Chapter 6
“That’s good to know, Penn,” Jackson said. “My brothers will be happy to hear the High Council dismissed Josiah’s complaint against us.” Then seeing Steel indicate he wanted to speak to Penn, Jackson lowered the phone from his ear, switching it to speaker.
“Hey, by chance, do you know Josiah’s reaction to the news?” asked Steel.
“No…it all happens behind close doors so unless Josiah makes it public, it would be impossible to find out,” Penn said. “But, if I were you, I’d double the guards for a while.”
“Already done,” Steel replied. “When do you plan to submit Willow’s affidavit?”
“Tomorrow,” Penn said. “However, I don’t expect to hear anything for at least a week, if then. I should also warn you, the High Council will probably send someone to depose Willow.”
“Why? Isn’t her affidavit considered sworn testimony?” asked Jackson.
“Normally, it is,” Penn said. “But in this case, when there’s mass murder of a pack…something that hasn’t happened for hundreds of years…the prosecutor is going to make sure everything’s in order before going before the High Council judges.”
“Do you think Josiah will be found guilty on all counts?” asked Steel.
“I do,” Penn replied, “but there isn’t any guarantee. Josiah’s life is on the line so I expect his attorney will have some tricks up his sleeve.”
Glancing at Steel, Jackson frowned before asking Penn, “Is Josiah allowed to attend Willow’s deposition?”
“Of course, since he’s the defendant.”
“Right. Look Penn, I don’t want Josiah anywhere near my pack and I certainly don’t want him in our home,” Jackson said.
“That shouldn’t be a problem…I’ll arrange for the depo to take place at my office.”
“That’ll be fine,” Steel said. “Just give us a few days’ notice so I can arrange adequate protection for Willow.”
“Absolutely,” Penn agreed. “And, by the way, the defense attorneys for the group of buyers at Arald’s slave auction have dropped their demand to depose Norman and Theodore, but they’re still insisting on taking Kieran’s deposition.”
“But he’s pregnant,” Jackson said. “I’m worried about the stress it’ll cause him.”
“I understand,” Penn said, “so what I need from Logan is the list of conditions he insists on in order for the deposition to proceed…such as time limit, breaks, who’s allowed in the room with him, and so on. Have him consult with Mac also. It always helps to have a doctor sign off on this stuff…makes it kinda impossible for the judge to override them, unless he’s a real prick.”
“When does it have to be done?” Jackson asked. “Logan and Kieran are in France right now. And I don’t have a return date yet.”
“Are we talking months?” asked Penn.
“No…maybe a week,” Jackson replied.
“That’s fine. There isn’t a deadline yet…I just want to get it in before a demand is made for Kieran’s appearance.”
“I’ll talk to Mac and have him draft something for Logan and Kieran to look at when they get back,” Jackson said. Then hearing a knock, he glanced over at the open door to his study to find Mystia and Brady standing there. Gesturing for them to come in, Jackson turned to Penn. “Anything else?”
“Nope. Have Mac call me if he has any questions.”
“Will do…thanks Penn.” After ending the call, Jackson turned to Brady. He was relieved to see some of his wariness gone, but there was still an air of caution. Guessing Brady was still reconsidering his decision, Jackson decided to focus on why he wanted a meeting. “I know you’ve been promised any assistance you might need from me in regard to helping Remy and Carson deal with the Witches’ Governing Council, but I want you to hear it directly from me. As Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, I guarantee you can count on us to be there for you. The trouble with giving you my word is that you have no idea exactly what kind of help I can offer which, if I were you, would have me questioning exactly what my word is worth.”
“Oracle has given me some idea of the powers the Fates bestowed on you and your brothers,” Brady murmured.
“Yes, she told me, but I believe you should know everything before you commit to the task ahead,” Jackson said.
Brady snorted, “I don’t even know what the task is until I speak to the Ruler of All Magic.”
“Frankly, I don’t either,” Jackson said, “but from what I could glean from Oracle…Carson, Remy, and his three young brothers are in mortal danger by a magic user or magic users unknown.”
“That about sums up what I know, too,” Brady muttered.
