Destiny (Cornerstone Deep Book 3)

by Wilson, Charlene A.

  “Good. Now focus on Vincent’s hands to keep your mind steady. We don’t need you to worry too much and destroy your health and that of the baby’s, now do we?”

  Vincent dropped his gaze to his hands and shook his head.

  “Vincent, my boy, I was talking to Elaina.”

  Heat rushed his cheeks, but he didn’t care much what Rhune thought of him at the moment. He might just go throw up. Or blow down the wall, whichever came to him first.

  “You’ve done this before, right Uncle Rhune? I mean, this isn’t the first—” Vincent swallowed the dryness in his throat. “—baby you’ve delivered.”

  The man had the nerve to chuckle again. “Who do you think delivered you? Your father was none too happy about it, but it couldn’t be helped. He was out of reach at the time, and I was the only relative around. A trust such as this is kept within a Sentinel’s family, you know.”

  “That’s why you didn’t take Elaina to a hospital? I thought it was so we wouldn’t be seen.”

  “No, my boy. You will be seen by the natives soon enough. And a hospital isn’t required.” Rhune placed his hand above Elaina’s large abdomen and a soft glow issued from his palm. “The lad hasn’t turned all he should,” he murmured. Sliding his fingertips to Elaina’s side, he smiled. “Ah, now that’s better, isn’t it?”

  A huff came from Elaina’s lips. “Is it? I feel like a basketball is pushing on my insides!”

  “That would be the baby’s head trying to poke out to see his lovely mother.”

  While Rhune seemed to be trying to lighten the moment, Vincent wanted to knock the block right off his uncle’s shoulder. “Can’t you do something to make her more comfortable?”

  “Oh, my apologies, my Terran butterfly, are you hurting?”

  Vince craned his neck to see her reaction.

  She glanced to the side. “Well, no. Just the pressure, I guess.”

  Leave it to Uncle Rhune to have already thought of that and cast a spell to eliminate pain.

  “And pressure is very good at the moment as you must push.”

  Vincent’s hands didn’t veer from hers as she reached for her knees and grabbed them tight. A grunt gurgled in her throat as she bore down, and he unconsciously held his breath, applying pressure to his own abdomen. She released her breath with a heavy pant. Air rushed from his lungs.

  “Again.”

  Vincent’s growl rumbled alongside Elaina’s cry as he strained at the same time she did. They leaned forward to press the effect further. Heat rose to his cheeks and tipped his ears, and his neck pulsed in a frantic rhythm to match the pounding in his head.

  Elaina jarred with her gasp, Vincent sucked in air so fast he snorted. Heavy pants puffed beside his ear as Elaina rested her head back onto his shoulder.

  “Get ready to give it another go,” said Rhune with the most indecent cheerful voice a man could use. Didn’t he know this was exhausting work?

  Vincent looked at the man. “Already?”

  “The head is out, my boy. We need one more shove and we’ll have the little body.”

  Grasping Elaina’s hands tighter, Vincent heaved a sigh. “Ready, Elaina? This is it!”

  She rolled her head to the side and then nodded with a noisy swallow. They rocked to the count of three and then bore down to four, five, and six.

  Tiny cries filled the room, and Elaina collapsed against Vincent’s chest. “Tell me he’s okay, Rhune. Please tell me!”

  Vincent’s gaze snapped to his uncle, and he didn’t think he could wait for him to answer. But Rhune chuckled and stood with a pink bundle in his hands.

  “She is very okay, my Terran butterfly.”

  Vincent’s Adam’s apple dropped to his heart, and he couldn’t seem to get his throat to work. He forced a dry gulp as Rhune gently placed the baby in Elaina’s arms and then wiped his hands on a towel.

  Eternity expanded, sucking the air from the room as Vincent wrapped his arms around Elaina and their baby. Could there be a more beautiful sight in the universe? He couldn’t tear his gaze from the view over her shoulder. Hot tears brimmed his eyes and hazed his vision with mists of gray.

