DARK ORIGINS (Scarlett of the wolves, Book 4)

20.

It was even colder in Wick than in St Andrews. However, it wasn’t the freezing air that stiffened my body, or even the dark, silent night, but simply the fact that in less than a minute Jeremiah Sutherland would open the door of his house to let me in and that I would explain everything to him.

“Go ahead,” Detective Forbes urged me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I looked up at him in dismay.

Where should I start? How could I justify that I had waited days before telling Jeremiah that his son was missing? That when I thought he had been captured by the vampires of the east, I chose to keep quiet?  

I found myself as ridiculous as I was cowardly. Ridiculous, because Jeremiah would have better things to do than reproach me for wanting to prevent him from putting his life in danger, and cowardly because if he did, I had to be ready to accept the consequences of my actions. But I wasn’t. I didn’t want to hear that I had made bad decisions, that I had wasted time because all I had done was listen to my heart. And my heart was hurting, right now.

Keith Forbes grew impatient and rang for me.

When Jeremiah appeared in front of me, blood was pounding violently in my temples. His imposing physique was not as impressive as the hard, cold face he had composed. It was the same whenever he had to face an unpleasant unforeseen. His beautiful, penetrating green eyes burned with a fiery, aggressive flame. He understood that coming here without his son meant something important. All the more so that Keith Forbes resurfaced from his past to accompany me. I hadn’t been able to tell him directly the reason for his presence, but Jeremiah was a man of wisdom, he was aware that at one point or another, I would give him an explanation.

The two old friends exchanged a deep look in which the name Rose was reflected. It was as if their buried memories, their old resentments, everything their roads had separated for were resurfacing. They stared at each other for a moment, nodded politely, then Jeremiah opened the door wide.

“Come in.”

Al and Bonnie were already there, I could tell, and judging by the sodden coats hanging from the hooks in the hallway, they had arrived shortly before.

I stepped forward and gently closed the door behind us. The familiar interior, the smell of lupus that permeated everything and the calm that reigned in the house weighed on me heavier than a leaden screed. Elgin was Jeremiah’s only son, but he was also the child Al and Bonnie would never have. Telling them this terrible news twisted my intestines so much that I could have moaned in pain.

When we entered the main living room, Al and Bonnie immediately stood up. They greeted Keith Forbes briefly and turned to me.

“What’s going on, Scarlett?” 

Jeremiah stood next to them and waited.

The lump forming in my throat prevented me from uttering the slightest sound.

“Scarlett, where’s Elgin?” Al insisted. 

I looked down at my shoes and whispered in a low voice: 

“He was kidnapped...”

I dared to raise my head to observe them, they looked at each other, completely confused, giving the impression of not having understood what I had just announced to them.

“He’s being held prisoner in the heart of the Sutherland community,” I finally confess.

“By the Spirit!” cried Bonnie, who looked like she was about to faint. 

Jeremiah’s breath quickened, so much so that I thought he was going to transform on the spot and run like the damned to his son. His face was disfigured with rage. His wife had already been taken from him; nothing could take away the fruit of their love.

“Jeremiah, I...”

He took a deep breath, controlled himself, and slowly sat down in the chair behind him. He pointed to the sofa for us and invited us to do the same, then fixed his full attention on me.

“Everything,” he ordered, jaws clenched. “Tell us everything!” 

I nodded and, staring at Jeremiah, launched into the worst story of my life. As I recounted what had happened, I saw their faces flush with more fury than anguish. Their lupus mind was already making a thousand and one plans to get Elgin out of there. At that moment, I wanted to convince myself that not only would we succeed, but that it would be much more obvious than I had imagined. Simply because the rage, determination and love they had for Elgin was the best combination to win. Even ten to a hundred, we would get there.

“How many are there?” Al asked me about the Moroi. 

I shook my head from side to side.

“I don’t know. I only saw three in Romania, but I guess there are many more than that.”

“Let’s not waste time,” Bonnie decided. “If we’re to be tracked, let’s try to move faster than them and warn the community of the danger we bring with us. A few may be holding Elgin, but we cannot allow innocent people to be slaughtered.”

