by Kimbra Swain
“I’m holding a holy sword. You really should stop cussing me,” I grinned. “Fit iustitia.”
The sword faded away with the white dress, leaving me standing in the red Gabbana sheath dress. Tadeas kissed me, and I melted into his neck after the kiss. Exhaustion hit me as I had pulled massive amounts of power and divided it among several spells. It was a reminder of the magic inside of me, and the man that taught me to use it beyond what Jasper Samara could teach. It was a story that I needed to tell Tadeas. A story I’d never told anyone.
“I like a good story,” he said.
“I love you,” I said.
The window to the back SUV rolled down, “Alright, let’s go!” Titania commanded. We walked hand in hand to the SUV.
“What’s it feel like to be a god?” I asked him.
“Wet,” he replied.
“I got a taste of it before I passed it to you,” I said.
“Hyperion,” he said.
“He’s already sworn never to touch you. He just didn’t expect you to become one of the Six. Hopefully this will teach him not to interfere with us. If his power is truly degrading, then he needs to make way for those who will fill his shoes,” I said.
“So, you are going to sign the papers,” he said.
“I haven’t decided. I’m not sure it’s necessary. Besides, I am already an heir to another inheritance,” I said.
“What?”
“It’s a good story,” I said.
“You better tell me before another demon shows up,” he said as we reached the SUV.
“Cremito.” I said, snapping my finger. Tillens’ and Sterritt’s bodies turned to ash, blowing away in the wind.
We climbed inside the SUV. Once inside, I realized the seats were arranged like a limo. Palladino sat next to Titania, and they faced us.
“Miss Davenport, it is a pleasure to meet you in person,” Nickolai smiled at me. “You must be Tadeas Duarte.” He offered his hand. Tadeas shook it.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Palladino,” Tadeas said.
“I welcome you to New York City. Your needs will be provided while you are here. If there anything more than what is apparent, please ask. I am at your disposal.”
“That’s hospitality,” Tadeas said. I smiled.
“Thank you, Mr. Palladino. I had no doubts in your abilities.”
“I made reservations for dinner, and I’m sure that you will want to speak to Vito Giordano at length. I have provided for that opportunity as well. If you would, please take a seat, and I’ll escort you to the city,” Nickolai said.
I turned and looked back at Giordano’s body. “Cremito.”
My breathing was shallow, and my body shivered. I opened my eyes in a partially darkened room with a violet hue.
“No,” I whimpered.
“Everything is fine. You are in Boulder at the new compound,” Ashley said while stroking my hair.
I tried to remember being in Boulder, but I didn’t remember anything, except for a shaman in Los Angeles. We were trying to track down someone performing human sacrifices. Lukas and I…
I shot up in the bed, “Lukas!”
“He’s in Los Angeles, and he’s fine, Abby,” Ashley said as I looked around the room. A dark figure stood against the wall on the other side of the room. His long black hair hung down around his bowed head. On the table next to him, he had laid two wooden prayer sticks. I stared at him until he looked up at me. The violet hue muddled his facial expression, but he looked to be in pain.
I pulled at my hair and brought a lock before my eyes. It was chestnut brown. My lungs seized up, and I couldn’t breathe. My shadow had taken over my body. What did I do? My hands shook as my eyes darted between Lincoln and Ashley. “I, I don’t remember,” I admitted.
Ashley backed away from me and looked toward Lincoln. He pointed to the door, and she turned and left without a word.
“What did I do?” I asked him.
He approached me slowly, “Ajéí, you have done nothing wrong. We brought you here because the shaman forced you back into the nightmare as it was after you died. Forgive me, but I’ve had to put you to sleep several times.”
“No, I control the shadow,” my voice cracked.
As he pushed my hair back from my face, a light touched his eyes. “Yes, you do,” he said. The violet hue faded, and the world burst through with light and color. My hands grasped at nothing until his caught mine. The memory of his hands flooded over me, and I leaned forward to him. He sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling me to him. Resting my head on his chest, I heard his familiar steady heartbeat.
