by Kimbra Swain
“He’s not going to say it,” I said.
“He will,” Levi said. “He’s just a man of few words. Ain’t that right, buddy?”
Aydan grinned at him.
“Unlike you, Bard. A man of too many words,” I said.
“I’m not a man of too many words, Grace. I’m a man of the right words,” he said.
“Your ego needs a deflate,” I said.
“Nah. You always put me in my place,” he said, finally letting Aydan come to me. He patted my face and gurgled something incoherent. I decided he said that he wanted to eat grits too. “Want some grits, Levi?” I knew the answer to that question.
“Really?” he said as he popped open his laptop at the dining room table.
“Never know when the man of the right words might have the right answer to that question,” I said.
“Yeah, Uncle Levi. Grits are good,” Winnie said climbing up in the chair next to him. “Oh, look. It’s like your sword.”
“Yes, it is,” Levi said.
“What’s this on the bottom?” she asked.
“That’s the hilt, and those two creatures are chimera,” Levi explained.
“Never heard of it,” Winnie said.
“It’s a mythological creature that has a lion’s head and body. A goat’s head comes out of its back, and its tail has the head of a snake on it. So, it can bite you,” Levi said, grabbing Winnie and tickling her. The shrieks coming from her mouth could put Betty to shame.
Betty. She was going to be a key part of our plan. I just hoped the Banshee was ready to come out of retirement.
“Why are you looking up the sword?” I asked.
“Just finding whatever I can about it,” he said.
“The songbook should have plenty about it,” I said.
“It does,” he replied. I knew that he had memorized the book, but he sometimes read over chapters when we needed a refresher. “I’m hoping to find something obscure. Something that might help us defeat Brock.”
“Are you going to fight, Uncle Levi?” Winnie asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“I am going with him,” I said. “Winnie, we have to stop this bad man.”
“I don’t want you to die,” she said as her eyes welled up with tears.
“We aren’t going to die, Winnie,” Levi said. “We will always be here for you.”
A promise made that he couldn’t possibly keep, but that’s what parents did every day. We lived each day protecting our children the best we could. When I looked at Levi showing Winnie things on his laptop to cheer her up and thought back to him playing with Aydan, it hit me that he not only was left here to take care of me but to be a surrogate father. He was too damn young to have to worry about such things.
“Quit,” he scolded me. “We are family. That is all there is to it.”
“If I wanna get all up in my feelings, then let me,” I said.
“I can give you brooding lessons,” he said.
“No one does it like you do,” I replied. I sat Aydan down at his chair with a bowl of grits and gave Winnie her bowl. She barely looked at it. “Eat.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said, keeping her eyes on the screen, but reaching for her spoon.
“Can I get you something, Levi?” I asked.
“No, I’m not hungry,” he said.
“Alright. I’m going to take a bath,” I said.
“You are?” Levi asked.
“I am,” I said. It had been too long. “Leave me alone.”
“Gotcha,” he said. “Winnie and I are going to do some fairy tale research.”
I took one last look at them as I went up the stairs. The bath was to relax for a time because after it, there would be no more rest.
After gathering a few things for my bath, I closed the door to my bathroom which shut out a lot of the noise from downstairs. I hadn’t so much as looked at the bathtub across the room for weeks. The shower and things were closer to the bedroom than the bath. When I approached it, I realized it had a box sitting in the bottom of it.
Warning bells went off in my head as I moved closer. The small box was wrapped in silver paper with a white bow. Someone had been in my bathroom. I eased closer, looking at the box through my sight. Someone with magical gifts had touched the box. It left a mark like fingerprints on it.
“There is a box in my bathtub,” I said.
“Did you open it?” Levi asked calmly.
“No! I don’t know how it got here!” I protested.
“Grace, open the box,” he said.
I knew then who had been in my bathroom. Reaching down into the tub, I picked up the cube-shaped box. It was heavier than I expected. The ribbon fell to the floor after I pulled it open. Inside the box was a chalky orb that smelled like vanilla. A small note was inside the box, too. Unfolding the note, I recognized Levi’s handwriting.
“Grace, you have always been brave and beautiful to me. This is just one more step to living your life. You don’t have to move on, but you do have to live. Enjoy the little things. With a bath bomb. All my love, Levi.”
“Well, shit,” I said, wiping tears. I’d seen these things on television and the videos that Winnie watched on her tablet. I started the warm water, then dropped the bomb into it. The swirling ball mesmerized me as it spun in the water giving off its heavenly vanilla scent. It was just like the perfume that I sometimes wore. I used to wear it all the time. I thought it masked my normal winter and apple scent. It reminded me of who I once was and who I had become.
There were days, even recently, that I was immature and rash. I toyed with Dylan’s emotions. And even though, he enjoyed every moment of it, I felt like it was my fault we didn’t have more time together. Of course, it also reminded me of Jeremiah who had kept us apart. I’d kill him if he weren’t already dead. I needed to make sure I didn’t toy with Levi’s already too far gone emotions.
