“Sorry guys. I didn’t mean to be difficult or burst your bubble about the whole ‘save Leigh’ thing. I’m just a realist, and sometimes is hard for me to let go of my logic and just be hopeful.”
Cyn smiled, not bothering to hide his amusement. “You do realize you are part of a hidden world of ancient magic, that until recently you had no notion existed. It might be fair to say, that logic no longer plays a part in your life.”
“Well played.”
He laughed, while Bri picked up a bowl of grapes and popped one into her mouth. She sat next to me at the table and placed the bowl between us with a wink.
“Oh, thank God. I’m starving.”
“You are always starving,” she said, daring me to deny it.
I gave her a one-shoulder shrug. “You still love me.”
“Forever and ever,” Bri answered with a chuckle.
“Would you like me to prepare something for you? I can make you a beef stew if you desire?”
I turned to face Cyn. “I think I’m going to marry you too. Wait, you Druids allow threesomes right?”
Bri and I laughed, while Cyn shook his head chuckling, and began to cut the vegetables in the kitchen. The door suddenly flew open, and we all whirled around. A flustered Cathair stood under the threshold.
“I am sorry. That was terribly rude of me.” He stepped out, closed the door again, then knocked.
“What the hell?” I asked, with a chuckle getting up and walked to the door.
"He's been spending too much time with you," Bri said ,and laughed when I gave her the evil eye.
“Who is it?” I said, before opening the door, and repressed a laugh when the silence stretched.
“Umm, Cathair?” He finally answered seemingly confused.
I burst out laughing as I opened the door. His face was a poem. "Come in, you doofus."
Cathair ignored me as he walked straight to Cyn. “It was not my intention to interrupt before. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you, Cynwrig. If you have a moment.”
Well, someone was riled up about something. I shrugged and sat next to Bri popping two grapes into my mouth. Cyn dried his hands with a towel, and placed a lid on the large iron pot where he already had everything brewing. I loved that man, my stomach growled with the delicious aroma.
“Is everything all right, brother?”
“No… yes. I am not certain. I need your help.”
Bri and I sat forward, wondering what was up his butt. He better not have had a fight with Seima or something, because I swore I was going to hang him by a not so comfortable part of his body.
“What has happened?”
“Nothing. Not yet. I need you to please remove the spell,” Cathair said firmly.
"Why would you desire such a thing?" Cyn asked, obviously confused. "You are with Seima, and I am afraid it makes no difference."
“What are they talking about?” I asked Bri, turning to see her. She seemed both shocked and upset.
"I placed a spell long ago on some of the men in the village," Cyn answered instead. "Only the ones who desired it so. The spell prevents them from impregnating a woman."
I gasped so loudly; I should have inhaled half the hut. Standing, I marched to Cathair and began banging on his chest with my fists. "What the hell is wrong with you, Cathair!! You know Seima can't have kids, and you chose to be with her regardless of that. Now you come here to ask Cyn that? Are you hoping you can still have kids after you promised her she was enough?!”
Dear God, I wanted to kill him. He took the hits without making any attempt to stop me. Neither did Cyn; he seemed as furious as I felt. I stopped hitting Cathair, and pushed him as hard as I could manage. I was pretty sure I knew now why women suddenly snapped.
"Do you realize what this will do to Seima after you said it didn't matter? After you swore, you only needed her? This will kill her, Cathair, and then I will kill you!" I pushed him one more time, just to make my point clear.
"She is enough." He reassured. "I have loved her for years on end. You do not understand…"
“Then explain it to me, Cathair, because right now it seems like you are an ass!”
Cyn remained silent, as Cathair looked at all of us, and sighed resignedly. "You are right. I feel that way too. But you see, I had a dream last night while I held Seima in my arms, and it felt so real. I think it means something.”
“What type of dream?” Cyn asked, his interest peeked.
"We all stood in a strange place surrounded by mountains. It was like a village, but I have never seen anything like it before. The houses shone in the sun as though made of precious gems. You were all there, and Seima stood beside me with the most beautiful baby girl held in her arms." He paused as his eyes watered. "She looked just like my love, with gold ringlets on her head, pink lips, and chubby cheeks, the foam of the sacred sea seemed to live inside her light blue eyes, and I knew she was our daughter. Something inside me knew. The Mother Goddess stood before us, and she smiled at me as though blessing us. I know it sounds like I have lost my mind… have I, or could this beautiful dream come to pass?"
We all remained silent but for different reasons. That place sounded like Art's city. Something Cathair couldn't have known about, since Art never shared it with anyone other than me. Cathair took a few steps back and fell, sitting on the bed. He held his head, appearing tortured by the dream, and I couldn't blame him.
"I am not certain if your dream was a vision sent by our Goddess or mere desire, brother, but I am in no position to judge. I shall remove the spell as you wish, and may the Mother Goddess take charge of your future."
Cathair looked up at Cyn and nodded appreciatively, although Cyn's statement didn't give him any relief. If it was just a dream, that image would haunt Cathair for the rest of his life. On the other hand, if it wasn't…
"I have to go. I forgot I needed to take care of something. I'll be back later to enjoy the stew." I rushed out the door without looking back.
