Guardian Of The Grove (9 page)

“Sorry about how this played out, Jackson. I asked them to bring you in to answer some questions, not to arrest you. I can assure you that we will be addressing the officer’s actions internally.”

“Let’s just cut to the chase, Detective. Tell me why I’m here.”

I sighed and sat back in my chair. I hadn’t expected much after Bentley screwed up, and I couldn’t exactly work the whole we-are-looking-for-your-parents’-killers angle now. So I decided just to lay it out there and see if I got anything. “Since the night in question, we have been looking for you as a missing person. We thought that you might have been kidnapped when your parents were murdered. Frankly, we all thought you were dead until you turned up here today.”

He looked me over as if deciding how much of what I was saying to him he should believe. “Did you find out who did it?”

“We haven’t. In fact, I would go as far as to say we never had a single lead that panned out. I was hoping you could help us with that.”

“Before I answer any of your questions, I’d like to talk with someone.”

And there it was—the kid was going to lawyer up, and we would get nothing. Thanks to the actions of one overzealous cop. “You’re not a suspect here, Jackson. Anything you tell me will only be used to try and find the people who did this to you.”

“Yeah, because all friendly conversations start with you being held at gunpoint, cuffed, and tossed in the back of a car. It’s not all that obvious that I’m not under arrest. I’m still in a locked room with a cop asking me questions.” He stopped and tried to read my face before he continued. “But even if I were under arrest, I wouldn’t have to answer your questions. Right, Detective?”

“That’s correct. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to answer them, though. The information you provide might be what we need to help catch the people who murdered your parents.”

“That’s a low blow, Detective. Trying to use my parents’ murders as a guilt trip to get what you want.”

“Ok then, tell me this. Why do you have so much cash on you?” When he didn’t say anything, I followed up with, “Or how you did you book a hotel room?”

“I’d like to leave or be allowed to make that phone call now.”

“You don’t have to fight us, Jackson; we are here to help.”

Just then, the door to the interview room flew open, and Jackson's eyes widened for a second before recognition set in. I turned around and was stunned to see a lady walking into the room. She had Native American features. Her long black hair was tied up right now, but it would have easily fallen to her waist if it was loose. Her Native American features would have made her stand out in a crowd. They gave her a certain look that made her exotic and only added to her beauty. I would have placed her at about thirty or thirty-five years of age. The way she stood radiated anger; it rolled off of her in waves.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but we are in the middle of a conversation.”

“Your conversation is over.”

She said it so matter of fact that it almost had me questioning myself. “You don’t get to make that call,” I said, starting to feel my own anger rise in response to her demeanor. No one came into our station and told us what to do.

“So you would prefer to keep him here and ask questions even though he asked to make a phone call?”

“He never specifically asked for a lawyer.”

“Just cop bullshit,” she said with a snarl. “He asked to leave or make a call, and you continued to ask him questions. Yes or no?”

I stood up and faced her. I’d had enough of her attitude in my room. “Unless you’re that lawyer, you can wait outside.”

She ignored me as if I wasn’t even there. “Jackson, come with me.”

He stood up, put his bag over his shoulder, and started to leave. I stepped in front of him. “We aren’t done here.”

He just moved around me. “If I’m not under arrest, I think its best that I leave now. If you find out anything pertinent to their murders, please let me know.”

“Where can I reach you?”

“We’ll check in with you,” the lady snarled, leading my only chance of ever knowing what happened out the door.

“Listen, you can’t just leave. I can’t release him to you. I don’t even know who you are.”

“He’s not a minor and not under arrest. He can leave with whomever he wants.”

The kid looked at me as if waiting for me to confirm it before he walked out the door. “It’s true; you’re free to go. Just tell me one thing. Who in the hell is she?”

He looked as if he was about to answer, but she did it for him. “I’m his mother.”

Before I could even think of how to respond, they were walking out the door. Something was off about this whole exchange. The kid’s mother was dead; that was the case I had been working. Who in the hell was this lady? She knew enough about the law to be a thorn in my side, but she couldn’t be his mother. Something didn’t add up, and that meant I needed to do more than sit back and let them go.

