The Ancients Series

by Christine M. Butler

  “You won’t be able to guard the portal anymore? That’s what you guys did, right? You were the guardians of this side? Surely, you weren’t just hanging around to give free advice to the next white wolf in line.”

  One of the older wolves stepped forward then. “Truly, it is an honor to do so. We have watched each other grow, learn, love, and we’ve even shared in each other’s losses. We have actually, always served as guardian to the white wolf line. We’ve offered advice, and prayed that the next of us would do better than their predecessor. To answer your question though, yes, we are the guardians of this portal.”

  “Should we sacrifice that position to re-open the portal to send you through, it will take everything we are to get you back to the land of the living, and seal it shut again.” Aislynn offered before looking up at her Grandmother, Kezia. “Something else may try to slither through while it’s open, which is another reason we’ve never considered it.”

  “Is that child touching you?” Kezia asked casually, pointing to where baby Jack was, as if I had not been having another entirely different conversation with the white wolves already.

  “What?” I looked down, and noted that Baby Jack was indeed still skin-to-skin with me. “Oh, that. I asked Layla if there was a way to protect him, in case I had to cross over while holding onto him. She mentioned that maybe if we maintained skin on skin contact he would survive the trip over here since I was bound to the portal, and the contact would mean he was then linked to me.”

  “This is why you will succeed where these women have failed their line. You are brilliant, my dear.” Kezia clapped her hands together. “You remind me so much of me when I was younger. Not in looks, of course, the only one of my children to resemble me in any way physically was Angel.” The smile lingered on her face then. “Have you met her yet?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, well, I imagine you will in the future. She was always so curious about her sister’s line of wolves, but I tried to keep the younger girls from the older ones before my untimely death. You know, Angel has the gift of creation too. The most rare of them all, just like me.”

  “Okay…” I wasn’t sure if Kezia was going to continue extolling one of her youngest daughter’s virtues to me, but I had more important things on my mind. “So, you’re saying that as long as the baby and I continue to touch, I should be able to take him with me, correct?”

  “I’m fairly certain he’ll live.”

  “Fairly certain? Seriously, fairly certain isn’t a good enough gamble when it comes to a baby!” My voice was raised, and Kezia tsked me for it.

  “Child, for all your smarts, it seems I congratulated your brilliance too soon.” Righteous indignation rolled off of her then. “The baby is already in the world of the dead, if it doesn’t work, you will at least have a body for the mother to lay to rest. If it does work, you will have a baby to give back to her. If you do not try, you both remain dead, on this side, for… oh… ever!”

  “Point taken.”

  “If you are successful, that baby may also become a key to opening the portal. He will have to be guarded well for all his living years.” Aislynn cautioned. “And we don’t know what kind of side effects being here will have caused for him. No one goes back to the land of the living unscathed. That includes you too.”

  “Understood. So, in order to do this, the baby and I have to keep touching, and then what?”

  “Then we must sacrifice the ancestral line to open the portal, and to be able to seal it shut behind you.”

  “Okay, so when I get back will I still be able to communicate with you, if the portal is sealed shut. I mean the way we used to communicate in the dream world.”

  “Jessica, we already told you, expending the power it will take to re-open the portal long enough for you to pass through, and then shut it again, will take all the magic we have left. Our energies will dissipate, and most of us will move on to a new place. We will no longer be linked to you, our line, or the portal when it’s all said and done. Think of it as one of those pesky side effects I was talking about. You do not go from being dead to alive without paying a hefty price. ”

  “I get that, I do. Who will guard the portal when you guys move on though?”

  “That is where the other sacrifice is needed, my sweet.” Kezia’s sugary tone was beginning to grate on my nerves.

  “Another soul has to offer themselves as your line’s permanent guardian spirit. Once you cross the threshold, both you and that baby will be keys to opening the lock on the Gateway to the Dead. When you are gone, your next in line will also be a key. We are unsure if it will linger that way with little Jack’s lineage.”

  “I would offer myself, but, I don’t see you as the little whipped dog following me on my excursions, so I have to pass this time.” Kezia offered. “Although, being released from this hellish place into your line’s servitude almost seems a fair trade. I once thought the earth itself was getting boring, but being locked here for so long has shown me the error of my ways.”

  “Well, gee, thanks for that… I think.”

  “Oh, don’t thank me. They wouldn’t let me go, because they know I’d find a way to trigger the loophole.”

  “Loophole?”

  “Whoever agrees to be your guardian spirit will go back and literally become the guardian spirit for you, and that of your familial line, for eternity or until no more are born into your line to protect.” Aislynn explained. “She would just find a way to have her back turned while she got everyone killed.”

  “I see. No love lost for a long distance granddaughter huh?”

  “About as much as you had for you dear, Auntie Estella Sophia.” She snickered then.

  “Seriously, you are ten kinds of disturbed over there, lady.” Kezia raised her brows at my comment, but continued pacing behind the white wolves. Her brown skin seemed to be illuminated from within, in a way reminiscent of the glow Willow had about her when last I saw her. I thought to ask what that glow was all about, but then I was interrupted before I could start.

