by JF Jenkins
"How are we supposed to help him?" Jason asked.
"There is a spell but it requires you both. It's complicated and dangerous. It will expose your soul to the spiritual realm. I don't know what will happen."
"I don't know what to say," Jason whispered. He didn't like the idea of his soul being vulnerable to whatever demons lurked about. He'd never been spiritual, but he did believe in good and evil. He also believed both existed beyond what he could see and touch.
"I didn't either," Matt said. "Not at first, I mean. I've had more time to think about everything. If it will help our people, I will do what is necessary, Father. I know we're destined for greatness. I want to see it come to pass."
"Are you sure this is the way to go about it?" Jason asked. He faced his brother, peering into his eyes.
Matt nodded. "Yes. Did you know the Great Dragon will come from our bloodline?"
"I didn't." He'd studied a little on the subject during school, but the ancient texts were difficult to understand. "It's vaguely familiar. I never knew anything for certain. I'd always been told the Great Dragon will be born by the Great Sea, and most scholars believe that's in Oceina City."
"That's right, but he'll be born of Inero blood. Don't you get what this means? That land is ours. We owe it to the world to do the right thing."
Jason wanted to point out that he didn't think the Great Dragon would be brought into the world through war. His words would fall on deaf ears though. They'd never listen to him. He was now cornered. If he disagreed, his father would make sure Matt wore him down until he agreed to anything.
"I don't understand how the prophet is going to help with this. What is this spell going to do?" Jason asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"He will see the world as God sees it," his father said. "There is so much we could learn from this limited window of opportunity. I have not asked you both for much, especially you, Jason. Please know that I would not even bother you with something so dangerous if I didn't think it necessary. You both mean the world to me. I must protect my nation and lead it to victory. Bringing about the Great Dragon will do this. There is a lot we need to understand first, however. Please do this, then I promise, you can do as you please from this day forward."
Did he know what Jason and Gwen were planning? They hadn't been as careful as he would have liked with their conversations in the house, but he didn't think they were being listened in on too thoroughly. He frowned, unsure if this was a coincidence or bait.
"I know you are a peace-loving man," Lynx continued. "You have always hated violence and anger. You've always been the calm one. I do not like involving you in something that goes so strongly against your nature. I know that once we go to war with the Oceina, you will want to be as far away from the fighting as possible. I can't fault you for this. It's how God made you. As much as I would like to say that war won't be necessary, I know it's only wishful thinking. It will happen. Unless you want to be put into battle, you need to contribute to the cause in another way."
There's an ultimatum if I ever heard one, Jason thought.
It's fair. Everyone needs to do his part. I've already put in a lot more time to this than you have. Done things I would have rather not done. Don't be so selfish, Matt snapped.
I'm not trying to be selfish.
Then you're afraid. Whether you've taken your wife to bed or not, you are still a man. Fear is a waste of a man's time.
Jason's body stiffened and he clenched his teeth. It was a dangerous request. If he could survive it, though, then the pros far outweighed the cons. No matter what happened, their country would be going to war. There was no way around it. Maybe the prophet would see another way. There was still hope. This could be the way for him to fix things.
"All right, I'll help perform the spell," he said. The smile on his father's face brightened, and Matt smiled too. All of the harshness from before now being replaced with what looked like pride. Jason should have been happy. It wasn't often he was so pleasing to his family, but for whatever reason he couldn't help but stare at the floor. He felt nothing but shame.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Matt still didn't know how to tell his wife about the ceremony. He'd been meaning to ever since the night he'd first met with his father, but the timing always felt off. Kat was sleeping, or not feeling well, and he hated the idea of giving her bad news when she didn't feel well. She was sleeping again when he came home from work.
He tried to be as quiet as possible as he rummaged through the dresser searching for something new to wear. Finding some comfortable pants, he started to change. Kat stirred in the bed.
"Hey, gorgeous," she whispered.
He glanced over his shoulder at her with a grin. "I should be saying that to you. Feeling okay?"
"I feel fine. I always do after nap time."
"Nap time? Isn't it a little late for a nap?"
"How was work?"
He sighed, taking her not-so-subtle hint that she didn't want to talk about her sleeping habits. "It was work. We're organizing and getting ready for everything that is to come. There's still a lot left open too."
The army was waiting for the final demands of the Terran to solidify the contract between the two nations. His father said those demands wouldn't come for another three to six months, giving Matt the task of finding an alternate plan of action in case the Terran decided to back down. Hopefully, the ceremony with the prophet would reveal this information. His father seemed confident enough that the Terran would agree, regardless. Matt hated planning with such little information.
"You're home, so now you can relax and not think about work," Kat said.
"Yes, but—"
"No buts," she whispered, motioning for him to come over to her.
He walked over and crawled into bed with her, his hands going to her stomach right away. Three to six months. It seems like too much of a coincidence.
"Hmm?" Kat asked.
"I didn't say anything."
"But you thought something. I didn't quite catch it."