I got back to my desk and punched up an order for surveillance. I’d get an unmarked car to follow them around while they were in town and see if anything shook loose. There had to be something going on. Why risk coming back now? What did these two have to hide?

I
stopped just inside
of the front doors to the police station. “Keep your head down and follow me to the car. We get in, and we go. Do not say anything to the reporters.”

“Ok.”

“No, tell me that you understand.”

“Jesus, Mom, I got it. Follow you, get in the car. No fucking talking. Let’s go already.”

The look I gave him was the one I used to reserve for John when he pushed all of my buttons. It didn’t have the same effect on my son, but I could see that he was thinking about what he just said to me. I waited for his eyes to meet mine, and then I put a hand on his shoulder. I gave it the smallest of squeezes, nodded once, and then headed out the door. He did exactly what I asked, following closely on my heels.

The reporters hurled their questions, and some of them made me want to stop and shout into the camera, but that wasn’t what we did. We were supposed to stay hidden, to blend in. None of that was happening now, and that had me worried. It wouldn’t be long before Adam heard about what happened here today. Someone was also bound to tell the Council, and that could have devastating effects. They thought I was dead, but after tonight, that wouldn’t be the case anymore. He didn’t know it yet, but Jackson had put both of our lives at risk by turning himself into the police.

We were going to have to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. I knew there was no way Jackson could know how serious this was. That was our fault. He had grown up in the human world. He had friends and people who could pick him out of a crowd. He also hadn’t grown up knowing just how ruthless the Council was, but he was going to find out.

Having to stay out of the public eye was something no one else he worked with had to deal with. If he made the national news, his life would get harder all the way around. It would be years before people forgot just who he was. The only thing that helped was the detective had told the media he wasn’t a suspect.

We got into the car and pulled out into traffic. We would have to get our things and find another hotel to stay at. The one we had been using was compromised. The deep purring sounds the Jeep made as I accelerated around the slower-moving traffic almost soothed me. It took the edge off of having to yank my son out of jail.

“Jackson, what in the hell happened? I left you alone for a day, and you got arrested.”

“Technically I didn’t get arrested.”

“Then why did I see you in handcuffs on the news?”

“Apparently it was all a big mistake. Listen, I just went to see one of my friends to thank them for burying my folks. A couple of people I knew spotted me on campus, and they must have taken a picture or something. Next thing you know, I’m talking with Alby and there are four cop cars outside and eight cops with guns pointed at us.”

“Why didn’t you just sneak out?”

“I thought about it, but if I didn’t go with them, then they would have started searching for me again. I couldn’t have that. I can’t run from them forever. As long as my parents’ deaths and I remain a mystery, they won’t ever stop prodding, and the media won’t let it go. I don’t want for my life to be revolved around their deaths. Every time someone sees me, it’s the first thing on their mind. I just wanted to get it over with so people will forget about it.”

“That’s actually a well thought-out reason. It’s just that we have to stay hidden. We can’t do that with you on the news. Everything just got a lot more complicated for both of us.”

“Sorry, Mom. I just had to pick an option. In the moment, I felt like that was the right one. I mean, if I had just disappeared after they had known I was in there, it would have just driven them harder to find me, right?”

“Probably, but by then we would have been gone. I’m not angry with you. I just want you to think of the bigger picture. How does this affect Adam and your friends? All of them could be in danger now.”

“Why?”

“Anyone who was tracking you now knows exactly where you are. It won’t take them long to come looking for you. Adam isn’t the only one who believes in the prophecy, and some people do think it can be avoided by killing you. Why take the chance of creating a destroyer, when you can eliminate the problem?”

“Shit.”

“Exactly. When we get inside, grab your stuff. We need to get to another hotel a little bit further away.”

“What if I told you that we had somewhere we could stay at least for tonight?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I guess I own a house. Well, my parents’ trust owns it, and I know where the key is. Alby has been taking care of it for me, so it’s clean, and we can come up with a plan from there.”

“I guess that will work for now. If it went from your parents to you, the agents of the council will find it eventually, but probably not in less than a day.” I watched as he typed the address into my navigation system and sat back. He had done well today in unforeseen circumstances; I had to give him credit for that. I wish the outcome had been different, but it is what it is. Now we had to deal with it the best we could.

