Destiny (Cornerstone Deep Book 3)

by Wilson, Charlene A.

  Cole thrust the decorative rope to the floor and raked his fingers over his head. “I intended to get it from him. I tried, and I almost had it when…” He looked at the tassel slumped in a heap at his feet. His shoulders drooped, and his voice lowered as he added, “When I realized the severity of my actions. I failed.”

  James shook his head. “Nobody could have known Dressen’s life would be taken.”

  Cole gave him a sidelong glance and voiced Vincent’s own thoughts, “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

  With a sigh, James reclaimed his seat and looked at his hands. “You need to know something.”

  The room fell silent and the pause seemed to stretch the air thin. Forebodings sent chills across Vincent’s skin as he watched James lace and then tighten his fingers. Vincent’s nostrils flared with the twitch of stomach muscles.

  “When I led Dressen’s soul to his next life, I was very careful to follow Taravaughn’s instruction.” He swallowed and licked his lips. Puffing his cheeks outward until they deflated, he exhaled a mouthful of air. The corners of his mouth drew down.

  For the first time in his life, Vincent saw a concern in his brother’s countenance so deep that it melted his face to putty.

  “There were ten Selvite birthing chambers in use. All would have given him the opportunity to learn humility and loyalty, simply by being born to those in service. But…” His gaze lifted, and he breathed deep, causing his broad chest to expand and his large pectorals to look twice their size. “I found one that lost her child during birth. The woman’s cry wasn’t at the loss of her child. It was at the inability to serve her master’s needs… a continued line of service.” He shook his head. “She was too small and probably failed at giving birth in the past.”

  Cole’s brow dipped. “James, you didn’t show yourself to help this woman did you?”

  “His mother will have a clear mind to teach him what he needs to learn, and he’ll gain it through pure service.” He looked back down at his hands as his voice trail off, “His father named him Allant.”

  Vincent quirked his cheek. “Doesn’t that mean High One?”

  James nodded, and Cole’s breath rushed from his lips.

  “So, you did show yourself.”

  “I weighed the outcomes. It was the truest path I could find for him.” James’s tone lowered to just above a whisper. “I had no idea he’d name him after the High Ones. Or that the items transferred with him.”

  Cole’s features hardened to the point Vincent thought the tables might turn, and he’d be the one to temper his brother instead of the other way around. Cole took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “You realize how naming the child after a High One could change their view of their lot in life. They’re slaves!”

  James closed his eyes. “How could I have known?”

  Vincent folded his arms, irritation replacing the dread. “Okay. What’s going on?”

  He looked at each in turn. How much did they know about all of this, anyway? Yet another subject his father chose to share with his older brothers while he learned at his mother’s side? He cursed his soul’s short existence. He may be living his first lifespan, but that didn’t mean he was incompetent.

  A rap came at the door, and Cole stiffened with a huff. “Coneko silyst.” The room returned to its noisy freedom as he marched to the entrance and flung it wide. “What is it?”

  Linda set her hand on her voluptuous hip. “No need to be testy. You have a guest.” She thumbed toward the receiving hall and glanced at James with a small smirk. “I never thought I’d say this, but this guy rivals you, honey.”

  James’s brows bit into a deep furrow.

  She nodded. “Muscles and all.”

  He shot to a stand, and Cole’s disgruntled expression turned to shock. “James, you wait here.”

  Vincent matched Cole’s long strides as they passed the laurel-twined entrance and continued down the hall to the foyer. Broken sentences punched into his mind, and he realized the extent of Cole’s unease. His brother wasn’t harnessing the voice of his thoughts. The words came in broken fragments. Uncle… centuries… hide her?

  As they rounded the marble staircase seraphim, Cole stopped with a jolt, and Vincent sidestepped to keep from bumping into him. He gazed past his brother and had to look twice at what he saw.

  The large man knelt before Mechenzie and gently braced her elbows with his thick hands. Her gray eyes darkened to onyx, and an expression of awe crossed his flushed features. A breath passed his lips with one word. “Lilith.”

  Chapter Four

  Vincent cocked his head in disbelief. “Uncle Rhune?”

