Dissever (Unbinding Fate Book One)

  Jax directed Addy and Tanner to join them at the table. He pointed to Juliette and Stubbs, asking them to describe everything that happened leading up to the creation of the Overseer’s Stone—from the beginning. Juliette took a drink from her glass and started telling the story.

  Andrew and Eva were thoughtful and loving to the humans. The humans didn’t know about them, but the Akori helped them whenever possible. Whether it was healing their sick, building their cities, or providing them with food, Eva always tried to help. She made the other Akori help them too. Juliette said the humans picked some virtually uninhabitable locations to try to live, and many times, if the Akori didn’t intervene, they wouldn’t have survived.

  As with any society, dissention was occurring among the Akori and many felt Eva used the humans as toys, watching them and guiding them through narrow paths she designed for her own entertainment. They didn’t want to continue helping her to help humans and a movement started to remove Eva and Andrew from leading the Akori.

  The group broke away from the rest of the Akori and began calling themselves Mesen. They started trying different Akori symbols on humans to build an army. They hoped that an army of humans would force Eva and Andrew to step down, believing Eva would rather give up leading the Akori than kill humans.

  The experimenting caused large numbers of humans to become gravely ill with sicknesses they called plagues. Eventually the Mesen were able to design a string of symbols that worked to control the humans as well as give them strength without killing them.

  Stubbs continued where Juliette left off, but looked uncomfortable as he spoke. “The Reunion Ball was in full swing. Everyone was dancing and drinking one minute, and the next the human army marched in. They were equipped with weapons forged especially to kill Akori.” Stubbs looked down at his hands. “Eva and Andrew stopped them.”

  “They had no choice,” Juliette said in Stubbs’ direction. She told them the marks on the humans couldn’t be removed and what had been done to them couldn’t be undone. “Eva held Andrew’s hand, raised her arm in the air, and in one swoop, every human was lying on the floor in pools of blood. It was the worst thing I’d ever seen—extremely gruesome doesn’t even come close to describing it.”

  Images of the floor in the ballroom, where she’d grown up practicing combat, covered in human bodies flooded her mind. A sick feeling started washing over her and she tried to push the images away. She was pulled from her thoughts by Tanner putting his arm around her shoulders. Addy felt bad for Juliette and Stubbs. They seemed truly pained talking about it.

  “So what happened after that?” Tanner pressed on impatiently, ignoring Addy’s elbow to his ribs. “How’d Oren Sanders end up in the picture?”

  “Eva always watched humans,” Stubbs said. He told them that she’d been watching a village that was stricken with the plague. Oren Sanders saw his family and the people of his village die, but never became sick himself. Eva felt that he was strong enough to handle the Akori power without abusing it. That night, after the ball, she struck a deal with him that gave him his son back, and guarantee he’d always have an heir. In return, he promised that the oldest male in his bloodline would always live at Tremain to regulate the Akori power.

  “Eva created the Overseer’s Stone which caused our powers to be diminished to basically nothing,” Juliette said. “Oren was the only one able to use it.”

  Addy shook her head. “I’ve lived here my whole life—why wasn’t I told any of this? This seems to be pretty common knowledge for everyone outside of Tremain.”

  Jax cleared his throat. “Once my parents were killed, Grandfather agreed to keep the estate out of the fighting in exchange for our lives being saved.” Jax paused, looking at Juliette. “It’s only now that—well some things have changed and we’re able to become involved.”

  Addy started to question him but Tanner talked over her. “I wanna know how she took all that power and jammed it into that stone.”

  Stubbs dropped his hands into his lap. “The power isn’t in the stone. The stone simply blocks most of the power from reaching the Akori.”

  Tanner shifted his gaze to Juliette. “What other powers are there?”

  Juliette turned to face him. “Shifting the timeline or event shifting is a minor power, that’s why most Akori can still do it. Most of us aren’t strong enough to shift an event involving another Akori though. Some of us, the older Akori, still have enough power to do some other things. We used to be able to—”

  “There are too many abilities to discuss them all,” Stubbs said, putting his hands up.

  Juliette let out an irritated huff and crossed her arms.

  Addy wasn’t exactly sure why, but she could tell Stubbs was getting annoyed at all of the questions. Tanner either didn’t pick up on Stubbs’ annoyance or didn’t care, because he continued grilling them.

  “What’s up with the Andrew guy?” Tanner moved his eyes around the room. “He’s always mentioned with Eva, but it sounds like she’s the one running the show.”

  Juliette still looked irritated and Stubbs didn’t respond, so Jax fielded his question. “Andrew’s loyal to Eva and does whatever she asks.”

  “Loyal to a fault—he simply can’t say no to her.” Juliette rolled her eyes. “Anything she asks of him, he just blindly goes along with.”

