Unraveled Homecoming

by J. L. Shelton

  When her lids opened again, they landed on a very worried teenager. “Mattie, are you okay?”

  Of course, she lied. Nodding her head and giving the girl a reassuring grin, she said, “I’m fine. Now, Firestorm needs to be walked or ridden separate from the others. Her pregnancy is starting to make her cranky and apt to bite.”

  Selina narrowed her eyes for only a moment before letting Mattie get away with sidestepping an explosive conversation. “So she’s not going to play well with the others. Should be able to handle that kind of attitude, considering it seems to be highly contagious in these parts. Anything else?”

  The girl got further instructions, right after Mattie had rolled her eyes at the snarky comment. It probably wouldn’t be the last time someone gave her grief today. Hopefully she would have a chance to talk to her little brother before she left, because there was something he needed to know.

  ***

  Mattie’s wanderings led her to the back porch of the house in hopes of finding Dougal, but the only one in sight was a mage performing some manual labor. She couldn’t help but stop and watch with admiration. Tobias’ age had not affected the strength within his muscles one bit. His massive arms bulged, sharply highlighting his various tattoos, as he swung the axe down on the log. The firewood readily and smoothly split under the blade’s strikes, as if he had done this task more than once before. Considering he had lived the majority of his long life in the frozen North, the idea should not have surprised her so much.

  “Good morning, lass,” he said with a grin as he threw the remnants of his hard work into the growing pile by the door. “If you’re looking for Garin, he and Emory wandered towards the front a little while ago.”

  Mattie shook her head and frowned. Was she really that easy to read? “Thank you, but I’m not searching for him just yet.”

  He placed the head of the axe firmly upon the ground so he could sturdily lean against the handle. “Then who? You look like Orla when she has misplaced something important.”

  Mattie softly chuckled, “Are all fathers that observant?”

  “Not sure about all, but this one definitely is,” he said jovially.

  She couldn’t help but smile in response to his. “Actually, I was looking for Dougal.”

  “Ah,” he responded with a slight frown. “Not sure if you should go hunting for him right at this moment. He’s having a talk with your father; one that I believe is long overdue.”

  While thankful those two were finally getting the uncomfortable out of the way, their timing couldn’t have been worse! Tobias was right; there was no way in hell she was going to interrupt the conversation between her brother and her father. But Mattie didn’t know if what she had to say could wait.

  “Tobias, this may seem like an odd question,” she tentatively began, needing confirmation on her suspicions. “But for a mage like yourself, did your magic grow in spurts when you were younger?”

  While the smile remained on his face, confusion flashed in his eyes. “Adolescence is definitely the hardest time for us. Every time I sprouted in height, I did so in magic soon thereafter.”

  Damn it! That was not the answer she wanted! Then Mattie had to blink stupidly when she realized she had missed the rest of the man’s statements. “I’m sorry, Tobias. What were you saying?”

  An expression of forbearance came over him. “Doesn’t much matter, lass, since I can figure out the path your thoughts are going down. You’re worried about Dougal’s Water magic, aren’t you?”

  Mattie gaped. It had only been last night that she had noticed the extra bit of power in her brother. His magic must have come from his mother since their father had no natural abilities other than shapeshifting. If Princess Delmira also had the gift that allowed her to manipulate Water, then it greatly explained why she had chosen to live on the shores of the ocean. And that left little wonder behind the part of Dougal that still yearned to see the vast churning expanse again.

  Mattie’s question came out like a whispered accusation, “How did you know?”

  Tobias chuckled at her. “I’m a War Mage who has taught countless young mages over the years, lass. It’s not difficult for me to spot the signs. Put your heart at ease; I’ve already told your father that I would help train the lad. Water isn’t one of my strongest elements, but I can at least give him the basics.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a heartfelt whisper.

  “Don’t worry, he’ll be okay.” Then his voice dropped in volume when he added, “It’s his older sister I’m more concerned about.”

  Mattie swiftly tried to cover up her shock. “Older sister? I didn’t know he had one.”

  He laughed without malice. “Sometimes you are a terrible liar, lass. And please don’t underestimate my intelligence just yet. It didn’t take me long to figure out the boy’s true identity for myself.”

  With a growl in her throat, Mattie warned, “You better not have told anyone about this!”

  Her angry voice had no affect on the smiling man. “You got your protective streak from your father,” he observed, taking the glare in stride. “He said the same thing to me, after all. And my answer to you is the one I gave him—I haven’t, and I wouldn’t. The best thing protecting the boy right now is secrecy.”

  Only because her father trusted this man did she grudgingly say, “Glad you understand that.”

  “I understand that it’s going to be much easier for him than it will be for either you or Garin when it comes to Elemental magic,” he said as he lifted an eyebrow. “There’s a reason we’re supposed to grow into our powers, not have them blossom all at once.”

  “It’s not like either of us had a choice in that!” Mattie snarled.

  He laid the axe gingerly on the ground before raising his hands in a placating manner. “I’m not saying any of this is your fault, lass. Just warning you that without the cushion of time, you two could easily be overcome by the immense amount of power now at your disposal. Temptation to use it in the wrong way for the right reasons will hit both of you hard and, unfortunately, often. The two of you together could lay this kingdom completely to waste, and possibly not care about the death and destruction at all if you somehow manage to delude yourselves into believing it was for the greater good.”

