by Mary Rundle
Fionn thought about that for a moment, before asking, “Okay, then, what’s my power?”
Chapter 31
“You have the power to control, create, change or manipulate the elements,” Oracle said.
Jackson’s jaw dropped. “Holy crap! Fionn is a Lord of the Elements?”
“What does that mean?” asked Fionn.
“All of the elements?” asked Hunter.
“Yes, fire, air, water and earth,” Oracle replied.
“B-b-but I can’t do that.” Worry reflecting in his face, Fionn glanced at his mate. “I don’t even know what it means.”
“Sweetie,” said Oracle, “no one expects you to do it…yet. When the goddess of the moon believes you are ready, she will send her emissary to teach you everything you need to know about your powers. And, you won’t be able to use them until Jackson gives his approval.”
Seeing confusion still mirrored on his mate’s face, Hunter said, “Oracle, would you please explain exactly what Fionn’s power is?”
“Certainly. As Lord of the Elements, Fionn has the ability to harness the power of the four elements. For instance, he will be able to use lightning, create storms, floods or earthquakes…or any variations of them.”
“Really? Holy shit!” exclaimed Fionn.
“That’ll help Fionn fight the evil he was sent here to do?” asked Hunter.
“It will,” replied Oracle.
“Is it an offensive power or just defensive?” asked Jackson.
“It is to be used any way Fionn needs to,” Oracle said.
“So he will be able to kill with it,” asked Jackson.
“Yes.”
“If that’s the case, why does he need me as his protector?” asked Hunter.
“Once it is found out that a white dragon is here, there will be many other paranormals seeking to gain control of him. You stand between them and your mate, Hunter, since Fionn cannot use his power on any paranormal other than dragons,” Oracle said.
“Don’t forget the rest of the Blackwood Pack,” said Jackson, “We also stand with you…together as one.”
“I appreciate that,” Hunter said.
“Fionn, please do not worry,” Oracle said softly. “Between your mate and the Blackwood Pack, you are very well protected.”
“I know, but…”
“No buts, my pet,” Hunter said, interrupting his mate. “There aren’t any guarantees in life but the goddess of the moon and your mother have done everything possible to give you one.” Then, wanting to distract his mate from further heavy thoughts, he continued, “Now, how would you like to leave early for San Francisco and spend some time visiting art galleries?”
Fionn’s face lit up. “Could we? That would be fantastic! After my father died, I went to some in Edinburgh, and then Theo, Norm and I spent an afternoon at the Scottish National Gallery.”
Glancing at Jackson and getting a nod, Hunter said, “Consider it my mating gift to you.”
“You might want to visit a couple of the art museums also,” Oracle said. “There are quite a few.”
“Give me a minute, guys,” Jackson said, picking up his phone and tapping out a message.
“Thanks for the suggestion, Oracle,” Hunter said, “Pet, what are you most interested in?”
“Hmmm, I prefer paintings and drawings more than sculpture, but other than that, I’d love to see different styles…anywhere from old masters to modern,” Fionn replied.
“Hey guys,” Jackson announced. “Steel is arranging the trip for you as we speak and, if you don’t mind, Cody and Dylon will also be going along since they have to be at the hearing, too. Theo and Norm have agreed to watch Jake and Jessica for them.”
“Is that all right with you, pet?” asked Hunter.
“Sure, but will we have to share a room with them? I did that with Theo and Norm in Scotland and…well, I spent a lot of nights at my hoard,” Fionn said.
Chuckling, Jackson shook his head. “No, Steel has arranged for separate suites.”
“Perfecto!” Fionn grinned.
“Good,” Jackson said, “The helicopter will be here in half an hour…is that enough time for you two to pack and be ready to go?”
“We can do it, right, mate?” Fionn asked Hunter.
“Not a problem.”
Oracle, looking at Fionn and Hunter, said, “If, after you’ve had time to absorb all you have learned and have any more questions, I am available to answer what I can.”
“Thank you, Oracle,” Hunter said. “We appreciate it.”
“Wait,” Fionn said, “When do I find out what I’m supposed to do…you know, with the dragons, to fight the evil?”
