The Comyenti Series Book Bundle, Volume 1 and 2 (Epic Romantic Supernatural Fantasy)

by Natasja Hellenthal

  He would take her gliding more leisurely on clear, sunny days, quite high up over the dunes to be safer, by being a griffon. Griffons used the warm air currents to fly and glide without flapping their wings. He would use the ability of the wanderer, best known as the giant albatross, which could do the same over water with a little help from the wind. Together, they would rise higher and higher, though Shazar had to be careful not to go too high, for Ashanna being human, would not be able to breathe as easily as he could at that altitude. Staying unseen and safe was his main priority.

  At other times, when she had more time to spare, she would take their horse, Onyx, and ride the morning trip to work alone to gather her thoughts, and to enjoy the quietness of the awakening world around her.

  Trading Shazar’s abstract paintings for food and supplies had proven to be easy, for they were very well liked everywhere. The people, especially children, loved his unusual use of colours and shapes, which reminded them of their own hidden dream worlds. He of course, avoided any contact out of fear of exposure, so it was usually Twello who went to the surrounding villages to do the trading. Sure, Shazar looked human enough, but he was really too fine-looking with his healthy shiny, black hair falling over his headband, which covered his unusual long-tipped ears. His bronze skin and strong jaw were smooth, spotless, and he had an elegant nose and delicate features. What he couldn’t risk most of all was for people to see his slanting and enchanting greenish eyes with irises that frequently changed colour. Amongst people he certainly found it hard to control. Moreover, in all the time he lived there, nearly twenty years, he hadn’t seem to have aged.

  Ashanna had loved children and being able to teach them values and to prepare them for life. She had a great amount of knowledge, gained from the link with the oracle Truthstone years before, during her work as the local priestess of the village of Karashne many miles, and memories, away now.

  ‘We were two of a kind, Ashanna dear, human or not, and I will always cherish the moments we spent together, those memories I hold dear. They are part of me now, just as you are part of me and you will live on in my heart. Thank you for everything. Goodbye my beloved, until… we meet again.’ His mellow voice was soft and tears were running down his pale cheeks now. He fell to his knees, touching the fresh soil which held her bones, and reached for the cup of water on her grave with trembling hands. His tears were falling into the large oval brown ceramic cup, handmade by him especially for her, just as she had wished he would do for the day she passed away. She had stressed to him that she wanted this done, though he had refused at first, thinking she would live longer than she had.

  It came to him how she had wanted him to tell her his ‘rain’ story every time she felt sad or when her bad memories came back to haunt her. Lying wrapped in his protective arms, near to his heart she had been the closest thing he’d ever known to a soul mate, but still, she was not comyenti.

