Legend of the Touched (5 page)

He nodded, unsure of what to say. The risks of having
a job in the military always included him not coming back. "I'll
see her, in the flesh. I promise." And as unsure of how he felt
about having a daughter, he hoped she would in fact be a
she
. So much rode on this 'what if', especially Kat's
happiness.

"And you'll see I was right all along. I can't wait.
This is beautiful, and so special. For the first time in my life I
feel like I'm finally doing something right. And it makes me happy
to know she's always going to be taken care of too. Her prince is
out there."

"The Terran don't have a royal hierarchy like we do."
Though he wouldn't exactly call the Inero system of government
royalty either. Still, if he had a special label he went by, he'd
call himself a prince. A small, insignificant detail.

Kat laughed. "Princes don't have to be them through
blood. They can be a guy who knows how to treat a lady well. My
point is, I like knowing she'll be cared for by someone from her
childhood. It kind of reminds me of us. He'll be her best friend
and companion. The lack of relationship drama will be nice too.
Seeing all of my friends going through their break ups is making me
kind of sad. I don't want to go the pool because it's such a
downer."

Her mood was shifting to sad. He could sense it, feel
it even, deep down inside of his gut. So that was the reason she
was staying away from the other wives. "Spend more time with Lenora
then. Aren't things going well for her and my father?"

"Sort of. Lynx is so fixated on finding Navi, he's
been neglecting her needs and it makes her sad as well. Personally,
I think he's better off without that woman. Can't he see how much
Lenora loves him?"

"He does, and it's kind of her to sacrifice her
complete happiness and share him. I agree, I think he's better off
without Navi in his life, but he's...."
How do I word this?
"Father likes to maintain the upper hand. He's stubborn like that.
It's a conclusion he has to come to on his own."

"I do miss spending time with Lenora though. She's
like the mom I've always wanted. I should call her and ask her to
come here and visit with Tiffy and Ariana. Ariana is going through
a divorce, but she said it was a good mutual agreement. They've
both found someone that's better suited for them. I guess it all
works out. Seems like a waste of time to marry someone you never
wanted to be with from the start though right?"

"Yeah," he said. Discussing the faults in the Inero
Dragon Lord marriage ritual was not his idea of a good time,
however. Even he knew there were problems with the system, but it
worked. Wasn't that all that mattered in the end? Relationship
stumbling blocks were normal anyway. Besides, they had to think
about a lot of other factors besides simply being in love.
Continuation of the species was much more important. Matt had both
worlds, and because of that he was truly blessed.

Taking her hand in his, he gave her one more soft
kiss. "I wanted to spend some good quality time with you today. So
long as that's okay with you. You didn't make any plans or
anything? I'd hate for you to have to cancel them for me."

She reached up and touched his hair, "No plans. I'm
all yours. Did you have an idea?"

"No, just spending time with you while I have plenty
of it. Anything you need, it's yours. Anything you want. Everything
for you." He only had so much time left, and then he couldn't
guarantee if he'd come back.

Things would be a lot easier if Jason was still
around. He could admit to taking advantage of the fact he had a
brother so close to him. Their relationship had been distant for a
while, ever since they went through the marriage ritual. Once Kat
became a permanent, stable, part of his life, Matt became so
engrossed with work and her. Jason had his own things keeping him
away as well. Matt didn't feel the same without his brother around
though. He didn't like being strangers with him, but he wasn't sure
on how to end the strain. The two changed a lot over the summer,
grew up and grew apart. They'd always be tied to one another
through blood, and the love would always be there, but were they
still best friends? Matt wanted to believe so. He could hope and
keep trying.

I need you.
His eyes closed, trying to focus
on his brother.

It took a few minutes, but a reply came. Happy tears
pooled in Matt's eyes when he heard two words.

I'm here.

Chapter Ten

The Inero

I'm here,
Jason told his brother. Despite
everything they'd been through recently, he would never completely
abandon Matt. Gwen insisted he not be too close with his brother
anymore in case he tried to manipulate Jason into doing something
he'd rather not. She didn't get it though, but then again she was
an only child.

Thank you,
Matt said.
How are you?

Fine, it's okay. You can just tell me what's
wrong. What do you need?
He wanted to skip the pleasantries.
Obviously Matt wanted something from him or he would have sent a
different kind of message. This wasn't so they could shoot the
breeze with one another.

Matt was quiet for a minute.
I need some of your
sanity. You've always been the calmer, more rational one. It's
comforting to just hear your voice sometimes. I've missed
you.

And I you.
Jason closed his eyes. This was
harder than he thought it would be.

I think I've bitten off more than I can chew. And
I'm definitely not ready to be a dad.

He smiled a little.
You don't have much choice in
that one, but you're going to be fine. I told you that
before.

I feel like I can barely take care of myself
though.

Speaking as someone who's from the outside, you
seem to be doing a good job of it.
Jason didn't mean for it to
be harsh. He had wanted it to come off as encouraging, but Matt's
reaction suggested he hadn't succeeded at his goal.

You wouldn't have to be an outsider if you came
home.

He didn't want to say the first thing coming to his
mind. It would have been mean and he didn't have the energy to
fight with his brother today. Fighting with Gwen was bad enough,
and they weren't even fighting necessarily. They were just not
speaking with one another.

Jason finally found the words.
We're still trying
to work things out. This isn't as easy as I thought it would
be.

You still haven't...?

No, we still haven't had sex. It's frustrating and
complicated. We're not talking about my problems though, we're
talking about yours.

Another moment of quiet.
If there is a way I can
help, ask. I'll do it. All I wanted was for you to tell me it was
going to be okay. It's stupid and childish, but I feel awful asking
Kat for reassurance. She's tired and moody enough as it is. The
last thing she needs is to worry about me. I know you'll get it.
You understand my duties to Father.

