Reluctant Hero (The Dunamis Covenant Book 1) (25 page)

The following morning, John woke Thomas up and brought him out to the dining room to discuss the coming showdown with Devlin. There was a large oak table with eight oak chairs around it and a matching china cabinet along the wall. Seated around the table were Gunter, Tor Stevenson, Jonathan, Uncle Pete and Connor. John and Thomas took their seats and John looked to his father to kick the meeting off. Jonathan stood up and looked around the room. He took a deep breath and began, "I never would have thought we would be having a meeting like this, and in my own home no less. Devlin has left us no choice but to send Thomas to face him. We can't do anything about that, but we can make sure he has all the support we can get him." He patted Thomas back with a rueful look in his eye.

"To that end," John cut in. "we have Pete Archer leading Thomas' personal six-man team which will include Connor, Abby, Liam, Trevor and Tor's son, Jan. He's a powerful Shifter and that will give Thomas two Paladins, two Mages and two Shifters specifically watching over him. They will have no other duties for the duration. They will be there to keep any of Devlin's thugs that want to take a shot at Tommy off his back. I will lead the rest of the entourage, a hundred of our best warriors. I will position them in strategic formation to make sure Devlin's forces cannot intervene. Tor will be ready with another thousand to twelve hundred of our best just a few minutes out, including several dozen of Gunter's snipers positioned on several of the ridges."

Tor stood and began his portion of the briefing after John sat back down. "Our assault force has been taken from among the six clans and in as even a manner as possible from among each of the families of each of the clans. If it comes to full scale battle, we do not want any one family to lose too many of their people. Every one of our men and women have volunteered for this, and every family in all of the clans understand what is at stake. If Thomas does not stop Devlin, we take him out. If he goes through with his plan, it will be the end of Ethereals living in peace alongside normal humans no matter what side of the conflict they were on." He looked around the table before he continued.

"Our official departure will be tomorrow, although more than half of our force has flown into North Carolina and will use stealth to make their way back into Virginia and into the mountains. The rest of us will take different routes to get there. Thomas is the one all Shadow Clan eyes will be looking for, so he and his team will not decide what route to take until they leave, and no one else will know it. There are six other routes mapped out, but the reality is that Devlin knows where we all have to end up. The trick is not letting him know how many are coming or where they will be."

Tor sat down and everyone looked to Thomas. He didn't stand, he simply looked around the room. "I'm not really sure what I should be saying right now. Truth is that I'm not a military guy like Abby's dad, Uncle Pete or Mister Stevenson. I don't know anything about strategy or plans, but I trust theirs. I didn't even know this world existed a couple months ago, but everyone tells me I'm some champion and it's up to me to save it. As my memory came back, I learned I had abilities I never dreamed possible, but the bottom line is that we'll never know if I'm this child of destiny unless I go out and prove I am. I promise I'll do my best to defeat Devlin and keep our presence hidden from normal humans just a little bit longer. I trust the people on my team and around this table. I hope I don't let you down, and above all, I hope that by this time next week, I'm on my honeymoon with Abby." Everyone around the table nodded their approval.

"Not bad, Hunter," Gunter exclaimed. "I just want to apologize again for our rocky beginning. I had no idea that Asa and Malachi had been using those types of tactics on the other members of your clan. We're not perfect, but with Asaph gone and Rupert's influence now minimal, hopefully you'll find the Council of Light quite a bit closer to the ideals we say we hold to." The meeting ended and the final preparations for their journey began. Thomas knew that one way or another, this would soon be over, and he didn't know if that frightened him or elated him.

*****

Asa walked into the temporary conference room that had been set up for his father to work out of, and looked at the men gathered around the small table. The room was not well furnished or equipped, and would need an upgrade if it was to serve as any kind of permanent base of operations. Right, now it only contained two folding tables and eight chairs. The only other people at this meeting were Asaph, Malachi, Bartholomew and Rupert. If this meeting were to be discovered, they would all be branded traitors, and with good reason. They were planning to betray the Light Council. Their plan was to swoop in and kill the winner of the brewing showdown. They weren't as numerous as he had hoped, but they should have enough warriors to accomplish their goals.

