie meeting set up. All of them. Tell ‘em I’m turning myself in, but to the full council. After eluding them for the past year, I’m sure they’d love to witness me in handcuffs. Get it done as quickly as possible, please.”
Jackson wondered if the demon supplier would be there as well. The chances of Gavin identifying the supplier would be slim if the demon donned its meat suit. Demons could adopt any form they wished and, in most cases, humans never knew they were interacting with one. There were the rare humans sensitive to the nuances between the races, but they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut.
Other races could tell though. Mages due to the aura, werewolves and vampires from the smell (faint sulfur) and the Fae saw through basic glamours since they relied so heavily on them. Jackson had forgotten to ask Gavin how he knew it was a demon before it’d dropped its disguise. Was he one of the rare humans?
The floor bore witness to Jackson’s frustration as he continued to pace the floor. They’d said their goodbyes to Markus and now he needed to work off some excess energy. He wanted to visit the gym, but was leery of being spotted. His mind moved from one point of data to the next, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
“Ah damn, that explains it.” Slowly, the pieces fit together. Part of the puzzle began to make sense.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Up until three days ago, the werewolves were tracking us. Their orders, bring us in. Probably to save you from me since I accidentally kidnapped you.”
Julia interrupted him with a chuckle. She stretched out on the bed, watching him intently. “An accident, eh? Is that how you’re playing it?”
He gave her a mock sideways glare and continued, “Anyway...”
She stuck out her tongue and raspberried him. Unable to help it, he laughed, wondering how he'd existed for so long without her. And to think, she'd been moving in the same social circles as him and they'd never met. Not once had their paths crossed even though she was Markus' partner and he'd been friends with him for a several years now.
“Stop interrupting me, woman. As I was saying, three days ago, the plans changed and they tried to kill us, both of us. Three days ago, Gavin escaped from the werewolves, that werewolf. He was tying up loose ends. Who else would Gavin go to about demons and werewolves but to an Enforcer on the outs specializing in demons? It also explains how the message got to the clean-up crew without Derek’s knowledge or permission. He went over Derek’s head. And the clean-up crew wouldn’t question his authority.” He dropped himself onto the bed and Julia moved to sprawl on top of him.
His mind didn’t want to process just how high up this went. Could they actually do this, could they accuse a Coterie leader? Would the rest of them believe him or would they haul Jackson off to prison to await trial? Assuming they even bothered with a trial instead of executing him on the spot.
Huh, what a cheery thought.
A pall hung over their time together. No longer did the little room seem like a love nest, a world away from it all. Instead, it was a trap, an existence he couldn’t escape. His skin tight and itchy. His mind screaming at him. How could he give himself up, walk calmly to his possible death?
Ignoring the situation though, not an option. Too many innocent people died, would continue dying if he did nothing. No matter what the Coterie assumed, he was still an Enforcer. His duty to the people, to keep the monsters locked away.
Would this be the last time he saw Julia as a free man? He couldn’t accept that. He refused to accept it would all end with him being convicted for something he didn’t do.
Would she stand by him? Did he honestly expect her to waste her life waiting for him? Could he be the bigger man and tell her to leave and never come back? Damn, how could he give up the only ray of light in his soon to be gloomy existence?
That night, when they went to bed, their lovemaking was slow and unhurried. They both knew their time together limited and neither wanted to waste it. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, holding on tight, trying to deny the worst outcome possible.
Jackson’s death.
JACKSON’S CELL WOKE him with an incoming message. Checking it, he saw the text from Markus, “Coterie to assemble in 3 h
ours. Leaders travelling through Fay.”
He looked at the time and groaned when he saw it was the ungodly hour of 8:00 A.M. What was wrong with people? Who was honestly awake at this hour? Bunch of crazy people, that’s who. At least he had a few hours to fully wake up, get a hold of Gavin and meet at a neutral spot.
No way would he let anyone find out about this place. If he needed to run again, he wanted a bolt hole. Plus, he’d paid for this place for the next year.
