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| Jackson |
These wolves were different. They didn't move like a pack; they moved like a unit, and they used military words and commands that Jackson didn't entirely understand. Every time they spotted cadejo, they navigated around them without a sound, guiding Jackson as he followed the two silver wolves. They knew what they were doing, and the hope that they'd be able to help him save Damon, Wilson, and the pack was increasing.
He could see the tree line ahead. The early morning sunlight barely cut through the thickening fog, but as they got closer, Jackson could make out tall, black iron gates connected to stone walls.
"Stay close," one of the silver wolves said; it was hard to tell them apart.
Jackson nodded and trailed behind them as Raphael led the pack out of the woods and towards the iron gates. There was about twenty feet of open space between the walls and the trees, and because Jackson couldn't see very far beyond the murk, he could only assume that the forest surrounded whatever lay beyond.
The sound of creaking stone snatched Jackson's attention. As the pack stopped in front of the locked gates, he looked around for the source of the scraping, and when he set his eyes on one of the stone gargoyles sitting on either side of the gates, a shiver of trepidation danced down his spine.
It was looking right at him. The statue had eyes as black as night, and they were staring into his soul. He hesitantly looked away and glanced at the other statue, which was also glaring at him.
"Sentries," one of the silver wolves said to Jackson.
After a few moments of shifting their black eyes from all the wolves, the stone gargoyles returned to their static poses, and the iron gates clicked and creaked open.
When the wolves headed inside, Jackson followed them past the gates and along a wide path between two small marble walls. He spotted several hedges and trees different to those the forests were made up of, as well as a fountain; the frozen water glistened and reflected the sunlight, and the snow shimmered like stars in a white sky. A certain serenity hung over the place, and it was quiet in a way that made Jackson feel relaxed instead of his usual anxiety.
He stared ahead at the silhouette of a huge house, and when he was close enough that the fog didn't obscure his view, his eyes widened a little in awe. He'd seen his fair share of luxury homes, mansions, and manors, but he'd never seen something as majestic as this.
The mansion looked like something out of a history book; its dark bricks and tall arched windows gave the place a gothic feel, and the several castle-like towers had high, sharp-tipped roofs, which cast long shadows across the grounds. The ten-foot-tall front double doors were black and decorated with gold metal swirls, and an empty brazier stood on either side. Stone gargoyles much like those back at the gates sat here and there on the walls surrounding the large balconies and patios above, and the building was so huge that it stretched far beyond what the fog allowed his eyes to see.
Once they reached the front doors, everyone stopped, and the wolves shifted into their human forms. Jackson glanced at each of them; the two silver wolves became tall, broad silver-haired men who looked exactly the same, but one of them had a star-like shape around the pupil of his right eye. Raphael was a little shorter than the twins, and his orange hair was jaw-length and tousled. The rest of the pack looked like normal people, save for the woman with a scar over her eye and the man with a tattoo of a new moon on his left wrist.
Raphael pushed the left door open and led the way into the house. Most of the pack broke off and disappeared down the left corridor; the twins and Raphael continued straight forward and walked through a doorway under the grand staircase. They emerged into a large lounge, where a few people were sitting chatting or staring at phones and laptops. And above the burning fireplace was a huge gold-framed family portrait, and one of the men in it was Lord Caedis, who—like all of the men in the picture—was wearing a dovetail coat with a poet shirt and a jabot; they all looked like they were out of a history book.
There were a lot of paintings and photos lined along the walls of the hallway Jackson followed Raphael into. Several were either of Lord Caedis or had him in them with another man and some children, and Jackson started to wonder whether this was or used to be his home.
"Um...if you don't mind me asking, what is this place?" Jackson asked, looking over his shoulder at the twins.
"Reiner Manor," one of the twins answered.
And the other said, "Caedis and his husband used it as a family home during the first human-Caeleste world war to keep their kids away from it all."
"Human-Caeleste world war?" Jackson questioned.
"Yeah, hard to imagine, right?" the twin with the star in his eye said with a scoff. "Once upon a time, the humans got so sick of how insignificant they are that they started a world war."
"That wasn't the reason," Raphael called irritably as he turned right into another open lounge, but there wasn't anyone sitting on the black leather couches, the dark red curtains were drawn, and the fireplace was empty.
