birth that according to the laws of the wizarding world should never have happened. How had he kept it a secret?
"I'm almost a thousand years old," Gwydion said, almost as if he could hear the questions running through Gabe's mind. "In that time, I've learned to manage the gifts my parents bestowed upon me. My father is the one who decreed that no wizarding families were allowed to mix the bloodlines. He knew that doing so would create creatures as powerful as myself, and that could lead to all sorts of destruction. Of course, when he made this proclamation, it wasn't as if there were many wizards in the world. We've always been small in numbers."
"Yet, he must have felt the rules didn't apply to him. I mean, here you are," Gabe pointed out.
"My father created this rule after I was born, after he understood better the things that I could do."
"You must have done something that worried him."
Gwydion gave him a dark smile, but didn't answer.
"So who was he?" Gabe asked.
"Can't you guess?" Gwydion tugged at the scraggly remains of his white beard, thoughtful. "He was the leader of all wizards."
"Merlin." The truth dawned on Gabe, surprising him. "I should have known."
"None other." Gwydion nodded. "I named our Brotherhood after him and I created it in order to keep an eye on all the wizarding families, to keep balance among them."
"And your mother? Who was that? She must have come from a separate wizard family."
"That is a story for another time." Gwydion's tone was sharp. Apparently, whoever the mother was, the old wizard held no love for her. "We have other matters to discuss."
"I'm not helping you capture, Jacqueline," Gabe said. "You're on your own there."
"And if she comes for you as I know she will? What then? Will you kill her? Can you even do such a thing?" Gwydion shook his head. "Doubtful. Not to mention your misguided father will stop you. His feelings for the half banshee run deep."
"I'll worry about that when it's time. You don't have any concept of what family means to my father or his feelings for Jacqueline. You should be on your way, Gwydion. My father won't like knowing you are here."
"Off to run to the little redheaded slut's bed, are you?"
Anger licked through Gabe.
"I've been observing you, boy." Gwydion drew a circle in the air and a faint image of Angela's face appeared in it. "I know you are full of indecision about the little tart. She is a pretty thing though."
Gwydion stepped closer, allowing the image to fade, and lowered his voice.
"I also know you are not using your powers fully. I could help with that." The old wizard's face filled with cunning. "I could show you how to best use the skills Nature has endowed you with. Together we could be a force and remove the banshee from this dimension. We'd be heroes, too. The laws of human nature are out of balance, just waiting for us to set them right. There are those that would be grateful to us for restoring things."
"What do you mean out of balance?"
"You haven't heard?" Gwydion's grin was smug. "How delightful."
"I don't understand."
"Oh, you will. I'll arrange a little demonstration for you later. But for now, you must come with me."
"I don't think so." Gabe let out the anger he'd been holding back. "But you need to leave."
"Think it over, Gabe." The sharp edge of anger was in Gwydion's tone now. "It's better for us to work together than be at odds. Isn't that what you originally wanted? Wasn't that the plan a few months ago? Take me down and then take the Brotherhood? It would have been mine if I were you."
"You're not me." Gabe willed an energy ball to spark in both his hands, hoping the sight would send a message to the other wizard. "And plans change."
Without a word, Gwydion lifted his hand from the cane. A blast of energy came out fast and quick, striking Gabe directly in the chest. He fell to the ground, gasping for air as heat and pain rushed through him.
"Plans do indeed change," Gwydion sneered. "and you may yet change your mind again, boy."
Gabe rolled to his side, pushing himself up, even as he prepared to be hit again by another blast of Gwydion's power. But none came and when he turned to the spot where the old wizard had stood, there was nothing but the faint hint of smoke.
"Dammit!" Gabe swore, standing. "Dammit!"
"What's