  The ethereal plane had nothing to match the beauty that lay in Vincent’s arms; Elaina and the most beautiful red-headed baby girl in the Spectrum of Realms.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Cole knew the moment James cast Shilo Manor into shadow. The study plunged into a dismal shade—the cherry desk and matching furnishings darkened, magical items that once gleamed went lack-luster. Light from the two remaining globes cast long phantoms behind the furniture, and the once beloved hallowed room seemed eerie.

  The Memory Box and Moment Maker shot into his palms as he summoned them. Both of his father’s prize relics had proven useful over the centuries—aside from the instance with Dressen—and he wasn’t about to leave them behind for another set of Sentinels who had no idea how to use them.

  He pressed his lips into a line and picked up the Candle Vignette. While a Utopian would be available at the Midway Summit Shilo Manor, Cole held tightly to the Shilo Family Candle Vignette. How priceless the images and information stored in it were to him. Joys and failures, losses and new beginnings, all told the story of their eight-hundred-year-stay in Cornerstone Deep. And while he’d hated what seemed like the majority of it, the love he’d found could never be replaced. He wanted to savor the moments many more times. It slid easily into the large pocket inside his cloak.

  Lifting from their plinths, the two crystal globes set the pace, and Cole marched down the hall to the foyer behind them. Their bright light washed the hazy walls to alabaster and cast shadows on the cherubim’s profiles that lined the way. The fact his sphere couldn’t join the others roiled in his gut. Gods be willing, two joining the Triad of Power would be sufficient to complete the procedure, and his task as the third conduit of energy would be light.

  He teetered the Moment Maker in his left hand while he rested the rare Memory Box in his other cloak pocket.

  As he entered the foyer, Mandy and Mechenzie dashed to James’s side, packs bouncing on their backs. Each took hold of the fingers on his right hand. He slid the other around Linda’s curvaceous waist and then looked at Cole. “Rhune isn’t back to complete the Triad.”

  Cole heaved a sigh with his nod. “I thought of that. But we do have a Triad right here.”

  A furrow pressed down James’s brows, and his gaze jumped to the little Meridian soul. “You can’t be serious. Mechenzie?”

  “It’s the soul that holds the strength in a Triad, and hers is several lifetimes old. She’s stronger than either of us.”

  James tried to step into a turn as he averted his gaze, but the girls stood in his way.

  Linda leaned her head to look into her lover’s eyes. “Is that true, James? Would she be strong enough to do it even if she’s a child?”

  Cole knew James couldn’t deny it, as much as he might want to. With a hesitant nod, the Head of Sentinels consented. “It’s against my better judgment, but technically, true.”

  “Then Mechenzie will take Vincent’s globe when the time comes,” said Cole. “You’ll take yours…and I’ll stand in for mine.”

  Cole glanced at James and used his telepathic gift to quickly tell him what happened to his globe.

  James clenched his teeth and spoke to Cole’s mind in a lowered voice. “That globe was irreplaceable, Cole, but you even more so. I know there’s no other way around this, but are you sure you can stand in as a conduit to the Gods powers?”

  Mianna came to Cole’s side with their duffle, and he slung it to his shoulder. “It’s as you have said. There’s no other way around this.” As he took her in his embrace, Jarrett nodded his head of messy waves.

  “Hey, thanks for letting me have some of Vincent’s clothes. The guy has good taste.” He flashed a smile and held out his palm. “Whose hand do I take?”

  James’s gaze snapped to him. “Who said you were going?”

  “Uh.” Jarret
t tossed his hand toward Cole. “Mr. Sir Cole said if the Gods allowed it, I could.” He took a step back as if to make sure he was out of James’s striking distance. “You know, as the girls’ father. They need their father. Dad said it himself.”

  Words punched into Cole’s thoughts, and he cringed at James’s mental shout. “You told him he could come along? Now I’m drawing the line on you calling the shots! Everything passes by me first!”

  “There’s a chance the gods will deny his entry, James,” whispered Cole to his brother’s mind. “Just…have…faith.” He looked away at the weak comment. The chances were greater the gods would agree to the arrangement to allow the little family to stay together whether James liked it or not. A social divorce was between husband and wife, not father and children. James would have a trying time ahead with Jarrett in the picture, but didn’t they all?

  James growled, and Cole cuffed at his cape, holding out the hem for Jarrett to take. “Hold onto this. You’ll be fine.”