The twins went silent as they shot irritated looks at each other, and Jackson could have sworn he heard one of them mutter, "Nerd."
"What's with the star in your eye?" Jackson then asked.
"Sectoral heterochromia," the twin in question answered. "It's how everyone knows I'm Amos and he's Elias," he said, nudging his brother's arm with his elbow.
"That and how annoying you are," Elias grumbled.
Raphael stopped outside a pair of oak double doors, which he knocked on and then waited.
"Is Maleki even still here?" Amos muttered to his brother.
"No idea," Elias replied.
"Come," came a voice from behind the doors.
Raphael opened the door and led the way inside.
Jackson glanced around the huge, bright office for a moment; like the halls, there were pictures and paintings all over the white walls and the mahogany panelling. Sunlight shone in through the three huge arched windows on the back wall, and a balcony wrapped around the left and right walls and above the door, providing access to many book-stuffed shelves. A crystal chandelier hung from the rib vaulted ceiling, and the fireplace on the left wall was burning brightly.
But his attention swiftly shifted to the two people by the desk at the end of the room. The man sitting in the chair had a concerned look on his stubbly face; his black hair was combed and parted in the middle, falling to his jawline, and a cigarette was burning in the ashtray beside his coffee cup. The brunette woman standing beside the man had a tired look on her face, and sadness lingered in her green eyes.
"Oh, Elder Idina," Amos said nervously as he and his brother waited by the doors while Raphael escorted Jackson closer to the desk. "S-sorry, we didn't realize you were here."
"Oh, don't mind me," Elder Idina said as she looked over at them.
"Is this the guy?" the man asked as he picked up his cigarette and drew a light breath while nodding at Jackson.
Raphael stopped in front of the desk and nodded.
Jackson stood beside the orange-haired man; he was nervous, and the smell of tobacco was making him feel a little uncomfortable. Eric smoked a lot, and the stench forced the memory of his stepfather to the front of his mind.
Idina patted the man's head and said, "I'll leave you to it." She walked around from behind the desk, and as she passed Raphael, she quietly said, "Be good, Raphael." And when she passed the twins, they both bowed their heads respectfully to her.
Although he was curious, Jackson was sure that there'd be time to ask all his questions, but that time wasn't now. His first priority was helping Damon and the others.
"Leave us," the black-haired man called across the office.
Amos and Elias nodded and swiftly left the room, pulling the door shut behind them.
"Sit," the man said, gesturing to the armchairs in front of his desk.
As Raphael sat in one, Jackson sat in the other.
After taking another puff of his cigarette, the man leaned back in his seat and said, "Fill me in."
"We followed him from the border of Kane's territory," Raphael started.
Jackson frowned at him. He'd been following him that whole time?
"A hunting party was in pursuit, but the cadejo took care of them. That's when we saw him talking to them," the orange-haired man said as he slowly turned his head to look at Jackson.
The black-haired man finished his cigarette and put it out in the ashtray. He then rested his arms on his desk and stared skeptically at Jackson. His eyes looked him up and down, and it looked like he was pondering...but what?
"He commanded them," Raphael said. "He told them to leave, and they left."
With a deep sigh, the man leaned back in his seat again. "You're the hybrid Alucard sent to find the Lyca Corp. lab, correct?"
Jackson drawled a little, "Uh...y-yeah."
"I'm Cyrus Greyson," he revealed.
Cyrus Greyson? The same Cyrus Greyson Sebastien talked about? The guy who captured another hybrid that the Nosferatu suspected might be the one they were looking for? Jackson shook his head and sat up straight. "I, uh...think I've heard about you."
"I'd be concerned if you hadn't given the mission you've been tasked with," Cyrus said and took a sip of his coffee. "Alucard sent over all the information he had on you and your group shortly after you left Silverlake. And no, he didn't ask us to get involved, if that's what you're wondering; we monitor Kane's borders to ensure our own safety, and one of my guys happened to see a pack of wolves with descriptions similar to yours being hauled down into their arena yesterday."
