I turned to look at Cyn, alarmed. “Is she ok? What is happening?” He offered me a small smile that said this wasn’t the first time that happened.
“She will be alright. You need not worry. She suffers from fainting spells from time to time,” He looked at his brother and so did I. They exchanged a look that said Art would take care of her. Cyn placed his hand on my back and guided me to the door. I felt horrible leaving but if Cyn knew better and his brother would take care of her… I looked back right before we stepped out the door. Art was lying on the bed with her and had his arms around her. He was rubbing her upper arms to keep her warm. I blinked when I noticed a white light encircle her irises. Her eyes began to glow white.
Why are her eyes glowing if she fainted?
I felt Cyn’s hand on my back urging me through the door and we left. I was worried about her. I truly hoped she would be ok.
We entered Cyn’s hut and I smiled. It was surreal being in this place. Just like Eisha’s his hut was spacious and had very few pieces of furniture inside. There was a table with four chairs ahead of us. The bed was to our left and it seemed very primitive. It was also small, maybe the size of a twin mattress. There was a small kitchen to the right and a chimney. And at the back I could see two large barrels and a partition that covered what looked like an iron bathtub. I smiled. My eyes returned to what would be the bedroom part of the hut and I noticed a stone sink with a pitcher of water next to it and a small mirror on the wall above it. It was square and the edges were rough. A long necklace hung from a corner. There was a huge trunk on the floor. It was right next to the bed. I looked back at Cyn and saw a sheepish expression on his face. Did this embarrass him? I hope it didn’t, this was amazing.
“I am certain my hut might not be to your standards, my Goddess. I apologize, however I live here alone and I am hardly ever…”
I shut him up with a kiss. “This is incredible Cyn. Everything about this place is so enchanting. I feel like I have traveled in time and I love that. You don’t need to apologize for anything. Everything here is absolutely perfect. I’m honored to be here with you. There is not one thing I would change.” His smile returned and he kissed my hand. “Now if I remember correctly, I think I was promised something special when we finally got to your hut.”
His dimples flirted shamelessly with me and his gaze became hooded and lustful. My body immediately responded to him.
“Then I must comply. I am nothing if not a man of my word.”
I giggled as he picked me up and I wrapped my legs and arms around him. He began to place soft kisses on my neck and shoulder taking me to his bed. He laid me down and immediately felt the ache on my back. His bed was horribly hard.
“Ouch!” Ok maybe you can change the mattress.” He laughed and kissed me. It wasn’t long before I got lost in his arms.
I stared at his profile while we talked. The thin linen sheet that covered the bed was wrapped around my body and the corner conveniently covered Cyn’s hips and upper thighs. I was dying to pull it off him. I smiled letting my gaze fall on his chest. My fingers followed the trail my eyes created and I played tracing his defined muscles with my fingertips. I loved his body. His eyes were closed and he had a full blown smile on his lips. He was totally enjoying this.
Sweet mother of all things delicious, he is ripped.
My fingers followed the curve of his ribs and I traced the “finger muscles” on them. He squirmed when I did and my eyes widened. “Oh are you ticklish?”
He laughed and I did it again. It was on like Donkey Kong. I straddled him and began my attack. He fought to get me off him, but I was way too skilled to be defeated so easily. I actually made him cry. I was pretty proud of myself. Somehow, he managed to get out from under me and stood as far away as he could.
“Please, I beg of you. Have mercy.”
I laughed and sat up. I sighed at the naked sight of him. He was glorious. He reached for his pants on the floor still laughing and put them on. I almost cried. Giving up, I got up, grabbed my skirt, lace crop top and began to get dressed.
“I want to show you something.”
I turned to look at him while zipping myself up and fixing my hair. He walked to the trunk and opened it taking a package from it. He sat on the bed and I sat beside him. He had what looked like a book wrapped in cloth in his hands. Whatever it was I could tell it was important to him by the gentle way he handled it. He unwrapped it slowly and looked at it for a moment before his eyes went to mine.
