Totem of Aries

by D. N. Leo

  "Yes. And yes, Ziva can manipulate that sort of information. But for what purpose?"

  "You received the call right before the council meeting. Did you have a chance to look at the meeting agenda?"

  "Yes, I looked. And I saw that Mother wanted to go back to Earth. I thought about it. My response was in one of the messages I sent you. I told you I'd approve her departure pass via the Daimon Gate. It’s her decision, and I respect it."

  “You said that in one of those lost messages?”

  “Yes, but it doesn’t matter now. I support her decision, Madeline. I approved the pass via the Daimon Gate.”

  "You told the council of your decision?"

  "Yes, I sent a memo to the control system. What's the problem, Madeline?"

  “I’m ... not sure.” An explosion of anxiety loomed in her mind. She recalled what Greenie had said.

  Ciaran strode toward his office to get onto his computer. Madeline followed him.

  "There’s no need to check. The memo the council received said that you strongly objected to Jennifer's pass. But Tadgh, George, and I agreed that Jennifer has the right to go, so I signed off on her pass."

  Ciaran exhaled and turned around. “Is that it? That’s the problem you’re talking about? You signed off on her pass?”

  Madeline nodded.

  "Well, that's fine then. Did you think I'd have an issue with you signing it? On the contrary, thank you for doing that. I'll check the system later for the missing messages."

  "We still might have a problem, Ciaran."

  He stood and waited. She knew he sensed it.

  “The pass I signed off on was for Jennifer to travel through the MDT Tunnel. Not via the Daimon Gate.”

  Ciaran looked at Madeline. He was as pale as a ghost.

  "I flushed the toxic gas down the MDT Tunnel to stabilize the air chamber. I checked the tunnel before I executed the command. The report indicated that there was no living creature in the tunnel at that time."

  "She must be halfway through it now, Ciaran. I’m sorry."

  Madeline didn't know how many times she'd ache for him and there was nothing she could do about it. There was nothing she could offer, and there was nothing he would take from her right now. Regardless of how much they had been through together and how many things they had shared, pain was the one thing Ciaran would not share with her.

  Ciaran walked into his office and closed the door.

  Madeline knew he needed time. She wiped the tears from her face. She needed Greenie now. She needed it to deny what it had just told her. Where is that annoying creature?

  “Hello! Anybody home?” The Irish lilt of Jennifer’s voice sang like a Christmas bell in her ear.

  Yes, she had called it Christmas.

  She and Ciaran had agreed that they wouldn’t call the event they created Christmas, because they didn’t have Santa in Eudaiz, and there was no religion or god there.

  But this was a miracle.

  Jennifer, looking magnificent with her long flaming red hair and radiant smile, walked into the hallway. She carried bags in one hand and balanced a tray on the other hand.

  “Am I not invited, Madeline?”

  Madeline darted over and hugged her mother-in-law so hard she knocked the breath out of her.

  “I thought you’d gone.”

  Jennifer put the bags down but held onto the tray.

  “Well, I would have made two if I knew you loved Christmas pudding so much it brings you to tears. This one is for Ciaran. I couldn’t leave without giving my son his favorite. Oh, did I just say Christmas?”

  Madeline laughed through her tears. “Yes, but let’s leave it at that. It’s a miracle.”

  “Right … a miracle it is. Where’s my boy?”

  “I’m here, Mother.” Ciaran walked quickly down the hallway and hugged Jennifer. He moved so fast that she almost dropped the cake tray.

  “All right, all right … let go of me … and the cake, Ciaran. I definitely should make two Christmas cakes… I mean, Xmas…”

  Ciaran smiled. “Your Christmas pudding is a miracle. Let’s just leave the event as Christmas, Mother. Please make more in the future.”

  Jennifer shrugged. “Sure.” She took the bags of presents into the living room.

  “How are you going to explain the name change to billions of Eudaizians?” Madeline asked Ciaran.

  “They wouldn’t know what a Christmas pudding is. But they’d understand a miracle.”