  “Oh, right. Hey, are we really going to fly like you guys do with that black smoke?”

  “All the way there, Daddy,” exclaimed Mandy. “Aren’t we, Poppa James?”

  “Yes, Mandy, all the way. And we had better get going.”

  As Jarrett opened his mouth to, no doubt, drop another “hey” beginning sentence, Cole shoved the cape hem into his hand and took on the Smoke of Night. James followed suit, and the globes trailed up the rear as the front door flew wide. Cole commanded the door to close and lock as they passed the threshold for the last time. He paused to view Shilo Manor in shadow, the first time in over eight hundred years he’d witnessed it. All the memories spent; the good and bad were locked away in the Candle Vignette and his memory. Would he ever see this place again in this lifetime? Perhaps, but be doubted Mianna would be with him.

  How the Angel of Love would view this would be a mystery to unfold. Would Arylin visit her little sister there? Or would the sealed portal keep her firmly in her own domain? Regardless, he had Mianna, for more or for less, and he would revel in every moment they had together.

  As they formed at the granite bluff, everyone in their family group stood quietly as if afraid to make a noise. Cole picked up on a myriad of emotions emitting from them; respect, fear, excitement, awe…

  He scanned the area for a sign of the rogue noblemen, listening past the thoughts for any strangers’ telepathic activity. His head bobbed with his leer. “They’re out there watching us.”

  James heaved a sigh. “We can’t have another barrier before the doorway while we seal it. It will interfere with the process.”

  “Then let the gods decide what to do with them if they attempt a breach.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, James lowered to one knee before Mechenzie. “What we are about to do will require all the magic you can give. Once we start, you must hold tightly to your Uncle Vincent’s globe. Open your mind, try not to think anything, but let the power pour through you.”

  “I understand,” she said in a strong little voice. “I won’t let go until you do, Poppa James.”

  “Good girl.”

  Linda shuffled her feet in a nervous swagger. “This is safe, right? This won’t hurt her, will it?”

  James stood and placed his hand on her arm. “Leenja, she is a Meridian soul. It’s what she’s born to do. She’s much stronger than you realize.”

  Cole didn’t know when James had settled to that conclusion. Though true, instinct called to protect the young girl at all costs. This job was one meant for a grown Sentinel. But what choice did they have? It required a Triad of Purpose—three joining powers for one conclusion—having only two globes available would make it difficult to channel the strength of the Gods as it were. Cole silently praised the fact it was his sphere that had burst. The oldest and most experienced should handle the task.

  He scanned the faces of those under his care. “Once we get inside, James, Mechenzie and I will need to close the portal. But we can’t have the rest of you there while we do it. It might take a while and with your Terran origins, the nature of the gateway could cause problems for you. You’ll need to go straight to Midway Summit. Keep it at the front of your thoughts and keep moving ahead. You’ll get there.”

  Linda opened her mouth, but Cole held up his hand.

  “You must believe in Mechenzie’s own origin. She’s Meridian in a Terran body. Her soul will protect her within the portal.”

  The mother’s lips pressed together, and she blinked several times. A quick nod relayed her approval.

  “Let’s get this underway,” said Cole as he stepped to the face of the bluff. He spoke in hushed tones as not to be heard by eavesdroppers. “Midway Summit.”

  As light overtook the arched doorway to the realms, Cole ushered his family through and tossed his gaze to the shadows. They were out there, and by the silence of their minds, he knew they attempted to hide their thoughts from him. But they couldn’t hide their emotions. Their excitement and determination pounded against his senses. He stepped into the portal, and a mass of warped shadows surrounded them.

  “I changed my mind,” said Linda quickly, her voice a mass of muffled words. “I’m not stepping in another dimension without Mechenzie with me. I’m staying until you’re done sealing the portal.”

  James shook his head. “No, Leenja. You must get Mandy to a safe place. I promise, I’ll watch over Mechenzie.”

  Cole motioned to Jarrett with his nod and sent him a telepathic message. “Here’s your chance to play hero. Take the girls and get out. Just keep Midway Summit at the forefront of your mind and walk.”