  “I’ll do it.” A male voice I would recognize anywhere spoke up. I turned, ghastly pale, which was saying something considering where I was. I hadn’t been imagining things though, when I saw whom it was standing there, I had no question that I had heard correctly.

  “Dad?”

  He gave me the sheepish grin he used to when he teased me as a little girl. “Hey there, Jessie-girl. We need to get you back home, and I don’t know anyone more qualified to be your familial guardian than me. From what I heard, I would be a shoe-in. I have every reason to see you succeed, and Willow, and anyone other members of your line, because they’re all a part of me.”

  “Dad,” I whispered, having really not heard a word of what he was offering. “How are you here?”

  “Aww Jess, a second ago, I wished I wasn’t here. Then I heard your voice and was drawn over here in time to figure out what was needed to send you back. How the hell did you get here anyway? Layla said you made it to where you were supposed to be. I didn’t think that meant that she’d led you to your death.”

  “She didn’t dad. I was, well, it’s a long story. I didn’t actually die; I walked through the portal as a still living being. I think that’s one of the reasons why they’re able to send me back.”

  “It is.” Aislynn agreed.

  “That doesn’t explain what you’re doing here though, dad.”

  “Louis. He came for Mikael and Eileen when things didn’t go his way here with you. I think he wanted to send your family members, maybe even your whole pack to you, one at a time, so you’d be there to see us as we each crossed over.” I cringed, tears falling from my face, as I listened, and waited for the next fallen family member to appear. Maybe there wouldn’t be a reason to go back when all was said and done.

  My father must have read my expression, or maybe it was my looking all around, and taking inventory of the souls surrounding us that tipped him off. Either way, he pulled me in for a hug,
and continued on with his explanation. “I honestly don’t think anyone else will be joining me today. We had a plan in place, thanks to Serena. She expected this would happen, but wouldn’t say how. She called in the big guns, and we just had to hope they got there in time. I was part of the plan to make sure they didn’t get through to the weaker family members, if the big guns were late.”

  “What big guns?”

  “Serena called in her brother, Jonah.”

  “WHAT?” Kezia spun around, spittle flying as she spoke that one, rage-filled word. “That traitorous little do-gooder! I change my mind; I want to go back with Jessica after all. I want to be there when she thanks my son and daughter, because then I’m going to kill them both!” The fit she threw was on an epic scale, and it made me glad I never knew her when she was alive.

  “Is there someone we can call to have her taken away?” One of the wolves suggested.

  “Oh, shut your filthy little dog mouth, Emory. I wish I could have come back and killed you again. You’re the reason Agatha was able to get her hands on me to begin with.”

  Emory, the white wolf with the bouncing blond curls curtsied in front of Kezia before adding, “you’re very welcome.” If I thought that Kezia’s laughter earlier had been creepy, then Emory made her look like an angel. Her laughter bubbled over drenched in sheer ugliness. It would be hard to describe the way it made me feel other than to say it was akin to listening to nails on a chalkboard, on repeat, for months on end. It was a horrid noise.

  “PLEASE! Stop. We have more important things going on here today than your ridiculous death squabbles.” Aislynn shouted above muffled laughter from some of the other wolves. It seemed these ladies weren’t as put together as I had always imagined.

  I hugged my father closer to me then, because I knew there were a lot of things that weren’t as I imagined. For instance, it wasn’t his fault that baby Jack and I were in this situation. It just happened to occur on his watch, and I was used to thinking of my daddy as being flawless. “I’m sorry for everything I said to you, dad. I know it wasn’t your fault.”

  He hugged me closer to his side, making sure to stay clear of baby Jack, who was sound asleep again now. “No, it was my fault, in a way. I should have trusted your judgment. If it weren’t for trying to be a dad, and not letting you be a grown up, there wouldn’t have been anyone in and out of that house who could have taken the baby. You weren’t wrong, Jessie.”

  “I was hateful about it though, and I’m sorry.” I wiggled out of his embrace then. “Do you know what happened? Did you get to linger there for any amount of time?”

  “I’m sorry to say, I didn’t get to see much before I was pulled here. Willow was safe, with your mother, and Ashley last I saw. Mikael was taking out his anger on any of the dark ones who would even dare get close enough to him. You really need to make it back there before that man loses his mind completely. I think the only thing keeping him in this world is Willow right now, but if he keeps looking for that fight that will make him feel better, he’s going to find the one that kills him sooner or later, instead.”

  “I know. I worried about that too.” Just the thought of Mikael becoming hardened by my death, and seeking his own, was a punch to my gut. A good part of me knew he would get it together for Willow’s sake. And I prayed that it would happen like that, but there was also that suspicion in the back of my mind that he wouldn’t pull it together. I wondered who would take care of my daughter then? My mom lost her soul mate; she had to be shattered right now. Sierra was probably hanging on by a thread, if at all. Ashley had her own baby on the way; my dad was here with me. Panic set in again as I thought about the fact that it was possible no one would be there for my daughter if this didn’t work. I ramped myself up then, trying to overcome the fear.

  “Let’s get this show on the road then, shall we. What do I have to do? Should I just declare my will to go back with Jess, or what?” My dad was apparently in a rush to get back as well. I was sure he had his own reasons for that though.

