“Personally?? What does that mean?” John asked.
"It means my brother was chosen in life, not in essence, for the purity of his soul to be the Goddess' Soul Hunter. She called him to her and awoke his power."
“What does a Soul Hunter do?” Ralph’s voice was a whisper as his gaze settled on Art.
“I am a messenger of the Goddess herself. I can enter the Blessed Isles at will, find and speak to the souls of anyone I need to, including our ancestors, and bring messages to their families who remain here. I can also recognize reincarnated souls, and wake them up—although temporarily—while in their current body. However, that is one thing I haven’t done yet."
“Holy shit,” John whispered. “What is the Blessed Isles?”
“Our Heaven,” Lia answered, smiling at Art as he wrapped his arm around her.
“Holy shit,” Ralph said, mirroring John and we all laughed.
“I know you are the High Priests, and you have scary powers, but what exactly are your abilities?”
Cyn smiled. “Briana and I were born with the magic inside of us, we are a compliment to each other, and so are our abilities. I am a Maighstir Draoidheachd—Master of Magic, and as such, I can wield elemental magic, which means I command any of the elements—Water, Earth, Wind, or Fire. I can also heal through my energy, although I am not a Healer. I have control over magic overall, I can even sense the essence, or soul, of anyone around me, feel their emotions, and locate them in long-range distances. Furthermore, I access our Goddess' light, to bless those around me. Brina is a Neach-sìth—Peace Bearer, she is in tune with our Goddess’ light and can wield it to provide peace to anyone she chooses. Moreover, Brina is able to command the elements and master spells—like I can. Her Spear of Light amplifies these abilities, and allows her to project her light through it." Cyn looked at me and smiled taking my hand. "Together, we heighten each other’s magic, and we are to use the other’s ability through our connection. We are also able to communicate telepathically."
“Triple holy shit.”
"What he said," John and Ralph exclaimed, jaws dropped. Sharing a stunned look, they lowered their heads and bowed to us fully. I guess now they had found a reason.
"Please, you don't have to," I said immediately, reaching out to stop them but John shook his head.
"We do, I can't even begin to process everything you can do… who your people truly are." His fingers rubbed the silver cross on his neck absentmindedly. "You are divine beings here among us, and that deserves respect."
Well if he put it that way. I didn’t think I could ever think of myself as a “divine being” but he seemed very religious, and I respected his beliefs. I was going to miss those military salutes though.
"Would you bless us… please?" Ralph added calling our attention to him. "I mean if you can, if it's not too much trouble."
Cyn smiled and stepped forward taking me with him. “Kneel.” Both did instantly. Unlike the others, instead of bowing their heads, they looked into Cyn’s eyes, expectant while he placed a hand on each of their shoulders. His palms began to glow white.
* * *
“Grant, Oh Mother, what I ask today,
Sanctify the essences before me,
Use me as your humble instrument and
Pass on your blessing through me…
Let it be so.”
* * *
Their eyes closed as the Goddess' blessing flowed through them and I smiled, knowing exactly what they were feeling. It was the most beautiful sensation I ever felt. When their eyes opened, they glistened, and I knew they were fighting the emotions running through them at this moment. They made the sign of the cross, smiling and turned to me, remaining on their knees.
Placing my hands on their shoulders, just like Cyn had done, I closed my eyes and allowed the light in me to travel through my hands and into them. The feeling of peace intensified as it reached them. John gasped, while Ralph relaxed under my touch. When I finished, John pulled my hand from his shoulder and kissed it. His lips trembled over my fingers as a tear escaped him.
"I never thought after my tours in Iraq that I would ever feel true peace again..." he trailed off as his voice wavered. Clearing his throat, he looked up at me while another tear slid down his skin. "Thank you."
I let my body fall on the chair as exhaustion fell over me. The events of the day had drained me dry, mentally, physically and emotionally, and I wanted to sleep for about a year. Eisha and the others followed suit, as we arrived at her hut. Eisha and Art's homes were the only ones big enough that we could all fit, and I didn't see Art inviting Kevan over anytime soon.