"With both Thomas and Devlin out of the picture, we will be free to take control of all Ethereals." Asa began as he took his seat. "Rupert will remain on the Council of Light, condemning our actions behind the scenes while my father takes what's left of our warriors and Bartholomew's warriors, along with their families and petition to join the smallest of the dark clans. They will jump at the opportunity because we will have a distinct advantage among the dark clans in that we will have firsthand knowledge of the inner-workings of the Council of Light. Once we have killed both the destroyer and the champion, the Shadow Assembly will have to give us a place at the table. Once we have a man on both councils, we can begin our plan. Let us see how quick the Council of Light is to dismiss us once we have our boot on their neck."

Malachi began to speak when Asa finished, "I still don't see why we have to send Sam, Jake, Stephen and Stacy with Thomas to fight Devlin. They are too important to our future plans to lose."

Asaph looked at him and replied. "We need to send them because the council is already suspicious of us. If we don't, they will know for sure that something is amiss. We are not yet ready to take on their forces, so if we have to sacrifice a few people, even important ones, then so be it. Plus, if it does just wind up being one-on-one between Thomas and Devlin, that gives us four of our best people in a great position to cause the distraction we will need to kill the victor. They understand the risks."

"So, what's the plan then?" Rupert asked while looking at his watch.

"The plan," Asa replied, "is to send Bartholomew and Malachi in with fifty men each after all of Devlin's and Thomas' forces are in place. When the melee we expect is over, we attack, and take out the survivors. With the element of surprise and the survivors weary from battle, it should be an easy victory. Most of the Fitzpatrick family will probably be there, too. This will weaken what's left of the Undaraii clan, leaving the light without the full use of their most powerful clan." Once we control the field, I will come out and make a proposal to the Shadow Assembly to join their smallest clan. "

"So, everything hinges on us being able to take the survivors? What if there is no battle?" Rupert asked. Asa knew he hated long shots. He almost always fixed the odds to make his bet a sure thing before he put his wager down. This plan seemed like a long shot, but at least if it failed, there was nothing that could be traced back to Rupert and his position would be secure. Unlike Asaph, he didn't have a powerful family gunning for his position on the council.

"If there is no battle," Asa said, "our four friends that Thomas himself has invited will do their best to create one." They noted the irony, knowing that Thomas desire to keep an eye on them might be his undoing.

*****

Lucas woke up with Darcy in his arms. He looked her over while she slept. It was hard to believe someone so beautiful could be so evil. He knew she was manipulating him, and it was still working. Maybe he wanted all of this more than he wanted to admit. A beautiful wife, power, his father's approval, it was all so tempting, but there was still something inside him that wouldn't let him commit to it. He definitely didn't mind being with Darcy, even if it was an act. It was an act with benefits. He looked her over again before she woke up. She kissed him and looked in his eyes as she stroked his hair. "Careful, Lucas, you might wind up falling for me." She kissed him again, this time a little longer.

"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" He leaned back, and she kissed him deeply.
Maybe there is something to this whole marriage thing,
he thought.
I think I could get used to this if I let myself.
He didn't want to, but he pulled himself away and stood up. "I have to meet with my father. He wants to go over my part with me before tomorrow. I won't be long."

"You better not be. We have some unfinished business." The look she gave him made him want to abandon all of his responsibilities and stay. Then, she rose from bed and walked towards the bathroom.

While he walked down the hall to meet with his father his doubts began.
What are you thinking, Lucas, you know beyond all doubt she's using you. I should be making plans to disappear, not playing house with Darcy. What if Thomas kills dad? Am I ready to lead this entire organization? Because if I'm not, I'm as good as dead, too.
His internal debate was far from over, but it ended upon his arrival at his father's table.