  Aislynn’s face contorted, and there was no mistaking what she was about to say. “You cannot go back, Jameson St. Marks. You belong here, with us, now.”

  “I’m going to have to disagree with you there. I belong over there, guarding my daughter, and her daughter, and on down their line through time. That’s where I belong. Who better to accept that duty than a father?” My dad’s anger, and maybe a little desperation, was starting to come through then.

  “Dad,” I tugged on his shirt. “It’s okay, and it’s not your fault that you can’t be the one.”

  “He is family. He is your father. It is no sacrifice to give up his own eternal rest for his own familial line. It has to be someone who has no blood bond to you or the baby in your arms.”

  “Well, what a way to narrow it down.” I looked around the room full of souls. There were those that lingered on the periphery, just out of sight, but I knew they were there. No one else seemed familiar, and my Aunt Anna and her mate, Lucas were gone now too. I didn’t know a single person here who would stand up for me, let alone give up their eternal rest for my family. “I guess we get to hang out and wait for mom together. Mikael and Willow will be along eventually too. I have it on good authority that we are allowed to wait right here for them.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do, kiddo. We’ll wait together.”

  “Is there some stupid rule that I can’t come to Jessie’s aid? I’ve always wanted to be a knight in gossamer-style spirit armor.” A familiar face winked at me then as he stepped out of the shadows. “I freely give up my rest and relaxation in this blasé pit, if it means I get to look after Jessie, and her baby.”

  “Jack?” My jaw dropped. It was definitely him, and as if he knew I needed proof, to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, he came over and wrapped his giant arms around me. He picked me up and swung me around in his trademark Jack Reynolds bear hug. The poor baby strapped to me was not happy about the situation, and let out a quick wail of protest before simmering back down to a quiet sleep. I had to do a quick check to make sure the baby didn’t get jostled loose from my skin then.

  “It’s really me, Jessie.”

  Jack Reynolds looked just as good as he did before he met his end at Antoine’s hands. He smiled down at me again, before turning his attention back to the other white wolves. “I am offering myself as the guardian for Jessica Marie St. Marks De’Lune, her line, and the baby she carries with her. Is there a reason why my request should be denied? I am blood kin to neither of them.” Jack was all business now. I had forgotten what it had been like to watch him at work in that last vision. His fierce determination would serve us well.

  “You need to understand, you will be driven by a singular duty, Jack Leon Reynolds.”

  “Leon? Seriously?” Jack elbowed me with a smirk on his face when I teased him about his middle name, but he quickly turned his focus back to the wolves that were speaking.

  “If you agree to this, all other obligations will cease to be a priority for you. Your mate will not even top the bond that you will have for these two.”

  “Um, that’s a little weird.” I whispered, feeling suddenly unsure about all this.

  “He will not love you like a mate, but if it came down to letting his mate die, or you, the choice would be to save you. He would feel compelled to do so.” Aislynn paused momentarily. “Your mate will not meet you on the other side when she passes. If she chooses to wait for you, her wait here, in the Gateway, could be eternal.”

  “I understand what is at stake, and I still accept the responsibility of taking these two back with me. I will be their guardian until my dying breath.”

  Kezia laughed then. “He truly does not understand. You are not going to have a dying breath, my dear. You will still be dead, yet walking in the world of the living. Others will be able to touch you, and you them, but you are just a guardian spirit. You cannot be killed while you are over there, for no one can kill what is already dead. When her line dies,
you will return here. That is all.”

  “Then her line will have to stop breeding in order for them to die off. I understand my duties, and will perform them as I am honor bound to do so.”

  “Spirit bound.” Aislynn corrected. You will be spirit-bound, it is, unlike honor, a bond that cannot be broken.”

  “I understand.” Jack responded.

  “Then all that is left is for the three of you to climb on the dais together, and we shall do the rest.” Aislynn turned to me then. “When you feel the popping, like you did on the way here, you will know it is safe to move off the dais toward the side of the living.” I nodded. “Make sure the baby continues to touch you as you are moving around up there, if he becomes unlinked while we attempt this, you may lose him completely.”

  “I know. I will be careful.” I smiled at her. “Aislynn, thank you for everything.” She only nodded, and continued to gather the other white wolves to encircle the dead half of the dais. “Thank you all, for the help and guidance you’ve given me. I truly appreciate it. I also thank you for this sacrifice.”

  “It is our pleasure, my dear.”

  “Truly, some of us have grown tired of being here.”

  “If I’m being honest, I was ready to move on the minute that one took me out.” Emory nodded her head back at Kezia then. “My daughter was already grown up by then anyway. I figured I’d see her again from the other side. Emory smiled at an elderly woman who then squeezed her hand. It must have been her daughter, but I didn’t feel I had the time to ask.

  Kezia came close to me then, “pass along one thing for me, would you?” She leaned in even closer and whispered in my ear, before Aislynn interrupted to tell me they were all ready.

  “Jessie girl, tell your mom I love her, and that I’ll be waiting.” My dad called out from beyond the white wolf spirits. “And Jack, you take care of my girls!”