Chapter 4: Milestones
"I'm in Prague. I can see the castle in the distance. Benjamin's feeding on the woman. She's still alive ..." Jack let out an anguished sob as blood tears ran down his cheeks.
Leonard tightened his grip on Jack's arm, hoping it provided some reassurance. Likely his scent was more effective, but Leonard needed that physical connection. Fernando sat on Leonard's other side. They formed a chain of support as Marcus guided Jack through the worst years of his life.
They were using Philippe's office for the session. Marcus hoped Jack might be comforted by Philippe's lingering scent, but Leonard couldn't smell his presence. And Jack was probably too lost in his memories to be conscious of his grand-père.
Leonard knew he wasn't supposed to say anything. The drug was designed to reduce the level of anxiety Jack felt although Leonard didn't see how it could. He thought he'd prepared himself, but hearing Jack describe one heinous act after another made him long to tear Jack free. Only the thought that what Matthew was suffering was probably worse kept him from doing anything.
"Is that when you escape?" Marcus asked in the same level tone he'd used from the start of the ordeal. He was doing his best to keep Jack from dwelling on the abuse but he'd had only limited success.
Jack didn't answer at first. Marcus needed to repeat the question before he could pull himself free from the scene in Prague.
Jack nodded, swallowing convulsively. "Aye, but a day later he finds me." He shuddered. "And punishes me. Each time I'm caught, it's worse. I don't understand how I can still be alive."
His eyes had turned black as soon as he began relating details from his captivity, but he continued to respond to Marcus's questions. Leonard's imagination had already painted dark pictures of what Jack's life had been like, but hearing the confirmation was almost more than he could bear. Jack's only saving grace was that Benjamin wanted him in good enough shape to kill. Unlike with Matthew, the abuse was primarily emotional.
"Does he take you to another city?" Marcus asked.
"He leaves me among the corpses," Jack said, not answering him directly. "He thinks I'm too broken to move. He doesn't realize I pocketed his key. I wait an hour and then I escape."
Fernando leaned forward, his expression intent. This was the first time Jack had mentioned escaping from Benjamin's fortress. The details sounded like the same place Jack had described earlier.
"What route do you take?" Marcus asked, nodding at Fernando. They were recording the conversation, but Fernando had a pad of paper ready to write down questions. Jack was staring straight ahead but he wasn't looking at the portrait of Philippe on the wall. His eyes darted back and forth as he traversed some passageway in his mind.
"I sneak out of the cell and follow the corridor till it branches. I take the fork where Benjamin's scent isn't as strong. One hall leads to another. No windows. The air is damp and stuffy. I realize I'm in a tunnel of some sort." Jack stops abruptly. "I know where I am!"
"Where?" Marcus asks cautiously when Jack doesn't continue.
"My maze ..." Jack blinks and stares at them as if waking from a dream. "All this time I've been drawing the labyrinth for the game, I never realized ... It was based on my escape from Benjamin's lair."
"Do you know what town you were in?" Fernando asks.
Jack's breathing became more ragged. He clung to Leonard's arm as if he were being blown away. "I remember everything," he breathed, his expression growing more distraught by the second. "Chelm, Poland. Benjamin lives in a house on the outskirts. The underground is riddled with chalk tunnels."
"You say the labyrinth you've been working on is your escape route," Leonard said. "Does that mean you can draw it?" In the fall, Matthew had Jack focus on building the cradles after Benjamin's attack. Now, working on the map could not only save Matthew, but it could also help Jack's PTSD.
Jack nodded jerkily. "My path out of Hell? I'll start on it now." He turned to Marcus. "The network of tunnels extends throughout the town. Benjamin takes advantage of its numerous exits to take victims undetected. We could make a sneak attack on him by retracing my route."
#
"What if my map isn't accurate?" Jack demanded even though he didn't expect Leonard to answer. "The exit I used could be blocked and they'll have to find another one." He knew he wasn't being rational but not being allowed to go with the others was a bitter blow.
Leonard winced in sympathy. "If you weren't so exhausted, you'd realize why you can't go. Your map will lead them to Matthew. You didn't hesitate once when you drew it. They'll find Matthew and bring him home. Our job is to help safeguard the twins."
