She nodded as the tears spilled from her eyes. "Do not fret over me. Just please save my child."
"I will. I promise," The doctor said, looking into her eyes, then at Marcus. "When I say three, you push as long as you can so I can pull him out. One slow, long push, understood?"
"It's ok, my love. You can do this. I'm here with you. I got you ok?" Marcus kissed her and Ailidh focused on his eyes.
“Three!”
A guttural scream ripped through Ailidh as she pushed. The doctor stood and slid his hands into her, holding the baby, and pulling him out. Blood rushed out of her body once the baby came out. It was as though he had been blocking it. The doctor cleaned the baby's mouth, and he instantly began to cry.
"Is that our baby?" Ailidh asked, with a tired smile on her face. Tears spilled from her eyes, and Marcus kissed them off.
"Yes, my love. That is our boy." He kissed her lips. "You did it, baby. You are amazing. I love you. You are going to be ok. I love you."
"Hold him. I have to try to stop her bleeding."
The doctor said alarmed, handing him to Marcus, but before he could reach for him, one of the guards took him. Agustina motioned for the guard to leave.
“No. Give me my son! Where are you taking him?”
“No, Marcus. Our baby…” The whispered words died on Ailidh’s lips as her eyes rolled back. Her head fell to the side. She was gone.
"Ailidh! Wake up, baby. Wake up!" Marcus cried, shaking her. He looked at the doctor, and the man shook his head.
"I'm so sorry. She lost too much blood, and she was already too weak."
"No! No, no, no. Ailidh." Marcus cried, looking at her as more tears escaped him. "Please…" Kissing her lips again, he shut his eyes forcing the tears to fall. When his eyes opened once more, they were filled with raw pain and rage. He pulled the gun from his belt and aimed it at the guard who held Felix before he walked out of the room. "I said, give me my son." The venom dripped from every word. The guards' eyes widened with fear, and he stopped, looking at Agustina.
“Please Marcus, don’t be ridiculous. Did you really think I was going to allow you to keep that thing?”
Marcus' eyes widened in horror at his mother's words. "He is my son! Isn't it enough that you killed Ailidh? You will not kill my son.”
She rolled her eyes and motioned the guy to keep going. "Dump him in the garbage for all I care. Cesar, Callis come in here and restrain my son. He has obviously gone crazy."
Two more guards rushed through the door. Marcus quickly pointed the gun at them and shot one after the other without hesitation. Agustina jumped, startled as the two guards fell dead on either side of her.
“Have you lost your damn mind??” She yelled, enraged.
Marcus ignored her and pointed the gun at the guard that held Felix, once more. “I will not say this again. Give me my son, or your head blows next.”
“Marcus! Stop this nonsense.”
“Shut up! I want my son. You will not take him from me.” His voice broke as the pain traveled through him. His eyes briefly searched Ailidh’s face and then returned to Agustina. “I will not lose everything I love in one day, mother. Tell him to give me my boy.”
Agustina straightened. “Go ahead and shoot the guard, if you want. If you do, the baby falls to his death. Either way, I’m free of useless things.”
Marcus shook his head, and I could see the defeat in his eyes. "Then I'll do you a favor. If you kill my son, I have nothing else to live for." He pressed then gun to his temple, and Agustina's eyes widened.
"No! Marcus, please. Son, what are you doing?" She yelled, scared, reaching for him. "You cannot be serious. You will not kill yourself over this Druid garbage.
The tears fell freely from his eyes. He blinked to clear his vision. "I loved her, mother. You may not understand that, but I loved her, and I want my son. You can think what you like of them, but I want to raise my boy." His finger moved on the gun, and her eyes widened.
"Ok, Marcus. You can have him, now lower the gun please." Her eyes watered as she looked at her oldest son with a gun to his head. His hand trembled. "Son, please. Lower your weapon."
“I. Want. My. Son!”
