by Jo Penn
After dinner Rico cleaned up with Dark while Torr, Uriel, Hales, Callum, and Freddie went to the living room. Rico was concerned about Oslo, Dark assuring him brethren were there and would keep the crāwan under control.
“It is good to have you home, brother.”
“It’s good to be home,” Rico said and meant it.
He wasn’t sure he would ever make it back home and be with his family again. The last few times he’d ventured out on the mission he’d run across crāwan. The thought that he might get the last piece in Oslo and only have time to send it to his brother had been a prominent one. Then, when he met Freddie, he’d tried to quell the thought, was more determined than ever, but the worry over his mate being injured, or worse, became a fear.
With his family joining them, and as long as they stayed out of the way of him retrieving the parchment piece, Rico wasn’t as worried.
He was always going to worry over Freddie, but he needed to trust his mate and respect his abilities.
After cleaning up, he and Dark joined everyone in the living room. But it was late, and a lot had happened the last twenty-four hours. Freddie was yawning an hour later, and exhaustion had caught up to Rico. He led his mate to his old suite in the west wing of the castle, agreeing with Freddie that, yes, the old place needed redecorating and a lot more color.
“It’s going to take a while before you forgive me, isn’t it?” Rico said after they got into bed together.
“Can’t predict how long. I’m not going anywhere, Rico. We’re partners in this. And I care about you. But I do need to know and to actually see that you respect my skills and know you can’t take over.”
“I know that now. When can I?”
Freddie turned on his side to face Rico and smiled. “When I’m losing a fight miserably. Then and only then. And never mention it. I don’t want to lose face. I’ll do the same for you.”
“Deal. Thanks for staying by my side.”
“Well, I wanna see what the fuss is all about with this globe. Do you think I can borrow one of those swords on the wall for the trip to get the parchment piece?”
“I think you can have a brand-new sword.”
Freddie leaned over and kissed Rico. It wasn’t long, nor deep, but it was tender. “Night.”
“Night, mate.”
Chapter Nine
Sealed closed for over a millennium, the pouvoir palace in Austria now carried the sound of voices through its gleaming white marble halls. Curtains billowed in the breeze as old windows were opened and heavy drapes removed.
Once, pouvoirs congregated in the palace. Judges resided in their courts and offices, and others mingled in the libraries. Today, pouvoirs were re-opening the palace. It would again be their communal hub.
After their discussion in the caves, Torrent called Defender of Justice, Jeston Colton, known as Talent, and Defender of the Balance, Safine “Leader” Maroni. Torrent informed them of what had happened and that it was time to unite the brethren once more. Both agreed, and Talent contacted the Defender of Justice on the other side, Amazon pouvoir Judge Mace Ambrose. They agreed to meet at the palace, bringing only a few brethren to the initial meeting. After, those Mace trusted the most would join them in one of the large meeting rooms to discuss the soul globe. Talent was direct and pressed how important this was. They weren’t entirely surprised when Mace said her fellow brethren had suggested working together more also.
“After the greeting, we will collect the map you have hidden,” Dark said quietly as they walked along the entrance hall. “It is strange, but the palace feels like it has been disturbed in the last few years since I was here.”
Every few years, Dark came to the palace to ensure it remained as it had been left. Rico knew a brethren from the other side of the equator was also in charge of watching over the palace. Like Darkness, Rico knew the pouvoir’s touch of magic and her scent. Rico also knew why the palace felt like it had been disturbed.
Rico quirked a brow. “Where do you think I hid the map?”
Dark frowned. “You have been here in the last few years?”
“I’m not the only one.” Rico guided Darkness around a corner and stopped in front of a white wall. He wiggled the middle finger of his left hand three times, his forefinger once and pinkie twice.
A shield fell away, revealing the once white wall was now covered in symbols, pictures, and what looked like a puzzle of some kind but was actually computer code.
“That’s a computer code.” Rico pointed. “For the past year and a half, I’ve watched the young ones hang out and leave messages for each other.”