Jack looked up when Ysabeau entered the library. She was clad in dark hunting garments.
"The plane will leave in a few minutes," she said. "We'll stop in Venice to pick up Diana and Baldwin."
She took a seat in a chair facing them. "Your role is just as vital. The twins are our future. Françoise and Pierre, as well as the other retainers, will work with you. They'll help ensure that no one takes advantage of our absence to cause them—or you—harm."
"You can count on us, Madame Ysabeau," Leonard said.
"I know I can." Her expression softened. "I also am relying on you to support Jack." She turned to him. "I regret that you had to relive your suffering. The next weeks will be difficult as you process your memories. Leonard will aid in your recovery as Philippe did for me."
"I don't understand," Jack said. His first thought was that Benjamin had attacked her as well.
"My sire was the first vampire to have blood rage," she explained. "For years I was held captive, raped, and tortured by him and his sons. Philippe rescued me and hid my parentage from others to keep me safe. You see, we have more in common than you thought. You will recover from the abuse as I did, and you have the support of our entire family."
"Thank you," Jack said, not knowing what else to say. The horror of what Ysabeau had experienced blotted out Benjamin's face for a few minutes, but he knew he'd return. Benjamin's scent was in his nostrils even now.
He looked up to see Ysabeau standing in front of him, her hands gripping his shoulders. "Listen to me, Jack. The memories will fade. Leonard, Diana, I—all your extended family—will replace the darkness you currently feel inside you. Diana was tortured by Satu before she timewalked to Elizabethan England. She emerged stronger than ever from the experience. You will too."
Jack nodded, not trusting his voice to shatter. He'd never heard about the torture Mum had endured, but he remembered the haunted look on Matthew's face when he heard Satu was working with Benjamin.
Leonard swallowed hard. "Satu could be with Benjamin now," he said, his voice rough.
Ysabeau shook her head. "Diana has already ensured that Satu will never harm anyone by witchcraft."
"She killed her?" Jack blurted out. Not that he wouldn't rejoice but that would have meant they'd battled. His stomach cramped at the thought.
"Diana's fine," Ysabeau quickly said as if she'd read his mind. "Satu lives, but Diana spellbound her." She rose from her chair. "Keep each other and the twins safe. We'll bring your père home to you."
#
After the departure of the rescue party, those who were left behind threw themselves into their assigned tasks. Aunt Sarah and Marthe were in charge of the twins. When Jack and Leonard weren't patrolling the castle perimeter, they played duets for the staff. No one talked much. Nerves were as taut as the strings on Jack's cello.
Leonard was constantly with Jack, distracting him from thinking about Benjamin. He finished the maze for the game and sent it to Cicely. Leonard was eager to start the concept for the next game which would be set in Saint Petersburg during the time of Catherine the Great. Much to Jack's relief, Leonard didn't bring up his time with Benjamin. But now neither one of them slept much. As Jack had feared, his nightmares were now Leonard's as well. But at least they could comfort each other. Grand-mère had been tortured. So had Mum. They'd survived. So would Dad.
Calling Matthew his father was starting to feel natural. For the longest time, Jack had never felt worthy of being his son. But Leonard set him straight, explaining the guilt Matthew shouldered for not having killed Benjamin earlier. Jack needed to demonstrate that he bore him no ill will for having shown mercy.
They found Dad within twenty-four hours of arriving in Chelm. Many other vampires joined the de Clermonts in the assault. They faced heavy opposition with Benjamin's children defending their sire, but against Mum's magic, Benjamin had no defense. Jack was glad she was the one who killed him. She needed the closure it brought more than the rest of them.
Marcus called Jack as soon as Matthew was freed. The welcome news was tempered by hearing about Dad's condition. Grand-mère had suspected that would be the case. That was the main reason she'd gone along. Her blood was by far more potent than that of the others.
That evening, Jack and Leonard played a celebration concert in the great hall. The scent of Philippe was strong next to them. The long nightmare that was Benjamin was finally over.
#
Leonard heard from Fernando that the extent of Matthew's injuries was much more severe than they'd imagined. Leonard tried to prepare Jack but doubted he'd been very successful. Even with Ysabeau's blood, months of healing would be required.