"It's nothing of importance," he said, running his fingers over her belly. In three to six months, his child would be in the incubator or hatched. A child that might be a girl. A coincidence. Nothing more. And he pushed all doubt from his mind.
Chapter Forty
"You're later than I was expecting," Gwen said as soon as she heard Jason walk into the house, hoping her tone didn't come across as too harsh. She wasn't mad. More curious and slightly annoyed that he wasn't home when he had said he would be.
He walked into the kitchen, his feet dragging. "Sorry, I know we had plans. Father requested my presence in a meeting."
She arched an eyebrow and moved closer to him. Grabbing his hands, she led him to sit down at the table. "I didn't realize he needed you in his meetings."
"Sometimes he will consult me on some defensive magic spells which might be useful, but this was about something different." He closed his eyes, letting out a quick breath. "I have negotiated with my father for a way for us to leave without having to worry about all of the secrecy or getting caught."
"I'm not going to like the catch, though, am I? I'm not going to want you to do your end of the bargain," she said, already worried. It'd be different if she thought his father was capable of doing something not fueled by selfishness, but Lynx had yet to show her he could. She'd never met the man in person. All of this she saw based on the way he treated those around him and in how his nation was run. It reflected in the attitudes of his people.
He shook his head. "Probably not, but it's something I can do. He wants me to aid his prophet in a ceremony by using my magic to amplify his abilities. In theory it doesn't sound hard. In practice it probably will be, mostly because it will take up a lot of my energy. I'm not sure how I feel about this supposed prophet. If it's an out we can take, I think we should."
"So you're going to perform this one complex spell for him and that's it? That's all he's going to require from you for the rest
of your life?"
"Yeah, I know. I'm apparently easy to let go of," he mumbled. She saw the pained frown on his face. She couldn't even begin to imagine what that must feel like, believing he wasn't needed by either his father or brother. Her parents had always made sure to tell her how much they loved her. His family only gave those words with agenda.
Gwen gave his hand a small squeeze. "I don't think you're easy to let go of at all."
"Which is another reason why I need to do this, so you'll never have to."
Her eyes closed. "I don't want to let you, but I know you'll do it anyway. I'm sure you've already said yes without consulting me."
"I have," he said, biting his lower lip.
"I trust your judgment, but I'd rather not risk you being hurt for me."
"I promise I'll be fine." He kissed her forehead. That one small gesture was more than enough to convince her.
Chapter Forty-One
The next afternoon, Matt and Jason walked into the castle chapel together. Their shoulders touched. It was the closest they dared get to one another despite the temptation to cling to each other. That would be considered cowardly. Still, they were both afraid—as much as Matt didn't want to admit it. He knew his brother was as well because he could smell it pouring off of him. He wondered if his scent was as strong. Would it be as obvious on him? He hoped not. He did his best to try and hide the shaking of his hands and how on edge he was. They shared the feeling, so he didn't dwell on it. Being scared was obviously an appropriate reaction. Jason never felt anything considered out of the ordinary, and if they did it together, then it wouldn't be seen as something so weak.
Normally, the chapel in the castle was a bright and happy place. A few of his brothers or cousins were always in the pews, praying. Every time Matt had entered, it had always been filled with light and peace. Today when he stepped inside, however, the room was void of light save for a few candles placed in the corners of the room. No one sat in the pews. His father, the prophet, and three other men Matt had never seen before stood at the front of the room all wearing dark clothes. Everything deep inside his gut was telling him to run as far away from this place as possible. He knew there was no turning back.
Matt approached his father slowly. Something wasn't right with the whole scene. Jason must have felt the same way because his brother's entire body was stiff as he walked. What did they agree to do? If he had known how dark and creepy the setting of this ritual was going to be, he doubted he would have said yes. This was too important of a task, though. It had to be done. He didn't think Jason would have agreed with him.
"Stand here," the prophet said. He grabbed Matt's hand and directed him to stand facing the north. The young boy then went to Jason, putting him at the opposite end so that they were looking at each other and only three feet apart.
"Now what?" Matt asked.
Lynx shook his head then put a finger to his lips. "Seth will tell you what to do and say."
"Yes, trust me," the prophet said. "Close your eyes."
Matt did as he was told without any more hesitation. The more he cooperated, the faster this would be over and done with. Then he could return to his wife and child. Hopefully, Jason would be in a similar mentality. More often than not he was obedient, even if it was grudgingly so. He wouldn't do anything he strongly disagreed with though. Matt briefly wondered if he would change his mind. Jason stayed. The two hadn't shared any thoughts yet, which surprised him. His brother almost always had some kind of commentary about everything.
You're quiet. Are you okay? Matt asked. There was no reply. He briefly opened an eye to see if Jason even reacted to the message. Jason stood still, pale as a ghost. His breathing was quick and shallow. Matt couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his brother like that. More was going on besides simply being afraid.
