Chapter 10

“Aye, don’ be afraid he ‘as no power,” the leader smirked.

“Oh really?” Jonathan said, touching the crystal again, this time his full power returned, “It seems I am at full power but you,” he waved a hand at his attackers, “are nothing.”

Snarling the 5 men advanced ready to rip Jonathan apart, only one man got a swipe at him, the move slightly revealed the crystal on Jonathan’s chest. “OMG!” the leader yelled, “He has the Rinora crystal!” Turning the leader tried to run while the other 4 were still trying to attack, the leader froze while the others were sliced into pieces, several hundred times.

“So,” Jonathan started, “you know of the crystal, then you also know the price for it being used.”

The man could only nod, “It’s really too bad, not many know of the crystal anymore,” here Jonathan leaned closer and grimaced, “now there is one less!” the crystal shimmered, then the man screamed as a beam shot out drawing everything from the man almost depleted of energy the body shriveled then fell to the ground a dried out husk.

Not far away Lana had turned a corner, her eyes wide when she saw the crystal. OMG! She though, the Rinora crystal! Memories started to flood back, painful, bitter memories, overwhelming memories that had her head spinning.

Too many Lana thought, TOO MANY! With a sigh she felt her mind shutting down, the welcome darkness caressing her like a long absent lover, slipping into it she thought why Jonathan? Why have you suffered alone all these years? It was mine and Gregor’s duty also, why you bastard, she was my best friend! Lana awoke an hour later, startled she saw that she was in Jonathan’s office. The memory of what she’d seen came back, this time she had to hide it before Jonathan scanned her, true she liked having Jonathan in her, but for once she wanted to keep everything. Opening her eyes fully she saw that her mother was bent over with a look of concern on her face.

“Lana! Thank the night; I thought you had contracted the disease!” Lady Vishnew said, wiping her face again.

“Jonathan contacted us as soon as you collapsed, what happened?”

Lana looked at Gregor who just shrugged; the look of pure death she gave him had him retreating out the door. He wasn’t about to drag his sister into this though she might be the injured party it was his duty to take care of it.

Gregor backed into Jonathan outside the office door, a look of concern on Jonathan’s face had Gregor spilling everything to him. As he expected, Gregor saw Jonathan’s face twist into a mask of pure hatred and death, damn Gregor thought too bad, his look would be perfect for a vampire! The only thing that tempered the anger was when Gregor told him that he’d broken Reginald’s neck, almost to the point of ending him.

“I wish I had now, but for some reason I couldn’t, I probably had a thought in the back of my mind that you’d kill me if I had!” Laughed Gregor. Jonathan smiled a cold deadly smile that barely reached his eyes though it wasn’t a smile of delight more a smile of a plan a terrible plan breaking into creation in his mind. Then the smile grew a smile that seemed more and more evil as each minute passed, yes! What a wonderful idea! Jonathan’s mind was whirling with ideas this was perfect! Perfect that is if he could get away with it!

Jonathan’s plan grew more and more it seemed with each passing minute, he was sure he could get away with it.

Now all he had to do was implement it, tomorrow was the day they wanted the memories from him so he had to do this in a hurry. Jonathan crept up the stairs to Pennington’s room, his senses were wide open, it wouldn’t do to get caught that was for sure. Finally he was there, he just hoped that the crystal wouldn’t need to feed for a while, he could give it some of his but it didn’t always listen to him. In the room he felt his target, above the casket/box he held his hand out. Finished he was starting to leave when an idea hit him, shrugging he figured hell, why not? In another room over a much richer casket he held out his hand and touched the crystal.

Ugh! Jonathan thought such vile, dark evil! The mere presence of it had Jonathan reeling almost in a flight aspect of the fight or flight response. Finally finished he hoped that Pompoff didn’t realize that it had been him, plus the fact that he felt for the lackeys they would definitely be punished. Damn it! He could feel the crystal starting to demand for something, finally outside he asked one of the lackey’s away for a moment. Alone Jonathan touched the crystal, the man’s eyes grew large then he was bathed in the odd light, moments later only a dried husk was left. Shit Jonathan thought, he hoped that was enough the crystal always demanded different amounts at different times, hopefully he could hide it away forever after this, the evil of the crystal was growing. Jonathan was afraid that it was going to swallow him in its own plans, no matter how hard he fought against it. Strengthening his resolve, Jonathan pushed everything of the crystal from his mind, at this rate his mind was going to become stronger Jonathan thought, but would it be enough, he sighed.

Making his way back to his office, Jonathan felt exhausted, the crystal always took a lot out of him strangely enough when he recovered he was always a little stronger. For the first time ever Jonathan thought about it, his power had started to increase slowly but steadily 200 years ago, right after he’d used the crystal, then again the wild magic had started then also, he had to keep the locks in place. If either council found out, he was dead for sure, even with the power, he’d still be no match for all of them, plus he knew his father would help them, always a slave to tradition and the rules. The thing was he had the power to destroy them all but they had experience to escape and then combine their powers, Shit! Anyway he looked at it, he was screwed for sure! Finally he thought after all this time I would be free of all this, the memories, the sorrow, the crystal, I wish I had looked down at that moment as the crystal flared a moment without being touched, had I noticed it I might have been better prepared for the next day and the carnage that would ensue.