Matthew was taken directly to Les Revenants. At first, only the closest family members were allowed to see him. Jack met with him briefly, barely long enough to welcome him home. Leonard didn't accompany Jack that first day, but a week later Matthew invited both of them to visit.
Diana led them to their bedroom. Her mood was surprisingly optimistic. She was convinced he'd make a full recovery, and Leonard didn't think she was simply putting on a brave front. Her conviction reminded him of Ysabeau's strength.
Matthew was propped up on pillows in bed. His voice was weak and barely recognizable but he spoke slowly to make his thoughts clear. "I will be stuck here for quite a while. I have a favor to ask of you both. I hope you'll use this time to acquaint me with your lives. As my historian wife reminds me, understanding the past is key to making our path in the future."
"Do you even want to hear the uncensored stuff?" Jack asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. They'd agreed ahead of time to appear as lighthearted as possible.
"Especially those bits," Diana declared, exchanging smiles with him. "We'd like the grand tour, enhanced with music and art." She turned to Leonard. "Ysabeau and Phoebe have praised your storytelling skills. We'd be honored to have a personal demonstration."
That invitation marked a turning point not only for Matthew but for Jack as well. He and Leonard moved into Les Revenants, along with Ysabeau and Sarah. In preparation for the presentations, Father H packed up additional instruments as well as Jack's drawings. They were delivered by a de Clermont courier on one of the family jets.
The activity was meant to be therapy for Matthew, but it was equally effective for Jack. Leonard kept him busy revisiting their history, selecting music, and tossing in more than a few teases about what they would have done if they'd been lovers earlier.
He and Jack were blessed to have had such a long history together, and Leonard was now confident their future was brighter than ever. They weren't the only ones healing. Sarah continued to make small steps in recovering from the loss of her partner. Fernando, who'd experienced a similar loss, was providing much-needed support for her. After the first few days, Matthew was an active participant—asking questions and offering anecdotes of his own. In many cases, they'd met the same people but his perspective was quite different.
As for Ysabeau, she claimed that finally hearing what Philippe had been up to over the past several centuries made it seem like he was still part of her life. Her teases about their escapades over the years became a daily highlight of the presentations. And everyone was kind not to mention the occasional tears among the laughter. Leonard longed for Ysabeau to be able to smell Philippe's scent. Diana confided that with time she might be able to.
Once Matthew was recovered, Leonard and Jack would return to London, but they intended to visit France often, especially now that money wasn't an issue. Ysabeau had already made them promise to return for the wine harvest. And this time they'd all have a picnic at Philippe's overlook.
Jack had his parents and Leonard was starting to feel like a member of the family too. Not bad for a couple of kids who'd started their lives as street urchins.
#
Four weeks after Matthew's return, Chris and Miriam came to Les Revenants for a visit. When they arrived, Matthew was asleep. Jack and Leonard were in the library preparing for their afternoon presentation. Diana greeted the new arrivals in the foyer, delighted that she could give them an upbeat report on Matthew's progress.
"You mentioned you had news about the DNA analysis," she prompted.
"Yes, and the breakthrough was speeded up by Jack's unraveling skill," Miriam said. "We've been sending him samples of DNA from various creatures for the past several weeks."
"The samples are only identified by number to eliminate any bias," Chris said. "Among them are samples from the twins."
Becca and Philip were the first Bright Born babies known to exist in hundreds of years. The term was used to describe the offspring of a witch and a vampire. Diana had already learned that only vampires who had the genetic markers for blood rage and who mated with a weaver could have offspring. The key ingredient was a daemonic chromosome. It was linked both to blood rage and to weavers.
"Jack unknowingly helped us decipher what makes him so unusual," Chris added. "We found the markers in plain sight. Jack not only has a daemonic chromosome but also vampire and witch components. They were part of him before he became a vampire."
Diana stared at them. "He's a Bright Born?"
"His genome is remarkably similar in key areas to your twins," Chris said. "We strongly suspect that at least one of Jack's ancestors was a Bright Born. This sheds a different light on his so-called bloodsickness. It may be a common trait for Bright Borns."
