The Master Finale | manxman | (Book Four: The Master Collection)

XX - Mad Love

The moment Jasper awoke the next morning, he immediately sprung out of bed. He could still feel the sting in his eyes from his harsh sobbing, feeling as the tears had dried against his cheeks, he was still dressed in the same clothes from the day before, and the agony from not long ago came back severely when he saw Broderick was nowhere in sight.

Bastard!

He wanted to curse the man he loved, but the anger in him was more compelled by the urgency to see him again. No, not just see him again, he couldn't go through another departure. There had to be something he could do to stop this madness. He knew Broderick was in fact a killer, had committed the crime he was adamant about taking the blame for, but Jasper refused to let him go, absolutely refused to let this world render him brokenhearted and forlorn yet again.

The trial was supposed to take place today.

He had to get there!

Leaving his room in a hurry, Jasper disregarded his usual morning routine and burst into the hall. As he raced down the corridors to the stairs, he thought of a process that would get Broderick out of this predicament. Those who did not understand the previous reasoning behind why Broderick killed, those kinds of people would gladly hand him a death sentence, and while trials were fairly quick, juries were clueless, and judges were heavy-handed, Jasper knew there had to be some way to slip into the workings of such a case to mark Broderick free from the clutches of death.

The judge, he was the one with the final verdict. Jasper had to get to him.

Afraid, the Master reached the first floor and then heard his name.

"Jasper," Darcy called from the archway of the dining hall, and in her arms, she was holding their daughter, the infant having woken up for a feeding. "Why do you seem in such a hurry?" she asked, "And your clothes, were you not wearing that yesterday?"

"Darcy," Jasper tried not to appear too frenzied, but he was having a hard time standing still. "I'm sorry, but I don't have time. I have to go to Broderick. He needs me."

The Lady furrowed her brow, too familiar with the sound of Jasper's current tone. She could never forget it. He sounded exactly the same, just as wounded as he had when Elijah was taken from under their noses all those years ago. "Jasper," she approached with Jade against her, "Where is Broderick? Tell me."

The Master's hands were trembling, and he fisted them into the back of his hair. "He has given himself up to the authorities for murder."

"What?" Darcy covered her mouth when she almost spoke too loud, nearly frightening her baby girl. "Why in the world would he do something so reckless? No, no, he can't do this, he can't do this to you, Jasper. If he dies, you would..."

She didn't want to speak about the extent of what she knew Jasper would do if Broderick was lost. Jasper was not her lover, merely her best mate in the entire country, but she knew him like the back of her hand, and the dangerous scope of Jasper's sorrow scared her as well. She knew he could not take another heartache like this.

"I have to go," Jasper told his wife, "And I will not return unless I know Broderick will be safe and come home."

Fearful of Jasper's resolution, Darcy merely stepped forward with their daughter in tow and kissed Jasper's cheek. Unlike the manner she loved Juliette, Jasper also had a significant place in her heart, and she wanted nothing but the best for him and his well-being, so if he felt like this problem had to be faced head-on, she wasn't going to stop him.

"Bring him back," she said, "You are not the same young boy from years ago. You are a man, you are Jasper Lancechester, and a name as such wields dominion over anyone in the city below. You will bring Broderick back with the influence of such a name. I know you can. I know you will."