“Holy guacamole, my feet are killing me.” Lia complained, half whining.
I let my head fall to the right, to see Art immediately take her boots off, and begin massaging her feet while she sat on his lap. I grinned, they were so freaking cute together. “You are spoiling her, you know?”
He chuckled and kissed her lips softly. "I have to. It’s my job now that she's…" Lia slapped her hand over his mouth, preventing him from saying anything else.
“Now that I am his fiancé.” She finished for him.
Art frowned pulling his face free. “Why can’t we tell them that we are g…” Lia kissed him, not letting him finish.
I raised my eyebrows intrigued, but I was seriously too tired to care tonight. I pinned a mental post it to ask them again tomorrow.
“Okay, we are going home now. See you all tomorrow. Night, night.” Lia said, wrapping her arms around Art’s neck. He narrowed his eyes at her but stood, carrying her, and grabbing her boots before crossing the portal.
I chuckled, my gaze shifting to Eisha who was half sleep on the bed while Kevan caressed her back absentmindedly. I guess I wasn't the only one who was exhausted. She tried one more time to reach Leigh through the Astral Plane to no avail.
A knock came at the door, and Cyn stood to open it. Seima came in smiling as usual. She was such a "happy" type of person.
"Thanks for coming, Seima. I was wondering when the outfits you were making would be ready. She sat beside me, and Kevan's eyes settled on her.
“Not quite, but I am truly excited for you all to see them. I think you will love them.”
"Thank you, I was hoping they'd be ready, but after today, I think we might need the Warrior suits a bit longer than I would like."
“How is your mission going?”
I sighed. “Don’t ask.”
Cyn chuckled. "It is not going as well as we hoped, but today we took a sizable step forward. We encountered soldiers from The Brotherhood, who had been captive because they renounced to the Roman's beliefs, and they wanted to support Kevan. They said seeing him on our side during the battle, and witnessing Agustina order to kill her grandson opened their eyes."
"Oh, that is wonderful news. Blessed be our Mother Goddess." She exclaimed, placing her hand over her heart.
“You are right, today was a good day,” I added, looking at Cyn.
“Seima, can I speak to you in private for a moment?” Kevan said, looking a bit uncomfortable. She nodded, noticing the same thing. He seemed constipated.
I repressed a chuckle as Cyn helped me stand. “Don’t worry, we are leaving now. I need a shower and bed.”
Kevan smiled. “Goodnight, guys.”
“Goodnight, Kevan. Goodnight, Seima, thanks again for helping us with the suits.” I said holding Cyn’s hand.
"Are you traveling tomorrow again?" She asked before Cyn, and I crossed the portal.
“We might, why?”
“I was wondering if Cathair and I could come with you.”
I looked at Cyn who nodded. “Of course, a chara. Your support might be helpful.”
She grinned as we crossed the archway, leaving her to talk with Kevan.
Chapter 11. Then There Were Three
BRINA
Two months later…
* * *
Days blurred as we traveled around the world in search of the one th
ing we desperately wanted, to finally bring Leigh home, but found only hostility in return.
Cyn and I had a mission. A destiny. To bring true peace to our people, yet everything we had done since we started our search for Leigh, was fight. If it weren't for the overwhelming determination the Mother Goddess had placed in Cyn and me, I would already be heartbroken.
On the plus side, by visiting the branches located in Africa, Germany, Spain, India, Japan, and Canada, among others, we had been able to encounter and free more Brotherhood members who had deserted the "cause," looking for relief, only to be rewarded with hatred. Unfortunately, some members had lost the fight by the time we got there, but Cyn and I tried to find comfort in the fact that we were able to rescue the others.
