A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,119

Jake's shoulders tightly. Jake looked up and met his eyes. "I never want to hear that from you again. Never! You are like a son to me. This is your home now!"

Norlan was almost shaking with anger. "Never blame yourself for this. If there is any blame, it is mine. I am the one who is supposed to protect my family." He sighed bitterly, his hands dropping. "I could not even do that."

"Boy, go get cleaned up and get some rest." Dominic said, his eyes on Norlan. Jake nodded and headed towards his room. When he got near the room, he stopped and looked back.

Dominic had taken Norlan to the far corner of the yard, away from everyone, and was quietly talking with him. Norlan's head dropped, looking at the ground. Jake saw Dominic reach out and tap Norlan under the chin, forcing his head up and emphasize a point with a finger in Norlan's chest. Even though he could not hear what was being said, Jake saw that the conversation turned heated. Suddenly, Norlan shoved Dominic back. Dominic recovered and came right back up to Norlan. There was a lot of pointing and gesturing at first, then that gradually faded. Jake stood and watched until he saw Dominic put an arm around Norlan's shoulders and they started walking around the yard, still talking.

Jake went to his room, stripped off his clothes, put on his robe and went to take a shower. After he was clean, he returned, blew out the candles and slid under the covers of his bed. He was shifting back and forth, unable to get comfortable when he heard the curtain in the doorway move.

He looked to the doorway, only to see Maxis come in. Maxis came up to his bed and laid his head on Jake. Jake reached out and rubbed Maxis' head for a bit. When he stopped, Maxis simply curled up on the floor next to Jake's bed. Comforted by the dog's presence, Jake was soon asleep.

He tossed and turned in his sleep, having reoccurring dreams about his fight with the half-men. Even though the dreams were disturbing, he did not wake up. He stayed asleep when Dominic and Norlan came by and looked in on him, Norlan taking Maxis into the house. He did not wake up when Dominic came in and sat on the floor at the foot of his bed, his sword on his knees, guarding the doorway. He dreamed his troubled dreams, unaware of the brief flashes of blue light that would occasionally pulse from his body, the light reflecting off of Dominic's eyes as he watched over him.

...

In the woods southwest of the city, the demon Rigil and his brother gathered their remaining followers close. He could not believe that they had been defeated, failing to secure the boy, and driven out of the city. He had been surprised by the power these clerics wielded, especially the one with the staff. That one's power rivaled that of some of the strongest of his brothers. That he had lost brothers to the mortals angered him. He held onto his damaged arm, the skin blistered and swollen from the clerics' fire. The damage and the pain were a reminder of what he hated about his physical form.

He had been one of the first to cross over when the way to come to this world opened. He remembered when he first became flesh, the joys of being free from his prison, the sensations from a physical body and the opportunities to rule over these glorified monkeys. It was only later when, despite his power, he realized that there were limitations to what he could do. Besides the joys of the flesh, he also had the weaknesses that came along with it. His was an immortal soul, trapped in a mortal shell.

"I will stay and track the boy." Rigil told his brother. "Take the information we have learned back to our lord. He will want to know." His brother nodded.

They shared a look, then reached out and began to absorb the corrupted life-force of their followers. These fools did not realize that was the purpose behind the power that went into them when they committed themselves to the demons. They were changed so that their life force could be used when needed. The half-men cried out in agony as the demons absorbed their essence. Rigil could feel the energy flow into him, shaping and directing it to heal his body. The pain