Jackson had a mountain of questions, but there wasn't time. "I was trying to get back to Silverlake to ask the Venaticus for help. Kane's gonna kill them all if I don't get back there soon enough," he said anxiously.
Cyrus leaned back in his seat. "Well, you're three days from Silverlake if you were to go on foot—as a wolf, that is, which reminds me," he said and shifted his sights to Raphael. "Go and get Maleki. He's with Aysel and Tarkik down in the lab."
"Aysel?" Jackson blurted, confused and startled.
"Not your Aysel," Cyrus told him. "This Aysel was a member of the hybrid pack we were tasked with finding."
Jackson's confusion grew thicker. "Hybrid pack?" he questioned, but then he remembered what Sebastien said. "Oh...the hybrids that Lord Caedis thinks were created in the lab we're looking for?"
Cyrus nodded and said, "Alucard did say that you guys only got the information essential to your mission; you'll learn the finer details when necessary." He looked at Raphael again. "Go."
With a nod, Raphael got up and left the office.
"Uh...who's Maleki?" Jackson asked.
"Maleki is our cheerful temporary resident vampire," Cyrus answered with a sarcastic tone. "Unfortunately, he's the only person amongst our ranks with a resistance to silver. He'll remove that collar for you."
"Oh...thank you. But, uh...are you...well, will you help my pack?" he asked desperately. "I-I don't know how long they have, and—"
"I've already got my Gamma assembling a strike team," Cyrus interjected. "Kane's pack is huge and very resourceful, though, so it's going to take a little time for us to work out our angle of attack."
"I wanna help," he insisted. "I-I can help. Once this collar's off, I can use fire and—"
"You can help by sharing whatever you've learned about Kane and his territory," he said, resting his arms on the desk.
Jackson frowned anxiously. "I want to help fight."
"That's not my call, kid. I've been told to keep you alive at all costs and sending you into battle would be the complete opposite."
His frown thickened as he shook his head. "N-no," he denied desperately. "Let me help!" he insisted. He wanted to be there; he wanted to make sure that Damon and Wilson and the pack got out okay. He wanted to be there so that he could watch their backs and defend them.
Cyrus sighed deeply. "My wolves are perfectly capable. We've faced Kane several times before, and I'm sure that if you've seen the guy, that ugly-as-fuck scar on his mug is evidence enough."
Jackson remembered Julian saying that a wolf gave Kane a permanent scar ten years ago, and he'd seen it with his own eyes. "Were...you the one who did that to him?"
"I was. Could've killed him, but like my old man, I have a tendency to offer mercy to my enemies. Kane was just a nobody with dreams too far out of his reach back then, but because I let him go, he's built an army," he said with a melancholy tone. "I've lost a lot of good wolves to him. But he's been too busy growing his numbers in order to protect himself from hunters and cadejo and such that he hasn't looked our way in a good year or so. We'll have the element of surprise."
As much as he wanted to join the fight, Jackson was admittedly starting to feel more confident as he learned about Cyrus and his pack. These guys were obviously experienced, they knew what they were doing—the wolves who escorted him to this manor were proof of that—and since this was the same Cyrus Sebastien had talked about, he felt that he should give the guy a little credit. And if the only way he could be of use was to tell him what he knew about Kane, then he'd give him every detail possible.
"Do you know about the Amarok?" Jackson asked.
"We sure do. Kane picked that thing up five years ago when he raided a hunter camp. Amaroks are too far gone even for someone like me to control, so if they let that thing loose, we're going to have to kill it," he said, but it looked like he was speaking aloud as he thought, tapping his chin as his eyes drifted.
"They have guns," Jackson told him.
"They do, and some of them are loaded with silver," he said, setting his sights back on Jackson.
And then he remembered— "The inimă."
Cyrus nodded slowly. "The demon amulet. Kane has it?"
"I don't think he knows what it is, but he took all of our stuff, and I wasn't able to get it back."
"Yeah, that's a top priority. We can't let that fall into the wrong hands. Do you know where he put it?"
"N-no, but I can find it," he said eagerly. Maybe he would get to join the battle after all.
Cyrus sighed hesitantly and tapped his fingers on his desk. He then muttered, "Veni foras."
