“Were you really going to leave behind my back, Lia?” Art’s words were like blades cutting right through me. I couldn’t answer. I dragged my eyes away from him as the tears gathered in them.
He walked towards me, and pulled me into his arms. My eyes closed when I felt his lips on my temple.
“I have to go,” I whispered, wiping a tear from my cheek.
"Then give me a good reason to let you go."
My fingertips tugged at his shirt, opening it just enough so that I could rest my cheek on his chest. I loved the feel of his soft skin and the little hairs under my cheek. His arms tightened around me.
“You can’t leave, Lia.”
“I don’t belong here, Art. This is not my world.”
He lifted my chin and stared straight into my eyes. "It could be. If you want it to." His gaze shifted to my lips, and I shut my eyes, pulling away from him.
"I need to be with my parents again. They are my family," I said, facing the window and giving him my back. "I have to make sure they are ok."
“I will take you, but you are coming back with me.” He didn’t give me a chance to answer as he stepped closer and reached for the portal stones that sat on the table behind me.
* * *
We crossed the portal right into the hallway outside my parents’ apartment, and Art stood behind me.
“À sealladh,” he said, becoming invisible.
I took a deep breath and knocked on my parent’s door, then turned the key in the lock.
“I’m back! Anybody here?” I walked towards the living room and heard a squeal.
“Charles! Our baby is back!”
My heart began to beat again, once I saw they were ok. I smiled as she pulled me into her arms, squeezing the hell out of me.
"Hello, my princess," Dad said, kissing me on the cheek. You look beautiful."
"She always looks beautiful. She takes after her mother," Mom answered taking my hand, and I chuckled as we sat on the couch. "When did you arrive from your vacation? Did you have a good time?"
I nodded. "I just got back. It was incredible but is time for me to return to the real world."
Dad nodded. “Vacations are always wonderful. Your Mom and I are thinking of going to Alaska for our anniversary next month.”
“That’s awesome, Dad. They say the cruise is amazing, and I’ve heard there is an ice hotel there that is unbelievable. If you go, you should definitely stay there.”
“Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Brown. I’m Art Bressall.”
Holy shit. We all turned startled, to find Art standing in the leaving room, extending his hand to my father. He had changed and was wearing black slacks with a gray button down shirt that almost matched his eyes. "What tha…" I mumbled taken aback.
"Who are you, and where did you come from?" Mom asked alarmed, while my father stood, and shook Arts' hand smiling.
Art sat beside me and took my hand in his, intertwining our fingers. “I’m sorry I’m late, I was parking the car. I’m your daughters’ boyfriend. Actually, I’m her fiancé. We just got engaged.”
What the hell?
"Aaahhhh!! Oh, my God!!!!" My mom's scream almost burst my eardrums. My dad and I cringed. "You are engaged? Oh, my God, she's engaged!!" She screamed again. We were getting out of here deaf, for sure.
Art chuckled looking at me, and I glared at him. What the hell was he doing? My kill list was getting longer. Mom stood, hauling me into her arms and began jumping excitedly. Art and Dad stood hugging too, while my mom shook me senseless, unable to contain her glee. She finally let me go and turned to hug Art. He bent down so she could reach him. She was short like me. Wait... oh, who was I kidding? I was short.
When my thoughts returned to the present, I wanted to tie my mother up. She was a second away from groping Art. He laughed as her hand roamed his chest and abs, then squeezed his shoulders and biceps.
"Oh, sweetheart. He's so handsome. Well done."
My Dad and I rolled our eyes at the same time while my mother continued to "inspect" Art. Dad held her arm and pulled her away from Art, making her sit down. Mom smiled looking at Art with stars in her eyes.
We sat down too.
"I'm sorry, but we didn't know you were dating anyone, sweetheart?" Dad said looking at me, confused.
“Well…”
"I'm truly sorry. That is entirely my fault," Art said, saving me from having to come up with a lie. He held my hand again. "We didn't want to tell anyone until we were sure things were serious between us, but once I realized they were, I was certain I couldn't live without her by my side. So I proposed."