There was still a chance that they could miss it. That this wouldn’t be big enough news to reach the East Coast and then Europe, but I doubted it. In the old days, we could have contained it. Now with technology, it was almost certain to get out. When we stopped at a light, I rattled off a quick text to Adam. He would have our guys trying to scrub articles online and get them retracted. He’d also probably send one of our attorneys down to crush whatever the police were working on. They made a big mistake by coming after Jackson like they had. Now we had to make them pay for it.

“I’ll drop you off and then head back to the hotel and grab our things. Did you hide anything in the room?”

“Nope.”

“Just checking. Your father liked to hide our weapons with a spell.”

“I didn’t even think to bring my weapons. This was just supposed to be a chance for me to visit my parents’ graves and say goodbye.”

There wasn’t anything that I could really say to that, so I shut my mouth and we drove the rest of the way in silence.

We pulled into the driveway, and I cut the lights. The front porch lights were on, but I couldn’t smell anyone on the property. Jackson led the way into the backyard and grabbed a key from underneath a pot. Once we were inside, he turned on the lights and gave me a quick tour. I smiled as we walked through the house, thinking of the couple we had trusted our child with. They were good people, and they had done an excellent job of raising our son.

A quick look in the fridge showed that it was empty. We had passed a grocery store on the way into the neighborhood, and we were going to need food. “Jackson, hang tight here. I’m going to go to the store and stock up on supplies after I grab our gear.”

“I can do that.”

“Listen, whatever happens, don’t leave the house. I don’t want you out in public right now while the media is all riled up. If anything happens and you need to bail, we meet back at the old hotel. Got it?”

“Yeah, sure. Do you really think something will happen?”

“Yes, but probably not anytime soon. It never hurts to be prepared for anything, though. I doubt the Council has anyone stationed in the area.”

“Then I’ll see you when you get back.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

S
omething about sitting
in the back of that police car and getting manhandled by a few overzealous cops left me feeling dirty. I walked up to my room and started the shower. One of the nice things about being home was that all of my old clothes were here, and they all fit. I tossed the things I had been wearing in the trash and grabbed a few of my old favorites out of the closet.

Before I hopped into the shower, I sent Alby a text to let her know I was ok, and that I was staying at my old place. The hot water did its job, and I felt better when I climbed out. I had just thrown my shirt on when the sound of the doorbell reached my ears. What in the hell? Nobody but Alby should know I was here. I started to gather my power around me as I headed down the stairs. I flicked on the light and was greeted by the light reflecting off of a bright blonde ponytail.

I opened the door, and Alby hit me with her hundred-watt smile. You know what I’m talking about, the kind of smile that you had to return because it was so warm and genuine. The power I had been gathering slipped away, and I moved to the side so she could come in. She hit me with the smile again and stepped inside. She walked past me into the kitchen and took a seat at the island, just like she was coming over for movie night.

“You mind if we sit in the living room instead?” I said, walking out of the kitchen and into the other room.

Alby followed me. “I’m so sorry, Jackson. I wasn’t thinking. It has to be hard for you to even be back in this house, let alone that room.”

I hadn’t been thinking about it that much either, but something had hit me when she walked through the door. I didn’t really want to hang out in the room where my parents had been killed. In fact, staying in this house long term was probably something I couldn’t do. I would have to sell it. It wasn’t as if I could live here anyway. I was staying at the arena, and that was probably the safest place for me to be right now.

“It’s ok. So what are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”

Something was off with her. I knew right away that what she said was true, but it wasn’t the whole truth. You never really forgot how to read people you spent a lot of time with. I was sure Alby could tell when I was lying just as easily as I could with her.

“I’m doing ok. Better now that I had a shower and washed the smell of that police station off. Why did you really come here, Alby?”

“I’m still that easy for you to read, huh?”

“Yep, but I don’t hold it against you. It’s nice to be around someone I know so well.”

She started to fidget a little, which wasn’t like her. I wondered what she had to tell me. It must have been major for her to be so nervous. She was the kind of girl who always held it together. Someone that you could count on to be your rock. If she was nervous, then something big was going on. I’d already had enough of that for one day, but she was a friend, and if I could help her, I would. After all, that she had done for my parents, it would be wrong not to.