“This was Mo meantóir’s Spioradálta Iris. It means Spiritual journal.”
Now I understood. I nodded and my eyes fell to the book. It was beautiful. The cover was actually made of oak wood. The front had intricate carvings on it. In the center was a tree, which I had already learned from Cyn, was called the tree of life. This one however, had the roots intertwining into a different symbol. I wondered what it meant.
“It is the symbol of our clan. It means we are born from its never-ending life. The lines are never interrupted. They flow and transform into another, continuing the cycle,” He said answering my silent question.
I smiled and resumed my observation. Another Celtic symbol surrounded the four corners of the tree. It was the Triquetra, he had taught me about it too.
“May I hold it?” I asked instantly feeling bad. I wasn’t sure if I was breaking some kind of code or tradition. It was his High Priest’s journal after all. “It’s ok don’t worry. I was only curious,” I added when he hesitated. Now I really felt bad. I didn’t want to intrude.
He looked into my eyes and smiled. “It’s alright, my Goddess. You may.”
I lifted my palms up and he carefully placed it on them. When he did, the journal shimmered gold in my grasp and opened. I gasped. It was magic. I was completely fascinated. I looked at him with wide eyes.
“Wow, It’s a magic Journal!”
His eyes were wide with shock. I panicked. Oh no, had I done something to it? My eyes returned to it and I tried to search it making sure it was intact. But the truth was I had barely touched it. That could not be it. My gaze returned to his and I noticed there was awe and confusion in them.
“Are you ok, Cyn? Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” he shook his head. “It is alright.”
I nodded confused and returned my gaze to it. The pages were made of what seemed like parchment paper, but not the kind we see today. It was thin and a bit translucent. Then I realized something else. The writing on it was made of symbols, not words. It wasn’t the traditional alphabet we used. Of course, this made perfect sense since he had been alive for so long. His people wouldn’t have used the English alphabet or even the Roman.
“What is this alphabet called?” I looked at him and noticed he was still looking at me with a weird expression. He blinked out of his thoughts and his eyes went to the book.
“It is called the Ogham.”
“Wow, it’s so different,” It truly was. It was conformed of short lines traced in sequence. Some were stroked through with horizontal lines either at the top, middle or bottom and they grouped in different sets of numbers. A few contained one or two lines while others had as many as five. It was truly intriguing I wanted to learn more.
“Would you teach me to write in Ogham some day?”
“I will teach you anything you like my Goddess,” He smiled. “However you might have to teach me to write in English first. I will need it to make the comparison and transfer to our alphabet.”
I looked at him confused. “You don’t know the English Alphabet?” He shook his head.
“We learned to speak the language from our dealings with the English, however never learned to write it or read it.”
I smiled, that was something I could do for him. I would teach him. “Then it will be my pleasure to teach you about mine and you can teach me about yours. We can learn together,” I gave him a peck on the lips and carefully closed the book handing it to him.
“Thank you for sharing this
with me. I can only imagine how special it is to you and that means a lot to me.”
He kissed me. “There is something else I wish to show you.” He stood and went to the mirror reaching for the necklace, I had noticed before. He pulled it from the mirror and came to sit next to me again. “This is my clan necklace. It is given to us when we make the transition from children to men or women. Traditionally, it is given to us by our parents. However, ours had already past when Art and I received it. It was given to us by Mo meantóir. It has our spirit animal on it and the inscription on the back, represents our path or what we aspire to be.”
His explanation was intriguing but my hands were itching. I wanted to touch the historic piece of jewelry and look at it. Jeez! Would he give me the damn thing already? I mean how many people could say they have held a two-thousand-year-old necklace in their hands? I sighed, trying not to pull it from his grasp. His hand moved, and I beamed when he finally gave it to me. I kissed his cheek excited and looked down at it. It was a leather string with an iron medallion on it. On the front it had the head of a jaguar with the Triquetra on its forehead. On the back it read: The power within me is greater than any fear before me. I smiled. The message was inspiring and it completely fit him.
