Jasper (24 page)

Tessa
moaned. “Stop it. We don’t have time to play around.”

“Yes,
Love,” Gregor said in his best pirate voice. They both laughed and Tessa shook
her head.

“A
pirate and a witch. They seem happy.”

“That
they do.” Gregor pulled Tessa close. She knew exactly what they were feeling.
She couldn’t imagine her life without her mate.

 Three
hours later, the Stone Society jet was landing in New Atlanta. Gregor had
called Julian, letting him know they were on their way. They immediately drove
to Jasper’s home where they were met with a houseful of Clan members.

Gregor
was introducing Dominic and Lilly when Trevor came downstairs. Lilly walked
over to him and introduced herself. Once they’d shaken hands, she said, “I
would like to meet Jasper.”

“I’ll
take you to him.” Trevor turned to lead Lilly upstairs.

“If
you don’t mind, I’d like to see him alone.”

Trevor
didn’t know Lilly. He looked to Gregor who nodded his approval. Trevor turned
back to Lilly. “Top of the stairs, first door on the left.”

 Surprisingly,
Dominic stayed put, allowing her to go upstairs alone. When Lilly came back
downstairs, she approached Trevor, placing her hands on his face. When she
closed her eyes and began humming, everyone got quiet. Trevor closed his eyes
as a couple of tears rolled down his cheeks. When Lilly stepped back, Trevor
whispered, “Thank you.”

Lilly
turned to the room. “I would like everyone to clear out.”

Even
though Jasper was basically in a coma and probably dying, Trevor felt lighter
than he ever had. When Lilly placed her hands on him, she was able to show him
Jasper’s aura. It was bright yellow. He couldn’t see colors with his eyes, but
somehow he had known what color he was seeing in his mind. Somehow, he knew
that meant Jasper was hanging on. When Julian called and told him Lilly was on
her way to help, Trevor had been skeptical. He knew witches existed, but he
thought they were nothing more than old crones who scared kids. Lilly had shown
him how wrong he was in the few moments she touched his face.

He
had no idea what to do, so he waited for instructions. When she asked the room
to clear out, Dante approached Gregor. “Can I speak to you, Brother?” Dante
glanced at Trevor before going outside with the warden. For some reason, Dante
was avoiding Trevor. At first it hurt his feelings, then it pissed him off. Now,
he ignored his boss. Whatever Dante had going on was on him.

Lilly
waited until most everyone was outside. With the exception of Julian, Dominic,
and Tessa, Lilly shooed everyone out the door.

“What
do you need me to do?” Trevor asked the pretty witch.

“I
need you to stay with Jasper. Talk to him. Let him know you’re with him.”

“What
are you going to do?”

“I
need to prepare the house. Evil has been here, and I need to purify the air. It’s
going to take a while for the antidote to simmer. Julian, I need some of
Trevor’s blood.”

“Why
do you need mine?” he wasn’t opposed to needles, but he was curious as to what
she was going to do with it.

“You
are his mate, correct?”

“No.
We haven’t completed the bond.”

“Still,
you are his intended. He is connected to you on a level deeper than you
realize. His aura is already mixed with yours. I will need your blood to
strengthen the antidote.”

“Cool,”
he said and rolled up his sleeves.

Julian
laughed. “I don’t have the necessary equipment with me. I’ll need to go the lab.
Lilly, what else do you need?”

Lilly
found the kitchen and began opening cabinets. “I believe I have everything I
need. Once the antidote is ready, I would appreciate if you administer it.”

“I
can do that. If you think of anything else, have Trevor call me.”

“Thank
you, Julian.”

“Tessa,
I want you and Dominic to open all the windows and doors so I can begin
cleansing the house.”

Lilly
opened the large bag she had brought with her and removed what looked like
clumps of dried grass. Trevor was curious how they were going to get rid of the
evil with grass. She lit the ends of the short bundle, smoke rising and giving
off an earthy aroma. “Dom, you take the downstairs, and Tessa you take
upstairs. Once you are finished, please wait outside. Trevor, please go to
Jasper’s room now.”