I was about to ask her what was going on when the front door swung open and my mom ran into the house. She rushed into the room we were sitting in and put herself between Alby and me. Her fingers had elongated and were tipped with claws.

She looked at me and then at Alby, before turning her fierce gaze back to me. “Why is she here?”

“Mom, this is my friend Alby.”

“The one you went to see when you got arrested?”

“Yep.”

“You still haven’t told me why she is here.”

“We were just about to get to that when you ran in. Why don’t you go back outside and turn off the Jeep? I’ll help you with the groceries, and then we can figure it out together.”

The tension drained from her shoulders. “Jackson, it’s just that the last time people came for us, your father died and we had to hide you away.”

I got up and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Let’s get the food and come back inside. Alby, can you grab some plates and stuff and bring them into the living room?”

“Sure thing, Jackson.” She bounced to her feet and headed toward the kitchen.

When we got outside, my mom handed me a few grocery bags while she grabbed my duffel and her pack. “So normally when a parent comes home and finds their son with a good-looking girl, they need to have a conversation about rules.”

“We’re just friends.”

“And you know what she is?”

“Kind of.”

“Maybe we can talk about it over dinner.”

“That sounds good; I could use some food. I also want to know what she is so nervous about.”

“I guess we will find out.”

She headed back into the house, and I followed, giving the yard a quick scan. Nothing really stood out except for the fact that a car was parked in the street. Most people around here parked in their driveways, and so did their guests. I would have to ask my mom about it when we got inside. I had a feeling if she had seen them, then she would have already checked them out, which might have led to why she ran inside in full-on protection mode. At least she hadn’t shifted; that would have scared the shit out of anyone.

* * *

S
andwiches and chips
, not a grand homecoming meal, but it took care of our immediate needs so we could get back to talking about what was going on. I grabbed one of the remaining bags of chips and headed toward the couch. The seat flipped out, and I reclined with my feet up. You couldn’t beat that the bookends of our sectionals. All of them reclined for maximum comfort. It was time to find out just what Alby wanted, but the thought of the car parked down the road from my house still bothered me.

Sarah looked to be in a better mood now that she had eaten and we were behind closed doors. Alby still looked a little taken aback. It dawned on me that even though we had shared a meal together, I hadn’t introduced them to each other yet.

“Mom, this is Alby. Alby, my mom, Sarah.”

They looked at one another, sizing each other up, each of them looking rather aggressive and fierce. Alby broke the silence first. “Jackson, how can this be your mom? I knew her. This isn’t her.”

Sarah looked like she was about to answer, but I jumped into the conversation first. “It turns out I was adopted. Which is why I never knew about my powers.”

“But if she is here now, why did you have to get adopted in the first place?”

This time, Sarah took the lead before I could answer. “That’s a conversation for a different time. For now, I’ll just say it was necessary for his protection.”

Alby gave her a look that said
how can leaving your child be better for their protection?
but thankfully didn’t say anything. She turned that frown back into her normal smile and asked, “So you’re a Lycan, and he is one of the Gifted?”

“And you’re a Fae. Is Shalana still in charge of the grove here?”

I could tell her question threw Alby off. She had been looking for answers about my heritage and had been asked about her people instead. “She is.”

“Good. She has always been a strong leader. We go way back.”

“How is that possible? We haven’t had a Lycan visitor since I was born.”

“My husband and I used to run the Ascendancy in Arizona. We made it a point to get to know the leaders of all the supernaturals in our area.”

“Oh, you’re that Sarah?”

“Indeed.”

Alby sat back in her chair as if she had met some kind of icon. Her face was flushed, and she looked around for a moment as if trying to decide which way to run. I got up from the couch, leaving my salt and vinegar chips behind, and walked over to where she was sitting. I put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up into my eyes. I read the fear there. I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t have to. “No one is going to hurt you here, Alby; you have my word.”

She looked from me to Sarah for confirmation. Sarah nodded in acceptance of what I had said, and relief washed across Alby’s face. There was a story there, and I would have to ask my mom about it, but first, I needed to get this conversation back on track. “Mom, when you came in, was there a car parked in the street?”

“No, why?”

