Author: Suilan

Tani was grateful when his feet sunk into the soft texture of the Turkish carpet in the living room of his house. Hera dropped into the closest armchair. Resting her head back, her eyes closed as she fought back the effects of his abrupt teleport.

“Why did we run from there?” she asked after a moment.

“Call Tom and let him know not to go to Artri House,” Tani said.

Hera reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She dialed Tom and caught him in the parking lot outside the fortress.

“You’d better park your car. We’re in Babu’s house,” Hera said. “Yes, Babu is awake and functioning. Something unusual happened at the vineyard. He’ll have to tell you.”

She ended the call and sat up, placing the book she held on the coffee table. She let out a heavy sigh.

“We, si, I’m in shock,” Hera said, studying Tani. “Artri House is not ordinary. The people living there are not like other Ekho-blessed. Dante is too powerful. The firepower is held deep inside him, I couldn’t sense his fire. The only other person who makes me feel the same blankness is you. The clothes you have on are not usual, Babu. Where did you get them?”

Tani looked at the clothes he wore.

The red tunic was made of the finest fabric in the Ekho Realm. The threads were woven to withstand the ravages of a flame. It was a sincere gift from Kinon. The god of fire who kept Artri House locked away from Cale.

It made Tani wonder how he had managed to get out of Artri House. The house had allowed his teleport for Dante or for Nora, he didn’t know.

“I found them on the bed upstairs after my shower,” Tani said, unwilling to reveal that Kinon, the god of fire, a man he thought his enemy had gifted him the fine clothes.

“Are the Arturos good?” Hera asked. “Is Artri House a mystery we have to solve?”

“Are you nervous?” Tani asked, smiling at Hera.

“Maybe,” Hera said, staring at the little book on the coffee table. “I liked Nora. She was kind. She’s very observant and knew I had a daughter just by looking at the charm on my bracelet. I—”

“You admire her,” Tani said.

“She’s a strong woman,” Hera said. “Dante Arturo doesn’t look easy to bring up.”

Tani chuckled and shook his head.

Hera narrowed her gaze on him. She looked at him as though she could see his secret.

Tani wondered if she could see the joy filling him inside at the flicker of warmth left by the small part of Dante’s soul lingering inside him. The scent of jasmine still filled his nose. The knowledge that Dante would come looking for him to ask for his reward made him want to laugh.

Tani bit his bottom lip to stop his smile and turned away from Hera.

“Who is Dante to you?” she asked.

“Someone who needed a vineyard cleansed,” Tani said, clearing his throat. He started out of the living room, but Hera stopped him, placing her hand on his right arm.

“Babu,” Hera said, her tone soft, vulnerable.

Tani looked at her then.

“I overheard Cale, and Uncle Amu, discussing a trial and a mortal who hurts you. That the trial will end and you will…,” she trailed off. “He’s not the one, is he? You won’t disappear, will you? I’m afraid if you leave, Deniz and I might not get to see you again.”

“Why won’t you see me?” Tani asked, gently pinching her cheek. “I’m here with you, Deniz, Tom, and Uncle Amu. Where am I going?”

“To the Ekho Realm,” Hera said, her eyes filling with the sheen of tears.

Seeing her tears hurt.

She represented the part of the mortal world he wanted to keep. Tani wanted to see Hera find true love of her own. He wanted to see Deniz get through school, graduate, find her passion, and pursue it. He wanted to help Hera plan her daughter’s wedding in the future. See Tom get married, and hold his children. There was so much.

Where was he going to find the strength to leave them all if he failed with Dante?

Swallowing down the lump of tears lodged in his throat, Tani smiled at Hera.

“Silly child,” he said now. “Why would I leave you and Deniz? Stop worrying and go freshen up, get some rest. It’s been a long morning for all of us. Let’s have dinner tonight as a family. What do you think?”

“Will you cook?” Hera asked, giving him a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

“Of course,” Tani said. “I’ll even get Cale to help and make him bring us wine. We’ll make Deniz’s favorite.”

“Meatballs again?” Hera sighed. “You and Cale are too much. You spoil Deniz.”

“She’s too cute not to spoil,” Tani said, leaning in to kiss her soft cheek. “Stop worrying, Hera. All is well. I’m going upstairs to change out of these clothes. They feel foreign to me.”

“Okay,” Hera nodded and let go of Tani’s right arm.

Tani left the living room and headed upstairs to his private room. His heart felt heavy. The unshed tears in Hera’s eyes weighed on him. The most he could do about her fear was gift her terrific memories. He had no way of knowing what would happen after Dante’s thirty-sixth birthday.