She had the temperament of a warrior; she would have fought to the death and without ever complaining to protect those she loved. Yet, I had rarely seen someone show so much kindness to their neighbour. Bonnie was a worthy woman and we all knew it. She would know how to bring Elgin back.

My eyes wandered into Jeremiah’s. He was staring at a point behind my back, without moving, seeming not to breathe. However, the calm he displayed didn’t mean he had taken the blow and was handling the situation. It was quite the opposite. Jeremiah was immersed in thoughts the content of which it was best not to know… But despite the rage that gnawed at him like acid, Jeremiah was an experienced and wise lupus. He knew that what would be said here was very important for the future and that he had to put aside his impulsive intentions. On several occasions, he had shown me that he had blind faith in Bonnie. This evening again, he would put all his hopes in her hands.

“Part of the pack came too,” I informed them.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes.

“Is that a problem?” 

She sighed then shook her head.

“No. I suppose not. We can’t stop them from wanting to help their friend. However, we’ll remain between us during the trip: Jeremiah, Al, you, and me. When we get to the Sutherland leader as well. 

“There are also some dark angels,” I confessed in a less confident voice.

But not one twitched. Bonnie and Al just nodded, while Jeremiah was still without apparent reaction. They were aware that my attachment to this species was strong enough that a few had accompanied me this far.

“Who?” Al asked simply. 

“Gwen, Rucker, Grigore and Pitt.”

Rucker had asked Rufus to stay in St Andrews to take care of the Circle. In truth, it was a roundabout way of forcing him to keep a distance. Simon’s death had affected him more than any of us, he wasn’t at his best and our mission was far too perilous to take the risk of seeing him fall too.

“Pitt?” Al wondered as I realized that I hadn’t alluded to him once yet. “Isn’t he the dark angel who was after you?”  

I nodded and summarized the situation for them. Unlike rescuing Rucker, Pitt had no personal reason to come to Elgin’s aid. But as Grigore was with me, Pitt felt compelled to follow us. His blood brother would risk his life, he couldn't let him fend for himself. But part of me was not satisfied with this explanation. On the one hand, because Grigore was strong enough and experienced enough to face our enemies, on the other hand, because he wasn’t alone and he didn’t need Pitt to defend his skin. I didn’t know what Pitt wanted, or maybe I didn’t even realize how strong his bond with Grigore was.

“Aren’t you afraid that he’ll betray you?” Al asked. 

I shook my head without answering.

In truth, it was the last of my worries. All I could see was that a seasoned dark angel would lend us an advantage. Our adversaries were powerful, his help would not be useless.

“They’ll stay away,” Bonnie demanded.

“Only during the day,” I warned her. “I explained to you why.”

She sighed.

I knew what she was about to tell me. She was going to remind me that dark angels, on the Sutherland community territory, might not go twenty-four hours without being spotted and that their presence with us would be considered a provocation; that they would hamper us more than they would help us. Maybe, maybe not. But anyway, if things were to turn sour, we’d all love to have them by our side. 

“They are reliable,” interjected Keith who had remained discreet until then.

Jeremiah looked up at his old friend.

“We already know that. What I don’t know, however, is why you’re here, Keith.”

The two men measured each other for several seconds without really moving.

“For the same reason I left St Andrews twenty-three years ago, Jeremiah. Always the same reason.”

Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed.

No need to be well advised to understand that there was a sleeping duality between them that it was surely better not to wake up. Keith held Jeremiah’s hostile gaze with British impassivity.

“It’s none of your business!” Jeremiah grumbled. 

“Because you think you’re in a position to refuse my help, perhaps?” 

With lowered eyelids hardly hiding the irritation dancing in his eyes, the tight muscles in his face, Jeremiah was holding back from exploding because he knew Keith wasn’t wrong. Finally, as with Pitt, whatever the real reason for his presence, he was a powerful ally no one could do without.

Jeremiah didn’t answer and watched me carefully.

“I need to talk to Scarlett. Leave us, please.”

“Of course…” Bonnie whispered as my saliva trickled hard down my throat.