The
pirate looking Gargoyle didn’t disappoint when he responded, “Aye, Love.” Tessa
ran upstairs to do her part, and Trevor went into Jasper’s room and lay back
down beside him. It was the same spot he’d been in most of the day. Tessa
smiled when she entered the room and opened the window. She stopped at the
bedside and pressed her hand to Jasper’s cheek before going to the next room.

Lilly
made her way upstairs and used her hand to direct the smoke to the corners of
the room as well as around the door. She whispered to herself what sounded like
a prayer as she worked. Before she left the room, she focused some of the smoke
to the area around him and Jasper. When she was finished, she went on to the
next room. As she walked down the hall a few minutes later, she stuck her head
in the door. “You can close the window if you like. It will take me about an
hour to prepare the serum and then it will need to simmer a couple of hours. After
that, we will start the ritual. If you haven’t slept today, I suggest you try
to rest.”

“Thank
you for coming all this way.”

“It’s
what family does,” Lilly said.

He
thought about that as she went back downstairs. It wasn’t the first time
someone had said that to him. This was his family now, whether he had accepted
it or not. He didn’t think he was hurting Jasper when he wrapped his arm around
him. At least he hoped not. He lay next to Jasper quietly. Even though Lilly
said to talk to him, he needed to just be there with him. He had spent most of
the day talking to him, and he was afraid Jasper would get tired of his voice.
He studied Jasper’s face some more. His fangs were pressing into his lower lip,
but they weren’t cutting him. Trevor reckoned after almost five hundred years
one would get used to the sharp teeth.

Trevor
closed his eyes, letting the sounds of his new family downstairs soothe him. Frey
had brought Travis and Matthew by earlier, but Travis was dealing with his own
demons. Trevor insisted they go back home and take care of Abbi. Laughter from
downstairs woke him from a short, peaceful nap.

Trevor
sat up and rubbed his eyes then made his way to the kitchen. He was interested
to see what Lilly was doing. As much as he wanted to be with Jasper, Trevor
wanted to watch Lilly prepare the antidote more. He fully expected there to be
a cauldron hanging over a fire outside. Instead, the witch was at the kitchen
counter crushing something in a black granite mortar. There was a boiler on the
stove, and she added the contents of the mortar to the pot. Next, she measured
out several other ingredients and added them, stirring slowly.

“What
did you put in there?” he asked.

“I’m
using sabina, juniper berries, hellebore, and lavender. Once this simmers for a
while, we’ll ask Julian to draw your blood, and I will add it to the mixture.”

Trevor
went into the living room where Gregor, Tessa, Rafael, and Kaya were talking to
Dominic. He leaned against the wall, not wanting to interrupt Gargoyle
business. They didn’t ask him to leave, so he eased closer, taking a seat.
Dominic did most of the talking, telling about how things were going in his
territory. Trevor noticed his speech remained constant, even when he was
animated, unlike Jasper whose brogue only came out when he was upset. Trevor
wondered at the difference in the two Gargoyles. Why would one embrace his
past, clinging to it all these years later while the other kept his buried?

Trevor
returned to the kitchen where Lilly was humming again while stirring the
contents of the pot. “Would you like for me to take over?” he asked her.

“I
would appreciate it. Truth be told, I need to pee,” she said and handed off the
wooden spoon. “Clockwise. Always stir clockwise.”

Trevor
continued the slow, circular motion, letting the monotony of the movement
settle in to his spirit. He stared down into the potion, wondering what each
ingredient’s purpose was. He was always interested in the whys and hows of
things. It was one reason he spent so much time after the autopsy was finished
digging just a little deeper.

Lilly
checked on Trevor before going into the living room. He continued stirring,
switching hands every so often. When Lilly returned from the living room, the
others accompanied her. “Trevor, I’ll take over here. The males are going to
get Jasper. I need you to clear off the table and move the chairs back so we
can place him there, and I’ll have room to work.