Nod if you can hear me, Matt said. Again, no reply, nor was there any movement. Are we blocked from each other? They'd never been disconnected from each other before. Not because of an outside source, at least. The two had enough practice with the art of telepathy that they could choose what to send to the other, but they'd never known how to stop receiving. If Jason couldn't hear him anymore because of someone, or something else, then that was even more disturbing.
"You need to keep your eyes closed," Seth said, his gaze meeting Matt's.
With a shiver, he did as he was told. The boy's eyes were completely black. He'd never noticed it before in his brief encounters with the prophet. It's the magic, nothing more. And there was a lot of it floating in the air. The magic was so thick, in fact, he felt as though he were swimming in nothing but pure energy. When he closed his eyes once more, he felt his own magic begin to pour out of him as well. His body became cold, numb, and weak. Was it Jason's magic he felt surrounding him like a blanket? Had it already seeped out of his brother and into the room around them? Would his magic do the same? More importantly, if it did, would he be able to get it back again?
"Great Lord, hear our prayer." The prophet began in a low voice, one that didn't seem natural for a child of twelve to have. He sounded older by at least ten years.
"Great Lord, hear our prayer," the three other men echoed.
"We are in need of your guidance."
"We are in need of your guidance," they repeated.
With each word, Matt felt weaker. His body started to sway; his head became lighter. The air behind him rushed past, giving a small breeze and brief relief in the magical tension being created. Someone was moving behind him. The temptation to open his eyes and look was great, but he didn't want to mess up the ritual, putting everyone in potential danger. Whatever spell the prophet used, it worked fast and with great power. The moment Jason stepped into the circle he had succumbed to it. Then it was Matt's turn. Disconnecting from it could prove disastrous.
"Outpour your power onto me," the prophet continued.
"Outpour your power, Great Lord," the other men echoed again. This time Matt could have sworn he heard a lot more than four. It sounded more like twenty or thirty.
"Show me your glory."
"Reveal it to us, oh Great One."
Matt fell to his knees, no longer able to hold the weight of his own body. Every last bit of his energy and strength left him along with his magic. The air around him became so much denser, he could hardly breathe. He struggled to open one of his eyes as he heard shuffling inside the room. Hands touched his shoulders. He recognized instantly that they belonged to his father. Matt was finally able to open his eyes. They were so heavy and strained he wasn't able to focus his vision on much. The other three men with him were now unconscious on the floor. There were others in the room now. Matt could see the vague shapes of black shadows moving across the floor.
"Eyes closed," Lynx whispered into his ear as he gently pushed his eyelids shut.
"Is Jason—" he began, but he couldn't get the words to form in his throat. It felt as though it were stuffed full of cotton. He reached a hand out for his brother. The two had always been so much stronger together. They could get through anything. Matt worried about him; he needed him. If they were going to make it out of this okay, they'd have to rely on one another.
As he collapsed further to the floor, feeling as though the weight of his magic was squashing him, he searched for Jason's hand. They met, Jason having reached out for him as well. The moment they touched, a light filled the room. A warm, beautiful light that Matt wished he could see fully with his eyes. He was far too tired and weak. Instead, he lay still, embracing the feeling of peace washing over him.
"The Great Lord has heard our desire," he heard the prophet say, though his voice sounded far away.
"Thank you, Great Lord," the other men said. Again, it sounded as though there were far more than three of them.
"He is pleased with the offering. Great Lord, use my body as you will." Seth then began to chant words Matt did not understand. They sounded more like incoherent grunts. Each repetition caused Jason to squirm underneath Matt's finger
s. He felt Jason being pulled away from him. He wanted to fight it, to keep holding on, but the last of his strength left him, and he soon feel into a deep sleep.
Chapter Forty-Two
Jason felt the ground give out underneath him, then he was plummeting through darkness. He opened his eyes but it didn't help much. There was nothing to see. His stomach rose to his throat and he wanted to scream to help relieve some of the tension inside him. The wind rushed past his face as he picked up more speed. He closed his eyes to ready himself for the inevitable impact his body would make with the ground below. There had to be a bottom eventually.
As suddenly as he had started to fall, he stopped, suspended in midair.
The last thing he remembered was taking his place in the chapel to perform the ritual. The instant he stood in the circle he felt darkness fall over him—no latching onto him, sucking everything out of his soul. Not only did he lose a great deal of his magic, he also lost every positive emotion he'd ever felt. All of the happiness and love he shared with Gwen was replaced with hopelessness and desperation. Jealousy began to rise up in place of the caring he felt for his brother, and anger boiled over toward his father for doing this to him. Actually, his father had done more than hurt him just this one time. Lynx had always led him astray. Why did he follow? Out of duty and obligation that he masked as love.
There is no such thing as love.
Shut up, that's not true. Love is real. I love Gwen, he thought.
No, you only lust after her. She's beautiful. It's perfectly normal to want her for your own pleasure. A new voice filled his head. It sounded similar to his but it was deeper, darker. For a moment, he almost confused it for Matt. This voice had a different tone. This voice belonged to someone, or something else.
