The Seven (Fist of Light Series) (38 page)

The landscape around us was comforting since it didn’t harbor any carnivorous trees. Sunlight bathed through holes in the overhead canopy, lending the forest a tranquil feel. You would never have known that beings of the supernatural community had fought and bled within its bounds just the previous night. The feeling was slightly offset by claw marks, black, sooty things that remained as evidence of the darkhounds arrival, or departure. Fresh pine lay on the ground before me, and various composted materials crunched under my shoes with each step. Clumps of grass grew at the base of some of the trees, and wildlife could be seen lurking around the peripherals, keeping a wary eye on the predators infringing upon their domain. Some birds even went so far as to screech shrill calls of warning before taking flight for a less hazardous nesting area.

“We ain’t bad company, once we have a few beers in us.” Clyde patted his prodigious stomach. “So.” He scratched his crew-cut hair thoughtfully while passing some gas. “I hear you’re a big shot, kid.” He shot me a level look. “You did in a lot of those devils when they came after us. That lightnin’ sure shot ‘em to hell. There are many among us who owe you a blood debt.”

“He’s the local heavyweight for all things subservient to Darkness. Those buggers sure hate anything having to do with the Light.” Jas glanced sideways at me, pointing it out to me as much as Clyde.

We stepped out from behind a cluster of trees.

“Just doing what needed to be done, what anyone would have done.” I shrugged noncommittally.

Clyde squinted at me. “People see what needs to be done from differen’ angles.” He spat a globule of chew onto the hard-packed earth. “When your definition of necessary means ya’ll will put others in front of yourself, you ain’t no average person, morally-like. As I said, many of the Clan are indebted to ya for yer efforts. ‘Member that, when ya get in there; it’s gotten hairy since you left.”

“What kind of hairy?” Jas asked, practically wringing his hands.

“More ‘n half of the Chiefs want to get rid of this one,” Clyde began. “They think he’s to blame for them hounds’ appearance. The others think we woulda been overrun without ‘em, and they have all pledged a blood oath. Hasn’t been this much of an uproar since Xander went rogue. That one was a bad egg, he was.” He nodded to himself. “You were in luck that we were the ones to find ya. Some of the others’ who were lookin’ might have killed you boys on the spot.”

“That bad, huh?” I tried to sound like I understood half of the references the big guy threw out.

“Are they holding a collective Meet, or is it higher-ups only?” Jas asked. It sounded like he was amassing ammo for a shootout.

“They got a good number of representatives from each clan, and the Chiefs of each one, ‘course. Been jumping off the walls, with those two Empowered stirrin’ up trouble everywhere they go. Mainly it’s the boy, because the girl keeps to his shadow, mostly.” He paused, looking at me. “Meaning no offense, of course.”

“None taken.” I chuckled.

“We’re in for a treat, that’s for sure,” Jas replied darkly to Clyde’s previous statement.

Our collective party stepped out from behind a cluster of trees and discovered ourselves in a clearing not far from the mansion. The clear blue sky with rolling, white clouds put me at ease.

Jeeves flashed in beside us. “I see you made it out with minimal damage to your person. How’s the other one faring?” he appraised Jas himself, rather than waiting for an answer. “You burn a few tail feathers back there, eh boy?” he joked.

“The only thing I saw that was burning was your face, when Caleb set flame to those trees,” Jas teased.

“The burning of those trees was no light matter; they are sacred to the Fae. You should consider yourself lucky, to have my vast knowledge and wisdom at your disposal.”

“Yeah, thanks for telling us what a good idea it was to set their sacred trees on fire.” I shot Jeeves a dark look.

“Who in the blue blazes are you two young’uns talking to?” Clyde threw his beefy arms up questioningly.

“His imaginary friend.” Jas nodded at me, wagging his eyebrows conspiratorially.

“Now isn’t that the truth,” I laughed.

Clyde seemed to be more than confused with the introduction of this information, but he let the question die quietly. Most likely, he either put the two of us down as crazies, or as pulling his leg. He didn’t appear to be someone who was likely to read copious amounts of scripture, or have any prophetic notions. No, I think Clyde was a simple man, although a very likeable one, at that. Our little party continued through the grounds unmolested despite Clyde’s no doubt credible warnings. There were plenty of bloodstains on the ground, and my stomach clenched involuntarily at the sight of them. Withholding the urge to regurgitate the stomach acid within my body, I forced my mind away from the scene. There weren’t any injured visible, and no dead bodies had been left to bloat in the roasting sun.

When I scanned the edges of the property, however, an astounding quantity of burial mounds were apparent where the earth had been disturbed then put back with more of a burden than it had begun with. Some brave souls were actually holding quiet conversations and playing games of cards on the very benches where a portion of the battle had been fought. My mind kept bringing me back to the night’s bloodshed, and it seemed that the altercations had sullied my memories of the mansion.

There were plenty of things that had been heaped on my plate, and all were of equal importance. All of the collective problems of the supernatural and vanilla mortal society had been thrust upon me and I had to juggle all of them at once. If I turned my full attention to a singular development, it would be likely that I would shatter my chances of resolving another. I was lucky that all my problems seemed to be localized in one specific area: San Francisco. The city came up time and time again, and I had no doubt that it would be my “Final Destination.”

Even though I could be going alone, I had to make a stand. A gut feeling told me that if I did nothing I wouldn’t be pleased by the outcome. Or perhaps, in actuality, it was because a manipulative fairy queen had told me so. I’d rather prefer the first one to the latter, but unfortunately, beggars can’t be choosers.

