GAME ON - GoM 2

2

Tom woke up with Blake's smirk vivid before his eyes. He tried to sit up, but Father Jason stopped him gently.

"Easy, son," the priest said. "How are you feeling?"

Tom didn't answer. He glanced at the window and grunted, "Is it dawn already?"

"The sun is setting."

"What!?"

Father Jason couldn't stop him the second time. Tom sat up on the bed and flung the bed covers away. The priest was forced to step back when he stood up and grabbed his clothes.

"Where's Alex?"

"Father Gregory is waiting for nightfall to go for her."

"What!?"

Tom brushed past him on his way out of the room. Claire was coming out of the kitchen. She saw him on his feet and, to Tom's surprise, she ran to throw her arms around him and held him tight. Tom frowned down at her, completely taken aback.

Until he heard her shaky murmur, "Oh, Tom, I was so afraid! Thank God you're okay!"

Stalled but far from defused, Tom didn't reject her and rested his hands on her shoulders. The girl let go of him, wiping her eyes with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, it's just that—"

"Where's Thames, Claire?"

"In the church." She grabbed Tom's arm, stopping him, and shook her head. "He needs to be alone, Tom. Come with me. I'll explain it all to you."

Tom hesitated, but the wet spark in her eyes made him capitulate. He followed her to the kitchen. Father Jason joined them, and helped Claire to fix a quick bite for Tom while they told him about the runts at the school that morning.

Tom didn't pay them any attention. "How come you still haven't even tried to rescue Alex?" he asked.

"Father Gregory is doing it in a couple of hours, Tom," said Father Jason.

"She's been his prisoner for a whole day already!" Tom accused. "Why didn't he do it last night?"

Claire sat down opposite him and grimaced. "Because of us, Tom. All of us. His trying to get her can be the end of the whole town."

Tom frowned. "You mean the seal? But you just said he's going in a couple of hours anyway."

"And that's why he's praying alone now," Father Jason replied softly. "He's getting ready. Inside."

Claire spoke slowly and gently, to let her words sink in. "You see, Tom, Blake... Askaroth... He's Gregory's worst enemy ever. Gregory's been fighting him for a couple of centuries now. And he'll finally face his enemy tonight, to try to rescue Al. He might win, or not. But no matter the outcome of their confrontation, chances are we're all gonna die tonight."

"And that's a heavy burden on any soul," said the priest.

Claire reached out to rest her hand on Tom's and ignored his glare to say, "You should leave, Tom. You should go back to Newhalem and wait there. And if Bold Peak is still here in the morning, you can come back."

Tom scowled as if she had backhanded him. "Leave? I'm only leaving here to go to Markus' and get Alex back!"

"You gotta think about your son, Tom!"

"Samuel's got his mother and her husband, and his baby sister. He's got a nice, happy family to look after him. While no one seems willing to move a damn finger for Alex."

Claire didn't take offense. She chuckled instead, and looked up at Father Jason. "Y'know, Father? Al always says Tom must have some lost Corban gen mixed with his weird DNA."

"If you're talking about him being one stubborn hot-headed soul, I'm inclined to agree."

Tom hid his surprise when they didn't insist, and stood up before they changed their mind and tried to stop him again.

"I gotta go grab my bow," he said.

Claire stood up too. "Let's go. I need to get some gear myself."

"You're not coming to Markus' place, Claire."

Father Jason swallowed a smile when the girl looked up at Tom, a whole head taller than her, performing a legit Corban scowl on his behalf.

"So you won't go home. But you expect me to fall back and wait here to see if we all blow the hell up, right? Want me to wait crocheting? Or should I try a crosswords?"

"He's right, child," Thames said softly, walking into the kitchen.

Claire snorted and brushed past them on her way out. "Really. All you tough alpha males can go to hell," she said. "I don't give a shit what you think. I'm going with you."

"And that is a pure Corban," said Father Jason, chuckling at the other two's surprise.