Chapter 6: Baldwin
Throughout the week, Matthew instructed Jack in yoga, telling him that meditation would help him control his sickness. They hunted nightly with Gallowglass, Miriam, and Father H. The rest of the day, Jack didn't see much of Matthew and Miriam. Gallowglass spent much of his time managing a shipping company he owned.
Jack focused on his video game during breaks. Playing music didn't provide the relief it used to. His favorite pieces were supposed to be duets, not solos. Whenever he played, the distance separating him from Leonard seemed even greater.
He resolved to wait till Mabon before returning to London. By then, he would have spent a week in New Haven. He knew Father H was eager to go home, and he longed to as well. The few times he attempted to sleep, he was haunted by the thought Benjamin would attack Leonard during his absence as a form of punishment.
By the eve of their scheduled departure, he still hadn't mentioned anything to Matthew. They wouldn't hunt that night since Diana and Matthew had a function to attend. Jack decided to let Matthew know the next morning during yoga practice. He hoped Matthew would let him say goodbye to Diana before leaving. He'd quickly learned that Matthew didn't trust him around her, not that he blamed him.
He worked on Labyrinth that evening. It had become an intricate maze of underground passages spreading like a spider web under the city. As he sketched the tunnels, something niggled at the back of his head. It was like he'd explored them before. But where?
Benjamin's face flashed before his eyes. He blinked and the face disappeared. He shook his head to clear his mind. He'd talked with Leonard an hour earlier. He was fine. For the moment, everyone he loved was safe. Tomorrow he'd return to London. Relax, already!
Gallowglass wanted to watch a movie. He asked Jack if he'd seen Casino, a Martin Scorsese film about gamblers in Las Vegas. Jack hadn't but didn't figure he'd watch it, preferring to work on his game.
He didn't realize he was humming an aria from the St. Matthew Passion until it was too late.
#
The next thing Jack knew, he was awakening from a nightmare. He stared horrified at the walls of Gallowglass's living room. He'd covered them with drawings. Someone had even brought in a ladder for him to stand on. He must have been drawing for hours. Everywhere he looked he saw his nightmares rendered visible—Benjamin's face loomed directly overhead.
Matthew gripped his shoulder. "Focus on Diana. Your drawing of her is exquisite. Don't look at the others." Jack didn't remember when Matthew had arrived. Father H was there too. A stranger with dark brown skin was unknown to him. The others called him Chris, Miriam's colleague. What an introduction. He'd already been exposed to the darkness inside Jack.
"Gallowglass, I'm sorry," Jack said, appalled at what he'd done. "I'll paint over everything tomorrow."
Everyone was ordering him not to. They praised his artistry. But how could they view the subjects—most of them victims from his years with Benjamin—with anything but horror?
Matthew insisted he wasn't to blame, but he knew better. He was the one with blood rage. The one who was broken. Chris likened what Jack had to two wolves fighting for control of his soul. Everyone was trying to be upbeat, saying they'd help him control the evil wolf that was Benjamin.
"Come on, Jack," Gallowglass urged. "Lobero needs to be taken for a walk. We'll get a bit of fresh air."
Jack welcomed the suggestion. Anything to get away from those drawings. During the walk, Gallowglass rambled on about his adventures in Australia, and Jack gradually relaxed. The Outback was particularly enticing. Perhaps there, Jack could finally escape from Benjamin. But would Leonard like it?
"Do you know what triggered the incident?" Gallowglass asked as they headed back.
"No. I was working on the game ... and thinking about Leonard. I remember worrying that Benjamin would attack him in London. Then I started hearing the St. Matthew Passion in my head. I knew I was in trouble, but it was already too late to pull myself out."
"I don't understand."
"Benjamin used to play the oratorio constantly. The music is permanently etched into my skull with Benjamin's stamp on it."
"Christ, that was my fault," Gallowglass moaned. " You weren't hearing the music in your head. It was coming from the TV."
Jack stared at him in disbelief.
"The soundtrack of the movie I was watching included the final movement from the oratorio in the opening credits. I'm sorry, lad."
"It's not your fault," Jack said wearily. "I could have heard it somewhere else. I never used to play much Bach. Now I associate him with Benjamin. That's not fair to the composer. Somehow I have to purge myself of Benjamin and his lies."
"And you will. We'll all help you."
Jack stopped abruptly when he heard a vampire's heartbeat in the distance. He was running toward them. Benjamin had found him!
Two hours later.