She whirled around towards to the guard. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for, you idiot? Give him the damn boy!" She roared.
The guard rushed to Marcus, handing him the baby. The moment Felix was in his arms, he pressed the gun to the guard's chest and shot. The man fell backwards, and Marcus tossed the gun.
“Leave us alone.”
Marcus whispered as the sobs took over. Agustina took one last look at him and stepped out of the room, so did the frightened doctor who had been crouched against the bed, hiding. Marcus laid next to Ailidh and placed baby Felix in her arms.
"This is our baby boy. He's as beautiful as you, baby." He kissed her lips one more and pressed his forehead to hers. "I will raise him and take care of our son, my love. I promise…"
* * *
The room disappeared, and suddenly we were back on the Astral Plane.
"Ready to go back?" Asrhia whispered, and I nodded. "Just visualize your room once again."
I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, we were sitting on the floor of my room. Asrhia's face was stricken with the same pain I felt inside.
"That was so heartbreaking," I whispered, and she nodded.
“The truths we witness are not always the most pleasant, but we must witness them nonetheless.”
“I understand.”
We dried our cheeks, and she stood. Blowing out the candle, I stood and removed my mother's robe, placing it back on the cabinet with her candle.
“Thank you. How do you show what you have seen to someone? Is that possible? Are we allowed?”
She looked at me worriedly. "We are, and yes, it is possible, but you must never show that to Felix. It will not help him, Eisha. It will break him. I showed you because it will aid you in understanding him better, the environment he grew up in, and what he had to endure. It will allow you to help him, but it’s extremely important that he never sees that."
"I would never do that to him. I vow to you. I will not show him." She nodded taking a deep breath, but she was still worried. "I had this vision a few days ago of Ailidh and Marcus. They were so young. They were lying in his bed while he held her in his arms, and caressed her belly. She sang to him, to Felix, and it was so beautiful. I think he needs to see it. I would like to share that with him."
FELIX
* * *
I took my shirt off, hanging it on the chair and threw myself on the bed but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep.
My gaze focused on the ceiling, while Eisha’s face continued to dance in my mind. Her eyes, her smile, the way she looked at me while I showed her those stupid tricks. Damn, she was fucking perfect, and I wanted her. Bad.
How? How could I feel this need for her, this core breaking want when I barely knew her? We had spent so little time together yet my mind, my heart didn't seem to care. There was something about her that called to me, and I had felt her even when I was in that weird coma spell. I could feel her warmth traveling through me the same way it did every time she touched me. Her touch was peace, love, a raging storm, and everything in between. God, I wanted her. I couldn't have made her more perfect for me, even if I had imagined her myself. Maybe I had her. Maybe I was still in that coma, and I was dreaming her. No one like that could actually exist, could she? She was strong and determined, soft and delicate yet resilient and full of fight. She was sweet and funny, and so fucking sexy. Most of all, she was kind and loving, and she had forgiven the unforgivable. She had forgiven me. I had to be dreaming her.
I sat up as my heart squeezed in my chest. No. She couldn't be a dream. She had to be real because I wanted, I needed desperately to touch her, kiss her, make love to her and make her mine. The mere thought of her with Art ripped me to pieces. She couldn't be with him. I needed her, I wanted her, and against all fucking reason… I mi
ght even love her.
The air shifted and a portal formed. I sat up on the bed, and my heart raced as I saw Eisha cross through it.
"It's you," I whispered, getting up and walking towards her. "You came back."
She nodded and offered me a small smile. "There is something I want to show you."
Taking my hand in hers, she walked me back to the bed and sat down.
“Is everything ok?”
She smiled. "I hope it will be." She looked down at our hands together and reached for my other hand holding them tightly. "When you reached for me to stop me from hurting myself, I felt you. I felt your touch, as I went into trance. It was as though a part of me remained conscious, with you, while the rest of me was gone." I tried to look into her eyes, but her gaze remained low as she focused on our hands.
