So one of the things I wanted to do this time around was give you guys more details of the family outside of Faith and instead of just bombarding the first five chapters with information, I decided to spread it out along the book so that even this far in there are still pieces being dropped.

Those that asked who Mary is? She is Ansel's mother. I put this in a few chapters back, but some people don't actually read these A/n's I'm told. Which is cool... you can find this picture on the facebook account I have linked for all my stories. Basically just gives you the break down of both sides of the family. I didn't put Silas in the list because he died... but yeah... he's there too.

Anyways, enjoy :)

Chapter 43 –Show Down (Ansel Conrad POV) Pt.2

From a very young age, my mother always came off as eccentric but a true dependable, loving mother. She had this way about her, knowing and respecting each part of her life, the people around her and the environment that we lived in.

She was her happiest deep in the forests, with homes at the edge of town near woods, animal life and running rivers.

She studied natural herbal remedies and not just local, but from various cultures. "Knowledge is the only way to conquer fear," she repeated over and over again throughout my life. In some facets, I will admit she was right. When it came to human nature, when something wasn't known, many immediately jumped to judgment induced by fear without learning.

"How can you critique something without awareness?"

So in a world much different than the one I was now raising my children, my mother educated herself as she fed us the same knowledge. Then as I got older, I realized less of her smiles and more of the things she did that never caught my attention as a child.

For a time, we lived in upstate New York, in a small castle nestled atop a lovely mountainside, with endless views of the Adirondack Mountains. As a young boy I enjoyed the sereneness of the mountains, the treasure that was our home. The hidden passages of this paradise my father had built. The world below us not too far away, but also not close enough to see us as our true selves.

It was in this home when I first notice my mothers' connection with nature. She didn't so much just take in the views, but she interacted with the surroundings. The trees, rocky pathways, soil and flowers were all treated with much awe and consideration.

At age three she was the weird mommy that spoke to flowers, but by age twelve, she was the one that asked the Earth to protect us, to show her signs of coming trouble. That told us we only take what we need from the Earth.

By age fifteen I had witnessed her bounding lives that may have been other wised lost to the Earth around her, using energy that she said was all around us, as life sources. "There is potential energy for Black and White magic all around us," she would say, "the key to using it, is balance." Though she strictly practiced what she called 'Natures Element Magic.'

"What gives you the right?"

Those five words from Danny, sneered at my mother snaps me out of my mind.

My mother – Mary – takes another step towards us all, coming out of the shadows. "What gives you the right Daniel?"

"I did not raise such a weak minded son," mom answers, lifting her chin, eyes focused on my brother. "You are family-"

"That girl is not family," he sneers, "But my own brother and father have already spoken for her," truth.

"Because she is an innocent, Daniel. And now, by bounding your children to Bend, and myself, you will hopefully think logically about your next step- else you risk not just our lives, but the lives of your children."

"Re-move the spell," Danny grits, eyes narrowed at my mother. "I do not take orders from you son," she says calmly but the desired effect is not the outcome. Surely she knew that, or saw it coming. "If you want to drive an opponent mad, remain cool because nothing will make them angrier than you not acting rashly," my father, mother, hell even Kalenah's father told me when he passed on the leadership of the Den to me.

Sure there was still the Elders, but our kind more than any other supernatural being knew that the Elders couldn't be trusted. They were self-serving, every last one of them.

Danny shakes his head at my mother. "You all act as though... we are the end all when it comes to Werejaguars. But Ansel is not an Elder, he is just a man like I-"

"One that you've asked for help and gotten it. What has the Elders ever done for you Danny? We are family, we stick together, and we do not call the Elders asking for reward! We do not turn over a fellow supernatural. Are those the types of lessons you want to teach your children?"

"They are mine to teach what I feel will serve them and push them further in life." I'm not all together sure who was most disappointed in that very moment. My mother? Father? Me?

For a moment before me, Danny had morphed into my young and still naïve son Brennan. Only someone without experience could say such–

Instinctual, I look up when I feel as though I have eyes on me. My blue eyes connecting directly with my son – Samson. Instead of being on the second floor of the house, he's peering down at all of us, from the third floor hallway right outside of Fatima's room. Keeping guard.

The boy would probably sleep right outside her room if he thought she was in any danger. Or better yet, in his Nagual jaguar form, at the end of her bed.

My patience with Danny was lessening as the night hours crept by us. I couldn't understand how my son could see reason, even protecting Faith from any one of us if need be, but Danny, the father of daughters himself was still spouting crap.

