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Jonas settled Abilene down in bed, and once her concerns for Adam quieted, he sought his father’s counsel. As the patriarch of the Hartzler family, and esteemed member of the Elder’s Council, Ezekiel needed to be aware of his grandson’s situation.
Jonas’s father understood the significance of a calling. His three hundred years on this earth had prepared him with a myriad of experiences, both joyous and heartbreaking. Most devastating of all, was the unanswered call of Isaiah Hartzler, Ezekiel’s brother. He simply waited too long and the repercussions changed the design of their family’s lineage forever.
Once rogue, Isaiah escaped the Order and Ezekiel filled his seat on the Elder’s Council in his stead. His first order of business being the execution of his brother. The day had never come, but the looming possibility of Isaiah’s havoc hung like an omen over their family’s name.
Ezekiel would not be pleased to learn of Adam’s hesitation. His son should have responded to the calling the moment he first received testimony.
Leaning into the molding of the house, Jonas knocked for his father. His father seemed to understand this was more than a leisurely visit the moment he set eyes on Jonas.
“What is it, my son?” Though Ezekiel lived one hundred and fifty years before Jonas’s birth, they appeared the same age. They both seemed no more than a quarter century old. Their shoulder-length, black hair and glowing hazel eyes were identical. “Come inside.”
Ushering Jonas into the house, he took his hat in hand. “Is Mother about?”
“She’s upstairs. She won’t disturb us.”
Bonded couples, over time, often shared a mental pathway. Jonas shared no such thing with Abilene, as they were not bonded, but he assumed his father sent his mate a message not to disturb them and for that Jonas was grateful.
He followed his father’s dark silhouette through the house, into the den. As Ezekiel lit the lamps his black attire gave a silent reminder of his authority and traditional views. But his rugged six-foot-two build and imposing, muscular breadth told the story of a male who would not sit down in the face of any challenge.
Jonas always took it as a great compliment when others remarked on their similarities. Despite the years separating father and son, they could easily be mistaken for twins. While their kind did age, it was at a suspended rate and they regenerated cells so fast that beyond adulthood they simply appeared within their prime, never looking a day over thirty.
Settling into the wingback chair, his gaze drifted to the streak of white hair that told them apart. That was something his father acquired after the disappearance of his brother, some eighty years ago. Such markings were rare in their species but told of how deeply Isaiah’s disappearance affected Ezekiel.
“I have some troublesome news.”
“I sensed as much. Do you intend to enlighten me?”
Jonas leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, as he raked his fingers through his hair.
His father silently waited in the adjacent chair. “Is it Abilene?”
“Abilene’s recovery is on course, though she’s troubled, as am I.” He met his father’s vibrant stare. “It’s Adam. He’s been called.”
Always in control of his emotions, Ezekiel hid his surprise well. “Is the boy sure?”
“Yes. He’s without appetite, struggling with daylight, his equilibrium is off, and he tells me he’s had several dreams.”
“Did he see her in the dreams?”
“He says no. Only a glimpse of her skin, a flash of her hair, a fleeting tease of flesh, and the sound of her laugh.”
“That sounds accurate. I remember when I was called to your mother, my first dream showed only a brown frock. You can imagine how common brown frocks were in those days. However, the scent of her skin told her apart from all the rest. I memorized that scent, clung to it. As time passes, Adam will gain more clues through the dreams.”
“How long do you suspect he has?”
Drawing back his spine until it pressed firmly into the chair, he folded his hands. “Each immortal’s tolerance is different. Let us hope the calling’s still in the early stages.”
“He’s been keeping this from us for some time, at least a fortnight.”
Frustration seeped into Jonas’s tone. His children had always been honest with him, especially Adam. Why he would hide something as—
“Don’t let your frustrations blind you to what needs to be done, Jonas. He’s confessed and now we must move. The little time we have left cannot be wasted on regret.”
But if too much time passed, even the most level-tempered immortal could grow feral or feeish. And once that happened an animalistic need for their mate took over their senses, and removed layers of acquired humanity until nothing civilized remained, only a rabid beast needing to be put down. He could not lose his son the way he lost his uncle.
“Adam’s always been... He has special gifts.”
“An empath.”
“I suspect his worry for Abilene has cost him. This delay... I fear there’s a shroud of darkness closing over our home and I don’t know what it is or how to stop it.”
“You’re grieving, my son.” Ezekiel closed a hand over Jonas’s and hesitated. “Jonas, I respect Family Law, but if you need to speak to me about your marriage, I will listen.”
The rules by which a husband chose to govern the home and assign the marital duties fell under Family Law—a gray area established by each couple and predominantly sanctioned by the males of the Order who were free to govern their homes and wives as they deemed fit. As long as no higher laws were broken, a husband had absolute freedom to prescribe obedience within the home by any means.
