SONS of DON

by Brenda L. Harper

  “No. I met him several years ago while I was working a case in Idalou. He was…he told me he was the manager of the Dollar General store there. In the process of working the case, I began to suspect there was something odd about him. I confronted him and he told me—I had no idea about the immortals. Blu never told me about them. But she confirmed his story to me a few days later.”

  “So you and Cei have been…what? Friends?”

  “Not exactly. But he was the first person besides Blu that I’ve met who understood what the hell was happening.”

  “You trusted him.”

  “I had no choice.”

  Gwen leaned back against the tree, her eyes moving to the heavens, but she only saw her befuddled case worker—her long lost father—the way she’d always seen him: a ball of nervous energy pacing somewhere, his celery colored eyes more alert than they had any right to be.

  “And Rhein? Where did you meet him?”

  “I’ve never met Rhein.”

  She nodded as her thoughts moved in a different direction. She began to wonder what else she didn’t know, what it hadn’t occurred to her to ask. No one was just going to offer up information. She was going to have to go digging for it.

  “I have to go.”

  “Please…come home, Gwen. I want the chance to get to know you on a more personal basis.”

  “I’d like that, too.”

  She disconnected the call and turned, only to find herself face to face with her mother.

  Chapter 6

  “You are in danger.”

  “You said that yesterday,” Gwen reminded her. “You need to come up with something better.”

  “He knows that you can speak to the trees. He knows that they can help you.” Blodeuwedd grabbed Gwen’s arm. “Please. You must be careful.”

  “Who knows? Cei or Rhein?”

  Blodeuwedd began to speak, but the only thing that came out of her mouth were the squeaks of a dwarf owl.

  Gwen pulled away and moved around Blodeuwedd. “I don’t know why you keep coming to talk to me if you can’t tell me anything.”

  “It’s the curse.”

  “And either Rhein or Cei was the traitor that night. That’s why you can’t talk about them.”

  Blodeuwedd nodded, a movement that Gwen barely caught out of the corner of her eye, as she paused a few feet away.

  “You know which of them is the traitor, don’t you?”

  A sadness moved over Blodeuwedd’s face, blurring her beautiful features. She neither nodded nor spoke, but it wasn’t really necessary. Gwen thought she understood.

  “I’ll figure it out on my own,” she said. “Preferably before Bran catches up with us or Branwen succeeds in killing me.”

  “You must be careful.”

  Gwen nodded. “I get that part. That’s the only part I really do understand.” She glanced back at her mother. “But I can’t make any promises that I’ll find the gate or I’ll know what to do when I get there.”

  Blodeuwedd stepped toward her, but stopped short of touching her. “I only want for you to live,” she said quietly as her expressive eyes filled with tears. “I only want happiness for you.”

  All her life, Gwen had wanted to know her parents. She’d fantasized about them, dreaming up stories that explained why they abandoned her, that explained away their actions in a way that would make it okay for Gwen to forgive them, to love them. She hadn’t imagined that she was the daughter of a goddess and some hapless law school student who had no idea what he was getting into when he had a one-night stand on the beach.

  It wasn’t as easy to forgive as she had imagined it would be.

  But it also wasn’t easy to hold a grudge.

  She reached for her mother’s hand and held it for a long second. She gave it a quick squeeze and then turned away, walking slowly back along the path that would take her to Cei.

  ***

  The going got easier as they began to travel downhill, though it used muscles in Gwen’s thighs that she was pretty sure had never gotten quite that intense a workout. It wasn’t always downhill, there were huge sections where they seemed to be walking on level ground, but the temperature changes told Gwen that they were changing elevation just the same.

  It was late afternoon when they came across another tourist path. They burst through some trees and nearly walked right into a couple dressed in expensive hiking gear, light packs on their backs.

  “Hey, where did you two come from?” the man called to them.

  “Got lost,” Cei said.

  “Lost? How do you get lost on this trail?”

  Cei pulled Gwen tight against his side and glanced at her, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks. “Well, you know, we were looking for a more private area and we just…went too far, I guess.”

  He nudged Gwen’s arm, but she was already blushing from what his words implied. The strange woman began to laugh and her companion wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his hands brushing against her throat.

  “Trust me,” he said, “I know exactly what you mean.”

  “Lucky girl,” the woman said, her eyes moving over Cei.

  Gwen moved closer to Cei, turning into him and pressing her cheek against his shoulder for a long moment.

  “Are you going up or down?” the man asked.

  “Up.”

  “Too bad,” he said. “We’re headed down. But if you end up in town before we pack it up, you should come look us up. We could get a few drinks, maybe get to know each other.”

  “We’ll do that,” Cei answered.

  Gwen started to laugh the moment she heard their feet moving over the hard-packed earth of the trail.

  “Was he really suggesting a—”

  “He was just trying to get a rise out of you. Don’t worry about it.”

  Gwen looked up at him. “Would you really do something like that?”

  “I’ve done something like that. And, trust me, it wasn’t as much fun as you might think.” A grimace twisted his full lips, but it quickly turned into a smile. “Modern people think they’re the first to come up with this stuff. But some of it has been around a long time.”