Walking into our hut, I went straight to Art's hidden studio. The second I reached the drafting table, I pulled the plans for the City of Heaven and briefly looked at them. This time there was a different emotion behind my admiration. If Cathair's dream was somehow a vision, it was one more sign that we had to make the city happen, no matter what.
Taking a deep breath and making up my mind, I rolled them up and placed them in the tube next to the bookcase. I stepped out into the living room and using the words I had seen Art recite several times, I created a portal with my Blessed Passage Stones. Not even stopping to recognize how freaking amazing that was, I crossed the archway.
I had something way more important to take care of right now.
KEVAN
* * *
I couldn't help the smile that curved my lips as I stared at myself in the mirror. So much had changed, and now every day presented a new opportunity for me. I hadn't felt that way before. Being part of the Druid Court was something I never expected. I wished my Mother was proud of me, but more importantly, I wanted my Father to be pleased with the man I was becoming.
Wherever he was.
After I finished combing my hair, I hung the damp towel I had used after my bath on one of the chairs. I wore linen pants and a white t-shirt as I waited for Eisha to return. My feet stopped on the way to the kitchen when the air behind me shifted—just like it did when a portal opened. I turned around smiling. "Mia Bella Stella, I thought you would take longer. I haven't started the…" I froze.
The portal was closing, but I wasn't looking at the person I expected. Instead, Lia stood near to the door.
"Lia, um, I wasn't expecting you."
“I know. I’m sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting anything but I need to talk to you.”
I nodded while nervous energy and anticipation took hold of me. What did she want to talk about? Maybe this was my chance to apologize, and finally obtain her forgiveness. I took a settling breath and stepped closer. "No, it's fine. We can talk. Eisha won't b
e here until another half hour though. You want me to go get Ronan, so someone else can be with us?"
She huffed. "Please, like I need a babysitter. Besides, what I want to talk about, I don't want anyone else to hear, not yet."
“Okay,” I nodded confused, placing my hands in my pockets. “Then what do you need to talk about?”
“I need your money.”
Well, I guessed that was an answer. "Excuse me?"
"Your money. I want you to give it to me. You said you are the only one left of the Cornelli family, which means their empire is now yours, companies, bank accounts, and anything else The Brotherhood may own, is now your inheritance, correct? Well, I need you to give me the money… probably all of it, actually."
Lia added as an afterthought, while she looked at a carrying case, I hadn't seen her holding until now. It was cylindrical, like the ones used to place paintings inside. My chest constricted, as the prospect of forgiveness disappeared.
"You want my money so you can forgive me?" I asked sarcastically. I guess I deserved that, but still stung like a motherfucker. "Fine. You can have it all. I don't want anything that comes from them. And don't worry, you don't have to forgive me either if this is what it takes in return." Turning around I walked towards the kitchen. "I'll check the bank accounts. I can probably withdraw money from my portfolio checking account. I can also talk to the lawyer about the will. I'll let you know how that goes, but it will take some time. How fast do you need it?" She remained silent, so I looked at her over my shoulder. She seemed furious.
"I don't want your money to forgive you, you donkey ass! Who the hell do you think I am?" I frowned, and she sighed. "I already did."
I turned around shocked, my gaze followed her to the table, where she sat on top and placed the tube on the surface. “You what?”
She gave me a one-shoulder shrug. "I've never been too good at keeping grudges, and I'm not planning to start now. It pisses me off, to be pissed off at people. It’s exhausting and frankly, it's not worth it." I remained silent as the emotions ran through me. Lia had forgiven me? "Yes, I forgave you, Kevan. I know you are not the same man anymore. I assume that Eisha already filled you in on my power." I nodded. "Well, I can see your essence.” Her eyes glowed for a moment as she looked at me, and I knew she had just used her ability. “Aura’s don't lie, only people do, and I know your words are true because your Aura is pure. I know you have changed and that you regret what happened. I worked on my trauma too, Ronan helped me, and I’m not holding on to that. So I forgive you, Felix, Kevan, whatever the hell your name is now. Just don't make a big deal out of it, okay? I forgave you, so whatever."
My lips stretched into a smile as I looked at Lia. Tears stung my eyes at her words, and I tried my hardest not to get closer and hug her. Even if she had forgiven me, I knew she was keeping her distance for a reason.
"Plus, how can I not after you healed the little girl's freaking boo-boo with a kiss?? I swear to God, the ovaries of every woman there became fertile at that moment." The laugh burst out of me before I could stop it. "No joke. Eisha is going to have to keep them off you now."
Her lips twitched into a small smile, but she quickly recovered and cleared her throat, becoming serious again.
"So what do you need the money for?" I asked, taking two glasses and pouring ale into them. I handed one to her and was relieved when she accepted it.
“For this.”
She opened the tube, and pulled a long set of rolled up sheets out of it. She kneeled on the table, resting her weight on her heels and I repressed a smile. She was so small she almost looked like a child who had crawled on the furniture. I had always found that endearing about her, plus her personality was awesome. I wished we had been friends instead of… I immediately interrupted the thought. That was not my reality anymore.