“When you are ready, I will explain more,” Oracle said.
“But how will I know when I’m ready?” Fionn asked, slightly miffed at Oracle’s answer.
“I am sorry, but I do not know. I imagine it will be around the time the goddess sends her emissary to teach you how to use your power,” Oracle replied.
“Oh.” Fionn’s shoulders slumped, remembering all the uncertainty he’d faced up till now. How can I make plans when at any moment my life can take a turn…a turn once again decided by someone else?
“Sweetie, may I give you some advice?” asked Oracle.
Nodding glumly, his former excitement gone, Fionn resigned himself to what he’d always heard—be patient, don’t worry so much, it will happen when it happens—that last one, he hated the most.
“Do not go to a funeral until the day of the funeral.”
“What do you mean? I’m going to die?” asked Fionn.
“No, sweetie. It means live your life, go out and do what you want to do, draw until you can’t anymore, love with your whole heart, laugh until you cry, fly among the clouds, have fun and enjoy life. It is the only one you will ever have so make the most of it. The future is not set in stone and if you spend your life waiting for something to happen that may not happen, then darkness has won and you will lose.” Rising, Oracle smoothed her skirt and smiled at Fionn. “Now go and see San Francisco, enjoy yourself, get inspired, and have fun.”
Grinning at Oracle, Fionn said, “Thanks, you sound just like my mother.”
“Of course I do, she was a smart woman,” Oracle replied, her eyes twinkling as she left the study.
“Hey guys, you better get a move on. The helicopter is on its way,” Jackson said.
Jumping up, Fionn extended his hand to Hunter. “Time to go, mate.”
Hunter’s fingers found his mate’s hand, taking it in his. As he stood to leave, he said, “Thanks, Jackson.” Then, with Fionn in tow, he headed across the great room to their suite.
~/~/~/~/~
While Cody packed for them, Dylon was in his office, finalizing his plan for Fionn’s hearing. Opening a desk drawer, he removed the secret recording his mate had made at the last hearing and, along with the other equipment he needed, placed it in his bag. He was just zipping it closed when Jackson entered and sat down.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Dylon asked. “I mean, tromping around San Francisco before the hearing?”
“No, but after what I heard today, it’s what Fionn needs.”
“Can you tell me what went on during your meeting?”
“In a nutshell, Hunter is a White Knight and Fionn is Lord of the Elements.”
Stunned, Dylon sat down with a thump. “No fucking way! That’s some pretty heavy shit for our white dragon to handle.”
“Which is why I agreed when Hunter suggested the trip. There’s something else—the goddess of the moon gave Hunter’s wolf a pair of wings.”
“Holy fucking shitballs! I never knew that was even a possibility. None of my classes ever covered that. Does Hunter know how to use them?”
“No, at least not yet, but…getting back to Fionn…he can’t use his power until I give him permission, so that’s not a problem, but Hunter can use his to protect him.”
“Good to know. Is there any reason you expect
trouble?” asked Dylon.
“No, not really, other than not knowing what Fionn’s uncle is up to. The reason I wanted you along is that Hunter’s never used his gift. When you all come back, I’ll ask Oracle if he can do it a couple of times so he’ll know what to expect.”
“Good. Does he know about Cody and me?”
“Yes, I explained everything. Steel has booked two suites next to each other and arranged for a car and driver. Everything is paid for and whatever else you need, just charge to the pack’s card.”
Smirking, Dylon replied, “I don’t have a problem with that.”
Chuckling, Jackson stood, then grew serious. “Dylon, after what I learned today about Fionn and his white dragon, he is going to be hunted…by every fucking paranormal on earth once the word gets out. Right now, I’m hoping to give him some normalcy before the shit hits the fan. I’m counting on you and Cody to protect him and Hunter. If you sense any problems, get them out of there fast…okay?”
Nodding, Dylon stood. “I promise. Now I have a favor to ask of you…”
“Already on it. Steel will be keeping close to Theo, Norm and the twins until you and Cody are back.”
