Chapter Twelve

The attack came just as they entered the Great Hall – the place Benedict had been told he'd be facing three councilors along with his lawyer. One minute, Benedict was smiling, his hand tucked in the crook of Dixon's elbow as they went through the doors. The next minute all hell broke loose.

The first clue something was wrong was the fact Langley was already in the room – but no one else was. And Langley had the look of a man who'd rather be anywhere else, seeing as he was tied, arms and legs, to a straight-backed chair placed in a stone circle design in the middle of the room. There was a crude bandanna tied around his mouth, and while Langley's eyes were wide open, the redness of his cheeks and the moisture on his face showed he'd been in that state a long time.

So shocked at seeing his lifelong friend that way, Benedict's only thought was to untie the man, but he'd barely had a chance to drop Dixon's elbow, moving toward the chair, when the giant wooden doors with iron hinges slammed shut behind them and Benedict felt someone's magical blast hit his shoulder.

That's when the screaming started. The sound bounced off the stone walls, searing Benedict's ears, as smoke started coming through cracks in the stone. Dixon's hearing was so much more acute, but even as this mate lifted his hands to cover his ears, more blasts came apparently from nowhere, and this time Dixon was hit. The ring Benedict had crafted with love and care did its job, protecting his mate, but Dixon was pissed off.

One minute Dixon was looking smart in a suit and the next he was on four legs, covered in bristling fur. His heavy paws pounded across the stone tiled floor in the direction the magic seemed to be coming from, although how Dixon could tell was anyone's guess. Benedict rushed to his friend, throwing up wards to cover them both.

"What the hell is going on?" He yelled over the screeching, pulling the gag from Langley's mouth. Magic was raining down on them like a firestorm, and Benedict was torn, wanting to get his friend untied, worried sick about Dixon, and desperate to know who was behind the attack. "This is not what the Council used to mean by a fucking interview."

"My apologies, old friend. I would've warned you this was a trap if I'd had use of my mouth." Langley coughed, reaching for his ever present pocket handkerchief the moment his hands were untied so he could cover his mouth.

"Where's this coming from?" Now that Langley was untied, Benedict started looking for targets. The room was huge, its Gothic wall stylings leaving a lot of places for cowards to hide. "Who's doing this?"

"They think you'll raise the army they want if you're under stress." Langley clung to Benedict's arm. "I believe they truly think you've already done it, and…"

"For fuck's sake." The magic blasts were adding to the smoke and sparks. Benedict couldn't even see Dixon, although he thought he heard a human scream over the inhuman sounds someone was generating. "I think he got one of them."

"They're not going to stop until you call for help from the other side," Langley insisted, his eyes red and troubled. Benedict hated that his friend was being dragged into his troubles. "Since that business in San Francisco…"

"I didn't try and raise an army at that golf course. Yes, it was my magic, but it wasn't me. I told you this. You know my stance on fucking zombies." Flinging his arms wide, Benedict tried to magically clear the air so he could see. He heard a deep grunt and then another roar. "Fuck, that's Dixon… they're blatantly attacking my mate and he's got no magic!"

"You need help," Langley rasped as he coughed again. "This whole thing was set up so you couldn't overcome it alone. Call my family, call yours. Call Dixon's if he's got any."

"Call?" Benedict ducked as a magical blast flew by his head. Straightening again, he lobbed a few quick blasts in the direction the shot had come from, but it was like shooting peas at a literal castle wall. The attacks were coming from too many different directions. "I'm not sure what you mean by call. It's not like anyone's going to get here in time even if I had people to ring. You mean…"

"Not a phone call. Think. You have one power. Use it."

That form of calling did make more sense, but still Benedict hesitated. "I can't count on my family coming. They're up to their eyeballs in this shit and they aren't talking to me. I tried that last night. For all I know they want me on their side of the veil with them."

Benedict cast his eyes around looking for inspiration. "The only dead family member Dixon has that I know of is his sister, and I'm not… Emma." His eyes widened as her spirit appeared as if summoned. "I wasn't calling for you. This is not the place for lovely young ladies. Duck."

"My mom and dad are here," Emma insisted as a blast went right through her as if she wasn't there. "Our parents. I found them a while ago. They've been watching you two together and they want to help – They can shift into their bear form from where they are - they can help Dixon. They just need your juice to give them a push. They're willing. Call them. Please."

