“Hey, little sis.” Art called, walking out from a door I hadn’t seen before. I frowned while he covered it with a thick honey-colored tapestry, which hung from the wall. He smirked. “Don’t worry, sis. We’ll talk about my studio another day.”
“Your studio?? What the….” I sighed, giving up.
I felt like I had missed so much while I was going through my own stuff. This place was upside down. Eisha was now with Felix, and they were genuinely in love, yet Felix wasn't Felix, he was Kevan now, a Healer. Half Druid, half Roman. Lia was with Art, and she was a Seer of Destinies because as it turned out, her supposedly Venezuelan Grandma had actually been kind of a Druid. Art wasn't just Art anymore. He was this mini God, weird thing, who was personally chosen by the Mother Goddess to be her messenger between the dead and the living. The Soul Hunter, which was a scary big deal and I basically had to stop Cyn from kneeling in front of Art every time he saw him and kissing his feet. And I had some sort of out of body/inner Queen Bee experience, and was now Brina.
BRINA.
The name should feel weird, but it didn't. It felt meant to be. Grandpa gave it to me before I was even born. He named me after his mother, with only the hope in his heart that the prophecy Venetia had foreseen would one day come true. So now I was, Brina. The Beloved Protector and High Priestess of The Order of The Druids, and it felt right. I had crazy ass powers, which felt as natural as walking for me, I would soon take my place beside Cynwrig—High Priest of the Order—and together we would bring true peace to our people. Although, we had yet to figure out how to do that. First, we wanted to get married, which brought me back to why I was here today.
“What is she doing?” Art whispered to Lia, as he carried her by the waist and sat her on his lap.
“Inner monologue.” She gave him a one-shoulder shrug. “But by the look in her eyes, she’s almost done.”
I blinked looking at them and chuckled. “Isn’t this supposed to be an ‘all girls’ gathering? Why are you still here, older brother?”
“Yeah, thank you very much. I have thrown him out like three times already. He’s lucky the others aren’t here yet.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “But as soon as they girls arrive you are gone. Entendiste mi amor?”
I looked at Lia like she was growing a second head, Art grinned. “Yes, I understood perfectly, A rún mo chroí.”—Secret of my Heart.
"Wait? You speak Spanish?" I asked Art, shocked.
"Among other languages," Lia answered, looking proud.
His lips twisted into an almost uncomfortable smile at her praise. "Don't worry, I'll explain later." Art added with a wink. "What I don't understand is why I can't stay. I love planning parties. I planned your engagement celebration with the guys, and that was a beautiful day." He countered.
My lips curved into a small smile at the memory. “It was perfect.”
"Well, this isn't a regular party. It's a wedding, and it requires a woman's touch. So, you still need to get out." Lia countered, leaving no room for arguing. "Plus, you can pitch in when we plan our wedding." She winked at me.
“You guys are engaged?” I squealed, and Art lifted his hands as though to stop me.
“Wait, wait. Ladies, don’t get carried away. We only just got together… Ouch!” He rubbed his stomach after Lia’s elbow harshly connected to it.
"Seriously, Chewie?? You've been single for over two millennia, and now you are going to tell me you have commitment issues?!” Lia stood from his lap abruptly, and he laughed catching her by the waist before she could leave.
"I'm kidding!" The twinkle in his eyes said he was enjoying messing with her. "I love you, and I'm forever yours, a chuisle.” His arms wrapped around her once again, and he nuzzled her neck intimately.
I looked away for a second to give them privacy, but I was enjoying seeing them like this. They seemed so happy together, and I knew both Art and Lia had been through a lot romantically in the past. They’d earned this. They deserved each other. Cradling her cheek, he kissed her and I had to clear my throat to remind them I was still in the room.
"Sorry." Lia blushed, and they chuckled as I dragged a chair closer to them, and planted my butt on it.
"I'm just trying to be respectful to my brother and my sis over here." Art added, his gaze focusing on me. "We are not engaged yet but our wedding is going to be much more spectacular than yours, and you are going to be so jealous. So, I didn't want to say anything yet, because I don't want to steal your thunder."