“Thanks…fuck, I can’t believe those two are getting married. It seems like only yesterday we rescued them from Arald’s shithole,” Dylon said.
“What about you and Cody becoming parents?” Jackson asked.
“Yeah, that too.”
“C’mon, the chopper’s almost here,”
~/~/~/~/~
“I really need to buy one of these,” Fionn muttered to himself, staring out the window, watching the helicopter’s shadow skim along the ground as they flew towards San Francisco. “Then I’d never have to worry about someone seeing my dragon.”
“What was that, pet?” asked Hunter.
“I like this. It’s about as close to me shifting and flying as you can get.”
“So you want to buy one?” asked Hunter.
Whipping his head around, he stared at his mate. “You heard me?”
“Uh, huh,” Hunter said, pointing to his ears, “Wolf hearing.”
“Oh, yeah, forgot about that.”
“Well, what about it? You have a good point about hiding your dragon.”
Surprised at his mate’s response to it, Fionn shook his head, “I don’t know. It was just a thought.”
“But a good one, pet. Why don’t we talk about it later?” asked Hunter.
“Okay,” Fionn said, turning his head to the window again as they sped towards their destination.
~/~/~/~/~
His hands on his mate’s back, Logan watched Kieran’s aura grow blacker with Hope’s sorrow. Several times, he was going to call an end to the session, but after Ian’s assurances that all was fine with Kieran and their pup, Logan backed down; Still, that didn’t keep him from counting the minutes until it ended. Fifteen minutes a session—that’s what he and Ian had agreed on. But each minute felt like a lifetime. He’d never forget seeing his mate’s body, still as death, Mac frantically performing CPR on him. Frozen in fear, it was their spirit who’d pushed Logan forward and told him what to do, until finally, Ian announced Kieran’s heart was beating again. So lost was he in that memory, he didn’t hear Ian call ‘time’. Only when Kieran turned around and grasped his hands did Logan breathe easily again.
“Doc, what do you think ?” asked Kieran, after climbing into his mate’s lap, knowing the more contact he had with Logan the faster the dark aura would dissipate.
After checking Hope’s vitals and her responses to stimuli, Ian said, “There’s some improvement, but not enough to bring her out of the coma.”
“You don’t sound very hopeful, Ian,” Logan said.
“Sorry, but in cases like this, hope is something in very short supply. Don’t misunderstand me…what Kieran’s doing is helping but she needs…”
“She needs Dakota, Doc,” Kieran said. “Right now, she won’t let me into her mind. Removing the darkness in her soul is only part of what I can do. If you remember, when I was helping Fionn…”
“He said he woke up just so he could shut you up,” Logan said.
Kieran nodded. “Fionn wanted to die, but he hadn’t blocked his mind, so I was able to get in there and talk to him, tell him what was waiting for him if he lived. I can’t do that with Hope, but Dakota can. His Shadow Voice can penetrate the block and connect with her on a level I can’t right now.”
“I don’t know, Kieran,” Ian said. “My first priority is for Dakota’s health and the health of his pup. Giving birth to a Dire Wolf pup is risky enough without adding more stress. My concern is how will it affect Dakota…first reliving the horror she saw, and second, how will he feel if he gets through to her but she still doesn’t wake up?”
“True,” agreed Logan, “but have you considered how my brother will feel if he finds out he might have helped his mother but wasn’t allowed to?”
“Dakota wouldn’t be doing it alone, Doc,” Kieran said. “We’d work together…me removing the blackness in her soul while Kota reaches her mind. Hope needs a reason to live or it won’t matter how much darkness I remove.”
“Ian, is there something Slate can do to assist Dakota—like I do for Kieran?” asked Logan.
“I’m not sure,” Ian replied.
“It’s worth asking about,” Logan said. “As much as I hate the thought of anything happening to my brother or his pup, I think this is a decision Dakota and Slate should make themselves.”
“I can’t give any guarantees that even if Dakota does it, Hope will wake up,” Ian said. “We are dealing with the mind and there’s much that medicine doesn’t know about it.”
“Kota’s gift can do more than just read thoughts,” Kieran said.
“What do you mean?” asked Logan.