“Hali Corliss,” Dark growled, studying the code. “I have seen his computer work. I have always found it similar to a puzzle.”
“Yeah. You, me, and Hales are good at puzzles, and Hales is great at computer science. He, Tarrant, Jules, and a few others meet Henri Anwar Stretton, Neo Mattise, Lark Ambrose, Haze Seymour, and more here at the palace. Or they leave messages for each other as well as text and phone. They’ve felt the drive to unite and have been taking back the palace. I couldn’t say anything, but I kept an eye on them to make sure they stayed safe.”
“That little shit,” Torrent hissed, glaring at the pictures and writing on the wall with hands on hips. “This is graffiti. Hales is definitely grounded.”
“Hales is far too old to be grounded. He’s thirty-two.” Rico grinned.
“Not too old for more study and responsibilities,” Torr countered. “Others have arrived.”
“That’s a good idea, actually,” Rico murmured. “The old building used for learning magic is at the edge of the palace perimeter. It could be used to teach the younger ones.”
“A college.” A tall brethren walked toward them. “We have teachers amongst the brethren.”
“Hello, Player,” Torrent greeted. “Thank you for coming.”
Sebastian di Marco joined them. Sebastian was dubbed “Player” because he was renowned for flirting and enjoying the company of many. A Defender of Hells, Player was strong and always alert. Along with Safine Leader’s nephew, Ziggy Maroni, he and Player were the leaders of the younger defenders and guards, the four- and two-hundred-year generations.
As they walked toward the room that guards and defenders once used for their meetings and the judges presided over, Darkness nodded. “I feel the rightness of this joining. It settles something inside me. There was no discord between the two hemispheres, no animosity, just a little rivalry amongst a few. We are all very interested to see each other’s skills and magic.”
“I agree,” Player murmured. “Being here brings a type of rightness and peace.”
The room was large and airy, sheer curtains fluttering in the breeze coming through the open windows. In the center of the room was a nearly circular table. It was large and, like the entire room, gleamed white. Even the seats were white.
Toward the back of the room, where the circular table did not meet and back a little way, was a long desk with four seats. These were for the judges.
At the back of the room was a door. Having been here before and curious, Rico looked in every room of the palace, top to bottom. He knew the door back there led to the judges’ chambers where they deliberated.
“Are we assigned places, or do we just sit anywhere?” Player asked curiously.
“My mother once told me the first time she was called to join the defenders and guards and attended a meeting, she sensed where she was meant to sit,” Torrent said quietly.
Darkness, Rico, Torrent, and Player walked around the circular table slowly, each stopping at a particular seat.
“She was right.” Torrent reverently touched his seat.
Darkness’ seat was on the right side of the table near the top of the room close to the judges. There was one seat on his left only. Rico wondered where Uriel Golden would be seated. Dark and Golden were inseparable.
A tall brethren from their side of the equator entered the chambers, greeting them with a nod, and
went directly to a seat on the right near the entrance. Defender of Seers, Draykus Kandinski, and Torrent were over to the left in the center, and Rico was between Torrent and Dray.
Judge Talent arrived, flashing a grin as he touched his place. “Head of the table of course.”
“That’s going to go to his head.” Dray smirked.
They all turned as other pouvoirs arrived, each different and unique. To be one of the first to be in this room, to find his place amongst the defenders and guards after so many years, was a memory he would always cherish. And he may not have gotten here without Freddie and his family having his back.
Leading the way was Mace Ambrose, a tall, fit-looking woman with long golden hair tied back in a plait. She wore faded blue jeans, a T-shirt and a sword strapped to her back. They all had a sword. It was their defender or guard sword and precious to a pouvoir.
Smiling and waving a greeting was Anna Anwar Stratton, Defender of Souls. Her dark hair was loose and waved down her back. Her violet eyes shone with interest, and she dimpled when she smiled. Dressed in a flowing jumpsuit and her sword in an oversized carry bag, she seemed to be the complete opposite of serious Judge Mace.
Next was a big brethren with a bald head, an earring in his left ear, and sporting a watchful expression.