  Stubbs shook his head. “Andrew and Eva have been companions longer that any of you can imagine. Understanding a relationship like that isn’t possible for you. He has to take care of her, she—”

  “It seems like Eva can take care of herself to me,” Addy said, looking up at the painting of Andrew and Eva on the wall.

  Jax held his hands up to the group. “Let’s get back on track.”

  Tanner quickly got in one last question. “Can the Overseer use the powers the Akori are blocked from using?”

  “No.” Jax sighed, leaning forward. “So the Mesen want their powers back. Until we do something, they’ll continue to try to infiltrate the estate, and kill me and—”

  The door flew open, startling them all.

  “Jax, the Akori you said to watch for just entered the grounds,” Patrick said, walking in quickly.

  “Don’t let him speak to anyone, and bring him to the sitting room in my wing.” Jax was already on his feet heading for the door. “Everyone meets back here in an hour.”

  Tanner and Addy exchanged curious glances.

  “Let's take a break then,” Stubbs said. He stood up, looking thankful for the interruption, and walked to the back of the library.

  “How’s Molly?” Addy asked Bernard. Her voice still cracked and sounded rough as she spoke.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “She’s strong. She was upset at first, but she’s come around to understand.”

  “Understand? Her only child is gone, how can she possibly understand that,” Addy said, shaking her head. “I’m gonna go see her.”

  Bernard followed her into the hall. “Wait a minute,” he said, stopping her. “You already knew Gage could heal?”

  Winkie and Brutis were in their bed waiting for Stubbs. They looked happy to see her, and she gave them each a scratch behind the ears. “Yes, he healed me when I got hurt during practice and after the Mesen attack.”

  Bernard nodded. “He knew he’d Scatter, yet he healed Kim anyway?”

  “Yes.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I begged him not to.”

  “He grew up to be a good boy.” Bernard’s voice cracked as he spoke, making Addy’s eyes well with tears. “I didn’t realize you and Gage had become so close again. I’m so very sorry he’s gone.”

  She didn’t know what to say. Bernard had to be upset about losing Gage too. He didn’t have any children of his own, and he’d spent time with Gage practically every day since he was a child. “I’m sure you miss him as much as I do.”

  He nodded and smiled. “He’ll be back—perhaps not in my lifetime, but surely in yours.”

  Addy’s chest tightened and
she couldn’t handle the direction of the conversation. “I’m going to see Molly.” She quickly hugged him and headed off down the hallway.

  Addy walked around the estate checking in the usual places Molly would be. In the kitchen, she ran into Malcolm, the guard who was usually partnered up with Gage.

  “Gage is a good guy, we’re gonna miss him until he comes home,” Malcolm said.

  That’s what she’d dreaded. Everyone probably knew her and Gage were getting close and would be offering sympathy and feeling bad for her.

  “Thanks,” she said and quickly changed the topic. “Have you seen Molly?”

  Malcolm pointed up. “She’s probably in her room.”

  Addy ran up the back stairs and saw two Akori guards standing outside one of the doors. That had to be where Kim was. She’d been trying not to think about her, but now—knowing she was no more than a couple dozen feet away, Addy’s chest ached like she was the one who’d been stabbed.

  Walking past them, she turned the corner and saw the door to Molly’s room was cracked. She could see her folding clothes into a suitcase.

  “Hello,” Addy said, eyeing the luggage.

  Molly turned around, appearing surprised to see her. “You’re up and around!”

  Addy entered and closed the door behind her. “You’re going on a trip?”

  Molly stopped what she was doing and sat down on the bed. “No. I’m actually leaving. I still have the home Will and I lived in before he Scattered—I’m moving back there.”

  Addy felt her stomach contract. “Why?”

  “It's time. I was only here because Gage’s father said he wanted him raised at Tremain if he Scattered. Then I stayed on after he was grown to take care of Fate. My jobs here are done.”

  She felt completely confused. “What about Will, he’ll be back soon.”

  Molly smiled and motioned for her to sit. “Sweetheart, Will and I aren’t together. We were, but that’s long over.”

  “I don’t understand. You stayed here all these years waiting.”

  ”I wasn’t waiting for Will. I was obligated to his son, to make sure he was raised the way Will and I wanted him to be. I was obligated to you too. I had you with me all day every day for the first years of your life. Fate was busy, and he didn’t know how to care for a baby,” Molly said, smiling over at her. “I didn’t mind and Gage…”

  Addy swallowed hard. hearing his name hurt.

  “Gage loved having you around.” Molly stood up and went back to packing.

  She took a deep breath. “Gage has healing abilities. Did they tell you?”

  “I suspected it when he brought you to me the day you collapsed. You were covered in blood, but you didn’t have so much as a scratch. When you woke up and asked where your cuts and bruises went, I knew he did it.”

  “I’m sorry. I tried to stop him from—” Addy tried to apologize, but the words got caught in her throat.