“How long?” The last time the nightmare took over my body it was months before I regained control.
“Three weeks,” he said. I sobbed, and he smoothed my hair with his hands comforting me. “I knew you would overcome it with time.”
“The shaman and four?” I asked.
“Dead, but the demon evaded us,” he replied.
“And Lukas?” I feared to ask him, but I needed to know he truly was okay.
“He is well considering all that happened. The ring you gave him protected him while he provided a distraction for my team. We eliminated the five and took you and the other girl out before the demon arrived. Your team is intact. In fact, your new doctor, Maki, is a very talented physician. I believe his methods along with mine helped you come back to us sooner,” he replied.
I sat back and looked at him, “You sent Lukas into that warehouse as bait?”
He chuckled, “I told him you’d kill me if something happened to him, but no, I could not keep him from going in there.”
“Sounds like Lukas,” I said.
“You aren’t angry with me?” he asked.
“No, you did your job as you always do,” I replied.
His face turned serious, and he brushed the ring on my finger. “It is not my business, but I would like to talk to you about this,” he said cautiously.
I was familiar with Lincoln’s way of bringing up a subject that he thought I’d cuss him for even mentioning. Fortunately for him, I didn’t feel like cussing anyone. “Okay,” I replied.
He looked surprised and said, “I have no doubt of your sincerity for him, nor him for you, but you must know that you cannot take his name.”
My vision swirled with tears, and I nodded. “I know,” I said softly.
“You know that is the reason I have no name. If my real name were known, our enemies would crush me. They would do the same to you. I truly believe that your mother and father did not give you a name on purpose. They protected you,” he said.
I didn’t want to give any credit to my parents, whom I’d always felt had abandoned me, but perhaps Lincoln was right.
“What do I tell him?” I asked.
“The truth. He said you always told him the truth. He seems to be grounded for one so young,” he answered as he wiped the tears from my cheeks. “It doesn’t mean you cannot continue your relationship with him.”
“Our enemies will destroy him to get to me. I have to let him go. It may already be too late,” I replied. Suddenly, my relationship with Lukas felt foolish. My heart belonged to him, but if I truly loved him, I would have walked away a long time ago. He couldn’t possibly defend himself from the things that would come after him because of me. I knew he would choose to stay with me despite the danger.
“I did not mean you should leave him. In fact, I worry what it will do to you,” he said.
“The only important thing is that he is safe and continues his work in Los Angeles. He has impressed me through the whole process. We can’t lose him,” I said.
“At this point, I believe he is locked into the program. There is one other thing,” he said.
“What other thing?” I asked looking into his concerned eyes.
“Please do not be angry with him, but when he received the call from the girl, he called and reported it to me before your team mobilized. He did exactly what you’ve trained him to do. When I arrived
in town, I contacted him briefly to let him know we were here out of courtesy and gave him a number to reach me if needed. He felt it was necessary, and his intuition was on point,” Lincoln explained.
Clinching my fists, anger bubbled up inside of me. I had never hidden anything from Lukas. Why would he hide this from me? Lincoln watched the fire build inside of me. Worry flashed across his face. He thought the shadow would reemerge, but I firmly retained control over the shadow. Seeing Lukas’ brilliant blue eyes flash through my mind, I was reminded of his passion for Los Angeles and his job. Lukas did exactly what I taught him to do, even if it meant hiding information from me. Feeling my tension ease, Lincoln kissed me on the forehead. The long strands of his hair brushed my cheeks, then he rose and quietly left the room.
Ashley appeared at the door, waiting for instructions. “Ash, I need some clothes and a crystal to port to Los Angeles. Has the team moved everything out of the lofts?”
“Yes, all of our gear and personal items are here in Boulder. I did not remove any of your things,” she said.
“He’s alone in the lofts?” I asked.