And that's what all this was. Still, as I gaze up into Samson's curious eyes, I make myself remember that Danny is in a state of distress. What would you do Ansel if this was your Kalenah? The leader part of me said when I was getting fed up with Danny's illogical banter with everyone.

"Danny," I say forcing myself to look away from Samson. "Do you want to know how this all plays out?" I leave Kalenah, my mother and father, closing the few inches that were left between us. "I have mom remove the bonding spell, and I tranquilizer you, and when you wake up, every supernatural trace in Bend will be gone. I will leave you and your crazy imposter wife, and your children to fend for yourself. You are family and if you are with me, then I will never fail you. However if you think for a minute that I will let Cynthia be the cause of any deaths, or more heartache than she has caused, you are wrong brother."

I do not so much as blink, holding eye contact with Danny. "I will leave you penniless, let your Cynthia call the Elders Danny. I have the funds to make all of us disappear, hide out and live for years without ever being found. What do you think the Elders will do for you when your sightings report on Faith doesn't pan out? When they come here and they find that not only are we gone but Faith is also missing?"

"And this money Cynthia has said you will have..." I cock my head to the left, "Do you think that the Elders will give you this money freely? That they will not trace it and therefore you?"

I scoff, taking a step away from Danny, "Or more importantly... that they will not realize that the only people who could know Faith has been spotted since they've never once sent out word they were looking for her, doing so only secretly," surely Cynthia must have thought of this in her rush to gain wealth.

"The only person that would know of Faith, is someone who was locked up and escaped, is Cynthia... Only someone that knows she is special would call in and report seeing her. Who else but Cynthia and Andy would know that?"

"So tell me Danny, what do you think the Elders will do to Cynthia when they get their hands on her? She has information of Faith that they need?"

"Sure." I answer my own question, shrugging.

"Cynthia may never accept Faith, but they have a very... mutualistic relationship – in terms of freedom. When Cynthia turns in Faith, the very next person the Elders are going to want is Cynthia herself." Surely he sees that, though I do not say it out loud in so many words.

I can see the wheels turning in his thoughts from his eyes alone, but one glance away from me, and to Cynthia, he shakes his head.

I sigh, "Danny. Locking Cynthia up is honestly the best thing we can do for Cynthia."

"I do not trust her not to call. So I lock her up and by doing so I protect not just everyone else, but your children as well. Surely you see I'm right brother," I whisper.

I glance up at the window belonging to Faiths room. The lights off, I search the next window for Samson but cannot find him. Turning back to Danny, only seconds gone by, I frown.

"Cynthia helped you once, I know that. However Danny, I'm not asking you to lock her away. If for one minute you think that calling the Elders will help you, help her, or anyone, I promise you that is not the case."

"Faith... if the Elders get their hands on her, the next person they are going for is Cynthia. I promise you that. Faith recalls nothing; she has no idea about anything. The person with the most answers is Cynthia and I don't believe that when they had her, that she gave them what they wanted to know."

Thoughtfully, I lay out just the bare minimum for Danny. I wouldn't tell him how truly special we all thought Faith was. He wanted to protect Cynthia. If Danny believed that her actions of abandoning Faith was comparable to a mother giving a child up for adoption, then rubbing Faith in his face would never work.

"She thought that Faith was the reason she lost everything. Why would the Elders keep Cynthia alive if not for information? She knew that and probably only gave them the tiniest of details, biding her time, stealing food from Faith to become stronger."

"Dad," I nod at my father, giving him permission to take Cynthia from the car. Whipping around, Danny stalks in our father's direction. Faster I run around the car, reaching into my jacket pocket for the second syringe I held onto just in case. With my father reaching for Cynthia, I move to block Danny, eye to eye as he fights to get past me. "If any one of you touches-" he roars, his voice and echoing volume, cutting off when he first feels – the syringe gage puncture his skin – then looks at his chest.

"Unlike you and Cynthia, I would never stab you in the back," I whisper as his eyes roll to the back of his head as the sedative rapidly takes effect.

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© 2016 roxann_season All Rights Reserved

please do not forget to vote & comment :)

Should Ansel and the rest leave and desert Danny and his family (Cynthia included) or try to talk some sense into Danny when he has a better handle on his emotions?

ALso...

Who thinks Cynthia has Danny under a spell?

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Also posted a question for thought on my facebook page (facebook.com/newxseason). I didn't do it here because it has spoilers and I did not want to ruin that for those that haven't read the other books.