The Grey God

Darian's mind worked fast as he rejoined Charles in the living room. He'd want Damian and Jonny with him if he went to the immortal world to take on the Others. Hell, he might even need the pesky little Watchers.

"If you touch a hair on Yully's body, I'll slaughter you. Got it?" he said. "Go back and wait with her. Tell them I'll be there soon. I've gotta corner me a Watcher."

Charles growled. He Traveled and Darian closed his eyes. When he opened them, he stood in the cold cave where the Watchers entered the world. One awaited him.

"I thought you would come," the small creature before him said.

"Where is Jenn and the rest of my family?" Darian demanded.

"Safe in the immortal world, for now," the Watcher said. "That can change pretty quickly. It all depends on you."

"Why were they taken? Others didn't like me picking off their kind on earth?"

"You were destined to close the gates, Darian. You had a chance to do it in Ireland."

"I had no idea what I was doing in Ireland!" he retorted. "I had no real power and absolutely no guidance from you or anyone else on what my role was."

"You missed your opportunity." The words were cold, unaffected by Darian's anger.

"And what? This pissed your kind off while killing Others pissed them off?"

"There were two potential fates when you went to Ireland and one when you left."

"If I could close them then, I could do it now," he reasoned.

"It would take the magic of the Original Beings and Gods to do it. You were almost to that point in Ireland. With the Magician and the Other, you could've done it. Before Ireland, there was one gateway into the mortal world. Now, you'd need double that magic to close both."

"Wait a minute. You told me you had one gateway and the Others had their own. Are you saying you share gateways?"

"I think you call it a gentlemen's agreement. The immortal world has suffered enough. There, we are at a truce."

"And you come here to fight," Darian finished darkly. "I saw what you did to the immortal world. There's nothing left."

"There's magic. That's all we need. The mortal world has nothing we need."

"And the immortals stuck on earth?"

"They can choose to go home, before the Others destroy the mortal world." The Watcher trailed off. "Unless you beat them to it."