by James Somers
“Charming to the last,” Disraeli spat.
“The rest can be handled easily by my friend, Luxana,” Gladstone said.
Disraeli made gentle gestures with his left hand, sending out his thoughts to the materials in his desk. The left side drawer opened. A sheet of official letterhead flew out of the drawer with a flourish followed by a quill pen. The stationary fell flat to the desk, while the pen began to write according to the words Gladstone had insisted upon.
When the letter was finished, the pen laid down upon the desk. Disraeli picked it up and then signed it at the bottom with his own hand. He tossed the pen onto the floor in disgust.
“Let her go,” he said.
“When our business here is finished, I will,” Gladstone said, smiling.
Disraeli turned his gaze upon the sprite, Luxana, still hovering nearby. Against all of his instincts and training he surrendered his thoughts to her. At once, he became captivated by the beautiful creature before him. She had become his goddess, a divine being to be adored and worshipped. She only need command him, and he would gladly obey.
“Do you keep a sidearm in your desk?” Lux asked him.
“Yes,” was his adoring reply.
“Take it and use it for the good of England. Cleanse away your failures, so that the Empire may move on to regain its former glory.”
Disraeli opened the bottom drawer on the right hand side of his desk. A revolver lay in the bottom of the drawer with a box of cartridges. These would not be necessary as the pistol was already loaded.
He removed the weapon while Gladstone watched anxiously. Disraeli did not bother to shut the drawer in his eagerness to obey the woman who filled his every thought with pure joy. He placed the barrel of the revolver to his temple.”
“Stop!” Gladstone shouted.
Lux held the Prime Minister still. “What is it?” she asked, a little perturbed by the interruption.
Gladstone grinned at Disraeli. “Release him for this,” he said.
“Release him?”
“I want him to do it in his right mind,” he said.
Lux did as he wished. Disraeli suddenly became aware of the revolver in his hand. He now remembered what he had been told as well as his insane desire to obey. The call to stop by Gladstone was remembered also and the reason he had given the sprite to release his mind.
“Do it,” Gladstone demanded, holding the knife even closer to Cynthia’s throat.
Disraeli stared into his daughter’s angelic face. “Forgive me, my darling,” he said and then pulled the trigger.
Responsibility
The city of Tidus was only just beginning to settle down from the events of the past few days. An invasion by outside clan soldiers had not been well received by the Lycans. However, having their princess back upon the royal throne had done much to satisfy them. They now had a queen to call their own, the rightful heir of their beloved Lycean. For all this, her subjects had been willing to make allowances for the way she had returned, deciding it was necessary given the dire circumstances.
The past few days had seen me much refreshed by Sophia’s company. And I believe she felt the same way at reuniting with me also. We had not spoken much of what Oliver and I had endured in Tartarus—only that the time difference between this plane and wherever Tartarus was situated in Creation had been greater than expected. We may have lost months, but we were intent on catching up.
“Oliver has arrived with Redclaw,” I said, coming out onto the veranda where Sophia was having her morning meal. “Do you still intend on having the conference this evening?”
“Yes,” she said, taking a bite of fruit. “I have a meeting with my advisory committee this afternoon. So, it will have to wait until then.”
I smiled at her after taking a seat opposite at the table. “The duties of a queen,” I mused.
She smiled back at me. “I never realized how much my father had to do in running a city like Tidus, dealing with the problems of the people. It’s daunting.”
“You can do it,” I said. “I have every confidence that you will make a wonderful queen.”
Sophia picked at her eggs with her fork for a moment. She seemed distracted.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“No,” she said, unconvincingly. “I’ve wanted to speak to you about a certain matter.”
I leaned forward with my arms crossed on the table. “By all means,” I replied.
“As the Queen of the Lycans, I have the right and responsibility to choose a husband to rule by my side.”
I smiled. I couldn’t help it. Sophia and I had been close now for over a year. This was a natural step forward in our relationship that I had hoped to speak to her about when matters of this war diminished. However, that didn’t mean I was opposed to moving forward now.
Her gaze was fixed upon her plate, though she had stopped eating. I could understand why she would be nervous. This was a huge step for us. In all honesty, I was feeling as nervous as a cat. It was hard to sit still, waiting for her to say what she had to say.
She looked up at me, finally. I had expected a smile on her face, a grin, but it wasn’t there. Tears began to stream down her face instead.
“Brody, I love you so much,” she said.
“I love you, too,” I answered quickly, knowing something wasn’t quite right with how this was happening.
“The elders of my people have advised me to choose a Lycan for my husband,” she said, beginning to sob.
My smile faded. I could not believe what I was hearing. My entire world seemed to shatter around me in that moment. How could this be any worse. And, yet, it got worse still.
Seeing my expression, Sophia attempted to explain her reasons. But this only made matters worse.
“We are a proud people, Brody,” she said.
“We’ve been seeing each other for some time with no reaction,” I said.
“Not openly,” Sophia answered quickly. “It is my responsibility as queen. I cannot offend my people, or I risk a civil war. After all that has happened, how could I do that to them?”