Thomas and his team arrived without incident at the location in the Blue Ridge Mountains where they would meet Devlin. He held Abby's hand as Jan, Trevor, Liam, Connor and Uncle Pete had a quick look around. As expected, Abby's dad, John was there with the rest of the men Devlin expected them to bring. If one hundred men were all they brought, Devlin would have them at a severe disadvantage, but there was a lot more. Tor Stevenson was waiting under cover nearby with over twelve hundred warriors. Thomas had also just found out that Gunter has his own private army being the CEO of Dondar Limited, one of the country's top military contractors. They were known for the action they saw in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were only a few people alive that knew this about Gunter, and Thomas doubted Devlin was one of them, or Asa for that matter. Gunter had nearly five dozen trained snipers ready to intervene in case Devlin should break his word. They were not about to blindly be led into a slaughter by a man none of them trusted.

The location Devlin choose was almost five hundred feet above sea level. It was a near level valley in the midst of eight or nine peaks. Thick forest to the east and a less dense forest to the north and south made for great cover. To the west, there was an open area almost four times as wide as a football field and twice as long. The grass was tall and unkempt and a steep climb to a high ridge marked the western boundary of the coordinates. There wasn't too much chance that normal humans would wind up here by accident, and the measures they put in place should prevent any from even trying today. Thomas could see some snow on the peaks. The air was crisp and the sky was grey. There was a strong breeze blowing east to west and the pine trees swayed in the wind. The rest of the trees had lost all of their leaves for the winter, but John's men were doing a fair job of remaining hidden to camouflage their numbers.

Thomas looked to Connor and nodded. Unbeknownst to Abby, he had talked with Conner and Liam, and asked that they protect Abby at all costs. They would have anyway, and Abby would be mad if she knew he had asked them, but he needed to be sure. Uncle Pete, Trevor and Jan were also ready and Thomas got the nod from John, indicating he and his men were ready as well. They had military grade communications equipment and were receiving satellite updates on Devlin's position. It was going to begin soon.

Without warning, eight dark warriors ran straight at Thomas. Four of them were Zdrada with swords drawn and three were Dark Shifters running as wolves. The last was a Shadow Mage. Thomas charged them, drawing his sword as he ran. John had presented him with Paul Hunter's sword, and it saddened Thomas to realize that this was the first thing he had ever owned that belonged to his parents. He also thought it was the best gift he had ever been given. Uncle Pete and Conner were right behind him along with Abby who had shifted into a Bengal tiger and Jan who had shifted into a lion. Trevor and Liam remained behind but began launching objects at the Shadow Mage with their minds to keep him occupied.

Thomas met the first Zdrada and his enemy swung for his head. He blocked the strike, spun off his foe and thrust his sword through his enemy from behind without stopping. Two more approached and their attack was simultaneous. Thomas sword was a blur. He blocked four successive strikes before dispatching the first Zdrada, and then turned his attention to the other. Connor was on the last Zdrada before he could get to Thomas, and Uncle Pete was slashing through the midsection of a wolf that leapt for his throat. As the dead Dark Shifter hit the ground, its body transformed back into a young man.

Abby and Jan meanwhile, were circling the other two Dark Shifters. One of the Dark Shifters changed into a bear and attacked Abby while the other remained a wolf and leapt at Jan. Abby was too quick for the bear and after several blows were struck hit and run style, the bear went down. Abby ripped at its throat with teeth and claws until it no longer moved. Jan repelled the wolf attack with a mighty swipe of his lion paw and pounced on the disoriented canine.

The Shadow Mage found himself locked in combat with Trevor and Liam. Liam used his power to hurl several tree limbs at the Shadow Mage who deflected them with ease. Trevor then joined in and the trees flew faster and faster until the Shadow Mage could no longer keep up, and was soon impaled by severed tree limbs. "Well done, Trevor," Liam said while scanning the area. "Your powers are coming along faster than I had expected them to."