Gallowglass kept a close watch on Diana and Jack as they approached her house on Court Street. He would have a difficult time deciding who was more in shock, but the repercussions would be much more severe for Jack.
As far as Gallowglass was concerned, the blame rested squarely with Baldwin. Racing toward them like that—what was he thinking? Jack panicked, assuming he was Benjamin. Before Gallowglass could correct him, Jack launched himself forward and bit Baldwin on the shoulder. Gallowglass managed to prevent Baldwin from attacking Jack, but he knew the lull was only temporary.
Baldwin hauled Jack to Gallowglass's house with vengeance in his eyes. He didn't know who Jack was. He didn't realize Andrew was a de Clermont. Not that any of that mattered to him. Baldwin was only interested in applying swift judgment. The brutality of his attack on Jack in Gallowglass's living room caused even Chris to try to protect the lad.
Once he'd fed on Jack, Baldwin was convinced that Jack was the mass murderer sought by the Congregation. The drawings on the walls were all the confirmation he needed. He probably would have ordered Matthew to kill the lad on the spot if Auntie hadn't appeared like an avenging angel. In the mayhem, Corra was injured, and Baldwin could have easily been killed. Personally, Gallowglass wouldn't have shed a tear over his demise.
Matthew ordered Gallowglass to take Jack and Auntie to her house while he met with Baldwin. Miriam, Chris, and Andrew accompanied them. They made quite a group, united by their anger at Baldwin.
But for Matthew, the situation was much more complicated. He'd feel obligated to go along with whatever Sieur Baldwin ordered. Matthew was too much of a traditionalist to disobey a directive from the head of his family.
Gallowglass didn't need to cast his runes to know what Baldwin would demand. He was sorely tempted to take Jack and flee before Matthew returned. But a life on the run? Matthew would be obliged to seek them out, and no doubt he'd eventually find them. Matthew had been the family assassin for too many years. His skills were unparalleled.
The group gathered in Auntie's kitchen. Miriam usually concealed her soft side, but tonight it was on full display. While Chris prepared a mug of herbal tea for Diana, Miriam bandaged Jack's neck. Gallowglass knew her words of comfort were aimed as much at Diana as they were at Jack. The lad had undoubtedly experienced worse injuries in the past. But the brutality with which Baldwin mauled his neck had been sickening to watch and the resulting emotional scar would last longer than the physical wound.
"Diana, have you heard much about Freyja?" Miriam asked in an attempt to change the subject.
Chris pressed the stoneware mug into Auntie's hand. Gallowglass noted with approval that he'd laced the tea liberally with sugar. When she didn't respond to Miriam's question, Chris asked, "Who's Freyja?"
"One of Philippe's daughters," Gallowglass answered. "For me, she seems the closest in character and personality to Philippe. I can almost sense his presence when I'm with her."
Auntie looked up, appearing more alert. "I'd like to meet her."
"I'm sure you will," Miriam said. "I met Jack in Stockholm in the 1700s. Freyja sang his praises as an artist and musician. Jack, when did you first make her acquaintance?"
Normally a vampire would never ask a vampire about their past, but Gallowglass approved the tactic. Miriam was trying to get the lad to focus on a less traumatic period in his life. Lobero was sitting quietly on the floor next to him. This could be the last evening Auntie would have with Jack. Her final memories should be happy ones.
And the lad was never one to resent being asked a question.
"Philippe invited me to France in 1645," Jack said readily. "The Civil War was still going on in England. Commissions for artists were non-existent. I moved into Freyja's townhouse in Paris. Several other artists and actors lived there. She helped me get commissions." He turned to grin at Gallowglass. "Later she became my spymaster. At times, she employed Leonard too. We gathered news and secrets at court and passed them through Freyja to Philippe."
Andrew made rumbling sounds. "Needless to say, not anything I condoned. Jack had the good sense not to tell me about his activities for decades or there would have been hell to pay."
Auntie stared at Jack with fresh eyes. "You worked undercover for Philippe?"
"It wasn't our real job," he said quickly as if she were dismayed at the news. "Leonard and I performed music at court. Sometimes I worked on murals. Courtiers didn't pay attention to us." He shrugged. "We'd overhear confidences, sneak in private areas. We never got caught!"
Andrew rolled his eyes. "If I hadn't stepped in, you and Leonard would have been seized in the Tower of London. That would have put a quick end to your future careers as spies."
