Chris took Gerard to the hospital and waited through the emergency surgery—a procedure to address the catastrophic wound where Gerard's arm had been severed cleanly from the shoulder. He remained until the anesthesia wore off before entering the private room to find his father pale and seething.
Gerard glared at him, his voice a rasp of pain and fury. "Who attacked me when I was talking to Kate?"
Chris sighed, ignoring the question. "I know you're dying from cancer, Gerard."
Gerard's eyes narrowed. "Who told you that?"
"It doesn't matter who told me," Chris said flatly. "What matters is why you're really here in Beacon Hills instead of at a proper cancer treatment center. Don't tell me it's revenge on the Hales for turning Kate. You don't care about her that much. I know if you'd had the chance, you would have killed her yourself tonight."
"Didn't you hear what I said earlier?" Gerard snapped. "I'm here to kill every supernatural creature in this town."
"Perhaps," Chris said. "But that's not the real reason, is it?"
Gerard's lips tightened into a thin, stubborn line. "It doesn't matter if you believe me. I'll prove it by my actions. Now, tell me, who attacked me?"
Chris ignored the question again. He leaned forward, his expression grave. "I have recently learned what kind of man you are, Gerard. But as your son, I'll give you one last piece of advice." He locked eyes with the old hunter. "Leave this town tomorrow if you want to live a little longer. Just walk away and don't do anything stupid."
Gerard sneered. "You seem terrified of that kid, Jacob. But I'm not. Didn't I teach you, Chris? Every monster has a weakness. I'll find his, and I'll use it to kill him. Painfully and slowly."
Chris let out another weary sigh. "You have no idea what you're dealing with. And before you ask, no, I don't know exactly what he is either. All I know is that he's an incredibly powerful creature. And I hate to admit it, but he's a good kid. I like him. Even Victoria—an extreme hunter—likes him. So, if you're stupid enough to provoke him, Victoria and I will not take your side. And we will not ask him to spare you."
Chris stood up and walked to the door. He paused, one hand on the frame, and turned for a final look. "If you refuse to listen and leave tomorrow, then at least stay away from the Zimas and the Laurents. The kid and his… family don't like them. They will definitely go after them." With that, Chris left the hospital room, the door clicking shut behind him.
Alone, Gerard closed his eyes, his mind churning with cold, calculated plans. 'First, I find a way to get the Bite from Derek. I'll kill him, take his Alpha power, and cure my cancer. Then I'll deal with that kid, Jacob. If I can, I'll control him. Having something that strong under my command—something that controls fire and lightning, something that makes a Bogatyr tremble—is better than killing it. But if I can't control him… I'll destroy him. It doesn't matter if he's good or evil. Power that can't be controlled by me is better off destroyed.'
---
In Serendell
After sleeping for ten hours, Jacob woke up in Lydia's room. They took a long, lazy bath together before heading to the dining room. Cogman had already prepared breakfast. Malia, Kitty, and Allison were already there, with Saphira curled contentedly in Allison's lap.
Jacob kissed Malia and Allison, rubbed Saphira's head affectionately, and sat down to eat.
Lydia joined them, saying a cheerful "Good morning" before sitting next to Kitty and stroking her head.
After breakfast, they moved to the living room. Jacob took out four ancient-looking scrolls. "These are Lightning Release technique scrolls," he explained. "They grant the ability to create and shape lightning into a fast-moving beast that hunts its target." He handed one each to Lydia, Allison, Kitty, and Cogman.
Lydia, Allison, and Kitty unrolled their scrolls. The parchment glowed with a brilliant blue light, which then dissolved and streamed directly into the space between their eyebrows. Their eyes closed as the knowledge and ability merged with their beings.
Cogman looked at his scroll, then at Jacob. "Am I able to learn this as well, sir?"
"Yes," Jacob confirmed. "In case you ever have to deal with a creature that can only be harmed by elemental powers."
"Thank you, sir." Cogman opened his scroll. Like the girls', it dissolved into blue light and was absorbed.
Malia watched, a playful pout on her lips. "Where's mine?"
"You and I don't need it," Jacob said with a smile. "We already have electrokinesis. We can perform that technique without a scroll."
"But doesn't Allison have lightning powers, too?" Malia argued. "Why did you give her one?"
"Because electricity isn't her main element; wind is," Jacob explained patiently. "So while she can use lightning, she's not as proficient with it yet."
Malia's pout deepened theatrically. "All I hear is that you don't love me anymore."
Jacob chuckled, pulled out another scroll, and offered it to her. "Here. It's for you."
Malia grinned, not taking it. She came over and kissed him instead. "I was just joking."
"I know," Jacob said, smiling. "But take it anyway. Maybe in your hands, it'll become an especially powerful attack, since electricity is your main element."
"Oh. Okay." Malia took the scroll, opened it, and absorbed the blue light.
Jacob thought for a moment. 'I should probably learn it.' He took out a scroll for himself as well and absorbed it.
After a few moments of focused silence, they all opened their eyes, the new knowledge settling within them. Eager to test their new abilities, they decided to head to a training area far from the palace.
Lydia went first. She raised a hand, and crackling blue lightning gathered above her palm. It swirled and condensed, taking the form of a magnificent eagle with a wingspan of eight meters. With a thought, she sent the lightning bird soaring into the sky. It dove and struck the ground with a thunderous BOOM, exploding in a brilliant flash that left a large, smoking crater in the earth.