"This is also probably why Françoise's 'miracle cure' worked when Jack was sixteen," Miriam said "He'd inherited a tolerance for vampire blood even though he was a warmblood."
"Up to now, Jack's intolerance for human blood has been considered unique," Diana said. "But there may soon be other cases. Now that the covenant has been overturned, cross-creature marriages will undoubtedly become more common."
"In the future, there may be vegetarian vampires," Chris said. "Old beliefs will have to make space for new traits and behavior. I've already shared the news with Marcus. It's the dawn of a new era, not of Aquarius but something even more mind-expanding."
London. March 21, 2011.
Annick, Susanna, and Goody Alsop watched the preparations for the evening celebration from a bench in the courtyard. The spring equinox was a time of renewal and rebirth, and this year it was especially meaningful.
Sophie Norman and her husband Nathaniel were now residents of London and members of Andrew's flock. They'd spent the past couple of hours helping Jack and Leonard weave flower garlands. Soon Marcus and Phoebe would arrive. Agatha Wilson was in town. Cicely would bring her to the celebration.
Baby Margaret was being supervised by Carly Norman's daughter. Annick smiled at her and the baby cooed back. Already Margaret sensed the connection between them. Like Annick, she was a weaver. Did Diana realize her son Philip was also a weaver? Annick longed for the day when Diana could see her.
Five weavers would be present tonight— Goody, Annick, and Diana plus Margaret and Philip. When had so many weavers ever gathered together? The new closeness between the Bishop-Clairmont scion and the Garlickhythe gathering was growing stronger every day.
The pub and courtyard would be closed to the general public for the evening. This was a private party on a night meant for magic.
Annick turned to look at Goody. She was watching the baby, a thoughtful expression on her face. And that's when it struck Annick. "Margaret!"
"What about her?" Susanna demanded, her tone sharp. "Is anything wrong?"
"No. I just realized. The girl in the vision I'd had long ago when I scried Jack's future was Margaret."
Goody nodded smugly. "I wondered when it would hit you."
"But I don't understand." Fear mounted in Annick's throat. "Jack and Leonard are mates. Will something happen to Leonard?"
"You have no reason to be concerned," Goody assured her. "Jack and Leonard will be best friends with Rebecca, Philip, and Margaret as the children grow up. When you scried Jack's future, he was sad that he would never have children of his own. The time will come when Margaret will be a surrogate for him and Leonard."
Susanna's brow wrinkled. "A surrogate?"
"A surrogate mother," Annick explained. Her heart swelled with happiness at the joyous prospect ahead for Jack and Leonard.
Thanks to the popularity of the Dog and Whistle, she, Goody, and Susanna would be able to keep up with everyone's lives. They were making new acquaintances. Chris and Miriam dropped in frequently. Susanna was convinced they were dating. Phoebe was moving forward with her new business. She'd have to take a break soon when the process of being reborn as a vampire started, but she'd already designated Leonard to run it during her absence.
Annick looked up as she felt a soft displacement in the air. Corra had landed on the roof of the inn and was peering down at them.
"Corra will eventually bond with another weaver," Susanna said. "I wonder if she'll select little Philip or Margaret."
Goody shook her head. "She couldn't bond with anyone else so soon after leaving Diana."
But someday ... Any of Margaret's children could be a weaver, including Jack's child. Would Corra pick that baby? The threads connecting Jack and Diana to Corra were still strong even though they couldn't sense them.
Goody looked up. "Diana and Matthew have arrived with the twins."
Jack and Leonard went over to greet them. While they were talking, Phoebe and Marcus stepped into the courtyard.
Annick was on the point of floating over to hear their conversation when Diana approached their bench, her face radiant with happiness.
"I can see you!" Diana's thoughts resonated in Annick's head.
Goody smiled knowingly. "Welcome back, Diana!"
Notes: Thank you for joining me on this adventure! With Harm's Repair, I complete my take on Jack's journey through the third All Souls novel, The Book of Life. Deborah Harkness didn't mention that Jack was a Bright Born, but I enjoyed playing with the possibility. The twists I added could be the launching point of future adventures or they may simply be ideas to daydream about. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.