50. Jack
FIFTY
JACK
Jack stood gripping his wand. He stepped between Abigail and the open door. A soft, consistent patter met their ears. It sounded like a horse, but Jack knew the sound of paws on the ground compared to hooves.
The only way Jack could describe what happened next was sheer and utter chaos. One of the large windows to their left exploded inward, sending shards of sharp glass raining down on the group inside.
Jack pulled Abigail out of her seat, shoving her toward the open door. Sloan drew her sword. Red mage mist shot from the hilt as steel heated. Aareth clicked both buttons on his gauntlets. Blue veins of magic crackled over his fists.
Time seemed to pause as Jack got his first look at the animal.
It was gigantic, easily three to four hundred pounds of predatory muscle.
It resembled a wolf in form and appearance.
Its upper body was hugely exaggerated, its jaws were twice the size of a man’s head.
The thing that surprised Jack the most wasn’t its short fur or the yellow slitted eyes that spoke murder; it was the color of the animal.
It was a brownish-green tint that was so unnatural—it was clearly manmade.
The creature was colored to perfectly blend into the forest.
The animal growled. It sniffed the air for a split second before it made its choice, bounding toward Marcus.
Marcus blasted a ball of green magic from the end of his staff.
It hit the monster square in the chest, but it wasn’t enough to stop the charging killer.
The beast didn’t even stumble. Jack witnessed huge paws ripping into his father’s sternum, even as he fired his own magic attack at the animal.
Jack fired again and again, each of his burning balls of magic fire exploding on his target.
Still, the beast tore at his father. Sloan ran at the fiend and jumped, aiming her sword, pointed end down.
The animal saw her at the last moment and kicked like a donkey with its back hind legs.
The creature’s powerful hind paws hit Sloan in the stomach with a solid crunch.
She flew across the room, slamming into a tall bookcase.
The wooden bookcase collapsed on her and covered her completely.
Aareth was next as he took the opportunity to lay hands on the animal. The aroma of burnt fur and smoky flesh filled the air as the animal howled in pain. Aareth held on to the back of the animal’s neck with gritted teeth. It lost interest in Marcus as it twisted and shook to be free.
All Jack could think of was his father. He knew somewhere deep down he should be worried about ending the animal once and for all.
He knew he should extend his wand into a staff and press the attack, but none of that mattered anymore.
All Jack could focus on was his father’s limp body covered in dark red blood.
Jack ran to his father’s side. He could see the animal wrestle free of Aareth’s grip.
Jack thought the animal would attack again; instead, there was a low, shrill whistle.
The animal hesitated for a moment. Smoke from burnt flesh and hair rose from the animal.
Blood dropped from the wounds in its chest and abdomen.
The whistle came back louder now. With one turn and leap, it was out the broken window, enveloped by the night’s darkness.
Jack witnessed all of this, and in that moment, didn’t care. He had made it to his father’s side. Jack gently rolled his father onto his back. His heart caught in his throat. His father’s torso was a bloody mess of bones and organs.
“That—that bad, huh?”
Jack’s eyes filled with tears as he held his father in his arms. No words came to him; all he could do was shake his head.
Aareth, Sloan, and Abigail ran over to Jack and Marcus.
“I—I can get some bandages from next door.” Abigail’s eyes were streaming water.
“I’ll get a doctor.” Sloan pressed one arm to her own ribs.
“No,” Aareth and Marcus said at the same time.
“My time has come.” Marcus coughed. The bleeding was getting worse. With each breath, more and more blood filled his chest. “Aareth, Sloan, remember what we talked about.”
Aareth nodded slowly. Sloan hung her head.
“Abigail.”
“Yes? I’m here.” Abigail took a step forward and knelt next to Marcus.
“Take care of my son.”
“I will, I promise.”
Jack and Abigail looked at one another. There were no words for the moment.
“Jack?”
“I’m here, Dad, I’m here.” Jack took his father’s bloodstained hand in his own, gazing into the eyes of the man he’d loved his entire life. His father was the man who not only had his respect because they were related, but the man who had earned his respect time and time again.
“Jack, I am so very proud of the person you have grown to become. I know your mother would feel the same way. You’ve become a man I would be proud to follow.”
Tears streaked down Jack’s face like comets falling from the heavens.
“You be the man we both know you are.” Marcus took a long, shallow breath. “Choose the right path no matter how hard it seems.”
“But I’m—I’m not as strong as you are.”
“You’re stronger, Jack. You are stronger than you know. I’ll always be with you, son. I love you.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
“She wants me to tell you she’s so very proud of you, Jack. We both are.” Marcus gave Jack one last smile and let a deep breath escape.
That was it. Marcus’ chest ceased to struggle. His eyes glazed over. Jack didn’t know what to do next. He just knelt there holding his father. Abigail knelt beside Jack, throwing both her slender arms around his chest.
Jack was in a daze. He knew what happened; he just didn’t have a response.
He felt numb, shocked and confused all at once.
A deep hole of sorrow grew in his stomach.
He felt sick and angry at once. Lucky for him, there was an assassin in the room who was all too familiar with the feeling of pain and loss.
“I’m going to kill this thing. Sloan, Jack. Let’s go.” Aareth’s voice took on a dark tone Jack never heard before. “There will be plenty of time to mourn later, trust me. Now we finish this.”
Jack looked up from the darkness that was clouding his mind. Aareth was already recharging his gauntlets. The look in Aareth’s eyes was enough to put the fear of God in anyone. Jack imagined that he spent the entire journey seeing Aareth the inspector. Now Aareth the assassin had shown himself.