“What are your orders?” John asked, eager to help at the same time that Ralph came back and put a set of dangerously looking knives, and another gun on one of the desks.
"Courtesy of your friends from the retreat downstairs." He patted Mario, pulled a dagger and a small gun from his pant leg, and put them on the desk too. "They are fully disarmed now," he confirmed, carrying the unconscious man over his shoulder and left the room.
"We need you both to stay here, and keep up the front in case the other branches reach out," Kevan answered. "You are to come every morning and leave at night just as you normally do, so we don't raise suspicions in the rare case someone is watching."
"Also, can you please reach your contacts and find out if they have seen Leigh?" I said, looking at Cyn who nodded. "We have to rescue him at any cost."
"Of course, I will communicate with them immediately. It might take a while for them to answer due to the circumstance, but we'll let you know." He pulled a weird looking cell phone from his back pocket. "Take this. It's an encrypted line, and how I've been communicating with the others. Only Ralph or I will be able to reach you there. We will keep you informed of everything that happens. What is your next step?"
"We are going to search the house, there are a few things we need," Kevan answered.
"And then?" Ralph asked entering the room again with Eisha and Art. The cell keys hung from his jeans.
“Well, we can’t wait any longer for fear they’ll harm Leigh even worse,” I took Cyn’s hand in mine looking for reassurance, when our energies mixed I received it. “If you don’t have anything for us in the next two days, I’m afraid we’ll have to start searching the branches ourselves and hope to find him.”
“We’ll try our best to get you some Intel, but once you begin your rescue mission, please let us come along. It will be our honor to fight beside you, and finally giver those bastards what they deserve.”
Cyn took a deep breath looking at me briefly. “You misunderstand the purpose of our mission, brothers. We are in search of peace, not more death.”
John looked at us as though regretting his words. “If I were you I’d be prepared for battle, because from what I’ve seen, The Brotherhood would rather die than let you win. The hatred they have for your race is beyond anything I have ever encountered, even after witnessing the horrors of war in Iraq. Peace has a cost, High Priests, and if that's really your purpose then someone is going to have to pay it. Let's just hope is not us."
* * *
We rushed through the hallways of the mansion as Kevan searched for what he needed. Stark white walls, white marble floors, and black furniture surrounded us. Just like the grid the inside of the house was extremely modern. The only touch of color came from the animal prints inside. Leopard seemed to be the print of choice, and I prayed to the Goddess they were fake because Cyn looked like he was about to blow a gasket.
After Kevan checked his room and packed two suitcases full of clothes, he took us through a corridor that brought us here. We stopped in our tracks as soon as we entered. The room was large and set up like a museum, so much so that the Smithsonian would be jealous. I doubted they had half the stuff that now sat in the glass cases. Roman armor—from apparently every period in history—surrounded us. War helmets, weapons and even a horse armor made of pure gold were displayed as art.
"Holy shit! Someone is proud of their hideous legacy." Lia's words were almost muffled.
"Here is what I think about your legacy Grandmother." Kevan took a large Neolithic looking rock and threw it against the armor case at full force. My staff instantly materialized as the glass exploded, it's light shot out stopping the shards that flew at us in mid-flight. We stood there, silent, as Kevan went on a rampage destroying every piece that Agustina had apparently held in high esteem. Art's swords twirled in the air when he joined him, breaking through the rest of the cases until there wasn't a single thing left standing, or undamaged in front of us.
Art's body was intact, as though he hadn't just been part of the destruction. I guessed it was true he could no longer be hurt. Kevan was not as lucky. Drops of blood seeped from the multiple gashes on him, staining his body and face. The next second, the pieces of glass that encrusted themselves into him, fell to the ground as his skin glowed and healed. Tears still streaked his cheeks, while he looked at the remains on the floor. Some of the armors seemed to have disintegrated after being broken out of their specially sealed cases. He wiped his face and took a deep breath looking at Art. Some sort of communication passed between them, and Art nodded once.
To me, it looked like at that moment Art had sensed Kevan's suffering and being the man he was, he chose to be there for him even though I knew he'd never admitted it. The light from my staff receded, letting the shards of glass fall to the floor in front of us.
Art's swords disappeared when Lia reached him, taking his hand. "Thank you," she whispered to him, and he leaned down placing a kiss on her lips.
Eisha's eyes filled with tears at the image of Kevan in so much pain, but no one spoke as he finished crossing the room and ripped a painting from the wall, destroying it too. Behind it was a massive safe, which he proceeded to open. He pulled out a couple of manila envelopes and handed them to Lia.
"These are the wills from Dad and Agustina. We need to review them and contact the lawyer." She nodded. Cyn, Art and I looked at each other, wondering what they were talking about, Eisha seemed clueless as well. Kevan laughed sarcastically. "Jackpot."
He looked back and picked up a velvet bag with a golden rope that lay on the floor. Minutes before, it had been in one of the exhibitions. He shook it and opened it, taking it back to the safe. My eyes widened just as Lia gasped. Kevan took packet after packet of hundred dollar bills from the safe and dropped them in the bag, until his arm had to reach all the way the back and the bag was almost full. He pulled at the rope tying it, and walked towards Art with a wide grin.