“What does that mean?”
“One of the steps in my learning process is to find what we call an Anchor. This person's energy must be similar to my own. It resonates at the same level, so I will feel it even when in trance. The idea is that because I can feel their energy, it centers me, and it helps me to be comfortable with the process. It reassures me that no matter where I go or what I see, I am still here anchored by them. There will be no reason to be afraid because there is someone for me here, nothing will happen because I have that anchor."
My heart raced as the realization hit me. There was a reason I felt this way with her. "If you could feel me holding you while you were in a trance, then that means I am your anchor, right?"
She raised her gaze to mine and nodded. Her eyes were filled with kindness and hope. The sweetest of smiles grazed her lips, and I felt the need to kiss her for the second time. I immediately realized I was in trouble. I was a very impatient man, and once the realization hit me of how badly I wanted something, it wasn't long before I made it mine. Three strikes and I was done.
“We are connected, Eisha. This is why I feel the way I do for you. Why I need you this way. You are meant to be with me.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, Felix. That is not what I said.”
“Just because you didn’t say it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t the truth.”
She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. “I need you. An anchor is something that can help me finally leave the fear behind. Help me control this gift and become who I am meant to become. I need your help, but I cannot take it from you if this is the way you will behave. I have already told you that I am meant to be with Art. I have seen it in my visions.”
"Then your visions are wrong." She sighed and let go of my hands getting up. "No. Please, don't leave. I'm sorry. I'll help you. Of course, I'll help you." She turned to face me and sat on the bed again. "Just answer me this, please. This means we are connected right? Somehow, somewhere, for whatever reason, you and I are connected?"
She swallowed as though admitting it took more from her than it should. “Yes. We are connected. Our energies vibrate at the same level. That is why I can feel you.”
I smiled feeling the brief relief travel through me. There was a reason why I felt this way. "I will be there for you whenever you need me. Whatever you need from me is done. We are connected, and I will always be here for you."
“Thank you.”
She smiled and leaned closer, kissing my cheek. My whole body responded to her lips on my skin. Yeah, I was screwed. Art was going to fucking kill me.
“There is something else I want to show you.”
I grinned. “Are you going to strip for me?”
Her right eyebrow rose and her eyes filled with amusement. “In your dreams.”
“Ok, then hurry up. I need to catch some z’s.” She laughed and shook her head.
“Silly man.”
I chuckled as her hands lifted and she placed them on each side of my head, just like the Druid girl had done.
“Will you show me one of your visions?”
She leaned back confused, as to how I knew that. "Yes."
“Ok. I’m ready,” I said, fixing myself on the bed and closing my eyes. “Wait, you are not going to show me one of you with Art are you? Because I do not want to see him naked.”
She laughed. "Stop!" She smacked my chest, and I chuckled. "Nothing has happened between us, so there is no risk of you seeing that."
I opened my eyes wide. That was an interesting piece of information. “He hasn’t made love to you yet?”
“No,” She said lowering her gaze.
“May I ask why?”
She took a deep breath and looked at me again. “I am not ready yet.”
There was my chance. She didn’t love him. She was meant to be with him but hadn’t had sex with him? There was usually only one reason a woman wouldn’t go to bed with you while being in a relationship. She wasn’t in love with you yet. Most women needed to feel something to go to bed with a man, and Eisha didn’t strike me as the modern, feminist type who enjoyed sex as her given right. If she didn’t love Art yet, then I had a chance.
"I should have asked Cyn if it was all right for me to tell you this but I do not care. You deserve to know, and I want to be the one to show you."
Her voice brought me back to the present, and I looked at her confused. "Why wouldn't Cyn want you to show me?"
"For fear that you might not be ready." Her eyes filled with tenderness and her thumb caressed my cheek. "He does not want to cause you any more distress than what you have already suffered." I nodded lost in her touch. "But you and I are connected, and you know that I'm here for you as you are here for me."