It seems that, in the end, whatever direction I chose lay a path set by some individual or being that wished to govern my destiny. I had a deep-seated problem with any person or not-person deciding the specifics of my life. I liked to live by my own terms, on my own time, and make my own decisions. Contrary to what I desired for my future, I had been forged as a weapon with a specific purpose. Others had tried to bend that purpose, mold it under their prodigious wills. And yet, I had never been one to yield to any overt forces playing stakes I wasn’t privy to. The problem with my give or take, black and white attitude was that it allowed for little gray in between. There comes a time when a choice has to be made, a vital undertaking enacted, the dice rolled.

Was I truly being used, if the actions I chose were by my own hand?

“For the sake of moving this along, I’m going to say no, you are not being used. Doing what you believe is right, while it coincides with some other being’s agenda, merely demonstrates that you share an analogous desire for a certain outcome,” Jeeves said from his position beside me.

If I had been sitting, my spasms of surprise would have been an amusing sight. As it was, I’m sure they were embarrassing enough. “I thought my internal dialogue was just that,
internal
.” I glared at the grinning form of Jeeves.

“One would think that, although when an internal dialogue becomes a very vocal, external inner dialogue, it becomes quite obvious what you are thinking, internally.” Jas chuckled at his own wit.

“You two think you’re quite the pair, don’t you? Make your jokes. I’m merely trying to decide the course my life will take, that’s
all
.”

Jeeves pulled himself together, somewhat. “And I commend you on such deep, intricate thought.” A smile shone through his hard exterior. “But sometimes, it’s hardly beneficial to stand idle and let the course of a war pass you by and lose your chance at turning the tide. The time for action is now, and there is no interval to be mulling over a decision for a day, or even an hour. For instance, in this case, I believe we have arrived at our destination, and it’s high time we enter. The decision placed before you is this: you may either take action, or decide that inaction is the best course. It is not anyone else’s choice to make, although many have and will continue to attempt to take that away from you. Follow your heart, and you will discover the true path of righteousness.”

I wanted to spit, with how cut-and-dry that statement sounded.
Just follow your heart, and all your dreams will be realized
. As it was, I pulled myself together and brought myself back to reality. Lost in introspective thought, I hadn’t even noticed the passing of scenery as we traveled to the Hall where the Meeting was taking place. Having never been in the Hall since my untimely arrival, I didn’t know what to expect once inside. The exterior of the building was a teeming mass of Were who were all waiting with varying stages of anticipation and tolerance. My sense of the Clan was turned on its head with the realization that these members were acting out
against
their superiors by being present.

In all avenues, the Were prided themselves on following the orders of their superiors, whether that be on a magic carpet ride or into the pit of death. Some found that belief, that honor, to be foreign to them, and even went as far as saying that it was stupidity at its finest. An uproar followed us as we continued down an aisle, made by the passing of our escort. I couldn’t quite tell whether the sound was negative or positive, but had the feeling I would be finding that out in a short while. The massive double doors that were so prevalent here opened a hair to admit our small party.

“Well then,” Clyde commented awkwardly. “I suppose this is goodbye, for now. Good luck to you in there.”

I proffered my arm, and he latched on to it with his prodigious strength and bulk. “Thanks,” I said simply.

Being surrounded on all sides by those with an undefined agenda will always get your heart beating faster. That, coupled with your stomach rumbling uncomfortably and your mouth dry and parched, makes things infinitely more complicated. Jas and I had entered the Hall with little difficulty, but that’s where the simplicity of the situation ended. There were three representatives from each section of the clan, which meant that I was surrounded by thirty hot and ready predators. Of course, both of us became the subject of attention when we entered, and I retained an inkling of an idea what they had been disputing, prior to our arrival. To chop or to not chop off the head of the resident Empowered. Briefly, I worried about the safety of Razor and Hailey, though I realized they would have no problem fending for themselves. It was
myself
I needed to worry about, so that I could get out of here, posthaste.

The room was set up in a U shape, meaning I had just entered a supernatural courtroom. This was where the tough decisions were made and I could feel on the air that there was another one on the horizon. Challenging eyes immobilized me. In a bid to force them to reevaluate their opinions, I returned those stares vehemently and with all the strength and intensity that could be mustered. My eyes started to sting from the strain after a short while, because I hadn’t blinked for a minute. Then hearty laughter broke out from the left-hand side of the upraised dais and my attention was directed to that locale. A man of middling age sat, muscles rippling, knuckles scarred, with an impressive mane superimposing itself over his face. A genuine grin adorned his features.

“Reminds me of the good old days, when I was a whole lot less experienced and more willing to take risks. So this is your boy’s bonded, eh, Franklin?” He appraised me candidly. I hardly knew whether to take that as a compliment, or an insult, but the direct approach was a rather enjoyable experience.

Noah occupied the opening. “Caleb Holden is a very determined young man. I believe we owe prolific thanks regarding his actions on our behalf. He is not Clan by birth, and so he held no previous obligation to our cause. And yet, despite this, he bled for it.”

“His initiation into our community was presented on the basis that he would likely form another avenue of protection for this Clan. Have you retracted that statement?” That came from an old Eagle, with sharp eyes and wit.

“I believe you misinterpreted the meaning of that
statement
. The bonded of this Clan are not bound as we are bound. Their decisions are their own, and you know this, Hayden.”

“And yet, they still become embroiled in many of our confrontations, by the virtue of their connection to our cause,” the voice of reason surfaced in a wiry woman in her early thirties who I assumed to be the Cheetah’s representative.

“Do they know I’m standing right in front of them?” I raised my voice angrily.

A Boar whose youth seemed to have recently deserted him, responded, “We are aware of your location, thank you.”