“My brother’s has a wolf on it with a different message. The animal changes depending on your destiny and strength of your essence. Eisha’s has a raven on it…”
His words faded into the background while I stared at it. I frowned turning it around on my hands several times. I scrutinized every detail trying to figure out why it felt… familiar. I had seen something like this before. But where?
“And Mo meantóir’s had a bear on it.”
His voice brought me back to reality and I gasped getting up from the bed. The necklace fell from my hands and I stood back like it would bite. I looked at him.
No, it can’t be…
My heart began to race, slamming against my chest. My breathing became hard and my hands started to tremble. Cyn shot up from the bed and came to me but I stepped back. My mind was racing.
“Are you alright my, Goddess? What is it?”
I couldn’t speak. My tongue had become numb. My mouth was dry and all I could do was look at him. The horror in me was clear to him because he kept trying to hold me and his gaze was deeply worried. I took another step back and forced myself to speak.
“Take me home. Now. I need to go home.”
The worry in his eyes deepened. “What has happened, my Goddess? Please speak to me. Have I done something?”
I shook my head blinking out of the numbness. “No, I just… I need to leave. Please take me home. Now!” I raised my trembling hand to my mouth. Had I just yelled at him? I was finding it difficult to breathe. I couldn’t be here any more. I needed to leave. He looked at me perplexed. His expression turned into anguish. He lowered his head and reached for the stones on the table.
“As you wish.”
The portal opened and I rushed passed him and into my room. He entered behind me.
“Please… tell me what has occurred, my Goddess. If I have done something, I apologize. Do not leave me this way. I cannot bare it,” he whispered in my ear. His hands grasped my arms gently and he rested his chest on my back.
My eyes began to water; I didn’t mean to hurt him but I couldn’t be with him right now. I turned to face him and placed a small kiss on his lips. I pulled away and stepped back. “I’m sorry. You have done nothing wrong, but I need you to please leave. I will see you in the morning.”
He nodded and silently stepped through the portal. “I love you.”
My heart broke when the portal closed and my tears began to fall. I turned and ran out of my room. Barging into Grandpa’s bedroom I rushed to the closet and swung the door open. The force of it made it hit the wall behind it and the loud crash reverberated through the air. I reached up and threw on the floor the folded sweaters and winter jackets I kept stacked for him on the shelf. Then pulled an old shoe box from the back and took it to his bed. I flung the lid open and flipped it on the mattress. I pushed everything out of the way then stopped. In the middle of the mess I had created was a long leather cord with an iron medallion. It had the head of a bear on it. The Triquetra was on his forehead. I picked it up, hands shaking and turned it around reading the inscription.
Strength. Compassion. Courage. Wisdom.
“No… He can’t be…” I said as I fell on the bed crying. Even as the words left my lips and the sobs took over I knew nothing was impossible anymore. Cyn had told me that.
CHAPTER 15. GRANDPA
NEIL ANWELL
I stood at the door and gazed at my little Bee. When had she become such a beautiful woman? Time had sneaked upon me. She was no longer that baby I sung to sleep or the child I used to take to the playgrounds. She was a grown capable woman, with an unknown destiny on her shoulders. It didn’t matter though. She would always be, my little Bee.
“I’ll be ok Grandpa. You are such a worrywart. I’m just going to watch a show and probably pass out on the sofa,” She chuckled. “I’ll text you before I do, though,” she rose on her toes and kissed my cheek. “I love you Grandpa. Have a good night at work.” She smiled and my heart ached. I hated leaving her alone.
“You have a smile that could kill a man sweetheart. Have I ever told you that?”
She chuckled. “A couple of times here and there,” I laughed. “Now go or you’ll be late to work.”
