by Ruby Raine
“William suggested we up security at the mansion and I agreed. We’ve had a few problems, but we’ll discuss that later. Anyway, to help out, we now have gargoyles guarding the house.”
“Gargoyles, really?”
“Yeah, I guess they’re like supernatural alarm systems. They can sense evil.”
“I’m aware of what they do,” Jack answered, sounding a bit more like himself. “I just can’t imagine needing them.”
“Times have changed,” Charlie hated to admit.
“I’m starting to get that.”
“Oh, and um, you should be aware that there’s most likely members of the Deane family in the house.”
“Have you gone mad?” exclaimed Jack. “I haven’t come home at all! I’m in some backwards bizarro world.”
Charlie decided to keep the fact that his daughter was dating a member of the Deane family, to himself, for now. Allow his dad to adjust to the idea of Deanes being around. Heck, they were all still getting used to it.
“We might have gone a bit mad, Dad, but we do trust these Deanes. And I promise you’re in the real world.”
His dad tried to speak, but the words came out all at once, and not at all, in a long incoherent stammer.
Charlie chuckled. He missed when his father got so tongue-tied he couldn’t speak coherently. “Dad, I don’t know where to start. So much has happened in the last four years. Just this summer alone. We’re not in a good place right now. We’re under attack and we need all the help we can get.”
“But Deanes, Charlie?” scolded Jack, his tongue less befuddled. “In our home?”
“The gargoyles let them stay,” he pointed out. Although he had yet to see one in action. Regardless, Lucas had been home all afternoon with Melinda and there had been no incident. “Please trust me, Dad. We need their help right now.”
“Who or what is attacking the Isle?” inquired Jack, changing the subject.
“That’s going to take some time to explain.”
Charlie tried to imagine the reaction from his siblings and William when he stepped inside with Jack in tow.
“Four years,” Jack repeated again as Charlie pulled in the driveway.
Charlie parked and turned to him. “Yeah, Dad. But it felt more like twenty.”
His son’s demeanor bothered him; something was very wrong.
“I’m here now, Son.”
Charlie couldn’t respond to that.
Before they exited the jeep, Jack paused.
“Your mother’s body? Did you ever...”
“I’m sorry. Until a few weeks ago, we had no idea where her remains were located. We did try, but we don’t know how to open the doorway under the old tree. Mom is still in there. We hated leaving her...”
“It’s okay, Charlie. At the first chance we can, we’ll go get her. Together, as a family. As soon as possible.” His voice cracked at the end.
Charlie nodded in agreement. Unable to vocalize it. He didn’t quite trust his eyes, almost afraid to blink, fearful that when he did, his father would suddenly vanish.
Even though he’d warned his father about the gargoyles, Charlie jumped when a shadow rushed by him. There was a quick snort followed by the pitter-patter of feet sauntering away from him. He never saw the thing; it never exited the shadows.
Must have been checking us out I guess, and I guess we passed.
Charlie stalled for a minute. A sudden thought plodding through his mind. The gargoyles had sensed nothing evil about his father. This was a good thing; he berated himself for even having the doubt.
“What’s on your mind, Son?”
Charlie shrugged. “I had this sudden doubt, something telling me I should make sure it’s really you.”
Jack stared at him not understanding.
“We’ve had some problems with a shapeshifter.”
“Ah. Yes. I’ve never met one I liked yet. And in that case, yes, you should definitely question! I appear out of nowhere at a time of peril... it’s your job, Charlie. Never be ashamed to do it properly.”
“I don’t need to though. The gargoyles made me think of it. They checked us out, and we passed their evil-sensing test. If William had been with me, he would have been more cautious. He would have made certain when we first found you.”
Jack nodded. A thoughtful look in his eye.
“Are you ready to go inside?” asked Charlie.
Jack let out a hasty breath. “I don’t want to see my baby girl all grown up,” he admitted.
He followed his son up the stairs. Charlie opened the door anxiously, hearing Michael and Lizzy in the kitchen. He called out his brother’s name as he entered.
“About time someone got here,” spouted Michael, sounding unhinged. “Melinda and Lucas have disappeared. William went to search for them and hasn’t come back yet. Emily and Riley have been taken by Eva and the Feyk, and...” he stopped, staring at the shape stepping into the house behind Charlie.
“Hello, Michael,” said Jack.
Michael’s gaze flitted back and forth between Charlie and his father.
“I found him walking down the street,” explained Charlie.
“I...” Michael was stupefied. Felt like he’d been sucker-punched.
Just seconds before, he’d been planning on how to locate and rescue Emily while plotting revenge against Eva Jordan. At the same time, worried that Melinda, William, and Lucas had not yet returned after following the gargoyle, which had returned to its post a while ago.
And now his father was standing in front of him. His father. Alive.
He raced forward, embracing him.
“I’m sorry,” Jack told him. “Seems I left you all quite suddenly and for a long time.”
“I just don’t believe it,” muttered Michael, stepping back. “How did this happen?”
Charlie shook his head. He had no idea.