"Wow," Lydia breathed, impressed. "That's strong."
"My turn!" Kitty announced. She followed suit, and her lightning took the shape of a large, powerful cat. It pounced on a nearby hillside with the same devastating force, creating a crater nearly identical to Lydia's.
Cogman was next. His lightning took the form of a roaring lion. The resulting explosion matched the others in scale and power.
Allison went after him. Her lightning formed into a massive, snarling tiger. It was noticeably larger and more powerful than the previous attacks, a testament to her existing affinity for electrical energy.
Then it was Malia's turn. She focused, and her lightning took the shape of a huge, winged wolf. It dwarfed Allison's tiger, and when it impacted, the explosion was significantly more powerful and destructive, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
"Alright," Jacob said, a competitive glint in his eyes. "My turn."
He raised a single hand and poured all his energy into the technique.
Unlike the others, the effect was not immediate. Dark, roiling storm clouds began to boil into existence across Serendell's previously clear sky. Rain began to fall in heavy sheets, and erratic bolts of lightning lashed the distant landscape.
Lydia stared at the forming cataclysm, her eyes wide with sudden panic. "I know this ability! It almost killed me once! Everyone, get away from this overpowered idiot before we get caught in his attack!" She snatched up Saphira and teleported far away in a blink.
Allison, Malia, Kitty, and Cogman didn't need to be told twice. They vanished, reappearing beside Lydia on a distant hill, well out of the danger zone.
They watched, awestruck, as the core of the storm clouds began to glow with an intense, pulsating blue light. A monstrous head, sculpted from pure lightning, pushed its way out of the cloud's heart. Then the entire body followed—a colossal dragon, a hundred meters long from snout to tail-tip, with vast wings that spanned seventy meters, all woven from searing, living electricity.
Kitty stared, her jaw hanging open. "Just… how strong is Jay?"
"We don't know," Allison admitted. "He probably doesn't know either. And I have no idea what would happen if he let that thing hit the ground."
"Then should we ask him to stop it?" Lydia asked, genuine worry in her voice.
"Why?" Malia countered, her eyes shining with excitement. "I want to see that lightning dragon explode!"
"Yeah, me too!" Kitty agreed, her fear forgotten in the face of the spectacle.
"But it could affect Serendell!" Lydia argued. "That thing could probably destroy half of Beacon Hills!"
"Don't worry," Malia said, though she sounded less certain now. "Serendell is way bigger than Beacon Hills. Besides, the damage from our training always fixes itself in a few hours. It'll be fine."
"Jay knows Serendell better than we do," Allison said, making a decision. "Let's just watch and see what he does."
---
Beneath the terrifying lightning dragon, Jacob was panting heavily. He had poured every ounce of his energy into the dragon. He looked up at it with a smile of profound satisfaction. 'Not bad. The Lightning Beast technique merged perfectly with my storm call ability. If I unleashed this on a small city, it would be wiped off the map. However, I still can't use it in a real fight. It leaves me completely drained... I'm about to pass out.'
With a final, focused thought, he commanded the lightning dragon. Instead of attacking, it descended toward him in a graceful, silent arc. As it touched him, the colossal form dissolved back into pure electrical energy, which he greedily reabsorbed into his body.
The storm clouds dissipated as quickly as they had formed.
A moment later, Jacob teleported to the hill, appearing next to the group. He was pale and breathing hard. "Cogman, go cook me a lot of meat. I used all my energy to make that thing."
Cogman looked genuinely disappointed. "I'm very disappointed, sir. I wanted to see the lightning dragon explode."
"Me too, Jay!" Malia pouted. "You suck!"
"Even though the damage repairs itself," Jacob said, "I can't let something that powerful explode in our home. Besides, I needed to absorb the energy back. I was about to faint." He summoned the Bottomless Bag of Chips from his pocket dimension and began shoveling handfuls into his mouth. "Cogman, what are you waiting for? Go cook the Sker Buffalo meat!"
Without another word, Cogman teleported away to the kitchen.
Lydia's eyes locked onto the magical bag in Jacob's hand. "Let me have some!"
"Me too!" Allison said, "I haven't seen that bag in a while."
"You girls asked me to hide it," Jacob said around a mouthful of chips, "because you were afraid you'd get fat."
Malia looked intrigued. "What's so special about that bag of chips?"
Lydia reached in, pulled out a handful, and explained, "For starters, it gives you any flavor you want. Just think of a chip flavor, reach in, and you get it."
Allison took her own handful. "And most importantly, it has infinite chips."
Malia grabbed a handful, tasted one, and her eyes widened. "It really is barbecue, just like I imagined before I took them. But why did you guys ask Jacob to hide it?"
"Because the chips from it are so good," Lydia admitted, munching happily. "And since it's infinite, we couldn't stop eating. We were terrified we'd just eat until we turned into blimps."
Malia took another handful. "I can understand. These are amazing. What's your favorite flavor?"
Allison smiled. "I like Sour Cream and Onion, but everyone loves that, I guess. My other favorite is Salt & Vinegar."
Lydia nodded. "I'm a Cheese and Onion girl. Also Spicy Chili, and All Dressed."
Kitty and Saphira joined in. Kitty happily fished out fish-flavored chips, while Saphira crunched away contentedly on barbecue ones, her tiny tail swishing with joy.
To be continued… 😊
I'll be taking a four-day break. I'll be back on Monday.