by Kade Cook
He smiles, letting the pain settle, and steps toward her. Cupping her chin in his hand, he leans in and kisses her gently on the top of her head. “I think they would like that.”
She looks up at the gentle giant and sees the dew of his emotion trace the corner of his eyes. “It is gonna be okay, right, Uncle Ty?”
“Yes, Gabe. It will be alright.” He pulls her into a hug, thankful for all that he has left in this world. “So, who is doing the cooking?”
She looks up as he lets her go and starts toward the door again. “Well, I thought I would.”
A cunning grin creeps across his face. “May the Gods help us.”
Chapter Sixty-Two
Romeo and Juliet
Now that her afternoon is free, Gabrian finds herself up in her secret room, flipping through her studies. More and more books reveal their secrets to her, and she hungrily eats it up. The orbs swarm around her to keep her company for a while, curious of her interests, then float away, continuing on their leisurely course—all except the one that normally stays by her side and patiently waits while she flips through the pages of the leather binds.
Reaching for the Zephyr notebook, hoping to find transcripts on how Vaeda creates her air portals, a loose folded page flutters to the desk. She flips it open and reads the note.
My dearest Cera,
The stars of the heavens hold no beauty in your presence, and I would wait a thousand years in the darkest of hours just for one small glimpse of your inner light, to be gifted one tender forbidden kiss from your lips. Say you will meet me tonight under the fool’s moon so I may look upon the keeper of my heart, if only just for one breath of time.
Forever yours, A
Gabrian reads the note over and over again. The words bring tears to her eyes for the parents she has never really known. Sweet vows of endearment from a man so clearly enamored by this girl who owns his heart.
Pulling the other books away from the shelf, she sees something tucked behind them. It is another leather-bound book, only this one is lighter in colour and tied with thin leather straps, gathered together by ivory beads to keep the cover closed. Gently removing the straps, she opens it to discover the hidden world of Cera and Adrinn’s forbidden love—pages and pages of their meetings, handwritten by her mother herself. Dozens of love letters like the one she just found are folded between the pages of their story.
Feeling strange about unearthing all the intimate details of her parents, Gabrian hesitates but gathers it back up, needing to know. It is the closest she has ever been to both of them, seeing them exactly as they were in the years before she was born. No second-hand deliverance of what people saw or were told. This is a first-hand account of who they were together.
Hours fly by, and tears redden her eyes as her heart is filled with raw emotion. This love story unfolding in front of her is breathtaking and Magikal, making her fall in love with them both, but it soon reveals the trial and tribulation of their struggle to be together. A mystical modern-day Romeo and Juliet, deny thy father and refuse thy name kind of tragedy.
It is all Gabrian can do to breathe.
Staring at the wall through blurry eyes, a light sparks to her left. The little orb that so faithfully remains at her side hovers over the drawer where her amulet lays safely away.
“You are absolutely right, little one.” She wipes away the sadness from her eyes and sets the book down, tucking all the love letters back between the pages. Pulling open the drawer, she removes the box, sets it on the desk, and opens it. Staring at it for a moment, and rubbing her fingers along its soft metal, Gabrian pulls the leather bind over her head. “He may have not been perfect, but he is my father. And if my mother loved him, then maybe I should try too.”
With a twist of the eye within the Window of Souls, Gabrian is no more. All that remains is her secret room and a book full of tearstained love letters from the ghosts of her past.
Chapter Sixty-Three
Letting Go
With her heart full and ready to forgive, Gabrian appears beside the large amethyst rock that overlooks the place of her father’s undoing. As soon as her eyes focus, everything collides at once—all her memories against the truth of what really happened the night Adrinn stole her and tried to take her power. The lies, the innocent people she had put at risk and nearly killed, along with the wild dangerous glow of her father’s eyes as he willed her to give up her life for his own.
