The Theron Residency (Brides of Theron Book 4)

by Anthony Lorino, Rebecca

  He took a large bag from her and grabbed for her hand as they made their way back to the hovercraft. After helping her put all her purchases and bags of groceries in the back, he helped her into her seat. “I hope that you won’t judge me poorly after I tell you my story. It’s not a very happy one.” He kissed her on the forehead and let his lips linger as if it were an unspoken wish for forgiveness.

  Before he could walk away, she took his hand in hers and said, “Everyone’s personal story contains some degree of tragedy. I am sure that, in the end you did the best that you could in every circumstance you were given. You’re a good man Ceran. You certainly wouldn’t be the man you are today without what you have experienced in your life. I want you to know that I’m very fond of the man that you are today, so that makes me pretty sure that I will hold the same regard for the boy you once were.”

  She watched as he walked around and took his seat. The glass dome lowered as he turned to the keypad. Punching in the coordinates, the hovercraft lifted off above the trees. They continued the journey in silence, traveling over acres and acres of dense forest. There was nothing in the areas they were going through that suggested that this land had ever been lived in. No smoke from the oven fires rose from under the thick canopy of the trees. Just a sea of bright green leaves stretched out under the craft with rolling hills and a large mountain in the distance. They traveled for what seemed like hours until finally up ahead there was a meadow. Scattered around the perimeter were burned out shells of buildings.

  

  The hovercraft started to descend and Ceran landed the craft on a small grassy hill. “This is where I grew up. The town was called Grendalia, after the flowers that grow in the meadow over there.” The lovely white and pink flowers that grew among the wild grasses were waving in the breeze as he pointed them out to her.

  He watched as Laura turned her head to look at all that was around her. It was so desolate and uninhabited now, even worse than it was when he left. She said nothing and this worried him. Even now, there were no words of comfort that he felt could be given. He felt her fingers brush him as she reached for his hand to offer him the courage to continue with his story.

  “My mother and father chose to live a different kind of life. They raised our family in the forest far away from technology and scientific advancement. On very rare occasions, the traders would bring in something to improve the way we worked the land, but most of the time we lived off the land, simply and by our own hand. I know that if I were stranded in the middle of nowhere, I could take care of myself and my family. I was taught to follow animal tracks, hunt, and skin animals. I know every kind of wild edible plant in the region and how to prepare them as well as the ones you should avoid eating. I know how to plant and sustain crops and where they grow best.” He indicated a small copse of land with several rotting wooden markers, “I had two sisters and one brother and after the attacks I buried them over there with my parents.”

  He pulled her along as they walked about 50 yards away from the hovercraft. “Just like you, I knew that I was destined for bigger things. I would never find my destiny among this small community of farmers and craftsman.” He let go of her hand and walked over to the remains the shell of a house. He touched the lintel of the doorway that was now just a gap in the stone wall that was starting to crumble down. She followed him through the gap that once held up a sturdy wooden door. He could remember the dense and smooth polished wood and the handcrafted metal door latch and hinges. He imagined the scene in the home as it was before it was destroyed, the smell of delicious food in the kitchen, and the screams of his little brother as he waited to be fed. He looked down at his feet and reality set in. He noticed that the forest was beginning to reclaim the remnants of the house he grew up in. Small saplings were taking root in the spaces between the flagstones that made up the floors.

  Ceran went into what once was his room and started to move the rocks that had fallen from the walls in the corner. The scorched wood of his bed was beside him now as he started digging just below the dust and dirt that covered the floor. He found what he was looking for and held out his hand to her, so that Laura could see what he held in it. Little dusty blue stones of varying sizes lay across his palm. “This was my room. I was in training to be a craftsman and trader. I could take these rocks and make a treasure that was beautiful. I would sit for hours stirring them in a turned wooden bowls full of varying grades of soil until they shined like little tiny blue suns.” With his other hand, he pulled out the necklace that hung around his neck showing her a pendant made of this blue stone set in a beautiful wire setting. “I made this for my mother and found it when came when I came back to bury my family. I wear it so that I will never forget. Every time I look at it, I can see my mother and remember my family.”

  He put his hands on scorched wood that surrounded his window. “I sometimes wish that I could go back and change my decision to leave. When I close my eyes, sometimes I can still see the disappointment in my father’s eyes when I decided not to stay and instead abandon everything my family believed in to go to the academy.”

  “Oh, Ceran. I am so sorry.” Laura said. But, he did not seem to hear her and quickly took her into another area of the house. He went to rest his hands a stone mantle of a fireplace set at the base of the wall.

  “My grandparents lived in the city and grew tired of living life at such a fast pace. They were always seeking out the universe, looking for other civilizations. This made it impossible to enjoy the planet they were from. They started this small community, Grendalia, was a place for people to return to the simpler times. Those times that were known to us long before the Theron race traveled into the stars. My uncle Samel enamored with the idea of exploring just as his grandparents had done, escaped the boundaries of our small community at some point in his youth. He eventually returned many years later. Traveling, it turned out was not all he expected it to be. He wanted to settle down and have a family. He left the city behind but could not bear to part with his books. When he came back here, he was a very educated man and the town appointed him the schoolmaster. Early on, he could see that I could understand many concepts that took him so much longer to learn. He tutored me in even more complicated subjects until I had read and understood every tome in his library.”

