White Winter (The Black Year Series Book 2) (18 page)

“I don’t understand. Can’t you get a transplant?”

The councilor smiled. “My body would take the meat, but the virus that makes me what I am would just overwrite it with my own DNA. Every time it does that, there is a chance it will make a mistake, and that mistake will kill me. Ammonia in the blood, cancer, or pain so bad my family will put me down out of kindness.”

Hans’ eyes were on the table as his father spoke. He frowned when the councilor mentioned putting him down.

“I’m sorry to hear that, councilor.”

“Well, you don’t have to be. You can just tell me how Kieran became a winter wolf.”

Jonas swallowed. His mother had warned him this might come up. “I won’t,” he said.

Hans looked up.

“
Reste assis.
Laisses-moi négocier,
” the councilor said.

“I really do apologize, councilor, but this isn’t up for negotiation. I am sorry about your health, but I will not tell you how to make a winter wolf.”

“You won’t, or the Agency won’t?”

“Both.”

“Why?”

She’d coached him what to say. It hadn’t prepared him for how hard it would be to do. “I will not tell you why, either, because that would tell you too much about how it was done.”

The councilor sat back. “Why did you come, then?”

Jonas licked his lips. “There was a chance you wanted to discuss something else.”

“Something else? I’m dying, boy! And my son won’t last as long as I have. The only ones living past 70 are the wretches who can’t get enough meat.”

It was heartbreaking. If the old man only knew how close he was to answering his own question…

“Out of her great respect for you, Alice Black sent her son to answer your summons.”

The councilor sighed and sat back. Then he looked up, hopeful. “Take my son!” he said.

“Father?” Hans said.

“Take him into your pack. If it’s a formula that’s hard to synthesize, or some kind of power play by the Agency-”

“Sir, please! I will not take your son.”

Hans paled. The councilor recoiled as if slapped.

“Jonas?” Kieran said.

“He’s not married and never mated, Mr. Black. You can see he’s good stock.”

It won’t do him any good. He’s already changed forms before.
“I won’t-”

“He’d be at least as good a breeder as Kieran, with healthier children-”

The armrests of Kieran’s chair creaked under his grip.

“Kieran?” Jonas said. Jonas could feel anger coming off him in waves. “Kieran!” Jonas snapped.

Kieran’s eyes were glowing blue. The councilor and his son stared at him, wide-eyed. “Yes, clan leader.”

“Please wait outside.”

“Yes, clan leader.” Kieran stood stiffly, as if his muscles were straining against themselves, and left the room.

Once he was gone, Jonas took a deep breath with his eyes closed, then continued. “My mother has the deepest respect for you, councilor, both for your role as the Arbiter of the Council and your cooperation with the Agency during the Cold War. There are problems with Kieran’s transformation we still need to work out.”

“The transformation, as it is now - would it save my father’s life?” Hans asked softly.

Jonas hesitated, then said, “No.” They were desperate. It was breaking his heart.

Father and son looked at each other. The councilor gave Hans a sad smile before turning back. “Thank you for your candor, Jonas.”

“I told you nothing.”

The old man nodded. “And you didn’t tell us why. But you must understand others have had the same thought we did. Other groups, less friendly to your family and the goals of the Agency, have already approached me, looking for support in upsetting the current balance. Of course, I also told you nothing. We parted on bad terms.”

“Of course,” Jonas said. “My mother is fortunate to count you among her friends.”

♘

Jonas stared at the closed window shade as turbulence made the plane shudder.

“Worried about Doris?” Kieran asked.

“Yep.”

Kieran shifted in his seat. “Want me to hold it for this leg? It’s only a nine-hour flight.”

Jonas saw the spark of mischief in Kieran’s eyes, and the tiredness in his face.
Still not okay, but trying,
he thought
.
He’d always liked the Macreadys ability to smile through tragedy. “Should I get your leash?”

Kieran grinned. “That’s okay, clan leader, I’ll take myself for a walk.” He unbuckled his seatbelt. “Hey, maybe this time she’ll come after me. Airplane bathroom. She’s hot now, right?” He wagged his eyebrows.

The slit in the hem of her dress flashed in his mind. “Uncomfortably so,” Jonas said. Then he thought,
I hope Eve doesn’t see what I just thought.

♘

“Ugh! You are such a boy!” Eve said, throwing a pillow at his face and reaching for another.

Crap.

CHAPTER 21

“Come in, Jonas, and close the door.”

Jonas pulled the heavy door shut, walked over to the nearest chair, and pulled off his shoes.

Alice raised an eyebrow.

He climbed into the oversized chair and sat cross-legged, knees against the armrests, back supported, arms crossed, and felt like a conqueror.

Alice laughed. It was a pretty sound; pure, like crystal being struck.

“What?”

She took off her earpiece and waved her screens dark.

“Your father did the same thing, the first time he came to this office.”

Jonas dropped his hands into his lap and sighed. “Any luck finding him?”

She sat back. She almost slouched. “No. I’ve sent the Foundation after him, but Marcus must have known he’d get caught at some point in his scheme. The trail fades in and out, then vanishes. Anyone who knew where your father was sent is dead.”

“What’s the Foundation?”

“One of my fail-safes,” she answered. “They trained Damien.”

“Wow.”

“Yes, they’re very dedicated. Their inability to find your father is… unexpected.”

“What about Fangston?”

“Either the demon was in control or he deliberately cut himself out of the loop. Maybe both.”

“So, what do we do?”

“Nothing.”

“Really?”

