Justine Ch. 22

"I don't know how much of an honor it is." Thomas replied with a tight smile.

"You are not like them." Jian said. "You have honor and you are loyal to those that you care about."

"I'm curious about you as well." Thomas said.

"As is everyone." Jian replied with a chuckle. "Even Gabra and I were curious about ourselves. Finally, we decided that how we came to be together didn't matter."

"However it happened, I owe my life to the both of you. "Had Gabra not warned me..."

"It wasn't your time." Jian interrupted. "Every one of us that is here was meant to be here. I don't know for what purpose, the fates don't tell me that; but it is for the good."

The two men walked in silence for a few more minutes. This time it was Thomas who spoke first.

"Jian... do you know if there's a way to wake my gifts?"

"No... but Thomas, sometimes things happen when we least expect them."

"Do you know something?" Thomas asked.

"No... that is just experience speaking." Jian replied. "The only thing that I can say is to be prepared for anything and to trust your instincts."

"Jian..."

"Thank you for walking with me. We must do it again." Jian said and walked away.

Thomas watched Jian walk away curious as to what he hadn't been told. He walked for a few more minutes before deciding to let it go. It would do no good to agonize over it. He would find out in due time.

********

Two weeks before the gala

Jian sat straight up in bed, mumbled something and lay down again. Gabra lay next to him watching, waiting and listening. It had been that way for as long as they had been together. Whenever he was dreaming she lay awake. She was like Jian's personal recorder. More often than not, he couldn't remember what he said whereas she remembered everything and forgot nothing.

Gabra turned on her side to look at Jian. There were lines of worry etched on his face and she wondered who the worry was for. Suddenly he was awake and looking back at her.

"Gabra, we must be careful." He said softly.

"You mentioned a name." she replied as she smoothed his brow.

"What was it?" He asked.

"Naila."

Jian frowned.

"Are you certain? That does not make sense."

"That is the name that you mentioned." Gabra replied. "But I agree with you, it doesn't make sense. Is she in danger?"

"No... but...someone is looking for her." Jian replied.

"What of the other mates?" Gabra asked.

"They are all in danger." Jian replied. "Thomas believes that Lottie will be the target and I believe he is right, but it will come down to opportunity. He also thinks that the threat will come from his family."

"You do not think so?" Gabra asked.

"I believe that it is possible." Jian replied.

"What else do you believe?" Gabra asked.

"I believe that Thomas' family is afraid of him. That is why they were never supportive of him. His way with plants is only one of his gifts. They want him on their side."

"Are they thinking of treason?" Gabra asked.

"I do not have the answer to that." Jian replied. 'If they are not, then they are helping someone who is."

"Do they not understand that even if they are successful that they will not overthrow the queen?" Gabra asked.

"I am not so certain that is the objective." Jian replied. "If it were the window of opportunity has passed. Justine and Quinn are fully into their powers. They want something or someone else."

"But why take a mate then?" Gabra asked. "In all honesty, I think that Lottie is the key and I think that the Rhys' are behind this. You said so yourself, they're afraid of Thomas. I think that they'll use his mate to keep him in line."

"You may be right." Jian conceded. "Especially since he hasn't come into his powers yet..."

"What is it?" Gabra asked.

"Something is not right." Jian replied. "Nothing is making sense. Whoever is planning to cause trouble must know that security will be extremely tight."

"Jian you must let it go now." Gabra said softly. "You know as well as I do that we have to wait for further clarification."

Jian allowed Gabra's soothing touch to calm him. She was right. He had to be patient.

***********

One week before the gala

Jian was becoming concerned. There had been no further clarifications on where or who the danger was coming from. The mates and children of all of the guards were already gone to the secret location and all of those in the house had already exchanged blood.

He was confident that no one from the inner circle was a threat as no one had even balked at the blood exchange.

"But that in and of itself means nothing." He told himself.

He had become so anxious that Gabra suggested that he talk to Justine and Quinn about it.

"What would I say to them? He asked.

"Tell them of your concern." Gabra replied. "Maybe they know something that we do not."

Later that evening before the women went for one of the last fittings before the wedding, Jian approached Justine and Quinn.

"Something is not right." He said without preamble. "I have not received any thing more since last week."

Quinn and Justine looked at each other and then at the concerned Jian.

