CHAPTER 10
CONNOR OPENED HIS EYES; HE was trying to recall a dream. Was it last night or the night before? He couldn’t remember, all he knew was that it was the nicest dream he’d had in a very long time. It was on the verge of his memory, playing with his consciousness. He redoubled his effort but all he could recall was a warm sun and the presence of someone watching over him who loved him very much.
Unable to bring the details of his dream to the surface, he took in his surroundings. He was in a large bed with white sheets in a gigantic room. The room was decorated elegantly with expensive paintings and rich carpets. A large window allowed light and clean air to breeze through.
The air was sweeter than he remembered. His ears perked up as he caught a variety of noises. Birds chirped outside, faint voices met his ears, and the wind even made a light, whooshing sound. He rose from his bed and walked to the window, the thick rug hugging his feet in warmth. He was shirtless and dressed in long white pajama bottoms that weren’t his but fit him nonetheless.
He opened the dark red curtains. Connor stared out the window, startled with the scene that lay before him. The familiar houses and streets of suburban New York were gone. The trees and buildings he’d become so familiar with were nowhere to be found, instead open fields met his eyes. He had to be on the third or maybe even the fourth story of the building because the ground below him was too far to jump. A countryside that in any other situation would have seemed breathtaking was now alien and confusing.
Connor narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the events that brought him here, and where “here” even was. His dark eyebrows furrowed and he bit his lower lip as he tried to remember.
The events that took place in the Catskill Forest came to him all at once. He remembered it all: the fight, the killing, Laren biting him, and his wounds. He had murdered someone. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. But he had to, didn’t he? Laren and Lu would be dead if he hadn’t done something. He would be dead. Remembering his own wounds, Connor looked down at his chest but nothing was there. Examining his shoulder revealed not so much as a kitten’s scratch.
To the contrary, Connor felt as strong as ever. His olive skin was tight around his toned body, and his muscles felt bigger and stronger. Crossing to a mirror on the other side of the large room, he examined himself. Sure enough, his shoulder and chest where Faust had bit and clawed him were completely healed and the person looking back at him even seemed a bit taller and more muscular than he remembered.
The absence of his wounds made Connor second-guess himself and wonder if it had all been some kind of crazy dream, but that was impossible. There was no way he could have imagined or made up the entire thing. Could he?
He was interrupted by a light knock at the door. The massive wooden door reminded him more of a cellar gate than a room door as he placed his hand on the bulky brass handle and turned the knob.
Morrigan greeted him. She smiled. She wore a simple cream-colored dress and matching sandals. A golden headband held back her black hair. In her right hand she held a plain green t-shirt.
“Well, hello there, Mr. Moore. You look well.”
Connor nodded his head numbly, words escaping him.
“May I come in?” she asked, handing over the shirt.
“Oh, yes, please.” Connor took a step back, allowing her access to the room as he took the shirt from her. He pulled the soft material over his head. “Where am I?”
Morrigan, now standing in the middle of the room, looked at him. “There’s so much to be explained and even more to be done. Connor, I must apologize to you. All this has happened faster than I anticipated. I’ve put you in a confusing position.”
She took a deep breath. “Following the events that occurred in the forest, Laren and Lu decided to tell their father, the head of the Council, all that transpired, throwing their fate in with yours. Now the Council has been convened and they await your recovery for the trial to begin. You were unconscious for two days. While your body accepted the Elite gene and healed itself, you were flown here, to the Abelardus estate. Laren has kept a constant vigil by your side. She’s only gone now because I insisted she get some sleep.”
“I’m at Laren’s family’s house? That can’t be right. Laren and her family, according to you, are from Europe. And if I’ve been out for two days, my mother has to be going insane with worry.”
“Well, if you want to get technical, you’re in Laren’s family’s castle, located in the Spanish countryside, and your mother thinks you were called away to college for a spur of the moment orientation trip.”
“I know my mother too well to believe she would be all right with me disappearing without so much as a good-bye or even a phone call.”
“Oh, Connor, you should really give an old woman more credit. She was convinced. Let’s just put it that way.”
The slight twinkle in Morriagn’s eye and the way she winked made Connor question how the “convincing” had been achieved. “Did you brainwash my mom?”
“Heavens, no. She wasn’t hurt at all. You can rest assured. As for exactly how I did it, we sorceresses have our ways and we’ll leave it at that.”
Connor did a double take. “Why does it seem that every conversation we have since you changed from a sweet, crazy old lady turns my life upside down?”
“Would you rather this all happened without my help?” Not waiting for a response she said, “I didn’t think so. Now listen, I don’t know how much time we have.”
“There’s more?”