Rousing Julia, he relayed the message to her. A thorn in the Coterie’s side for quite some time now, he wasn’t surprised at how quickly they acted. He was prime material to be made an example of; show the supernatural community there was no escape from justice.
Both too nervous to eat, they skipped breakfast. However, Jackson needed the morning stretch to help calm him. He went through the moves, but found no joy or peace. His gut churned, giving him indigestion even with an empty stomach.
“Alright then. Time to get Gavin and meet with Markus. Are you sure you want to do this? Last chance to disappear.” She asked him, half-joking.
He gave it some serious thought, more worried over Julia’s role in everything, but he had to help end this bloodshed. While this wouldn't clear Jackson's name, turning his back on justice wasn’t an option.
“No, no more running.” He answered, looping his arm through hers as they left the room together.
Chapter Twenty-Two
GENERAL CONSENUS DEEMED Moss Park the best meeting place. The large park sprawled almost the full length of a city block and was half as wide. A small group of people would be overlooked amongst the normal crowd.
Jackson and Julia followed a winding cement path through the trees, the cool shade a welcome relief from the hot July sun. It wasn’t as thickly treed as some of the parks around the Greater Toronto Area, but enough to shield them from cameras and prying eyes.
A faint breeze ruffled Jackson’s hair, bringing the scent of oak and maple trees mingled with car exhaust. Tiny feet pounded and children’s laughter drifted from the nearby playground, infectious squeals of joy.
His resolve strengthened. If he walked away, the next generation of children would become prey. Their innocence ripped away in blood and terror. He refused to falter.
Walking close together, they refrained from touching. He wanted to avoid anything implicating Julia. Best they thought she was a kidnap victim and nothing else.
He smiled a little, knowing she was anything but a victim. Keeping her locked up would’ve been impossible had she attempted an escape. Hell, those earrings of hers alone would’ve been enough to take him out, never mind her training as an Enforcer.
He kept his attention on the other people in the area, checking for a trap. Why they’d go through the trouble, he had no clue. He’d surrendered, making it easy on them. However, it was hard to turn off years of habit.
No werewolves, mages or Fae hung around, just a few humans. Not many frequented the park during mid-morning on a weekday and, if he’d had his way, he wouldn't be here at this hour either. Mothers pushing strollers, dads wrangling energetic toddlers, teenagers with nothing better to do on a hot summer day. Jackson took it all in and filed away faces and locations in case he needed to recall it for later.
Gavin leaned against a large maple tree at the prearranged spot, out of place with the young families. His dark brown hair washed and pulled back into an untidy ponytail. Still unshaven, several weeks of growth obscured the lower half of his face. Dingy clothes hung on him, too big for his emaciated frame. Even though he kept his back to tree, he was alert to everyone around him. Haunted grey eyes constantly scanned the area. His body stiff with tension. Captivity had a nasty way of changing the way a person viewed the world.
Julia tensed imperceptibly and he realized they were near enough to sense the vampire aura radiating from Gavin. He hadn’t told her the full truth about Gavin, kept his oath to the other man. Instead, he went with the official explanation, he’d forcibly ingested the blood. Not many Ire junkies sensed as a vampire though, unless they were chronic users for several years.
If luck stayed with them, no one would examine their cover story too close. Gavin would soon be eclipsed and perhaps forgotten.
Her reaction wasn’t as extreme as his and Victor’s since she expected it. Ignoring a newly made vampire was tough though, or at least the sense of one. Within seconds, she had herself under control again and he knew no one else would have noticed. Pride swelled as he realized this amazing woman wanted to be with him, spent time forming her own opinion, dug for the truth and deemed him worthy.
They stopped several feet away from Gavin, keeping their hands loose at their sides. Neither one wanted to spook him since his testimony was key in stopping the hunts and murders. A quick nod of recognition their way and he was back to warily scanning the crowds. Jackson suppressed any twinge of pity, knowing it would be unwanted and an insult to a person strong enough to survive such an ordeal.
They exchanged no words as they waited for Markus to appear, all three lost in their own thoughts. A few short hours until his life irrevocably changed.