  If Mattie hadn’t experienced that darker side of herself, arguing with him would have been her first course of action. Until yesterday, she would never have believed she was capable of disregarding all she held dear. Unfortunately, Mattie’s moral compass hadn’t been unbreakable under the heady increase of magic. The memory caused her to shudder and to concede that the mage had a very valid and uncomfortable point.

  The expression on his face was dour when he sadly stated, “You’ve faced that particular demon already, I see.”

  “I have,” quietly confirming his observation while hugging herself. “It wasn’t pretty.”

  “What snapped you out of it?”

  His tone was one of sincere curiosity. Mattie wasn’t going to go into the complex connection she had with her daughter so she kept the truth simple. “Thoughts of the baby.”

  “That would do it,” he said with quiet wonder. “They say the bond between a mother and child is a strong one. Too bad the father isn’t so lucky. Garin’s only saving grace right now is his intense hatred of magic. But once he truly accepts that it is a part of who he is, I’m not sure what could snap him out of a power-fueled free fall.”

  Restore the bond before it’s too late!

  Qinglong’s voice from Mattie’s dream was louder this time, making her rub the temples of her head. The action caused Tobias to ask if she was all right. Muttering something about getting a headache brought a strong, fatherly arm about her shoulders. Pondering the dire, repetitive warning more so now in light of the mage’s fear, she didn’t fight Tobias when he gently herded her into the house. The need to find a quiet corner in which to hide and seriously think things through had just become very, very important.

  Chapte
r 42

  Garin couldn’t help but indignantly bellow, “You want me to do what!?”

  He yanked on Emory’s arm so he could turn his brother around in order to get a full view of the youth’s face. The action caused Emory’s fur cloak to billow in the process. Though shades didn’t feel the cold, he had willingly worn the brown garment in order to make the others feel comfortable.

  Apparently that courtesy didn’t fully extend to Garin’s mental wellbeing!

  Meandering around the groundkeeper’s house despite the cold temperatures, they had fallen into a serious discussion concerning Bran’s precarious situation and the certainty that war was coming to Crosshawk. It had been refreshing, in a melancholy way, that the two of them were closer now than ever before. The young man also had some interesting suggestions that Garin wouldn’t have been able to even contemplate on his own, making him grateful that he had taken his brother up on the invitation for a walk. Then just as the too-empty structure was at their backs, the youth had grumbled what had sounded like a horrifying request!

  Emory crossed his arms and held his head up higher in response to Garin’s tone. His eyes flashed with determination when he sharply demanded, “Brother, you have to let me go!”

  Garin shook his head, not believing he had heard correctly. “But we talked about this already. We were going to have one last Yule together!”

  The youth’s expression softened a little. “I wanted that, brother. I truly did. But it’s better for me to go sooner rather than later.”

  Garin ran his hands over his face, letting out a moan of frustration. His brother was resolved to return to the other side of the veil, for some unfathomable reason. Was it because of some fight with Selina or Dougal? Or was it because he hadn’t spent that much time with Emory since he had Called the youth back from the dead?

  The anguish in Garin’s voice wasn’t hidden at all when he said, “You don’t need to go. You’ve only been here for a handful of days, less than that actually. I’ll spend more time with you once I get back—I promise! Why can’t we just continue on as planned?”

  Emory reached out and grabbed Garin on the shoulder. “Because you’ll need all your strength for the fight ahead, idiot,” he said, giving his older brother a quick, sharp shake. Then he let go, crossed his arms, and firmly stated, “You can’t tell me that maintaining my presence here hasn’t been a strain on you.”

  Actually, it surprisingly hadn’t. Garin barely noticed the small amount of power required to keep his brother from disappearing behind the veil once more. After breaking through the initial barrier between worlds, sustaining the shade was as natural as breathing. A sudden realization that made the contents of his stomach begin to curdle.

  “You’re turning green, brother.”

  Garin swallowed back a bit of bile, before letting out a soft snort. “You know me and magic. I’m just not sure if it’s supposed to be this easy to keep you on this side of death’s door.”

  “Maybe,” responded Emory while his brow furrowed. “Maybe not…”

  “Sounds like you might have a theory brewing in your head.”

  “It’s not a good one, I can tell you that!” growled the youth. “Now I know for sure that you must release me!”

  “Emory—”

  “Think!” he shouted, using both index fingers to point at each side of his head in emphasis. Once he was sure he had Garin’s undivided attention, he clenched his hands tightly into fists before dropping his arms to his sides. “We know that the royal bitch who gave birth to you only had a guess as to where to find anyone until you used this power to Call me! Even if she can’t enter into that brain of yours anymore without a battering ram, she probably knows how to still use this power against you!”

  “You’re overreacting,” grumbled Garin, unsure whether he was trying to convince his brother or himself that the speculation was ludicrous.

