Broken Bonds (Valerian's Cove Book 2)

by H. C. de Cossy

  Once everyone had their food in front of them, Celine turned to the Fae Mage.

  “What did you find out?” she asked.

  Ciaran laid his napkin in his lap before answering.

  “The Council thinks that only someone of Oberon’s line could have a chance of wielding the Crown and its power,” he began.

  “Are there any of Oberon’s line left?” asked Brendan. Ciaran looked at Siofra. She nodded.

  “Yes, there are. Oberon had many children, both with his Queen and with others. The thought is that only someone who is full-Sidhe and of Oberon’s bloodline can safely wear and use the Crown. That lets out any children he had with mortals, or any that descended from Sidhe-mortal pairings, in theory. There are still descendants of the royal line, however. Siofra and I are from one such branch.” He looked around at the group gathered around. “In fact, we are descended from both Royal lines, as our great grandfather was one of Oberon’s children with Queen Titania of the Unseelie Sidhe.

  “Well, that’s something!” Devra said.

  Everyone looked surprised by Ciaran’s revelation. He continued.

  “Remember, Fae are extremely long-lived. Not as long as Dragons,” he nodded to Aldona, “But long enough. Anyway, yes, there are full-blooded Sidhe of Oberon’s line still alive today. The Council decided to use my blood for a tracking spell to see if they could find anyone living who was strong enough in power and bloodline to us the Crown.”

  “What did they find?” Aldona asked.

  “There are three Fae Mind Mages of Oberon’s blood alive today with the strength to possibly use the Crown.” He looked around again. Everyone looked eagerly back.

  “I am one. Of the two others, one is elderly-my Great-Great Uncle Thorvald. He has the power, but not the control anymore, we think. The other is a distant cousin, the descendant of Oberon and Titania’s daughter Liliana. No one has seen my cousin Faith in a long time. And Faith was tested as a low-level Mind Mage, by Fae standards. Either her testings were modified, or she somehow developed a stronger power as she aged, though that should not be possible. However, the tracking spell was definite. Faith could have the power and blood line to wear and possibly control the Crown.”

  “Where is Faith now? Do we know?” Declan asked.

  Ciaran shook his head. “We know that she was in France. The tracking spell was directed at the bloodline, not current location. We would need something of hers to track her location accurately. And, as I mentioned, no one has seen Faith in some time.”

  “Does anyone know anything about her that might help us find her?” Malia asked.

  “Faith’s branch of the family was rather obsessed with their Royal blood,” Siofra said. “They didn’t have friends, as such. They had people who they associated with as long as it benefited them in some way to do so. We might perhaps be able to find some of those people? Any scrap of information we could find could help.”

  “Where in France was she last seen?” Rosalie asked.

  “Paris.”

  “Well then, we will find her. Paul, we will go home. Luna will help us. If there is anyone in our City that knows this Faith, we will find them.”

  “Do you have a description of her? How old would she appear now?” Paul asked.

  “She’s my age,” Siofra said. “I haven’t seen her for a long time. I remember how she looked the last time I saw her, though. Do you suppose there would be any photographs?” Siofra asked Ciaran.

  “The Council is researching,” he told her. “In the meantime, perhaps you could show Malia your remembrance of Faith, the last time you saw her? Malia is quite an artist, I hear. Perhaps she could sketch Faith’s portrait for us.”

  “I can do that,” Malia agreed.

  “I can cause her likeness to appear in a bowl of water,” Siofra said. Celine got up to get one.

  “A metal bowl is best, if you have one. Or a shiny metal pot will do.”

  Celine came back from the kitchen with a short, wide soup pot filled with water. She placed it in front of Siofra. Grasping the handles, Siofra concentrated on the surface of the water. After a moment, the face of a youthful woman appeared. She had raven black hair, bright blue eyes and looked supremely bored. Her hair fell perfectly straight, past her face and down over her chest.

  “That’s so cool,” Lena whispered.

