Chapter 9

I started to go home after I picked up the place, no telling when Celina would be back, though knowing her the little that I did, it would be soon. I was about to leave when I saw the elder leaning against the door frame, “finally found out about Cloe huh?” he said a smirk on his face. “Good maybe she’ll be less of a bitch in council chambers.”

“Shit! You mean she was that way with all of you?” I asked shocked. “I thought to you guys she’d at least be a lot more civil.

Laughing the elder nodded his head then he got serious, “How many more levels have you gone up?” The elder asked him.

“As of today I have raised seven and a half, I might have enough to piss him off that’s about it, I might even get him to feel it.” I told him with all seriousness.

“Seven and a half? Crap son I can only think of one, no two that are of a higher power, I’m not about to go ask them to help.” The elder said a faraway look in his eyes.

“You mean Johnathon and his father Tom Timmings?” I told him.

Shocked a moment he could only nod. “They are older than you think the elder said.”

“I know I was there when Johnathon was training with his father. Though I think Johnathon is higher I seem to remember something about them having a fight; though it was a few days before I came out of hiding. Oh yeah that’s right YOU were the one that found me, though I still don’t know how you did.” I said looking at the elder suspiciously.

The elder’s mouth was hanging open, “You know them? Personally? Damn! I didn’t think anyone was allowed into their keep without an invitation.”

“Oh, they aren’t actually, no one is now, not for the last 50 years or so.” I told him trying to remember everything that Johnathon had told me when I had stopped by to give him the second living talisman, for their second baby. Laughing I remember Johnathon groaning when I handed it to Lana then growling when his mother gasped.

Yeah I knew about her grandfather he was a good man, he was the one that had taught me how to make them. Forty years shit! I had reduced it to almost twenty and they were still as powerful. Shaking my head this was one thing I’d take to the grave with me I had made a promise to the old man. As a few had found out I kept my promises though he had left me a loophole, hell what a loophole!

I heard the elder clear his throat, “Oh sorry I was reminiscing about the last time I visited the Timmings keep, not too long before they closed it though, I think I am powerful enough to get through now.” Again I saw the elder’s mouth drop open.

“Just how in the hell do you know them?” he asked.

“Oh you don’t know? Johnathon and I went to school together. Johnathon used to get his ass handed to him almost every day ‘til I stepped in. I got a few beatings as did Johnathon but we got through that first year. After I taught him to fight we were almost unbeatable mid-way through the second year we were actually feared a little.”

“No, none of this is in either of your files, though I don’t understand why.” The elder stated a little confused.

“You know that Johnathon’s father, and then Johnathon are the sub-council members,” I said, the elder nodded.

“Though I am unsure of how you know,” the elder said.

“As I said I know the entire family as well as Lana. They have been good friends for well over 200 years, long before I became the council’s enforcer.” I told him.

“You just seemed to forget all of this?” the elder asked.

“No, when I showed up to help Johnathon before Lana and he had their first child, I was a mess I was falling apart.”

Here I hung my head; so many memories had flooded back into my mind that Evelyn Timmings had hidden, ‘til I was ready. Though I hadn’t at that time thought it would take so damn long, or be so damn painful.

“Evelyn Timmings healed me, in a way she was and to me is still the greatest healer. I thought at the time she performed it I would be out of it in a few years, 50 at the most, I didn’t think it would be 200.” Laughing I looked at the still shocked Elder. “I know you know about all the missions I did as a bounty hunter for the council up to 200 years ago. I was considered the best, ‘til I met up with Cedric, then I was a shell, that battle drained me of myself, my abilities hell almost all my emotions. Not many realized I almost died that day, after losing Tyler I really didn’t care. Johnathon was the only one left who cared, so I went to him to help him as I heard he was in trouble. He helped me instead; I can never fully repay him though I have tried for centuries, maybe one day.”

Shaking my head I thought a moment, “Oh I think I found another part of the solution plus with the added power I might actually revert you.”

The elder looked at me suspiciously a moment then nodded and sat. I started to concentrate, remembering the part of the counter spell I had learned. It took about thirty minutes and almost everything I had but I could finally feel the elder start to change. Opening my eyes I saw he looked almost my age now.