  A hand grasped his shoulder, shoving him aside, and James boomed out, “Unhand her!”

  Vincent flinched at the force.

  His brother’s broad frame marched a step in front of him and his muscles bulged to the point of stretching the fabric of his shirt. James took a wide stance, and then backhanded the air, fingers clawed.

  Rhune flew from the little girl in a great arch. His cape flattened to his back, and he stepped mid-air as his head collided with the cascading chandelier. Crystals clanked, the two-story lamp swayed, and several gems broke away, clattering onto the hardwood floor. Rhune dispersed his elements before he could land on the banister and hovered, partially visible. Righting himself, he stood three feet above the steps. His cloak flowed through his essence, settling around him.

  He looked at James, a hint of sorrow showing in his dark eyes. As he solidified, he lowered to the middle of the staircase.

  Linda rushed to Mechenzie’s side, but James’s long strides reached her first. He scooped the little girl into his arms and pulled her into a protective hold. “How dare you present yourself to her. She’s a child!”

  His warning nearly drowned out her mother’s soft, “Are you okay?”

  Rhune held out his hands. “I meant no harm, Jamesuranton. I only wanted to…” He dropped them to his sides. “You boys keep terrible records. Your Vignette entries are so sporadic that I didn’t learn of Lilith’s death until Vincentor gave his account of what happened with your Lord Dressen and who he really was.”

  A scowl tightened James’s lips. “So you rush here to claim a six year old.”

  Rhune shook his head. “I came to see if you’d found her. None of you made mention in your reports. I searched Meridian, expecting to find she’d returned, but there was no sign of her there.” He nodded to the little girl in James’s arms. “She answered the door with her mother.”

  Linda flushed and looked at James. She reached for Mechenzie. “Why don’t I take her to check the cake?”

  James hesitated, but then released her to her mother’s arms.

  Vincent looked from James to Cole and then back. Was he the only one itching to grab his uncle into a rough-kin hug? They hadn’t seen him in nearly six hundred years and when he comes to Cornerstone Deep, all he gets is a power punch that lands him on the marble-capped stairs? Could there possibly be something else he was left out of in the past?

  He looked up at the man. His brilliant maroon cape flared from the tall collar, pleated into a tailored fit across his broad shoulders. The light fabric fell to cover his wide torso and brushed his thighs. His close fitted trousers couldn’t hide the definition in his legs and hugged his ankles above what looked like seal skin shoes. He definitely didn’t use them for walking. The peculiar thought sent a twinge of humor through his heart and Vincent scoffed to himself. Of course, he hadn’t. What Meridian walked any distance?

  Ignoring his brothers’ cold welcome, he bypassed Cole and trotted up the steps to Rhune. A bright smile bloomed on his uncle’s face the closer he got. Grasping his shoulders, Vincent growled and wrapped his arms around the hulking man. “Uncle Rhune. It’s so good to see you!”

  With a chuckle, their closest relative returned the heart-felt greeting and patted him on the back with a heavy hand. “Vincent, my boy. As it is you.” His gaze returned to James and his smi
le mellowed. “As it is all of you.”

  Elaina pulled the cakes from the oven as Linda’s quick steps patted into the kitchen. A quirked expression covered her sister’s face, and she seemed reluctant to let Mechenzie go.

  “Who was at the door?”

  Linda bit her lips together. “I take it the guys’ uncle, Rhune.”

  Anna’s bright eyes flashed as she tore her gaze from her rings. “He’s here from Meridian?”

  “You know him?”

  “Only because Sylis mentioned him, and I asked Cole about it. They don’t talk about him much.” She stood and placed her drink in the tri-tub sink. “I gathered something happened a long time ago. He put a lot on the line by helping Sylis and Lilith out with a situation on Midway Summit. It kind of eased tensions but…”

  Elaina’s attention snapped to the topic, and the tins slipped from her grasp. Mechenzie’s little hand shot out as if to catch them in her open palm. They halted and hovered in the air.

  “Oh,” Elaina gasped, and grabbed them, setting them on the stove. “Mechenzie, thank you. You’re such a lifesaver.”

  Her chipmunk cheeks pooched with her smile. “You’re welcome, Auntie Elaina. I like to do that.”