  “I’m sorry, Ciaran. That was close!”

  He tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes. “I should have talked to you rather than sending messages. I shouldn’t have gone for days without proper communication. I shall change that from now on.”

  She stood on her toes and kissed him. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. You and the children are my miracle. Don’t you ever change that.”

  “Never.” She deepened their kiss.

  From the living room, Jennifer’s voice came out. “If you want another pudding, you need to get me a proper kitchen, Madeline. Don’t you ever cook here?”

  Madeline chuckled. “You need to make your mother understand that we don’t need to cook, let alone baking cakes in Eudaiz. She’s lived in this universe long enough. She should know.”

  “But making Christmas pudding is her ritual, regardless of which universe she lives in. We have to respect that.”

  “True… About Ziva …”

  “That’s not a Christmas conversation, Madeline.” He stopped her speech with his usual passionate kiss.

  Ciaran didn’t know who Ziva actually was and how she came to Eudaiz. Madeline haven’t figured out how to tell Ciaran about the Himalayas trip without upsetting the natural order of things. So, she kept the secret to herself.

  But Ciaran might be right, she shouldn’t let that thought pollute her precious moment with her husband.

  They were happy.

  For now.

  And that was enough.

  This is the end of Totem of Aries, but clearly not the end of Ciaran’s and Madeline’s relationship. Their journey is far from over.

  This is the 8th Circle of Fate. If you have not read the previous books, check them out

  >>> CIRCLE OF FATE <<<

  If you like Alex the vampire, check out Virgo on Circle of Fate page.

  Read more about Ciaran and Madeline in Shadow of Angel to find out about Freyja.

  >>> SHADOW OF ANGEL <<<

  If the link above doesn’t work, please use this: https://readerlinks.com/l/489784

  SHADOW OF ANGEL SAMPLE

  Chapter 1

  Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.

  William Shakespeare

  Scotland, 1864

  Charmine brushed her hand over the tips of the cold, wet grass as she sauntered along a narrow path that led to a small bush off the rolling hillside. She inhaled deeply. She liked the feel of the chilled winter air rushing through every cell in her body. It was as pure and clear as crystal, she thought. Where she came from, there was no such thing as what they called “the weather” here, and there was certainly no winter. Everything in her world was perfectly controlled—it was a world of purity. She laughed when she heard people on Earth refer to her world as Heaven. The name did have a nice ring to it. But for some reason, she didn’t appreciate that world as much as Jael did.

  Her beloved husband was the righteous angel of light, but she was only an apprentice-to-be in the house of Gods. She was on maternity leave from a job she hadn’t yet gotten when she became pregnant. She had become so bored in that perfect world of hers that she’d pressured her husband to let her go with him on a mission to Earth. She’d been with him to many places, but Earth was her favorite.

  She rubbed absently at her tummy. It would be a while before she showed any sign of pregnancy, but Jael didn’t like her hanging around the house of Gods while she was with child. He suspected there was a dirty angel in his council—someone who had been dealing
with the dark side.

  Aren’t angels supposed to be the most righteous of the righteous? she thought, but as she had done several times before, she brushed that thought aside. She knew her husband well. He didn’t have the evidence to support his accusation and would keep it to himself for the safety of her and their first child.

  From her bag, she pulled out a newly released novel she had just bought from a merchant on the main street in town. She rubbed her thumb along the spine of the book and sniffed the pages. She loved the smell of Earth paper. Jael would probably laugh at her sentiment when she gave the book to him tonight, but she loved the story. It was a fairy tale—one that was so close to their own story. She would never forget the look in Jael’s eyes when they got married by the lake. They didn’t need any approval. All they ever needed was their love for each other.

  Charmine frowned when she looked down and saw the bunch of wild roses in front of her suddenly turn from blood red to snow white. She shook her head to clear her vision. Then she watched as the roses returned to their deep red hue again. But before she could feel any relief at the change, she heard a bone-chilling chuckle from behind her.

