18

As they entered St. James Park Hunter told his driver to stop and wait. Knowing the others would become suspicious if he chose to follow. Instead he instructed the cab driver to sit and wait for him and handed over a large purse as incentive, promising more if he became his personal driver for the night.

Hunter watched silently from the darkness as the cab with his quarry stopped at the island entrance. Jacob jumped out and followed the path, looking around.

"So, you've commanded her here…" Hunter said quietly to himself. He raced back to his cab knowing they would move again soon and he would need to keep them in sight if his hunt for their roost was too succeed.

Jacob slowly approached the end of Duck Island and neared the statue. Not entirely sure how this encounter was going to play out. He spotted her now, watching him approach…. she looked so tired and pale.

"Evie?" Jacob said cautiously, hoping against hope that she didn't attack.

She stayed silent and continued to watch him approach. He was close now. His heart racing

"It's going to be alright... I promise.. I'm here.." he took her hand slowly, looking for any kind of reaction in her eyes.

"Alright, here we go….. "he said tensely and placed the ring on her finger.

Nothing happened for a second and then her hand started to tremble. The ring started to then glow faintly, followed by the precursor pins which emanated the same unusual light. Jacob took a small step back unsure of what was about to happen. Suddenly the pins fell away from Evie's head and she let out a loud gasp as if she had suddenly come up for air out of freezing water. Her breathing became ragged and she started to collapse. Jacob moved forward quickly to catch her before she hit the ground. She looked up at him blinking, struggling for breath.

"Steady Evie, breathe" he said looking at her full of concern.

"Ja….cob" she managed.

Then she smiled as her eyes filled with tears. He smiled back feeling his own eyes well up a bit. She managed to pull herself up a little and squeezed him hard in a powerful embrace which he returned. She pulled away slightly and ran a hand down the scar on his neck.

"Jacob…I'm so sorry…." She said hoarsely

"No Evie, it wasn't your fault, you had no control" he said quietly as he wiped her tears away.

She looked forlorn "but… I tried to kill you.…it felt like I really wanted too. I could see everything going on around me, and was completely powerless to stop it. I have never felt so helpless" she said as her voice cracked slightly.

"Yes well... you didn't kill me. We both know I've always been the better fighter so stop fooling yourself" he said with a raised eyebrow and cheeky smile.

Evie then looked at him with worry "we have to go and get Henry. Annie will use him as bait, or kill him in a rage" she said hastily.

Jacob calmed her "surely you didn't think I worked this device's mysterious workings out all by my onesie now did you?"

She eyed him. "He's safe?"

"Yes" Jacob replied "snug as a bug"

Evie suddenly relaxed. "I love you brother" she said quietly, suddenly looking very tired.

He looked back at her and scooped her up "and I you, dear sister".

Jacob didn't think Evie should have felt this light. She'd obviously lost weight, imagining she must have been treated poorly whilst under Annie's control. Jacob fumed inside but didn't show it as he carried her back to the cab.

"That device, it must be destroyed" Evie managed "do you have it?"

"Of course Evie, I'm not about to leave it in the park now am I?"

"I wouldn't put it past you" Evie joked tiredly.

Jacob feigned offence and Evie smiled "I see your getting back to your old self quicker than I thought" he joked" are you sure you don't want to keep it to use on Annie? Oooh the fun we could have"

"Don't tempt me" Evie suddenly said with venom.

George spotted the twins and joined them whilst Jacob put Evie down on her feet at her request, claiming she could probably make the rest of the way to the cab. George fussed over Evie and she assured him she was alright, just extremely tired with her body feeling like iron. She climbed into the cab and noticed the young lady sitting opposite who was smiling at her.

"Welcome back Evie" Lilly said with sincerity.

"George, we need to make an unscheduled stop" Jacob announced climbing up beside him

"Whatever for" George replied

"Evie wants this cursed trinket destroyed as soon as possible and I aim to please" Jacob stated

"I see" said George "the closest foundry it is then"

Hunter followed again and watched them stop outside a foundry. Surely this wasn't their roost?... No, just Jacob jumping down from the cab. Hunter watched Jacob say something to the driver and the cab moved further away down the road. Jacob then made his way into the foundry.

Hunter sat there watching, guessing at his marks intentions and played with the idea of going in there to kill him. After all, he was completely unarmed...but patience was a virtue and the bigger prize could be a nest full of little assassins. After a few minutes he heard a loud explosion from the foundry and the ground heaved. Hunter's startled driver tried to settle the frightened horse who had bolted away a little. Hunter now believed his thoughts were correct as he witnessed his mark quickly leaving the scene. Jacob had indeed just destroyed Annie's beloved device.

Jacob jumped back into the cab. Lilly looked over shaken

"I know you said to prepare for a bang but that was a little more than a bang" she said swallowing.

"Yes, sorry about that. Was a bit of an understatement wasn't it" Jacob said with a grin "we knew what to expect since Evie blew the last one up"

Evie just rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless much more relaxed knowing that awful precursor device was finally gone.

After a while of following his quarry Hunter's cab had now entered more rural terrain. He quickly decided to abandon his ride knowing it would be too obvious he was following. Now he tracked them on foot, easy with the muddy roads. He finally discovered they had turned through an old rusted gate. He stopped aware of scouts in the trees. So here it was, their little roost….

Hunter had found them.