Saving Tally (last Book 6) Jacobs Broken Mercenaries

chapter 20

Tally 
Cole leaves and I can barely focus on what Jacobs saying because I’m worried about where he’s going and why. 
Even though I know his intentions. The glimpse into his past moved me, and I really need to finish our conversation. 
“Have you seen him?” My attention turns to Jacob as he ironically voices my thoughts, but he’s not talking about Cole.
“He’s MIA. Has been for a couple of weeks.” Grayson answers with a worried voice.
“Last time he appeared, it was to destroy faery, bastard!” Austin adds. The eerily beautiful goddess Artemis, I think is her name, whispers something to Jacob. I eye her with suspicion and wonder if there’s something going on between them. Na, it’s just my oversexed imagination. Besides, aren’t they related? It may not matter to the gods and goddesses, but Jacobs pretty old-fashioned.
Jacob does the familiar glance over us all. It’s what he does before handing out jobs. For one small moment, it feels like home again. It’s funny how people can do that. It’s not the walls or places that take us there, but the things we can’t see. Like a smell, voice, or habit. But I’m not the same person I was months ago and things are different. I’m not even sure I would change it. Everything happens for a reason, right?
“Once we’ve fixed the city, I’m going to need your help. All of you. Poseidon is going to stay here with us, but everyone else is going to continue setting the rest of the world to rights. The less help he has, the better.”
“We have gods and goddesses. Isn’t he no longer a threat?”  Wrath asks. Jacob pauses before answering.
“I’ve learned the hard way to expect the unexpected. Shouldn’t the cat always catch the mouse? If that were always the case, mice would cease to exist.”
Jacob and his analogies. I smirk, shaking my head. That’s where I get it from. I grew up trying to make sense of them. I’m happy to have him back. The lie still bothers me, but I love him too much to hold it against him. A sudden wave of guilt churns my stomach. If I can forgive Jacob, why can’t I ease up on Cole?
“We need to draw Cael out. Tally, when the towers are back up, I’m going to need some research, places to look and how to gain access.”
I nod. Yep, everything is normal again. Except for me.
“Rapheal, the first obvious place would be the heavens. Can you still make a connection? Even telepathically?”
“No. I’ve tried. He’s done something to block me.”
Jacob taps his fingers on the table, quickly moving on.
“I’ll see what I can do. Celeste, I’m going to need your expertise now more than ever, and Estevan, your knowledge of Mica, is critical. It’s important to keep him out of the loop about what’s going on. He could aid Cael by reopening the gates. The gods can only control one end of the spectrum at a time.”
Wow, he’s thought of everything. He makes a heck of a leader. It looks like the goddesses agree as they gaze at him with admiration.
“Austin, when the walls are back up, I want you to leave with Amanda, fix your world, and Wrath you too with Rosa. We can handle things here. If there’s one thing I’ve learned recently, it’s the importance of family.”
The goddesses disappear along with nearly everyone else. I’m slow to leave, hanging back to say what? I don’t know, but I feel like he has something to say to me. Elliot has a quick exchange with Jacob. They both look at me. OH, no, what now?
I wait for everyone but Jacob to leave. I guess I was right. He has the look of a lecture. I brace myself.
“How have you been holding up?”
Tip of the iceberg. It’s when he starts light, I worry. This conversation is going to end with an argument.
“As good as can be expected, is my guess. I haven’t been in this kind of situation before.” I say honestly.
“How was hell?”
Nope, not going there.
“Uneventful.” I tell him, leaving no room for further questions. He sighs, massaging his forehead. It’s his way of saying I’m difficult without voicing it. Tough shit! It’s none of his business.
“What was he doing in your room?”
Now I’m getting mad. What exactly did Elliot tell him? I don’t know how to answer that without giving too much away.
“Fine! Don’t answer.” He sighs, placing both hands on the table and leaning over to stare into my eyes. What is his problem, and why is he acting so weird? It’s like he’s searching for something that isn’t there. It can’t be anything I’ve said because I haven’t said a damn thing near incriminating. He finally blinks, and I flinch.
“I saw him in Antarctica?”
What? When- is that where we were? Maybe he overheard us arguing. This isn’t good. I can’t even remember what I said. What Cole said. It feels so long ago. I know I was angry he wanted me to leave my friends, but I declined; obviously. Did we talk about our relationship?
“Where is he? We’re going to clear this up right now.”
Clear what up? I stutter, trying to respond before he’s gone. Following him out of the library, I finally get my wording.
“I don’t know where he is, but what exactly is there to clear up?”
