Chapter 78

**Mera

Jackson and I made our way up the stairs. Tip towing like school kids trying to sneak out of the house without being caught. We both still couldn't believe that the Jaspers building wasn't being watched. Neither of us trusted that fact, but nor did we sense any danger. Everything in the building appeared to look the same as it did when we used Jackson’s ability to scout the place out and found that Roses grimoire was here in the first place. We passed several doors before coming to the one we needed. Jackson opened the door revealing the staircase we had seen before.

“Slow and one step at a time.” Jackson said cautioning me not to get in to too big a hurry. I only nodded and we slowly made our way down into the dark hall.

After what felt like two hundred steps at the pace, we were going, we had made it to the bottom. The small room was still in perfect condition. Almost untouched. Almost. I grabbed onto Jacksons arm so it would stop. He looked at me unsure.

“Someone recently blew out the candles. Wax hasn't cooled yet, and there is a light scent of burnt lavender.” I said as clarification.

He scanned the room the same as I did but there was still no one there.

“Whoever was here is gone now, let's get what we need and get out.” He whispered and reached over the altar and picked up the grimoire. Taking only enough to give each other a triumphant smile we turned to run back up the stairs. In record time we were back out of the building, around the block and in the car.

“Not to curse it or anything,” I started to say.

“Don't you dare Mera!” Jackson interrupted me in a stern tone.

I couldn't even be mad because he was right. It was the first right and good thing that had happened to us since we started this journey. Instead, I began to flip through the years of notes and magic in this book. To a witch this was beautiful. All the history of a family and the things that had been kept and recorded to be passed down from mother to daughter over what was sometimes centuries.

“You know we still have the issue of finding the crystal that we thought Lena held. If the one we have is a decoy, where would the real one be?” Jackson asked.

“I don't know. It is going to be somewhere that no one would think of looking. It would be all the witches needed to make sure that Cortlyn couldn't become what they fear, their end.” I had no idea where to even start looking for it. I just hoped that I would find enough answers in the acquired grimoires to piece it all together.

“Nelly may be able to help me go through this faster once we get to wherever Jinx and his brothers are taking us. Annnd, on that note those men are building size. I wonder if Howlers were guarding the building when we came looking the first time? Would Jinx know if there were any more of his kind in the area? I mean I wouldn't want to have to fight against anything that big!” I said with a change of subject.

“I don't know. Honestly, I don't think that there is a lot of information on Howlers at all. Humans believe them to be monsters who hunt down children who run off in the mountains. It's all rumors and myths about them.” Jacksom replied thoughtfully.

To our very thankful bodies we made it back to the Gentry house without any more issues. We had been through a lot in the last few weeks, and we couldn't be more grateful for the ease of that trip. Jackson did, however, have one thing to answer for and that was who the hell was in the middle of the road and why did he stop us.

“Who was the man in the street Jackson? Don't give me a bull crap answer either. There is too much at stake.”

“Shane.” That one-word answer had my heart needing to be picked up off the ground. I knew little of what exactly happened that night all those years ago, but Jackson, after a couple too many beers one night, did tell me that name was responsible for his pain.

“I’m sorry.” was all I could think of saying to him.

“Him being here is not good Mer. I am afraid that he may be helping the witches, or at least want them to succeed to whatever extent that benefits him. All I am positive of its not in our favor. Shane does nothing for nothing.” The malice in Jacksons tone had turned up the mention of Shane. The scary back off or else Jackson had some to the surface. That bad boy was resting and not dead. As much as he could scare me, I had to admit knowing that part of him was here and on our side was a relief.

“Should we tell the others?” I still wasn't sure that he would want to open up that part of himself to such a large group, but I also didn't think that Shane and the hunter's possible involvement should be kept a secret.

“I’ve already hinted to it, but yes. I think everyone is going to need to be ready to deal with it.” His tone still clipped but with a hint of regret. I decided it was time for another change in subject.

“How are you holding up? With Cortlyn that is.” I could even hear the sadness in my own voice at the thought that we may not get her back.

“I don't know. Anything at this point is possible, I mean damn Nelly is sensing that Phoenix, the real one that is, is living inside Jasper. That she has been here all this time. I want, no I need to believe that something like that is possible with Cortlyn.”

“But?” I urged him to continue. He needed to get it out and also know that he was not alone.

“But there is also the other possibility. That she can't find her way back. However, that may be. Hell, we aren't even sure what is going on with her!” His pain and flustration was clear. He was one half of my best friend. It hurt to know that he was in so much pain. It made me wonder how Cortlyn could be doing. If she wasn't responsible for her own disappearance, then she would be in just as much pain. That thought was like a digger to the soul. Even still i knew that it was nothing in comparison to Jackson.

“We will find her, and she will be okay, Jackson. Remember the prophecy has her defeating the witches and returning power to the Lycans. Or something like that I don't know word for word, but she wins in the end.” I was grasping at nothing here. I needed to feel the hope that we would see her again just as much as I was trying to convince Jackson we would. I knew that there was only a small hope, and that came from Jasper saying that if Jackson didn't feel her death that she was still alive. I just wasn't sure that it was enough for either of us.

“You're right it says that, but it doesn't say she survives the process Mer. I know you mean well, but let's face it, we don't know that we get her back. There may not be any goodbyes. It could all be too late.”

**POV

From somewhere I couldn't see there was a sadness growing. Loss of hope. If there was anything that I had learned to pick up on emotions. Sadness and grief next to anger were always the easiest to feel. This was a sadness like only a true mate would know. Jasper knew his mate had survived, which meant that it had to be Jackson. He had very little hope left in finding Cortlyn alive, but if they wanted to defeat the greatest coven that had ever walked this earth, he would need that hope. He had to find the link and save himself as well as his mate. She was far from lost, but no closer to being found. If Jackson gave up on her then the prophecy could not be fulfilled. He had a much greater part to play than he had yet realized. It was clear that I could no longer stand by but had to take action or this war would be lost. Hope and love are the driving force and the one thing the witches cannot out do.