“I’m a little confused about that myself,” said Jack. “Things are a little hazy. But Charlie tells me I’ve missed quite a bit. And it’s apparent. Look at you both. My sons. Both men now.” He glanced around. “Where’s Melinda?”
He hadn’t heard Michael’s rant.
Lizzy came into the room answering his question. “She and Lucas, my brother, for all intents and purposes,” she clarified for Jack’s sake, “ran off with one of the gargoyles tracking the Feyk that took Riley... my other brother, who is infected with a rage spell. They haven’t come home and we can’t reach them. William stormed off to track them, and now he’s M.I.A. so it’s just us here.”
“The last time I talked with Melinda she was with Lucas just passing the ferry landing, but her phone line went dead,” informed Charlie.
It didn’t bode well. He turned to his father.
“Dad, this is Lizzy. Lizzy Deane. She’s been helping us.”
Jack’s brow furrowed, but he nodded a curt hello in her direction.
“Yup, I’m a Deane,” she told him, seeing the distrust in his eyes. “I know you just got back and all, probably been through hell, but deal with it, and fast. We’ve got major problems and we need all hands on deck.”
Charlie tossed her a pleading glare.
“Sorry, speaking the truth.” She turned and disappeared back into the kitchen.
“She is...” Jack trailed off.
“Many things,” smirked Charlie.
“Including unfortunately, correct,” affirmed Michael. He wanted to sit and talk with his father. To tell him everything that had happened in the last four years, to find out what had happened to him, but there wasn’t time. They had problems piling up, sending them into full crisis mode.
“Should you be in a hospital or something?” wondered Michael.
Charlie hadn’t even thought of that. He’d been in such shock after finding him.
“No. I’m fine. It’s a little hard to describe really, but it’s sort of like I just got out of a very long, very strange, dream, and yet it feels like just a few hours have passed.”
“Might be b
etter that no one knows your home just yet anyway,” noted Charlie. “We might need a bit of time to come up with an explanation as to where you’ve been.”
“So much to consider,” said Jack, his mind reeling.
Lizzy returned, her attitude softened. She handed Jack a tray holding a plate of food, some water and a mug of coffee.
“Oh that smells good,” said Jack, taking a deep swallow. “Thank you.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. But I just regained a family and I don’t relish the idea of losing them. And I figured you’re probably famished after four years. It was the first thing I wanted to do after I got back. No, wait, actually it was tequila,” she recalled with a thirsty fondness.
“And then you smacked one right on William,” mused Charlie. “Dad, if you could have seen William’s face. Priceless.”
“He is easy to fluster,” said Lizzy, with a mischievous smile. Jack threw her an inquisitive frown. She cleared her throat. “But my ghastly tale is a story for another day.”
Jack eyed them all in bewildered unease.
“I also had a difficult first day back and can only imagine what you must be feeling right now.” Lizzy smiled kindly.
Who is this woman? Jack wondered silently.
Is this the real world?
It must be, but my God, things have gotten crazy while I was away.
And my children, orphaned overnight. Curse the dread, this instantly caused him.
Regret leaked into his heart. He should have taken the quest into White Pines more seriously. If he had, perhaps at least one of them, he or Catherine, would have survived. So many times, they had searched and failed.
Oh my dear Catherine, he shoved the regrets deep.
His family needed him. He would mourn later.
He set aside the tray, keeping just the coffee. “Why don’t you boys fill me in on what’s been going on. Who or what is attacking the Isle?”
Charlie began, starting with a brief explanation of the weeks immediately following Jack’s disappearance. They quickly skipped ahead to when they’d met Eva Jordan. Michael and he taking turns filling in different parts of the details. Jack did his best to remain emotionless as they explained, but there were moments when it was too difficult to keep it in.
Especially when discussing Melinda, and her difficulties after losing both her parents at once. She saw it as her fault, because she didn’t know she’d had a prophetic dream and could have prevented it.
Michael was grateful that his empathy had not yet turned back on. His emotions completely his own since discovering Emily was missing. Having had a break for a few hours made him aware of the toll it was taking on him. He hadn’t fully realized it was getting harder to block other’s emotions until they’d just shut down and he had only his own feelings to contend with for the first time in years.
As his sons explained, Jack became aware of many things. His children had endured much in his absence. The life of a Howard Witch was never easy, but it was apparent that he’d never properly prepared them for the fact that he and his wife might leave them so soon. Or that they could leave them both at once, so suddenly.
It was something he and Catherine worried about constantly. But not something he’d expected while out romping around the Isle on yet another excursion, searching for the power source.
He and their mother had always tried to protect them from the harder, scarier stuff. Wanting them to be young and free. To enjoy life before they were sucked into their duties as witches.
Something William had warned him to be careful of doing.
And this was the reason why.
He’d left behind three capable and talented witches that he hadn’t properly prepared to live and work on their own, without him.
He’d always thought he had more time.
I must thank William, he told himself. He has not had an easy time of it. I’m sure. He kept my family alive and together. They stuck it out and remained true to their duty. He wished he could take more credit, but these last four years were owed to his lifelong friend.
Jack had been born into the world with William like an uncle, when he was young, and then a mentor and dear friend, as he’d gotten older. There was no Howard family without William.
