between us. It might have been the greatest moment of my life."
"Oh, you poor girl, that gift should never be taken from you, we have to get you two back together." A light went on in Laura's mind. "He might have stopped by while we were at work yesterday, Pete. Go check the garage." She looked at the confusion on Abby's face and added. "He kept some camping gear in there, and some money in Pete's safe. If he couldn't go home, this is where he would come."
"Yep, he was here, his gear's gone and he left this." He produced a tee shirt and Abby recognized it as the shirt he was wearing when he ran. "He took one of my Panama Jack shirts, too."
"No big loss there!" Laura teased to a frown from Pete.
"What does this mean?" Abby asked, the excitement clear in her voice.
"Unfortunately, not much; he had the camping gear here, but he didn't have a favorite place. He's been to forty or fifty different sites, and that doesn't mean he even went to any of them. He's pretty cautious; he could have gone somewhere he's never been." Laura said.
"He might not even be camping at all," Pete added.
"Well, it's a start. Do me a favor, and destroy the shirt. Don't just throw it out. If Asa's men come by and see the shirt, they will know he has been here, and will not believe you missed him."
Laura and Pete nodded their understanding with somber expressions. Then Laura added, "Please find our Thomas and keep him safe."
"I will do my best." She turned and left, hoping to figure out what campsite TJ had gone to. After her disturbing conversation with the Archers, she wasn't sure she would be bringing TJ back to Asa if she did find him.
*****
Darcy walked into Devlin's candlelit office. It was expansive and almost empty. There was a desk shrouded in darkness with a chair behind it. A bookcase broke up the monotony of the long wall opposite the door, and a single chair in the exact center of the room facing the shrouded desk rounded out the room's furnishings. There was one painting on the back wall; it was a depiction of Ethereals fighting a massive battle against normal humans. "You know, some guy invented this thing called electricity like a hundred years ago, Devlin."
"Ben Franklin was a powerful Mage and he discovered electricity a long time before that, Darcy. What news do you bring?
Darcy tried to get a peek at the figure shrouded by shadow with gravel in his voice. The lone person to have ever seen Devlin's face was his top Shadow Mage, Antonio. Antonio was considered one of the most powerful Shadow Mages in the world, and the only one Devlin trusted with his secrets. "Our spy has told us that Asa and his people have lost Thomas. He said that Thomas ran from them after the one called Malachi threatened him. He also reported an incredible display of power from Thomas before he made his escape. I have seen it as well, when he tore through the men sent to capture him."
"This is both good and troubling news, Darcy. He is more powerful than even I had thought, which is troubling, but he is also alone and does not trust his protectors, which is good news. It will be easier to turn him without his people around him. It was a mistake to put a powerful but untrained Paladin in a room with the likes of Malachi, and it shall be a mistake that costs them their prize. I want every available member of our clan out searching for him. Do not report back to me until you find him. Do you understand?"
"It will be as you say, Devlin." Darcy's gait was slow as she left the office. Meetings with Devlin always gave her the creeps, but it was also exhilarating being so close to one so powerful. She wanted that power and planned to give Devlin every opportunity to notice her so she could have it. She walked out of the building and began the search. She would find Thomas Archer.
Chapter ten
Thomas was finally enjoying his time alone in the wilderness. The first week had been difficult; he almost felt like he was going through withdrawals. He missed Abby
"Oh, you poor girl, that gift should never be taken from you, we have to get you two back together." A light went on in Laura's mind. "He might have stopped by while we were at work yesterday, Pete. Go check the garage." She looked at the confusion on Abby's face and added. "He kept some camping gear in there, and some money in Pete's safe. If he couldn't go home, this is where he would come."
"Yep, he was here, his gear's gone and he left this." He produced a tee shirt and Abby recognized it as the shirt he was wearing when he ran. "He took one of my Panama Jack shirts, too."
"No big loss there!" Laura teased to a frown from Pete.
"What does this mean?" Abby asked, the excitement clear in her voice.
"Unfortunately, not much; he had the camping gear here, but he didn't have a favorite place. He's been to forty or fifty different sites, and that doesn't mean he even went to any of them. He's pretty cautious; he could have gone somewhere he's never been." Laura said.
"He might not even be camping at all," Pete added.
"Well, it's a start. Do me a favor, and destroy the shirt. Don't just throw it out. If Asa's men come by and see the shirt, they will know he has been here, and will not believe you missed him."
Laura and Pete nodded their understanding with somber expressions. Then Laura added, "Please find our Thomas and keep him safe."
"I will do my best." She turned and left, hoping to figure out what campsite TJ had gone to. After her disturbing conversation with the Archers, she wasn't sure she would be bringing TJ back to Asa if she did find him.
*****
Darcy walked into Devlin's candlelit office. It was expansive and almost empty. There was a desk shrouded in darkness with a chair behind it. A bookcase broke up the monotony of the long wall opposite the door, and a single chair in the exact center of the room facing the shrouded desk rounded out the room's furnishings. There was one painting on the back wall; it was a depiction of Ethereals fighting a massive battle against normal humans. "You know, some guy invented this thing called electricity like a hundred years ago, Devlin."
"Ben Franklin was a powerful Mage and he discovered electricity a long time before that, Darcy. What news do you bring?
Darcy tried to get a peek at the figure shrouded by shadow with gravel in his voice. The lone person to have ever seen Devlin's face was his top Shadow Mage, Antonio. Antonio was considered one of the most powerful Shadow Mages in the world, and the only one Devlin trusted with his secrets. "Our spy has told us that Asa and his people have lost Thomas. He said that Thomas ran from them after the one called Malachi threatened him. He also reported an incredible display of power from Thomas before he made his escape. I have seen it as well, when he tore through the men sent to capture him."
"This is both good and troubling news, Darcy. He is more powerful than even I had thought, which is troubling, but he is also alone and does not trust his protectors, which is good news. It will be easier to turn him without his people around him. It was a mistake to put a powerful but untrained Paladin in a room with the likes of Malachi, and it shall be a mistake that costs them their prize. I want every available member of our clan out searching for him. Do not report back to me until you find him. Do you understand?"
"It will be as you say, Devlin." Darcy's gait was slow as she left the office. Meetings with Devlin always gave her the creeps, but it was also exhilarating being so close to one so powerful. She wanted that power and planned to give Devlin every opportunity to notice her so she could have it. She walked out of the building and began the search. She would find Thomas Archer.
Chapter ten
Thomas was finally enjoying his time alone in the wilderness. The first week had been difficult; he almost felt like he was going through withdrawals. He missed Abby
Similar Books