  He had always felt this craving, this unfulfilled emptiness inside of him, wanting to be whole again; reunited. However guilty it had made him feel towards Ashanna, it was something beyond his control. It was partly due to the fact a bond had been made all those years ago. What was left since the parting was a yearning, a longing so deep that it had pained his soul almost daily. Moreover the not knowing what it would be like, or could be like, with his true HeartMate. The one that got away, the one and only, other living comyenti; Sula.

  ~~~

  Not really wanting to think about Sula just now, ‘the third wheel’ as Ashanna had referred to her when it was obvious he was thinking about her at times, a vision came to him: Ashanna whispering to him about the cup, the “Well Of Life”, she had called it, to ensure that it had already contained her tears. It hadn’t been that long ago, and was almost as if she had foreseen her own death…

  Mixed with a few drops from the ocean she so loved and now added with his tears added, all was united. She had loved his Sun and Moon soothing story and she made him tell her at times when she felt sad. With the rain to come for years, the cup would always be sustained; overflowing and wetting the soil where her body lay, to nourish life, just as she had wished. The rain and tears would benefit others.

  It was not that she had wanted for him to mourn for her and keep it filled with his tears. No, she had believed in freedom, and had only wanted a few of his tears, no more. But he was a compassionate soul, and had cried more than any man she had ever known; tears of joy and sorrow, for he himself had had a bitter past filled with terrible memories. It was for this reason that she had been so drawn to him in the first place; Ashanna had seen the goodness in his heart, amongst the darkness that had also resided there. Together, their wounded hearts were like caged birds with broken wings. Only in each other’s company had they felt understood and free.

  Shazar wiped his wet face with the back of his hand, and looked one more time at the mound which was her grave, and the cup, before he stood and tried to reassure himself that this was a natural part of life. He had to accept it and move on, with her forever in his heart, keeping her alive in his memory.

  He had tried to find their son the previous day without any luck. Collecting his packed horse, Shazar rode out and scouted the coast for Twello where he normally would find him; beachcombing for stranded wood or other small treasures the sea had cast upon the shore. Twello utilized things he found to make pieces of art which he sometimes sold. They were, indeed, an artistic family, though that was hardly a surprise, for both Twello and Ashanna were seers. Shazar’s sixth sense was well developed too, so as sensitive beings, they couldn’t be other than creative, with both their minds and hands.

  Presently it was autumn, and the rains and storms had come and left many things on the beach, but Twello was nowhere to be seen on the broad, sandy shore. Turning Ashanna’s black steed, Onyx, Shazar closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and concentrating on the wolf in him, chanting. ‘Your heart, my heart, your breath, my breath, your scent, mine…’

  No, Twello wasn’t near, although he had been, according to a faint whiff from the day before. Shazar could sense that much, but that was all for the time being. Where was the lad? He wasn’t in his own house, or in their cabin, nor on the beach, though wherever he had gone, he had taken his horse, Hazel.

  Shazar hadn’t seen him for four days now and that wasn’t like him, especially not now. The comyenti felt even lonelier now that his son had left without explanation, and he almost felt as he had before he met Ashanna and Twello; during the search for his kind for so long, and all for what?

  Twello probably would need many a day to recover, seeking solitude, but would he not need his father now? Shazar needed him. Ashanna, who was loving and patient, had been a true mother to the orphan boy who was nearly six when she took him on. They had healed each other more than Shazar could ever have done for the two of them, in trying to be the boy’s father and a partner for Ashanna.

  Yet Twello was alone again. First, his biological parents had been brutally taken from him, and now Ashanna. He must have known that Shazar would leave as well and it must have pained him.

  He is blaming me for leaving but I can’t stay with so many memories of her in this place. I would see and hear her everywhere! I would wither away from grief. Surely he will understand. If only I could have a chance to talk with him.

  But Shazar didn’t have that opportunity, so he left the following day, leaving a brief note in their old, isolated wooden cabin. A note in which he promised to return, and an attempt to strengthen Twello with comforting words. They had held each other and wept that day Ashanna had died and nothing had been said. Shazar had no use for words, just company. Twello, on the other hand, had always had more need for words and explanations.

  Shazar could not give him what he needed this time, hurt and confused as he was himself. In any case, Twello had not come to him to talk. Why was this?

  Chapter 14 Shadow

  Shazar reckoned it would take him about a week to reach Rosinhill by horse;
the village Sula was supposed to live.

  Sula Comyenti, the only other known, living comyenti soul. He just hoped she was still in the same secluded place in the north, and that she was safe. Shazar had not visited her in the twenty years they had been apart. Mainly out of respect for her and her family, or at least that was what he tried to convince himself of. In reality, it had been the binding Comyenti Oath she had made him swear; to not return until he had children of his own. This way, their children combined could ensure the future continuance of the comyenti species.

  In spite of this, he had thought about her almost every day. He hardly knew Sula. They had shared only a couple of days together; strange confusing days, for she had been married, and had been adamant in refusing to leave her human husband. Shazar felt slightly embarrassed at the memories; he hadn’t really respected their bond, and had tried to come between them.

  Over the years he had come to realise that he himself was largely to blame for her understandable rejection. He had acted too soon, like a madman, after all those years of searching. Finally, he had found and, just as sudden had lost her again.

  He had had no patience at all with Sula, assuming she would feel and think the same way as he did instantly. Had he acted differently, she might have had the time to think things over properly, and it would surely have turned out otherwise. Or so Shazar believed…

  How immature he had acted. So young and restless, as if time was their enemy, which never had been the case before.

  Shazar had not produced any biological children with Ashanna; one of the conditions of the Oath, so would it be safe to return to meet Sula? He risked losing his traits and abilities if he broke the promise. He cherished his abilities; they set him apart from humans and made him what he was; comyenti.

  Twello was, of course, his adopted son and Ashanna couldn’t conceive after she had had a miscarriage; an unwanted pregnancy which was the result of being raped multiple times in the tower where she had been kept captive. She and Shazar had tried for years, sensing that Sula was right after all; halflings were better than no comyentis at all in the long run in which case their kind was doomed to die. They had failed to produce offspring and yet… he had stayed.

  ~~~

  Walking in the fading light of the third day of his journey, with the warm colours that accompanied autumn, he thought about his life with Ashanna. Despite the love and countless happy moments they had shared, he doubted the wisdom of his choice. Had he been a fool; so blinded by his love for Ashanna, and his honour, that he couldn’t follow Sula’s advice and make halflings with a fertile human woman other than barren Ashanna? Surely his and Sula’s children would have secured the future of the comyenti race or at least given it a head start? Had he wasted his time by staying?

  That may have been so in theory, yet his heart told him otherwise. He had come to know the values of family life, and the power of loving two humans; something he had thought impossible before meeting Ashanna and Twello. Humans were, after all, the cause of the comyenti’s downfall, and their number one enemy. That was a fact which would never change. The majority of humans were all the same, and history would repeat itself if word got out that he and Sula were still alive. Of that he was sure.

  However, had he, in the presence of the positive healing auras of Ashanna and Twello, learned to see beyond his, and his species’ painful history? Or had he just been able to conveniently block out the truth and memories by not thinking about it?

  Ashanna had been wiser and more compassionate than any human he had ever encountered, and surprisingly, he had learned a great deal from her. But they had both always known Shazar would outlive her, and that he would eventually visit Sula after her death.