"We know." Quinn replied. "Whatever is going to happen has something to do with Lottie and Thomas."

"You cannot tell what it is?" Jian asked.

"Treason." Justine replied.

"What does that have to do with Lottie and Thomas?" Jian asked alarmed. "Surely you do not believe that they are traitors!"

"They have the same potential to be traitors as the rest of us." Justine said.

"But to what end?" Jian asked.

"Jian... what has Thomas told you about his family?" Quinn asked.

"I know that they are mercenaries and that they don't care who they fight for as long as the price is right. But I don't see how that makes Thomas a traitor."

"It doesn't." Justine replied. "All I was saying is that all of us have that potential. Think about this... Why would Thomas and Lottie be the targets?"

A flash of understanding crossed Jian's brain.

"He will be the strongest of all of them." He whispered. "If they have Lottie then they have him."

"Bingo." Quinn said.

"That's treason!" Jian exclaimed.

"Yes it is." Justine replied. "Thomas and Lottie are members of this court. They have our blood in them and that makes them a part of us."

"They will make Thomas fight with them." Jian replied.

"They'll try to." Quinn said. "They don't know about the blood exchange. Even if they manage to get Lottie out of here; she'll be found in minutes. They also don't know that their power will be drained."

"In effect, they're walking into a trap." Justine said. "The only question is when they're going to try something."

"It will be near the end of the gala." Jian said. "It will be someone that she trusts who will take her. That is how they will succeed without their gifts."

"Do you know who?" Justine asked.

"No... but she must not go with anyone other than Thomas or one of us. I need not tell you what will happen if anything happens to her."

"We know." Quinn said. "His gifts are already trying to waken."

"They want him in their control before that happens." Jian said. "If his gifts wake then it will be too late. Have you spoken to Thomas?"

"He's aware." Justine replied. "He also said that he asked you if there was a way to waken his gifts and you told him no. That wasn't exactly the truth was it?"

Jian flinched under Justine's intense stare.

"It wasn't the entire truth." Jian confessed.

"Why did you lie?" Justine asked.

"I didn't lie.' Jian replied. "I did not tell Thomas everything. Justine, from the beginning you have discovered your gifts on your own and Thomas needed to figure out for himself from where he needed to get his help from. My telling him would not allow you to discover yet another gift nor would it teach Thomas that he has to be able to ask for help. If he had asked me if you could help him wake his powers, I wouldn't have given him a straight answer. I would have sent him to you."

Justine began to laugh.

"You know, you would make one hell of a lawyer. Alright, I see your point. What about Gabra? I know that her gift is aimed to the immediate future, but has she seen or felt anything?"

"Not yet." Jian replied. "If she sees anything it may not be until moments before the event."

"The key is going to be in waking Thomas' gifts." Quinn said. "I think that we should do it."

"I agree." Justine replied. "But it needs to be all of us. I'll call mom and David while you get Thomas. We'll meet in the basement."

"No...not there." Quinn said. "We can't take the chance that Manny will overhear."

"You really don't like him do you?" Justine asked.

"I don't like anyone who fantasizes about my wife's ass." Quinn replied. "But that's beside the point. The point is that we need secrecy. I don't believe that I'm going to suggest this, but I think that we should use our suites. No one has any excuse to be there unless it's by invitation and I think that it's time to move anyway. This house has met its purpose. All of us that are meant to be a part of this reign are here."

"I was thinking the same thing." Justine replied. "Do you know where you would like to go?"

"I would love to go somewhere warm." Quinn replied. "But there's Lana. I don't want to leave when I'm just getting to know her."

"I have an idea but let's take care of Thomas first." Justine said. "I'll meet you in the room."

******

Thomas wasn't feeling well. His body ached and he felt feverish. Lottie sat helplessly at his side washing his face with a cool washcloth. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that he was going through the change.

"Tell me what to do." Lottie said.

"I... I don't know." Thomas replied.

It wasn't until the warmth in his belly began to spread that he understood what was happening and then...it just stopped.

"NOOO!" Thomas cried out in frustration as tears ran down his face.

Lottie got on the bed with him and held him as he wept. Finally, he settled into an uneasy rest.

*******

Quinn tapped on the door and waited for someone to answer. A few seconds later he heard Lottie's soft footsteps at the door. As soon as he saw her, he knew that something had happened.