I looked at what she was showing me. Blueprints. I’d overseen my share of construction projects for The Brotherhood, basically taking care of anything Agustina didn’t want to be bothered with—houses, branches for their dual purpose offices, vaults, detention centers. I knew how to read Architect grade plans without the "dummy guide." I didn't know much about the designing process itself, but I could hold my own with every term, symbol, and mark on those pages. I leaned closer, my hands gracing the paper as I took it all in. The design was like nothing I had ever seen. I would like to say that some of the houses reminded me of the huts in the village, except there was nothing similar about them. The quality of the design was mind-blowing. The vision alone required to come up with something like this, and the engineering to make it happen…
"Whoever designed this project is unquestionably brilliant," I whispered, completely taken aback as I flipped from page to page, building to building. "This isn't just a housing complex. It's a…"
"A whole city," Lia answered, finishing my sentence. "The City of Heaven." A brilliant smile curved her lips, giving me a glimpse of the carefree Lia I had known long ago. "Art designed it. He is an architect, has been for centuries and this is the future for our people. A city built just for them. He has the land, which was gifted to him, and a construction company ready to build it, but he doesn't have the funds to make it happen. That's why I'm here."
My heart raced while the meaning of her words settled inside me. I looked straight into her eyes, and I knew at that moment that everything happening around us was predestined, meant to be. I could take the money that for so long had been allocated to hunt down and eliminate the Druids, and use it to help build a brand new future for them. It was kind of poetic if you thought about it... transforming all their hate into hope. It was perfect.
“I can get you three million dollars cash tomorrow, or I can wire them to your bank if you want." She gasped, and her eyes widened as I spoke, but I didn't stop. "It's what I had in my portfolio account before Cyn brought me here. I have two high yield savings accounts I can withdraw from as well, but I have to put in the requests, and that will take a few days. Afterwards, I can work on the Cornelli fund and get all the transfers started, but at least this will allow you to get the materials you need and start building. Tell Art to spare no expense Lia, get only the best for this city. I will back up every dollar you need. I promise."
Lia squealed, and threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I knew she was just carried away by her excitement about the project, so I carefully placed my hands on her back, but returned her hug just the same. A tear escaped me, even as my jaw tensed trying to contain the rush of what I was feeling. This moment was fucking perfect, and something I would never forget. It was the start of a whole new life, for all the people who deserved it the most.
I pulled away from the hug, not wanting to take advantage of my luck by making her feel uncomfortable. I was shocked when I saw the tears falling from Lia’s eyes too.
"Okay," her words were barely above a whisper, and she gently leaned against my chest.
It was clear the project had nothing to do with this anymore.
I wrapped my arms around her tightly, cradling her and kissed her head. "You can count on me, Lia. I will never fail you again. I swear."
Tears fell from our eyes silently as I held her, thoroughly enveloped in something I never thought I would have the opportunity to receive.
Lia's forgiveness.
Chapter 8. The Mansion
BRINA
* * *
“We should start with the grid. It's our best chance to get the Intel on Leigh. It will also give us the opportunity to check out the status of the other branches."
I looked at Kevan mulling over his words. “What is the grid?”
“The operations room, the center of it all. It’s located back at the mansion… my house.”
Cyn and I exchanged a glance while the others waited. “I agree, my Goddess. That is the most reasonable place to begin the search.”
Once reality set in, I nodded. "Okay, we'll start at the mansion." I looked at Eisha and the others. They all wore their Warrior outfits. Ev
en Lia had on a borrowed suite Seima got her from Adara, one of the other female Warriors that still kept their distance from us. Which reminded me I needed to talk to the rest of the Warriors, we were a family now, and I didn't want any ancient walls between us.
Seeing my friends dressed as Warriors tugged at my heart, it went against what we were trying to achieve, and I suddenly wished the outfits Seima was making were done. She was staying behind with Cathair and the others. Only the Druid Court would come along.
"Alright, let us do this," Cyn announced; the determination in his voice was infectious. Everyone's expressions, and even their postures changed while they stepped closer to us.
We walked towards Kevan as my staff materialized. “Do you know how to use the portal already?” Kevan nodded. “Perfect, I need you to visualize the mansion just as you normally would, once the map appears on your skin I’ll connect with my magic to the stones and takes us all there at once. Ready?”
"Wait," Kevan said stepping closer. "Before we go, there is something you need to know. I'll have to take us to the outskirts of the mansion first, so that I can disable the security system. I designed it so that won't be an issue. However, I made it so that even if the cameras and alarms go offline, the sensors throughout the mansion will still be active, in case of intruders. There is no master reset for this, you know, in case any of us was forced to use it."
“Smart,” Art said, absentmindedly.
Kevan's startled gaze fell on him at the same time ours did. Art grunted, and mumbled something unintelligible as he realized he'd been heard. My gaze connected with Lia's and we repressed a chuckle, Art huffed clearly not amused. Even though Lia had finally forgiven Kevan a couple of days ago, and Art held no hate towards him anymore, I was sure his protective side was going to be particularly stubborn about this. My gaze returned to Kevan.
“Anyway, that will only give us a few seconds to get into the grid without giving them much of a chance to prepare, but they’ll know we are coming.”
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