The girl wavered, wiping her hands on her apron, cursing herself for the very fact that she had been caught. If only she had been more careful and less dreamy.
‘Oh, just taking this to the inn,’ Valera replied in a too innocent voice pointing at a freshly baked cherry pie, ignoring her mother’s all seeing eyes.
‘The inn? They bake their own cakes. And trading is not your plan is it? You want to see that boy you have set your mind on!’
‘Oh, Mum! It’s my pie, I baked it, and I just feel sorry for him and want to show some hospitality to both Shazar and his son.’
‘Hospitality? Now, wait a minute. This has got nothing to do with you and I don’t want you to meddle or worse: get involved!’
‘I won’t. I just don’t get why you are being so harsh on him?’
‘Like I said-’
‘I know; it got nothing to do with me,’ the girl repeated, reading it again in her mother’s mind before she could answer. ‘but what about Dad? He went to the inn, is it alright for him to meddle?’
‘What? When?’ Sula’s eyes grew wide from horror.
‘I… thought you knew. What’s wrong?’
‘Everything!’ And from stress she tugged at her hair which she had tied up in a single braid. It dangled down the front of her neck and almost fell between her breasts. She paced up and down like a caged animal, on her porch.
‘I can’t go and make a scene of coming in between them! It would only make matters worse, and embarrass Felix and his silly male pride!’ Sula said, close to tears.
‘I could go.’
Sula shot a surprised glance at her daughter, reading her intentions. They were, as always, sincere.
‘Hmm, maybe if Felix sees you he will change his mind.’
Sula bit her lower lip in hesitation, staring at her daughter, her eyes darting from side to side, as she thought about the best thing to do.
‘He won’t get in a fight with me there. I’ll go.’
‘Alright, and take that pie with you, just in case he questions you. Don’t say it was me who sent you, hurry.’
‘Ok, Mum,’ Valera said with a bright-eyed relieved face, her face showed a worried look when she read the emotion behind her mother’s words.
‘Love you!’ Valera said and turned.
‘Love you,’ Sula smiled faintly, her face showing a bit more colour.
~~~
It was only a mile’s walk to the local inn, and the evening was dry, but a cold autumn wind blew from the east, rustling through the parched leaves of the beech and birch trees on her way, and through her long, golden brown skirt. She had always preferred wearing skirts rather than leggings. Valera had no trouble finding her way in the dark of course, by using her cat sight.
The lights were on in the inn and everything looked the same as usual where their guests were staying. But as she came nearer her excellent hearing picked up a loud voice causing a scene.
When she opened the door she immediately sensed a negative stir in the air. Her feelings were right; she saw her father opposing Shazar, the comyenti she hadn’t even been introduced to yet. Shazar still sat on his chair, but by his right shoulder his son, Twello stood ready to defend him, it seemed. It wouldn’t be necessary, of course, but Valera admired his good intentions anyway.
She had heard the last line spoken as she opened the door, ‘-my right to challenge you in a one to one fight. Come outside with me and we’ll settle this once and for all!’ Felix’ voice was clear and composed, but louder than she had ever heard it. Normally he never raised his voice. Fortunately, it was just the inn’s owner and his wife witnessing the scene, and there were no other patrons.
‘There is no need to shout,’ Shazar just as composed said, giving him a crooked smile, ‘We could talk just as well.’
‘No, I am tired of your voice!’ Felix boomed.
‘Don’t speak to my father like that!’ Twello intervened angrily.
Felix ignored the boy, because he might regret what he felt like doing. He was a father himself and his children would have defended his honour the same way, especially Aigle. But Twello’s father had done something unforgivable in the past and he would have to pay. It had nothing to do with the son.
‘Out,’ Felix commanded him and pointed to the door.
Shazar sighed, but stood, following the blond man with his eyes to the door. Felix’ eyes met Valera’s when he the opened the door. Surprised, and a bit shocked, he asked, ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Just delivering this pie Howard ordered; isn’t that right, Howie?’ She looked innocently over her father’s shoulder towards the innkeeper. Howard looked downright confused, but after his wife poked him in the side he quickly recovered.