If he failed to save Dante and failed to win Dante’s love…a love he had no right to have now with Viola in the picture.

Would he have enough power to find a way to stay in the mortal realm for the family he had made here? Would he be lucid enough to fight the Septum?

Letting out a soft sigh, Tani decided to push these worries aside. He was comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans or sweats, so he would change and take a quick nap. Afterward, he would head downstairs and cook for his family.

He would dwell on Dante and the secrets of Artri House another day.

****

That evening, Tani was busy skewering marinated beef pieces for kebabs when Cale strolled in carrying a bottle of red wine.

“We’re cooking,” Cale said, stopping at the kitchen entrance to take in the scents. “Meatballs for young Deniz, kebabs for everyone else, and side dishes. You’re busy, little lordling.”

“You’ve been gone,” Tani said, adding pieces of beef to the skewer he held. He spared Cale a glance, noting the new gray suit. “Did you stop by the tailor?”

“Your idiot beloved singed my new suit,” Cale said, placing the bottle on the kitchen table.

Cale removed his suit jacket and arranged it neatly on the back of a chair. He then folded the sleeves of his white shirt to his elbows and went to wash his hands at the sink. He wiped his hands on a hand cloth at the sink and unhooked a black apron from a hook on the wall.

Tani hid a smile at the caption on the front.

It read, ‘I make a mean deviled egg’. The apron was Hera’s gift to Cale.

“Is the singed suit the reason why you left me with Dante?” Tani asked, watching Cale pick up the bowl filled with clean tomatoes and peeled onions. “I was unconscious, Cale. You should have brought me here.”

“Dante said you promised to stay at Artri. He looked desperate to keep you,” Cale said, finding a knife. He started slicing and dicing, popping a slice of tomato into his mouth in between. “You know I don’t mess around with warlocks of fire. Their firepower is pure. I teleported you outside his bewitched manor, and he took over. I am surprised to see you walking and making family dinner.”

“Me too,” Tani said, pausing to study the gold cuffs he had not bothered hiding. He was home with his family. They all knew he wore the cuffs. No need to hide them. “Dante took the pain from me, and burned it away using a conduit spell.”

“Whoa,” Cale let out a whistle. “Artri House has a powerful gene pool to manage a spell that can heal you.”

Tani thought about Kinon and Artri House’s whispers. He started to mention Kinon being the Septum member who gifted Dante with fire. Something inside him stopped his words. He found himself biting his bottom lip and keeping the secret.

‘Please don’t tell yet,’ Artri whispered in his head.

Tani stood still, staring at the skewer he held.

How could he still hear the manor? Why was the manor begging to keep a secret from Cale?

“Tani?”

He looked up to find Cale watching him.

“What?” Tani asked.

“You’ve been staring at the skewer for a minute and a half. Is something wrong with the beef?” Cale asked.

“No,” Tani said, shaking his head.

Tani adjusted the cubes of meat on the skewer and lined it up with the six skewers he had already made. He pushed away thoughts of Artri House and concentrated on what he was cooking.

“Were you in the Ekho Realm?” Tani asked.

“Yes, they wanted to know why I took the cuffs off,” Cale said, finishing with the tomatoes and onions. He gathered a bunch of lettuce and went to rinse them at the sink. “Your father asked about you. He invited you to stay at the Citadel when your trial ends.”

Tani dropped the skewer he had picked up and braced his hands on the kitchen counter. He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and let it out. He took in air again, and let it out slowly. There was no way to escape the wave of anger building inside him when he thought about his parents.

His anger bordered on unquenchable rage. There were times he worried it would consume him.

His parents were not creatures he understood.

How did they end up together? Why did they choose to have him? He wanted to know why they bothered to bring him into a world where they could not live together as a family? Why did his mother hate him? Why did Sunu, his father, refuse to accept Tani’s beloved?

Yes, he lived with a deep anger directed at his parents.

It ate at him, at his soul. The weight in his chest threatened to choke him, and for a minute, he thought he might cry out. Then, the anger lifted off, disappearing, replaced with warmth.

‘Breathe.’ A soft murmur filled his head.

Tani took in air; relief filled him, replacing the flood of anger. He felt calm again.

What was that?

Was it Artri House again? How? Why was it able to neutralize his emotions?

“Drink this,” Cale said, pushing a glass of wine into his right hand. “I’m sorry I brought your father up. He asked about you. Said he wished he could do more for you. I needed to let you know.”

