Madly and Wolfhardt (21 page)

“I see that Sentinel Hamilton has learned your habits well,” one of the women said blandly.

“Pardon?” I asked.

“He arrived here less than an hour before you, explaining that you would seek our guidance.  He was dubious about your willingness to go along with his plan of action.”

“With all due respect to Sentinel Hamilton, I would prefer to be on site, in hopes that we can resolve this matter quickly and with fewer casualties.”

“You would put the safety of others above that of yourself?” one of the females asked.

I nodded.  “Yes.”

“That is the mark of royalty, something that Sentinel Hamilton could not possibly understand.”

“On the contrary, ma’am, he understands it better than most.  In fact, he risks his life for others every day.”

“I doubt that, Princess.  Sentinel Hamilton is no doubt a fine example of a guardian, but he could never understand what it truly means to be royal.”

“Is it not true that a royal is suspected of having betrayed us?”

I heard Jessup gasp, a barely audible hiss.  I knew I’d overstepped my bounds.

“Curb your impertinence, Princess.  I was merely stating fact.  Those who do not share a royal bloodline are lesser by birth, not through any fault of their own.  It has been that way for centuries.”  

I felt my fingers draw into tight fists where they rested in my lap.

“Sentinel Hamilton is in no way inferior.  He has shown attributes that only the finest of royals have
ever
exhibited.  He might not be royal by blood or by birth, but he is royal in all the ways that count.”

A hush fell over the room and I felt the ambient air grow colder still, the temperature dropping in a directly inverse relationship to their displeasure.  Inside, I was fuming, my teeth clamped together so securely that my jaws hurt.

One of the males stood, causing all the others to stand.  He turned his chilly eyes on me and I felt his disdain.

“We are done here.  She is to be taken to the forest tonight.  That is the end of discussion.”  He pinned Jackson with his cool stare.  “If you are half the Mer she believes you to be, you will trust her judgment on this and do as she asks.”

I opened my mouth to comment, but the words died in my throat when I felt Jackson’s hand cover my fists beneath the table.  His warm fingers slid over top of mine and gently squeezed, a silent plea for me to hold my tongue.  Then he stood, as did Commander Jessup.

The male, evidently the eldest, turned to Commander Jessup and nodded.  Jessup hurried to the door and opened it.

“Might I ask one favor before you go?”

I felt every eye in the room turn to me.  I’m sure they were astonished at the audacity I exhibited by first insulting them and then asking for their help.  But, at that point, I had nothing to lose.

“Can you give me full access to the Seers?  I believe they could be of use to me in this instance.”

“The Seers have already assisted you as much as they are able.  They are chained to the Major Warden by the will of God until such time as he has been replaced.  That time has not yet arrived.”

“Thank you,” I offered cordially, bowing my head in gratitude and respect, even though I was feeling very little of either at the moment.

The twelve veritably floated from the room, their ethereal figures moving past me, one by one, until they were but wispy memories fading from the sharp, cool air.

Commander Jessup hurried after them.  When they had disappeared from sight, Jackson turned to me and spoke.

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Don’t play dumb, Madly.  We both know you’re not,” he said.  “Tell me why.”

“Because, unlike most Mer, I don’t believe that royals have the monopoly on all good qualities.  And they obviously don’t know you.  I know you’d risk your life for Mer, for humans.  You’ve risked yourself for me twice already.  As you’ve reminded me countless times, it’s your job.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re wrong,” he repeated.

“About what?”

“About me.”

“How so?”

“I make calculated risks.  I know my strengths.  I wouldn’t risk my life, I wouldn’t
give it
for just anybody,” he said quietly.

Without another word, Jackson turned and walked out of the room, leaving me to puzzle over what he’d said.

After a slight delay, I rushed out the door to follow him, but was immediately waylaid by Commander Jessup.

“Our business is not quite finished, Princess.  Would you please return to the conference room?”

I scanned the immediate area looking for Jackson.  When I didn’t see him, I reluctantly did as Jessup asked, turning around to head back the way I’d come.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” Jessup said as he closed the door behind me, effectively shutting me inside the stale-smelling room.

I plunked down in the chair I’d vacated only minutes before and I waited.  By my estimates, it was at least fifteen minutes later when Jessup returned, ushering in three Sentinels I’d never before seen.  They were all big like Jackson, but all three were older, probably by at least ten to fifteen years.  They had the typical gruff, all-work-and-no-play exterior that was common among Sentinels, but these three lacked a spark that I’d only seen in Jackson’s eyes.  It was the spark of a leader, of a strong-willed warrior, not a “yes” man.  These three were obviously “yes” men.

“Princess, these are the Sentinels that will be taking over tonight’s mission.  They will be coordinating events and ensuring your safety during the capture of Wolfhardt.”