‘Oh right, come on in, Valera. We were expecting your…pie.’
Felix sighed and grunted, ‘When you’re done, go straight home, alright young lady?’
‘Sure, Dad. Oh, Mum is waiting for you to come home as well. She needs some help with something.’ she said and walked over to the table where Twello was still standing. He didn’t know what to do; follow his father outside or stay to get a chance to talk to the girl he had fallen for.
Shazar stared at her as well; she strongly resembled her mother. Felix followed his gaze and gave him an angry look.
‘Don’t you dare even think about it!’ he mouthed at him.
Relax fellow, I’ve promised Sula. And he followed Felix outside, sighing.
After having closed the inn door behind him, Felix’ unresolved anger rushed through his whole being and he demanded, ‘I want this to be a fair fight, and you must swear not to use your gift!’
‘My dear man, I have no desire to fight you. Why should I? I do not, and nor have I ever, resented you. Sula chose well and you have been a good father to my son, so I’ve heard. So stop making a fool out of yourself and rise above the situation.’
My son, he said my son! Felix thought raging with fury. ‘Hah, but you see, unlike you, I have every reason to fight you! It’s only right for a man to fight for what he loves and for his wife’s honour. And just to make it clear; I do resent you! Now swear!’
Shazar rubbed his chin in thought; what to do, how to calm Felix down? What to say to a jealous husband who had every right to be upset?
‘You won’t lose her, you know,’ Shazar tried.
‘I won’t, no. But tell me, you did come back for her, didn’t you?’ Felix shouted at him.
‘I was worried! I found her happy!’
‘I don’t trust you.’ Felix eyes were cold as ice.
‘Well, why should you?’ Shazar sounded a little irritated; his old hatred for humans slowly reappearing. Felix however misinterpreted it.
‘I knew it!’
Shazar, on sensing this was going the wrong way, quickly tried to explain, ‘You get me wrong-’
‘Enough talk, you pig, you raped my wife!’ And he punched him in the face with a quick blow. Shazar had already decided he would defend himself like a normal man in order to give Felix a fair chance to unleash his anger. It was only fair and natural. So he took the punch like a human and tasted a metallic flavour in his mouth.
Felix laughed in triumph as he saw the stream of blood running from Shazar’s nose. It had been years since Felix had last fought over a girl. However, he revelled in it, especially fighting him.
Then Felix aimed another blow straight for his nose but Shazar quickly put up his hands in defence, and caught Felix’ fist with one hand. Felix would have broken his nose if he hadn’t stopped him.
Felix simply used his other free hand and punched him in the stomach, which felt hard and like iron! He freed his other hand to effectively strike Shazar in the neck.
Oof, it hurts being human! Then Shazar dropped to the floor.
Serves him right! Felix thought and rubbed his hands which felt raw, as if he had hit rocks.
‘Dad, why did you hit this man?’ Felix suddenly heard a familiar voice ask behind him, and both he and Shazar loo
ked up to see the dark jade eyes of their son, Aigle, examining them.
Twello, who had been standing in the door opening, thought at first he was seeing a ghost from the past. There stood a spitting image of Shazar twenty-four years ago…
~~~
Panting and sweating, Felix’ eyes darted from side to side.
‘Aigle, my boy,’ Felix started saying and wiped his hands on his thick brown leggings.
‘Who is this?’ Aigle chin-pointed curiously at Shazar, who stared back at him numbly, already using his gifts to reduce the pain so that his eyes shifted colour. It was like looking into a mirror, but his eyes gave Aigle the answer.
Felix answered, ‘You don’t want to know,’ and he reached for his son, who clasped his hand. ‘Believe me, son. You don’t want to know.’ And Felix turned his back on Shazar who was still on the ground. Felix suddenly felt unwilling to fight on, as if he had released all of his anger in those few blows, and upon seeing Aigle every bit of anger in him completely dispersed.