"For your city. There is a million and a half there. I'll get you more, but that should help you get started." Art took the bag stunned, as Kevan continued to walk towards us. He pulled a small box from his pocket and handed it to Eisha. "These were in Dad's room. I know they never got married, but I think they belonged to my parents."
She opened the box to find two rings inside. They were beautiful yet simple. Both bands were the same, white gold with a small blue Sapphire in the center. Tears gathered in her eyes. "I saw these in the vision… when you were born. They were wearing them.”
Kevan’s eyes shone as he pulled them out of the case and placed his mother’s ring on Eisha. “We’ll have the wedding you deserve, Mo chiad leannan. The one you witnessed in your vision, but in the meantime, will you please wear this for me?” She nodded as a tear escaped her and he cradled her cheeks kissing her deeply.
Happiness and love rushed through Cyn and me, as we exchanged a glance and he kissed me. Even Art shared the moment with Lia.
I reached for Eisha's hands squeezing it. "I'm sorry that we began this crazy journey, and you are caught in the middle of it. I know it's not fair that Cyn and I got our special day and you haven't yet. You deserve to be happy and have the wedding of your dreams. I promise you that as soon as all of this over, Cyn and will plan a beautiful wedding for the two of you." I assured, looking into their eyes.
"It is alright, a chara. We have no urgency; we are in love and rejoiced. The two of you finally coming together as one was something that not only you deserved, but also we all needed. You are our High Priests, your purpose is bigger than any of us, and we all owe you our support."
“Make that two weddings to plan,” Lia corrected, walking with Art towards us over the remains of the Roman museum. “And yeah, we can wait. Let’s just kick some Roman ass and get Leigh’s butt safely to the village. Can we go home now?”
We laughed as Cyn threw the stones in the air and my light surrounded us.
ART
* * *
“Care to tell me what this is all
about?” I asked Lia, placing the bag of money Kevan gave me on the table of our hut. She cringed, while I reached for the strings of my Warrior vest pulling them loose and taking it off.
“Well, you see… I kind of told him about the City of Heaven.”
"You don't say?" I answered sarcastically pushing down my pants and throwing them across the room into the dirty bin. "Yeah, I kind of got that feeling when he handed the money to me and said ‘for your city.' What the hell where are you thinking, Lia?"
Her eyes widened, and she cringed again. "Chewie. Don't get mad, okay?"
"You might be a little late on that," I grunted.
She walked towards me and began to caress my chest, her fingers playing with the little hairs on my pectoral muscles while she looked up innocently at me, and batted her eyelashes. Fuck! I loved it when she did that. I grunted again but this time for a different reason. Holding her waist, I pulled her up pressing her against me while her legs wrapped around my waist.
“What did you do?” I asked, looking at her lips.
“You need money for the project, Chewie, and he has the whole freaking fortune of The Brotherhood at his disposal. I figured after everything the Roman's had done to destroy you, it was about time they did something good. What a better contribution to the future of our people, than something done by all of us together? No past, no pain, no hate, just the desire we all have to be better."
I sighed looking into her eyes. “Is that all?”
“Well, helping out with this project will mean a lot to Kevan in his new life as one of us, and I think is just the thing we all need to finish healing.”
“You are worried about his well being now?”
"Stop," she half whined and kissed my lips. "I forgave him, Art, and I know you are only hesitant because you love me and you suffered with me through all of those nightmares, but can we please leave all of that behind? I don't want any of us to hurt anymore."
I stared at Lia taken aback by the woman she was. Lia was strong, and feisty, sweet and adorable, funny, sexy and downright mind melting when she wanted to be. Lia could drive any man crazy with one look, but what I most admired about her was this right here. The heart she possessed. She was an incredible woman, and she was mine.
"I'll try," I answered only half joking, and she smacked my chest. I chuckled as she wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning in for a kiss that soon turned into a skin-searing assault on my mouth. "Easy there," I whispered pulling back. "That can wait until we come back from talking to my brother and my little sis. It's time to let them in, in on our little secret."
Lia raised an eyebrow and pulled her Warrior vest off, her glorious breasts fell naturally, gracing my chest and I grunted. She was never returning that outfit.
“Fine, they can wait.”
She laughed, as I bit her neck, walking towards the bed.
“What did you wish to talk about, brother?”
Cyn asked, sitting next to Bri at the table, Lia and I took the seats next to them, respectively. I placed the folder, and the blueprint's case in front of him as the nerves travel through me. I wasn't sure what my brother's reaction would be after he learned of what I was doing for centuries behind his back.
I took a settling breath, grabbing the folder that contained my diplomas and opened it. Lia winked at me smiling, and giving me the reassurance I needed as I looked at Cynwrig. “I thought it was time I showed you what I was doing all those times when I went out to the modern world, while you took care of everyone else.”
My brother looked at me with a calculative gleam in his eyes, but he remained silent, and I knew he was sensing my essence. His gaze softened, I was sure he could feel my anxiety, and he leaned forward. "I am excited to learn of your adventures. Whatever you want to show me, brother, I shall understand."
