“How is that the same?” Jacinda asked, her head tipped.
“I believe the thing inhabiting Thanatos’ body is from the same world I came from. Only the faction he belonged to would recreate this world into a dark place.” Ceridwen attempted to explain.
“I’m sorry, what?” Jacinda demanded. “What are you?”
She sighed. “A mystic. Something similar to mages. We’re not exactly human. We were made of light or shadows. Coming here we became something closer to humans. Those trapped between realms can be summoned and even possess those foolish enough to expect their help. Some of them changed forms when bonding their soul to the one who summoned them.”
“And you managed to come here?” Chatan asked. “Without being summoned?”
“Our world was destroyed by a battle between the light and shadow factions. I was in the citadel when the light beings finally completed the machine that sent us to another realm. We landed here. Most of the shadowy ones close enough were sent to Faery. The rest were stranded or ripped from a world with no home, leaving them forever spirits, roaming the in between. And when they’re called, they can forge themselves to a new host.” Ceridwen shook her head. “We would have all died if we hadn’t found a way to leave the planet. It was a barren wasteland for eons. And it only recently had life breathed back into it.”
“But mystics created the Branches?” Chatan asked.
“We were some of the founders. There were all kinds. We like this world and want to protect it, the same as the rest of the living beings here. We don’t want to change it to what we had, but our shadowy counterpart does. They formed another group. Their goal is to bring their world into ours.”
“Theirs? Not yours?” Brent demanded.
“My home world hasn’t been my world in many thousands of years. I’ve adapted. Most of us have.”
Brent sat back. “Sorry.”
“How do I prove to you we are on your side? That I want to prevent the other side from altering everything you know and love about this planet, just to make it suit them better?”
Jacinda rubbed at her head. She didn’t give a damn about the rest of it. She had something far bigger to deal with just then. “Okay, so how do we stop Thanatos?”
“We’re a step closer because I know where he came from,” Ceridwen answered. “I brought Savon to introduce to Brent, and possibly Amelia later. We should be able to expel whatever shadow mystic fused himself to Thanatos and hopefully separate man from evil.”
“Shouldn’t Thanatos die? He has hunted my family down for years, and if he called the thing that changed him to help kill one of my ancestors, I fail to see how it’s safe to allow him to live.”
“He will die. But together, they could be pulled into another realm. It’s best to destroy both as fully as possible. It’s easier to do that if we tear them apart.”
“And what do Hawk and Dove have to do with this?”
“Because Dove was a mystic. She tapped into an ancient power from this world and became something more, as did Hawk, who was one of the first shaman. Together, they were able to create the wards to protect Wanatoga. They were the ones who created the pillar and others like it to lock away those who mean to take over the world.”
Jacinda stood and walked out of the building.
Chatan moved to go after her.
“Wait, give her a moment,” Dad said.
Brent followed her instead.
Dad held on to Chatan’s arm. “You need to know the part I haven’t told you about your mother. She’s the reason you couldn’t reach your potential.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Chatan snarled.
“She did it to protect you, only she never realized how damned bad it would hurt you. Or me.”
“You?” Chatan snorted. “Hurt you? You moved on immediately, as if you couldn’t get rid of her fast enough.”
“No, that’s not what happened, but you were too young to understand. I loved your mother until the end. I still do. But I hated what she did. She got in your head, twisted things around, until you believed you couldn’t use the magic you were so good at. I didn’t know how to fix it.”
Chatan shook his head. “Why do you hate her so much?”
“I never hated Kimi. But that thing tainted her. Tyrell told her not to follow him, but she wouldn’t listen. And when she failed to save him, or herself, she locked away your magic, hoping you would never join the Branches, and you would never find Jacinda.”
“How could you know I would wind up with her?”
“It was obvious from the moment you two laid eyes on each other. You were both too young to understand what the other was, but it was there. Your mother hoped you would get frustrated, give up, like you did, and lead a normal life.”
“No.” He shook his head.
Jacinda hurried back and slipped her hand into his and turned his face to hers. “Relax. If she was a druid, she could lock away your magic. It even makes sense why your magic exploded the way it did.”
“Exploded? How did your magic break free?” Matoskah asked.
Chatan glanced around the room and shook his head. There was no way he was going to tell them he had been making love to Jacinda when his magic came in full force. He wasn’t Fae. He didn’t go through an awakening. It made no sense.
“Ah, I understand.” Dad placed a hand on his shoulder. “I loved your mother. I still do, but I couldn’t forgive her for what she did. She took your magic, locked it up deep inside, and told me she wanted you to forget you were ever good at any magic. She wanted you to find another path. It’s why I pushed you so hard toward plants. She couldn’t hide all your magic.”
Chatan pulled away from Jacinda and stepped into his father’s face. “Are you kidding me? You tried to get me to do all sorts of things I couldn’t dream of doing.”
“All because your mom locked it away, then acted disappointed when you couldn’t do what she asked, filling your head with nonsense about how you weren’t meant to do what you can. What you could when you were just a boy.”