  She knew that sound well.

  For more than five years, she had not heard it, and she wished the situation had stayed that way.

  She turned around.

  In front of her was the magnificent angel of ice. Her long white hair flew in the wind, and her porcelain skin was so perfectly white that it looked as if she had no blood flowing through her body. Angel of ice was not an official position—Charmine had given her sister that name because she was as cold and heartless as a piece of ice.

  “Luna,” Charmine said, keeping her voice as calm as possible. Her sister was the best student of dark magic and could do things beyond imagination. Charmine knew for certain that the very moment she showed weakness, Luna would attack her. She also knew Luna didn’t read minds, so she did her best to keep her fear at bay.

  “Well, long time no see, sister. I didn’t know your husband took you on a mission with him. You’re barely an apprentice. What can you possibly do to help him?”

  She shrugged and asked, “What do you want?”

  Luna laughed. “Oh dear sister, why do you always assume I want something from you?”

  “Because you always do.”

  Luna nodded and walked slowly in a circle, her eyes measured. “Perhaps you’re right. But you wouldn’t give me what I want, so I’ll save my breath and just tell you straight out—I have Jael.” Luna stared at her.

  Charmine felt as if her world was tumbling down. She knew Luna was serious, but part of her wanted to deny what was happening. She knew Luna was here because she hadn’t gotten all she wanted.

  Luna threw a bloody feather on the ground, her eyebrow arching as she waited for Charmine’s reaction.

  Charmine smiled. “The last time I saw Jael spreading his wings, they were magnificent. He might have shed a few feathers here and there. So you want me to believe you have him just because you grabbed a loose feather? I don’t have magical power, but I do have a good brain, Luna. And that feather tells me nothing.” She put up a brave front, but on the inside, her world had totally collapsed. The only way an angel like her husband would let anyone get to his wings was if he were dead.

  “I have no intention of convincing you.”

  “Then don’t. You’re wasting my time.”

  Luna shook her head. “I am here to take what’s mine.”

  “I owe you nothing.”

  “Oh, yes, you do. Jael chose you over me, and I don’t like being rejected. You see, there is nothing you have that I don’t—”

  “A heart,” Charmine cut in.

  Luna laughed. “Right, again, sister. To focus on my magic, I had to let go of that silly human sentiment. But I still need men to satisfy my basic needs.” Her eyes darkened as she approached Charmine. “There will be severe consequences for refusing me. You’re smart, you know that, right?”

  Charmine backed away. “If you need sex, find a brothel. If you need love, then you at least need a heart that functions as more than just a mere organ. Killing me isn’t going to solve any of your problems.”

  “Blood is thicker than water, Charmine. If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be standing here.”

  Charmine backed up into to a tree. “You want to hurt me with something worse than death…”

  Luna smirked. “Yes, I want your child.” Luna reached her hands out to grab Charmine’s shoulders.

  Charmine couldn’t back away any further. “Over my dead body,” she said and turned to run.

  Luna turned, and her arms reached out like two gigantic snakes. Her hands grabbed the back of Charmine’s coat, pulling her back.

  Charmine swung her arm and whacked the spine of the book she was holding against Luna’s face, hitting her in between her eyes. The book dropped to the ground.

  Luna staggered back and growled. She picked up the book and glanced at the cover. “You hit me with a fairy tale?”

  “If you know what it is, there’s still hope for you. Why are you doing this, Luna?”

  Luna growled and pushed Charmine to the ground on her backside. When Luna approached, Charmine stomped a kick at her abdomen, sending her evil sister to the ground.

  Charmine scrambled to her feet and ran. But she had taken only a few steps before she felt Luna’s hands grab her ankles, tripping her to the ground. She fell face down, hitting her head hard. She yanked her legs from Luna’s hands, scrambled up, and ran again.

  “Do not walk away from me. Nobody walks away from me!” Luna yelled.

