Forever The World of Nightwalkers - By Jacquelyn Frank Page 0,98
of obscurity, perhaps magic could reverse that. But even if there were an enchantment that could be applied to the situation, Kamen didn’t know what it was. In the end that was what this would boil down to. Finding the spell to reverse his foul stupidity, and then finding magic users powerful enough to wield the spell and yet manage to keep themselves alive throughout the process.
But outside of himself and Odjit, he didn’t know of anyone else strong enough. Perhaps Tameri, Odjit’s powerful niece, but by his count she was only three weeks Blended. It would take much longer than that before Tameri’s power had grown to full strength. And that was the problem with the Blending. While it was different for everyone, whether it went easy or hard, it left them very vulnerable … and often didn’t reach full strength before they were hunted down and assassinated.
“Leave it to you,” Ahnvil growled at him, “to loose hell on earth with no regard for the long term. That’s the problem with you Templars. You’re impulsive, shortsighted, and selfish. You care nothing for anything besides your personal agendas.”
“Show me a single creature on this earth that does not crave. Show me one that will not go to great lengths to appease that craving, even if only to ignore it.”
Kamen spoke quietly. He was stating fact, not defending his position. It didn’t matter anymore what he felt, what he needed, or what he wanted. All that mattered was righting the wrong he had done. Oh, it could never make up for all the thousands of other wrongs he had committed throughout his many lives as he had allowed Odjit to put blinders on him so that all he could see was her. Although it had not been her inasmuch as it was what she represented. He had been devoted to Odjit and the ideal he believed she stood for. To confess the ill in her would be to recognize the poison he himself had become by association.
He had only wanted unity. The scrolls decreed there as his teeth c
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Some time later Jackson found himself sitting in a chair at Leo’s bedside, watching him while he slept and, expression on his face14ibig Nané reassured him, healed. After she had healed him she had said he was doing very well, considering the trauma he had gone through. Nané did what she did very well, her innate healing ability allowing her to bring Leo much further along. But her skills were only so strong and she had tired quickly. He had given her his leave once he knew Leo was out of danger and no longer in any pain.
He needed to go to Kamen and rip some answers out of the son of a bitch. He needed to know if this was his fault. Had they gone gunning for Leo to try to get to Jackson? Did they pursue his friend after the altercation in the woods and then put him through this horror because of him?
And he was thinking of putting Marissa in this kind of danger?
“Oh god, Leo, she’s right. It’s insane to tell her I care for her one minute and then the next throw her in the middle of this train wreck our lives have become. But when I think of moving into the future without her by my side, it devastates me in a way I never thought I could feel for anyone other than you and Docia. It would cut my heart out if I lost either of you. You’re the closest thing Docia and I have to a brother … hell, Docia even tells people you’re our brother when in casual conversation. It just doesn’t occur to her that you aren’t.”
And it wasn’t until that moment that he realized how much he had been missing Leo these past few weeks. Leo remembered nothing of the night Jackson had met death and reawakened as Menes’s host, so he hadn’t been able to discuss it with him. With his best friend and, yes, for all intents and purposes, his brother. And that had been hard. Keeping this secret, Jackson realized, had put Leo in jeopardy by not forewarning him he might have some dangers to face because of it.
“Jackson, please, stop.”
Jackson startled, standing up and swinging around to see Marissa standing in the doorway. He hadn’t even heard her, he who had this supernaturally acute hearing. He had been too wrapped up in his grief.