Reluctant Hero (The Dunamis Covenant Book 1) (20 page)

The time had come, and Thomas stood before the Council of Light. Each of the leaders of the six clans looked at him as if he should have something to say. He wasn't quite sure what it is they thought he might have to say, since they had demanded that he come to them. He sat in the middle of the council hall with Jonathan, waiting for them to bring up the topic no one seemed to want to talk about. It seemed that everyone including Asaph knew that Jonathan Fitzpatrick would soon be the new leader of the Undaraii clan, especially if Thomas turned out to be the child of destiny, and it made for an even tenser atmosphere. Asaph was the first to speak, and his words came out in almost a sneer.

"So, what makes you think you are the child of destiny that will save the Ethereal race from Devlin's madness?"

Thomas looked to Jonathan, who nodded, and then began his reply. "I don't think I'm the destined one. I never even knew about the Ethereal race until a month ago, and since that time, I've been chased, attacked, injured and healed all by people who think I'm the one. I've been told by just about every Ethereal I've met that I am the one, and if I am, I will be glad to do my duty, but I've never even heard this prophecy you speak of, so how could I think I was this, so-called champion?"

Asaph didn't look satisfied with Thomas answer so he continued, "How is it possible that you have never even heard the prophecy? Is it because you have been running away like a coward for the last month?"

Jonathan looked like he was going to say something he might regret while Rupert looked amused. Thomas looked at Jonathan again, turned to face Asaph and then responded. "Well, I might have known about the prophecy if your idiot son didn't take my memories from me. And, I might not have had to run if your son's goon, Malachi, had not tried to kill me! I might have even been able to stand before you sooner had that low life, Bartholomew and his people not tried to kill me as well. It would seem, Asaph, that instead of helping me become the man you want me to be, to fight your battles for you, your people have done nothing but the opposite. If not for Jonathan and his wife, I wouldn't even be alive. Then you'd be off to ruin someone else's life in hopes they could fight for you. If anyone's the coward here, it's you!"

Asaph was out of his seat shouting "How dare you speak to me in such a manner—!"

Gunter stood up and yelled, "Enough!" He looked to Asaph and Rupert and added. "You should not goad the boy into saying something you don't like only to become enraged when he says it. He is an exceptionally strong Paladin! You didn't think he'd allow you to
call him a coward without response, did you?" He didn't wait for an answer, he simply continued speaking. "Many mistakes were made in the treatment of Thomas Jefferson Hunter and we need to overcome them if we are to find out if he is in fact the child of destiny. Devlin has suffered a minor setback, but he will be enacting his final plan soon. We are aware that his plan could spell doom for all of us. Now, Thomas, we would like to put you through a series of tests both mental and physical to try and determine if you are indeed the child of destiny. It seems that you are still recovering, so we will begin with the mental exams. How does that sound to you?"

"Sounds good, I'll do what I can to give you the answers you're looking for."

"Wait, that's it?" Rupert shouted. "We're not even going to address the fact that he and his Shifter killed several of my men?"

"Only if we can discuss why you sent them to kill me in the first place," Thomas yelled back before Gunter could answer. He knew he shouldn't yell out answers to questions not asked of him in the council chambers, but he figured he could play ignorant.

Gunter cut Rupert off before he could answer by saying, "The rest of the council has not condoned your sending of Bartholomew after Thomas. We find he and Abigail Fitzpatrick fought in self defense against Bartholomew and your clansmen. It was an unfortunate circumstance, but he has done nothing wrong." As Gunter spoke, Bartholomew glared at Thomas and left the room, slamming the door. "Now, if there are no more interruptions, let us begin testing Thomas."

Thomas looked around at all the heads nodding in agreement, noting the sour expressions of Asaph and Rupert. Soon, Asaph would be out and Jonathan would be in, leaving Rupert as the sole source of corruption to deal with. Thomas hoped Rupert would be exposed sooner rather than later, and the Council of Light would once again be the force for good that it was meant to be.