  Jarrett picked up Mandy, grabbed Linda’s hand, and marched.

  Shocked by the bold move, Linda reached back, grasping Mianna’s wrist.

  Mianna’s brows arched high on her forehead as she threw her gaze to Cole, eyes a mix of worry and well wishes. In an instant, they were gone.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  James took Mechenzie’s small hands and placed them on Vincent’s orb. “You hold the same powers as your Uncle Vincent does Kenzie. You will be able to control his globe. First, clear your mind.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes. “Okay, Poppa James.”

  The firmness in the tiny voice sent pride pulsing through James’s heart. “Now concentrate on joining your powers with ours. Think of sharing all you have deep inside you with us.”

  The bright sphere lighted to the brilliance of high noon, and James nodded.

  “Very good. Now it’s my turn. After I do the same, your Uncle Cole will do his part. Whatever you hear, or whatever you see, try not to be scared. He will take care of everything. Do you understand?”

  She opened her eyes, determination pinching her slight brows together. “Yes, Poppa James.”

  With a nod, James reached for his globe. He held it at arms’ length, pointed at the portal door, and guided his energy to join with the Gods’ power.

  Cole held out both hands, palms forward, fingers splayed. He took a deep breath and uttered the first command. “Partolca silyst.”

  Arches flared from the globes and met with Cole’s hands. He grimaced, and James knew the absence of his globe to modify the raw energy taxed him. A thick mist spread from his palms and covered the opening of the arch with an iridescent sheen. Pulses throbbed within the cover in an erratic rhythm, as if three heartbeats controlled a life therein.

  Cole repositioned his stand, leaning into the magical charge. His lips dipped into a deep frown as his brows tightened.

  Shouts came from the other side of the gateway, and the form of a man appeared. Oh don’t be a fool. What is he doing?

  Undaunted by the intruder, Cole spoke the next command. “Cartolca silyst.”

  Silver sparks erupted from his hands, littered the barrier, and thickened, overtaking the sheen with thick gloss. Suddenly, the outline of a hand slammed against the silvery coating, and four clawed fingers reached within the portal pass.

  Cole’s ebony eyes glared at the ma
n from the bottom of his furrowed brow. His sneer revealed his clenched teeth.

  “Back away,” growled James.

  An entire hand emerged, and Cole’s arms flinched. He shook his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and barked the next two commands. “Omereto silyst, arveta silyst!”

  A horrid scream sounded from the man on the other side as his arm crushed within the darkening sealant. Crimson liquid flowed in phantasmagoric shadows and seeped throughout the barrier like an untamed web. Red tinged the pulsating force, leaked into the thick power thread pouring from Cole’s hands, and then stained his fingertips. Tremors took his body, his cheeks quaked, and wrinkles formed within the deep furrows of his face.

  James quickly glanced at Mechenzie, and then had to look again. Not only was she standing strong, but her young body appeared to have grown by five, six years? She looked to be at least ten, and James couldn’t believe what his eyes told him to be true. Could it be the portal’s sporadic time equivalencies, or had he been concentrating on Cole’s welfare so hard, he hadn’t noticed the effect the process had on the little girl?

  Cole heaved a breath and lowered his head, leaning further into the spell. His voice came forced; and anxiety gnawed at James’s gut. “Miorta vi silyst, abigantra.”

  This is too much for him. How could any man serve as a conduit for the power of the Gods? I should have had him wait for the new Sentinels to show before closing the portal. He shook his head as the truth of the matter came to mind. We had to act fast. There’s no telling how long the Gods will deem this realm unsafe to host a gateway to the other realms.

  Cole sank to his knees, his elbows bent as if he held the weight of the world. James quickly stepped beside him and hooked his arm under his brother’s to help him stay up. Mechenzie did the same, and James’s jaw dropped. She looked like a young woman, tall and strong willed. As her gray eyes met his gaze, she nodded and he knew she understood. Things would never be the same. While she grew, Cole’s countenance faded. From youth to aged, his hair lightened, skin withered, face displayed the unshaven years of struggle with the Gods’ power. James resisted the urge to check his own chin for signs of growth, though he knew what the prickle had meant when he felt it a moment ago.