Dipping one foot into the tub, I could feel the warmth of the water through my cold skin. I sat back in the tub, letting the smell take over my emotions.
“Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome, Grace,” he responded. Then he left me alone as I requested.
Sometime during my respite, Astor came home. I felt him enter while I was getting dressed. Levi and I needed to run some errands. I was glad he was here to watch the kids. Nestor would be here shortly, too. I wanted to let him in on the plan, so he would know my wishes if something happened to me. The thought caused me to pause, but I shook it off. We had to win. That was all there was to it. No exceptions. No hesitations.
As I exited my room, Levi came out of his freshly showered and dressed. I walked over and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed.
“Stay out of my bathroom,” I scolded.
“Was it nice?” he asked.
“Different. Smelled good,” I said.
“Good,” he said. “Hey, go easy on Astor. He’s not in a very good mood.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“He didn’t say,” Levi replied. “Just give him a break for once.”
“You act like I give him hell all the time. You must have him confused with you,” I said.
“Maybe so,” he grinned.
When I reached the bottom of the steps, Winnie was on the floor playing with Aydan. She had blocks which she built up, then he knocked down with a squeal each time. He had several teeth already, and that was when I decided to stop breastfeeding him. He had a terrible penchant for biting, and it hurt like the dickens. I missed that connection, but it was time to let it go.
His bright blue eyes followed the toys as Winnie rolled them around him. He looked up to see me, and I waved at him. He lifted his hand and waved back.
“Dear goddess, that was adorable,” I said.
“I saw it,” Levi said. “Cute.”
I heard Astor in the kitchen muttering at the coffee pot. I looked back at Levi who shook his head at me. I couldn’t help myself. Someone needed to find out what was wron
g. If it had to be me, then so be it.
“Astor,” I said.
“Oh, hi, Grace. Did you have a nice bath?” he asked.
“I did,” I replied. “Are you having issues with the coffee pot?”
“No, it’s fine,” he said.
“Are you okay?” I asked. When I approached him, I felt his agitation.
“I’m fine,” he repeated.
Walking up next to him, I put my back to the counter to watch the kids play. As I leaned up against it, he dared to look at me. I cut my eyes to him, waiting for him to give me a signal.
“She wants to get married as soon as possible,” he said.
“And?”
“It’s not a proper courtship,” he said.
“Oh, really. How long should you court her before you get married?” I asked.
“It isn’t a matter of time, but more of a mutual agreement of readiness,” he said.
“Astor, she loves you. You love her,” I said.
“I do,” he said. “But it feels rushed.”
“My advice is to not waste time. You never know how much time we have left,” I said.
He refused to look at me because he knew that I knew exactly how that felt. I truly believed if he loved her, then they should make a go of it. The sooner the better. I didn’t want him to make the same mistakes I had with Dylan thinking we had lifetimes to share each other.
“Thank you, Grace,” he said quietly. “Be sure to heed your own words.”
I lifted my eyes to meet Levi’s. He winced, then looked away. “I’m not ready for different reasons,” I said.
“Are they good enough reasons that if he perishes tomorrow you wouldn’t regret it?” he said.
“If he perishes tomorrow, I will perish with him,” I said.
“And your children?” he asked.
“I’ve made preparations,” I said. While upstairs after my bath, I called my lawyer Remington Blake. Remy and Tabitha were preparing for their Samhain dinner. I gave him specific instructions related to my children and their care should something happen to me. I refused to let it happen though. I did the smart thing and planned ahead, but Levi and I would make it through this. I wasn’t sure if we would lose anyone, but we would prepare for the worst. Hope for the luck that we needed to win.
“We better get moving,” Levi said, calling my attention back to the tasks at hand.
“Yep, I’m ready,” I said. Giving the kids hugs and kisses, we promised to return for Samhain dinner and the celebration.
We walked out the front door, heading toward the truck when he grabbed my hand. “Office.”
The portal opened before us, and he dragged me through it into my office at the trailer.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“We need to talk,” he said.
“Levi, why do we have to have these conversations here?” I asked.
“Because you need to remember things sometimes, and I have to be the one to remind you. This place. This trailer is more like home to us than that house. I love the house. It’s perfect for the kids, but this is us,” he said.
“Not us,” I said.
“Us.”
“What the hell has gotten into you? You were listening to Astor,” I said.
“I was,” he huffed as he paced the room.
“Say what you have to say. We have work to do,” I said, putting my hands on my hips.
“You could have just a little compassion for me in this situation,” he said. I felt a full brooding fit coming on. I had compassion. I just had no idea what to do with it.
“What preparations did you make for the kids?” he asked.
“If something happens and we both don’t come back, Astor and Ella are to take them. If they don’t, then Tabitha and Remy will take them,” I said. “I gave Remy access to some of the things I’ve stored up over the ages, and he will make sure that they get them when they get older. Was I supposed to get your permission or opinion on my children?”
