by JF Jenkins
"I'm scared," Gwen continued before he could reply. "I don't know if I feel comfortable with staying here for much longer. The more I find out, the less I want to be here. I don't like living my life in fear."
"I'll protect you. You're safe now," he said.
"For how much longer though? Both you and Navi keep talking about all of these bad things that are inevitable. When the time comes, are you going to choose to do the right thing? And we both know the right thing isn't going to line up with your father's plans. I feel like we're stuck in a no-win situation."
Jason rubbed her arms. "How long have you been hiding all of this from me? This sounds like it's been building up for a while." He wished he knew how to reassure her. He didn't know if he had the answers either.
"I've been trying to not think about it too much. Realizing your father believes he owns Navi has been the breaking point. I don't want that to be us."
"It won't be."
"What if he makes you? What if he makes you do a lot of things?"
"I don't understand what you want," he said, rubbing his forehead. He'd never seen this side of her before, and he didn't know how to handle it. Gwen was usually so calm and collected. Her freaking out like this meant one of two things: she was hormonal or she was legitimately that afraid. He was leaning more toward the second option.
"I want to feel safe," she said.
He hugged her, not sure what else he could do to make her feel safe beyond holding her. "Tell me how I can help you then."
She snuggled her face into his chest. Her tears dampened his shirt. "I think I want to leave too."
Jason's heart literally stopped beating for a moment. Leave? She wanted to walk out on him? "Don't talk like that. Now you're scaring me."
"I don't want to leave you. I want you to come with me. I'm saying maybe we should follow Chris and Navi's example and get out of here while we still can before things get too crazy."
"But what about my brother? This is my home, my family, my everything." He looked at the ground, trying to process this request. He didn't think he could just up and leave everything he'd ever known so easily.
Gwen pulled away from him, folding her arms across her chest. "I left my family, my home, and my everything."
He'd nearly forgotten how she'd come into his life to begin with. The months they'd spent together, he'd grown so comfortable with her presence he couldn't remember his life without her. With a sigh, he moved back to hold her again. She didn't fight him, but she didn't curl into his body like before, either.
"I didn't mean to be a jerk. Remember how you felt when you did those things? It wasn't easy. It's not something I can decide so lightly," he said.
"I'll let you think about it, but try not to take too long. Our window of time isn't very big, and I know you know this. Please try to hurry."
Jason leaned down and kissed her forehead. A risk because he wasn't sure she wanted him to give her affection when she was so angry. She didn't fight him.
He held against his chest, a small smile tugged at his lips when she snuggled in against him again. "Give me until the end of the week."
A day or two would be all he'd need to think about it. As much as he wanted to stay and give his family the benefit of the doubt, his ability to turn the other way was becoming harder every day. The secrecy from his brother and father were the most concerning to him. The real question wasn't if he thought he could leave, but rather, how he would go about doing it when the time came?
Chapter Thirty-Six
A girl? How is this possible? Matt had to keep his thoughts to himself because he didn't know how Kat would react to his questioning. She might have been convinced, but he wasn't. He wouldn't believe it was true until after the baby was born. The whole thing made him angry. Not necessarily the idea of him having a daughter instead of a son, but more the fact that Lenora knew more about the situation than he did. Why would his father tell her something prophesied about Matt's life and not him? It didn't make sense.
"Are you going to take a nap today?" he asked Kat as soon as they were home again. She went straight to bed. He couldn't help but smile. "Would you mind if I went back out again while you rested?"
"Only if you promise to come back again before dinner," she said, running a hand along his cheek. "Where are you going?"
He kissed the palm of her hand. "I wanted to talk to my father. I won't be long. I can pick something up for you on the way back if you'd like?"
"Tempting. I'll sleep on it and let you know."
He kissed her lips before stepping away to leave the room. They would need to move soon enough. While the suite was enough for Matt and his bride, there wouldn't be proper space to keep the baby with them for long. Maybe he should have followed in Jason's footsteps and gotten a house instead of living in the castle. Matt loved the castle, though. He knew his father would provide him with a new spot perfect for them. All he had to do was ask. Even though he didn't always get what he wanted, he knew the request made it to his father's ears, which was a lot more consideration than any of his other brothers received.
Dinner would be finished in the kitchen in around an hour. More often than not, Lynx ate with his wife. No doubt they were having some time alone. Matt wouldn't normally interrupt, but tonight he didn't much care about being considerate of his father's needs. He wanted answers. And he deserved them.
The door to Lynx's bedroom opened just as Matt's knuckles were about to rap against it. An official from the Royal Guard stopped suddenly to prevent from plowing through Matt, bowed, then politely stepped around him. Matt's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened.
"Father?" he said, stepping into the room. He didn't go past the entryway. His anger and frustration faded when he saw Lynx standing in the middle of the den with his face downcast and a hand on his chin. His shoulders were slouched. Matt couldn't think of a time he'd seen the man look so sad.