A strange tingling, a feeling of being watched, trickled through his subconscious and he carefully glanced around, trying to pinpoint the watcher's location. Julia raised a questioning eyebrow then smirked at someone behind him. He turned around but saw no one. Whirling back to Julia, she helplessly shook her head, trying hard to control her laughter.
“I’m sorry, it’s just...” She broke off, unable to contain her mirth.
Markus dropped his invisibility, standing a foot away from Jackson. His expression gave away nothing, ignoring Julia’s outburst.
He gave a slight shrug and said “Julia finds amusement in seeing me when no one else can.”
“Ha!” She exclaimed. “More like I find amusement in your disguises when no one can see you. Honestly, Batman? In a crime fighting mood or just wanted to wearing a cape and cowl? Where’s Robin hiding?”
Another peal of laughter burst from her which she tried to smother with her hand.
Markus blandly replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Then sotto voce he added, “I’ll remember this next time you want to be Batgirl.”
Jackson choked back his own chuckle and shook his head. He hadn’t expected Markus to use his magic so frivolously. It humanized the infamous mage and made him realized he didn’t know the man as well as he thought.
Wait, how could Julia see through invisibility? Her earrings didn’t have the ability and he hadn't seen her cast the spell on herself. Later, he’d ask her later. If he had the chance…
Taking control, Markus outlined the details. “I’ll go as lead Enforcer with Julia and Gavin as my secondaries. We’ll have a magical disguise on them so no one will recognize them, especially Julia. No need to overshadow our purpose and we may need a distraction if this goes bad. Since Gavin senses as a vampire, no one will question him with me. They’ll think he’s another Enforcer I brought in to contain such a dangerous criminal.
“We’ll have Jackson in proper restraints - handcuffs, finger-cuffs and mouth gag - or else we’ll have a lot of jumpy Enforcers who might make a mistake. We don’t want to tip off our suspect and don’t want him beefing up his personal security.”
Jackson interrupted, “I’ll cast the minor illusions on Julia and Gavin. We want them to fly under the radar at the Headquarters and your spells are too powerful, Markus. They’ll set off the alarms.”
“I didn’t know you could cast illusions, Jackson. I’ve read your file and it states nothing about learning them.” Markus said, his tone indicating he wanted an answer.
“You learn to adapt when the people who trained you are trying to kill you.” Jackson replied with a certain amount of bitterness. “I had to figure out a way to say hidden in plain sight or else they would’ve taken me in long ago. And just so we’re clear, the only reason I’m under arrest now is because I let myself get caught.”
Jackson’s eyes narrowed at Markus’ emphasis. Damn mage was hiding something.
Filing it away for further examination, he weaved his spells. Julia did her own while Markus casted a few defensive spells on Gavin. Each of them gained a shielding against physical attacks and a minor shield against magical attacks. The faint shimmering hues faintly registered to him as they faded away, forming a barrier around each of them.
Markus had already protected himself, or rather, he never went around without protection.
Jackson, however, found keeping a full defensive line running at all times more of a hindrance than help. Magic users sensed the energy on others and didn’t help him stay anonymous layered with energy. Which meant he went around as close to naked as possible unless he expected a fight.
“Okay, I’m going to cast the minor illusions. It’ll change your hair, make your face appear different and turn the eye away from you. It’ll be hard for anyone to remember what you look like afterwards. Their brains won’t process it.” He explained for Gavin’s sake, Markus and Julia already familiar with this spell.
He reached into his front pocket to pull out fine granules of sand from a small plastic bag. Channeling the necessary energy, holding it tight within, he visualized the end result. The buildup pressed on the base of his skull, intense pleasure and pain mixed together.
He flung the sand at both Julia and Gavin as he whispered “Praestigiae”. Wasn’t often he tried to affect more than one person with a spell. This one, however, he modified to include two people. A year of casting it on himself made him familiar with shaping the magic. A relatively simple spell with low energy usage, it didn’t take much expand it.
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