Chapter 20: Fire and Ice
Jack reeled about the room angrily when his grandmother had finished her story, even going so far as to punch the wall. "They didn't even tell us," he fumed.
"Come on, Jack," Emily said, her voice soft. "What does it matter whether they told us or not?"
"What does it matter?" Jack exploded. "Come on, Emily! They made enemies of some of the most dangerous people in the world! Don't you think they should have told us so we would know to be careful? To prepare ourselves?" He fixed a glare on his grandmother, his green eyes darkening, shooting fire. "Don't you think they would have told us so we would have known to stay away from her?"
"Your sister's right, Jack," Irina said. If Jack's eyes were shooting fire, then hers were pure ice. "It wouldn't have mattered." She flashed him a wintry smile. "I would have found a way to get to you no matter how prepared you were."
Jack frowned sullenly. "So, what now?" he asked. "You expect us to go with you now? To work for you? Well, you can--"
"Not you," Irina cut in.
Jack stared at her, not fully comprehending. "What?"
"You won't be coming with me," Irina said, her voice cool, even. "Just Emily. You'll be free to go in a few minutes."
"Free to--" Jack stared at her unbelievingly. "But why would you let me go?" he asked, hoping that by doing so he wasn't digging his own grave. "I'll just tell my parents that you have her. They brought down your organization once, I'm sure they can find you again."
"Yes."
As soon as the single word was out of her mouth, it dawned on Jack. That was what she wanted. Nothing would happen that she didn't want to happen. She was that powerful. "Emily's just bait," he realized, feeling sick to his stomach. "It's my parents that you want."
"Well, your mother, actually, though I suppose your father will have to be captured along with her, as, of course, will you," Irina said with a sigh, staring at her nails as if the entire conversation was boring her. "But Emily is much more than just bait, Jack. She's destined for magnificent things, important things."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Irina flashed him another of her cold smiles. "That's not really your concern. Now," she said, rising from her seat. "I really must be going now, it's getting quite late. Sark, please show the boy out."
"What about him?" Sark asked, cocking his head toward Keith, who stood off to the side, mouth open in disbelief.
Irina stared at him for a moment. "Let him go," she said decisively. "I'm quite certain that we've frightened him enough that he won't tell a soul what he's seen here today, isn't that right, Keith?"
Keith nodded mutely, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of the room and never come back.
"You won't try to stop us when we go," Irina told Jack, cocking her head toward Sark. Wordlessly, he stepped to Emily's side, taking the girl by her arm. "We're armed, and you're not, and even if you were, I'm quite sure that your parents didn't have the foresight to teach you to use a weapon."
The strange thing was, Jack had the odd feeling that he did know how to use one, and that his grandmother knew that. But how did he know? When had he learned? All he knew then, at that moment, was that he felt utterly and completely helpless. His grandmother was taking Emily, and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it.
"Do me one favor, Jack."
Jack didn't feel it necessary to respond to his grandmother. She must have known that he was powerless to do anything but obey. And she made her request as she moved toward the door, Sark, Emily, and Sloane behind her.
"Ask your mother if she remembers a little thing called the prophecy."