“You want to know how you fit into all this, don’t you? Why you’re not dead already like any other half-blood would be? Connor, you’re the last living member of your bloodline. You, being a half-blood, may be forgiven because of who your ancestors are. You hail from a long line of ferocious warriors. Your lineage can be traced back all the way to the first Judges who inspired myth with their epic feats on the battlefield and their destiny to balance the Five Families. For centuries, your ancestors have been blessed with more strength and power than any Elite has ever known. With this blessing also came the responsibility of keeping the peace between the Families. Every time there was conflict or the actions of an Elite threatened to spill over to the human world, a Judge would rise up and quell the chaos. Your father was the last full-blooded member of your family. There has been a prophecy that one day a half-blooded Judge would emerge when the Five Families needed him most. He would not only save the Families from destruction, he would save the entire world.”
Connor stood quiet for a moment with his arms crossed against his chest. An internal conversation was going on, debating this new knowledge. Sure it was nice to think about how important he was, and even that he could be this hero was worth a second thought, but he was just an ordinary kid from New York. He was Connor Moore, he worked at his mom’s nursery shop, his love life was more confusing than ever and he had a few weird dreams. That was it. That there were these people with these abilities who had managed to stay hidden all these years was astounding, but he wasn’t any savior.
Connor heard everything she was saying, but his analytical mind couldn’t help but wonder why she was so certain that he was the one that would fulfill this prophecy. “How do you know the prophecy is even real or that they’re not talking of some other half-blood?”
“I believe the prophecy because I’m the one that foretold it. I know you’re the one that will lead us out of this time of darkness because there has been no other half-blood in your lineage. This lineage ends with you.”
“You foretold the prophecy? Is that why you stayed to watch me all those years?”
She nodded. “We’ve seen you grow from a newborn baby to the man who stands here now.”
“We?”
“I’m not sure you’re ready for that yet.”
“Really?” Connor arched an eyebrow. “You introduced me to a new race, changed my view of history, and told me I’m going to save the world. What am I not ready for?”
“All right, remember, you asked.” She pursed her full lips together and let out a shrill whistle.
The sound of pawed feet on carpet was heard and the same bulldog and bloodhound Connor met when he visited her house entered the room. They ran straight to Connor, jumping up and down, expressing their joy in seeing him. The feeling of familiarity with these two dogs struck Connor once again.
“Boys, to me.” Morrigan gave the command clearly and the dogs immediately ran to her. Bulldog on the right, bloodhound on the left, they both looked up at her, panting, waiting for her next command.
“You may show yourselves now.”
Both dogs seemed to smile, then right in front of Connor’s eyes they began to change. Paws became hands and feet, tongues shrank, and fur turned into skin. The bulky figure of the bulldog shifted into Joe’s stout body and the bloodhound’s long ears shrank ever so subtly into Pete’s large earlobes. Within seconds, the familiar faces of the men his mother hired to help her with deliveries, men he thought of as uncles his entire life, stood before him. Both looking at him, grinning.
“Never had an idea, did you?” Joe said triumphantly.
“We did a good job, see?” Pete looked to Morrigan for reassurance.
“Yes, both of you boys did a great job looking after him.”
Joe and Pete walked over to shake his hand and give him hugs. Connor was once again speechless.
Finally finding his voice, he managed, “Maybe you were right about this one, maybe I wasn’t ready.”
It all made sense, though. Connor had known both of them as long as he could remember. They worked for his mother and he saw them multiple times every week. Who better to keep an eye on him?
Seeing the stunned look on Connor’s face, Morrigan thought it best to dismiss her helpers. “All right, boys, thank you. You may go now.”
They waved and said their good-byes as they exited the room, closing the door behind them.
There was no doubt in his mind that magic existed, that there were beings known as the Elites, and that he was wrapped up in something much bigger than himself. What he doubted was that he was the answer, the key, to all of this.
As if she was reading his thoughts, Morrigan chimed in. “This is all a lot to take in, Connor. In time you’ll see what I see.”
“I liked you better when I thought you were crazy. At least then my biggest worry was delivering the right products to you.”
“Well, we have bigger things to think about now than gardening tools. I have to make an appearance before the Council, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s a young lady behind the door that would like to see you.”
Right on cue there was gentle knock.
“Larentia, please come in,” Morrigan answered reverently.
The door slowly opened and Laren walked in. Her eyes were full of concern as she shifted her gaze from Morrigan to Connor. “I hope I’m not disturbing anything,” she said politely.
“Absolutely not. I was just leaving,” Morrigan replied. “Connor, I’ll be by to check on you soon.” Without another word she exited the room and left the two to talk.
Laren was as beautiful as ever. She stood with perfect posture, her green eyes intense and eager.
Connor broke the silence. “I want to say that you should have told me about all of this, but I understand why you couldn’t.”
Without a word, Laren wrapped her slender arms around him in a hug. “I was so worried you wouldn’t make it, that you didn’t carry the gene, and that my bite would kill you instead of turn you.”
Their bodies still pressed together, Connor rested his cheek on the top of her head. “You did what you thought was best and took the only chance I had to survive.” Pulling her away so she was at arm’s length, he looked directly in her eyes. “And it paid off. You saved my life.”
She gave him a forced smile.
“Connor, you don’t understand. The Council won’t allow half-breeds to exist. It goes against the Law, and even though I pleaded with my father, I don’t know if he could save you even if he wanted to.”