Tani sipped his wine and nodded, preoccupied with the restorative warmth filling him. It felt too similar to the connection with Dante earlier in the day.

“It’s not easy for Sunu,” Cale said.

“I—,” Tani stared into his glass.

It wasn’t easy for him either. What was he supposed to say about a father he barely knew?

“Cale,” Tani said, placing his wine glass on the work table. “It’s been a long day. Can we shelve my father’s message for another day?”

“Okay,” Cale said. “Full disclosure, I brought someone to visit.”

“Who have you brought now?” Tani asked, glaring at Cale.

“Someone who needs a place to sleep,” Cale said. “My apartment has only one bedroom. You know I spend all my time here with you. It would be horrible to take a guest there. Are you willing to host?”

“The fortress is open to guests,” Tani said.

“She’s not fortress fodder,” Cale said.

“Cale.”

“Little Lordling, only your good fortune can keep her comfortable in this mortal realm,” Cale said. “If she stays with mortals she will scar them for life. I should warn you. I left her standing outside.”

“Outside my front door?” Tani asked.

“Yes.”

“You’re an idiot,” Tani said, shaking his head. “Who did you bring?’

“Eren, goddess of the earth.”

“Damn it,” Tani sighed. How many members of the Septum was he going to meet in a day? “Go get her before she makes all my elder bushes bloom for no reason.”

“Um.”

Cale pointed to the picture window at the kitchen sink showing off the garden outside the house. The elder bushes near the house were filled with white flowers. Unusual for this time of year, every mortal in the fortress would notice the sudden splash of white flowers.

“Damn it, she’s ruining my ecosystem. I would tell you to clean it up, but you’ll suck the life out of the Elderwood,” Tani said, watching a large elder bush fill with flowers. “Go get her before she turns the flowers into berries. She can stay, but you get to babysit her. This can’t happen again. Poor Tom will have to come up with an explanation about the weather.”

“Your temper has improved. You haven’t run to the door to kick her out. I really want to know what they did to you at Artri House,” Cale said.

“Let’s say it’s been a long day and I’m exhausted,” Tani said, picking up a skewer. “I don’t have time to chase around a member of the Septum. If she stays here, she lives by the house rules. She eats what we’re having and respects Tom, Hera, and Deniz. I’m not accommodating her because she’s from the Septum.”

“I’ll be sure to lay out the rules,” Cale said, heading to the front door to invite Eren, the Ekho goddess of earth, into Tani’s house.

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Dante hurried downstairs, taking the hidden staircase to the basement. He found Nora and Hera bent over a healing book. Nora was explaining the contents of the book to Hera, who nodded to show her understanding.

Dante stopped by the entrance, watching Hera. She wore jeans and a flowery blouse. Her black braids in a tight ponytail on top of her head. Her feet were in work boots, ready to walk the land. She looked like she was in her late twenties, twenty-five maybe. The frown lingering on her forehead was enough to let him know she was still worried about Tani. Her empathy levels were higher than his, Dante thought.

“The basic ingredients in these spells are herbs,” Nora explained. “Easily found in a kitchen garden. The rest is the magik found in your elemental gifts. Your affinity is water, so you would need to find the pages which discuss how to use your element.”

“I’m surprised you have information on water users,” Hera said, tracing her index finger on the open page.

“We are of fire, but some of our extended relatives belonged to the water, earth, and wind. It’s not uncommon to fill our library of books with information about other elements.”

“You say the same things babu does,” Hera said. “I’m always looking for a way to help him. I need to learn how to quiet my abilities when he is facing an overload.”

“This is a skill we teach our young children early,” Nora said, moving away from the large desk they were using.

Nora disappeared into the maze of tall bookshelves laden with books to the east of the room. She returned a moment later with a small book Dante recognized. He had needed to memorize its contents at the age of ten.

Nora noticed him leaning on a pillar and smiled.

“You’re here,” Nora said. “Is he alright?”

“He’s awake,” Dante said, drawing Hera’s full attention.

Her dark brown eyes were wide with surprise. She straightened up from where she was leaning over the desk.

“How?” she asked.

“I found a way to help him deal with the pain,” Dante said.

“Good,” Nora said and moved to Hera’s side by the desk. “This little book teaches how to control our elemental affinities. How to reduce their leakage; hold them in check, and release them at will. All children born in our house master these techniques by age ten.”

“Oh,” Hera said, taking the small book from Nora. “My house lets us learn at our own pace as needed.”