  Malia had gone to get her sketchbook. She began sketching the face in the water. When she was finished, the likeness was excellent.

  “Why couldn’t we just take a picture of the face in the water?” Ian asked.

  “Magic and technology don’t work together very well,” Brendan said. “Unless you’re a techno-mage, and those are still rather rare. Though, they are becoming more common, along with the rise in the personal use of technology.”

  “What’s a techno-mage?”

  “Someone who is able to harness magic and technology, blending them together in some way to create something new. Magic grows and changes as needed, just like anything else. Techno-mages are usually found by accident, when their Gifts first become evident. Many don’t know at first what is happening. I am sure that some low-level ones are never identified. They might not even realize what is happening themselves.”

  “That would be sick,” Ian sounded excited. Brendan regarded his grandson thoughtfully. He made a note to have Ian tested for techno-mage ability at school the next day.

  Malia handed the drawing to Rosalie. Rosalie looked at it, then passed it to Paul. He looked at it, then held on to it. Rosalie stood.

  “We will pack now and leave at once. We will let you know as soon as we have found something.”

  Paul and Rosalie hugged their family and said their goodbyes, then left. Malia and Allie visibly relaxed.

  “I know this had nothing to do with it, but thank you for giving her something important to do far away from here!” Malia breathed.

  Everyone burst out laughing. They all appreciated a break from Rosalie’s sharp tongue.

  Rosalie’s connections in the paranormal community in Paris were excellent. By Friday afternoon, she had found several people who had known a Fae woman who might have been Faith. She had gone by the name Felicia and had left Paris some time before. No one was quite sure where she had gone, though one source, found by Rosalie’s daughter Luna, mentioned that Felicia had had a daughter with a Witch and had given the daughter up for adoption to the Witch’s sister’s family, who were unable to have children themselves. That raised quite a few eyebrows in the room when Rosalie reported back.

  “Could Clarice be Faith’s daughter?” Celine asked.

  “That would explain a few things,” Ciaran mused. “She would have Fae mind magic, perhaps, rather than Witch, and if she looks human, it would have been easier to hide. No one ever mentioned that Clarice might be part Fae. If she is, they kept it hidden.”

  “So Dad is part Fae as well as part Dragon!” Mikey said. “That’s awesome!”

  Nathaniel groaned. “Now we have to test Theo and the children for Fae magic as well,” he grumbled. Those present laughed at his tone. “The surprises just never stop coming in this mess, do they?” Siofra kissed her mate’s cheek and patted his hand.

  “Come, let’s do it know,” she said, standing and gesturing to Nathaniel and the others. Leading the way, she headed for the back door.

  Siofra had Theo, Milena and Mikey sit on the grass a little from the patio. Lowering herself into a cross-legged position, she began to speak.

  “Like when Nathaniel and Ciaran were working with you, I would like you to breathe in… breathe out,” she said. “When you are relaxed, I want you feel the air on your cheeks and in your hair. Feel the warm sun on your face. Stretch out your awareness-can you feel Mother Earth? Can you feel the stars? We are all one together in their Light. Take a deep breath… now let it out. In… out. In… out. Now, bring your attention back into your body. See if you can get a sense of where your magic lives within you. Can you feel the different distinct types of magic
in your blood? What does your Witch magic feel like? What does your Dragon magic feel like? What does your Fae magic feel like? Remember that feeling. Take another deep breath… now, let it out. See your body as a body of light. Imagine branches stretching up into the Goddess, and down into Mother Earth. Know that you are connected to all living things, safe and whole. Begin to breathe normally and slowly move your fingers. Know that you are back in your body, and all is well. You may open your eyes when you are ready.”

  Milena and Mikey looked at each other. Mikey’s eyes were a more brilliant green, and Milena’s looked like they had stars in them. Literally. They were filled with tiny pinpricks of light. Theo’s eyes were a deeper moss green, with golden flecks. He looked down at the grass he was sitting upon and brushed his hand over a patch beside himself. The grass greened, looking young and healthy, lush and vibrant. Theo looked up at Siofra.