I made a face at him. “Okay then.” They laughed. “So, since we are still waiting. Can you tell me what you saw when you looked at Feli… I mean, Kevan’s Aura?”
Art huffed, and Lia gave him a stern glance. "Behave." He frowned and looking at me. Lia slowly shook her head as her mind went through the information. "It was beautiful, and a bit scary too, to be honest."
“Scary?” Art and I asked at the same time.
She nodded. "The thing is, my process is so different from anything I could have imagined. What I see has nothing to do with just seeing an Aura, and now I understand why they call it seeing destinies. The Aura is still there but is not static as before. It moves like waves that radiate around the person, as though it was the Aurora Borealis. And then there is this light that emanates from their essence, which represents the main layer of their Aura and who they truly are. It’s literally their inner Aura coming out for me to see. It shows me who they are.”
Her eyes focused on me and she smiled.
"His was a rich ocean blue. Do you remember when I first told you about my gift back at the deli?" I nodded. "I mentioned he had a blue layer to his Aura, but there was this heavy, black haze around it. Well, that's gone and the blue, wow, it's so pure. Blue Auras belong to kind and noble people. They are strong empaths, so they are emotional people, because…"
“He’s a sissy!” Art said, with a laugh.
"Oh, shut up, mama's boy!" Lia retorted. Art huffed again but didn't correct her. I repressed a laugh. "As I was saying.” She continued. “They are highly emotional because they feel other's suffering as though it was their own, which makes sense because as a Healer. He needs to feel everyone else's pain so he can cure them. Blues, as we call them, put others first and protect everyone they meet. They won't stop until they’ve fixed whatever is wrong. Their mission is to serve others, to love them.”
"Wow," I whispered, taken aback by her statement. My eyes settled on Art's, and he seemed as shocked as I was, although he was trying his best to hide it.
"The first thing the light shows me is their spirit animal," Lia continued. "With Cyn it was a jaguar, and with you, I saw the Queen Bee just as you had described her. With Fe… Kevan, I saw a snake. That's the part that scared me a little."
She stopped and stood. Walking towards a cabinet near the wall, she opened a drawer and took out a journal that looked as old as my Grandfather's, except it was hand-sewn leather. It had an inscription on top, a name.
“Is that Cathair’s journal?” Art roared, making me jump.
“His father’s not his,” Lia corrected looking at me. “Cathair’s dad was a Seer of Destinies too. The last one The Order of The Druids had.” She explained.
“You saw him again?” Art asked, trying to contain his ire, ignoring Lia’s words.
"He's my friend." Lia retorted, standing her ground. "I haven't seen him since you, and I got together. He gave me this after he gifted me the necklace."
Her hand instinctively pulled a silver chain from under her shirt. A beautiful stone hung from it. She showed it to me and smiled.
"It was his father's too. It's meant to balance my energy and replenish my essence so my power won't exhaust me. He gifted it to me when he learned what I could do." She said tenderly and turned to face an angry Art. "This journal has all of his father's notes and everything he learned in his years of being an Anam Fiosaiche. Just like the necklace, it is a precious family heirloom. It's all Cathair had left of his father, yet he gave them to me bec
ause he knew they would help me."
Art took a slow breath and his gaze lifted to hers as she cupped his cheek.
"The mistakes we made are our own, Art. Others shouldn't suffer because of them. Cathair is my friend, but before that he was yours. Your best friend. You need to find a way to settle this thing going on between the two of you, because he’s been amazing with me, and I want him in my life. But more importantly, I know you do too."
She kissed him softly, and sat in his lap again, opening the book. Art remained silent as he held her close to him, rested his cheek on the top of her head, and his gaze went to the window.
“Yes!” She said excitedly, while reading the journal, and I wondered how on earth she was doing it. “Oh, I know what you are thinking, totally freaky. Apparently, the magic Cyn awoke in my gift lets me understand Gaelic scripture, or whatever they call it.”
I glared at her. “The Ogham?”
“Yes! That.”
"Lucky you," I scuffed. "I had to learn it."