"Lottie what's wrong?" He asked.

"It...its Thomas." She replied. "I think that his gifts are trying to wake up but it's too soon."

"Take me to him." Quinn replied.

Thomas was awake but pale. Quinn could see that he was in distress.

"Hey Tom, what's happening?" he asked as he assessed him.

"I... I think that my gifts are trying to wake up; but there's something holding them back."

"We know and we're going to help you." Quinn replied. "Can you walk?"

"Where are we going?" Lottie asked.

"To me and Justine's suite." Quinn replied. "David and Josephine are already there. I'll explain later. Thomas, can you walk?"

"I can walk." Thomas said.

When he stood, he wobbled and then righted himself. Quinn reached out to help him; but Thomas pulled away.

"I can make it."

However, he didn't refuse Lottie's hand. He seemed to draw strength from her Quinn noticed. His color seemed to improve and some of the pain in his eyes faded away. It confirmed what he and Justine had thought. Lottie was Thomas' anchor.

******

Justine removed the comforter from the bed while Josephine and David lit candles.

"Are we set?" she asked looking at her mother.

"I think so." Josephine replied.

A few minutes later, Quinn came in followed by Lottie and Thomas.

"Let's get the show on the road." Quinn said. "He's in a lot of pain."

"Lottie... help him to the bed." Justine said. "Everyone else surround the bed."

Lottie helped Thomas to the bed and then stood by his side holding his hand.

"Thomas." Justine said. "We're going to waken you gifts... is this what you want?"

"Yes."

"There will be no going back; are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure." Thomas replied without hesitation. "Wait, I want to say something. I swear to use my gifts for the good of the reign. If I should become jaded and evil, I will die immediately."

"Thomas..." Justine said.

"No, it has to be this way. I'm ready." He said interrupting Justine.

Justine nodded and then gave instructions.

"Everyone lay hands on him... Quinn you put your hands over his heart, mom put yours on his stomach and David his legs. I've got his head.

When everyone was in place, Justine looked at Lottie.

"Hold his hand. This may hurt."

Lottie nodded and gave Thomas' hand an encouraging squeeze.

Justine placed her hands on either side of Thomas' head.

"Do we all agree to wake the gifts of this vampire mage?" she asked.

"We do." Four voices said in unison.

"Do we accept that if he should become evil that he will immediately die?"

"We do."

"Thomas Rhys, do you consent to the waking of your gifts?"

"I do." Thomas replied.

"Do you swear to use your gifts only for good and in the defense of the reign?"

"I do."

"Do you accept the penalty of true death if you should break this vow?"

"I do."

"Do you understand that if you break this vow and die that your mate will also die?"

Thomas hesitated and looked up at Lottie. When he saw the slight nod of her head; he answered.

"I do."

"I give you one last chance to change your mind. Do you wish to take it?"

"No I do not." Thomas replied.

"So be it."

"Does anyone wish to change their vote on this matter?"

"No we do not." Four voices said in unison.

"Thomas Rhys." Justine said her voice barely above a whisper. "I grant permission for your gifts to wake to their full potential. I grant that you will have full command of them from the moment they awaken."

At first nothing happened. Then suddenly, Thomas' body became as stiff as a board as he levitated from the bed. He felt as if his entire body was on fire. The pain was indescribable as it started at each end of his body and met at his stomach where Josephine's hands rested.

His back arched pushing his stomach into her hands. He opened his mouth and screamed one long scream that seemed as if it never would end. The windows shook as pictures flew off the walls crashing to the floor. Their personal items crashed to the floor after swirling around in the air for several seconds, amazingly; none of them were hit.

The activity continued for as long as Thomas screamed. When he stopped, everything was suspended. When he screamed again, it was a blood curdling scream that made the hairs on everyone's neck stand up. That scream was repeated four more times before his body went limp and he crashed to the bed.

"Is he alright?" Lottie asked worriedly.

"He's fine." Justine assured her. "He needs to sleep."

"Thank you... he was so worried about everything... he felt so useless." Lottie said.

"You're welcome... Just take good care of him." Justine replied.

*********

Anthony Rhys drummed his fingers on the table. When he heard about Thomas' betrayal of Wilhelmina he had been furious. He had ranted and raved for a week.