  “I have never done that before!” He whispered. “I never even thought to try.”

  “It’s amazing what we find inside of us when we are willing to try new things,” Siofra replied. She looked at Milena and Mikey.

  “Mikey, try doing what your father just did. Try to make the grass green again.”

  Stretching out his hand, Mikey imagined the grass as green and growing. He loved to roll around in the spring grass, the smell and the texture of it. He could lie in it for hours, staring up at the sky.

  The other three watched as the grass under Mikey’s hand grew six inches, then a foot. Mikey opened his eyes, which widened at what he saw. He turned and stared at Siofra.

  Siofra smiled at him and turned to Milena.

  “Milena, can you hear the stars singing?” Siofra asked quietly. Milena nodded. Her eyes still held the stars within them.

  “What would you like to do?”

  Hesitantly, Milena held out her hands. A silver, sparkling energy formed between them, then took the form of a small bird before flapping its wings and flying away. Milena stared after it in wild delight.

  “Well, I believe that answers that question very well,” Siofra declared. “Theo, you and Mikey have Fae Earth Gifts, as well as your Witch Gifts. Milena is much more rare. Milena is an Illusionist. I think that Milena will need to study at a Fae Academy, unless we can arrange for a teacher to come here. It would be better for her to study with others her age, however. I will have to think about this.”

  Siofra stood. “Let’s go tell the others what we’ve discovered, shall we?” The little group returned to the kitchen where Celine, Malia and Marissa were waiting. Brendan had left to teach a class, and the Dragons had gone into town.

  Marissa looked up from her tea and saw the awestruck looks on her family’s faces. She grinned. “I guess you have Fae magic, too, hm? It seems Clarice actually is Faith’s daughter, after all.”

  “It looks like it,” Siofra replied. “Theo and Mikey have Fae Earth Gifts, and Milena is an Illusionist. We are going to have to talk about her training.”

  Marissa kissed her children, then Theo. “We have quite a mixed bloodline in this family, don’t we?”

  “We will have watch very carefully as the children grow, to see how all of these magics play out together,” Nathaniel said from the kitchen doorway where he had been leaning. “I think we are going to have to take Luc’s idea of a training academy here very seriously. The Fae will need to be involved.” He turned to Celine. “What are the odds of the Academy here allowing us to train on their grounds?”

  Celine thought for a moment.

  “I don’t believe it would be a problem,” she said, slowly. “We would have to present it in just the right way. Would more Dragon and Fae mixed families study here as well?”

  “I think that would be an excellent idea,” Nathaniel replied. “We can say that there are a growing number of those with mixed magical abilities, and it is necessary to train them in all of their Gifts. We are starting here because of your family, and your ties to the Dragons and Fae. We don’t have to mention Guardians, just that Luc’s family was descended from a Dragon-Witch pairing. Having an Academy here already to build on makes it a logical place to begin.”

  “I will ask Brendan to present the idea to the Headmistress and the Academy Board.”

  “I would be honored to help with training, and organizing the new classes,” Siofra said. “Nathaniel and I were talking about moving here, anyway, as Brendan has graciously agreed to go into business on the Fae plant growing.”

  “I will let him know. I think we should talk to the Dragons and see if they are willing to teach as well.”

  “They were already going to help with Allie,” Malia said. “What’s a few more? It will make for better practice sessions. More people to practice on.” Allie, who with Ian had come in as the others were talking, grinned wickedly.

  The plan to ask the Academy to expand to include Mage, Dragon and Fae magic, as well as battle classes, was discussed with Brendan and the Dragons that evening. Brendan agreed to talk with the Headmistress. He would call her Saturday morning. If she was behind the idea, they would ask for a meeting of the Academy Board the following week.

  Talk also turned to finding Faith. The idea that she had returned to America after leaving France was just speculation, but did seem to make sense. It had to have been Faith who had been training Clarice, and she could only have done that if she were immediately on-hand.