She grinned. "Maybe I got an upgrade. You should have Cyn do his juju on you, to see if you got any other gifts hiding around there somewhere." I frowned. "Anyway, it says the snake is actually a wonderful spirit animal. Hmm, interesting, it was a bit scary for me to see it because, hello, it's a snake, and to be honest I thought it might mean something different. Something bad…" she sighed trailing off as she read. "It says here it's the animal of transformation and healing." She stopped and her eyes filled with wonder. "Which was your Grandpa's Spirit Animal?"
“The Great Bear.”
“But he was a Healer too?” I nodded. “Damn, Fel… I mean, Kevan's animal represents healing, your Grandfather's didn't. Kevan is a Master Healer through and through." We exchanged a glance, absorbing what that meant. If what I thought were true, his ability would be even more powerful than Grandpa’s. Her eyes returned to the page. "It says the person with this spirit animal is grounded, highly intuitive, powerful and possesses heightened senses. They have incredible focus to achieve their desire transformation." Lia looked at me, and I smiled.
"He's not the same man anymore, Lia. You heard him the other night. He doesn't want to be that man. The simple fact that he doesn't even want that name, and chose Kevan instead, proves it."
“And you forgave him for it.”
Her statement hadn't been a question. I took a deep breath. "Yes, I did. I felt it in my soul, and I had to let go. So I forgave him. I hope you can understand."
She closed the book and set it aside. "It's okay. I guess you got your answer." She shrugged casually, but I knew the effort this conversation was taking her. "There's no denying his destiny," She added. "He's a Maighstir-leigheis—Master Healer."
I held her hand, forcing her to look at me again. “You’ll get your answer too, Lia. I know you are not there yet, but you’ll feel it as I did. You’ll be able to forgive him too.”
She nodded, and turned towards the kitchen just as a portal opened into the room. I wished I could make portals as they did. I stood with Lia. Art reluctantly let her go when Eisha and Seima walked into the hut.
“We are truly sorry for our delay, yet it could not be helped. Warrior practice took longer than we anticipated.” Eisha explained hugging me.
“Oh, it’s okay. I’m glad you are here.” She proceeded to hug Lia and Art as Seima embraced me.
“Okay, Chewie, time to go.” A knock sounded at the door just as Lia grabbed Art’s arm and began to pull him out. The door opened, to reveal a grinning Eghan.
“Oh, come on!” Art complained, pulling his arm free. “What is he doing here? I thought you said no men were allowed.”
“First of all, he’s not just any man. He’s Eghan.” Eghan’s lips stretched even wider. “And second of all, have you ever heard of anyone planning a successful wedding without a gay man?”
We laughed as she pulled Eghan in and pushed Art out. "I have absolutely no notion of how to plan a celebration," Eghan confessed, frowning. "I was happy because I thought you ladies wanted to spend time with me." His smile returned, bigger than ever.
"See??" Art tried to walk back in, but Lia placed her hand on his chest, stopping him. She turned towards Eghan. "I don't care. You are gay, so you'll come in handy." He shrugged as her gaze returned to Art. "And you, Chewie. I said out!"
"Wait!" We all turned to look at Seima. "Let Art back in. He might be able to help us." She and Eisha exchanged a worried glance. "Before anything is done, we need to talk to you, Brina."
“What the hell do you mean she can’t get married?!” Lia shouted, while I looked at Eisha and Seima in shock.
“Shit,” Art said, beside her.
I blinked trying to understand as Eisha’s hand held mine. “We are so sorry. We just realized this while we came here. You cannot marry Cyn.”
“Wait. Hold on. Let’s not panic yet.” Lia said, taking a deep breath. There has to be a way around this. Right?”
My heart slammed against my chest as my gaze connected with Seima’s again. She shook her head, the sadness growing in her eyes. “There is not. The only person who can marry them is a High Priest. Cyn and Brina are our High Priests. There is no one to marry them.”
"Wrong answer," Lia said exasperatedly while dread spread though me, turning my blood cold. She got up from the bed and began to pace around the space.
My gaze dropped to my engagement ring as my heart began to break. The one thing I wanted more than anything in this world was to marry Cyn. He was the other half of me, and after what we had been through in our time together I needed that ceremony more than anything. Being with Cyn wasn’t enough. I wanted to be his wife. I needed for the Goddess to bless our love, and for us to finally be united as we were meant to be. My essence wanted to finally be one with his, as intended by our Mother Goddess.