"Thanks, Liam; I never would have thought I'd be using them like this, though." He shook his head and remained alert for more of Devlin's men. Liam nodded his agreement and checked to see if his sister was all right.

Thomas and Connor finished their opponents at the same time and then they looked around. "Is everyone all right?" Connor asked while continuing a slow turn to survey his surroundings.

"Looks like," Pete replied. "Devlin didn't keep his word, big surprise. We should get out of here before he sends more than we can handle."

"It would have to be a lot more," Jan said. "Plus, John has us covered."

"Let's see what else Devlin has up his sleeve before we call it a day," Thomas said.

Just then, a loud slow clap came from the south, and Devlin appeared through the trees surrounded by his entourage. "Well done, Hunter, those were some of my best and you didn't even break a sweat. You may provide me with a modicum of a challenge after all."

"You're a coward, Devlin. You send men to attack me before we fight. If you're so powerful, why wouldn't you just come out and fight me yourself? I think you're afraid. I think you know you're not the destroyer and don't want to get your head handed to you in front of your son."

"Watch your tongue, Thomas," Antonio warned. I will not have you speak to our leader in such a fashion." Thomas glared at Antonio after the attempted reprimand as if he had told a bad joke.

Lucas stood next to Darcy. He was silent, and had a contemplative look on his face. Thomas could tell he didn't really want to be here, but he could also sense his former friend was torn between wanting to please his father, and wanting to do what was right. If it came to it, he might be able to use that later. "So, Lucas, how's married life? The last time I saw the two of you together, your hate for one another seemed genuine. I'm glad things worked out for you crazy kids." He could see that Lucas did not like his comment, and neither did Darcy.

"At least I get to be with my mate, Thomas, how's things working out with you and Abby?" He smirked when he saw the look that came across Abby's face.

"We're getting married tomorrow. So, as soon as I repay your father for taking my parents from me, I'll be off on a nice long honeymoon, never to think of either one of you again."

"Enough of this juvenile banter! Let's skip the posturing. We have come to fight, let us fight!" Devlin yelled.

Antonio's men began to spread out and they were joined by John's men, making sure there would be no clear path for them to help Devlin if Thomas was winning. Antonio, Lucas and Darcy held the north end of the circle while Connor's group held the opposite end. There were two hundred Ethereals making a large ring around the two combatants. Thomas was surprised they had been given such a wide birth to fight. Devlin was slow to take off his jacket, exaggerating each move as he surveyed his surroundings.

He finished his turn, faced Thomas, and asked, "Any last words, Thomas? Do you wish to beg for your life like your parents did?"

Thomas held his glare. He hated this man, but he would not be goaded into a precipitous action, or into fighting angry. "You will not be alive to hear my last words, Devlin." He drew his sword just as the breeze began to fade. All of Devlin's people were covered by warriors of the light clans and they had plenty of space for their final battle. Thomas wondered what was going to happen when he defeated his foe. Would the dark warriors still wish to fight or would they leave in peace.
I can't believe all of these people are behind Devlin's end-of-the-world scheme
. He saw Devlin draw his sword and those thoughts no longer mattered.

Devlin circled him in a slow, wide arc trying to intimidate him. Thomas stood ready, not impressed. Without warning, Devlin moved in. He was faster than Thomas thought he would be, and it was all he could do to block his first strike. He had been unprepared and he could see the worry in Abby's eyes. Devlin again began circling him in an effort to further intimidate him. He wanted the speed and ferocity of that first attack to sink in and cause Thomas to doubt himself. Without warning, an eagle swooped in to distract Thomas. He sliced the left wing off the bird when it passed and then he rolled, expecting Devlin to strike. Devlin's swing missed close enough to tear the sleeve on Thomas' jacket. The eagle landed in a heap and shifted back into a young man missing a large part of his left arm. Two Zdrada approached with caution to remove him from the field while Thomas and Devlin continued their slow, methodic dance. After several minutes, neither man had made a move. Finally, Devlin came at Thomas again, but to his surprise, Thomas blocked every strike with ease. Their swords locked in a high pitched clang, followed by a whining ring as steel slid down steel. Thomas was a little bigger, but Devlin seemed to be a little stronger. Thomas spun and parried Devlin's next attack and followed with an attack of his own. He tried four consecutive two hand strikes quickly followed by a one handed attack. As he swung, he brought his leg around, sweeping Devlin's legs out from under him. Devlin fell backwards but rolled back onto his feet before Thomas could capitalize. Devlin took a step back to reassess the situation. Thomas Hunter might not be as easy a foe as he thought. His training was quite good.