I stood up then. “Please stop,” I begged. “I can’t stand to hear anymore of this.” Tears were falling across my face now, but I didn’t care.
“Brody, I need you to understand,” she pleaded.
“Well, I don’t understand,” I replied harshly, “and I’m not going to understand. If your father approved then I don’t see what difference it makes now.”
“My father is gone,” she said. “I must rule now.” I could hear the resentment gathering in her tone. “I have no choice but to do what is right for my people.”
I could already see that her mind was made up. She may have actually been broken-hearted, but she wasn’t going to allow her feelings to stop her from doing what she felt must be done. “I don’t imagine there’s anything I can say to change your mind.”
She shook her head as the tears continued to come. “I do love you, Brody,” she said, her lip trembling at the words.
I turned away from her, walking toward the door. “I guess that’s just not enough.”
“Why do you have to act this way? Can’t you see that it’s killing me to have to say this?”
I turned for a moment, glaring at her. “And if I had understood? If I had taken this without hurt feelings, without anger, what would you have thought of me then?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I would have hated you for it.”
I nodded, turning back toward the door. “Well, at least you don’t have to hate me.” I didn’t wait to hear if she replied. I had already walked out the door.
“These Lycan’s certainly like their meat,” Laish commented as he sat to eat Breakfast with Oliver and Redclaw. One of the private apartments had been prepared for them upon their arrival, and servants had brought food within the hour.
“My kind of people,” Redclaw said, shoveling a heaping fork of sliced beef into his mouth.
“Beef in the morning?” Laish as
ked.
“I’m so hungry, I wouldn’t mind if they were serving old elf wizard,” Redclaw replied with a gleam in his eye.
“I can’t believe I volunteered for this, Oliver,” he said, spooning up some eggs.
Oliver tried not to laugh. They really did need Laish’s testimony and more than that if they could get it.
“When will Donatus arrive?” Laish asked. “If I’m going to travel so far from home, I might as well have the opportunity to give him a piece of my mind along with the rest of you.”
Oliver spread butter onto a biscuit. “He will arrive in time for our conference with the Queen this evening. In the meantime, you can explore Tidus, if you like.”
“I’d rather have some sleep in a comfortable bed, thank you very much,” he replied. “After all, you’re not the one who’s been sleeping in a cellar for the past two days. I’ll see the city later.”
“I’m surprised Brody hasn’t come back yet,” Redclaw said. “He’s usually joined to your hip.”
Oliver laughed. “Ah, but we’re in Tidus, my friend. I’m afraid an old man can’t compare to a pretty young woman.”
I had desired to speak to Oliver before the conference, but I went walking throughout the city instead. With Redclaw and Laish sharing the apartment, I knew we would have no privacy, and I didn’t want to explain this latest situation in front of them. The last impression I wanted to leave any of them with was seeing me balling over getting jilted.
I suppose, technically, she hadn’t broken off our relationship. At least, she hadn’t said those words. But the words she had said were still just as horrible. If we had no future then we had no present. It was as simple as that.
Sophia would find herself a Lycan man to be her royal suitor and forget all about me. She would be able to have a beautiful wedding with her subjects in attendance. Everyone would wish the happy couple well, and this werewolf would rule Tidus by her side, sleep in her bed and have children with her.
My mood was becoming more foul by the minute. Standing by one of Tidus’s decorative fountains, I hadn’t noticed that the water inside was boiling now. The grass beneath my feet and the flowers growing in the garden surrounding the fountain were wilting before my eyes. Blooms turned brown and withered to the ground.
Seeing the phenomena only angered me more. I wanted them to die. My heart was torn within me. I had nothing but ill will to share, and if those feelings were manifesting in this kind of violence then so be it.
I sat down on one of the stone benches, suddenly realizing that I must calm down. There was no use in this. I was only torturing myself, and to what end? None of this would change the situation. My feelings didn’t matter at all.
The sun was lowering in the sky by now. It was time for the conference already. I did not want to go and yet I wanted nothing more. I never wanted to be in her presence again, but I still could not live without her. How strange to desire both life and death at the same time.
The conference was being held inside a special chamber Lycean had had constructed and spelled so that no sound from within could be perceived outside of the room. If you wanted to know what was being said in there, you had better have an invitation. Fortunately, I did.
I vanished from the fountain, appearing a moment later outside of the council chamber. Normally, the Lycan elders met with their monarch here to discuss matters of their kingdom—mainly the city of Tidus and its thousands of inhabitants. However, the council elders would be absent tonight, likely much to their chagrin.
The older Lycans didn’t like dealing with outsiders. At the moment, I hated them for that, even though I knew that it was wrong to do so. But they were the cause of my present heartache. By their foolish philosophy, my love had been ripped from me as surely as if she had been murdered.
A servant was expecting me. The Lycan guard bowed when he saw me and opened the door so that I could enter. I barely regarded him, simply because he was a Lycan—one of those who didn’t want Sophia and I to be together.
