was written on the seal. Someone in my family sealed that malevolent force in there. If it was that dangerous that they decided to seal it without laying it to rest, it was because they couldn’t give it peace. And that’s very frightening.”
“And Elle’s the only one who can read the language?”
“Sarah knows a little, just as I do. The others have some working knowledge as well, but there’s a lot of history to go through when you don’t have a good understanding of the language. We need Elle, but I’m certain Sarah and the others will keep trying to find the proper entry and hopefully decipher it.”
The wind whirled through the room as the door to the restaurant was thrust open and Jonas strode in, coming directly to them, his face etched with deep lines. Without asking, he slid into the booth beside Kate. “It’s Jackson, Kate. I’ve never seen him like this. I need you to come and talk to him.”
A chill went down Matt’s spine. “What’s wrong with him?”
At Matt’s tone, Kate looked up quickly and caught an expression passing between the two men. “What is it? Why are you both so worried?”
There was a small, uncomfortable silence. “You know how you said Hannah was a private person and wouldn’t want people to find out what happened the other night? Jackson is the same way,” Matt said.
Jonas sat up straight. “What doesn’t Hannah want talked about?”
“We’re talking about Jackson,” Kate reminded him. “What’s wrong with him, and why are you both so worried?”
The two men exchanged another long look. Jonas sighed and shrugged in resignation. “I need your help or I wouldn’t be telling you this, Kate. I expect you to keep it confidential.”
She nodded because he had actually waited for her answer.
“Jackson is—was—is a specialist for the Rangers.”
There was another silence. Kate watched their eyes. They looked grave, more than a little worried. When neither was more forthcoming she took a guess. “He’s trained in things I don’t want to know about, and you don’t want to talk about. Right now he’s in a bad way and both of you are concerned for his mental well-being. And what do you mean by is—was—is?”
“That about sums it up, Kate. Let’s go,” Jonas said.
“Once a Ranger always a Ranger,” Matt added. “And she needs to eat her soup. Give her a few minutes.”
“Do you have any idea what’s going on, Kate?” Jonas asked. “Your sisters are all upset, and whatever happened last night to you and Matt sounds bizarre. You were so drained, even I could feel it.”
She shook her head. “My sisters are still looking in the old family diaries for an explanation, but I don’t have any answers, Jonas. I wish I did.”
chapter
6
The time, it was right, for a present or two,
And the fog on the sand holds a secret, a clue.
J ACKSON D EVEAU PACED BACK AND FORTH IN complete silence. That was the first thing Kate noticed, how very silent he was. His clothes didn’t rustle, and the soles of his shoes didn’t make any noise. His eyes were as cold as ice, as bleak and as dead as she had ever seen in a human being. She sat down in the one good armchair and tried to repress a shiver. If the man had any gentleness in him, she couldn’t detect it.
“I told you I didn’t need a damned psychiatrist, Jonas,” Jackson snapped, without looking at her. “Get her out of here. You think I want anyone to see me like this?” Sweat beaded on his forehead, dampened his dark, unruly hair.
“I’m not a psychiatrist, Mr. Deveau,” Kate said. “I’m simply a friend of both Jonas and Matthew. I have a gift, and they thought it might help you in some way. Neither meant to upset you.”
“Stop growling like a Neanderthal, Jackson, and let her talk,” Matthew said. “You’d think you didn’t have a civilized bone in your body.”
“How strange that you would choose that particular description when my sisters said the same thing about you,
“And Elle’s the only one who can read the language?”
“Sarah knows a little, just as I do. The others have some working knowledge as well, but there’s a lot of history to go through when you don’t have a good understanding of the language. We need Elle, but I’m certain Sarah and the others will keep trying to find the proper entry and hopefully decipher it.”
The wind whirled through the room as the door to the restaurant was thrust open and Jonas strode in, coming directly to them, his face etched with deep lines. Without asking, he slid into the booth beside Kate. “It’s Jackson, Kate. I’ve never seen him like this. I need you to come and talk to him.”
A chill went down Matt’s spine. “What’s wrong with him?”
At Matt’s tone, Kate looked up quickly and caught an expression passing between the two men. “What is it? Why are you both so worried?”
There was a small, uncomfortable silence. “You know how you said Hannah was a private person and wouldn’t want people to find out what happened the other night? Jackson is the same way,” Matt said.
Jonas sat up straight. “What doesn’t Hannah want talked about?”
“We’re talking about Jackson,” Kate reminded him. “What’s wrong with him, and why are you both so worried?”
The two men exchanged another long look. Jonas sighed and shrugged in resignation. “I need your help or I wouldn’t be telling you this, Kate. I expect you to keep it confidential.”
She nodded because he had actually waited for her answer.
“Jackson is—was—is a specialist for the Rangers.”
There was another silence. Kate watched their eyes. They looked grave, more than a little worried. When neither was more forthcoming she took a guess. “He’s trained in things I don’t want to know about, and you don’t want to talk about. Right now he’s in a bad way and both of you are concerned for his mental well-being. And what do you mean by is—was—is?”
“That about sums it up, Kate. Let’s go,” Jonas said.
“Once a Ranger always a Ranger,” Matt added. “And she needs to eat her soup. Give her a few minutes.”
“Do you have any idea what’s going on, Kate?” Jonas asked. “Your sisters are all upset, and whatever happened last night to you and Matt sounds bizarre. You were so drained, even I could feel it.”
She shook her head. “My sisters are still looking in the old family diaries for an explanation, but I don’t have any answers, Jonas. I wish I did.”
chapter
6
The time, it was right, for a present or two,
And the fog on the sand holds a secret, a clue.
J ACKSON D EVEAU PACED BACK AND FORTH IN complete silence. That was the first thing Kate noticed, how very silent he was. His clothes didn’t rustle, and the soles of his shoes didn’t make any noise. His eyes were as cold as ice, as bleak and as dead as she had ever seen in a human being. She sat down in the one good armchair and tried to repress a shiver. If the man had any gentleness in him, she couldn’t detect it.
“I told you I didn’t need a damned psychiatrist, Jonas,” Jackson snapped, without looking at her. “Get her out of here. You think I want anyone to see me like this?” Sweat beaded on his forehead, dampened his dark, unruly hair.
“I’m not a psychiatrist, Mr. Deveau,” Kate said. “I’m simply a friend of both Jonas and Matthew. I have a gift, and they thought it might help you in some way. Neither meant to upset you.”
“Stop growling like a Neanderthal, Jackson, and let her talk,” Matthew said. “You’d think you didn’t have a civilized bone in your body.”
“How strange that you would choose that particular description when my sisters said the same thing about you,
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