“We are of fire,” Nora said, squeezing Hera’s right arm. “It’s not easy to explain a burned down house or even burnt skin on a stranger. We must control our fire from when we are very young. Otherwise, we’re bound to have disastrous outcomes.”

“Makes sense,” Hera said, hugging the small book.

“Keep this copy,” Nora said. “For you and your daughter.”

“How did you—?” Hera started.

Nora reached out to touch the charm bracelet on Hera’s wrist. It had a charm with the name Deniz on it.

“Oh,” Hera said, a smile lighting up her face. “You’re observant.”

“I mothered Dante,” Nora said, nodding in his direction. “Observation remains a required skill. Otherwise, he might have burned down this vineyard by age three if left unchecked.”

Hera chuckled and looked at Dante.

“Babu?” Hera asked, looking behind Dante, her gaze was expectant.

“Tani asked for a few moments alone,” Dante said. “He also asked me to make you milk tea and not our Turkish blend. He said you would show me.”

Hera’s smile was instant and wide. She hugged the book in her hands tighter and relaxed. The tension in her shoulders eased.

Dante realized Tani had sent a message to Hera. A message to help her not worry anymore.

“I’d love some milk tea,” Hera said, with a happy nod.

“Great. Let’s go to the kitchen then,” Nora said. “Dante what would our guest want to eat? I’ll make it.”

“Hera will know,” Dante said, waiting for her to reach him before he led the way to the stairs.

When they got to the kitchen, Dante found the milk in the fridge. He found a small pot, while Nora and Hera bonded over tea blends.

“It is almost lunch. Allow me to cook for you, Tom, and Mr. Ryuzo. What does Mr. Ryuzo like to eat?” Nora asked.

“Babu?” Hera asked.

Dante narrowed his gaze on his mother, but she avoided looking at him as she nodded in answer to Hera.

“Oh, he has a terrible sweet tooth,” Hera said. “He loves sweet things. I make him coffee cookies often. Otherwise, for real food, he will eat stuffed baked potatoes every day if you let him.”

“How lucky,” Nora said, hurrying to the kitchen counter where the gas range was set up with a hood above it. She opened the oven doors and reached for oven mitts. She pulled out a tray with baked potatoes wrapped in foil. “I made a good guess for lunch today.”

Hera grinned, but Dante’s gaze turned suspicious as he looked at his mother. She knew more about Tani Ryuzo than she was letting on.

“Hera, you’d better help Dante make your tea,” Nora said. “Otherwise, you will wait years for it.”

Dante scowled at her, making Hera chuckle.

Hera walked around the island table to where he stood near the fridge and took the pot from him. She measured milk with the mug, poured it into the pot, then handed him the milk bottle to return to the fridge.

“How long have you lived with Tani?” Dante asked, refusing to call a man he wanted to kiss Babu.

Tani had to be the hottest grandpa he ever met.

“All my life,” Hera said, taking the pot of milk and the empty mug to the gas range. She detoured to the sink and added water to her mug. She added that to the milk and turned on the fire.

Dante found a bag of their best tea leaves and a sieve. He moved to Hera’s side.

Nora was busy checking the baked potatoes to make sure they were cooked.

“How long is all your life?” Dante asked Hera, arranging the packet of tea leaves next to her mug.

“It’s rude to ask a lady her age,” Nora said.

“I don’t mind telling but I won’t,” Hera said, winking at Dante. “We don’t know each other well enough, Dante. I can say Babu has been a part of my life since I could open my eyes. He helped feed me my first taste of mashed pumpkin and carrot.”

“You promptly helped me wear it on my face,” Tani said, making them all turn to the kitchen entrance.

Tani stood looking healthy again in a red long-sleeved tunic shirt with gold embroidery on the open collar and dark jeans. His red-brown hair damp from a recent shower. There was no trace of pain on his face.

Dante’s gaze dropped to Tani’s feet. The man was killing him, walking around the manor with no shoes. It felt…so intimate. Like Tani belonged here. He wished Tani would spend more time in the manor looking this comfortable.

“Dante?” Nora’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Hm…,” Dante dragged his gaze away from Tani’s bare feet to find his mother glaring at him. “What?”

“Hera asked you to hand her the sieve you’re holding,” Tani said.

Dante turned to Hera who watched him with amusement, unlike Nora who shook her head. He smiled and handed over the sieve to Hera.

Tani sauntered to the island table and pulled out a chair. He sat and rested his elbows on the table. Dante wondered what Tani would do if he went over and sat next to him.