"I see the confidence in your eyes, Hunter. It will make your death even sweeter."

"Your death is what I was born for, some might say it's destiny." Thomas readied himself for another assault from his enemy. Devlin did not disappoint, he came at him hard and fast.

*****

Lucas surveyed the duel with Darcy by his side. He could see that his father was enjoying himself, and he could also see that Thomas was not. This was not fun for him, this was an obligation. While his father was relishing every clash of the sword, every verbal jab, his friend only wanted it to end, so he could move on with his life. Thomas was better than Lucas had thought he would be. He was raised under the impression that there was no Ethereal more powerful than his father, and here Thomas was matching him swing for swing, step for step. Darcy gasped when Devlin hit the dirt only to release her breath a moment later when he rolled to his feet, avoiding what would have been a killing blow.

"Not to worry, Darcy, my father will not go down that easy," Lucas replied while he looked around the field. His dark warriors were facing the Council of Light's men, none of them moving, all of them with one eye on the battle and one eye on each other. This was a powder keg ready to go off and it would only take one misstep to do so.

"I'm not worried. If your father falls, we rule the most powerful of the dark clans!" She turned and kissed his neck, then returned her attention to the fight. There it was, for all the headway her manipulations might have gained over the last few days, the true purpose of those intentions was revealed by a single flippant comment. He knew he would never be able to trust this woman. He also knew that if his father were to fall, he would have as much to fear from her as from anyone else trying to take control of the clan. He had his escape all worked out, although he was still unsure he was going to use it. He had to be honest with himself; part of him did want all of this.

Suddenly, there was a commotion off to his left. It appeared as if two of the Paladins did not feel like waiting for the fight to end. They lashed out at the dark warriors standing nearby. This could be the spark to ignite the melee they were hoping to avoid.

"What did you just say to me?" Sam yelled at the confused Zdrada to his right. Without another word, his sword was out and through the midsection of the man before he could respond. Jake took the opportunity to kill the man to his right and then it began. Ten dark warriors descended on them. Stephen and Stacy joined in the fray, hoping to get the men around them to join in as well. Lucas could hear John Fitzpatrick through the comms of the nearest Paladin yelling for everyone to stand down.

"Do not intervene, only fight if you are threatened. These men were told by Asa to stir up trouble. It would appear as if trouble has found them." The rest of the men and women showed restraint, and held their ground. Lucas was astonished that the brouhaha spread no further.

Asa's men were making a good accounting of themselves, and every dark warrior they took down was one less the light warriors would have to fight through to get out of these mountains. Jake had just killed his third warrior when he saw Sam go down. The Zdrada were merciless as they ended the young man's life, stabbing through his chest several times. Stephen had just sent three of the dark warriors to their end, impaling them on tree branches, but more dark warriors had now joined in. Fitzpatrick had figured out their game and Lucas thought he was doing a fine job of keeping the rest of the warriors out of it. The big melee these rouges had hoped to start would not happen. They had thrown their lives away for nothing. He watched as four wolves descended on a young Shifter, but he saw her shift into a hawk and fly out of there. She was no doubt on her way back to whoever this Asa was to let him know his plan had not worked. Lucas watched three wolves bring the Mage to the ground. These four rouges had taken down almost fifteen dark warriors, but it was now one against five. The next thing he saw was a sword pierce the chest of the remaining Paladin. Blood poured from his wound, and he fell to the ground and breathed his last.