  But Charmine kept running until she felt Luna’s hand shove at her back. She fell again. Because of her momentum, this fall was hard, and she couldn’t get back up. She turned around. Seeing Luna approaching, she pushed herself with her legs, sliding backward on the ground. Then she hit a large rock and couldn’t back away any further.

  Luna crouched. “We’re sisters. I don’t want to kill you or hurt you in any way. I just want to share my life with you. You have Jael. You’re carrying his child. Now we can share that. Blood is thicker than water after all.”

  Tears streamed down Charmine’s face. “I am sharing nothing with you,” she said.

  She saw Luna pull out a knife, and she kicked out hard at her, but her sister caught her right ankle. Her hands were as unyielding as steel, and her fingers dug into Charmine’s flesh. Luna twisted her hands. Charmine could feel her flesh and tendons tear, and her bones shatter. The pain invaded her brain. Amid the haze of excruciating agony, she kept her mind clear. She would never give in to evil. She would never disappoint her husband.

  Her body was paralyzed, and her mind started to go numb. Without saying a word, she stared at Luna in challenge.

  “I can see you’re a tough one as well. It’s good for the child.” Luna chuckled. She cut her own hand, and a smile spread across her face as she watched the blood seeping out. She grabbed Charmine’s hand, slashed a deep cut in her palm, and pressed their wounds together.

  What erupted from Luna’s mouth was not her own voice but a deep, croaking, evil sound. “We now share the child. With all the mighty power of the darkness, let the child have all of my magic, all the light of the father, and all the wits of the mother. This child will be the best of all devils. But the child shall have no heart.”

  Charmine screamed. With all the strength she had left, she yanked the knife out of Luna’s hand and stabbed it deep into her sister’s heart.

  Luna froze and looked at Charmine. She had stopped chanting the curse, but she was about to move again. Charmine pulled the knife back out and plunged it into her sister again.

  Then Charmine crawled away, her injured leg dragging behind.

  Luna let out a haunting sound. She looked to the sky, her arms wide open, and her eyes blank. From her open mouth, toxic fumes spewed out. The surrounding trees and grass died instantly.

  And all Charmine saw after that was darkness.

/>   Chapter 2

  A large group of well-dressed citizens crowded together in front of the Metropolitan Symphony Center. The group was being held back by first grade guards. In Iilos, a small dimension of the multiverse, first grade guards dealt with civilians. Seeing the commotion at the bottom of the hill, Dinah shook her head, feeling pity for the guards. She couldn’t imagine herself doing such a boring job, regardless of how much she was paid for it.

  She didn’t know what the dispute was about, but she hoped the show was still on. She had been waiting for this musical for a long time, and it hadn’t been easy to get tickets. Well, admittedly, it wasn’t she who had gotten the tickets. Her girlfriend, Kate, had worked her magic again. Kate had a way with men when she needed to get things done. And Dinah admired her for that.

  She hadn’t been in Iilos for long, but she liked this dimension. It had been founded by Moira LeBlanc, a citizen of a country on Earth called Ireland. History suggested that Moira had replicated a model of her homeland in this dimension, and that was why its facade was that of the Irish countryside. But unlike Ireland, the technology that powered this universe was one of the most advanced in the cosmos. What she liked most about Iilos was that the citizens here were mostly human-like, and English was the official language.

  Iilos had never been open to those from other universes. But when Moira passed, her daughter had opened the dimension to receive new citizens—those with skills—from other universes. Dinah was one of the skilled migrants.

  She didn’t have to migrate. She was a licensed freelance private investigator. She could travel across the multiverse already, using a professional pass issued by the Daimon Gate. But there was something about Iilos that appealed to her, and so she had decided to officially migrate and call Iilos home.

  “Ouch!” she said as one of her pointy heels got stuck in a crack in the pavement, throwing her body forward. She fell hard against a low brick wall, stopping her fall with her palms to prevent an ugly face-planting incident. “Damn,” she said when she looked at her palm and saw that a bruise had already started to form. At least she hadn’t broken any bones. Kate called her a klutz for very good reasons.