“Yes, but I’ve been checking on him. He’s sad, but he will be fine,” she said.
My vision blurred with tears, which flowed down my face and dripped off my chin. Ashley offered me a tissue while wrapping her arms around me. “I can’t do it to him,” I said.
“Tell him the truth. He will understand, Abby. He’s always been ahead of the curve and mature beyond his years,” she said. “Plus, he loves you which will never change.”
“I need to do it now,” I said.
“You sure?”
“Yes, arrange the port crystal. Secretly, please,” I said.
She nodded and hurried out of the room.
Standing in the dark, I stared out the windows at Los Angeles. Outside the island, I had never felt at home anywhere, but in a little over a year, this felt like home. I waited in the loft for several hours before Lukas arrived. Feeling his presence in the building, I prepared my speech, hoping I had the resolve to go through with it.
When the elevator door dinged, he walked into the loft. Turning to face him, he froze and stared at me. His face twisted as several emotions ran through him. Dropping his keys and briefcase in the floor, he rushed to me, folding me in his arms. His heart pounded as I felt the tears on his cheeks touch mine.
“Hi,” I whispered. All the resolve I’d built up evaporated, and my plan changed the instant his body touched mine. I intended to fight with him over calling Lincoln, leaving him so he could move on. I couldn’t lie to him because he deserved so much more than that from me.
“Dear God, I thought you weren’t coming back,” he whispered in my ear. His soft voice rattled with desperation.
“I promised you that I would always come back,” I replied as his lips found mine. They gently brushed across mine at first, but quickly latched on to my mouth. Returning his fervor, I moaned with satisfaction, like devouring a favorite meal after a long diet. My heart missed Lukas’ adoration, yet ached with the impending separation. My body longed to touch his, but slowed with the desire to make the last time endure.
With his forehead pressed to mine, I looked deeply into his eyes. “You can’t stay,” he said knowingly.
I brushed his cheeks with my fingers and wondered at how so young a man could have so much insight. Struggling to find the right words, he waited, patiently content to hold me in his arms. He took my hand, guiding me to the sofa. Resting with my back on the side of the sofa and my legs stretched across his, he leaned to touch my face, tracing my eyebrows, chin, and the center of my nose with his fingers. My brain raced to explain things to him while my heart sat back and broke piece by piece with his every caress.
“Forgive me, I cannot seem to come up with the words that accurately describe the situation,” I mumbled.
“You aren’t mad at me?”
“No, my love. I am not mad at you,” I said.
“You know about calling Lincoln?” he asked timidly.
“Yes, and at first, I was angry, but two very important people in my life reminded me that you did exactly what I taught you to do. How could I be angry for you following my instructions?” I said.
“Because I didn’t tell you after I did it,” he said.
“We were racing to save a girl, to save Los Angeles,” I said.
“Then why are you leaving?” he asked. Perhaps this would be easier if I allowed him to ask questions and just answer them.
“Did Ashley explain what happened to me?” I asked.
“She did, but I’m not sure I fully understand your shadow,” he replied.
Sitting in his arms, I told Lukas everything about my death and the emergence of my shadow. As he sat and listened to my story, he held my hands, wiping my tears when needed. I explained the ritual that Lincoln performed at my home in Northumberland, England that allowed me to accept the shadow as part of myself. Telling him about the island, he nodded and weakly smiled. Finally, I got to the part where Lincoln reminded me about having a true name. I decided to use Lincoln’s story instead of my own.
“Lincoln and his brother Thomas chose their names to hide their true identities. As infinite beings, the only true way to destroy either of them would be to know their names. A powerful wielder could use their names combined with an unbinding ritual, and both of them would cease to be. Lincoln actually chose Abraham Lincoln as a name because he admired the former President. However, after a few years of confusion and teasing, he dropped Abraham. By the time I met him, he was simply Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln had a brother who only lived a short life, and his name was Thomas, thus Lincoln’s brother is Thomas. He thinks my parents never gave me a last name to protect me. I know, the name Abigail was the name my mother gave the nuns at the children’s home in Bristol, England. Aoibheann is my Fae name, which I learned many years ago and only a handful of people know it. However, I do not know my true last name, and it is best that it stays hidden,” I paused and looked in his eyes as he recognized what I was saying.