“Abilene’s coping.” As was he. “Each miscarriage is both easier and harder than the last. It’s a torturous paradox. I’m unsure if we should continue to try.”
Ezekiel chuckled. “I’d like to see you try not to. Eternity is long, my son. You have centuries ahead of you. Perhaps you need to trust that God will bestow a child to your home when the time is right. It seems wasteful to worry over things we cannot control.”
The loss, after so many other losses, had been great, but their love offered resilience. They would recover, and try again.
Jonas nodded, appreciating his father’s attempt to understand his grief, but regretting the sense of another man judging his marriage. “Things will improve with time.”
“I apologize if I’ve overstepped. But your wife’s grief mustn’t interfere with Adam’s responsibilities. Any delay risks his safety. She does not want to lose him as well.”
“She understands he must leave immediately.” Jonas took a shuddering breath.
"Might I say one more thing, Jonas?"
Meeting his father’s eyes, he nodded.
“Perhaps the pain you feel now will save you from far greater pain later. It will not be easy to abandon a woman you love and a house full of babes should your true mate call. Perhaps God is merciful and has a larger plan for you.”
“Abilene’s my true mate.”
Ezekiel held his challenging stare, calling him a liar without uttering a word. They both knew the truth. Abilene chose him. And he chose her. God was not a part of their decision, but Jonas would fight like the devil to stay, should God ever call her to leave.
A seething heat burned through him at the thought of any other male touching his wife. A calling could eviscerate their happiness. There would be no choice, should either of them ever get called. No man, immortal or otherwise, could outmaneuver fate.
“My intention is not to taunt you, Jonas. You’re my child and I worry for you the same as you worry for yours.”
Between Abilene’s health and Adam’s circumstances, he couldn’t bear the thought of further complications. “I have enough trouble at the moment, Father. No need to borrow any.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Let us address the situation with Adam. He must leave immediately. Do not allow him to delay another night. He’ll require an allowance. Does he believe she’s on this continent?”
“He says she’s very close, but he can’t determine a distance, only that he senses her nearby.”
“A needle in a haystack. Nearness does not equal simplicity I’m afraid.”
“How... How long did it take when Uncle Isaiah...?” His words cut off as his father notably flinched at the mention of his long-lost brother.
Isaiah never returned, but that did not necessarily mean Isaiah had died. He could have found his mate and relocated, living in hiding amongst the English—a very dangerous life for their kind and generally forbidden among the Order.
Or he might still be out there. Rogue. Running rabid and killing without conscience.
The only way to suppress the symptoms of a calling remained the blood bond. Without the blood of a mate, the thirst was said to be unbearable, leading to a frenzied, unapologetic hunt. If left unsatisfied, the immortal developed an intolerance to the sun and was run to ground, losing the much-needed daylight hours. Eventually, madness settled in. The gentle nature of their kind transcended to that of the monsters of myths.
Forced into a nocturnal existence, emotions wither to mere memories, echoes of mortal feelings long forgotten. The lost souls, the unanswered, they no longer identify as simply immortal. They become daemon, creatures with no salvation that must be destroyed. They were then what the world once knew as a vampire.
His father’s movement drew Jonas from his worry. Ezekiel withdrew a ledger from the desk in the corner. He made a note and removed a crisp packet.
“Ten thousand dollars should be more than enough to see to his needs. I’ll accompany you home. He must leave before dawn. I’ll petition the Elders on his behalf, for permission to leave the community and search for his mate.”
Jonas accepted the money with shaky hands. He was not prepared to see his son hunted.
“It will be all right, Jonas. Adam’s strong and sensible. He’ll find her and do what he must.”
“Thank you, Father. I’ll visit again tomorrow.”
On the walk back to the house he spotted a young lamb making a dizzy trek across the shadowed field. Jonas paused and listened, his eyes drifting to the barn.
“Gracie?”
His youngest emerged, brow creased with worry, hands folded at her front.
He sighed and held out a hand. “Are you hiding?”
She shrugged and came to his side, leaning into his open arm. “Feeding. My nerves make me hungry.”
Although she was fully grown, she still remained his baby girl. “You’re worried about Adam.”
“I don’t want him to leave—especially when he’s upset with me.”
“Your brother’s always been logical, Grace. Adam knows you love him and would never do anything to hurt him.”
“What if he doesn’t get to her in time?”
Jonas breathed through his own doubts, hiding them from the rest of his family. “Adam will find his mate and complete the bond. And when all of this is over, you’ll have a new sister to love.”
“You’re right, father. Shame on me for doubting Adam’s capabilities. Any female would be blessed to have him.” She smirked as they strolled toward the house. “Now, if it were Cain on the other hand...”
He laughed. “Then we’d be having a different conversation.”