Jackson flinched in startlement when a cloud of orange smoke appeared out of nowhere in front of Cyrus, and when the smoke withered, a strange bat-cat-like creature floated down onto the desk. It looked like a bipedal hairless cat with wings, and its eyes were huge.
"Go to Alucard; I need you to ask him whether I should let Jackson accompany the rescue team or not. The inimă is somewhere in Kane's camp, and we won't have any hope of finding it without Jackson, who has said he can locate it."
The creature replied with a few chirps and then disappeared in a puff of orange smoke.
"What was that thing?" Jackson asked.
"An izuret," Cyrus replied and took a few gulps of his coffee. "Little demon messengers; much faster than a text message."
Just then, the door to Cyrus' office opened, and Raphael walked in with a very sleek, regal-looking man with long, platinum hair and tall, pointed ears much like Lord Caedis', only much longer.
"Ah, Maleki," Cyrus called pleasantly.
"Count Makeli, Greyson," Maleki corrected irritably.
Jackson couldn't help but stare at the man when he stood beside the armchair Raphael had been sitting in. His skin had a golden tint to it, and his eyes were as red as blood. His eyebrows and even his eyelashes were platinum—he almost looked like snow. His silk robes were white, and the long, sharp claws at his fingertips were ashen, too. Was this what vampires looked like?
Cyrus laughed and crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat. "Wake up on the wrong side of the coffin?"
Maleki gritted his teeth angrily. "What do you want?" he snapped.
"Take that off him, would you?" Cyrus said, nodding at Jackson.
When Maleki's red eyes locked with his, Jackson tensed up nervously.
"You brought me all the way up here to take a collar off?" Maleki questioned.
Cyrus then sighed impatiently. "Just take the fucking thing off, man. We've got shit to do."
With an aggravated snarl, Maleki shoved past Raphael—who stumbled aside and tutted—and gripped either side of the silver collar around Jackson's neck. He pulled with a grunt, and the metal snapped in two. Then, Maleki tossed both pieces onto Cyrus' desk. "Next time you need something, don't make me come up here. I've got my own assignments, and none of them involve—"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Cyrus said as he waved his hand dismissively. "I don't care what you got going on in vampire land, Maleki—or is it elf land now?"
Maleki rolled his eyes. He then turned around, and although he was clearly in a mood, he rather gracefully headed to the door and left the office.
"Love that guy," Cyrus chortled.
"I don't know what Strămoş Luca saw in him," Raphael muttered as he sat in the armchair. "Millions of elves out there and he chooses him."
"Hey, you gotta give him a little credit. Everything we know about the Holy Grail is thanks to that guy."
"But at what cost?"
Jackson's attention was immediately snatched from rescuing the pack and trying to figure out what Strămoş meant to the Holy Grail. "The Holy Grail?" he asked. "C-can...can you tell me about them?"
They both looked at him and frowned.
"Some other time, kid," Cyrus said as the izuret returned in a puff of orange smoke.
The creature started chirping and squeaking, and Cyrus seemed to understand it.
"All right," he said and waved his hand in dismissal.
With one final chirp, the izuret departed again.
Cyrus looked at Jackson. "Alucard's agreed to let you join us—"
Jackson sighed in relief.
"—But you're to stick with Raphael at all times."
Raphael groaned. "Is he seriously putting me on babysitting duty?"
"I think this is his old grampy way of telling you that he trusts you to take care of the precious cargo," Cyrus teased.
With a roll of his eyes, Raphael slouched in his seat and then looked at Jackson. "You better know what you're doing."
Jackson frowned at him but tried to sound confident, "Yeah, I do."
Cyrus finished his coffee and exhaled loudly. "Let's not waste any more time. Let's go." Then, he got up and headed for the door.
Jackson followed behind Raphael. He was nervous and anxious, but it was happening. These people were going to help get Damon and the others out of Kane's territory, and he was going to help. He wasn't sure what Cyrus had planned, but from what he'd seen and heard already, this pack was completely capable. They knew Kane, they knew the land, and they clearly knew what they were doing when it came to battles like this.
He was afraid, though. Kane's pack was massive, they had weapons and silver and an Amarok, and Jackson had no idea what Cyrus had. But he was sure that he was about to find out.
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