Her thoughts defuse the twisted compulsion she had been under. There had been no attack on him by Shane, or Ethan, or anyone. It was all a lie. They had come to save her. Shane had come to save her. A trickle of electricity bites over her flesh and climbs up the back of her neck, her fingers burning at the tips as she senses the presence of the vaporous form she came to see appear behind her.
“Hello, Gabrian.”
She turns to peek over her shoulder, clenching her fists to contain the energy raging to get out. “You,” she hisses, turning to face him, and no longer feeling the love she had held just moments ago for this man. “You lied about everything.”
He grins at her, twisting his brow. “I am sorry, dear, but you will have to be a bit more specific. Which lie in particular are you speaking of?”
Storming towards him, warm surges of electricity sting through her veins, biting at the palms of her hands, and letting off a crackling of sparks in her closed fists. “That night that you told me they tried to send you back, it was all a lie.”
She waits for him to deny it like he had before, but it doesn’t come.
“Yes, I suppose it was.” His grin vanishes with a soft sigh.
“But why?” she grumbles. “Why would you do that to me?”
He glides away and looks out over the edge of the cliff. “I didn’t know who you were.”
“What do you mean you didn’t know? You came to me for years when I was young. You knew me, and I thought we were friends.”
“Now don’t get yourself into a tizzy,” he says, waving his hand at her. “What I mean is, I didn’t know you were my daughter, and at the time, it was merely an effort to preserve my existence and ensure my survival until I found a way out of my bodiless predicament. It wasn’t like I set out to kill my own daughter or anything.”
She fights back the urge to lash out and rip him to pieces for his actions. She did not come here to make their relationship worse. She had known deep down that there was verity to Ethan and Shane’s retelling of the kidnapping, but she did not want to believe it. Today, the truth had been delivered like a stinging slap across the face for being so naïve. She can either deal with it, and put it behind her, or reap more of the infernal suffrage of nightmares.
With a loud sigh, she lets her grievance go. “Seriously, what is wrong with you?”
Adrinn’s grin returns. “More than you want to know.”
“You are insufferable.”
“It seems that I have that effect on a lot of people.” Gabrian rolls her eyes. “Anyway, for what it is worth, I am sorry. If I would have known—”
“You would have what?”
“Well, not tried to kill you, of course.” He chuckles. His hazel eyes soften and pinch at the side as his smile lights up his face. Seeing him like this brings Cera’s heartfelt written words dancing over her thoughts. He is breathtakingly handsome—she had never really noticed before now—and she can see why her mother had fallen so deeply into his eyes.
The bitterness on her tongue is gone, and she sighs. “Anyway, whatever.” She steps back and leans against the amethyst stone, folding her arms over her chest, and kicks at the dirt. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“No, I suppose not. So, tell me, is this what you came for? To scold me for my un-father like behaviour?”
“No, that was just a bonus.”
His translucent form sweeps back from the edge and slides over to her side. “Well then, do tell what I owe this wonderful surprise to.”
“I came to—” Her words soften. The bravery she covet
ed falters as the truth of her mission has been brought forth. Caspyous’s response to her mission had been less than encouraging.
“To what, dear? Come on spit it out. It is best to just rip off the Band-Aid quickly than to doddle and suffer.”
He is right. Even for a deceiving backstabbing friend, father—whatever—he usually is right about a lot of things. “Well, it has come to my attention that maybe I need to face my demons.”
“I, being one of them?
She nods. “I need to let go of my past in order to deal with my future. And since you are part of both, I am trying to find a way to deal with the fact that my only blood relative in this Realm is a Spector.”
“Spectors are dead, my dear. I, on the other hand, am very much alive,” he hums, looking down at her with a boyish grin, “just indisposed at the moment.”
“Mmhmm, whatever makes you feel better.” She rushes her hands over the top of her head, clutching at the wisps of short marble-coloured hair. “Anyway, I have come to find forgiveness—for you and myself. I am just hoping that this goes a little better than the last try.”