“Awe, how Romantic!” My mom squealed and began to shake my Dad. “She’s engaged, Charles. Our daughter is finally getting married!!”
I narrowed my eyes at Art, and he smiled, dimples flashing.
"So, what do you do for a living, son?" Dad asked living up to the let's interrogate the boyfriend stereotype. I almost snorted.
“I’m a professor of Architecture at Harvard University.”
“At Cambridge?” Dad asked confused.
"What other Harvard is there honey?" Mom said, patting his arm. Art chuckled.
"So how did you meet?" Dad continued.
Crap. I wasn't letting Art handle this anymore. He was having too much fun. "We met at my office. The firm was representing him in a legal matter, with a local construction company regarding one of his projects. Art oversees his architectural projects aside from teaching." I lied smoothly, surprising even myself.
"So you must travel here a lot," Dad said.
"Yes, sometimes it feels like I'm with Lia almost every day."
Cute.
“Have you set a date yet?”
"Not yet, Mom."
“Where are you planning to live? Have you discussed that yet?” Dad asked. “If you teach at Cambridge and she works here…”
"Lia is moving in with me. I can help her find a job where I live. She belongs beside me." Art said, looking at me. I couldn't help but smile. It was a lie, all of it, but it felt so right. I wanted it to be true.
“She has to be by her husband’s side, honey. It’s only natural,” Mom added.
“I know, honey, but I’m still going to miss my princess.”
“Awe, Dad. I’m going to miss you guys too.” I reached for his hand, squeezing it.
“We’ll come to visit all the time. We promise.” Art lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Look, honey. They are so in love!” She hugged my father’s arm while he smiled at us. "Go on, handsome. Kiss her."
“Mom!” I complained. She was going to kill me from embarrassment.
Art chuckled and gave me a peck on the lips. It was short and sweet, like the ones he used to give me before everything became a mess between us. I offered him a small smile.
"You call that a kiss? Your father kisses me ten times better than that, and we have been married for forty years."
“Mom!”
“I leave her weak in the knees every time. Right, honey?”
"Dad!"
"You sure do, and other parts too." They laughed.
"I think I'm going to throw up," I complained making them chuckle.
Art cupped my cheek and closed his lips over mine, taking me by surprise. I sat still; afraid I would break the enchantment. His lips moved on mine once, leaving me breathless. Art’s forehead rested on mine for a few seconds. He then took a deep breath, kissed my nose and pulled away. I looked at my mother and tried to act like the pretend kiss hadn’t robbed everything from me.
My mother sighed, content with the display of affection.
"Were you on vacation with her too?" Dad asked.
"I was," Art answered clearing his throat and returning to the conversation. “Honestly, the vacation was nothing but a pretense so I could take her to Ireland to meet my brother and the village where we are from."
Well, I guess that wasn't too far from the truth.
My mom gasped. "You are Iri
sh? That is where that beautiful accent comes from." Art nodded. "Awe look, honey. Your daughter is going back to your roots."
I frowned. “Wait, what?”
“To your father’s roots, sweetheart. You are marrying an Irish man.”
"What the heck are you talking about Mom? Dad is Gringo. Born and raised here, so was Granddad, and Grandma was Latina, she was from Venezuela."
My dad chuckled. "Yes, but her parents were Irish, as were their parents and everyone before them. She was only born in Venezuela because her parents traveled there, and after falling in love with the country decided to stay. We are descendants of the Celts."
I gasped covering my mouth. Art looked at me perplexed, but he didn't speak. His gaze returned to my parents. "We are?" I asked, finding my voice again.
Dad nodded, and Mom held his hand. "Yes, you are. I still remember your Grandmother's stories about Druids. She began telling me all about them after I started dating your father. She had such an incredible imagination, right honey?"
Dad chuckled. “She did. She believed in the old folklore.”
“What???” I was almost hyperventilating. I couldn’t possibly be Celtic.