“Shadow Voice can also be used to talk to the person, not just read their thoughts,” Kieran said.
“I don’t think so,” Ian said. “As far as I know, Dakota can only hear thoughts.”
“Normally, that’d be true,” Kieran said, “But not in this case. Slate and Dakota share one life force. Because of that, Dakota’s Shadow Voice is much more powerful than you think. It allowed him to boost Slate’s resistance to pain and remind him there was a reason for him to fight and come back.”
“But I thought it only worked between them because they were mates,” Logan said.
“That’s part of it,” said Kieran, “but Dakota can also use it with other people he cares about.”
“Does he know this?” asked Ian.
“I think he knows it, but doesn’t know it—if you catch my drift,” Kieran said, smiling at his mate.
“Oh,” said Logan, “like he doesn’t want to know it.”
“Uh, huh,” Kieran replied.
“What makes you think he’ll do it?” Ian asked. “If he doesn’t want to acknowledge it now, doesn’t that tell us Dakota doesn’t want to do it?”
“Maybe,” Logan replied. “But Ian, this is different. If what Kieran says is true, then my brother really has a chance to help our mom. I can’t see him turning the opportunity down, especially since it’s our mother and, remember, he was the closest to her.”
Ian stroked his chin as he evaluated the possibilities. Then he said, “Okay, I’m willing to consider it…but I need to know more about what Dakota can do…and if Slate can help his mate while Dakota’s doing it. I’ll also want to monitor his pup, as well as yours and have Colton and Dr. Evans present at the session.”
“Macushla, do you have a problem with any of that because I don’t and I don’t believe Dakota and Slate will either,” Kieran said, pleased at Ian’s decision.
“No, I don’t.” Logan said, “So it seems the only thing left to do is talk to Dakota.”
“I’ll set up a meeting” Ian said, though his voice still reflected concern about Dakota’s health.
Chapter 32
“Mate, why did you pack my sketchpad?” Fionn asked, after finding it in
Hunter’s suitcase while he was unpacking their clothes. He held it up for his mate to see.
“I thought we could show your work to some of the art galleries to see if they’d be interested in representing you,” Hunter said, looking up from his laptop.
Fionn’s eyes grew big. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, why are you surprised? It’s amazing…your ability to capture a subject in a moment of time is extraordinary.”
Blushing, Fionn muttered, “It’s nothing like that.”
A frown creasing his forehead, Hunter studied Fionn. “Stop it, pet. Stop belittling your talent. I know I’m not an art expert but even I can tell your drawings are something special.”
“But I don’t know what to say to them.”
Hunter grinned. “Then it’s a good thing I’m your mate, because I do.” Looking down at his laptop, he continued, “I’ve selected some small art galleries who represent the work of new artists and we can start with those.” Then, getting up to join his mate, Hunter placed his hands on Fionn’s hips, tugging him close. “You. Are. An. Artist. And it’s time the world knows it.”
Searching Hunter’s face, Fionn saw only the truth there, melting his heart as he felt his mate’s love. “I never thought this day would come. I always hoped it would but after my mother died, I couldn’t draw anymore…it was like my muse died with her. It wasn’t until my father was gone for good that I picked up my pencils and began drawing again.
“When I was younger, my mother would tell me that someday lots of people would admire my art and galleries around the world would be clamoring for it. I loved it when she’d say that, not because it was about my art, but because I saw in her face the love and pride she had for me. It made me feel like I was someone…that even though my father treated me like shit, in her eyes I was valued…and that she saw more in me than the failure my father thought I was.”
Lifting his hand to cup Fionn’s chin, Hunter rubbed his thumb gently against his mate’s skin. “Pet, there will always be those who want to tear you down, make you feel rejected…unloved…not capable of achieving your dreams. Ignore them. They’re the people who never reached their goals and their negativity is the only way they can cope with their failures. Your father won’t be the last one to criticize you; there are many others out there who, for one reason or another, gave up—and your success is only a bitter reminder of what didn’t happen for them. The best thing you can do is always believe in yourself and make that belief grow by celebrating every achievement, no matter how small.”