“Well, your sullen expression betrays your façade of hopefulness.”
She exhales, biting her lip. “It has been a bit of a rollercoaster day.”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
She makes a face at him. “You don’t want to hear about it.”
“Oh, on the contrary, I would love to hear every last detail.”
Gabrian walks over to the ledge of Thunder-hole and sits down, letting her legs hang over the side. Adrinn does the same, as best he can. She retells the events of her day, letting the tears flow unhindered in front of her father. It feels good to talk to him again, like they used to when she was young, and when he had helped her find peace in the world when everything was on fire.
It feels good to let go.
Once she unloads her day, she ends with the toughened retelling of Caspyous’ tertiary attempt to kill her and notices something different in Adrinn’s eyes. The softness he had displayed earlier is replaced by a hint of concern. She can see wheels turning in his head, and from her experience with the man, it usually means he is planning something.
She lifts from the ledge, seeing the sun lower in the sky and the hints of red paint edging the clouds across the water. “Anyway, I should be heading back before someone comes looking for me. I am not supposed to be out.”
“Yes, it is probably best that no one knows of our visit.”
“Thank you.” Gabrian’s voice is soft and serene against the hushing of the waves below.
“You are welcome, of course, but for what?”
“Just thank you.” Feeling a weight lift from the center of her soul even though the strain of the day had been heavy and uncharted, Gabrian is hopeful. For the first time in a long time, she feels a little more like her old self.
“Of course. Now, run along. I have some things I must attend to.” He starts to fade into oblivion but reappears to stand in front of her. “Maybe we can do this again sometime?”
Her cheeks rise, and she gives him a smile that shines in her eyes. “Maybe.”
And with that they both slip back into their bounds of confinements.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Cheeky Smiles
Feeling good about a lot of things is strange for Gabrian, but she lets the sweetness of it flow through her soul as she stares out across the backyard, feeling the cool night air creeping in.
Appearing through a spin of light, Vaeda appears at the edge of her snow-covered lawn. “Hi, Vaeda,” she calls out to the Elder.
Looking a bit awkward, she recovers her smile, answering the girl, “How was your day?”
“It was pretty good actually. Did you need to talk about something?”
Her face blushes. Maybe it is from the cold or maybe it is something else, Gabrian is not sure. “Um, no.” The magnificent-looking woman stands shyly as she glances over at Tynan’s small cottage. “I am here to see your Uncle. Is he home yet?”
“He was a few minutes ago.” Gabrian grins sheepishly, knowing exactly why her cheeks are rosy. “I am sure he is not too far.”
“Okay, thank you, Gabrian.” The Zephyr Elder turns away quickly and heads toward Tynan’s.
“Have a nice visit,” Gabrian sings out into the night. Ah, young love, she thinks, happy her uncle has finally found someone to give his heart to.
Chapter Sixty-Five
A New Ally
Finished with his classes, and still daydreaming of his morning with Gabrian, Matthias gets in his car and goes for a drive. Stepping out into the evening, and leaving his car behind, he hikes the path leading into the woods and stops to looks around, perplexed by Gabrian’s fascination with this place.
Examining the darkened spot on the ground, his memory replays the night he joined the others in attempt to help Gabrian. Although he had been knocked unconscious for most of it, and missed the action, he does remember the dark creature of a man who had her convinced she was being a hero.
In the shadows of the trees, Adrinn watches the visitor as he investigates. Curious about the grey aura floating around him, he decides to get better look. Gently, he searches the stranger’s mind, a discreet and unguarded entry into his thoughts.
Matthias, continuing his study and completely consumed by his thoughts of her, is oblivious to the intrusion but stops. His face curls, and he turns around, sensing a presence. “So, it’s you who brings her here.”
Adrinn stops moving as well, realizing that his presence has not gone unnoticed.
“I kept wondering what was so special about this place that she kept wanting to come back here, but now, I guess I know.”