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation, as she looked straight into my eyes.
“Then I know you will receive this truth in a better way coming from me.” I nodded and saw her close her eyes. “Are you ready?”
I took a deep breath and braced myself for what she was about to show me. I closed my eyes. “I am.”
Suddenly I was in my father's room back at the mansion. My view shifted and zoomed to the bed. He was lying there with a woman except he was so young. Dad held her close in his arms while her back rested on his chest. Her long, chocolate brown hair fell in waves over her shoulders and breasts. Her face was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, with soft honey eyes just like mine. Exactly like mine. My eyes widened when I understood who she was. Her voice echoed in the air as she began singing her song and my eyes stung. Dad had his arms wrapped tightly around her while he caressed her belly, she seemed over eight months pregnant, and I could almost feel the intensity of the love they shared, floating in the air around them. Her skin was pale, and she looked skinnier than she should be for a woman in her state. My gaze roamed her face again, and I realized there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked weak.
“You'll never truly know how much I love you, my love," Dad whispered to her and she smiled, looking at him from over her shoulder.
“Then perhaps you should say it once more.”
He chuckled. “I’ll say it as many times as you want me to. I love you. I love you. I love you.” He shifted his body and cupped her cheek, claiming her lips in a deep yet tender kiss. She melted under him, wrapping her arms around his neck. My Father’s hand rubbed her belly as he kissed her over and over again. Once the kiss ended, he looked into her eyes resting his forehead on hers. “Have you decided which name you want to give him?”
She smiled and nodded. “Kevan. I very much like the sound of Kevan Duel. It means noble hero.”
He chuckled. “What about me? You need to leave space there for my heritage too.”
She looked up as though pretending to think about it. “All right. We shall call him Felix Kevan Duel.”
“What about Cornelli?”
“Dear Goddess, how many names do you want this child to have?”
Dad laughed and kissed her again. “I think it should be, Felix Kevan Cornelli Duel.”
She shook her head. "For the meaning to remain the names must not be separated. Kevan was my grandfather's name. It means
noble, and my surname Duel means hero. He will be our noble hero. Felix Kevan Duel Cornelli."
"Whatever you want, my love. Once the baby is born, we will leave this place. I promise you, baby. I'll take you far away from here. Somewhere my mother can't find us, and we can be happy with our son. I love you.”
His lips closed over hers, and he kissed her, sealing his promise to her. He settled behind her, kissing her cheek and continued to caress her belly. She closed her eyes with the most gorgeous smile I had ever seen, and her enchanting voice filled the air as she sang to me.
“La lu lorolu ala. Le misea luru la. La lorolu ala…”
The image disappeared, and it was instantly replaced by another. I was in an old village somewhere in Europe for what it looked like, maybe around the first century. The streets were made of dirt, and there were stone huts all around me. My view shifted and zoomed on the outside of a hut where four women were sitting at a table. A young woman sat between them. She grabbed one of the long leaves and began to weave it. They were making baskets. She lifted her head, and my breath caught. It was my mother, except here she looked healthy, and she wasn't pregnant with me yet. She was even more beautiful if that was possible, with her round cheeks and her big honey eyes filled with laughter. She graciously focused on her task as she spoke with the others and joked. She was funny. They laughed, and I could actually see a bit of me in her.
The image of her smiling face, and eyes filled with joy stayed with me even after it disappeared.
When my eyes opened again, the tears streamed down my face.
“Her name was Ailidh, and she was one of us.”
I looked at Eisha as I fought to keep my composure. The emotions running through me at that moment were too overwhelming to contain, but I had to try. I shut my eyes tightly, feeling the pressure on every muscle on my body as I tried not to lose it in front of her. Agustina's words played over and over in my mind.
“Real men don’t show emotion, boy. Stop crying for your mother like a weak, pathetic child and act like a man!”
Unwanted Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 3) Page 21