  Gwen didn’t know if she should laugh or slap him. But he made the decision for her when he bent and pressed his lips to hers. She sighed and moved into him, the familiar taste of him like a balm on a bad sunburn.

  She needed this connection, even if it could only last an instance.

  “Come on,” he said, pulling away and leading her over the other side of the trail. “We need to put some distance between us and this area before we stop to camp for the night.”

  They walked for so long that Gwen’s legs stopped hurting and were simply numb. She couldn’t feel her feet at all. Her fingers tingled, more from the cold than anything else, and she couldn’t even remember what it was to feel well-nourished and to have her thirst completely quenched. It was dark, but Cei didn’t seem anywhere near ready to stop. He kept stomping through the vegetation, only pausing when she fell so far behind that he had to choose between helping her catch up and abandoning her completely.

  And then…

  “There!” he cried, pointing off into the distance. “I knew I would recognize it!”

  Gwen tried to see what it was Cei had found, but all she saw was shadows and darkness. She collapsed on the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest in a vain attempt to warm herself. She no longer cared about spiders and snakes and all the other creatures of the night she was afraid might be hiding in the dirt around her. She just wanted to sleep.

  “We did it, Gwen,” Cei said, kneeling in front of her, the moon glinting off of his white teeth. “We found it.”

  “The gate?”

  Some of the glow went out of his face as he slowly shook his head. “No. But I think we’re close.” He twisted and pointed back into the darkness to the place he had tried to show her a moment ago. “Do you see that overhang there? The rock protrusion?”

  Gwen could see how important this
was to Cei, so she tried to see it. She strained her eyes until she felt like they were going to jump out of her head in sheer protest of this attempt to overwork them, but she still couldn’t see anything.

  “What is it?”

  “Underneath that overhang is a cave where Gwydion used to bring me in the old days. I knew it would still look the same and would not have been altered much in all this time.”

  “What’s in the cave?”

  Cei looked away, but not before she saw a bright smile slip over his lips. “You won’t even believe it when you see it.” He stood and pulled her to her feet with a firm grip on her upper arms. “The most important thing is a map. He had a map of the area that marked where the gate of Annwn is. We should be able to find it with that, even if it’s buried under some building in the heart of Conwy.”

  “It’s not,” Gwen said.

  Cei tilted his head slightly. “What makes you think that?”

  His grip on her arms tightened until she was pretty sure there would be bruises there in the morning. Gwen stepped back, tried to move from his touch with what little energy she had left. But he was much stronger—and apparently had endless energy reserves—and was determined to get her answer.

  Gwen stepped into him and rested her head on his shoulder, catching him off guard.

  “I’m so tired,” she groaned. “I don’t know what I’m saying.”

  “Sorry. I forget sometimes how fragile you really are.” He lowered her to a smooth boulder, smoothing his hand over her hair. “Sit and rest. I’ll set up the camp.”

  He slipped the pack from her back and set about removing their supplies. As Gwen watched, a million questions flowed through her mind. She wasn’t so tired that she missed his gleeful movements, his clear rejuvenation. It worried her, bringing to mind once again the things Rhein had told her about Cei.

  He’s looking for something. Something that could turn this whole game into something different, something far more dangerous.

  Had he found it?

  Gwen wasn’t sure what she could do to stop him if he had…if everything Rhein told her was the truth.

  But it would certainly make it clear who she could trust and who she couldn’t.

  Chapter 7

  Gwen slept soundly that night, more soundly than she had since the moment this entire ordeal began. She woke early the next morning to the sound of Cei moving around the camp—probably warming another stew—but she didn’t immediately get up.

  She lay on her back, her eyes closed. She set her hands, palms down, against the bottom of the tent. She could feel the warmth of the ground and could feel its power humming like the well-tuned engine of a priceless sports car.

  After a moment, she began to float. It happened quicker and quicker now, that movement. In seconds, she was standing in the center of the circular garden, her fingers touching the silky petals of a rose.

  “You are—”

  “Don’t tell me I’m in danger,” Gwen said, turning to face the beautiful woman who occupied this space. “I’ve already been told.”

  The woman’s tranquil face remained tranquil as she studied Gwen. “You come for information.”

  “I need to know more about the gate.”

  The woman inclined her head slightly. “I will tell you what I can.”

  “It’s been moved.”

  She smiled—a beautiful smile that might have made Gwen feel warm under its glow if it wasn’t condescending. It was the kind of smile a teacher might offer a slow student who had finally grasped the simplest concept.

  “It has,” she agreed. “When Bran placed his curse on Gwydion, the light god had only seconds to respond. He did so by placing a spell on the gate that causes it to move with the circle of the Druid calendar.”

  “Then, it’s about to move again?”

  “Yes.”

  It made sense. It was something else everyone seemed to know, but didn’t feel the need to tell her.

  “Cei knows this.”

  “Yes,” the woman said, the tranquility on her face slipping at the mention of Cei’s name.