She walked over to the large window and her long, green, sleeveless dress flowed in her wake. She looked out vacantly, she was too deep in thought to enjoy the view. Connor followed her to the window and stood beside her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared off into the distance. It was still morning, Connor guessed.
It seemed as if the two stood there side by side for an eternity. It wasn’t an awkward silence, it was comfortable. Each was searching for an answer in their own way.
Laren was the first to speak, still avoiding his gaze. “There is hope if Morrigan is right and you’re the one that’s going to deliver us from the coming darkness.”
“I don’t know if I am.” Connor sighed and shook his head.
“That’s our only chance—the only way the Council would entertain the idea of sparing your life.”
“What exactly is this prophecy? Morrigan said she was the one that foretold it and that a half-blood Elite from my family would rise up and save the world. Is that it? Is that all we have to go on?”
“Morrigan is one of the few Elites who has been granted the power over magic and foresight. Every prophecy she has foretold has come to pass. Hundreds of years ago, she had a vision that told her of a coming darkness, of a time when the Five Families would once again be at open war with one another. While they were so consumed with destroying each other, a greater evil would rise up and end them all.”
She paused, and as if she had reached an epiphany, she grabbed his shoulders with a firm grip and looked him full in the face. “Connor, you have to believe the prophecy that Morrigan foretold years ago is you. If you don’t, the Council will condemn you to death. All of this couldn’t have been a coincidence, our meeting, the way I had no choice except to try and turn you to save you, and the prophecy. This all happened for a reason and you have to see that.”
“I’m trying, Laren,” Connor said softly. “A week ago I was just a normal kid, now I’m supposed to believe I’m responsible for the fate of the world?”
Before they could continue the conversation, Morrigan knocked on the door and instead of waiting to be invited in, she entered the room with her arms full of clothes. “Well, this is all happening rather quickly, the Council is aware Connor is coherent and has decided to start the trial today.”
Laren’s eyes widened. “He hasn’t had enough time to prepare. He doesn’t know the correct way to address the Council or even what’s expected of him. He’s only been awake for an hour, if that.”
“Well, then it’s up to you and me to make all of that happen while he gets dressed, isn’t it, Larentia? Now,” she said, lifting up a grey dress shirt in her left hand and a plain white dress shirt in her right. “What color says ‘savior’?”
The remaining time was spent with Connor showering and changing in a small bathroom off in a corner of the room he hadn’t noticed. The whole time both Laren and Morrigan offered him facts about the Council, appropriate ways to behave, and what he should or should not say.
“The Council Chamber is going to be set up much like a court room, with the Five Family heads that make up the Council in front of you. We’ll be on the right, the other party will be on the left.”
Laren chimed in, “There’s also a seating area for others to watch the proceedings. With a matter as big as this at hand, expect the room to be packed.”
“Yes, the prosecuting party will more than likely be made up of Faust and his family, maybe even Randolph, so be ready for that,” Morrigan added.
“When you enter the room, make sure you kneel before the Council and avoid eye contact until they tell you to rise.”
He opened the bathroom door, his mind reeling with all the facts and new knowledge. He opened his arms in an awkward gesture. “How do I look?”
The ladies decided on a solid black, fitted suit with a white dress shirt and a red and black tie. However, the tie was crooked despite his best attempts and his hair looked like he had been through a wind tunnel. A few days of stubble had given him a nice five o’clock shadow and the women decided to leave that, hoping it gave him a more mature look. The preparation continued as Morrigan redid his tie and Laren wrestled his short black hair into a style more befitting a warrior.
“My brother is the member of the Council that represents our bloodline,” Morrigan told him. “Don’t expect any favors from him. Be as honest as possible; he has a special knack for sniffing out the truth.”
“What about your father?” Connor asked Laren as she put the final touches on his hair.
“He’s the head of the Council and a fair man. He also holds to the Law like no one I’ve ever met. Don’t try and impress him, he’ll be able to see right through that.”
Noticing his wide eyes, Morrigan reassured him, “I’ll also be representing you, Laren, and Lu, so don’t worry. You won’t be alone.”
The two ladies took a step back and examined their work. Connor was every bit the well-dressed respectable young man. The suit fit him neatly, showing off his broad shoulders and muscular physique, while the slight facial growth and hairstyle added to the warrior persona.
“You look great,” Laren winked. She gave him a huge hug and kissed him on the cheek. “I believe in you, Connor, and soon you will, too.” With that, she said a quick good-bye to Morrigan and left to take a seat in the Council Chambers.
“Yes, that will do well. Are you ready, Mr. Moore?” Morrigan asked.
Connor felt as though he was going to see the principal, except this was a hundred times worse. Usually a confident person, Connor’s hands were sweaty and his mouth was dry, “As ready as I’m ever going to be.”
Morrigan shook her head, “Not good enough.”
Connor cleared his throat. “Let’s do this.”
“Better. Follow me.”