“Someone has him, Jonas. They’ll want something in return. I thought Frederic… well, I didn’t give Frederic Dorner enough credit as a man or as a friend. Maybe I’ll kill Marcus and see what happens.”

Jonas looked up in surprise.

“He hurt Victor,” she said.

Jonas nodded to himself.
Yeah, that was a bad move.
“I saw Doris,” he said.

“I know. I read your report.”

“She’s pretty scary.”

Alice stretched her arms out, joints cracking, then she stood. “She’ll come back; she always does. But that’s not why I called you.” She opened a drawer and pulled a gift-wrapped box out, then stepped around her desk. “Here,” she said, handing it to him.

He took the box. “What is it?”

“A gift,” she said, leaning back against the desk with her hands on the edge. It made her look about 400 years younger.

“I can see that, but why?”

The corner of her mouth curved upward. “Call me selfish, but I have better reason to remember your birthday than most. You’re 17.”

My…?
He’d lost track of time with the plane travel and the change in time zones. “Umm… Thanks.” He pulled the bow loose and took the top off. Inside was Madoc’s phylactery on its silver chain.

“I talked him into letting you wear him again.”

No, she didn’t,
Madoc said.
She just sent Damien on a mission more dangerous than hanging around your neck.

“You say potato,” she said, an impish grin on her face.

Jonas held the small cylinder in his hand. The golden lines binding the specter to the object were clearer than usual. A thin green line linked it to his wrist.

Alice pushed off the desk and ruffled his hair. “I’m going to try and get some sleep. Happy Birthday, Jonas.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

She walked out, as graceful as ever, smaller than he remembered.

♘

“Jonas! Snap out of it!” Jim hissed.

Jonas blinked hard and tapped Frank on the shoulder. Billy held out three fingers. Two. One.

Billy stepped out and kicked the door just below the handle, Frank underhanded a grenade in.
Bang!

They surged forward. Billy went left and started shooting; Frank went right. Jonas and Jim took the door across the hall. He pulled the pin, lobbed the grenade, and charged into the-

“Jonas!” Jim shouted.

Boom.
He was staring at the ceiling. Someone was dragging him backward, but his chest felt like it was on fire, and-

Jonas gasped. He was back in the training room. Viviane was looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Do you have to make it so painful?” Jonas said, rubbing his chest.

“I don’t know, Jonas. Would you prefer to blow yourself up with a real grenade?”

“Would I have to do it several times?” Jonas asked.

Viviane frowned, which made Jonas nervous, even though she wasn’t his instructor anymore.

The others were still in Viviane’s mindscape. Jim twitched twice, and winced, which probably meant he’d been shot because Jonas wasn’t there to cover him.
Great
, he thought. Frank and Billy seemed to be doing okay, although it was hard to tell in Billy’s case. He never smiled. There were four more soldiers in there Jonas didn’t know, and Damien. Damien was playing for the other team.

Jim coughed several times, and opened his eyes. “Damn,” he said. “Do you have to make it so painful?” He gave Viviane a big grin.

She frowned at him too, but her eyes were softer. “It’s good for you.”

“Trying to keep me around a bit longer?”

“Making sure you don’t slack off when it’s me you’re protecting. Now let me concentrate; he’s found them.”

Two soldiers twitched several times before opening their eyes. Frank sucked in his breath, but stayed under. Another soldier woke up and swore, while his buddies laughed at him, then Billy and Frank woke up at the same time.

Holy crap,
Jonas thought.

The last soldier backpedaled and raised his hands to his face, then groaned when he saw he was back in the room.

“That was a good run,” Damien said, waking. He looked at Frank. “Another?”

Frank shook his head. “I think I’m done for tonight. They may be psychosomatic, but they’re bruises anyway.”

One of the soldiers made a comment, and his buddies laughed.

Damien shrugged and stood up.

“I kind of liked it,” Jim said, giving Viviane a wink.

Billy grunted.

Jonas winced. Viviane’s eyes flicked over to him.

“You guys wanna grab a beer?” Frank said.

“Sure,” Jim said. “Where are we going?”

“The Overlook.”

“I’m in,” Billy said.

“Is this an open invitation?” one of the soldiers asked.

Frank grinned. “As long as you’re buying the first round.”

“Done.”

“What about you, kid? Down for a drink with the troops? I’ll buy you a soda.” Frank said.

Jonas looked at Damien, who gave him a slight nod. “Yeah, that’d be great. Can Kieran come?”

“I don’t know. Billy, can Kieran come?”

“Yeah, fluffy can come. When are y’all gonna stop giving me crap for that?” Billy said.

“When it stops working,” Frank said. “I’m going to run home and change, why don’t we meet there?”

Damien had already slipped out. The soldiers and former hunters started filing out of the room, talking about the training session with elaborate hand gestures and, Jonas guessed, some outrageous lies that would only get bigger with each telling.

“Jonas, a word?” Viviane said, two feet away from him.

“Uh, sure, Viviane.”

She smirked at him. He’d called her ma’am the first month he’d known her. She wasn’t his instructor anymore, so technically they were peers. Technically, she scared the crap out of him. “Let’s talk about Jim.”

“Jim? I like Jim. Jim’s great.”

“Your mother told me about the prophecy,” she said, lighting a cigarette.

There was no cigarette, Jonas reminded himself. She was just letting him know she’d bypassed his mental defenses.

She exhaled. “I’m over a hundred years old, which means I could have legally sired two fledglings. I haven’t. Firstly, I haven’t met anyone I’d consider truly irreplaceable who wasn’t already a vampire or couldn’t become one. Once you peel back the layers, people are people,” she said, waving her hand.