“So, your name can never be Castille,” he sighed.
“As much as I wanted it to be, no, it can’t,” I replied as the tears ran down my face anew.
“Aoibheann is a pretty name. What does it mean?” he asked.
“Radiant beauty,” I replied embarrassed with the moniker.
“It’s perfect for you,” he said smiling.
Taking the ring off my finger, I handed it back to him as my bottom lip quivered uncontrollably until I bit it to make it stop. “I love you, but I can’t keep this,” I said.
“I wish you would, because when I saw it, I knew it belonged on your finger. You don’t have to wear it, but I want you to keep it,” he said.
I slipped it back on my finger as he pulled me to him again. The warm kisses mingled with salty tears. “Lukas, I don’t know what the future is for us,” I said.
“It doesn’t matter. I love you now,” he said.
He took me to his bed for what I thought would be the last time. It turned out that it wasn’t, but it felt like the last time. It’s impossible to describe making love as your heart breaks, but I’ll never forget it.
Looking out across the Big Apple, the city mesmerized me with its bustle and lights. The condo on the upper east side looked down toward the river as the sun set in the west. Laying on the couch wrapped up in the arms of a new god, I contemplated the consequences of the day. My brain hurt with the overload of information, but nothing had more impact than the revelation that Meredith was not only Lincoln’s daughter, but also the daughter of Morgan, who on multiple occasions attempted to take my soul.
Titania sat across from us on a plush white chair with a clear drink in her hand. I had dismissed Mr. Palladino earlier and asked him to postpone all of our plans for the evening until tomorrow. Tadeas and I spoke briefly with Vito Giordano, affirming our support for his new role with the families of the East Coast. Tomorrow night at a dinner in town, we would so
lidify that relationship with all of his men.
We made calls back to Atlanta informing them of everything that happened on Long Island. Lukas agreed to stay in Atlanta until we returned.
“Tell me the story,” Tadeas said. There was no need for him to use our bond to speak because Titania could hear us.
“I’ve never told anyone,” I said.
“It’s a good story,” Titania said. “A love story.”
Changing the subject while I contemplated it, “Are you okay? You just took on a Divine Inheritance. It’s not like we had time to talk about it.” Once I realized that Cyrus MacCormack was deeply engrained with the coup attempts on the Agency, I knew Gregory would kill him. When I pushed my thoughts to Tadeas, I felt the first seeds of doubt during the entire encounter. However, he accepted the responsibility, trusting my judgment.
I could never want for more from a partner. Part of me wanted my Grandfather to reap the consequences for his actions in Atlanta. If he expected me to take his inheritance, it would be on my terms, and if he laid a hand on my people, I would make him pay. I loved my grandfather, but sometimes love is tough. Ler’s godhead which Tadeas received had very little power in it, but it was new to him. He had a lot to learn in a short amount of time. The majority of the power Ler gave to Manannán many years ago. What power he retained kept him from aging and solidified his place within the Six. It also meant that not only could Grandfather not touch Tadeas, many other beings of this world who might seek to destroy him or me would have a much harder time doing so as part of the Six.
“I suppose I haven’t grasped the full extent of it yet,” he said. “I feel the ocean like it calls to me.”
“Ha!” I laughed abruptly.
“What?” he said as Titania eyed my outburst.
“You don’t like boats,” I said laughing.
“What?” Titania said.
“She’s right. I hated the idea of being on a boat in the middle of the ocean, not being able to see land. I think it’s the jaguar in me. However, I’d love to be on a boat right now,” he said, but his thoughts very specifically included me on the boat with him.
