The Soulkeepers

Chapter 45: Homecoming

When he'd finally recovered from his journey through the tree, Jacob sat up in the sand and looked around him. Malini was still on her side, holding her head. It was only her second time through Oswald. He scooted over to her and scooped her up into his arms.

"Thank you, Malini, for coming for me."

Malini hugged him tightly and kissed him softly on the lips. She buried her face in his chest.

Gideon stood in front of the tree in his angel form, chanting something Jacob couldn't understand.

"What's he doing?" he asked Dr. Silva, who had pulled her knees into her chest and looked both sad and tired.

"He's blessing Oswald so that his soul will leave the tree and go to heaven."

"Well, that's terrific, isn't it?"

"It means the tree won't be a portal anymore. Oswald's soul was what made it work. He's closing it off so that the Watchers can't use it to get to us."

"Do we need the portal? For the work that I'm supposed to do?"

"No, not really. There are other ways. Better ways actually. I'm just going to miss Oswald."

Then he remembered what was at stake. "The garden—it was Oswald's magic that kept this place alive, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"And, all of this will die when he goes?"

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Silva. This is my fault."

"No, Jacob. There were problems before you ever came along. Why do you think I had a gate?"

And then another hand was on his shoulder, a hand he never thought he would see again.

"Mom!" he yelled and hugged her as hard as he could.

"Jacob, I missed you so much." Lillian's eyes were full of love and tears.

"But how long have you known? That you were a Horseman, I mean?" he asked. As much as he was glad to see her he was a little put off that she'd never told him.

"Since your dad died. That was my trigger."

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"After Charles died, I noticed changes. I would be chopping vegetables at the kitchen counter and the knife would become like an extension of my arm. Someone would startle me after work and my body would move instinctively. I was faster, stronger than ever. Any weapon I touched, I knew how to use like an expert. But I didn't know what was happening to me. I didn't have a Helper yet."

"So what happened?"

"Don't you remember? The bruises, the arrests ... I got into fights just to try out my skills, to learn what I could do. I purposely put myself into dangerous situations. I wanted to be attacked—for the exercise."

Jacob remembered her strange behavior, how it had gotten worse those last weeks. They'd fought the day of the accident. He'd thought she was on drugs or something. She wouldn't tell him what was going on or where she was going. That's why he'd followed her.

"One night, I wandered into a martial arts academy called the Red Door. I saw weapons in the window, ones I'd never tried before. Sure, I could wield a knife and shoot a gun; these were intuitive. I wanted to know if I could fight with something I'd never touched before, a mace or a staff. Master Lee met me at the door. He said that he was my Helper and I was called to fight evil. Of course, at first I didn't believe, but after a few meetings he had me convinced. He taught me the basics about fighting Watchers. The box and the throwing knives were my graduation present.