He felt my wrath and that’s the end of it, ‘Come on, my son. Let’s go home.’
Chapter 21 Son Of The Sun
‘Stay away from that man, Aigle. He is up to no good,’ Felix spoke rapidly whilst they were walking back home. He spat on the ground to get rid of the foul taste in his mouth.
‘I can feel it! Your mother will tell you all about who he is. Of course he is comyenti but I can tell you this: everything you knew about comyentis and their kindness, you can throw out of the window!’ His fists clenched again and Aigle looked in horror at his father, whom he knew to be anything but aggressive. But Aigle also knew Felix would defend his family at any cost, even if he had to kill again…‘I don’t mean your Mum obviously…she is the only good comyenti there is!’ And Felix glanced sideways at Aigle, who stopped in his tracks when Felix clasped his shoulder. ‘And you and your brother and sisters of course. Son…you make me and your Mum more than proud. But he…he is nothing like you or her!’ Tears welled up in Felix’ eyes and Aigle grew worried.
‘No matter what happens next, know that I love you. You’re the best son a man could have asked for.’
Aigle swallowed hard and a single tear rolled down his cheek.
‘Are you sure you’re alright, Dad?’ He knows! Was all Aigle could think, as it was painted on his father’s face. He knows…
‘Never felt better now that you’re home!’ Felix responded as if trying to avoid the subject.
‘And you’re the best father a man can have. If it weren’t for you and Mum I would have been dead that…that day the lizard people abducted me and hung me like prey in a tree.’
His eyes glittered like two stars.
But we would have all been dead if it weren’t for you that day your Mum lay delirious in a coma, Felix thought, having lost the strength to talk, but knowing that his son heard him regardless. ‘when that creepy third lizard man came to steal her abilities and attempted to kill her. I can never thank you enough for that. We’re safe because of you.’
Luckily, as if they had been scared off, there had been no sign of any lizard people since. They hoped it had been just the three of them. Sula had explained to Felix that she had never come across any creature like them before, although she did have a strange feeling she couldn’t place and so did her children. It was as if they had known them somehow, even though they had never met. As if they shared a common history…and world? They sure weren’t comyentis. Yet, were they related somehow? Sula and Aigle had managed to keep the Shield Of Light up after that, and Valera helped as well. With such a powerful shield it was impossible for any evil to come through no matter what shape they took.
‘Come on, Dad. Let’s not talk about the past any longer, soppy sod! Made any good cider lately?’
Felix smiled through his tears, his blue eyes glittering like the river he was born by, proud of his son who was back. All would be well now. Together they would chase Shazar away from their lives and memories. He was sure Aigle would choose his side once Sula had told him the truth about Aigle’s true start in life. He would surely drive the stranger off their land; biological father, comyenti, or not…
~~~
It wasn’t easy for her to tell him, but she had to, of course. That evening, alone with her son, Sula told him that Shazar was his biological father.
He took it much calmer than she thought he would.
‘I already knew,’ Aigle confessed with wise eyes, absent looking.
‘What? How?’ Sula asked in shock.
Aigle stared at his hands.
‘It was always so hard to hear Dad’s thoughts, whereas with you and the others, it was so much easier. So I started to wonder.’
Sula knotted her eyebrows. Of course, if he wasn’t of Felix’ blood he wouldn’t be able to hear his thoughts… Why hadn’t she thought about that before? But how was he able to hear Felix’ thoughts in the first place?
‘Why didn’t you tell me this?’ she asked him incredulously. And why did I never read it on your mind?
He shrugged his shoulders.
‘Not so very long ago, I found out that I could read other people’s thoughts word for word as well; not just emotions, feelings and intentions like I already could. Just recently I started practising, as part of my studies, and found it was the same with other people. It was more difficult, as I hadn’t known them long enough, but still I could do it. I started to see pictures first, then I heard words, phrases and random thoughts. So I figured Felix wasn’t my father.’
‘Oh, Aigle!’ Sula cried out.