“How are you feeling?” Nora asked Tani.

“Much better,” Tani said, giving her a small smile. “The best outcome of our encounter is that the vineyard is cleansed.”

“Cleansed of what?” Nora asked, facing Tani, her eyes wide.

“Black weed,” Dante said.

When Nora kept staring at Tani, he sat back in his chair and returned her gaze.

“The Kara ot we found in the olive grove is a deadly weed found in the Ekho Realm. The olive grove was suffering from a serious infection. The weed grows underground, sucking up nutrients from the soil and all living beings close to its location.”

“How did the olive trees survive?” Nora asked, abandoning the baked potatoes, she moved to stand before Tani.

“The olive grove is old, seasoned. The roots are able to reach further away for nutrients. We can say the olive trees survived because of their age,” Tani said.

“What happens now?” Nora asked. “Will Kara ot return?”

“It will not return unless someone brings it. The vineyard is cleansed and the soil nutrients restored,” Tani said.

“You burned away the black weed and all its traces from our land,” Dante said.

“Yes,” Tani said, his gaze dropping to his wrists. “It’s the only way to remove the black weed. Our Ekho abilities burn the weed away. It is the duty of those like us in our realm to keep the black weed under control. Left unattended it burrows deeper, and finds a new place to root if we don’t get it all.”

“How did a weed from the Ekho Realm get into our vineyard?” Nora asked with a sigh.

Tani looked up then.

“Have you had a visit from one of us?” Tani asked, narrowing his gaze.

“No,” Dante said.

“Yes,” Nora said.

Tani’s right brow lifted in surprise.

Dante turned to his mother in surprise.

How did she know an Ekho who could visit Artri House? Artri House whispered all its secrets to him. So, how could she keep a visit from an Ekho from him?

Unless they did not meet in the manor, or near it.

Dante reached out to touch his mother’s shoulder but she moved away from him.

Nora returned to her baking sheet lined with baked potatoes. She tested the foil around one potato before she went to wash her hands at the sink.

Hera finished with the milk tea. She took the empty pot to the sink and added water for it to soak.

Hera then carried the two mugs of milk tea she had made around the island table. She placed one mug before Tani.

Tani thanked her with a wide smile. A smile that lit his face up, making Dante’s heart squeeze tight at the sight of it. He wished he could get a similar smile turned to him too.

It was frustrating to know that Tani reserved his smiles for Hera.

Hera slid into the chair next to Tani and sipped from her mug. Tani followed suit, sipping his milk tea, his gaze returning to Nora. He waited for an answer to his question.

Dante gave the pair at the island table one last glance before he turned his attention to his mother.

“Mom?” Dante asked, leaning on the island table, curious when Nora kept her back to him. “What’s going on? Is there something I should know?”

“There are things I cannot say. I called your father, and the grandmaster, as soon as Mr. Ryuzo entered this manor,” Nora said, her tone heavy, as though she carried a weight she could not easily let down. “The truths I know have to come from you grandmaster, Dante.”

“Yes, but answering Tani’s question should be easy,” Dante said. “He did help our vineyard.  Our olive grove is saved. Telling him who might have brought a deadly weed from the Ekho Realm is the least we can do.”

“I wish I could say the name,” Nora said, turning to look at Dante, her eyes red. “I cannot. I’m sworn to secrecy.”

“Secrecy?” Dante started to protest. “What are you talking about, Mom?”

“I—I—,” Nora broke off, and swallowed hard, her eyes filled with worry.

She started to step toward Dante but stopped. She looked at Tani with a deep frown.

“I understand,” Tani said, placing his mug on the table, his gaze on Nora, even as Dante turned to him. “Hera, do you have things you need to collect here?”

“Only a book and your clothes from the laundry,” Hera said.

“Forget the clothes,” Tani said. “Take your book.”

Hera complied without asking more questions. She got up, took her mug and Tani’s to the sink, and then retrieved the spell book Nora gave her from the counter. She returned to Tani’s side.

“Wait—” Dante said, realizing Tani’s intention.

“Your family has heavy secrets,” Tani said. “From your mother’s expression and the visible pain it is causing her when she tries to tell you, I imagine these secrets cannot be said in my presence. I am an outsider.”

“No,” Dante shook his head, hating the visible sting in Tani’s eyes.

This was not going how he had wanted. He had hoped for a quiet lunch with Tani and Hera, to get to know them better.

Nora swallowed hard and shook her head, her gaze apologetic when she looked at Tani.

