Chapter 13

Tiqua now realised that her entity was very upset with her.

It was no longer lethargic and hiding in the back of her head, ignoring what she said or did. She had known the magical ring was contaminated when she had found it on the bridge of the ship and put it on.

She had foolishly given the other ring that she found to her then-husband, Iqama. It was even more contaminated than the one she took. She wasn’t surprised that it eventually sent him mad. It was one reason why she had gathered the healthy people and moved them to this location.

“Iqama wouldn’t let the others leave because they were too sick. He was trying to heal them. I had nothing to do with what he did to them after I left,” Tiqua blustered as she regained her equilibrium.

“No, you just left your children to his mercy,” Jax commented grimly.

“Since you have no regard for your offspring or respect for the Nix, I doctored the medication that Leigh gave you. You will not produce any more children, and you will not be able to use coercion spells. It will be part of your punishment.”

Tiqua thought about losing her fertility, and to be honest, she considered it more a blessing than a curse. She wasn’t very maternal, and she knew it. As for the ability to coerce people, that was a different story.

“Is that all?” she ground out as she was quite upset by this turn of events.

Jax chuckled, but it had no mirth in it. “No. I also removed the shield.”

“What?” Tiqua spat in agitation.

Jax shrugged, “It was dying anyway, and the spells on it were pitiful. I have supplied your so-called doctors with medicine to treat anyone who comes to the island in the future.”

“You will find they can’t give a choccy to anyone unless they are sick, so you can’t collect them and try to sell them. While we have fixed the other infrastructure here, you will need to do more to assist your people.”

“I have given five people a small bag of crystals that they can use to fix things or improve things, but again, you can’t demand they give them up. They also have two-gem magical items and have become part of your town council.”

“Hence, you will find that they will no longer bend to your will. You will have to learn to work with them, or you will be put out of office. Also, some of my people will be staying here to help guide yours and Trax’s people and protect the Nix,” Jax informed a horrified Tiqua.

Jax smiled at Tiqua, “Have a nice day, Mayor Tiqua.”

She then blinked away.

The team were waiting for Jax in Della.

“So, how did she take it?” David asked as Jax sat on his lap for a cuddle.

Jax shrugged as she put her legs over Blair’s lap so that she was in contact with him too, “Not well, but that is her problem. Her absolute control over that town and even this island, is no more.”

“Do you think they will start dealing with Traz?” Bluey asked.

“Yes,” beamed Jax. “The five novices we found were all related to him or Tiqua, so while her family will still rule the island in a way, they won’t put up with her crap anymore.”

“I made sure all her compulsion spells were removed when I spelled the choccys. She can’t put them on anyone who has eaten a choccy.”

“What if she retaliates in another way?” Ernie asked.

Jax shrugged and answered, “Her entity is well again, so she will keep Tiqua contained. My entity had a chat with hers, and it has given me the impression that the other entity would stay with Tiqua and try to guide her to a better way. Else she will suffer a lot of headaches.”

“What if Tammy and Eddie stay? Will Tiqua be a problem for them?” Blair asked.

Jax shook her head and smiled at her lover. “No, I told her some of my people would be living on the island and protecting the Nix and the other village. I doubt she will do anything. It may piss her off, but she is impotent in more ways than one.”

“So, what are we doing next?” Tammy asked. She was snuggled into Eddie’s arms, and the three Nix kids were on her lap. She couldn’t be any happier if she tried.

“We have to build you a house and find homes for the Nix that had been stuck in the mines,” Jax replied.

“Um, Jax, would you be upset if Bluey and I stayed here with Tammy and Eddie?” Ernie asked a little nervously.

Jax smiled at her friends, “Yes and no. I will miss you, but I felt you would stay. I know how close the four of you have become. There is still a lot of good you four can do here.”

“I also know that you won’t miss your old lives as much if you are together. Plus, Eddie is going to need some help keeping up with Tammy’s needs, as you both know.”

The team chuckled as they knew Jax didn’t miss much.

The four men had become very close over the time they had been together.

The fact they were all now Shifters had only intensified their feelings for each other. It was one of the reasons they had wanted to stay together and felt they needed to go with Jax and David when they left Timor.