“He was picked up early by a man that had a note from you. I was about to call you when the first explosion went off.”
“What? What guy?”
“I don’t know. Balthazar I think his name was. He said that you were getting married soon. I didn’t know that.”
Vincent butted in. “Balthazar was here and took my son?”
The teacher was confused. “Your son?”
Vincent gave her the way out and started to walk away. Mallory wanted to know more, but there was nothing else to do. He had to coordinate a sweep of the school to make sure everyone was out. He had to find Nathan to take care of it. He had to go get his son back and possibly kill his cousin once and for all.
Chapter 21
Mallory’s heart was beating too hard. She was sure that she was going to have a heart attack. Immersing herself in getting everyone out of the Academy helped her to forget or to at least push the worries to the back of her mind. She knew that things were going to be hard, but it was too much and she broke down crying twice.
Vincent put his arm around her and once everyone was out and clear, the fire was put out by others. Although they didn’t want to, they both decided that the rest of it could be handled by Nathan. They would be back soon but had to find Balthazar.
“He doesn’t know that he’s your kid, I bet. He just knows that he’s mine. Maybe you should let me go in there and try to talk to him.”
“There is no way that I’m going to let that happen.”
“And there is no way that I’m going to let anything put my son in jeopardy. He hates you and if he doesn’t know that Ethen is yours, maybe he won’t want to kill him. I can’t lose my son, Vincent. I won’t get over it, ever. We have to save him and I may be his best bet.”
Vincent shook his head and refused to even talk about it like it was an option. He clearly said that it wasn’t one to him. Mallory wasn’t so sure that it wasn’t to her. She wanted to believe that it could all work out with them working together, but something nagged at her.
Mallory was having a hard time believing that everything could ever be okay again. She had been Ethen's only parent for a long time and sharing responsibilities and decision-making wasn't something that she was used to. Now, she just wanted him to agree and go along with it. There was certainly a bit of calm to know that she wasn't alone, but at the same time, he did not exactly agree with what she wanted to do. In the end, he wasn't going to take any answer but yes, so she did what she had to do.
***
The two parents got to Balthazar's house not too long after they discovered the attack on the Academy. Mallory hoped that Balthazar wouldn't imagine that they were so quick to get to him. She hoped that they would be able to catch him off guard.
When they got there, Vincent was worked up and she tried not to let it bother her. It was easier to pretend like everything was fine, but that just wasn’t reality.
His house was like many other shifter houses, and it was surrounded by woods. Shifters, no matter where they came from, all wanted to be around nature. It was what kept them tied to the power in the earth and gave them a place to hide when their animal form came out. Balthazar was no different. She saw him as evil, but he was still a shifter with needs just the same.
“Are you sure that I shouldn't go in alone? Maybe I could sidetrack him, and you would be able to get in without him noticing. You could find Ethen.”
“I am not going to let you go in there alone, Mallory. I know that you think that you have to do this alone, but you don't have to. I am here now, and I am here to help you.”
Mallory wanted to believe his words. She really did. At the end of the day, though, she just wanted Ethen to come back. It didn't matter how it happened, just that he came back to her safely. That was all she could think about at that point. The details of how and why didn’t matter.
He stopped her and gave her a kiss, telling her that everything was going to be fine. He was trying to assure her, but even the fiery kiss was conciliatory. Nothing was going to be the same until she got Ethen back. Then her world would start turning again.
“Is it that obvious that I'm freaking out?”
He agreed and she tried to smile, but it was like her mouth didn't even know what to do. How could she smile, even the barest of grins, when her world was coming down around her?
“Don't worry. This is going to be over before you know it.”
“It sure doesn't feel like it.”
He assured her that it was all going to be fine and she wanted to believe him. Mallory was shaking inside, and she knew that it was messing with her senses. It would be best if she got herself together, then maybe she would be able to focus on something else, something that was going to help her get her son back, not make it harder.
They should have probably gotten some help, but neither one of them was thinking about it at the time. Now that they were looking at the first string of guards, they both knew that they were in over their heads. It didn't stop either one of them from going forward and doing what they needed to do, but it certainly put a pause to the idea that it was just going to be a breeze. They both knew better than that.
***
The first set of challenges was three guards that seemed to be going around the perimeter over and over again. Mallory wanted to go forward and snuff them out. She was pretty much feeling that way about anybody that stood in her way at this point. Whoever had taken her son was going to pay. All she could think about was making that person pay.