Last was one Rico had briefly trained with, along with a few others, as a youth. Zed Leung, known as Big Bad Doom, but mostly Doom. Dark hair casually messy, almond-shaped dark eyes watchful, Zed wore black jeans, bike boots covered in chains that made no sound when he walked, and a grey T-shirt. Rico, Dark, Torr, Player, and Talent’s eyes all dropped to Doom’s feet. They didn’t touch the ground when he walked.
Rico thought for a moment, recalling the Leungs, like the Taroks, inherited gravity magic. The Taroks inherited it from the dragons while the Leungs were gargoyle lineage.
Mace went directly to the judges’ table and took her place beside Talent. Nodin Scali was the big bald brethren and the defender of the sky. Finding his place, he stood behind the chair, arms crossed, studying the room. Anna slipped her arm through Doom’s and pulled him along.
“I’m sure we’re sitting together, cherie!”
“I’m sure you’re not.” Mace pulled a wooden hammer out of a backpack and tapped it on the table. “You’re souls. He’s destruction.”
They all winced as the sound amplified and echoed throughout the room.
“That’s horrific,” Player muttered, rubbing an ear.
“I fear you’re right, Mace.” Anna drifted off and found her place.
Doom went directly to a seat on the left and farther up from Torrent. Once everyone was settled and Talent managed to persuade Mace to leave the hammer alone for now, they got down to business. It didn’t take long to come to an agreement, Talent producing the list of defenders and guards from their side of the equator and Mace grumbling she would send him a copy of those on her side. Anna was stunned to hear they were close to locating the soul globe, which, as the defender of souls, should have been in her possession. The globe was gone long before Anna was born. She looked solemnly at Rico and thanked him, offering her services to assist in helping retrieve it.
“We may require assistance,” Torrent said. “The crāwan have pursued Rico from Sweden to Oslo where the last piece of the parchment is hidden. We believe they have discovered Rico is hunting the soul globe and plan to capture him and make him find it for them. There is, as Talent informed Mace, a large gathering of crāwan in Oslo currently. We must act quickly and protect the innocents and Rico so he can retrieve the piece and break the magical lock protecting it. This piece is part of a map, which will then show the location of the soul globe.”
“Mace told us the crāwan had gathered in Oslo. We have guards and defenders there since yesterday,” Nodin said. “What more is needed?”
“A plan,” Talent said. “We work together, as we should, and stop anyone being harmed. And stop the soul globe from falling into crāwan hands. Then it is returned to its rightful place.”
Anna beamed. “I will be able to sense it once we are close by.”
“We need to plan this out right,” Mace said firmly. She glanced at Torrent then Dray. “The higher authority, the Four. Are you ready to take your places?”
“Once the brethren are united and this mission complete, we will,” Dray responded.
“Who is the last higher authority?” Talent asked.
“Oh, that’s Ze’ev. We call him Gloom, though he’s not gloomy at all!” Anna smiled. “Have you not met Gloom?”
“I did, a long time ago.” Dray nodded. “More serene than gloomy.”
“I saw him three weeks ago. Appeared near Rio where my team was searching for a smuggler,” Player said. “I let Talent know.”
“Yes, I recall. Your brother could not attend, Doom?” Talent asked.
Doom shrugged. “He was here for a moment. He’ll be back for the meeting to plan out the globe retrieval.”
Darkness hissed. “Right. Invisibility. The Leungs and de Villes have this magic.”
“And the Taroks have mist and ash,” Mace said coolly. “Where are the de Villes? I would have expected they be here for this important meeting.”
Player chuckled. “Can’t get the twins to do anything, Judge.”
“True.” Torr grinned. “Let’s make this simple. We return to the old ways. The defenders and guards meet here as required to receive assignments and updates. The judges reside over these meetings and are in charge of assigning duties and ensuring communications run smoothly. Safine Leader would be here, but he is busy setting up the meeting room with Jazz. Leader will be the coordinator for the six hundred-years brethren. He will make sure assignments are carried out and coordinate between his group and the judges. Ziggy and Player are the leaders for the four- and two-hundred-year defenders and guards. They will do the same as Leader. Any questions? Arguments?”