"Gunter, what does the prophecy actually say?" Thomas asked.

Gunter picked up two scrolls off the council desk. They were both covered in plastic and looked really old. "That is a good question, Thomas. The light clans of the Ethereal race have only two documents we hold dear. Some might even say they're sacred. The first," he held out the larger of the scrolls, it was written in a language Thomas didn't know. "is the Dunamis Covenant. You already know what it is about, but I thought you'd like to see it. Initially it was known as the Covenant of Power, but the council changed the name twenty-five hundred years ago when we were settled in Athens." He put it down and held out the smaller scroll. "The second is the prophecy. Written by a powerful mage that survived the great purge of our people; it says:

An evil shall arise to destroy the Covenant of Power. When the years of the Destroyer number twenty and two, a child will be born of Ethereals blessed with an epic love which will endow the child with abilities not seen on the Earth for thousands of years. While the child is still young, the destroyer will reveal himself. This Child of Destiny will deliver us from a darkness that would usher in a second purge."

Thomas tried to understand what it all meant. It could have been talking about anyone. "Why were they so sure it's talking about me?

"Thomas," Gunter said. "We believe this prophecy to be talking about you because you were born when Devlin was twenty-two, your parents were very powerful and very in love, and you were still young when Devlin had them killed. You also seem to have abilities that go beyond what other Ethereals can do. All the signs point to you."

*****

Bartholomew was livid; the council was going to take Thomas Hunter's side over his. Hunter had killed several of his people and all was to be forgiven because they needed him to fight their little war. Rupert had given him the go ahead for the attack, what right did the council have to say it was unsanctioned? Thomas needed to die, and he was going to be the one to kill him. He soon found himself at Asa's safe house. He noticed Malachi had some injuries and was in more of a foul mood than usual. He began to discuss killing Thomas but to his and Malachi's surprise, Asa didn't want to.

"Gentlemen, we need to be smart if we're going to get anywhere. We must let Thomas fight Devlin."

"You sound like the council now, Asa," Malachi complained with full agreement from Bartholomew.

"Maybe, but none of us are powerful enough to take on Devlin. Did you know he just beheaded Smythe in a one-on-one duel?" Bartholomew could tell by the reaction of the room that no one else knew. He had been briefed, but he knew Asa was making a good point. "If Devlin doesn't kill him, he will at the very least, weaken him. Then you may strike, and we will be rid of both problems and be on our way to taking over the Council of Light. I have big plans, but we need both Thomas and Devlin out of the way to do it. It would seem to me that the best way to make that happen would be to have them square off and then take out the winner while he is weakened. Trust me, you know I will always take the short cut if necessary, and this is the shortest distance between point A and point B."

"I agree. It is a good plan. I will have what's left of my team join you and your warriors to help make it happen," Bartholomew replied. Asa nodded his thanks, then Bartholomew left the room. He knew that Asa had thirteen elite Ethereals loyal to him and he brought another ten or eleven to the mix. Twenty-five powerful Ethereals could be just enough to shift the balance of power at an opportune moment. He would also give Rupert a call to see if there were any more from his clan that could back his people up. Bartholomew smiled for the first time that week as he thought about the demise of Thomas Hunter. He even grinned knowing he would be the one to run a sword through the destined one's heart.

*****

Thomas returned with Jonathan to the Fitzpatrick safe house. He was greeted with a long passionate kiss from Abby that threatened to become more until her brothers started teasing her. She pulled back just far enough to look around the room at her smiling brothers, and her face turned a deep shade of red. "Dad, we gotta get these two married, this is painful to watch," Connor said, and he saw Abby's face turn even redder. "Let's take em to the JP right now and get em hitched. Then, Thomas will really be ready to fight Devlin in a couple weeks." Abby knew he was joking, but let a glimmer of hope build inside of her.

"City Hall and the Justice of the Peace will have to wait. Thomas has to continue healing so he can begin the physical trials in a few days. Now," he said, changing the subject. "What's this I hear about you guys fighting Asa's men?"

