Chapter 20

Sighing, Evelyn looked at Johnathon and Lana holding the Talisman. Looking closer, Evelyn gasped and pointed at the front of the tree shaped necklace. “Oh my god!” She exclaimed. “Lana, Johnathon do you realize what you have in your hand?” Evelyn asked.

They both started at his mother. “I’d say it is a living talisman,” Johnathon said.

“It is far more than that.” Thinking a moment, she looked closer. “Yes, I’m sure. All the originals were destroyed at least a thousand years ago. This is a work of extreme skill. It took my grandfather 40 years to create one.” Johnathon smiled as he knew that Tyrome had a lot of skill and power, and he was a lot smarter than he let on.

“What is so special about it, Mrs. Timmings?” Lana asked. “It won’t hurt the baby, will it?”

“Very far from it; this, depending on how it was crafted, will provide the possessor with what they need the most to protect them. I mean WHATEVER, or whom ever, to give something like this away...” Evelyn stood there with her mouth open. This was truly a gift that would protect the child for a very long time.

“I’ll be damned,” Johnathon said, “I guess I owe him even more, damn he’s never going to let me pay him back.”

Lana could only stare at Johnathon. “Pay him back? I thought you owed no one anything.”

“I don’t, except him. That ass, giving us this. Now I’ll be another 100 or so years paying him back. Wait! Did he say there were only 2?” Groaning, Johnathon knew he had the other one, plus he knew what it was for.

“Are you ok Johnathon?” His mother asked.

“I will be, every time I think I have finally paid Tyrome back he does something like this. One of these days, he is going to need help. I have to be there to finally pay him back for his friendship all these centuries.” Looking out the window Johnathon thought, one day I just hope I am ready my dear friend.

Johnathon watched as Lana fingered the tree shaped pendant, he was still in a bad mood, he thought he and Tyrome were finally even. Here the ass had given them protection for their child; Johnathon knew that Tyrome had more also. He was never going to be able to pay him back at this rate, not concentrating once again; Johnathon started blowing the hell out of everything that was placed in front of him.

Growling he looked back at Lana, “Lana hon?” He finally said to her.

“What’s wrong Johnathon?” She asked completely unaware of the fits he was having, looking at the pendant that she was cradling so lovingly.

“Hon if you could, please put that away? It reminds me of how much of a failure I am to my friend.” Johnathon said. This was a shock to her, hearing Tyrome tell it, he owed Johnathon and would never be able to pay him back. Shaking her head she wondered how the men ever got very far with so many misunderstandings.

Placing the pendant inside her shirt tucked safely between her breasts she heard Johnathon sigh in relief. “I’m sorry my love,” she started, “I was just absently holding it thinking of our child and how wonderful it is we are finally together.”

Nodding Johnathon walked over to her and passionately kissed her surprising not only her but Johnathon also.

“After all the centuries of separation and the misunderstandings, I am more than happy to try and make up for it.”

Lana leaned into his kiss, “Ummmm if it keeps changes such as this in you, than I am more than happy to remind you every day how much I love you!” Lana said with a broad smile.

Tom just shook his head at this rate Johnathon wouldn’t be to concentrate at all.

Sighing Johnathon kissed Lana one more time then went back to work, it was a lot harder to control then he’d thought though after yesterday it did seem that he did have a bit of control.

A pair of eyes watched the proceedings as Tom and Johnathon practiced, ‘I have to inform the council,’ the eyes owner thought. ‘If they keep this up then Johnathon will ascend to the position that his father hOldS, this can’t happen if the council was to ever get out from under the foot of the Timmings.’ Flashing out the spy didn’t see Ben Timmings watching from further back, ‘So, Ben thought, ‘they have taken to spying on the keep.’ Flashing in near Tom, Ben motioned him close so he could let Tom know what he’d just seen.

“Ben?” Tom said when he saw his uncle, “I take it your being here means that something new has developed?” Nodding, Ben told Tom of the spy that he’d seen watching their keep; he also informed Tom that the council hadn’t been too pleased that Ben had sent young Tyrome on ahead to the enforcer school removing him from active duty as a bounty hunter.

“I tell you I caught more than an earful about that for several hours, I watched them all as you told me; it seems that the most boisterous are a certain three mages. I am sure you are familiar with their names. Clondus, Torbert, and no surprise, Alaze Odium.”

This last had Tom hissing then growling, that bastard had been after Evelyn when they were younger and still wanted her even 800 years later.

As quiet as he could Tom told Ben, “I should have killed that bastard when we dueled instead of taking his arm!”

Ben looked at Tom with shock he’d never heard Tom voice displeasure this strongly before maybe this was a good thing after all for ALL concerned. “We need to make plans as of right now, if I know that ass the way I do he’s already got something in the works to destroy Johnathon. This will not happen I will kill that bastard long before he even gets close to Johnathon.”

Ben could only stare at his nephew this was most refreshing hearing Tom speak as emotionally as he was.

“I want you to keep eyes on the spy or spies as I am sure they will send more than one. It appears that I may have to move up the time table and confront the bastard in open chambers.” Tom told Ben.