  “Oh, I don’t think I am,” growled Emory, his gaze sharpening. “While we both know you’re powerful as hell, are you absolutely certain she’s not somehow helping you to keep me here? Are you sure there isn’t some sick, twisted part of her that would enjoy watching you fall down into the same dark hole she has? I am not willing to take that chance, especially not when I can see that you are now considering that the danger is entirely possible! The last thing we need is for her to find yet another way to get her claws into you!”

  Garin crossed his arms and scowled. “I thought I was supposed to be the wise and responsible brother here.”

  “It’s no longer your job to protect me!” snapped Emory, causing Garin to wince. “That ended a long time ago, when I died. It’s definitely my turn to make sure your stubborn ass is kept intact. Now, let me go!”

  Garin’s face twisted with pain while he closed his eyes. How could his brother ask this of him? It had been a joy to reconnect, to watch the youth walk about on both legs without the help of braces or canes. They had an agreement, damn it! No one was prepared for Emory to disappear forever, least of all him!

  It would have almost been better to ask him to cut off his arm instead.

  “No,” said Garin at last, shaking his head sharply. “I can’t do it. Not when the others will definitely want to say their farewells to you.”

  Emory’s voice was harsh with disbelief. “I thought that would go without saying. I didn’t mean right this minute, idiot. Just your damn promise to release me before you leave on your next grand quest!”

  So much for trying to use that excuse as a means to sway his brother’s mind. Garin couldn’t help but growl to himself, tempted to flatly refuse sending Emory back at all. He was beginning to care less and less about any risk that decision could bring. Damn Iantha to the Depths! Why should he continue to let his so-called mother’s machinations dictate how he lived his life!? This was his power; he should have the final say in when and how it was used!

  And damn his brother for bringing up this uncomfortable subject in the first place!

  It was this line of thinking that made the tone of his next statement crueler than even he expected, “It’s unfair of you, you know, dropping this painful request on me so abruptly and expecting me to readily agree with the idea.”

  “Unfair!?” bellowed Emory in response, his fierce eyes beginning to narrow. Then the youth’s volume unbelievably increased, and Garin was soon forced to keep taking a step back as his brother violently poked him in the chest at the beginning of each new sentence. “Let me tell you about ‘unfair’! Unfair is being stuck like this, unable to grow old or have children. Unfair is never being able to share my life with someone because of the all-powerful fact that I’m already dead! Unfair is knowing someone is attracted to you but also feels horrified and disgusted because of what you are! Unfair is wishing you had never met her because, even if you were alive, you would’ve been too damn old for her! So don’t you dare stand there and accuse me of being unfair!”

  Flabbergasted at his brother’s tirade, Garin just blinked stupidly for a moment while he rubbed the very sore spot on his rib cage. His surprise wasn’t just from the sudden realization that he had gotten the massive answer as to why Emory had been taking great care recently in avoiding spending any time alone with Selina. No, the blind rage alone would have shocked him to his core! That emotion had never come easy to the forgiving young man, not even when that reaction would have been understandable after his leg had been viciously damaged. Unquestionable wrath made it easier for Garin to truly listen to what Emory was conveying. The unchanging nature of this existence was tearing his brother’s heart, and also his sanity, apart!

  Making the right decision at last, Garin lowered his head. “Forgive me, brother. I had not realized—”

  A quick punch on his shoulder stopped him short and caused him to lift his gaze toward the attacker. Emory stood there, hands on hips and still glaring at him. “Don’t start the blame game with yourself again! Neither of us saw any of this coming!”

  His brother falling in love so quickly
with someone he could never have been with? No, the possibility had never crossed Garin’s mind. To him, Emory was still a kid. One that would have been twenty by now if he had lived, but still a kid. His brother’s life experiences had been cut short all too soon—and that appeared to be a problem. Maybe the reason Cambyses’ shade was still sane was because he had already lived long enough to watch his many children grow into adulthood.

  A wane smile appeared on Garin’s face. “We sure didn’t,” he finally answered with a weary sigh.

  Tension eased out of Emory’s body, and he was soon grinning as well. “Still wouldn’t have traded this experience for anything in the world. How often does one get to tell his older sibling what to do?”

  That caused Garin to bark with laughter. Nothing convinced him more about his brother surviving this short trip back to the living world than that smartass comment. And while he still wished for more time and felt sorrowful at the very idea, the right thing to do was to send his brother back.

  Just as he began to frown, movement caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Turning, relief washed over him when he saw that Mattie was approaching, already halfway between them and the house. He wasn’t going to have to face this horrible task alone.

  “Looks like your first chance to say farewell will be here soon,” commented Garin, tilting a head towards his wife.

  Emory’s expression brightened. “You’re agreeing to let me go?”

  Even if his brother’s joy cut his heart like a knife, it was still good to see. “Of course.”

  Emory whooped out a triumphant noise before grabbing Garin’s hand, and then shook it with enough exuberance that the poor appendage felt like it was going to snap. “Thank you. Thank you,” said the youth in a grateful tone.

  Garin used his free hand to place a firm grip on Emory’s shoulder, helping to cease the shade-induced quake. The youth mumbled an apology, but his happiness was contagious. A kind, soft chuckle left Garin’s lips before he said, “You’re welcome.”