Adrinn pushes roughly at the boundaries of Matthias’s mind, preparing to compel him into forgetting, but Matthias only grins, feeling the urgent need flood through him. “Save your efforts, Adrinn. There is no need for compulsion. I am not your enemy.”
Matthias searches the empty forest, waiting for Adrinn to show himself. The air around Matthias becomes heavy and weighted, his throat tightening, and he swallows, losing some of the arrogance he had just held in his words and turns to face the darkness he has just got the attention of.
Appearing on the edge of the trees before Matthias, he makes himself known. “Why are you here?”
“I am only curious,” he continues. “Feel free to read my mind if you are unsure of my intentions.”
Adrinn quickly gathers up his thoughts, combing through them to see this Borrower’s truths. Seeing the image of his newly discovered daughter consumes most of the boy’s consciousness and the Vampire smirks, knowing he has discovered a very strong point of vantage for him.
Score one, Adrinn.
Diving a bit deeper, he finds a similar distrust for the Elders but becomes ecstatic at true full-blown distaste for the Schaeduwe. Adrinn grins, deciding today could very well be one of his favourite days. All the odds are beginning to stack in his favour, and with some careful encouragement, he may have just found a new counterpart.
Chapter Sixty-Six
Unexpected Visitor
Large feathery snowflakes fall outside Gabrian’s windows as she stares at the orange and blue hue of the crackling fire burning in the heart of her living room. Warm, loving heat sinks into her bones as she sips a cup of Kaleb’s special tea and replays her visit with her father. The soft lull of newfound contentment slows her soul.
It had been a good visit. A normal visit, sort of, for her world, and she drifts in the daydream of having a connection with the man Cera so clearly adored in her journal.
A knock on the door gives her a start, and her eyes rush to the timekeeper on the wall. Nine. “Who on earth?” she mumbles, sets her tea down, and gets up from the couch to answer it. “Whatever it is, can’t it wait until tomorrow?” she grumbles, marching across the kitchen, almost certain it is one of the Elders. Swinging the door wide, her breath hitches in her lungs, and a high-pitched squeal escapes
from her lips.
Leaping, Gabrian wraps her arms around the neck of a tall orange-hued surfer wearing a crooked grin, carrying a bag in each of his hands. “What are you doing here?” she sings into the night, releasing her bear hug on him and bouncing on her toes.
Snow whips in around the form of the beautiful traveler. His face is warm like the fire as he holds out his bags. “Well, if you invite me in, I will tell you. It is freezing out here, and these bags are getting heavy.”
Shaking her head, still in shock, she backs out of the way. “Yes, of course. Get in here.” She pushes the door wide, grabs hold of his sleeve with her free hand, and pulls him inside. Thomas’ grin grows wide as he walks across the threshold, giving her a kiss on the top of her head on the way by. Gabrian promptly closes the door to shut out the coldness of winter’s breath behind him.
Dropping the bags on the floor, he turns to her. His orange hue flares out like a beacon of hope on a dark stormy night. “Now, get over here so I can hug you properly,” he says, holding his arms open wide.
Gabrian runs willingly toward him. Thomas holds her gently yet securely in his arms, and she welcomes his warm embrace. “I had a few weeks of vacation to spare, and you said if I ever had the time, that I should come visit.”
She holds onto him like he is going to disappear. It feels like a hundred years since she had seen him. Even though she emailed and texted whenever she could, everything has changed so much that this little piece of her life still seems very much the same, and she clings to it.
“And,” he continues, “something in the back of my mind kept telling me that you could use a hug. So, here I am.”
Her arms instinctively cling tighter, fighting back the urge to cry. He had become her sounding board and confidant, not to mention the string that kept her from becoming completely unraveled. Never judging, never prying, only gladly lending her an ear to listen. He once thought they might become romantic, but after time, his feelings for her became that of something different—a friendship found by chance and forged by a stronger connection than either of them can understand.