"Grams told you?"

"Yes, she told me. What were you thinking? We have to be smart. Our family has never been so close to leading the clan. We can afford no missteps."

"They surrounded Abby in the park and weren't going to let her go, Dad. What were we supposed to do?"

"At least you didn't kill Malachi, and now everyone knows you're better."

"You fought Malachi, Connor?" Thomas looked impressed.

"Only so Abby wouldn't have to shift into a tiger and eat him," he replied to a round of laughter. Abby pretended to be offended, but Thomas knew deep down she loved her brothers' teasing.

Dyson looked a little annoyed at the conversation and Thomas knew it was because he had been left out of the rescue. He was the only Fitzpatrick that did not have powerful Ethereal abilities. As far as anyone could tell, he had none. Abby put her arm around her frustrated brother and said, "Cheer up, Dyson, you'll come next time."

"No, I won't, that's the problem." His answer surprised everyone. "Everyone will go except me! I'll never be called to go because none of you want to see me dead. I have no abilities, and I have to learn to deal with it." He looked more depressed than they had ever seen him and then Thomas surprised everyone by walking over to him and putting both of his hands on Dyson's face. Dyson cast an awkward glance around the room while Thomas' eyes seemed to gloss over.

"I don't sense that you have no abilities, I sense a mighty Paladin waiting to burst out." Thomas was speaking to no one in particular, and the entire family looked on.

"What's he doing, Abby?"

"I don't know, Connor."

Thomas hands began to glow, and he began to mumble. It seemed incoherent at first, but then Jonathan recognized it as Greek. Thomas was mumbling the same phrase, "Dynámeis érthei emprós," over and over in Greek as the glow from his hands grew brighter and brighter. The glow became so bright everyone had to shield their eyes. Suddenly, Dyson cried out and then Thomas collapsed.

*****

"What just happened, Dad?" Abby rushed to Thomas side and put his head in her lap. He had lost consciousness and Grams came over to have a look at him.

Everyone else was checking on Dyson. He was holding his head while his father looked him over.

"What just happened?" Liam asked, again voicing everyone's confusion.

"What was he saying?" Mark asked.

"He was speaking Greek, Mark. I think he was saying 'Powers come out,'" John replied, looking to his father for confirmation.

"Powers come forth, I think is more accurate," Grandpa replied.

"He speaks Greek now?" Abby asked, still as confused as everyone else.

"I don't know," Grandpa replied, "I've never seen anything like that before. How is Thomas, sweetie?"

Abby's Grandmother replied, "He's exhausted, he collapsed because there was no strength left in his body. We need to help Abby get him to bed, now!" Liam and William went to their grandmother's side and helped Abby pick Thomas up off the floor. Without warning, Dyson whooped in victory. His excited cry was so sudden, that his brothers almost dropped Thomas.

"What was that?" His father asked, a look of concern on his face. "Are you all right, Dyson?"

"I don't know, dad, I think Thomas just gave me my Paladin powers. I can feel them flowing through me. I feel stronger, faster, more clearheaded." As if to prove his point, he leapt over the couch, touching the old ten foot ceiling with his elbow. His brothers looked on in awe.

"How is that possible, John?" Grandpa asked while he examined Dyson's head.

"I don't know, Dad, I've never heard of an Ethereal being able to bestow his powers on another Ethereal before."

"He didn't bestow them, Dad," Abby said. Her brothers came out of Thomas room, and she continued. "Didn't you hear him? Dyson already had the abilities within him. He was just somehow able to bring Dyson's latent abilities to the surface."

"Abby is right, Dyson had the abilities all along. Thomas simply brought them out of him." Grandpa summarized. "We cannot let the council know he has this ability. It will be the end of any shot he and Abby have at happiness."

"Thomas simply brought them out?" Grams repeated while walking back into the room, "Jonathan, there was nothing simple about it! Thomas almost killed himself with that act of kindness. We cannot let the council know because we do not know what doing it again will do to him."