Kevan rented a small hotel on the outskirts of Seattle, to accommodate the latest people found in our search. They contacted their families to let them know they were safe, but they didn’t want to run the risk of going home in case the Romans were watching. The last thing we wanted, was to put their families at risk. It only reassured my belief that all of this had to end, once and for all.
We also picked up a few “strays,” as John called the Delta Force team members we encountered in four different countries, and the rest of his SEAL Team Six, the last of which we had met up with today in Greece—making our “small” search party, much, much bigger. Twelve SEAL and five Delta Force were now our back up. So they said, but they walked in first every single time, trying to protect Cyn, the Court, and me from the Romans. Each time I thought to myself, shouldn’t we be protecting them? —Although, they were scary as hell in action. The way I saw it, being military men was their superpower. They were also incredibly funny and sweet.
"How does it look?" Cathair asked, nursing a broken nose from our latest encounter. A guard threw a chair at him, in a desperate attempt to escape. His serrated sword had cut through it with ease, but a leg still hit him square on the nose. The effort was in vain, as the man now sat cuffed next to the wall.
"You'll live," Lia answered with a chuckle while Seima went to aid him. She rubbed his arm, wiped the blood off his top lip tenderly, and then kissed him. He smiled at her like a "love puppy." They were too cute for words.
Cathair began to recite the simple prayer Cyn had long ago taught them to mend small wounds, but before he could finish the first word Kevan touched his jaw, the light traveled over Cathair’s face, healing him.
"You are welcome," Kevan said absentmindedly, and continued walking towards John, Slate and Shark—the Delta Force Commander—who talked strategy in one corner. Art, Ralph, Cathair, and Eisha had apparently taken the role of "bagging and tagging"—as Ralph called cuffing the hostile Romans. We were only keeping them detained until we were gone, transporting their prisoners safely to Seattle.
After the Romans found out we were coming to the branches searching for Leigh, there was no point in keeping their followers in the cells anymore, so we let everyone go. Surely, they went running to their “mommies.”
"Serpent, Black Hawk, Chaos, along with Butcher, Bear, and Sniper went to clear the rest of the building," John informed us. The place we were currently in was massive; it matched the images we saw in the monitors of the grid. It made sense that he had sent six of his best.
“Once we get word from them, we can go search the cells, High Priestess,” Shark added with a firm nod.
"Thanks, Shark." I narrowed my eyes at him, and he grinned devilishly, knowing exactly why. I had yet to learn any of their real names. "What is it with the military nicknames? Only John and Ralph gave us their names when we first met them, and in a fun twist, I have no clue what their nicknames are."
Shark and the other guys laughed at the top of their lungs. “John and Ralph aren’t their real names but their nicknames, High Priestess.”
“Say what??” Lia asked, shocked.
“What do you mean?” Seima asked at the same time.
"John is named after John Wick, you know, from the movie? Apparently, he's kind of feared for his fighting skills, because he once took down a complete enemy team by himself. So he thinks he's badass, but in reality, he's got nothing on me." Shark said with a playful shrug, and John snorted, rolling his eyes. Shark chuckled. "And Ralph was named after Wreck-it Ralph. His kid is four years old and obsessed with the movie since they played it for him as baby, so Ralph—like a good Dad—only talks about that. They ended up changing his nickname from ‘Cyclone' to ‘Ralph.'"
"Which I'm okay with, because I spend too much time away from my boy," Ralph added, and I could see the nostalgia in his eyes. "But my family comes first, and I have to support them. So, I use my hard earned skills to keep them safe, make sure my wife is well taken care of, and my kid can go the best university there is. Those are my priorities."
"Awe," all girls said at the same time, including me.
Ralph grinned and rested his elbow on Shark's shoulder. "I keep telling ‘ladies man’ over here, to find himself a good woman and settle down. I guess he's enjoying the single life a bit too much, if you get my drift," Ralph added, almost discretely, but immediately ruined his effort by making exaggerated thrusts with his hips. We laughed.
“Dude, what the fuck??” Shark complained looking at us a bit embarrassed. Ralph patted his back amused.