“I never could cast much,” Chatan snapped.
“Oh, you did. And it’s like no one remembers a damned thing about that. You used to blow Loretta’s mind with the things you could do when you were little. Then she convinced everyone you never did what you could. Your mother wrecked your confidence for so long I was starting to wonder if you would ever regain your magic.”
Chatan threw his hands up. He’d never wanted to hit his father so damned bad in his life. Too much information and not enough sense. “Just skip my shit for now and get back to how we help Jacinda stop Thanatos.”
“Chatan, we do need to talk about this. I have proof.”
He squeezed his eyes shut to hold back the tears. “Don’t. Don’t fucking do this.”
“Later then.” He blew out a breath. “And you’re right. We need to deal with a lot more than your magic.”
“Then why bring this up? Why now?”
Dad shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well, let’s get back on track.”
Arisa moved away, her head down. Chatan wanted to scream.
Jacinda pulled Chatan into his seat as she took hers. “Whatever happens, I’m still with you,” she promised.
He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”
“Back on topic, then,” Dad muttered. “Sorry for the interruption.”
Tremaine stood up. “Okay, first, I didn’t know your parents, Chatan. I didn’t know yours either, Jacinda. If I had, if I had known about this, I would have helped you. Robert, Liz, and Preston didn’t know them. I doubt Evangeline or Savon have any idea about your parents. We’re here to help. He’s been hunting women for ages. Whatever the reason, he needs to be stopped.”
* * * *
Jacinda had left the building to stop her head from spinning. Brent followed her outside.
“You okay?” he asked.
“This is too big. I always
thought it was about saving my family, and now it’s some damned creature trying to ruin the entire world? And everything depends on me.” She shoved her fingers through her hair and paced away. “I was trying so hard to figure out that damned journal to save my mother, and she’s gone. And that doesn’t mean I’m stopping, but why me? Damn it, why me?”
Brent gripped her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “Because you’re the only one who can stop him. Tyrell wouldn’t have set this all up if that wasn’t the case. You have to do this because no one else can.”
“If my Mom knew Matoskah was working on it, and everyone else, why not tell me all of this?”
“I don’t know, Jacinda. I wish I did. I wish I knew why she convinced my son to shut me out. I would have done everything in my power to help you, your mother, and Tyrell. This isn’t fair, but you have to see it through. Besides, you have me. I won’t let you down.”
She closed her eyes. “I still have to figure out the journals. It took me years to figure out the first.”
“I can help with that if you need. I have ways to find out what the symbols are.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m sorry. I wish I could make this all better.”
“I should get back in there.”
She stepped in and heard what Matoskah told Chatan about his mother. And there was not a damned thing she could do about it until they left. And his father thought it was a good time to tell him then and now?
Maybe Chatan had a reason to be pissed at his father.
And Tremaine stood there, talking Chatan down when she didn’t know how.
“You’re right,” Chatan said. “We need to deal with Thanatos. And we were told my father has one of Jacinda’s father’s journals. She needs time to go through that and the one her mother left. And right now, we’re both reeling from learning our parents were all involved in shit we had no clue about and we’re being dragged into the thick of it.”
“Trust me, kid, I know all about that.” Tremaine shot a look at Ceridwen. She didn’t know much about her or Draecyn, but she had seen them a few times while growing up. She couldn’t recall anything specific, which seemed odd.
Ceridwen gave him a look before directing her attention to Jacinda. “Secrets have been kept in order to protect, but we’ve realized our error. We’ve made mistakes and learned hard lessons. We’re rebuilding, which I’m sure the other side is too. We’ve torn apart the Dark Templar, and HARP. There are still a few key people to each group, and they are trying to gather their resources to attack again. If they know what Thanatos is, they would use him if given the chance. We can’t let that happen.”
Draecyn, the man with a ponytail, placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “Ask any questions you have, and we’ll answer. In this new age, secrets are rarely appreciated. And I’m sure it’s jarring to learn so much about your family was a secret. You might even feel like everything before was a lie, but we mean to fix that, even if you don’t join us. And hopefully, by the time we’re done, you can help us stop things set in motion long ago.”
“What was set in motion?” Jacinda asked.
“If Thanatos bonded with what we believe, he’s trying to unravel the fabric of our reality,” Draecyn explained. “Dove and Hawk were able to stop similar creatures in the past and lock them out of our realm. And you have them both with you, Jacinda.”
A bitter laugh escaped. “So, you’re helping because he has something to do with whatever you’re fighting?”
“We’re helping because it’s the right thing to do, and until Dove was freed, we couldn’t stop the threat to your family. It’s as simple as that. If Tyrell had managed to get word back to us sooner, we could have taken your family away long enough for you to grow. But he did the only thing he believed would save you and your mother.”
Jacinda gulped, pain squeezing at her heart. “Then Mom sacrificed herself to save me. Why am I so damned important?”
“Because you were always meant to carry Dove. Just like Chatan was always meant to carry Hawk. A small piece of what they were are locked within your pendant. And one day, you won’t wear it as jewelry but as a marking. One that offers guidance and more power.”