"Ghost bears. What the hell, why not?" Benedict threw up his hands. "My day seriously can't get any weirder. Cottle family, heed my call. Take my power with my blessing, your son needs you."

Benedict thought he was dreaming as two giant translucent bears appeared. One nodded in his direction but they were both focused on the far corner of the room where Dixon had gone, and Benedict waved them in that direction. "Go. Go. And thank you." He ducked as another blast got too close for comfort.

"The Jones too." Langley tried to stand and fell back. "I can't do anything. I've got barely enough magic to light a match, you know that. But you know my family's history. Call them, summon them and they will come."

Benedict rubbed his hands over his face. "You know how I hate to disturb the dead…"

"You think those spirits are just lying around sleeping on the other side? If I know my lot, and I do, they'd give anything to be able to break the boredom that being dead offers them. Call them. Give them something to do."

"And don't forget Uncle George," Emma yelled as the screeching suddenly stopped and deep bangs as though from a drum started. "He's waiting for your boost, too."

"Fuck my life," Benedict muttered, quiet enough so Emma wouldn't hear. Of course his Uncle George would want in on the action, and the push was understandable as there was nothing in the Tower George was attached to.

"Jones family, heed my call, your kin and friend need your assistance," Benedict yelled at the ceiling. "Dule family, anyone not already tied up in trying to fuck my life, please appear before me. Seek out the source of magic, distract, dissuade, and let them know not to mess with a Necromancer and his mate."

Spirits appeared, popping up all around the room. Some of them Benedict recognized and others he didn't, but he could see the family resemblance to Langley and a few of the faces with a brightly smiling Uncle George were vaguely familiar.

"Your life is so much more interesting since you took up with that bear," George yelled as he wafted past. Benedict got the impression he was holding a musket of some kind, but he had no idea. Can ghost weapons even fire? What on earth would a ghost bullet do to the living?

In the meantime, Langley was still in danger. "Let's get you to the door. We need to get you out of here, then I can go and help Dixon." Benedict held Langley under his thin elbow, helping him to stand.

The fighting intensified, although from the sounds of the human screams he could hear, Benedict was clearly sending out enough juice to cause the spirits to be visible to others. He didn't know. He didn't care. Dixon's plan of getting him back on a plane looked like the only thing worth doing with every passing second.

Keeping the ward over himself and Langley, Benedict moved them to where he thought the doors would be, sighing with relief when he saw them. If he could get Langley to safety, he could focus on Dixon who was the only other breathing person he gave a damn about in the room. But just as they got to the doors, the big wooden slabs flew open. Three men in robes stood there, flanked by Magical Council guards – there was at least a squadron of twelve.

"What is the meaning of this carnage?" The center figure looked down his nose at Benedict and Langley. The noise of the drums stopped the moment the man spoke, although the cries and blasts of magic still rang around the room.

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me? Here's a chair, Langley." Benedict pulled one through the now open door. "You rest a minute and then make your way to my car. Jarvis is driving us today, he'll take care of you. I have to get Dixon."

"I demand you stop this." The robed man had to yell to be heard. "Stop this at once."

"I didn't start this, asshole. Your lot did and the halls of truth will back me on this. Why don't you call off your rats, and your guards while you're at it, because my lot aren't going anywhere until I know we're all safe. And FYI." Benedict poked a finger in the man's direction, "I'm going to be really keen on hearing how you're going to explain to the Shifter Council why you felt the need to launch an unprovoked attack on one of their own. They'll have your balls in a sling over this."

Turning his back on the snotty intruders, Benedict searched for his bear, spotting him in the far corner of the room. The fight was winding down. Whoever had started it had disappeared into the holes they crawled out of. Spirits were flittering around the room, like a flying guard, but Benedict's only focus was Dixon. His heart jumped as he saw Dixon licking down the fur on his side and he ran across the room.

"Dixon, Dixon, did you get hurt? How? I warded you against every form of magic there is."

Dixon moaned low in his furry throat, and Benedict immediately knew what he needed, wrapping his arms around the bear and hugging him gently. "Come on. Tell me where you're hurt so I can fix it. This wasn't meant to happen to you."