Jack smiled at him affectionately. "And Leonard and I have never stopped being grateful."
Andrew was also revealing his soft side. He undoubtedly realized the peril Jack was in. The lighthearted banter was helpful for everyone. Auntie laughed at the scrapes Jack described. Some Andrew hadn't heard about. Chris and Miriam added their own teases. This was the break they all needed.
But the mood changed dramatically when Matthew arrived at the door. With only a brief nod to the rest of them, he asked Auntie to accompany him. To Gallowglass, the reason was clear. Matthew needed to explain he'd been ordered to kill Jack. Somehow he had to persuade her to accept his fate.
"I assume Baldwin has left," Andrew said.
Matthew nodded. "He's on his way back to New York City."
"Then Jack and I will return to Gallowglass's house. We'll return to London tomorrow." There was a note of defiance in his voice, confirmation that he knew the lay of the land.
Andrew had left a little wiggle room by not departing immediately, and Gallowglass waited for Matthew to order them to stay in town. But he didn't. That didn't mean Jack was out of danger though.
Auntie kissed Jack on the cheek on her way out. "I strengthened the healing spell," she murmured. "You'll sleep well tonight. I'll come over tomorrow to see you."
Jack nodded. "I'll look for you then."
Chris exchanged glances with Miriam. "Jack, I've never had the chance to hear you play. Would you mind if I come back with you? I'd like to hear some of those pieces you played at court."
Miriam looked at him gratefully. Everyone was on tenterhooks because of Baldwin. Only minutes before Gallowglass and Jack took their ill-fated walk, Chris had urged the others to form a pact to help Jack fight the sickness. Gallowglass was sure Miriam hadn't mentioned what Baldwin would likely demand. But no action would probably be taken tonight.
When they returned to his condo, Gallowglass suggested they appropriate the upstairs game room for the impromptu concert. The less time Jack spent looking at his drawings on the walls the better. The lad had mentioned music helped him relax and they could all use a dose of that.
"Do you mind if I look at this?" Chris asked, pointing to the sketchpad Jack had left on the poker table.
"No, although you probably won't find the designs very interesting," Jack said as he removed his viol from the case. "I'm working on a maze for a video game."
Andrew sat down at the poker table with Miriam and Chris. Gallowglass went to the wet bar to fetch some beer.
When Chris gave a low whistle, Jack craned his neck to see what he was looking at.
"You drew all these?" Chris asked, holding up a page of knots.
Jack nodded. "They're inspiration for the maze."
"Jack often includes knots in his art," Andrew volunteered.
"In memory of Diana?" Gallowglass guessed, a wave of sympathy for Jack washing over him. The lad's knots were like his tattoos.
Jack nodded. "And the spells she weaves. I never sign my works. Leonard said that my knots serve as my hidden signature."
Chris turned to face Miriam. "You know what they remind me of."
She snorted a laugh. "DNA strands. We've been studying them so much, by now almost anything could remind you of DNA."
Chris grinned sheepishly. "Point taken, but I know you're familiar with knot theory's connection to DNA analysis."
Miriam said something about repacking DNA, whatever that was, but Gallowglass didn't pay much attention. A vampire was at the front door and Jack hadn't met him.
Before the lad could react, Gallowglass raced to his side and gripped his shoulder. "Marcus has arrived. Prepare yourself to meet another member of the family. I promise you'll like him."
Lobero had already moved into position in front of Jack, sensing his nervousness. As long as Benjamin was alive, Gallowglass doubted Jack would feel safe around unfamiliar vampires.
"Marcus is here already?" Chris said, looking stunned. "Miriam only sent him the photos this morning."
Miriam shrugged. "He must have felt the need was great."
No arguments about that.
An instant later, Marcus was standing in the room. He probably wasn't what Jack expected. Matthew had told him that Marcus was a skilled doctor, but he looked only a few years older than Jack. Like him, he was clad in jeans and a t-shirt.
"Having a party without me?" Marcus joked. "I'll take one of those beers, Gallowglass." He then strode over to Jack and clasped his elbow. "Welcome to the family." His eyes darted to the bandages on his neck. "Do I need to look at that?"
"No, I'm fine," Jack said, looking embarrassed.
"Baldwin gave him a dose of his famous hospitality earlier this evening," Gallowglass explained.
Marcus winced. "His manners leave a great deal to be desired. On behalf of the Knights of Lazarus, I apologize for Baldwin's behavior."
"Knights of Lazarus?" Chris asked, turning to Miriam.