“What?  What happened to Jackson?”

Jessup frowned.

“Sentinel Hamilton will no longer be a part of this operation, Princess.  However—”

“But why?” I asked, feeling almost frantic.

“His belief is that we are placing you in an unnecessarily dangerous situation and he refuses to take part in it.  Therefore, he has been…reassigned.  He will be permanently relocated.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

I jumped up, ready to bolt for the door. 

“Princess, he is gone.  You need to focus your attentions and your ample intellect on successful completion of the task at hand.”

It felt as if a vacuum had sucked all the air out of the room.  Reassigned?  Relocated?  That could mean I’d never see Jackson again.  If the Powers That Be wanted to keep him away from me, I’d never be able to find him, not without exposing my feelings for him. 

With a bleakness of heart that felt like hopelessness, I realized that the day I’d dreaded had arrived.  I had known there would come a time when I would have to accept and deal with the loss of Jackson.  But I wasn’t prepared for that day to come so soon. 

A nearly unbearable weight pressed in on my chest, threatening to crush it.  A nearly unbearable lump swelled in my throat, threatening to suffocate me.  I stood and walked across the room, struggling to breathe, struggling to control the tears that promised to spill from my flooded eyes.

One panicky thought flew round and round inside my mind, like a buzzard circling death. 

He’s gone.  He’s gone.  He’s gone.

“Princess, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

He’s gone. 

“Let’s continue then.”

“Of course.”

He’s gone. 

“In light of your vision, we believe it would be best to hide Kellina Stratford in town.  She will be staying late to visit with Aidan Saint.  Mr. Saint has agreed to help us, though he is under strict instruction that the girl is to remain ignorant of the operation.  I didn’t feel there was any reason to worry the human. 

“What we’d like is for you to be awaiting Wolfhardt in the house, placed as a decoy inside the room he was watching.  We feel the situation will be more controllable in a smaller venue that the forest.”

“Yes, sir.”

He’s gone. 

“Sentinel Jensen will be in the room with you, Sentinel Westin just outside it and Sentinel Prokonow along with several other Sentinels covertly barring the exits once Wolfhardt has entered the house.  There will be little presence in the woods, so as not to inadvertently spook Wolfhardt as he approaches.”

“Yes, sir,” I repeated mechanically, feeling as if some crucial element of life had been stolen from my soul, never to be replaced.

He’s gone. 

“Once Wolfhardt enters the bedroom, he will be apprehended and you can use your bracelet to imprison him and return him to Atlas.”

“Yes, sir.”

He’s gone. 

“Do you have any questions?”

At that point, I turned and faced Commander Jessup.

“What are the chances of success without Jackson?”

Jessup’s dark blue eyes darted uncomfortably toward his Sentinels for a moment before he squared his shoulders. 

“We fully anticipate a victory, Princess.  Sentinel Hamilton is not the only capable Sentinel.  In fact, he is only one of many.”

“Then who else is strong enough to break into Atlas when I release the pearl?”

“Sentinel Marlow is one of our strongest swimmers.  He will be taking Hamilton’s place.”

His admission caused me a tiny bit of relief.  Marlow taking Jackson’s place meant that Jackson wouldn’t be in the extreme danger of having to try and break into a city under siege.  Whether or not I ever saw him again, I would be much less miserable knowing that at least he was alive, somewhere out there inhabiting the same earth that I was.

But still…

He’s gone. 

It resonated through me as if I was hollow on the inside, which is how I felt.

“If you have no more questions, then I would suggest you go back to your room and rest.  Sentinel Jensen will be by to pick you up just before dusk.  He’ll take you to the Stratford home using a discreet path through Slumber.  Once there, you will await nightfall.  At the fullness of the moon, you will turn on the light and attempt to lure Wolfhardt to you.”

“Yes, sir,” I said again, lacking any enthusiasm for the mission. 

Even though my parents and thousands of Mer were hanging in the balance, my entire world seemed to have fallen under thick cloud cover.  It was as if Jackson took the sun with him when he left, all the brightness suddenly gone from my skies.

On the way back to my dorm, I reminded myself over and over again that there was no sense missing Jackson, feeling lost without him.  He’d only been back in my life for a few days and, despite how those few days had felt, ours was a relationship that was destined for failure. 

Not that Jackson would have wanted to pursue something with me anyway.   According to Jersey, Jackson’s heart was already taken, so I was clinging to an impossibility on two different levels. 

But no amount of rationalizing could convince my heart of that.  Somehow, to the depths of my soul, I felt something real and phenomenal and forever between us, as if we shared something that defied logic and tradition, something more profound than even the supernatural bond of the mating tie.  On some level, to me it seemed as though Jackson and I were bound for greatness—together.