Torrent may be jovial and up for a good time, but he was also smart and ready to deal with any situation. In his eight hundredth year, he’d well earned his place amongst the Four and would keep a tight rein over the brethren to ensure their future.
“So, our side has no leader.” Nodin scowled.
“What the fuck am I?” Mace glared, hammer raised. She slammed it down, everyone growling and wincing. “We are no longer two sides. We are one, as it should have been for centuries. Remember this.”
Doom glanced to his left and nodded. A moment later a brethren appeared, similar in appearance to Doom, but his raven hair was straight and long down his back and he wore loose cotton pants and a long-sleeved slim top. An inch taller than Doom’s six feet four, Ze’ev Leung had a serene quality.
Torrent growled, and the palace shook. Rico’s and Darkness’ attention snapped to their cousin. Torrent rose from his seat, his wings beating. He flew across the room, shifting to his dragon form while in flight, charging toward Ze’ev, little gold and black lights bouncing in the air around him.
In Torrent’s current state, he wasn’t thinking clearly, or he would have avoided Doom. Rico winced. When seeing your mate for the first time, sensing them, you couldn’t think beyond have and mine.
Doom landed one hard punch that connected with Torrent’s dragon jaw and sent him hurdling backwards through a marble wall. Nodin was fast and, using the air around them, built a pocket that, when Torrent shook himself off and jumped up, he got stuck in.
“Well damn,” Mace grumbled and pushed up her sleeves. “Let’s cage this dragon before he crumbles the whole bloody palace down around us. Nodin, how long can you hold him?”
“About five more seconds. He’s one strong bastard!” Nodin yelled.
Meanwhile Rico, Dark, and Dray sprang into action, Dark building a powerful shield around one of the dungeons in the palace and Dray clearing everyone out of the way, as others had arrived to meet about the soul globe. Rico was helping Nodin but shook his head.
“Call Wild to trap Torrent.”
“I can trap him.
” Ze’ev Gloom glided over, feet not touching the ground. With a twirl of his hand, Gloom had Torrent in a cage. “Where would you like your cousin?”
“We’ve prepared a dungeon.”
Rico was unsure what to think. Why was Gloom not reacting to Torrent in the same way? Unlike when he’d met Freddie and received no immediate soul mate response, Gloom was pouvoir and should be feeling the first sighting of his soul mate.
“Wowee!” A pouvoir appeared beside Gloom, too many piercings over his face to count. “Need a hand, cousin?”
“Perhaps, Zareb.”
“Sure thing.”
The pair disappeared with Torrent, who was growling and throwing his body against the magical cage. Darkness followed them via scent and the air waves to the dungeons at the bottom of the palace. Rico appeared beside him, Doom, Talent, and Dray teleporting a moment later.
“Your brother is unaffected. Why?” Darkness threw his hand against the door of the cell Torrent was now locked in and secured his shield magic. He was the strongest at shields. Torrent would not escape.
“My brother is locked down,” Doom said quietly. “A sensitive.”
Rico and Darkness nodded, understanding. Some people felt incredibly deeply and were easily wounded. A pouvoir who was sensitive was the deepest feeling but could also be crushed with pain. To be able to function without this pain, feelings were locked down beneath shields or with potions and spells. These were not always exact and did at times result in the sensitive pouvoir’s emotions being locked away.
“Torrent has the mind talent ability. He will be able to ease the sensitivity without full lockdown.”
Gloom peered into the room through the little window in the door. “How long shall we expect the first sighting to last? I wish to talk to my mate.”
“Probably ten or so minutes before he’s calmed down.”
“I better go collect Freddie,” Rico said. “Torrent will be okay in there, won’t he?”
“Uri arrived with Freddie a moment ago, and brought spare clothes for Torrent,” Darkness murmured. “Will you remain with Torrent, Gloom?”