  “Aww.” Her head tilted as dreams of her future family came back. “Someday, when Uncle Vincent and I have children, you’ll have cousins to show how it’s done. And then you can all make things go through the air.”

  As Mechenzie giggled, Mandy dashed to her and grabbed her hand. “Come on, Kenzie. You can do it now with me. You can show me how to do it.”

  Mechenzie rolled her eyes. “You can’t do magic.”

  Her twin’s lip pouted. “I can watch you.”

  Linda set Mechenzie down and shooed them toward the back door. “Go on, have fun.”

  As the two darted out the back door, Elaina returned her attention to Anna. “Did the guys tell you about Midway? What’s it like? What did Sylis do there?”

  Anna quirked her cheek and shook her head. “I don’t really know what he did, but it’s all related to the people that ended up there when they breached the portal on Earth.”

  Linda folded her arms and appeared as interested in the subject as Elaina. “You mean Earth, as in Cornerstone Summit? He was involved with all that?”

  “I don’t think he had anything to do with the breach, but he and Lilith both loved the cornerstone realms. Especially Earth. Sylis did talk about that. I got the impression he’d much rather have been assigned there instead of here on Terra.”

  An impatient nod overtook Elaina, and she swirled her hand to get Anna to continue.

  “They didn’t know how to travel the realms,” Anna added. “I take it they were lost for quite some time. But, the Counsel was furious that they even got that far. The Sentinels stationed on Earth sealed the portal, so even if they knew how, they couldn’t have gone back. By the time they reached Moraine—that’s the familiar name for Midway Summit, by the way—a lot of them were near death.”

  Linda voiced Elaina’s own shock. “Near death?”

  Anna tilted her head and looked to the side. “As soon as Sylis heard about it all, he told Lilith and called on Rhune. They needed to use the Triad of Purpose in order to save them.”

  “Wow.”

  “Well…” Anna wiped her hands on a towel. “He’ll need a place to sleep. And I doubt he dressed for the colder climate.”

  “Unless there’s some kind of spell in those threads.” A snort burst from Linda’s lips as she grinned. “You should see his clothes. It’s like their painted on. And that cape is purely ornamental.”

  Elaina rushed to their side, unable to contain the excitement. “That’s right. Meridian is way hotter than it is here.”

  Cole shuffled into the room, and Anna’s countenance brightened, despite his scowl. As she hooked her arms around his waist, he leaned his head to the side and gazed at her bright eyes. His irritation seemed to ebb, the tension in his brow eased as she spoke.

  “Oh, Cole. Your uncle’s visiting all the way from Meridian? How grand! Our first houseguest. I’ll show him to the newly decorated guest bedroom on the second floor. I can’t wait to show it off.”

  “My love.” He brushed the dark waves from her face with a gentle stroke. “I think we should have him stay in one of the third floor rooms.”

  Anna’s smile faded. “Oh, no, that won’t do. I haven’t had time to work on them yet.”

  Linda’s blonde brows lifted, and she cocked her head. “Well, you may want to put him on the far end, Anna. It’s obvious James doesn’t like him at all. And I don’t think Cole’s keen on his visit either. Vince seemed the only one willing to welcome him.”

  Cole glanced at her, and Anna tipped on her toes, kissing him on the nose.

  “Okay. The far end it is.” Her shoes clip-clopped against the tile floor as she headed for the foyer. “And I’ll find him a set of clothes to wear to Lord Dressen’s memorial. Won’t the noblemen be surprised?” She ended her exit with a stumble and a mild curse about big feet before she disappeared.

  A frown crossed Cole’s face as he hesitated and looked around. The aimless gesture proved he didn’t like the idea, and Elaina wondered if he’d ever deny Mianna anything that made her happy. So far, Vincent’s assessment of the two reuniting had proven spot on. With a shuffle, he followed his love.

  Elaina’s brows dipped into a deep V, and she grabbed Linda’s arm. “Only Vince welcomed him?”

  Linda shook her head with a chuckle. “Rhune was talking to Kenzie when James came into the foyer. He completely threw him across the room.”

  “James?”