“I was just wondering if that was why you came in being as protective as you were.”

“That was because of the car in the driveway. Why would I care about one in the street?”

“Well, around here, it’s unusual for cars to park in the street. Everyone here either has a U-shaped driveway or one that is large enough for multiple cars. No one parks on the street.”

“Maybe I picked up a police escort back at the hotel. I was thinking about our next move, so I could have missed them. I’ll go check it out.”

Sarah walked to the back door and then ran out of it in a low crouch. When she was about twenty feet away, I couldn’t see her anymore. She blended in with the shadows. I closed the door and turned back to the living room. I sat back down on the couch and looked at Alby.

“Jackson, do you know who your mom is?”

“Yeah, Sarah Blackthorn.”

“Which means your dad was John?”

“Right. How did you know that?”

“They were the most famous couple to work for the Ascendancy here, like ever. They actually helped a lot of the Pretenders and helped them to police themselves. They were removing the Ascendancy from the equation, only stepping in when things got out of control. They were like the golden age.”

“It’s funny that you know more about them than I do. Since I found out Sarah was my mom, we’ve kind of been taking it slow while we’re getting to know each other. The fact she was my mom was kind of a real shock. It came just after the loss of my folks.”

“I bet.”

Sarah walked back into the room. Both of us looked toward her, waiting to hear what she found out. “It’s two cops. They don’t have any surveillance equipment, so they are just there to tail us.”

“If we had to leave, do you think that we could give them the slip?” Alby asked.

My mom just shrugged, as if the question wasn’t worth answering, but she humored us. “Of course we could.”

“So, Alby, am I finally going to hear about what brought you here tonight?”

Alby cast a glance at my mom and then back at me. “What do you mean? Like I said, I just came to see if you were ok.”

“If you have something to say, just say it. It’s not going to get any easier if you wait,” my mom said while looking out the front window. When Alby didn’t say anything, she took a seat and looked at her, almost willing her to talk.

Alby looked at me, and I just nodded toward her. I hoped that would be enough to get her going. She looked back at my mom before starting. “So I did have something that I wanted to talk to you about. It’s just that I’m not supposed to. It breaks all kinds of our rules, asking outsiders for help.”

I continued to watch Alby but spared a glance toward my mother. She was nodding along as if she understood exactly what she was going through. “It’s ok, Alby. Whatever you say won’t leave this room.”

I gave my mom a curious glance and then turned my attention back to Alby as she started speaking again. “We have a problem with the grove. Things that shouldn’t be able to cross over from our home are finding their way through the veil. We’ve been able to contain it for now, but that won’t last forever.”

“I thought that nothing could come through the veil unless it was opened from this side?” my mother asked.

“That should be true, but something is forcing the veil open. The things that have come through aren’t something we would normally allow. I wish I could tell you more, but I’m not old enough to get all the details. I only know what I’ve overheard my dad discussing with my uncle.”

“Then we need to talk to someone who does know what is going on. If things are coming from Faerie through the veil, it needs to be stopped,” Sarah said. “But before we can do that, I need to call Adam and get the ok.”

She got up and left the room. I looked over at Alby; she still looked nervous, but she had a smile on her face. She had to be thinking about the consequences of her actions tonight. I wasn’t sure what kind of repercussions she would face for telling us this, but if their rules were anything like ours, they would be harsh. The only thing that could have been worse for her is not letting us know. For the kindness she had shown my parents, I would do everything in my power to help her.

“I want you to know we will find a way to get to the bottom of this and fix whatever is wrong.”

“I’m just not sure it will be that simple. Jackson, our people are proud and extremely private. The last thing they want is outsiders involved in our business, especially the Ascended. I’m hoping that because of your mom’s relationship with Shalana, they will let you help.”

“So what happens to you if they find out you talked to us and they won’t let us help?”

“Anything is possible, but I had to let someone know. Something is wrong, and the elders are too blind to see it.”

She let out a sob then. I rushed toward her and pulled her into a hug. Alby hadn’t said much about what was going on, and maybe she really didn’t have all the facts, but whatever it was, it was obviously tearing her apart. I needed to be there for her now more than ever. She deserved whatever help we could offer, and I hoped that we would be able to offer quite a bit.