"What in the fuck was he thinking?" he asked anyone who would listen. "He betrayed his mate!"

The bottom line was that he was concerned that their family would lose the respect of the various beings that employed them. But once he calmed down, he realized that he had another concern. Thomas had always been what he considered to be weak. He never talked back and did whatever he was told.

Anthony knew that Thomas was more powerful than he was and it had been crucial that he be kept in line via humiliation and ridicule. Wilhelmina had picked up where he had left off. The question was where did Thomas' backbone come from?

Then he heard about the servant girl and he went on another rant. During his rant he realized that it was Lottie who was responsible for the sudden sure of courage. In retrospect, he should have disposed of the girl as soon as he found out about her. How he would have done that he didn't know; but he would have found a way.

The thing that concerned him the most was that Thomas would finally realize how powerful he would become and take over the family. Now that he was allied with the queen he was also in a position to get all of them thrown in prison. He weighed his options of which there were few. The bottom line was that he had to regain control of his son. The only way that he could think of to do that was to do the unthinkable... they had to get the girl.

None of them had planned on going to the gala but Thomas' defection and betrayal had changed that.

"Shit!" Anthony cursed. No one had seen Thomas' betrayal coming and it was going to bite them in the ass. The one thing that he was grateful for was that Thomas' gifts wouldn't manifest for another forty-eight years. But that didn't matter, that Thomas was under his control did.

There were other things to consider as well. Thomas would become emotionally unstable without the girl. That emotional instability would be dangerous to all of them so he had to allow him to see the girl. The unknown factor was the gifts that she had if any.

Letting Thomas go wasn't an option and even if it were; he wouldn't have done it. He needed Thomas. Over the centuries it seemed as if the strength of the family was fading. While people still feared and respected them; the Rhys name was slowly fading. They no longer got the high paying jobs. Those were going to newer and stronger families. In order to get back into the game; they needed Thomas.

"What are you thinking of doing?" Marcus, Thomas' older brother asked. "To try anything at the gala would be suicide."

"I know." Anthony replied. "We have to get her to come to us. If we can do that then we have Thomas. What have you found out about her?"

"Not much other than Wilhelmina took her from her family when she was quite young in exchange for a debt."

"Who owed her money?"

"Her father." Marcus replied. "When he couldn't repay; Wilhelmina took the girl."

"Where is her family now?"

"Wilhelmina killed her mother and a few other family members, but her father still lives."

"Find him and bring him here. Do not allow him to refuse."

After Marcus left, a smile crossed Anthony's face. Things were looking up.

*******

Thomas woke up feeling as though he had been run over. The fever and burning in his stomach were gone, but every muscle in his body ached. He looked around the room and tried to remember where he was.

"We're in Justine and Quinn's suite." Lottie said softly. "How do you feel?"

"I hurt all over... is it done? Did they do it?" Thomas asked.

"Yes it's done." Lottie replied. "Justine says that you should be able to use your gifts without training."

Thomas tried to sit up but fell back.

"You need to eat. You've been asleep for twenty-four hours." Lottie said. "Stay put and I'll get you something to eat."

"Lottie... wait." Thomas said. "Thank you for trusting me. I swear to you that you won't regret it."

"I know that." she replied. "If I had any doubts I wouldn't have agreed."

"I want to go to our own rooms." Thomas said.

"You're too week." Lottie replied. "And I can't hold you up."

"All I need is your hand... please I want to be in our bed when I make love with you."

"Make love? Thomas you can barely move!" Lottie said.

"If you help me I can do it." Thomas said.

Lottie gave him a dubious look.

"I'll make a deal with you." she said after several seconds. "You feed first and then we'll try."

Seeing that she wasn't going to be swayed, Thomas agreed.

"I will also need human food." He said suddenly.

He was surprised as Lottie was. He had tried human food in the past and it made him ill.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"I'm sure... I think that I will need blood and human food for energy." Thomas replied

An hour later, a tray containing fish, boiled potatoes and green beans was sitting in front of him. Now he wasn't so sure about eating it. He took a tentative bite of the potato and waited several seconds before taking another. He still didn't care for the taste but he wasn't gagging either. Next he tried the fish and found that he rather enjoyed the taste. The green beans he spat out pronouncing them disgusting. Lottie took the tray and sat beside him on the bed with a basin just in case things came back up.