  “My father was angry with his brother-in-law for giving me such an advanced education. He was convinced that all of the studying with my uncle would not help me in my future in Grendalia and he forbade me to continue my studies. No matter how he would try, he could not stop me from sneaking off to learn. I was so thirsty for knowledge that my uncle and I continued to study in secret. My mother would sometimes cover for me when I would leave the house. My uncle told me about the academy and how I would thrive there.”

  “Once we reached maturity in our community we would each be assigned a task or trade by the town elders. I was accomplished at many things, but because I was quick with figures and math, they assigned me to train to be a tradesman. I went with my mentor to the city a couple times a year. We would exchange the polished rocks and other goods we made in Grendalia for all the items we could not make for ourselves. We would get medicines, fabric, animals from other farms to prevent inbreeding, tools, and other things that we needed. One day my uncle asked the elders for permission to accompany us on the run into the city. I did not know that he had an ulterior motive.”

  “I was given leave by my mentor to accompany my uncle on several errands. I didn’t know where we would go. My uncle surprised me and took me to the academy. I instantly fell in love with the place. Gods, the library was vast. I had never seen such a beautiful collection of books. He introduced me to a man that day. He said his name was Zirlo and he was a commander of importance and a great leader. He left me to talk to him while he went to get a few books to bring home. We walked around the campus and he asked me questions. I answered the best I could and seemed to be listening to every word I said. I had no idea that this tour was my
interview.”

  “Let's face it, I was 12 and I thought my education was no match for the education that a child would receive in the city. That day was one of the best days of my life. Zirlo even took me up on his ship and let me sit in his chair. As I sat in that chair and looked out the window at the stars that were so clear and bright, not distorted by the atmosphere, I knew. That was the moment I wanted to be a commander of a fleet and one day have a chair like his. One in which I could sit and look out among the stars and see different galaxies and solar systems teeming with life.”

  “On the way back my uncle asked me not to tell my dad where I visited and with whom I spoke. So, I went home and continued my life there as I had when I had left. My uncle resumed teaching me at his home behind my father’s back with a few new books that he said were a gift from Zirlo. A messenger came about a month later with a letter from the commander letting my uncle know that I had gained admission to the academy. It also gave instructions about when I was to report to school, where I would stay, and so forth. It was so exciting. I could not believe that accommodations would be made for someone like me to be able to live and study in a school like that.”

  “My uncle thought it would be best if he told my father the news. He wanted to try to see if he could make him understand why he thought I needed to go. He thought if maybe it came from him he could soften the blow. We met with my father that evening. He was so furious with my uncle. I could hear them yelling and screaming at one another through the door of my room. I could hear everything they said. They argued for hours until my father called me in and asked me what I wanted to do.”

  “By this time, I was mad at my father. I really thought that he would have been proud of me for achieving such a great accomplishment. I told him that I wanted to go to the Academy. He argued that my place was with him and my mother and that he would not give me permission to leave Grendalia. In my anger, I said some pretty terrible things to my father and he disowned me that night. I didn’t stay long after that. My uncle and I left everything that I knew as home for the academy the next day and I never looked back. That day, I abandoned my mother and siblings here on this small farm to live with my father. I can still remember how much I despised him when I went away.” A tear trickled down his cheek as he stared off into the distance.

  “I know that you know a little bit about how the Drylon’s attacked the Theron people. Don’t you?” She nodded but did not speak. “They took out the cities first and then they took out any other community of people that they saw. They preferred to kill people rather than take them hostage. Hostages meant more mouths to feed, more people to take care of. Their ultimate goal was to exterminate us all. At the time of the attack, I was on a starship hunting Drylon ships as they left the planet. Once we realized that we had chased them away from our sector, every warrior was given leave to check on their families.” He took her hand and began to lead her to the rotting grave markers.

  “My uncle Samel was in the city when the first waves of the battle killed him. I checked on him first. He was the only family I had left. His apartment building was vaporized. For miles around the once-bustling city he lived in, there was nothing. I came back here hoping that maybe because Grendalia was so remote, far in the forest away from the city that my family would be saved. But, when I came back home I found this...” He motioned to the destroyed houses around him. “The burning shells of houses some with the charred remains of the people I knew and grew up with. Several of the miners whose lives were spared from the bombing returned nearly the same time I did from the tunnels in the mountains. Together, we began the task of burying the dead. There were no survivors in the community. Not one aside from those that were away. After the dead had been buried, the miners left and never came back. They left to find somewhere else to live. This land is tainted. I am sure that no one would want to live on it again. At least until the evidence of what used to be is gone for good.”