"I was hoping you would take me to wherever you guys are from, no offense gentleman, but your women…." Shark trailed off moaning in pain while biting his fist, and Cyn, and the guys chuckled. "I could see myself settling down with a gorgeous Warrior woman like any of you," Shark added, looking at us with a wink.
Lia walked towards him, linking her arm with his. “My name is Lia, matchmaker. Step into my office and let’s talk.”
Laughter surrounded us until John stepped closer, his expression said he was back to mission mode. Everyone’s attitude changed immediately, and I thought it was safe to say that in this mission, the Delta Force also saw him as their leader.
Cyn’s attitude transformed too as his gaze roamed the Romans sitting on the floor. The walls were lined with hissing men and women, struggling to get free. Cyn’s reverse invisibility spell was over them, blocking their sight and hearing.
“None of their leaders have been present during our missions. Do you not find it convenient?” Cyn asked John, his bow and arrow finally disappearing as he stood beside me.
“Are they hiding?” I asked, taking Cyn’s hand in mine. Shark shook his head.
“I was just discussing it with the Seals and Kevan. We agree with you, High Priest, it’s convenient, but we think it means something else.”
“They chose their new leader,” I said, without needing an answer.
Kevan nodded. "Now that there’s no doubt where I stand, they went to Italy to support Caesar in his intention to run The Brotherhood. We suspect they might even be planning a centralized attack. They made sure to leave basic personnel, and the ones they considered traitors behind to distract us, maybe even fool us, but they forget I know all their tactics. They left whoever was ‘expendable' to them, but took the best of their soldiers, and I have no doubt they are recruiting more."
“We haven’t encountered Aurelio either, which means he’s with them,” Art said, returning to our side with Eisha and the others.
"There are three offices in Italy. We have to prepare the best we can before we go there, because those are our last stops, and it’ll definitely be a trap."
Kevan's words caused a shudder to rush down my spine. It wasn't because I was scared of what they could do, but because I was done with these games. Everything inside of me protested, yet the resolve that was rushing through Cyn and I decided for us.
"War is not our intention, but if what they want is a fight, then we’ll give it to them."
"We owe it not only to our people but also to those who have been threatened and hurt for no longer following them. We must stop the Romans. This has gone on long enough, and it shall end one way or the other." Cyn's grip on my hand tightened with each word.
I could sense how much the words weighed on him, and hurt him through our bond, I felt it too but he was right.
Their reign of terror had to come to an end.
* * *
Once the guys cleared the building we went down to the cells.
Unlike the other facilities, the cells here were dark and old, resembling medieval caves, and I wondered how old this building actually was. The smell reached us first, which made me both gag and caused my chest to constrict. No one should be left in these conditions. Just like the others had each time, the ex-Brotherhood members were glad to see us. They were thankful to be free, and be treated like a human being again.
Ten more people joined the rescued soldiers, and a part of me wondered why there were so few in this location. The other cells looked like they were recently occupied, but no one was there anymore. Were the others transferred to Italy? And if so, why? I wanted to ask the men and women, but the way these cells were built I had a feeling it was impossible for anyone else to see who was beside them.
“Do you know who else was here?” I asked anyway, not wanting to miss a detail.
A man rubbed his free wrists as he slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry. They took around thirty people with them last week, maybe more, but they had bags over their heads so we couldn't see their faces."
I nodded, although I wasn’t surprised. “Thank you,” I whispered, cupping his cheek and letting my peace travel through him.
"I have one last asset in one of the branches in Italy, but she hasn't responded to any of my messages for a couple of months now."
"Oh, I thought we had already found everyone from your team," I stated confused.
He shook his head, obviously worried. “No. But at this point I’m not sure if she’s just under surveillance—like Slate was—or if her cover was blown and she’s no longer with us.” The men all shared a look; it said they believed their friend might not be alive anymore. “But I will reach out to her again, and hope for the best.”
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