  “He told me there’s a map in the cave near where we’re camped. He said it would show where the gate is.”

  The woman shook her head slowly. “There was once such a map, but it would not be accurate now, not with Gwydion’s spell.”

  “Then, what is it Cei wants from this cave?”

  The woman looked down at the ground, her head cocked, as though listening to the sound of a whispered voice. When she looked up again, there was sadness in her eyes.

  “You must be very careful,” the woman said slowly, as though she was hoping Gwen would catch something between the lines. “There is old magic in that cave; things that few understand.”

  “Does Cei know what to do with it?”

  “It is possible.”

  “What about Rhein? Does Rhein know about this cave?”

  The woman tilted her head, again hesitating before she answered. “Rhein is aware of the cave. He knows, as well, what is inside of it.”

  “Can he use this old magic?”

  “He can.”

  “So, I’m still no closer to knowing which of them is the traitor?”

  The woman studied Gwen’s face for a long second. “You do know,” she said softly. “That is why you do not ask.”

  Gwen opened her mouth to object, but something stopped her. Something changed. The edges of the garden began to blur and darken. In seconds, she was back inside the tent, the cold of the Welsh morning seeping back into her flesh and her sore muscles.

  “Hey, sleepyhead,” Cei said, touching her shoulder. “Wake up and eat something.”

  She rolled toward him, the smell of something warm and sweet enveloping her senses.

  “What’s that?”

  “I found a couple of envelopes of instant oatmeal in the bottom of my pack. I forgot I even bought them.”

  “Hmm, smells so good.”

  “Then sit up and eat.”

  She sat up and leaned back against her pillows, accepting the collapsible bowl from him. It tasted almost as good as it smelled. She would never again take a simple box of cereal for granted again! It felt so warm slipping down her throat. Once again, she ate much too fast, downing the bowl in moments.

  “I should have bought more food. You act like you’re starving to death!”

  “I think I’ve gotten more exercise in the last few days than I have in my entire life.”

  Cei nodded almost gravely. “I should have kept that in mind.”

  Gwen shook her head, dropping the bowl as she stood and began to gather clean clothes out of her bag. “There isn’t time to worry about my physical health.”

  “But it’s not going to do anyone any good if you collapse.” Gwen started to shrug, but Cei grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap. He cradled her head between his hands, his thumbs caressing the curve of her jaw. “You are my first priority.”

  “Am I?”

  “Of course. How can you even question that?”

  Gwen touched his hand, pressing it closer to her cheek for a moment. “I don’t know. Experience makes me question everything.”

  “That’s the past, Gwen. Your life is going to be different from here on out.”

  “I hope so,” she whispered, as he leaned in to kiss her.

  His touch was so gentle. Sometimes she forgot how much experience he had, how long he had lived. But when he touched her, he knew just what to do. He knew how to touch her and where to touch her. His experience made her feel as though she was protected in a way she had never felt before. Protected and…there was a certain promise in his touch. There would be none of the fumbling and awkwardness she had felt with other boys her own age. There would be no anxiety, no wondering after the fact if things could have gone differently.

  Cei’s touch promised perfection.

  Gwen needed that promise of perfection. She needed to believe that someone could love her so much that every touch, every
word, would be perfect. She had lacked so much affection as a child that she found herself looking for it in places where most girls her age would be more cautious. She couldn’t forgive her parents for their actions, but she wanted desperately to trust the immortal man she believed loved her.

  Maybe her thought processes were a little shades of gray…

  Cei’s hand slipped down along her back, following the hollow where her spine rested. The touch of his fingers—even through the thin material of her t-shirt—sent shivers through her nerve endings. It made the muscles in her lower back tighten and ache when his fingers brushed the top edge of her jeans, making her heart skip a beat as her body jumped forward and imagined what might come next.

  Maybe it was the situation. Maybe it was her desperate need to believe Cei was everything she had first thought him to be. Or maybe it was just her biology. But Gwen wanted more in a way she had never wanted it before.

  He deepened the kiss, exploring places long ignored. His increasing passion let itself be known in the way his breath came in heated puffs against her cheek. Her eyes closed, and her flesh took control. Every inch of her anticipated small movements, encouraging them.

  But then…it began with this funny little thought at the very back of her mind that took its time making its way to her conscious mind.

  He didn’t smell right.

  It wasn’t about body odor, not about the extended amount of time they had spent out in the mountains without a proper shower. He smelled rather nice; he was careful to use deodorant and this spicy body spray he had picked up in the airport. But there was something wrong about it, just the same.

  And then his hand, the way it cupped the bottom edge of her ass. It was the wrong size. Something in her head had expected it to be slightly larger, for the fingers to be longer.

  Even the taste of his mouth was off just a little. It was familiar, that warm essence that was Cei, that was always there behind the left over flavors of whatever he had eaten or drank most recently.

  But it wasn’t right.

  Something wasn’t right.

  You do know. This is why you do not ask.

  “We’re getting distracted,” Gwen said as Cei moved to lie her down across their zippered sleeping bags.