She, Keith, and Al took turns looking at us and left the room.

Jeremiah got up from his chair and walked over to the fireplace in which some embers were crackling. He added a log and slowly rekindled the flames.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said, his back still turned.

He stirred the hearth a little more with the help of the poker, then he faced me.

His pupils dilated to the maximum until only the thin green outline of his irises was visible. The power of his gaze made me feel very small, sitting in the large black leather chair.

“I reproach you nothing. Your bravery exceeds that of many of the warriors of our people. My son is your soul mate, there’s nothing you would have done to harm him. Nothing can dull the love you have for him, I’m perfectly aware of that. That’s why I want you to swallow your fears, Scarlett. You have all my confidence. We’re going to get him out of there.”

“Oh, Jeremiah,” I moan. “What will they have done to him?”  

A muscle in his strong jaw twitched. And Jeremiah’s rage immediately froze the air.

“In their interests, let’s hope they had only held Elgin against his will.”

At that moment, he gave the impression that even alone against all, he would be able to annihilate an army by the sheer power of his will and determination.

“John Gordon thinks the Sutherland leader isn’t involved.”

“That’s what I think too.”

“In that case, do we have the slightest certainty that he’s indeed in the Bowels of the Earth?”   

He stared at a point behind my shoulder and narrowed his eyes.

A long shiver shook my shoulders. If Elgin wasn’t there, what other lead would we have? We would surely find ourselves in the same situation as I had been on my return from Romania. We would go back to John’s dad, try to get some more information which he certainly wouldn’t give and end up going nuts. In any case, as far as I was concerned. The more the days went by, the more I plunged into a despair that never stopped growing. 

“He’ll be there,” he wanted to reassure me.

I nodded.

“How will we be received?” 

Jeremiah leaned against the mantle of the fireplace. He frowned and let out a deep sigh, then he shook his head.

“Probably very badly, Scarlett. The Sutherlands have been banished for centuries and have never set foot on sacred grounds again.”

We were heading straight for the mouth of the wolf. Never had a metaphor been so correct.

“I guess Bonnie will go in first to let them know we’re coming,” he continued, “and try to avoid having our account settled without having had time to talk.”

“Could they kill us without even questioning the reason for our presence?” I asked, trying to mask the tremolo in my voice. 

“The place has been kept a secret for millennia,” he replied simply. “The fortress is well guarded, so I guess so.”

“A fortress?” 

“Not in the architectural sense of the term, but the mountain that shelters them has all the characteristics. The heart is inaccessible to one who has never been there.”

“What’s the risk for Bonnie?” 

Jeremiah clenched his jaw.

“Her return will make a lot of noise, don’t forget that she had to pretend to be dead to be able to escape.”

“Will they listen to her?” 

“She’s a child of the Land of Wolves. They’ll listen to her.”

Extremists… that’s how I saw them all. But my perception was undoubtedly altered by everything I’d heard about them their ideology, the cruelty of their decisions and their inability to admit that they might be wrong, indeed, it was with difficulty that I imagined them giving a respectful welcome to Bonnie, or just civilized. But to be completely honest, I didn’t know anything about them. What did the Bowels of the Earth look like? Who were the members of the community? Did they live as in the days of our ancestors, in the heart of medieval society? I asked Jeremiah the question.   

“The rupture took place after the revolt led by our ancestor. It was in the fourteenth century. The ideas of the community have become increasingly extreme, they have gone so far as to refuse any technical advance that could p*****t them and lead them to forget their origins. No electricity, no running water… They make fires for heat, for light, they forge, they weave, they cultivate, they hunt, they gather… But not all their members live like this. Only the inhabitants of the Bowels of the Earth have chosen to deprive themselves of modernity. They see themselves as the strong core.

“Bonnie has often told me of memories of her childhood,” he continued, “strict teaching, corporal punishment for those who didn’t respect it. She left as soon as she could.”

“Elgin told me that it was her parents who helped her to escape, what does her return mean for them?” 

“That’s the whole problem, Scarlett… By reappearing, she probably condemns them. Ancestral laws cannot be violated by members who follow them. They’ll be considered traitors.”