I nodded and kissed her forehead. “Alright, I’ll leave. No need to throw me out. I may be an old man but I know when I’m not wanted.” She chuckled again and hugged me. The touch filled me warmth. “I love you too my beautiful little Bee. Don’t forget to lock the door,” I stood back waiting for her to go inside the townhouse. Once she did I took a deep, settling breath.
She will be ok. We are safe. She is safe.
I walked to the car fighting the same battle I had fought for the past twelve years. It pained me to leave her. It took everything in me not to turn around and stay with her. Protect her. Closing the car door, I set the key in the ignition and looked one last time towards the house. I smiled. She was sitting by the window to see me off. She had been doing that since she was a child. She waved and I pulled out of the parking spot.
The clock of the dashboard displayed 6:45pm. As usual I was fifteen minutes early for my shift at the Seattle Central library. I stared at the back entrance while Bri’s words replayed in my head. “I met someone.” I took a deep breath and prayed that the man she had chosen was a good and honorable man. I couldn’t stop her from living her life. But her destiny couldn’t be stopped either. I prayed that like my angel had, that man would accept her for who she truly was. I took my bag from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car choosing to leave my worries behind. Destiny always had a way of sorting itself out.
“Good evening Miss Maynard. I hope you had a good day today.” I said to the head librarian. The tall, skinny woman stood near the counter. She was surrounded by carts full of books. Her gaze was on the computer. A pencil between her lips, one on her hand and another one stuck on her brown but partially gray, hair bun. As usual, she was dressed elegantly with a silk blouse and a pencil skirt that made her look sophisticated and beautiful. She looked from her book to the keyboard, and typed her notes down.
“Ah, Inventory day. I guess I arrived just in time.” I said a little louder.
“Who, what? Oh! Neil, thank God you are here. I’m sorry I didn’t hear you arrive.”
I smiled. She was always distracted with her thoughts, or the management of the library. “Would you like my help to finish putting these books away for you?”
“Omg Yes, please! I swear I don’t know how you do it. You always manage to leave the library better than it was when I left it,” she chuckled placing the pencil she previously bit, in her bun. I smiled. “You are a life saver Neil, I have no idea what we would do without you. I have already logged you into the system for overtime pay. That should ta
ke care of the tidying up of the library.”
“Thank you Miss Maynard, but that is not necessary. It is my pleasure to help.”
“Nonsense. This isn’t part of your duties. You deserve to get paid for your help.” She smiled and reached for her coat. It was fall in Seattle and the temperature had begun to drop. She picked up her purse and keys. “As usual I leave my precious library in your capable hands. See you tomorrow.” She said placing her hand on my shoulder and reaching up to give me a kiss on the cheek.
“Goodnight Miss Maynard,” I said smiling and bowing slightly.
She left the library and I took a deep breath. Walking to the front desk, I placed my dinner on the counter and sat down to eat.
I looked at the book carts around the desk, placing my empty food container back in my bag. There were about twenty-five carts full top and bottom. The books spilled from the top. I had no true notion how they handled the inventories. I supposed the computer did most of the work. However, Miss Maynard always managed to find an isle or bookshelf she needed to have the staff personally count to make sure the numbers were correct. It was her fail-safe. She believed she couldn’t trust technology one hundred percent. So every inventory day she chose a bookcase in a different section of the library and counted the books manually. The clean-up was left for me, but I was happy to help. My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was a text from Bri.
“Hi Grandpa. I think I’m going to go to bed. I’m tired.”
I looked at the time. It was only 9:00pm. “Ok my little Bee. I hope you have a good night.”
“Thanks Grandpa. I love you.”
I smiled, “I love you too sweetheart. Very much,” I received a kissing face on the screen and chuckled. Then placed my phone down and grabbed the library keys.
Like every night I completed my rounds and made sure the library was indeed secure. Returning to the front desk, I logged into the music system for the library and played my favorite selection. I loved classical music. Émile Waldteufel - The Skater’s Waltz, began to play through the speakers and I smiled pushing all the carts to the center hall. I placed them next to each other.
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