  “I wonder if she is with Clarice in San Francisco,” Marissa said. “It would make sense, wouldn’t it? I mean, if she is this close to her goal, wouldn’t she want to be on top of it all? Would you trust someone else with something so important, without being there to keep an eye on them?”

  “No, you’re right,” Devra replied. “I bet she is somewhere nearby.” She turned to Ciaran.

  “Isn’t there any way to use the link of your bloodline to find her?”

  “I don’t think so, not without tipping her off,” Ciaran said. “I can ask the Fae Council if they know of another way. Though, Theo’s blood would be better, as he is her grandson. He’s one generation closer.”

  “I’d be happy to offer my blood, if it means we get this over with that much sooner,” Theo said.

  “This may all be a moot point,” Marissa pointed out. “Clara’s appointment is this Wednesday. That’s only five days away. They may just come to us.”

  “I think I am not ready to depend on that happening,” Theo said. “I think we should be looking for them too.”

  “I agree,” Brendan said. “In the meantime, we need to continue our training every day. There are a lot of balls in the air at the moment, and it all feels a bit overwhelming. I know we can do it, though. We will be ready when they get here. Taking a stand here, with such a powerful community of friends and family to support us, is the right thing to do. They will not be expecting it. And even if they are, we will be ready for them.”

  “The Guardians have added two other teams to protecting the vault, as well as enhancing the magical protections on it,” Luc said. “They will remain in place as visiting family taking care of the Thorndike estate while the Thorndikes are here visiting their grandson and his family.”

  “We are doing everything we can,” Aldona said. “I think you will find that it is quite a lot, and it is bound to succeed.”

  24

  Brendan contacted Maria Hemenway, the Academy Headmistress, early Saturday morning, to talk about expanding the Academy’s course offerings. She was silent for long enough when he had finished speaking that he had begun to think they had lost the connection. At last she spoke again.

  “I have often thought that we should expand our offerings,” Headmistress Hemenway said slowly. “My family is part Fae, you know. We had a Fae ancestor long ago. We used to have stronger magic, and sometimes very odd Gifts. We were never able to train those with Fae Gifts as needed to completely understand the Gifts or help them grow. We didn’t know any Fae that were willing or able to train us properly. The Fae usually remain apart, as you know. Unless they want so
mething. In business, yes, they interact with us. But they keep very quiet about their home lives, as they do about their training methods as well. Yet I know that there must be more families with Fae blood. I would very much like to be a part of training them.” She paused.

  “And Dragons! They are even more reclusive than the Fae. I know you realize how unusual your wife’s family is, to have a Dragon ancestor. Maybe, if there is one, there are more. Either way, to have Dragons willing to teach! That is a gift I would very, very much like to explore.” Maria Hemenway shook her head.

  “Of course, this is all going to have to be approved by the Supernatural Oversight Council. Since it involves multiple races, and the running of a school, they will have to be involved. If we go about this through the usual channels, it could take for ever, and there would be no guarantee of approval. Unless you know someone on the S.O.C?”

  Brendan smiled. “Her Royal Highness, Princess Aldona Isabella Drake of the Fire Mountain Dragon Clan, is a primary supporter of this plan. The Fire Mountain Clan, and the Fae MacNamara Clan, will support and supply the new division of the school. You do realize that this could be extended to University level. Advanced magic and fight training. Advanced Healing, in conjunction with the San Francisco school. This is just the first step in bringing the training of all our youth together.”

  Ms. Hemenway smiled, rubbing her hands together. “I always knew you were a highly intelligent and brilliantly clever man, Mr. Casey,” she said. “Work away. The Academy is at your disposal. I think this will be of great benefit to everyone involved. I foresee expanding the dormitories and the staff quarters. Students will be coming from around the world to study with such exalted teachers.” She thought for a moment. “This could have quite a powerful effect on the town, as well. I think we will have to get the Mayor involved. There will need to be rules in place in regards to how much and what kind of expansion is allowed in town. I would hope that we can maintain our small-town existence as much as possible.”