  “I know. Tanner told me what happened.” Molly walked over to her dresser and picked up another stack of clothes. “Do you remember how he was never sick when you were children? When you’d get sick, he’d hover over you and tell me and Fate to make you better.”

  “I don’t want you to go.” Addy felt panicked. Gage and Fate were gone and Matt, Kim, Renee, and Josh had betrayed them. Molly leaving was more than she could take.

  Molly sat down and put her arm around her. “It's going to be alright, sweetheart.” She pulled her back to look at her face. “You have to be strong. You can’t walk around like this, people need you.”

  “I don’t know if I can.” She tried to catch her breath.

  “Gage wouldn’t want you to be like this because of him.”

  Addy knew she was right, but it was hard to bury the pain she felt. “How’d you deal with it when Will Scattered?”

  Molly stood up and walked over to the window. “I had Gage, which helped. I had to stay strong for him. It was hard enough for him to lose his dad—he couldn’t lose me to my sorrow too.”

  Addy studied Molly. She was a very attractive woman. Even at nearly 50 years old, she looked much younger.

  “Time is the best healer,” Molly said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll always love Will, but I know our life together is over. I’m thankful he gave me Gage and I’m glad we got to come here and live with you.”

  “I’m glad too.” Addy picked up a picture in a frame of Gage when he was little sitting in Will’s arms and studied it. He’d grown up to look just like his father. The ring Gage was wearing when he Scattered was sitting on the table next to another one that looked just like it. Addy figured it belonged to Gage’s father. “How come Gage’s ring didn’t Scatter with him?”

  Molly walked over and picked up both rings, slipping them both on her index finger. “I’m not exactly sure, but it has something to do with the symbol engraved on it. Some Akori families wear them so if they Scatter a piece of them is left behind—like a marker on the spot we disappeared.”

  She’d seen several Akori with different pieces of jewelry engraved with symbols and initials. Mitchell West and both Sade and Patrick LaCroft had them.

  “I have to get back to the library, but don’t leave without saying goodbye.” She started to leave, but turned back. “I have a question…”

  Molly turned from her packing and raised her brow at her.

  “Jax told me the Akori are exactly as they were when they Scattered when they finally come back.” Addy paused, getting up the courage to ask what was on her mind. “Does Will know your relationship is over?”

  Molly looked taken aback by her question. Addy walked out the door without waiting for her to answer.

  As she began walking down the stairs, Addy ran into Jax. He looked as cool and collected as always.

  He slowed down and smiled at her. “On your way back down to the library?”

  “Yep.” She let her hand slide down the dark wooden railing as she walked. “Who were you meeting with?”

  He avoided her eyes and put his arm around her shoulders. “You look so much better.”

  “I’m your sister Jackson, your charm doesn’t work on me.” She shrugged him off and gave him a serious look. “Don’t start keeping secrets and hiding things.”

  “I promise I’m not lying to you about anything.” At the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and turned to her. “I’m not gonna lie to you though—there are things I haven’t been able to tell you yet. Some of the things I just found out myself. When the time comes, I’ll tell you anything you want to know, ok?”

  Addy shrugged. “I guess.”

  They walked to the library, but the only one there was Bernard. He brought up another topic she didn’t want to discuss.

  “We need to talk about what to do with Kim. She can’t remain locked in the bedroom,” he said to Jax and Addy.

  “How is she?” Addy asked him, not sure if she really wanted to know.

  “Scared and worried about you,” he said. “Doris has been sitting with her.”

  Jax tapped his finger on the table. “When you’re up to it, you’ll talk to her and find out what she knows.”

  “Me?” Addy glared at Jax. “Why?”

  “You’re the only one she wants to see.” Jax explained that Kim didn’t even think she’d done anything wrong. She still didn’t believe that Matt and Renee were really trying to hurt them.

  Once everyone else returned, Jax picked back up where he left off.

  “The Mesen have nothing to lose, they’ll continue to attack my family. Even if we Scatter them, they’ll just come back and try again,” Jax said, turning his palms up. “We need a permanent resolution.”

  “Like what—giving back their power?” Bernard asked.

  “It's not that easy.” Juliette dropped down into a chair, scooted it up to the table. “We’d need Eva here and we don’t even know if it’s possible to unblock the power.”

  Tanner walked over to the table and leaned against it. “Well, the Mesen mus
t think it’s possible to get the power back, or they wouldn’t keep trying.”

  Addy thought for a minute. “We need to know what they know, that we don’t know.”

  Her words made Tanner laugh immediately. “You think?”

  She shot him a look that screamed shut-up and continued. “I think we should propose a truce with them. Then we all get together and sit down to discuss what concessions can be made. I’m sure they don’t like having their people Scattered any more than we do.”

  Juliette shook her head. “I highly doubt they’ll agree to that again.”

  “Again?” Tanner repeated.

  “That actually might work—at least temporarily.” Jax stood up and headed for the door. “I know exactly who to send to them with the offer.”

  Chapter 27