Another moan, deeper this time, and Benedict wasn't sure what he could do. He tried to pull back, but Dixon had a paw around him, holding him close. The translucent bear to his right morphed into a beautiful woman with a kindly expression. "You do realize our son is laying it on really thick right now, don't you. He's barely hurt at all."

"Mrs. Cottle." Benedict ducked his head in what he hoped was a respectful bow, not an easy thing to do with his arms wrapped around Dixon's neck. "I'm so pleased to make your acquaintance. As for your son…. Is this true? Are you not really hurt at all?" He mocked growled at his bear. Dixon licked his face and Mrs. Cottle laughed.

"Please, call me Crystal. You have no idea what a gift you are, both to me and my husband, and Dixon, too. Your powers… do you know how frustrating it can be, to be on the other side and even when we hug our son in his low moments, he can't feel or see us."

Benedict nodded, suddenly moved to tears although he blinked rapidly to stop them falling. "Not every family is as loving as yours," he said quietly, thinking of his own missing family members. "Perhaps, if you won't consider it an intrusion, we can find a time when Dixon and I aren't dealing with so much crap, and I can summon you and your husband again so we can talk about normal things. You know, those things sons hate their moms to talk about from when they were growing up?"

"We would love that." Crystal nodded. "What you did for our children, Emma and Dixon both – we won't forget, thank you. But I can see you're getting tired, what you're doing here must be taking so much energy. We should go."

"I…" Still clinging to Dixon, Benedict looked around. "I still don't know why any of this happened. I think it has to do with my late father, but you notice, they aren't here today." Just saying the words caused a lump in his throat.

Crystal floated closer. "I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but your parents are acting this way for a reason, and they are trying to help as best they can."

"By staying away? How can you…? Have you met my parents?" It was definitely top of the weird-day list because Crystal was nodding.

"Your mom and I have something in common now. We're both new mom's-in-law and that makes us family. Of course, your mom and I are going to meet up and talk about our sons. Believe me, things will be all right." Crystal looked across at her son. "And Dixon will be fine, too. He just got to cocky and slid on the tiles, crashing his shoulder into a wall. I doubt any magic user has a ward against that."

"No." Benedict managed a chuckle. "I didn't think to ward him for that. I am… I need to let you go, but thank you so much, and you too, sir," he added to the other bear who appeared to be resting on Dixon's shoulder. "I really hope we can all chat soon when things are not as chaotic."

"Your mom wants you to know that the memories you hold dear are true," Crystal said as she slowly disappeared. "Keep the faith."

"Faith in what?" Benedict buried his head in Dixon's neck. "I just want to go home. You were right. We should never have gotten off the damn plane."

"Benedict Dule, I demand you disperse your spirit army and remove your bear from the meeting chamber."

Looking up, Benedict shook his head at the pompous councilor who must've been hiding behind the guards and had now thought it safe to make an appearance. "Councilor Jefferson, I should've known. I never understood how you managed to hold onto your position when you can't even tell the difference between a spirit army and my friends. But then you're the one who shuns the Goddess and prostrates himself before the idol of the God of War every morning."

He was running low on energy, making it difficult to stand. Glancing up at the ceiling, he called out, "Thank you so much, my friends. Have a spirit brew for me and my mate." He saluted the spirits as they slowly disappeared.

"Gods, I'm so tired," he muttered against Dixon's ear. "We seriously need to get out of here."

Climb on my back.

Benedict rubbed his head, wondering if he'd heard his mate correctly. But he could feel Jefferson's scorn for him and Dixon, and Dixon's drive to do something for him… for him! Let me know if I'm hurting you, Benedict sent back as he climbed up on Dixon's back and twisted his fingers into the thick ruff of fur around his mate's neck.

Dixon stood up, starting to growl as he showed his teeth.

"Dule. I demand you control that animal."

"I think you'll find my mate has a mind of his own. And if you don't mind, I think we'll reschedule our meeting. I'll let you know when it's convenient for us on a different day." Benedict clung tight as Dixon started to move… slowly at first, but then he started to run.

The big bear wasn't dodging anyone, he was just heading straight for the door. Jefferson was the first to fling himself out of the bear's path, and guards, robed individuals, and a nosy audience that had gathered by the door all scuttled out of the way double time as Dixon just plowed his way through them.

I love you, Benedict sent his mate with a grateful sigh as they breached the doors and Dixon headed for where the car was parked.