Chapter 24
Blake was standing in the cells, looking at the Hayes Pack shaman. Next to him were Frederick and the two generals.
“It’s about time you came to see me. I’ve been locked up since yesterday,” the shaman spat out.
Blake crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the shaman, saying nothing. Like Ash, Blake noticed the change in him, and how he smelt wrong.
“He smells wrong,” General Gasgoyne commented.
“He looks wrong as well,” Blake said.
“Answer me, Blake. Are you going to give me sanctuary? Ashton promised me you would.”
“We’re all shifters here; your lies won’t work, and you will address the King by his proper title of King Blake or Your Majesty,” Frederick growled out.
The shaman sighed. “King Blake, are you offering me sanctuary or not? I can tell you about what Barnabus is up to.”
“We already know what he’s up to. About The Rising, the spear, his shadow and contacting rogues. Plus, he tried to release demons from Tartarus, but failed,” Blake said.
The shaman's mouth dropped open in surprise. “You know everything?”
“We do. So, tell me why I should give you sanctuary,” Blake said.
“Because I’m a shaman, I can help you,” he replied.
Blake scoffed. “The only reason my Regent let you through the wards was to stand trial for your crimes.”
“What? No, you can’t do that,” the shaman shouted, sounding panicked.
“You’ll stay here until your trial, which you understand is just a formality,” Blake told him
“If I were you, I’d start praying for a swift death,” General Delinga said.
Blake looked at the two Generals and Frederick. “Let’s go.” And ignoring the shaman’s calls, the four men walked out of the cells.
General Delinga closed the main cell door, cutting out the sound of his shouting and walked out into the sunlight.
“I never knew someone could smell so wrong,” General Gasgoyne said, shaking his head.
“He was never the best shaman, only looking after his own interests and those who could pay him, but he’s changed a lot since I last saw him. He always had a strange smell to him, but if I didn’t know better, I would say he smelt rotten.”
“I agree, he does indeed smell rotten,” General Delinga said.
“We need to know everything he knows, as I’m sure he has secrets to share,” Frederick said.
“Sergeant Cowell is our best interrogator,” General Gasgoyne said.
“My son is ours. We can get them both here together. If he has secrets, they can find them all out,” General Delinga said.
“Good. Once Tudor and Puff wake up, we can hold his trial. If you want, I’ll let you think up a creative way to kill him,” Blake said.
He took a breath, as if breathing in the fresh air.
“If it was just down to me, because of what he did to Phil and Clara, I’ll rip him to pieces, but he was instrumental in dragon and gargoyle deaths, so get thinking and we can run your ideas by Puff and Tudor. ”
“We’ll do that, thank you, sire,” General Gasgoyne said.
“Guys, I think you can call me Blake,” he said to them.
“We shall endeavor to remember, sire,” General Delinga said with a laugh.
“Gah, I’m off. I need to catch up on things. I’ll see you both around. Frederick, walk with me.”
“When you send your men in, can you message me and I’ll come and watch? I’m always interested in interrogation techniques,” Frederick said to them.
“We will.” The generals promised.
“Thanks. See you later,” Frederick said to them and then followed Blake.
“Did you talk to your mate and Zeus last night?”
“I did. The spear, as Saxon told us, can be used to release the only two remaining Titans, but it can also be used to kill any of the gods.”
Blake stopped and looked at him. “Really?”
Frederick nodded. “Yeah.”
“Did they tell you who the two remaining Titans are?”
“Cronos, their father, who is chained up in the very depth of Tartarus and Menoetius.”
“Meno who?” Blake asked. “I don’t think I’ve heard that name before.”
“Neither had I. But apparently, Menoetius is the personification of rash actions, uncontrollable rage, violence and pride. He’s somewhere in Tartarus as well. Without the spear, there is no way of releasing them.”
“Are we sure they are still there? I mean Barnabus escaped, what’s to say one of them didn’t escape?”
“The only way to make sure is for Hades, or someone, to go and look, and honestly, I don’t want anyone going down there to check, especially my mate,” Frederick said.
“That’s understandable,” Blake started walking again. “Mind you, I think we would already know if either of them had escaped. Especially Cronos, as he would be trying to destroy the other gods. I need to catch up with Tatum and find out who asked him to release Barnabus.”