“Why are you being hateful?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Levi. You dragged me through a portal demanding to talk. So, get to the real reason we are here,” I said.
“Fine,” he said.
“I’m waiting,” I replied.
He paced back and forth again. Then stopped in the middle of the floor. I felt him fighting for the right words to say when I knew there were only three that would make it okay. He wanted to explain. Preface it. However, he just needed to say it.
“Levi,” I said.
“No, just give me a minute,” he replied.
“Okay,” I said, then leaned against the wall to wait on him.
The silence yawned between us. It was waiting too.
“I know that I have said it before, but I need to say it again,” he said.
“You don’t have to.”
“Would you please just shut up for a minute?” he asked.
I bit my top lip and nodded.
“Thanks. Now I’ve got to work it up again. Stop throwing me off,” he said. “I love you isn’t enough. I’ve tried to think of a thousand ways to explain it to you, but I couldn’t because you’re hurting. I feel that pain and the last thing I ever want to do is add to it. You were right. There are things that should be said and not pushed aside while waiting for the perfect time. This is so not the perfect time, but it may be the only time I have.”
He leaned back on the edge of the desk, then dared to look at me. Keeping my emotions in check proved to be harder than what I thought it would be. He took my silence as a go ahead. If it got too much, I would have to skip out on him. The last thing I wanted to do was run because he needed to get this off his chest. And because I had stopped running.
He stood up to face me. Whatever he had to say, he wanted to say it to my face. He took a few steps toward me, and I instinctively straightened. I didn’t want him to touch me. Not right now with all the tension in the room.
“Just so you know, this has nothing to do with Dylan or his dream,” he said.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“The only way I know how to explain to you what happens to me when I’m with you is to put it into the terms that I understand the most. Through music,” he said.
Dear goddess. If he started to sing, I was going to lose it.
“Your life is like a symphony, Grace, with different movements. Some parts of the piece are fast paced and light. Others are dark and low. All of those things make up who you are. It’s how I see you. I can see the magic of music through my sight, but I see the music of you without it. The light. The dark. It’s not that I love all of those parts; it’s that my heart is tuned to all of it. It only plays the right notes when I’m with you. Everything I’ve done since I came home from the Otherworld was to make sure that I could play it perfectly for you. With you. But with this battle on the horizon, we haven’t gotten to the movement where our hearts play together. So, we both have to survive this. My greatest composition will never be complete if we don’t.”
Holy fucking metaphor. At times, I was sure that my bard possessed an old soul. No one talked like that anymore, but I remembered a man who once did. Taliesin. I didn’t know if it was a product of my father’s gift to Levi or if he was already like that before it was given to him. All I knew was that he knew how to melt me with his sincerity.
I couldn’t speak, and I didn’t know how to respond. He waited patiently for me to make the next move. So, I did. Crossing the room, I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his chest. He hugged me back tightly as his heart pounded against my ear. He brushed his fingers lightly through the ends of my hair.
Stepping away from him, I leaned on the desk where he once was. I grabbed his hand, so he would move closer to me. His other hand found my neck sending chills through me.
“Levi, this story isn’t over. Our story. It’s just starting, but I can’t rush this. There are days when I don’t know which way is up. I just need time,” I said.
&
nbsp; “And if we don’t have any more time?” he asked.
“Then you should know that I love you with all that I have left to love. It’s just a drop in my rusted bucket though,” I said.
“Best damn looking rusted bucket I’ve ever seen,” he smiled.
“As we go through each and every day, you feel the emotions inside of me. I don’t hide them,” I said.
“You don’t. You’re a whirlwind right now. I get that, but all the talk back at the house about saying what needed to be said, I had to talk about it. Selfish of me. I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t be sorry, because I know you aren’t. I’m not sorry you said it either. I’m just sorry I can’t reciprocate. However, we are as tight as ever,” I said. “We need to get moving though.”
He leaned over like he was going to kiss me, but kissed my cheek instead. That spot on my cheek sent a chill through me. A wonderfully, cold chill. His emotions settled, and a sense of purpose returned to his eyes. “Yes, we’ve got a town to save.”
“And a hunt to stop,” I said.
The floral upholstery on Betty’s couch reminded me of a weaver that I met in Europe. He was from the Middle East and his designs popped off the fabric. Back then, I had purchased a light gauzy bolt that he had in his shop in Paris. I took it back to the traveling fairies to make skirts for the women.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Betty said.
“Grace, I don’t think they will agree,” Luther added who seemed to be out of the bottle for now.
“I’m not. I think it will work. We need to hit them with all of our resources. We need to contact your friend, Rosty, and let him know we won’t be needing his services. Levi will take care of his payment,” I said. “Unless he wants to join the fight, then I’m happy to have him. I won’t pay him extra.”
“How are you going to pay him?” Luther asked.
“What do you mean?”
“His requirements are unusual,” he said.
“They are, but Levi spoke with Tennyson, and the items have been brought in. We are storing them in the vault for the time being,” I said.
“Tennyson does have his hand in everything,” Luther said.