"An organization founded by Philippe," she explained. "Matthew put Marcus in charge before he timewalked back to London with Diana."
"Our group consists of daemons, witches, vampires, and a few enlightened humans," Marcus explained. "Our goal is to protect the innocent and abused." He turned to Andrew and gave him a nod. "Something we have in common. From where I stand, Jack's in need of our services."
"I'll show you where you can park your car," Gallowglass offered, glad for the excuse to talk with him privately. Jack didn't need to hear a repetition of what had taken place.
#
Jack took advantage of the break to go to his room. He hadn't had a chance to talk with Leonard, and who knew when he'd get another opportunity? Baldwin wouldn't be satisfied with one bloodletting. Now that he knew Jack had blood rage and was a mass murderer, he'd most likely demand his death.
Leonard answered on the first ring. "At last! I was getting worried when you didn't call." Jack could hear the concern in his voice and his resolve started to crumble. He loved him so much. How could he admit what he'd done?
"I'm sorry, time slipped away from me." No need for Leonard to hear about his relapse. "But you're in my thoughts." Always. "Any sign of Benjamin?"
"No, all's quiet. Tell Father H his business is thriving. I haven't messed anything up." As Leonard related some anecdotes from work, Jack longed to be there. To have their lives back. If only Baldwin would let him.
"Jack, what's wrong?"
"I ... I just miss you so much. I love you. You know I always will." No matter what happens to me.
"I love you too, babe. The only thing that makes the separation bearable is hearing how much you're improving."
You wouldn't think so if you knew what happened.
"Jack? You still there?"
"Aye." Jack struggled to find a topic to keep Leonard talking. He was clinging to the sound of his voice.
"You're coming home soon, right?"
"I hope to," Jack hedged. Surely Baldwin would allow him to say goodbye. That wasn't too much to ask. "Father H wants to return tomorrow." He paused as his sire appeared in the doorway.
"You need to come downstairs. Gallowglass has news." Jack studied his face anxiously but Father H was hard to read. "Our plans to return may have to be delayed, but this could be for the best. Tell Leonard I'm counting on him to take care of the flock."
Jack ended the call after promising to call Leonard as soon as he could. Mop pressed against his legs as they walked down the stairs. He was anxious too. For the dog's sake, he tried to relax. When he entered the game room, he only saw Father H and Gallowglass. "Where are the others?"
"Marcus left to see Matthew," Gallowglass explained. "They'll return shortly. You should start packing. You'll leave tonight."
"I will?" Jack asked numbly. His mind immediately churned out scenarios, each one worse than the other.
Gallowglass nodded. "You and Andrew are going with Matthew and Marcus to New Orleans. I'll stay here to help Auntie. Chris and Miriam left to be with her."
Jack sank into a chair, stunned at the reprieve. "Why New Orleans?"
"Because Matthew's decided to form a scion. Do you know what that is?"
"Where a vampire forms a branch family?"
"Close enough. Marcus has been urging Matthew to create one for a while. Baldwin's actions today were the last straw. But before Matthew can create the scion, he needs to obtain the consent of Marcus's children in New Orleans."
"Doesn't Baldwin also have to agree?" Jack asked even as his heart soared at the prospect.
"Matthew will make him see reason," Father H said confidently. "We won't be in New Orleans for long, and I agree the delay is necessary." He nodded toward Jack's viol. "Gather your gear. I'll collect any items from downstairs."
Jack's thoughts were muddled as he mechanically packed. Why would Baldwin agree to a scion? And even if he did, he could make Jack's punishment a pre-condition.
When Matthew appeared a few minutes later, his face looked haggard, confirming Jack's fears. What kind of Faustian bargain had he agreed to?
"Is this really what you want?" Jack asked him, dreading the response.
Matthew looked surprised at the question. He drew near and placed his hands on Jack's shoulders. Although Jack was nearly six feet tall, Matthew still towered over him by several inches. "It is and more importantly, it's what Diana wants. Baldwin shouldn't be able to command any of us. Not Diana. Not you. Not the twins."
"Diana will meet us in New Orleans?"
"No, but don't worry, she'll be well protected. Gallowglass will ensure it. Finish your packing. Marcus has already alerted the pilot. The plane leaves in thirty minutes." He gave Jack a shove to reinforce his order.
Jack's head was filled with questions, but Matthew was in no mood to answer them. If he hurried, he'd have time to call Leonard back before leaving.