The tears gathered in my eyes as my gaze returned to Lia. If only Grandpa were here…
"Don't," Lia said, staring into my eyes, determination exuded from her every pore. "Don't give up, linda. You are going to marry that man, even if I have to die and be reincarnated as a High Priest." I nodded, holding back the tears. "Let's think about this for a moment." She resumed her pacing. "I know! Can't we make someone like an honorary High Priest for the day or something?"
Eisha sighed, her eyes held back tears of her own. “I am so truly sorry. The Handfasting Ceremony is a divine one. It requires a powerful mystical being with a deep connection to magic… only a High Priest possesses such a bond. No one else.”
“Wrong answer!!” Lia screeched again, stopping in her tracks.
I wanted to have the conviction she had, but I was finding it difficult. "It's fine, Lia. I guess this is not what the Mother Goddess wanted for us."
"You can't speak for her," Art said, resolute. "You can't accept this is what our Goddess wanted."
Lia gasped, eyes widening. “What about, Chewie? He’s a Soul Hunter, which means he has a connection to the Goddess now. That has to count for something. Right?" Loud gasps filled the room. I guess no one else had been informed of what happened to Art. "Oops." Lia cringed as all eyes settled on Art. "Sorry."
He took a deep breath probably counting to ten, so he wouldn't strangle the woman he loved.
Eisha stood as the tears fell from her eyes. “It’s true… She was right," She whispered dropping to her knees in front of him. Art immediately stood and held her arms, stopping her.
“Please, don’t. It’s just me, a chara. Your friend.”
He turned, lifting his hand to stop the others as they also pay him reverence, their eyes shone, filled with awe. At that moment, I finally understood the true significance of who Art had been all along. The others with gifts had been born into magic, as though their abilities were genetic traits, passed down through generations, but Art had been chosen by the Goddess herself, and placed here on earth for a purpose.
"Please," Art begged almost in pain, seeing the others treat him differently. "There's no need for this. I'm still just me."
>
Eisha and the others nodded standing up, but the light of admiration didn’t leave their eyes.
“So…” Lia said, returning to the conversation. “If Art is a Soul Hunter, can he do it?”
She was grasping at straws, but I swallowed and looked at him, hopeful. "Can you marry us, Art?"
To my disappointment, he shook his head. "What Eisha said is correct. The Handfasting Ceremony is a divine one. Even with my gift, I can't do it. I don't have the spiritual ability Cyn has. I wasn't raised like him, to be part of the Order. Only a…" He stopped abruptly as his gaze dropped to his wristlet. "I can't do this for you, little sis, but I’ll find someone who can."
His fingers traced the clan symbol on the leather cuff as he whispered something too low for us to hear. His eyes closed while the prismatic glow shone over his skin. Yet, this time the blue, purple, red, green and yellow energy waves grew, enveloping him whole, and then he was gone.
Loud gasps once again filled the hut as Art disappeared into thin air, right in front of our eyes.
ART.
* * *
The Golden glow of the gates to the Blessed Isles took my breath away. I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to it.
Crossing through the gates, I found myself standing next to the waterfall where I had washed my face the first time I was here. The mountains were still as majestic as I remembered them, and the colors of the sunset glowed over my skin. My lips slowly curved into a smile as I bent down and dipped my hand into the crystal water. I took a sip feeling the magic rush through me on its way down.
“Arthfael…” The sound of her voice brought me joy in a way it was impossible to describe. “My child, you have come to see me.”
Facing her, I kneeled. My hand rested over my heart as I bowed my head. “I have, Mother Goddess.”
Her hands rested on my shoulders as she placed a soft kiss on my head. “Rise, Arthfael.”
My gaze lifted as I stood, and the image of her took my breath away. She wore a long white gown—different from the one I had seen on her the last time I was here. Her long, blonde hair fell in waves over her shoulders, almost reaching her feet, and her light blue eyes sparkled as bright as the water next to us. It was the first one of her “faces” I had ever seen.
Absolute Magic Page 4