  The names scratched on the markers of the graves were no longer legible. He would make it a point to remedy that. “My mother, Sala, was lying in the doorway carrying my baby brother, Seil. My sisters Glenna and Rama were in their room playing with their toys. My father Eroch was in the ale house. It turned out that he did not fare well after my departure. What I found comforting was that my mother was wearing this necklace and my dad was wearing this ring.” He showed her the jewelry as he mentioned them. “I polished these stones and set them myself before I left. I like to believe that because they still wore them, they never stopped loving me. That maybe if they were still here, still alive, they would have accepted me back into their lives and forgiven me for leaving. But, I will never know because Gatton killed my family. He destroyed this town. I can never ever get any of it back again.”

  Laura stepped away from Ceran and he watched her as she picked many of the various wildflowers as well as the small grendalia blooms that were growing on the meadow. She made several small bouquets of the flowers and put them on each one of the graves of his sisters’ and brother. She made a large assortment with many bright colors and put it on his mothers’ grave. She took a single flower from the bouquet and placed it on his fathers’ grave. She looked at what she had done with satisfaction and returned to Ceran. Putting her arm around his waist she leaned into him and he enveloped her in his arms. They stood there for a while, listening to the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves. They could hear a faint whistle through the branches.

  “I need to tell you something Ceran,” Laura looked up to him. When he nodded for her to continue, she said, “I know that you may not believe me when I say this, but your mother says to tell you, ‘Welcome home son.’” He felt a tear fall from his face and watched as it hit the ground. He looked at his mate and wondered how she knew this. He imagined his mother’s voice carried in the breeze saying those exact words, but they couldn’t have been real. He couldn’t remember the sound of her voice anymore. He almost couldn’t remember what they even looked like.

  “How…” Embarrassed by the tears and showing her his blatant weakness he wiped away the tears as he backed away from her. She took a step to follow him but hesitated.

  “I told you that I have…particular gifts.” It was as if she was carefully choosing her words because she knew they would be hard to believe. “I have certain psychic abilities. I can sense…Well, perceive emotions and energy. I can even detect residual energy from those individuals that have passed away when they wish to present themselves to me.” She looked over to a small hill near the trees. “Your family is there.” She pointed in the direction of her stare. “I can see that you got your eyes from your mother. Your body is similar to your fathers. He has broader shoulders but is thin and tall as you. You have your father’s hands.”

  He looked down at his hands and tried to remember his father. She was right. Everything she said was right. “I can see your brother in your mother’s arms and your sisters are hanging on to her skirts. Your father has his arm around your mother. His eyes crinkle up like yours when he smiles. They are thanking me for bringing you here and ask that I take care of you. They want me to remind you every day that they never stopped loving you. Looking back, they know that you would never have survived if you would have stayed with them.” Tears were streaming down his face now and he fell to his knees. All he could hear was the sound of the wind as it whistled through the branches. If only he could listen to their voices one more time. “Your mother says that it brings them joy to know that there’s still a small piece of them that lives on in the universe.”

  “I wish I could hear them. I wish I could tell them I am sorry.” Ceran sobbed.

  “There is no need. They can hear you and think that they are the ones that should beg your forgiveness. Should you forgive them, they will finally be at peace. They will finally be able to leave this place for a better one without regrets. You see, the time for mourning is over.” Laura said as she slowly knelt down by his side and gently put her hands along the side of his
face. “They will always be with you in here.” She placed her hand over his heart and he reached out for her, squeezing her to him. “They aren’t mad at you Ceran. They all love you. It is time to let them go.”

  He could feel her fingers as they combed through his hair. He’d never cried like this in front of anyone before. Maybe that was an aspect of finding your soulmate. Laura would never find him weak or stupid for crying on her shoulder. Everyone needed someone with whom they could allow the emotions that they caged within themselves to be set free. Otherwise, all of our troubles could get so overwhelmingly hard to bear, tearing us down from the inside and ripping us apart. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered in his ear. It seemed like she could almost read his mind. How could she possibly know what he was thinking at that moment?

  

  “They’re gone now. They went up into the light, probably to a place where the souls of your dead go. Do your people have a place like that?” she asked looking down at his head in her lap. She was running her fingers through his hair as he looked up at the sky. “On earth we call it heaven.”

  “Yes, we have something like that. Once our warriors are burned on a pyre, their souls move on to the spiritual dimension, or what we would call a place of rest. No pain or sorrow exists there. I hope they find their peace there. Maybe one day, I might find them there again.”

  He fumbled around for the clasp of the chain around his neck. “I think that my mom would want you to have this. I mean, it would mean a lot to me if you wore it.”

  “I would be honored.” He sat up and started to fasten the clasp around her neck. He adjusted the chain clasp behind her neck and touched the stone as it rested on her chest, grazing the skin around the pendant with his fingertips. Her heart fluttered at the feel of his deft fingers as they brushed against her skin. The rush of adrenaline made her dizzy as she looked up at him.