Smiling I said, “There, I think I finally did it as I promised 100 years ago.” It had taken a lot more out of me than I thought when I turned and saw the entire rest of the council watching including Cloe who had tears in her eyes. Turning back to my now younger looking friend I stated, “You didn’t have to bring them I said I would I promis ... ed.” That was the last thing I remember as the world went black, though I remember Cloe screaming, and several arms grabbing me before I hit the floor.

I awoke in my bed, the strange thing is I was alone trying to sit up I groaned as the room began to spin. Crap I thought, I must have really used up everything, reserves included. As I started to sink back into the bed Cloe ran to me with something to drink.

“Here drink this, not too fast, it will help.” Not really in a mood to argue I started to sip the drink then almost to chug the awful tasting brew. Not sure what the hell it was but it was damn sure restoring me real quick.

“How long,” I tried to squeak out.

“Two days,” she said with a smile, a true smile, Christ she was beautiful, but then again she was stark naked as I had ordered. “I wanted to thank you,” she said.

“Thank me? For what?” I said trying to unscramble my brain.

“For finally letting me orgam, though I had wished it had been you, I knew your heart was in it.” She told me an even bigger smile on her face.

“You more than deserved it,” I told her. “You had a right to be the way you were toward me. I really didn’t ... I thought you just hated me as a man that you were just a natural bitch. I never got to tell you that I was so sorry for taking so long getting it back to you.” I watched as she fingered the star pendant around her neck. I had felt so guilty for wearing it all those years never trying to rely on its power but on my own. I just hope that the charge I put into it every week made it a hell of a lot stronger than it was.

Then it hit me, “Two days!!! My god I’ll never be ready in time. Help me up Cloe I have to start building up again I am going to have to push as hard as I can and hope I don’t over extend.” As I started my exercises I noticed out the corner of my eye that Cloe was doing them with me. I had just gained up to the ninth level when I felt the strain start, well I got one, and a quarter today that might help to make up. Though I felt I was a hell of a lot stronger, I was afraid that Cedric still had me by 10 levels I had to admit at nine higher I was no slouch now but I still thought he could kill me almost with ease.

I felt Cloe had gone up almost as much as I had though her strain wasn’t as bad as mine hmmm interesting. Looking at her I decided that the rules could finally change after all it wasn’t all her fault for everything that had happened to her. Reaching out I snapped my fingers making clothes appear on her naked body; she looked at me odd for a few moments then smiled at me.

“You know you really don’t have to, really, I don’t mind staying naked here for you,” Cloe said winking at me; hmmm I thought I might just get lucky after all tonight. Shaking my head I tried to clear it wouldn’t be good to get distracted now. Looking at Cloe again I had to agree she could be a big distraction.

“That was a punishment Cloe; I should let you go...” I started.

“NO!” she almost screamed, “No I want to belong to someone, I haven’t had a purpose like that in an extremely long time. Even with all the bad history I have with you, I am still closer to you than to anyone I have ever been with. I am asking that you give me a few weeks ok?”

Sighing I nodded ok, her almost squeal of delight was a shocker in its self damn I guess she really was happy to be here. Eating quickly I saw that I didn’t have a lot of time before the students started to arrive. We were going to have to work damn hard in order to get back on schedule. Nodding again to Cloe I waved my hand and appeared at the front doors of the school. I’d barely gotten the doors open when the council elder’s son appeared.

“I heard that you would be back today, I’m glad for that, and I also wanted to thank you about father, he told me a very good friend was trying to help him with a spell that had been put on him. I just hadn’t connected you and him ‘til I remember you saying that you were a gold class-1 rating in almost everything you do. Glad it was you and not a rank amateur trying to heal him. It may not appear to be, but father and I do have an extremely good relationship.”

I must have looked like an idiot with my mouth open, ‘cause my friend’s son was smiling at me strangely.

“Come on you had to know we were on good terms?”

“Actually from the way that you acted, one would have thought that you hated you father, plus had a great disdain for authority.” I told him.

“You have to understand about my family, my father you do know quite well from what I’ve seen. Then there is my mother, I am sure that father has warned you about her?” I nodded slowly as I looked up at him. “Yeah I thought so, so he didn’t.”