The others were already seated at a large round table in the center of the room. A massive fireplace dominated the far end of the room, keeping the temperature pleasant at this end. The table normally accommodated more chairs, but only enough for the expected parties remained now.
Mine was the only empty one left. Much to my dismay, it happened to be directly opposite Sophia. I’m certain the others thought this was some favor to me—that I would be able to look upon the woman I loved and admire her throughout the evening. It was a kind sentiment that would end up twisting the knife already embedded in my heart.
I couldn’t help but glance and glare at Sophia as I rounded the table and took my place. She watched me like a hawk the entire time. I couldn’t tell if she was angry with me, or simply expecting a fight. I wouldn’t give her one—not under theses circumstances in present company.
Taking my seat, I apologized for my tardiness. Oliver shot me a puzzled look, but I didn’t return it. We would just have to talk about this matter at a more convenient time. Seated around the table was Redclaw, Oliver, Donatus, Sophia, Laish, and me. Since Tom and Charlotte had already left for the Russian Empire, we would have to wait to hear from them at a later time.
Sophia addressed our company politely, making eye contact with everyone except me. “My friends, this is an auspicious occasion: to have representatives from so many of the Descendant clans in attendance. I thank you for coming this evening. I am of a belief that our mutual cooperation will be essential in the days ahead. So, let this be the first of many such meetings and not the last.”
She nodded to Oliver as she concluded the pleasantries. Seeing her had already set my mood foul again. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get through this evening without tearing up, or looking overly stern. I tried to concentrate on the matter at hand, rather than Sophia. I won’t say it was easy.
“As you are all aware,” Oliver began, “we face a new enemy in Grayson Stone. What I believe most of us already know of him is far from promising. He has managed to make allies of many Descendants. Some of them are fighting actively for him already. Others are almost certainly being manipulated toward some end. And he is also apparently one of the Sons of Anarchy.”
“I’ve never heard that term before,” I said. “What does it mean?”
“It means you, young man,” Laish interjected, “and any other direct Descendant of the Fallen. You are one of the first generation, just as I and my brother are.”
I looked at Donatus a bit astonished. I had no idea he was like me—so close to the Fallen by his birth. I didn’t even realize they were brothers until Laish said it. However, looking at them with new eyes, I could see that beneath Laish’s rugged apparel and weathered appearance was Donatus’s twin.
“How many Sons of Anarchy are there?” I asked.
“We do not know,” Donatus answered. “However, we do know that each successive generation experiences a diminished set of abilities from the angel they have come from.”
“How can that be?” I asked. “Oliver is clearly my superior, even though he claims to be several generations removed from Southresh.”
“Experience can make up for a lot,” Oliver said, laughing. “I reached my peak long ago, but you are only just coming into your power.”
He glanced at Sophia. She was trying to look at me without staring. I only knew this because I was attempting to do the same. I looked over at Oliver. He had noticed something was wrong. He had the same puzzled expression as before, but neither of us could comment now.
“Laish, why don’t you share with the others what happened prior to Oliver and I showing up at your home,” Redclaw suggested.
Laish met each of our gazes with a harsh look. “Grayson Stone came to my home in the Briar Wood two days ago,” he said. “He had no invitation to come, nor did I give him access. Yet, he bypassed my wards and came anyway.”
He waited a moment, giving us time to digest this bit of information. If both Laish and Grayson wer
e Sons of Anarchy then they should have been essentially equal in power. Grayson should not have been able to bypass his wards.
“He claimed to be there with an offer of great power,” Laish continued. “According to Stone, Samiel had chosen me as a vessel to inhabit in the mortal world.”
“Samiel?” I asked.
“Our father,” Donatus explained. “He is also imprisoned by God within Tartarus.”
“Only he means to be released, somehow, through this indwelling,” Laish said.
“How is that possible?” Redclaw asked.
“Charlotte received a mental call regarding Hageddon,” I said. “She and Tom have gone to investigate this call in Russia where it seems to originate.”
“Stone claimed that Lucifer had found a way to join the Fallen to mortal vessels, allowing them to inhabit this plane even though they reside still in Tartarus,” Laish said. “It’s like they are extending themselves here while being rooted there. He said that Lucifer already indwelt him.”
“But Lucifer is not bound in Tartarus,” Oliver said. “That binding would be more powerful than the others who are extending themselves here.”
“That would explain how Stone could break my brother’s wards also,” Donatus added. “However, there is more than that to tell.”
“What do you mean?” Redclaw asked.
“I have had spies conducting reconnaissance through every established portal from Xandrea over the past few days since our battle here in Tidus,” Donatus said. “We have troubling reports from Philadelphia in America, London, France and Russia already.”
“Grayson was reported to have gone to America by the sprite we encountered at his home in Highgate,” I said.
“If the problem there is related to this indwelling, that would explain what we’ve found,” Donatus said. “A single man burned down a hotel and massacred its patrons, starting a rampage that has lasted over a week already.”