“Legends about Druids, and the powers they were believed to have.” Dad clarified. “Your Grandmother said her father told her their stories as a child. Every night before bed, he would speak about their magic and everything they were capable of.”
I blinked, trying to remember my time with Grandma, but she had never told me anything about this. Of course, I had been only a child when she died. Maybe she just hadn’t had a chance.
"She told me the same tales as a boy, but they were nothing but bedtimes stories."
"But she truly believed them, honey," Mom added. "Her eyes always twinkled with delight when she spoke about the Druids. She was convinced she possessed their powers too. She said the magic was what allowed her to see Auras, just like you can, sweetheart."
It was Art's turn to gasp. His hand tightened around mine, and he stiffened. Shit. I had never told Art about my ability.
“What was the name she used, honey?” Mom continued, completely oblivious to our reaction. “She said she was a Feosha. No, that wasn’t it. It was…”
“A Fiosaiche Fàil,” Art said, standing up and letting go of my hand. "I'm terribly sorry, but I have a meeting, and I just realized what time it is." When his eyes settled on mine, there was such uncertainty in them that it hurt my heart.
"We should go, Art. I don't want you to be late."
I stood beside him, and held his hand. For a second, I was afraid he would pull away, but he held it tight, intertwining our fingers again. His hand grew cold in mine.
"What? Why are you leaving?" Mom said, standing too. Dad followed. "We were having such a lovely time."
Art smiled, composing himself. “We were indeed. We would love to come back for dinner another time. If that is ok with you and your husband.”
My mom’s lips stretched into a grin. “Of course. We’d love to have you here again.”
Art kissed her hand and shook my father's. "It has been my pleasure to finally meet you both."
"Pleasure to meet you too, son," Dad said, and began to walk with us to the door.
I swallowed, trying to process everything that was happening. Were we descendants of the Druids? Grandma knew about it, and she was actually a Seer of Destinies?? This didn't make any sense, yet it explained so much. Like why I felt so comfortable in the village, as though there was a purpose for me. I belonged there after all.
“Bye, sweetheart. Call me when you can bring him back for dinner. I’ll make your favorite.” Mom said, alerting me to the fact that we were already standing outside their door. Art still held my hand in a death grip.
"Of course, Mom. I have a lot of work to catch up to for the next few weeks, but I'll call you."
“Wait! Let me see the ring.”
“Oh, I…” I looked at my free hand and froze.
"I haven't gotten her one yet. It was a spare of the moment kind of thing." Art answered saving me again. "I just knew I had to ask her and I couldn't wait. I'll take her to the jewelers next time I'm in town, and have her pick anything she wants."
"So romantic," Mom hugged me, and Dad kissed my cheek.
I nodded and waved them goodbye as we stepped into the elevator.
Art remained quiet as we crossed the portal into his home. He walked to the bed pulling me with him and sat down. I remained standing not knowing what to do. He looked at my hand in his.
"Why hadn't you told me, Lia? Do you not trust me?"
"Of course I do! I wasn't trying to keep it from you," I said honestly. "I was dealing with so much since I arrived, and I was closed off to my ability, so it wasn't something I even thought about. After that, I just, I didn't know how."
He nodded letting go of my hand. “I can’t believe you are part Celt. That you have powers too.”
Art lowered his head and closed his eyes taking a ragged breath. He seemed tormented. I kneeled in front of him, pulling his to me. “Who has powers too? What are you talking about?”
He stood, walking away from me. “Eisha. She’s an Ovate like her mother was. She has been fighting her powers all her life. She doesn’t want them.”
I gasped covering my mouth and Art turned to look at me. “She has powers? What kind?”
"Eisha is a Seer of Prophecies. She can witness the things that are to come." He shook his head. "She doesn't want it. She has been fighting it ever since her mother died. I have spent my life trying to help her, but I can't seem to get through her fear. I have failed her."
“I’m so sorry.” I knew how much it hurt him not being able to help someone, especially Eisha since he cared so much for her.
“How long have you known?” Art asked looking at me. “How long have you been able to see Auras?”