“By the spirit!” I whispered, putting a hand on my lips. “A lot has changed since the last repression. Maybe… maybe the new leader will be more forgiving,” I hoped. “He’ll understand, he...”

Jeremiah cursed.

“No one is counting on that, Scarlett. Bonnie knows what she’s doing.”

“She’s risking her life.”

It was more of a certainty than a question.

“As much as you. People like you were killed at one time. They aren’t appreciated any more today, not even on the side of the Free community. If I didn’t know your fiery temper and your determination, I would ask you not to come with us.”

“I think I have less to fear from members of the community than from the Moroi, Jeremiah.”

“Don’t underestimate their power, Scarlett. They are fighters. Even the weakest woman can fight as well as a man.”

“I’m the only one to see them. When they all understand this, they’ll surely owe me something.”

Jeremiah narrowed his eyes as much as possible as he surveyed me.

“What are you suggesting, Scarlett? Are you going to offer them a bargaining chip?”  

I forbid myself to have an ironic smile. Still, God knows I wanted to. I had entered a phase where the vilest manipulation didn’t scare me. I wanted to be successful and I would stop at nothing.

“One service in exchange for another, yes. They give me back the one I love; I lend them my eyes. If we leave tomorrow morning, there’ll be very little time left before the Moroi fall on us. The Sutherland community may even have to deal with them before we have had a chance to tell them about the problem. Jeremiah, I’ll spare no chance of finding Elgin. If the leader isn’t involved in his k********g, then I’ll make him help us.”

Jeremiah looked at me as if he had in front of him a person he didn’t know. He didn’t recognize me, but who could blame him? The easily influenced and naïve young Scarlett had indeed disappeared. And it had been so long that I barely remembered her. 

All the enemies of the earth could well get in my way, not one would prevent me from joining my soul mate. I would stay in control, braving my fears and doubts, I would go as far as my body could take me.

“You don’t lack guts, Scarlett,” Jeremiah whispered.

“I’m not given a choice.”

But the battle would undoubtedly be one of the most difficult I have ever faced. We had no idea how many Moroi would be chasing us, or even what fight it would take against our own to be heard. It’s true, I refused to give up, but I kept in mind that nothing was foregone and that we would all have blood on our hands. Maybe a lot. But I was ready.

He took a few steps closer to me and knelt so that his face was level with mine. Even like that, he looked so big to me. He trapped my hands in his and gazed at me with emerald eyes.

“You have become a lupus whose courage isn’t lacking. I don’t doubt for a single moment your ability to knock down mountains. No one is better placed than me to understand you. If they had given me the choice, if they hadn’t snatched her from me brutally, I would have done the same thing as you and nothing could have stopped me,” he said in a hollow voice. “I won’t let them take my son from me.”

He tightened the pressure of his fingers as my tears levelled. As a strangled sound passed through the barrier of my pinched mouth, Jeremiah opened his arms and pulled me against him with all his might. I hugged him back, sobbing.

A long moment later, when the river of my tears had finally dried up, Bonnie’s cough made us pull away. His lips were quivering.

“I… I will do everything in my power to bring him back,” she promised us.

I slowly straightened up and gave her a grateful look. Surprised, I saw Bonnie rush towards me to hug me to her. For a few moments, I was engulfed in my emotions. My heart was pounding at a heavy, oppressive pace, so much so that I almost pushed her away to regain control. But Bonnie had no intention of letting go as if she felt that I still needed to draw from her the energy that I no longer had. And she was right. Deep inside me, despite the rage that kept me standing, I was hopelessly hollow and weak.

What could have prevented me from letting myself go more to my grief, to my fears? The Sutherlands had become my family, I didn’t have to hide. I could be me. At that time, they understood me better than anyone. 

I wrapped my arms around Bonnie and rested my forehead against her shoulder.

“It’s going to be fine, Scarlett. There, there…,” she whispered, patting me gently on the back.

The heat of our bodies mingled as if to seal a silent agreement: all together, we would be one to find him. All together, we would do it.