Chapter 8

Ben appeared in a special room that had been prepared ten years ago for Jonathan. Sighing Ben thought all this time, this would have been over a decade ago if Jonathan wasn’t as stubborn as Ben’s brother had been. Checking the boy, Ben was sure he was still out, but shaking his head he wasn’t certain they had that much time Jonathan was far stronger than he at first appeared.

Finally the rest of the council appeared sealing the room, Ben actually crossed his fingers laughing at his human wise-tale, but hey anything that worked. Sure enough not ten minutes later Jonathan awoke wearing a look of shock which quickly turned to a snarling rage.

“You really think you can hold me Ben? Though I have to admit, this is indeed a good trap you obviously don’t realize just how strong my power has grown.” Johnathon said.

Ben only nodded almost afraid to speak, the boy was right no one really realized except him, turning he advised the council of this. Almost immediately they increased the power of the room, Jonathan could only smile at least they were taking this seriously. Jonathan sat in the center of the room and closed his eyes, Ben wasn’t fooled and told the council they needed to hurry, the boy was building up.

For an hour the council took readings learning far more than they had in countless centuries before. From all they got almost anyone could access the wild magic, with a serious amount of concentration, Jonathan needed nothing like that as it came to him naturally.

The only problem with the wild magic was it often burned out the user’s mind with over use and no control. As Ben suspected Jonathan had almost complete control over it, learning the locks over the last few hundred years.

Back at the keep Lana was finally on her feet, getting ready to leave she was stopped at the door by a smirking Trina, “I have to go home, I have to find Jonathan!” Lana said as she tried to move past Trina.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you go Lana, if what mother and I felt is true you’ll have to stay human for a while longer!” Trina exclaimed excited.

“Huh?” Lana started, “what are you talking about?”

With a huge grin Trina placed a hand on Lana’s stomach, “I’m talking about this here,” Trina gently massaged Lana’s stomach. “We can’t have you hurting yourself, plus you need to stay human for at least a week.”

Lana still confused could only stare at her best friend Trina, still it hadn’t dawned on her what Trina meant.

“I think what she means Lana my dear, is that you are pregnant,” came a voice behind both of the women.

Still wearing a look of confusion it slowly dawned on Lana, just what the voice had said. Then a sly and truly happy smile began to spread across her face.

“He warned me that I might be, I hadn’t thought of it at the time but if I am then I can truly be happy.” Lana said almost in a whisper. “I have to tell my mother! She has to know! I have to go and...”

“I can tell her Lana,” Evelyn said walking up behind Lana,” you need to rest, the next few weeks are going to be hard on you.”

Lana just nodded going back to the bed, an even bigger smile on her face, she was carrying Jonathan’s baby!

Lady Vishnew was going over finances, she’d missed her daughter the last ten years she’d just closed her book when she received a thought.

[Vish? It’s Evelyn.] Came the thought.

[Yes Evelyn, is everything well there?] Lady Vishnew replied.

[I need you to come over here I can bring you but it must be just you that knows, don’t tell Vidon.] Evelyn instructed.

[Give me an hour then contact me, ] Lady Vishnew said.

It was barely an hour later that Lady Vishnew appeared in the room with Evelyn and Trina Timmins, and someone on the bed. Lady Vishnew’s mouth dropped open, Lana! Throwing her arms around her daughter true tears of happiness began to flow from her eyes tears that been held back for over ten years now.

Evelyn and Trina left the room; it was more Lana’s place to tell her mother than them. They’d only been in the hallway for a few minutes when they heard Lady Vishnew shout, looking in they saw that Lana and her mother were hugging fiercely. Lana’s mother’s face held a myriad of emotions ranging from shock and disbelief to absolute joy and happiness. Lana on the other hand was smirking though she hadn’t planned on it, she was glad for what she and Jonathan had done on the island, now she just needed him back in her arms.

Tom had felt Evelyn pull Lady Vishnew over to the keep though he didn’t know why. He was sure they were up to no good. If Tom had learned one thing in over a thousand years, it was to not poke too far into what his wife was doing, that is unless it involved their children.

Tom was at his wits end he’d tried to contact the council, and all but one of them were unavailable. The one elder had hurried him along seemingly too busy to engage in conversation for long. Then there was his Uncle Ben, he’d been there not long after Jonathan had disappeared then poof! He too had seemed to drop off the earth.

Just what in the hell was going on? Why was Tom afraid that it all had something to do with his outlaw son? Shaking his head he walked his territory, no sense going to the keep not with all the women there. Probably get another brow beating by his wife about sticking his nose into female business again.

Growling he felt like something incredibly important was about to happen and everyone was purposely keeping all information about it a secret from him. Walking to the outer most boundary he opened the sealed vault that he knew of. One that Jonathan had found hundreds of years ago. Walking to the huge capsule he laid the pieces of the Rinora crystal within it, sighing he looked over at the other four. It was a good thing Jonathan had only gotten the Rinora.

It was the least powerful of the five, well four now though the security had to be increased so that no one else could release any of the others. Looking them over he remembered the capture of all of them when he was a boy. The worst he stopped at, it’s massive security Tom never felt was enough it had decimated the entire council. A good many Mages had died that day, Tom remembered it was his grandfather’s sacrifice that had sealed the pure evil of the crystal. He could still hear his grandfather telling him to guard them well and what spells to use, then the tears falling from his eyes his grandfather had sent him away, horrified Tom watched his grandfather die.

The old man had been consumed then it was all quiet, doing as his grandfather had instructed he’d sealed the crystal, then each in turn as it was gathered. It still ate away at Tom that he couldn’t have done more to help, he’d loved his grandfather his own father destroyed by several vampire clans right before he’d been born. Tom had to wonder if that was why he was so dead set against his son? All the horror he’d seen from the abuse of power was that why he was so afraid?

Locking up, Tom was heading back towards the keep when he felt a familiar feeling one he’d missed in the last few hundred years. “Hello Vidon, what brings you out tonight?” Tom said to the darkness.

“Damn it Tom, you could give a vampire a complex if it were possible, I take it you felt Vishnew at your keep?” Lord Vidon replied.

“Yes,” Tom sighed, “I decided it was time to check security, before something like ten years ago happens again. Besides I haven’t won a single argument with Evelyn in over one thousand years, I don’t think I am going to suddenly start tonight.”

Lord Vidon chuckled slapping Tom on the shoulder, “Ah my friend! I too am in the same predicament, Lady Vishnew seems to have an answer for every question I have to ask her. Infuriatingly as it is she always seems to make more sense.” Here Lord Vidon thought a moment, “Well almost everything, the Triog wars one thousand years ago, I decided to not listen to her, had I, none of us would have been here now.”

“I know the feeling,” Tom said, “It was the same during the Mage war twelve hundred years ago I had to go but Evelyn insisted that I stay, it was war, and I couldn’t, though I tell you, it damn near killed her!”

Lord Vidon nodded, “Yes, if I remember right, Vishnew told me that if I were to be destroyed she’d no longer be able to go on. I miss the old days when loyalty was far more important than anything else.”