  “You should have seen it. It was a complete wizard moment. A wave of his hand and the man flew through the air. Rhune shifted into a ghost and his cape settled through his…body until it was straight. Then he floated right onto the stairs with grace. Could have sworn I was watching a special-effects movie.”

  She upped her brow. “Hope Rhune didn’t decide to take a tour of Shilo before he got here.” She chuckled again. “He’d draw more attention in his getup than when Gryffin was missing from his perch.”

  “Why in the world would James do that?”

  Linda shrugged. “I was more concerned about how tight he was holding Kenzie. His arms were bulging, and she was flat against his chest.”

  Elaina’s thoughts reeled to another direction. “Do you think that’s why he came? Their gods wanted her to come back to Meridian.”

  Linda flushed and her face showed concern. “Taravaughn promised she could stay.” She shook her head with a defiant jerk and her arms folded tight around her bosom. “They’re not getting her. Nothing’s going’s to take her away from me.”

  Elaina looked out the wide window of the breakfast nook. Light stretched across the terrace from the kitchen and highlighted the twins as they darted around the marble statues. Long shadows danced in their wake and blended with the darkness beyond the landing.

  Should she remind Linda of the last time she had made such a statement? “Linda, I don’t want them to take Kenzie either, but you know…”

  “No!”

  Elaina closed her eyes, hoping with all her heart that it wasn’t true, but in light of the circumstances, what else could it be?

  Chapter Five

  The parlor door swung open to darkness as Rhune neared the threshold. He hesitated, second-guessing his decision to enter. Scanning the quiet receiving hall, he lifted his gaze to the ceiling three stories above. The chandelier twinkled as it hung from the high arc and cascaded to be level with the second landing. It was there he’d last embraced his brother. It was there all resentment had been buried.

  He leaned his head to look past the open door. A narrow band of light illuminated the plush carpet and gleamed across the cherry-wood bar. The counter served as a stout foundation for the wall-sized liqueur selection above it. The bottles seemed to assess him in a variety of muted hues, standing proudly on the ornate gold-trimmed shelves.

  H
e glanced at the door and it opened wider. Deep shadows stretched from the nearby dark leather chairs and rose to hide the lower half of the large hearth on the far wall. The dark wood braced an amber marble mantle, swirls pressed into the material like thick claws artfully played there. The portrait of Sylis Shilo hung over it and filled the space, leaving only room for the cherubs to peak over the edges from their stays along the ceiling. Flexing his fingers, he rubbed his hands together to dispel the chill and then stepped inside.

  With a glance at the cast iron grate in the fireplace, the neatly piled logs burst into flames. Heat poured through the room with the tang of burnt oak, and he relaxed a measure, sinking into the sofa. The soft cushions welcomed him with a low creak. He looked around room as the added illumination highlighted the surfaces and danced along the walls. The exclamatory mirror on the east side reflected the flames and cast the illusion of a magical photo of the room. His gaze traced his brother’s portrait within the semblance.

  He blinked and dipped his hand into his shirt pocket. Pinching his thumb and forefinger together, he caused the tip of his Lotus Lines to appear. Four long-stemmed straws materialized as he pulled them out, and he leaned his head, considering the strength he’d require. Joy? Serenity? Sleep? Certainly not exotic. A light flavor would do for this evening, though upon arrival, he had expected a stronger taste would have been needed. He chose a serene P-Lotus and stashed the rest from where they came. He nipped the tip. A soft mist pooled around his lips, seeped into his nerve endings, and coated the pleasure senses in his brain. His cares ebbed with the whirl of jolly dancing in his mind.

  He leaned back, crossing an ankle over his knee, and took another nip. A heavy sigh passed his lips before he looked back up to his brother’s depiction. The square features stared back with a baronial air.

  “Four hundred years.” Rhune’s voice rumbled in his throat alongside the slight sway of his mind. “I should have known something wasn’t right when the boys took over the Vignette’s Chronicle entries.” He rolled his jaw and then set it. “I didn’t know, Sylisan. I’m truly sorry.” He lowered his gaze to the Lotus. “And as for Lilith’s death… I half expected you to avoid mentioning it. But…”