That Jason did understand. The man was hard to say no
to, and if it was hard for him to say no, it would be doubly so for
Matt. His brother believed in Lynx, trusted him. He couldn't bring
himself to say they were doing the right thing by starting this
war, but he could try to offer something encouraging.

You are more than capable in anything you do.
Trust your gut instincts and go with it. That's how I know you'll
be fine. They're usually right.
Jason hoped those words would
resonate inside of Matt's heart, and maybe even lead him back down
the right path.

When you and Gwen finally do become one, you'll
come back right?
Matt asked.

Jason had to think about this.
We'll discuss it.
She likes the islands a lot. Thank you for the suggestion. It's
kind of like both of our homes combined together, and we might
stay. But of course we'll come back often to see you, Kat and the
baby. Father too if he has time for us. Any names for
junior?

No, she wants to call it Danielle. Which I guess is
fine since we're supposedly having a girl.

A what?
Jason blinked, completely stunned. His
jaw dropped and he was glad they were having this conversation via
telepathy because he wasn't sure what he would do.

A girl. I'm skeptical. Kat's hopeful. We're both
confused.

I will do my best to come back before
he...she...hatches.
A girl dragon? How could this even be
possible?

Thank you. Are you sure there's nothing I can do to
help you? What's the hang up exactly?

Jason rubbed at his arms. Even if they weren't
together physically, he could feel his brother's presence. It was
humbling and awkward all at once.
At first she wasn't ready
which I need to respect. Now she is, but I guess I'm not. I'm too
nervous.

Stop thinking about it so hard then.

That's not helpful.

You're right, I'm sorry. This is a tough situation,
but just know that when the time is right it'll be natural and
easier to make it happen. Sure, you'll still be nervous, but that's
not going to go away until after you both feel comfortable with
each other.

I know.
Jason rolled his eyes. He'd heard more
than enough sex talk to know what to expect the first time.

So maybe it hasn't been the right time just yet.
Take some baby steps. You're married, so nothing should be holding
you back from expressing how you love each other. There are more
ways than just sex, or anything sexual in general,
Matt
said.

That was something he'd forgotten about. Such a heavy
emphasis was put on the act of mating, that he'd pushed all other
ideas aside. No wonder things felt strange. It seemed obvious now.
Though there was still the problem of the voice inside of his head.
He wanted to ask his brother about it, but didn't know what Matt
would think of it. Fear kept Jason quiet. More importantly though,
Jason wanted to ask if Matt felt different at all.

Shortly before coming to the island, the brothers had
partaken in a summoning ritual with the supposed Holy Prophet Seth.
Jason didn't buy it, but he did his part in the ceremony because it
was the only way he could guarantee being able to leave safely with
Gwen. Both he and his brother had blacked out. Ever since he came
too, he'd been feeling not entirely like himself.

He didn't know much about the ritual. What little he
did understand though made him nervous. Lynx had spoken of the
twins' powerful magic being used to open a connection to the
spiritual realm. Anything could have walked in or out during their
moment of vulnerability. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe he
was possessed.

Are you still there?
Matt asked.

Yes, I'm thinking,
Jason said.
You're
right. I'll see if I can try a different approach.
One that
involved kicking the voice inside of his head, out.

Chapter Eleven

The Oceina

Once again, his side of the bed was cold. Darien was
up walking again in the middle of the night. She remembered his
father doing this, though she didn't know if it was something he
had done often or not. Her encounters with the man had always been
brief. They hadn't even spoken to one another. Maybe he had smiled
and nodded at her once, but no words had passed. She was sure of
it. But the walking did happen. The sounds of his footsteps moving
up and down the halls in the middle of the night would always stand
out in her mind. When she had first arrived at the Oceina home, the
sound had terrified her into staying put in bed.

It amused her how alike his father Darien was without
even realizing it. Moments like now, her mind would drift back to
home, and she wondered how similar she was to her mother. Or maybe
she too was like her father. She'd never known the man, so all she
had to go off of were guesses. Not something Tai enjoyed thinking
about either. Why think about someone who left her when she was
just an infant?

Her mother, now she was a good woman. Always smiling,
and always friendly to others. She gave a lot up for her daughter.
That was the kind of person Tai wanted to be.
I don't think I'm
doing a good job of it though.

Hmm?
Darien asked. Butting into her thoughts,
again.

She didn't reply. Maybe he'd get the hint if she
didn't say anything to him.

All right, I'll leave you alone. I can't sleep, and
my curiosity got the better of me. Go back to bed.

When he said things like that to her, guilt filled
her. She knew all he wanted to do was help, and he only asked
because he cared so much.
I'm on edge is all. There's so much
going on at once. I have a lot of emotions to sift through
still.

Do you want me to come back?

No. Don't take this the wrong way, but I like you
away right now. It helps me feel clearer... Does that make sense to
you at all?

Yes.
But she could sense a tension in his
tone.

Only for a little while,
she added quickly in
an effort to be reassuring.
We can still talk too.

Okay, because I admit, I do want to know what you
mean.

She sighed, staring up at the white ceiling.
I'm
still adjusting to this. Being here with you. Every day it gets a
little easier, but it still feels so much like a dream. What if
none of this is real, and instead of coming here with you, I'm
still unconscious and chained to the altar on the island?

If that is the case, then I suppose I will have to
go over and save you again.

What if that were true? How would things be different
between them if she hadn't spontaneously decided to be one with him
the night they first met? The circumstances of their meeting were
strange in and of themselves, but that had been the biggest
catalyst for their romance. She'd wanted him to at the time, and
even though it was hard to admit it, she didn't regret it. Not
completely. Did he?