“He and his mates were still practicing finding demon shadows when I last saw them.”
“How weird is it that demons can do that?”
“Very weird,” Frederick said, then grinned. “Wish I could do that though.”
Blake barked out a laugh. “Me too. I don’t suppose your seer side has seen anything helpful lately, has it?”
“No, sorry. That reminds me, I need to tell Hades about that part of me.”
“You’ll tell him when you’re ready,” Blake said, stopping by the first easy obstacle, where the children were trying the first section. All except the twins and Tobin.
Dask was watching over them.
Maddy was just climbing onto the first plinth ready to take her turn. Looking around, he saw Ares hadn’t changed this one.
“You can do it, Maddy,” Blake called.
She turned, grinned and waved to him, then looking forward, she started. She struggled over the swinging pendulums but then ran across the rope bridge, the balls coming nowhere near her.
The children were calling out encouragement to her.
Blake used the mate link to call Baylan to watch her. He arrived as she started climbing up the rope net.
“Go, Maddy,” Baylan called.
Watching Maddy, they saw she was struggling with the netting.
Able ran around the side and shouted encouragement. “Just take it slow, Mads. One step at a time and pull yourself up.”
Maddy followed his instructions and made it to the top. “Thanks,” she called back.
“So, the triplets seem to be fitting in,” Blake said, watching Maddy as she rushed the balance-tipping beams and started on the monkey bars.
“They are,” Dask said to him. “I wish they weren’t suffering, though.”
“We all wish that,” Baylan said. “Somehow, I don’t think they will be the last orphans to come here.”
“Wow, she made the monkey bars look easy,” Frederick said.
They watched as she ran for the rope and swung onto the finish plinth.
Everyone clapped and cheered her as she came skipping over to Blake and Baylan. “Did you see? I didn’t fall off anything.”
Blake and Baylan hugged her.
“We did. Congratulations, sweetie,” Blake said.
“Yep, well done, honey,” Baylan said.
She turned and looked at Able, who had just walked back. “Thanks for helping me up the rope net. That was hard.”
Able gave her a small smile. “We did one last year. Our parents took us to an activity centre that had one.”
Maddy hugged him. He sniffed and hugged her back.
“Okay,” Maddy said, pulling back. “Your turn. You need to beat your brothers.”
The triplets laughed.
“That will never happen,” Cyril said. “If anything, Eddy will beat everyone.”
Able nodded. “He probably will.”
“Have fun trying to beat each other. I’m off to check on the dragons,” Blake said.
Maddy hugged Blake and Baylan again and then turned to watch Able take his turn.
Wynter walked outside looking for his fellow angels. He found Maletayah just walking out of their new home.
“Maletayah,” Wynter called.
Maletayah turned and smiled. “Wynter, congratulations on finding your mates.”
When Maletayah was close enough, Wynter pulled him into a hug.
“Thanks. Welcome to your new home,” Wynter said, pulling back. “How are you finding things?”
“Zeus provided everything we could need, and all our belongings and the people I’ve met seem interesting.”
Wynter laughed. “Interesting, fascinating and strong.”
“They are indeed. Truthfully, I’m glad Zeus sent us here, not just so we can protect his mate, but so we can help the kings.”
“I’m glad I’m here as well. The things this pack are dealing with,” he shook his head. “Has anyone filled you in on everything that is happening?”
“They have. I know everything,” Maletayah said.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Mind you, I didn’t come down here very often. Let me just warn you, apparently it rains a lot in England. It was bad enough in the , but it keeps raining here.”
“Poor Wynter,” Maletayah says, not meaning it in the slightest. “Before I forget, Zeus has created an amazing meditation room for us in there,” he waved to the house.
“Thanks, I’ve not meditated since I left the underworld.”
“Join us this afternoon.”
Wynter nods. “I will do, thanks. I need to get back to my mates. We’re trying to find a way to hunt demon shadows.”
Maletayah frowned. “Is that even possible?”
“Not at the moment, but one of my mates is a djinn, the other a demon, so we’re trying everything. Barnabus has sent his shadow here to spy on us, hence the need to try everything we can to capture or destroy it.”
“If you need help, call.”
“Thanks, Maletayah. I’ll let you know and will be back later for the collective meditation.”