‘I was always curious what my real comyenti father would be like, but then I thought; Felix is the best father a child could have. After what you and Dad told me about Shazar and sensing the loathing that Dad feels for him, I thought it best to wait until you told me.’
Sula looked at him in surprise. So, you don’t care?
‘I do care, Mum. But, I also know that Felix hates him. Sure, I’d like to know what really happened all those years ago, and why you’ve not told me before? What are you afraid of?’
She came closer and put her hand on his tanned and muscled arm which lay resting on the table. He wore his hair a bit shorter than Shazar did, but with a similar black headband, the resemblance was almost uncanny, especially having seen him again.
‘Oh, Aigle, you shouldn’t mind how Felix feels. I mean, it matters, but Felix loves you so it doesn’t change anything for him. Right now all we should be concerned about is how you feel. You have every right to get to know Shazar if you want to. I’m sure Felix feels the same way.’
No he doesn’t. His green eyes showed doubt. Sula hadn’t seen the fight earlier on, and although Felix had mentioned it when they had come home, she wasn’t cross with him. Sula was just happy to saw him coming home safely. Shazar was a man but still a comyenti.
‘Do you love him?’ The sudden intimate question startled her.
‘What; who?’
‘You know who, mum,’ he teased her.
‘No! I love your father,’ she cried. ‘I always have.’ But just then an image of Felix’ twin sister, Feline, popped up in her head unexpectedly before she could stop it. She quickly tried to think about something else: the day of his conceiving. Yes, focus! She sent Aigle a quick picture of what had happened to mask her previous memory, because she could hear him wonder: If she loved Felix how could she have lain with Shazar?
So she pictured all that she could remember from that day so that her son could see it. He had a right to know what really happened.
He looked confused and bedazzled so she explained, ‘They are different in many ways,’ and even though she had referred to Shazar and Felix, Aigle still wondered about the image that had flashed in Sula’s mind, of his aunt Feline who went missing, and was presumed dead, before he was born.
Feline had been a very big part of his mother’s life when she was pregnant with him. He felt this much. In a way, she was part of his soul even though they weren’t related technica
lly. He knew it was Feline though she had resembled Fay so much at first, the image lasted long enough for him to see their differences, especially their ears. He remembered his mother had always been tearful and secretive regarding aunt Feline. He felt the same feelings radiating from her again. Why had his mother thought about her now?
The warm, even passionate, feelings she had given off were the same as what she felt for Felix! He didn’t want to embarrass her so he regained control of his thoughts as he had learned to do during his studies. His own feelings and emotions remained calm and serene, like the surface of a still lake. This ability to stay calm came easier to him now. When Sula had asked him, after the attack of the shape-shifting tiger five years ago, how he had managed to go into tiger-mode so easily he had replied, “I focused on my love for you, instead of my fear. I was defending my home and family but not attacking anyone.”
‘I don’t know Shazar very well,’ his mother continued saying, trying to find an excuse, perhaps not wanting to talk too negatively about his birth father. ‘so I wouldn’t really know if I ever could have loved him.’
That rapist is supposed to be my father? He drugged you and then…how wrong! I would never have thought a comyenti would be capable of doing this to another being, especially another comyenti! No wonder Dad is furious with him!
‘You were already married to Felix,’ Aigle said out loud, hiding his inner feelings. ‘so he would never have stood a chance anyway! But it seems he never gave you one either!’ He nodded with the horror still in his eyes trying somehow to justify it to himself.
Shazar is the last comyenti male. Mum was the only other female. He had no choice…
She stared at length at him before she said, ‘Perhaps.’
‘Look, Mum, it doesn’t matter to me. Don’t feel bad about it. It’s in the past! I know how Dad and you love each other and I don’t think you will ever leave him for Shazar. Not now after so many years. Not after what he’s done, and besides you would have acted already if you had wanted to.’ His face suddenly got grim. ‘Perhaps… when you have forgiven Shazar in time, and when Dad dies some day…’
The Comyenti Series Book Bundle, Volume 1 and 2 (Epic Romantic Supernatural Fantasy) Page 44