He took a few cautious steps forward, wanting to comfort his father, unsure if he should stay or leave. "What's going on?"
Lynx finally acknowledged him with a sideward glance before returning his gaze to the floor. "I fear I've done something horrible. I've hurt the woman I love, and now she's left me."
Matt had seen his father cheat several times. He certainly wasn't surprised to hear that he had done it again. What did surprise him, though, was that his father felt remorse. There's a first time for everything, he supposed. Navi was one of a kind, Matt would give her that much. He couldn't say the loss devastated him. He wanted his father to be with someone who loved him in return, not something based solely on lust or obligation. He didn't know what to say, so he waited for his father to continue.
"I've complicated things further by being in love with another. I'm not sure if it's possible to love more than one person at a time. Do you? Because I can't let either of them go," Lynx sat down on the couch and motioned for Matt to join him.
"It depends on your definition of love," Matt said. It felt awkward to be giving advice on love to his father. "If it's meant to be, she'll come back."
"She will come back. I'm seeing to it. I've sent out a team to bring her to me. Then we can talk. She will listen, understand, and forgive me. She has to."
Matt nodded. He didn't doubt it. "But you love someone else?"
"I've always loved Lenora. She's finally earned my trust again."
"Then be with her. Forget about Navi and—"
"She is mine. They both are. Lenora understands this and so will Navi. I will not be denied my happiness. This is my chance to finally be complete."
Matt played with his hands, glanced up at his father, then stared straight ahead of him. "I came to discuss something with you. If you do not mind changing the subject, I would like to do so now. I promised Kat dinner, and she wants to spend more time with me now that I'm home again. I don't want to keep her waiting."
"What would you like to discuss?" Lynx's eyebrows raised, his back straightening as he resumed his usual confident posture.
<
br /> "The prophet and what he's been saying about me."
"I see."
Matt waited to see if his father would elaborate further. When he didn't, Matt clenched his fists in his lap with frustration. "That's it? Tell me, what do you see, Father? This is my life. I think I have a right to know about what's being said, don't you?"
"I did not want it to affect your view on how you chose to live it. You weren't supposed to know about any of this until after the appointed time."
"The appointed time or never?" For the first time in years, Matt raised his voice at his father.
"If you are going to yell at me, then I am not going to tell you anything," Lynx said, folding his arms in front of him as if daring Matt to continue. Matt opened his mouth to apologize for the outburst, but he was cut off. "I understand you are frustrated. You have more to look after than just yourself. Since you are slightly informed, I suppose I can tell you more to help put your mind at ease."
"I'd appreciate it," Matt said, trying to hold back the sarcasm. He didn't want to make his father feel disrespected.
Lynx stood once more and began to pace in front of his son. "What do you know of the Great Dragon?"
"Not much beyond that He will exist," Matt said. The Great Dragon was an ancient religious myth. Hardly the kind of thing Matt found interesting. Even though he'd never been much of a scholar, he believed all the same. What he did know was that the Great Dragon would be born and be the answer.
"From the Touched, the Great Dragon will be born, of pure blood and pure hope. Child of the ruler, the warrior, and the damned, they will wed the royal clan. Made in lust and sin, peace shall they usher in." Lynx folded his hands on his lap. "You know you are Touched. The child you have conceived is believed to be a part of this ancient prophecy. There's more though. Studying deeper into the Scriptures, our scholars believe the Great Dragon will be of Inero blood and born in the Oceina country. The land that is supposed to be ours, as you already know. What you don't know is that the Great Dragon will be of pure dragon blood. No humans will be involved which means He will be the offspring of your child."
Matt swallowed. "My child?"
"Yours or Jason's. Lenora told me the doctor believes yours to be a girl. If this is true, then yes, your child."
His head was reeling. He didn't know what to expect. Being told that the Great Dragon would be from his blood was definitely not on the list. "The prophet told you all of this?"
"The prophet has seen all of this and more. He has seen the greatness of the Inero people finally triumphing over the Oceina. I almost couldn't believe it all myself, especially from one so young. The boy is powerful. He has the potential to be even more so. He needs your help to do it though."
"I'm not sure how I can help him. I don't know anything about prophecy."
"Your magic is powerful. With your brother, you could give him enough of a boost to enter a completely different realm." Lynx's eyes lit up as he spoke. It'd been a while since he'd expressed this amount of passion for anything. Matt liked it, but one thing troubled him.
"Are you sure we should be entering a new spiritual realm though? Is it our place? I always thought there were some things we weren't supposed to mess around with."
His father's jaw tightened as he spoke slowly. "You have been given these gifts for a reason. There is no point to not using your magic to its fullest. If God didn't want you to do this, He wouldn't have made it possible. This amplification of power could be the key to our success in the war against the Oceina. You wouldn't want to hinder God's plans, would you?"
Matt's jaw also tightened and for a moment, the two were making the exact same thoughtful expression. "I feel like you should be adding a 'but' here."