He
did as instructed. Gregor and Julian carried Jasper downstairs, placing his
muscular body on the sturdy table. Trevor placed Jasper’s hands on his stomach.

“Now,
I’m going to need your blood.”

“I
thought you added it at the last minute.”

“I
do. You’ve been stirring the potion for almost two hours.”

“Julian,
if you would draw Trevor’s blood.”

“How
much do you need?”

“Only
a drop.”

Lilly’s
ceremonial athame was lying on the counter next to a couple of candles and a
box of salt. He grabbed the knife and walked over to the boiler. Trevor sliced
open the tip of his finger, letting several drops of blood fall into the
simmering mixture.

“That’ll
work, too,” she said with a laugh. Trevor rinsed the blade of her knife and
replaced it with the other items. He pulled a paper towel off the roll and
dabbed at the cut on his finger.

Julian
shook his head and placed his black bag on the counter out of the way.

“Once
I strain the mixture, I will need you to get it ready in the syringe.”

“Doesn’t
it need to cool off?” Julian asked as he got what he needed out of his bag.

“By
the time I’m ready for you to administer the injection, it will be cool
enough.” Lilly turned the stove eye off and removed the pot from the heat. She
poured the contents through a strainer into a small bowl, handing it to Julian.
She then took both candles, one black, one white, and placed them on the table
on either side of Jasper’s waist. When that was done, she told Julian, “Go
ahead and get the syringe ready. I need you to stand on his left side near the
black candle. Trevor, you stand next to the white one. I will stand at his
head. Please take your places.”

As
he took his place, Trevor wondered where everyone else had gone. Surely they
would want to be there in case Jasper woke up. Julian stepped next to the black
candle, the antidote ready to go. Lilly lit first the white then the black
candle. Next, she took the box of salt and enclosed the four of them in a wide
circle. “Do not touch the salt,” she instructed.

Lilly
placed the box on the floor next to her foot and said, “Julian when I start the
incantation, you release the potion into his bloodstream. Trevor, place your
hands on his body and don’t remove them until I’ve spoken the words three times
through. Everyone ready?”

Trevor
and Julian nodded, and Lilly placed her hands on Jasper’s cheeks.

“Blessed goddess I call on thee

Let this evil poison flee

Remove the curse that Theron cast

Send his revenge back to the past”

Trevor placed his hands on Jasper’s arm while Julian injected
the dark red liquid into his lover’s body. Lilly repeated the words two more
times.

“So mote it be,” were her final words before blowing out the
black, then the white candle.

“Now, we wait.” Lilly stepped out of the circle and asked
Trevor, “Where’s the broom?”

“It’s in the laundry room. I’ll get it.” He retrieved the
broom while Lilly cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. Julian took Jasper back
to his bedroom. By the time Trevor had the salt cleaned up and the chairs back
where they belonged, the house was full of Gargoyles.

“I asked everyone to wait outside. I needed only positive
energy in the house while I performed the spell,” Lilly whispered.

Trevor wondered who she felt negative energy from. It didn’t
take him long to figure it out. Urijah and Sixx were talking in low voices, Uri
looking ready to blow a gasket. Trevor returned the broom to the laundry room
and walked over to the Viking. His faced softened marginally when he looked at
Trevor. “Theron has returned to Greece.” Trevor nodded and walked away. There
was nothing he could add to their conversation. He made his way upstairs,
closing the door to the bedroom where he’d shared his body with the man lying
stone still on the bed. He sat down beside Jasper, brushing his bangs off his
forehead before leaning down to kiss him. He let his lips linger on Jasper’s,
trying to pass his emotions through the kiss. It was in that moment he realized
he wanted to be Jasper’s mate. Forever. If, no when, Jasper woke up, he was
going to tell him how he felt.

Trevor loved his Gargoyle.