“I don’t want power. I just want him dead. I don’t care who takes the necklace once I’m done with Thanatos. I don’t want to fight anymore, don’t want to run. I want a life,” Jacinda cried.
Chatan pulled her closer, offering comfort. Not that anything was going to be much comfort. They were telling her that once the battle was over, there was still a fight.
“Which you deserve,” Matoskah agreed. “But by the end, you may realize the fight is not over, and in order to have that life, you need to keep fighting.”
“And then another threat comes along,” Jacinda snapped back
“Not one that can destroy our world to create the one they want,” Ceridwen answered.
“Why are we here? Why all this before I look at the books?”
Matoskah knelt before her. “Because we want to help, but you’re the only one who can figure out how. Unfortunately, your father didn’t give anyone enough information. All because you needed to be the one to free Dove.”
“I need to think. I can’t do that here,” Jacinda said. “Besides, if I’m the only one, I have reading to do.”
“Of course.” Matoskah sat back on his heels. “I assume that means you won’t stay for dinner?”
“Not a chance right now. Not like this. Not when she has so much to sort out,” Chatan snapped.
Robert moved toward them. “I could take you back to Eddie’s if you’d like.”
Chatan shook his head. “No. I have a car here. I’ll drive.”
Dad held out his keys. “Your cabin is free as well. You wouldn’t have to deal with me if you’d prefer to stay here.”
Chatan held up a hand to stop him. “Not right now. Soon, we need to talk, but not now.”
“Take the journal at least.” He moved to a cabinet and grabbed another book with a similar cover to the ones before. “I’m sorry. I knew this would be hard for both of you.”
“Yeah, well, you could have told me all of this years ago,” Chatan snapped.
Jacinda didn’t blame him for being angry. But she didn’t know what to do for him.
Matoskah stepped toward Chatan. “There wasn’t much I could do until you got your magic back. And that wasn’t my fault. I tried to solve that problem without breaking your heart. I never want you to hate your mother, but in the end, I couldn’t understand her choices.”
Chatan held up his hand. “I’m not doing this now.” He walked out. Jacinda kept up.
Robert joined them. “I know what it’s like learning your family was always part of the Branches of Emrys. If you ever want to talk, you have my number. And even if you don’t want everyone involved, you have my help if you want it.”
Jacinda managed a smile. “Thank you. That means a lot. Right now, I have to figure out these journals.” And later, she needed to find a way to get Chatan to listen to his father’s story. The story affected her father’s story.
“I’m sure you’ll hear from us, but there are some things we have to do first, alone.”
Chatan nodded. “I can’t talk to him right now. Not like this.”
“I understand,” Jacinda answered.
“I do too,” Robert answered. “Go, and if we learn anything after you leave, I’ll let you know. I’m one of those people who are tired of secrets, and I haven’t been a part of the Branches very long. Neither has Tremaine, Preston, or Liz. I assure you, I won’t keep secrets.”
“Can I ask you something?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Why do you want to help so much?”
He lifted a shoulder. “You deserve a chance to stop running. And you remind me a little of Liz when I first met her. She was quiet, but I could tell she was smart, tough, and she’d led a hard life. She has a good life now, thanks to Tremaine and me, but I want to make sure
you get that chance with Chatan.”
“Told you, Robert’s one of the good guys,” Chatan said.
“And you don’t even know me well,” Robert answered.
“Maybe not, but Eddie and Jackie have told me enough about how you helped them.”
“I do what I can.”
“Thank you,” Jacinda said. “We’re going to go, but we’ll keep you informed. I’m sure we won’t write off everyone from the Branches. There happened to be a few other people in there who looked just as confused.”
“Yeah, too many secrets have been kept through the years. Now that we’ve joined, I want to ensure those who join know what they are getting into before committing.”
“Thanks.”
“Have a safe trip.”
“You too.”
* * * *
Watching Jacinda interact with Robert eased Chatan’s building anger. She had every right to be just as pissed as he was, yet she was taking it in stride. Of course, something still hunted her.
She closed the distance and pulled the keys from his hand. “Mind if I drive? You’re still ticked.”
“Sure. Where are we going?”
“I don’t know. Want to go back to Jackie’s? Or do you want to go to Edenton for now?”
“Want to meet my brothers?” he asked.
“I’m looking forward to it. If they’re busy we can find something to do in Edenton.”
“Tomahawk is working, but we can visit him, then the bookstore.” He offered.
“Pull up directions on your phone? You can tell me more about Dakota and Tomahawk on the way.”
“Sure, and maybe I can convince you to get a small tattoo. One that will add some protection?”
“Do your tattoos offer protection?”
He nodded. “My brother works enchantments into the design. Admittedly, Fallon’s wards are better, but I’m not sure how fast you could get in to her. She’s not working as much since having the twins.”
“Hmm, I never considered a tattoo.”
Chasing Dove (Branches of Emrys Book 4) Page 9