Jacob ignores me as he heads upstairs to Celeste’s room? I stand there as he knocks on the door. She answers quickly with a book in her hand and a tote on her shoulder.
“Are you ready?” Jacob asks her.
Ready for what? Why is he ignoring me? He hasn’t said I missed you. I'm so glad you’re okay. Nothing. What have I done to deserve this cold treatment?
Celeste nods at Jacob, shutting the door. She goes out of her way to avoid looking at me. As we’re heading back down, Cole is coming up. Jacob comes to a dead stop.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll come with me without a fight.” Jacob warns Cole, who seems confused by the threat.
“Okay. You could ask nicely, and I may just listen, but you’re making it really tempting to decline.”
No! No more violence. I can’t take it. Cole looks at me, and I beg him with a look. Silently pleading for him to play nice. He sighs and begins to roll up his sleeves.
“Very well. Where are we going?” 
Jacob looks to Celeste for an answer.
“The basement is good,” she says under her breath.”
I follow them down. I’m the last to enter, but Jacob doubles back, locking the door from the inside, placing the key in his pocket. I swallow a hard lump in my throat. Jacob has never scared me before, but I guess there’s a first for everything.
“What’s this about?” Cole asks Jacob. He sounds a touch more concerned than he did a few minutes ago. That makes two of us. 
Jacob doesn’t reply. In fact, he looks like he’s about to hit him. Jacob’s shoulder is tensed, and his fist is clenched.
“I’m not afraid of you, old man. You better start talking because the opportunity for words is about to close.”
I hold my breath, hoping Jacob doesn’t take the bait. No such luck. Jacob winds up and slams his fist into his face. It escalates from there until they’re both bleeding and the fight is on the ground. All the while I’m screaming at them to stop, but my throat is raw, and they don’t hear a thing. It’s Celeste that breaks them apart with magic. I plop down on the chair next to her, wholly exhausted. 
“Jacob, get a hold of yourself, or I’m not going to do it.” Celeste warns. 
At this point, I’m just wallpaper. I sit there feeling left out and beyond frustrated. 
“Do it! Break the spell.”
Break the spell? What is Jacob talking about? There’s a spell on whom? Please let there not be more secrets Cole has kept from me. I look over at him. He’s wiping the blood from his lip. Aside from being pissed that blood has stained his perfectly crisp white shirt, he doesn’t look at all guilty. In fact, I think he’s just as confused as me.
Celeste has made a circle of candles around a shallow glass bowl. Inside is water and my hairbrush! Is that Cole’s cufflink? The items are floating, wrapped together in twine. She begins speaking in Latin; I believe and unwraps the twine. When they are separated, she puts my brush in the bowl and Cole’s cufflink beside it. Celeste shakes her head at Jacob before blowing the candles out.
“You’re wrong!”  Jacob exclaims. Celeste looks saddened by his denial.
“He thinks I’ve used magic to make you fall in love with me.” Cole says with a curl of his lip
“I don’t think! I know!” Jacob snaps back at him.
I scoff, and a loud laughter bubbles up, garnering everyone’s attention.
“I’m not in love with him.” I manage.
“You’re not?” Jacob and Celeste speak at the same time.. Jacob sounding relieved and celeste confused, but my attention isn’t on them. It’s on Cole and his sad smile.

Cael 
“So let me get this straight. You will turn on your brother to have a spot in the heavens, but you do not want to lead the angels. Like a silent partner. What do you get out of this?”
Hermes, the herald of gods, has approached me for a partnership of sorts. I smile, amused by his ambition. I know where he’s coming from. I, too, have led my life in the shadows of others who believe they are greater than me, but I got rid of mine myself. It’s my cunning that defeated my father because he trusted me. He believed he was untouchable.
“To have a place and be respected. So, I can live my life in peace.”
Hm, I don’t trust him, but another card on my deck won’t hurt. I agree to his terms, knowing I can dispose of him later. Should he become a problem? Touching the Snare of Light, I put my hand on Hermes’s shoulder, bringing him to the window that overlooks the heavens.
“Consider this your home, friend. I will go into the fray while you protect what is now ours.”
One less God is one less step. With Demeter captured, there’s only four to go. I’ve studied them these last couple of days. Watching them take back the cities casting out what I’ve let free. They have only aided me. For the anger in those creatures is vast. They will all fight for me. For the one who will promise them freedom.
I see how their power works. How they draw from the land within each one linked to certain elements. They have made my job too easy. I will be a legend. The angel who single-handedly killed a number of gods in a day and brought earth to its end.