He had become the glue holding them together.
He was also his children’s undoing.
It was becoming painfully clear that they’d come to depend on William far too much.
Jack had no idea what to do about that. But it would have to wait as other more pressing issues were making themselves very clear as well. After many long hours, now going on two a.m., his sons finished. Jack was certain of the reason he’d been released from the Hunter.
“I was set free because I can open the doorway to the power source. They expect I will show them.”
“Because of Mom?” confirmed Charlie.
“Yes. I’m sure of it. They hoped I’d go right there to get her and open it for them.”
“I guess we have a good idea where the Feyk moved to then, since they abandoned the fort,” said Charlie.
“And what about everyone that’s still missing?” Lizzy brought up, noting how much time had gone by without a single word of contact.
Jack looked at her with new light in his eyes. “You’re a Deane of old.”
They had explained Lizzy’s tale, he understood better who she was.
“Does that matter, Dad?” asked Charlie, feeling the need to defend her and her brothers.
“Deane’s of the old age were our most trusted friends. You’re from a time before the dark days.”
“You have no idea what it was like,” said Lizzy. “Watching my family go down that path, giving into dark magic. Not being able to stop it. Their actions were... disgusting, and humiliating. I didn’t want to be a Deane for a long time after that.”
Jack nodded. Still a tinge of doubt in his gaze, but he was warming to her.
Charlie wondered if he’d be as accepting of Lucas and Riley.
Michael got up and started pacing. “They have been gone a long time. It’s not like Melinda. It’s definitely not like William. He always checks in.”
“This Eva girl,” started Jack. “She sounds pretty hell-bent on revenge. And if she’s got Feyks working with her... they are tricky, spiteful creatures. I hate to say it, but Melinda and this Lucas might have gotten themselves caught.”
Michael hoped if that were true, that they were at least with Emily. It wasn’t a bright spot so much as a tiny comfort, that she was not alone after suffering through watching Eva kill her father.
“Even if they did get caught, where’s William? It’s not like him not to report in. Especially if something did happen to Melinda, or Lucas. He’d have reported that to us. He was on their trail. He should have found them easily,” insisted Charlie.
“It was in Melinda’s dream,” reminded Michael. “She said that Riley’s rage kept building, and from what I heard coming out of the kid’s mouth, I’d say that for whatever reason he’s aiming all his rage at William.”
“Riley isn’t a kid,” argued Lizzy. She didn’t care for the demeaning tone in which he said it. She was getting a little tired of the whole Deanes suck thing.
“It’s not because he’s a Deane,” clarified Michael. “I’m being the overprotective big brother. Any guy that dates my sister,” Jack hissed, cutting Michael off.
“Are you telling me that my baby girl is dating a Deane?”
“Um, yeah, Dad. Sorry. I was going to tell you earlier, but it felt like I was hitting you with a lot.” Charlie threw Michael a glare, and Lizzy a please just deal for now gaze.
“Yeah, I could have been more tactful,” apologized Michael. “But we’re kind of out of our comfort zone here anyway, don’t you think? We don’t have time to play all nice nice. People are missing. The shit pile can’t get much higher. We need to do something, now.”
“Okay, let’s just all settle down a little,” said Jack. “Me included. This is
all just...”
“A lot, Dad. We know.” Michael smiled weakly. “My mind is starting to imagine many frightening scenarios as to what’s going on. I need to be doing something.”
“I understand,” replied Jack. “But it’s important to remember that all details are important, and we must be prepared before taking action. Running into an unknown situation unprepared, never ends well.”
Charlie and Michael looked at their father, soaking in every word.
“Now,” continued Jack. “There are ways to immobilize a vampire. William is not untouchable, however fearsome a foe he can be.”
“I just can’t imagine William falling for something like that. Getting himself caught.” Charlie shrugged indifferently. “It’s never happened since I’ve known him.”
“Nor in mine, but we all have weaknesses,” cautioned Jack. “Even vampires.”
“And we all know William’s is Melinda,” stated Lizzy.
“What?” said Charlie.
“Um,” she cleared her throat, after mistakenly saying that aloud. It was her turn to stumble over her unintended words. “I just mean he cares about you all, very much, and if she or any of you were caught by the enemy...”
“I don’t think that’s what you meant,” Jack disputed tightly. “Rage spells have to start with a spark of reality. If Riley’s anger is centered on William, he at least believes that William is a rival. I have to say, I’m not sure which scenario I disapprove of more, Melinda dating a Deane or a vampire...” Apparently, Jack was not going to go easy on Lucas or Riley, the Deane’s of today.
Lizzy tried not to take offense of his Deane disapproval. Charlie threw her an apologetic look. She shrugged it off apprehensively. She’d just unintentionally given away William’s secret.
Jack had nothing against William finding happiness; he loved him like family.
However, his daughter was off limits. She had a responsibility to carry on the Howard bloodline.
But mixing Deane blood with Howard blood?
It had never been done. Even back when their families were allies; no Deane and Howard had ever married or had a child together.
Two powerful witch families coming together in one bloodline; a child with a witch as a mother and a father... the potential was unlimited.