  Yes, but after Ashanna died when she was eighty or ninety! Never this soon! I vowed to protect her! He thought to himself. Shazar had told Ashanna a great deal about Sula, although never how he had treated her. His love for that other woman; comyenti or not, grieved her, but she had understood and even encouraged him to follow his heart and instinct, wanting his kind to have a fair chance at survival. Ashanna had always considered herself to be a substitute for someone else though, no matter what Shazar said or did to make her feel better. He had explained that his comyenti heart would allow him to love only one person at a time and that he wouldn’t, and couldn’t leave Ashanna for he had given her his heart. Besides, Sula was married and her heart also belonged to another. Ashanna suspected that to be the true reason for Shazar staying put, as he never told her about the Comyenti Oath he had made to keep her and Twello safe. In fact, Ashanna didn’t know that he had vowed his comyenti life upon it, all for her and Twello. If she had known, Shazar feared she would not have agreed with it. He felt guilty in having had to keep this from Ashanna, but he had seen no other choice.

  But, unknowingly, by dying Ashanna has set me free. Set me free to fulfil my destiny…

  Today Felix, Sula’s husband, might still be alive, he was only in his twenties when they last saw each other, and that had been twenty years ago. Felix wouldn’t be thrilled to see him coming; that was a certainty. But the human male, like Ashanna, wouldn’t live forever and then there might be a chance for a future via the only surviving comyentis after all. Perhaps even for just one more child. Sula wasn’t too old, that is, if she agreed to that of course. He would do things differently this time round… very differently.

  Shazar was hopeful as always. At the very least they could live the rest of their lives together as friends above all, because they shared a common history and an empathetic bond. A bond which had no limits or boundaries. A bond which could easily be restored properly. Shazar thought about the night they had been briefly together, sharing kisses and much more. Yes he remembered it all very well, but she had been drugged and maybe she wouldn’t…

  ~~~

  Suddenly Shazar heard something; a distant faint crack of twigs in the mixed wood he was crossing. It could very well be a deer, it had sounded heavy enough for that. He listened closely and walked towards where he’d heard it. He sniffed and used the sense of the bear which could smell even better than the wolf. Then, he instantly knew who, and what he could smell… it was Twello, and his horse, Hazel.

  He had followed his father very silently from a distance, for he knew Shazar had super senses.

  But why? And why like this? Why had he not wanted to be found?

  ‘I guess you already know I’m here,’ a soft, low voice spoke from the shadows of the huge cedars. Mist hung around the stems and the great ferns. Shazar recognized his son, and sighed, relieved at the sight of him, unharmed. He was short for a young man, though muscular after years of training. His rosy features showed no emotion but he looked tired, his blue eyes puffy. His brown, curly hair had leaves stuck in it as though he had been hiding in bushes, or riding his steed through too thick a wilderness. His lips were tightly pressed together when he hissed, ‘I know where you’re going!’ His pale blue eyes, red from days of crying, showed so much anger in that one instant that Shazar felt it like a punch to his heart.

  ‘It’s good to be gifted isn’t it?’ Shazar tried after a few breaths, ignoring the hidden sneer in the boy’s voice and his accusing look, wanting to embrace him instead. But Twello backed away swiftly saying, ‘Those are your words, not mine.’

  Shazar rubbed his smooth chin in thought, his green eyes calm and piercing through his son’s, though not able to read the boy’s mind. And even if he could have, Twello would surely have blocked his thoughts and feelings from Shazar just as he had obviously been doing for some time now. But somehow Shazar knew what it was all about…

  After an uncomfortable silence, and with tension in the air, Shazar opened his mouth to speak, ‘Son-’

  ‘I know who you’re off to see so spare me your breath.’

  Shazar closed his mouth and sighed, ‘I sense great anger in you, son.’

  ‘Can you blame me? It has not even been a week, and already you have set out to see the love of your life!’
>
  ‘Your mother!’ his father started, agape, but he had closed his mouth again to stop his voice from breaking. He waited a moment to block out the emotions that came with the thought of her. ‘She…she meant the world to me. You know how I worshipped her, and how it hurt me when she…’

  Twello’s face screwed up with pain, his mouth trembled, seeing the honesty in his father’s eyes, and hearing it in his voice.

  ‘But still… you leave,’ he managed to say through gritted teeth.

  Shazar gestured him to sit down. Twello had never challenged him like this before, not even during in his teen years, for there had never been a reason to. To be fair, Shazar couldn’t blame him for his anger; for to the outside world, and especially to his son, his behaviour seemed unforgivable.

  It wasn’t for the comyenti though, and it was his species he had to think about once again. For too long had he been living in oblivion.

  ‘No, I won’t sit and talk!’ Twello snarled.

  ‘It will take a long time to fathom it all, Twello. Her death, her not being around us any more, but we’ll have to. She would not have wanted us to weep at her grave for too long.’

  ‘You could be right about that!’ his voice raised hotly. Shazar didn’t understand that and it surprised him, for he had always understood, even if he couldn’t hear the boy’s thoughts, he always understood his emotions and intentions. But then again, Ashanna and Twello had been very close to one another in their own way, and some things had been just between them.