"It is a dangerous spell. All three of your souls would be vulnerable to the spiritual realm, and I don't know what that will do to any of you." Lynx continued before Matt could reply. "You do not need to make a decision now. This is also something both you and your brother must agree on. It will only work if you two do it together. You would not be able to support the prophet on your own. Talk it over with Jason and with your wife. You should not keep this from her."
Telling Kat surprised him. Matt didn't expect his father to make such a suggestion. Normally, his father preached about how a man had his own business, and women were too delicate to be bothered with it. Things like war, revenge, and power.
"I'll think it over carefully. I should be going back to her now, actually. Thank you for telling me, Father. I feel honored you trust me with this information," he said then bowed his head. He wondered how long it would have taken for Lynx to tell him if he hadn't confronted the man. Matt was positive he still didn't know everything he should, but he didn't want to press the issue further. He didn't know if he could handle any more knowledge. His brain already felt like it was about to explode from the news his baby could possibly be a girl. Everything else added on top of that was causing an overload and an intense headache. There was too much to process.
He stood and walked toward the door, silently excusing himself from his father's suite. Just as he was about to close the door, Lynx spoke again.
"Cherish her while you still can, Matthias. If not, it will all be too late."
What does that mean? He didn't bother asking. "Thank you for your wisdom, Father."
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Three days passed since Navi had left, and each day Gwen spent her time at home. Where else did she have to go? She only went to the pool for Navi's benefit. Now her obligation to be there was gone. Her obligation outside of trying to make nice with Kat. She wasn't about to lose sleep over not being there for her sister-in-law.
Sister-in-law. That was the first time she'd ever thought of Kat as actually being a part of her family now. Dad would be disappointed in me. "Family is the most important thing a girl can have." She mimicked his tone, one of the few things she could still remember about him. It frightened her how easily she'd forgotten the details about her family.
"It's not bad that I want to leave," she mumbled as she put a few pairs of socks into her bag. "I'm not abandoning anyone, especially not family."
"It's cute when you talk to yourself," Jason said from the doorway. The pair of socks she held fell into the bag as she let go of them in surprise. She faced him with wide eyes and red cheeks.
"And how much of my conversation with myself did you hear, exactly?"
"I didn't hear anything specific. Only your voice and something resembling ee-ah-bah-an-ooo." He laughed as he entered and placed his arms around her from behind, pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead from above. His lips were so soft and warm. She loved the feeling of them against her skin. If there was one thing that made her feel safe, it was his kisses.
She zipped up the bag. A break from packing seemed like a good idea to her. As much as it needed to be done, she didn't like what it did to her sanity. All of the thinking she did when she was alone only made her feel confused and unsure. Gwen always had to be sure, especially in herself.
"What are you doing?" Jason leaned his face over her shoulder. "Going somewhere?"
"Not yet," she said, forcing him to look into her eyes. "I like to be prepared for anything."
His raised his eyebrows and he lowered his gaze. "Or you're confident I'm going to agree with you." She was becoming more familiar with his mannerisms. If memory served her correctly, this particular look meant he disapproved.
Gwen sighed and pulled away from him. "Maybe, but with good reason."
"Such as?"
"You know how dangerous it is to stay here."
He nodded, backing away from her, then leaned against the wall. "Yes, I do, which is why I think you're right. Navi told me to try and stop everything, but I'm not sure I can. I'm nobody of importance. I couldn't fight an entire army on my own. My brother isn't going to be persuaded. That was the only thing I could think of that might actually make a difference. I give up. I don't want to abandon my family, but I don't want to be a
part of this anymore." He paused. "Am I coward for wanting to run away?"
"In this situation, no. I think you're much stronger for choosing to do the right thing instead of going with the flow," she said, half-smiling. He continued to frown.
"I wish I could have helped more."
"I'm not sure how you could have."
"I suppose you're right."
She watched him, hating the way he rubbed his arms as though he were trapped in a corner. He didn't have to be. Now was their chance to be free. "So when should we leave?"
He shook his head. "It'll be a lot harder for us to simply walk away. I have a psychic connection to my brother, for one. Plus, people are used to seeing me around the city. If I disappear without good reason, they'll know I'm a traitor."
"You're not a traitor."
"My family will not see it that way. If I am not for their cause, I am against it. Abandoning the country is like an act of treason. No, we need an excuse to leave our borders."
"I'm not sure I have any good ones," Gwen said, her heart sinking to her stomach. When she glanced over at Jason however, she saw him grinning from ear to ear. "What?" she asked.
"We should take a honeymoon."
She raised an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips. "We should do what?"
"Go on a honeymoon. You require a change of scenery and a place to escape the pressures of being a wife in order to give yourself to me fully."
"I do?" She pursed her lips.
"I need to escape the pressures of my duties in order to give you the attention you're due. Does that sound better to you?" He still smirked.