I stepped closer to him. “Since I was a child. My Grandmother helped me develop my gift, but she died before I could learn everything about it."
“You are a Fiosaiche Fàil.”
"No, I'm not." He frowned. "I can't see past the colors. I know what they mean, but that is the extent of my ability."
"I'm sure you can, Lia. Maybe you just need to learn." I shook my head, and he took my hand. "Are you ok?"
I gave him a one-shoulder shrug. "I think. I've always been able to do this, see Auras. I just had no idea where it came from, or why I was seeing them. I guess today I finally learned."
He nodded and kissed my hand. "It comes from our Mother Goddess. She's your Goddess too. She chose you to do something extraordinary."
"She chose you too, Art. I have never met anyone blessed with the kind of heart you have, or with a soul so pure. There is no one else like you in this world. Damn the stupid powers."
He looked at me baffled. "It is not about the powers, Lia. Do you honestly think that I'm that shallow?? That I care whether or not I can use magic as my brother or Eisha can? I don’t give a shit about that!”
“No, I don’t think that. I know that’s not what hurts your soul.” I cupped his cheeks and looked straight into his eyes. The pain in them was so deep I felt it too. “I know… I know it’s about what they represent. The mission behind them. The calling. Knowing that you were put on this earth for a cause greater than you and I. Having the certainty that you can help someone else, or even change their life. Except, you can't see what I see, what everyone sees when they look at you. You have a purpose Art. You already have a mission. You mean so much to everyone here, and you have changed all of their lives. You changed mine.”
A tear fell from my eyes, and he wiped it with his thumb. Cradling my face too, he rested his forehead on mine and closed his eyes. "Why do you know me so well? How do you know my heart as if it was your own?"
Because I love you… “Because I care about you, Art. I’m here for you just like you’ve been for me.”
He opened his eyes and kissed my forehead. “Thank you.” I gave him a small smile and tri
ed to step back. He stopped me. “Promise me you’ll tell my brother about your gift. Perhaps he can help you.”
“I promise.”
Art exhaled heavily, and looked towards the bed. "You should change back into the dress. We need to go back to the party."
ART
* * *
Who the hell had summoned the Fae??
I stiffened when Ash smirked and stepped closer to Lia. In another occasion, perhaps I would have been happy to see him. It had been a long time since they had stepped into our world, today not so much. I knew exactly what he wanted, and he was not going to get it from her.
He looked into Lia's eyes, and his gaze became intense. The royal markings above Ash’s eyebrows began to glow, and I cursed under my breath. I was going to put my fist through his face if he didn’t stop that now.
"I would love to spend some time with you, alone. You need not worry. It will be very satisfying."
Had he really just used that line with her? Ash's head tilted, and he leaned into Lia, trying to kiss her. My eyes widened as I realized she was under his spell. Her head lifted, seeking his lips.
Over my dead fucking body. I was done with this.
I splayed my hand over Ash's face, stopping him from kissing her and pushed him away from Lia.
“I forgot how annoying you were,” Ash chuckled while Lia blinked, the spell his markings had created dissipating. She laughed confused, and looked at Bri.
The Fae magic was unlike anything I had ever seen. The markings above Ash's brows just like his brothers’ were a sign of pure royal blood, and they ensured the compliance of their subjects. Only a true heir to the crown possessed them, and when they glowed the recipient of the magic was helpless against it. They would comply with whatever was required of them. Ash's favorite device when it came to mortal women. They happened to be his weakness, and he stopped at nothing to make them his whenever he saw the opportunity.
“I thought you would behave better than this, Brother. You are embarrassing me.” Kyr said, struggling to control his temper.
I repressed a chuckle but looked behind me when I noticed from the corner of my eye that Cathair had moved closer to Lia. My eyes roamed his rigid form, and I noticed something else. He had assumed a protective stance. Something about his attitude at that moment bothered me, but I chose to ignore it and returned my attention to the one I really needed to worry about. Ash.
Worthy of Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 4) Page 20