I chuckled at his choice of words and set the binder in front of him. "I've been studying, brother. I decided to follow my passion, and learn everything I could about building." Cyn nodded pensively, as he read the diploma I had selected for him. "I’ve become a master builder or architect in every country that exists, and even built a few structures under a false name. I didn't do it out of disobedience brother," I added, as my anxiety intensified with every second he remained silent.
I knew he couldn't read the others because of the different languages, but he turned the pages looking at all the diplomas I had acquired through the years, and stared at them intently as I spoke.
"I learned all of their languages and every technique they had for building. I discovered that everyone had a different process, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to discover, and build. I tried my best not to draw attention to myself all these years. I studied and worked under different names over the years, and although I donated my time to a few institutions as a professor, I managed to save so money for my dream."
Cyn took a deep breath and looked at me as though he was looking at someone he didn’t know. “What is your dream, brother?”
I smiled and took the blueprints out, extending them over the table. "This is my dream. I’ve been working on this design for the last century. I used all my knowledge and everything I learned all these years, to create a future for our people in which they won't need for anything, because the land will provide for everything for them. It's a self-sustaining city, where the rain is recycled and instantly delivered into our homes through man-made drains and purified for use in our cooking, drinking, and hygiene. Where the rays of the sun above us, provide us with energy that illuminates our homes in the dark, and warm us during the cold of the winter, as well as keep us cooled and refreshed during the summer months. A place where each home has its own green garden, providing them all the vegetables they may need and a city-owned farm where everyone takes care of the animals that feed us. A city where there are no divisions between us, and we all have the best that modern technology can offer. Where our spiritual beliefs reign true, and everyone is welcome. Not only Celts and Druids, but anyone who needs a new beginning regardless of where they were born. Where we can finally live in peace, without hiding and allow those we love to be who they want to be."
My throat constricted as my gaze fell on the plans underneath my hands. "Where everyone will feel safe in their own piece of the Blessed Isles here on earth. Our City of Heaven.”
Cyn closed the binder, his gaze fixed on the entrance of the city. It was a replica of the archway to our village back home, Blessed Oaks Grove, the same he had duplicated here in the rainforest when we settled. A tall, beautiful arch stood there, in the form of two trees, standing on each side of the entrance. They bent as though holding on to each other coming together at the top, with small rune carvings throughout—the guardians, and protectors of our city. A large sign rested atop with the new symbol of our clan displayed proudly in its center. The letters read City of Heaven.
“Is this something you can build?” Cyn asked, his voice strained and I frowned.
“Yes, I already have the land, and a construction team ready to build it. I was missing the funds because what I’d saved wasn’t enough, but Kevan is giving us the money from The Brotherhood, to build it for our people. So they can have a better future.”
Cyn stood, and walked away from me giving me his back. I looked at Bri and Lia's widened eyes, and I got up too, walking after him.
Shit. Was he pissed off?
"Brother, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disrespect you. I didn't mean to keep anything from you and do this behind your back, but I had to do it for myself. I've had this passion growing in me for centuries, craving knowledge. This need, begging me to do something for our people, and since I can't do what you do, this is the only manner in which I can help them. The only way I know how."
Cyn stopped, finally turning to look at me. When his eyes focused on mine, I realized they shone full of raw emotion. He pulled me in and hugged me so fiercely that it brought tears to my eyes too.
"You could never do what I do, because you were destined for so
much more than I, brother." He pulled back and cradled my neck pressing his forehead against mine as a tear fell from his eyes. ‘"I have no words to describe how proud I am of you, Art. Of the man you have become even after I failed you."
“You’ve never failed me, brother.”
“Yes, I have. I was so caught up in my duty and my pain, that I turned my back on you, and this what you did with it.”
"You didn't turn your back on me, Cyn." I shook my head as a tear left me too. I held his neck tightly. "You had the weight of a hidden village on you, the loss of half our people including your mentor eating at your soul, and you still moved forward, making sure everyone was safe, and that even the new kids brought into this world learned the ways of our people. You kept everyone together. You kept our spirit alive. Everything I have done is just to feel deserving of being your brother."
"No, Art. It is I who needs to be deserving of you. I am so thankful to the Goddess for putting you in my life. I am honored to call you my brother." The pride shone in his eyes so pure that it silenced my words.
"Damn, people! You are proud of him, he's proud of you, we are all proud of each other, just kiss already and stop making me cry!" Lia yelled wiping her tears, and we laughed.
“What she said,” Bri added as fresh tears fell from her eyes and Cyn let me go walking towards her.
I rushed to my Lia, picking her up by the waist and setting her on my lap. My hand cradled her face kissing her tears away as she hugged me. My gaze focused on my brother while he held Bri close too. Our eyes connected and for the first time in our lives, the look we shared was of equal admiration. It wasn't because he was a powerful High Priest, and I was the Goddess' Soul Hunter…
No.
It was because, after everything we had been through, we respected and understood each other as brothers.
Chapter 9. The Real World
BRINA
Absolute Magic Page 17
