Chapter 5

Jonathan’s plan grew more and more it seemed with each passing minute, he was sure he could get away with it.

Now all he had to do was implement it, tomorrow was the day they wanted the memories from him so he had to do this in a hurry. Jonathan crept up the stairs to Pennington’s room, his senses were wide open, it wouldn’t do to get caught that was for sure. Finally he was there, he just hoped that the crystal wouldn’t need to feed for a while, he could give it some of his but it didn’t always listen to him. In the room he felt his target, above the casket/box he held his hand out. Finished he was starting to leave when an idea hit him, shrugging he figured hell, why not? In another room over a much richer casket he held out his hand and touched the crystal.

Ugh! Jonathan thought such vile, dark evil! The mere presence of it had Jonathan reeling almost in a flight aspect of the fight or flight response. Finally finished he hoped that Pompoff didn’t realize that it had been him, plus the fact that he felt for the lackeys they would definitely be punished. Damn it! He could feel the crystal starting to demand for something, finally outside he asked one of the lackey’s away for a moment. Alone Jonathan touched the crystal, the man’s eyes grew large then he was bathed in the odd light, moments later only a dried husk was left. Shit Jonathan thought, he hoped that was enough the crystal always demanded different amounts at different times, hopefully he could hide it away forever after this, the evil of the crystal was growing. Jonathan was afraid that it was going to swallow him in its own plans, no matter how hard he fought against it. Strengthening his resolve, Jonathan pushed everything of the crystal from his mind, at this rate his mind was going to become stronger Jonathan thought, but would it be enough, he sighed.

Making his way back to his office, Jonathan felt exhausted, the crystal always took a lot out of him strangely enough when he recovered he was always a little stronger. For the first time ever Jonathan thought about it, his power had started to increase slowly but steadily 200 years ago, right after he’d used the crystal, then again the wild magic had started then also, he had to keep the locks in place. If either council found out, he was dead for sure, even with the power, he’d still be no match for all of them, plus he knew his father would help them, always a slave to tradition and the rules. The thing was he had the power to destroy them all but they had experience to escape and then combine their powers, Shit! Anyway he looked at it, he was screwed for sure! Finally he thought after all this time I would be free of all this, the memories, the sorrow, the crystal, I wish I had looked down at that moment as the crystal flared a moment without being touched, had I noticed it I might have been better prepared for the next day and the carnage that would ensue.

Sitting at his desk Jonathan thought he should’ve gone home to take a nap. Rubbing his Eyes Jonathan felt tired, even more tired than he was back then; there was still so much to do, he still had to meet with the counsel that his father had set up for him. He still had to get all his men into place, only half were ready there was something else going on he felt it, his feelings were NEVER wrong. Concentrating he finally found his cousin, <Raymond, how close they needed to be there before tomorrow night, that doesn’t give them much time.>

<Yeah, yeah, I know keep your britches on got over 51 now only a few more now. By the way, I managed to get Ben off that job in Istanbul he said don’t worry about paying him, said he owed you a few times.>

Smiling, my mind drifted back 400 years to the first time I’d met Uncle Ben, weak and depleted on his way back I’d been researching at the extreme western edge of our land. I was just starting out, just really coming into my power, and I was finally to the point that I could kill with my power. I’d spotted him limping toward our land, when I saw him make the family entrance sign I knew he was kin, he’d barely crossed the boundary when five figures appeared not far behind him.

“Finally caught you asshole! You’re a dead man!” Advancing the leader reared back his claws extending ... oh I forgot, yeah he was being chased by werewolves. Anyway the leader went to slash at the man and found he couldn’t move. The man smiled and moved a little further inside the boundary, not enough yet but better.

The other four began to growl sniffing at the air looking at each other they shook their heads huh? I had no scent? Looking down I saw the myriad of plants I had with me ok. The leader growled and finally broke my freeze spell. “Hey asshole! Tell whoever is out there they’re next!”

“You better hope it’s not my clan, even the weakest is more than a match for you!” I heard the gravelly voiced man say. <Who is there?> he asked me.

<I’m Jonathan Timmings, > I replied.

<Tom’s boy?> He asked.

<yes, > I said.

<What are you rated?> I could feel the worry in his thoughts.

<The last I was rated was three paces above a sub-mage.> I replied

<Shit, it will have to do can you do a fire ball spell? > he asked.

<Of course, any first year can, > I aimed and caught the first three in the biggest fire ball I could muster actually larger than any I’d ever done. The leader screamed as the fur was burned of his body the two behind him suffering almost the same fate. As they lay dying the man finally managed to crawl further inside and finally slam the boundary closed. The last two advanced slamming into the barrier “What the hell!”

“Welcome to the Timmins holdings, now unless you want to die I suggest you leave NOW. They are on their way, as I remember, My nephew Tom hates to be disturbed.” The man said.

I went to the man his eyes opened wide when he saw me, “You sure you’re only three paces above a sub-mage? Son that was as powerful as a 19th stage Mage.” (There are twenty stages of regular mages, ten levels of clan leaders, then five of the council, Jonathan had passed all of them a year ago, his father was the top level of council strength having served on it.)

Within two minutes several clan members showed up Jonathan had already started trying to heal the man, he’d actually gotten the bleeding to stop, and the cuts were already closing. Damn the man thought this was Tom’s boy? He was only 100 how in the hell did he have this much power?

They were taking the man away when he stopped them, “I wanted to thank you again Jonathan, without you, I’d be dead now.”

Jonathan just nodded barely able to stand what the hell had that been? Looking in his shirt at the blue crystal he found an hour ago he thought what are you? You’d been buried so deep almost as if they were hiding you. Right before he’d fired off the fire ball he could have sworn the crystal had glowed and shot a beam out ahead of the fire ball, looking at the weremen he only saw two bodies, two? Weren’t there three? Looking closer he saw that there was an ash outline next to one of the bodies Shit! Jonathan jumped he’d heard about something like this in class, what the hell had it been called? Glanira? Valaria? NO! The Rinora! Oh shit!

Jonathan’s memories were interrupted by a knock, “Yes?” He said, A big smile covering his face as the man he’d just been remembering walked in. “Uncle Ben! I hope they didn’t pull you off anything important!”

“No, but I am here to help, everything has led me here, I need to know what you know EVERYTHING!” Ben ordered.

Sitting down Jonathan started to tell Ben all that he could everything he’d seen, everything he knew ALL the suspicions that he had. Finally finished Ben shook his head, “Damn son if you weren’t Tom’s son I’d have been training you, as if! You’ve hit the nail on the head, hell even proven a few that I was only suspecting. Now then, what did Trina tell you?”

Jonathan’s mouth dropped open, NO ONE knew about her, No One! “I didn’t think anyone else knew!”

Ben just laughed, “I know almost everything, you don’t remember, I was there, I was chasing that slimy son of a bitch for a year. Oh damn,” reaching out Ben touched Jonathan’s forehead, his eyes flew open then he grabbed the spot where Ben had touched.

Ben was afraid that he’d opened too much, damn it! Jonathan at first gagged, then screamed then tears began to flow, thenin a whispered voice he relived that night, “Trina! NO! I won’t let you die. NO! TAKE ME DAMN IT!” Then Jonathan collapsed.

Sighing Ben scanned Jonathan, well what he could, yup he’d used that damn thing again, ah Jonathan! There was always another way but not this.

Jonathan awoke a few hours later, and Ben and his father were sitting by his bed.