It was absurd. What unmentionable secrets could his family have?

Tani had admitted to being an Ekho. It was the largest secret anyone could keep, so what right did they have to keep secrets from him?

“Mom, tell Tani he can stay,” Dante said, turning to Nora. “You—”

“Hera and I will return to Elderwood now. I thank you, Dante, for burning my pain today,” Tani cut in. “I owe you a gift in return. You may request anything of me, but keep it reasonable. As you know, I’m not at full power. I will grant your request. You can call Tom King when you want to find me.”

“But—”

Tani held out his right hand to Hera, holding Dante’s gaze, a small knowing smile playing on his lips.

Dante started to go around the island table, determined to stop Tani.

“It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Arturo,” Hera said, and took Tani’s hand.

Tani and Hera shimmered in a cloud of gold and then they were gone.

It was the first record of an Ekho leaving from within Artri House. The manor’s records did not have information on another who had managed. They all left through the front door. The records had the few who had stepped into Artri House teleporting from the front step.

Nora let out a relieved sigh and leaned back on the counter, breathing hard. She pointed to the potted plants along the wide kitchen window. Their leaves were vibrant green, the white flowers on the oregano peaking out next to the rosemary.

“Your Ryuzo is blessed with good fortune. He made the flowers on my herbs bloom before their time,” Nora said, amused. “He’s a charmer.”

“Mom!” Dante glared at her. “You made him leave before I could get a word in.”

“I’m sorry. He’s not an easy one to keep. You’re going to need to work harder than healing his pain, Dante,” Nora said, shaking her head. “Artri House has not stood this long because of good fortune. The more I think about it, the more it feels like misfortune.”

“Does this have to do with the warning in the family grimoire?” Dante asked.

“Yes. Your grandmother told me the truth about Artri House before she died. She worried another generation would pass by without a resolution for Ryuzo. The moment your grandmaster discovered I knew about the warning, and why it exists, he locked the secrets away with his fire,” Nora said with a sigh.

“How could he?” Dante asked. “You are of fire. It should not harm you.”

“He’s more powerful,” Nora said, shaking her head. “The only thing I ever agreed about with Viola was the callous nature of the men in this house. Your hearts are coated with ice, despite your firepower.”

Dante frowned at her.

“If I tried to tell the secrets of Artri House to outsiders I would burn to a crisp, Dante. Thinking about it now, your grandmaster has a very cruel streak. I’ve always been a believer in righting wrongs at the earliest possible time. However, I’m not an Arturo by blood. I cannot make decisions for your father and his great-grandfather, or for you, Dante. This is why we have to wait for your father, and Grandmaster Landi to get here.”

“What is this you can’t say before Tani? These secrets will ruin me,” Dante said, pulling out a chair at the island table, his gaze on the chair Tani had used. “Who knows when I will get to meet Tani Ryuzo again?”

“We’ll leave that to fate,” Nora said, with a shrug. She turned her attention to the baked potatoes on the baking sheet and sighed. “It’s too bad I did not get a chance to make him my stuffed baked potato. I think he would have loved them.”

Stuffed baked potatoes aside, he would have loved Tani to sit at this table longer.

Something about Tani shook his heart and filled him with…longing. The heart his mother called callous squeezed tight, as though robbed of something precious. He pressed his right hand to his chest mourning a loss.

Dante frowned.

****

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Tears, Tani scoffed. He could not even wipe them away because Dante held his elbows, locked in a conduit spell. Shaking his head, he cursed under his breath and met Dante’s curious gaze.

“What else hurts?” Dante asked, still taking Tani’s pain.

The heavier wave of discomfort eased. Tani was finding it easier to wrestle his considerable power into staying locked within the prison the binding spell created using the gold cuffs on his wrists. Force his very life force to stay within the prison the Septum insisted he deserved for loving this man.

“I’m feeling better,” Tani said when Dante kept studying him with concern. “The pain is bearable now.”

“You’re crying.”

“I’m clearly not crying,” Tani said, despite his clumped lashes and the wet tear tracks running down his cheeks.

Dante studied his face for a moment and then smiled.

“Are you very happy I helped with the pain that it’s brought you to tears?” Dante asked when the pain he was taking in trickled into nothing.

Tani chuckled.

“You take yourself very seriously, Dante.”

“I should. No one else will if I don’t.”

Tani chuckled again and shook his head.

“Why do you wear these gold cuffs?” Dante asked. “Why can’t we find a way to remove them? This Cale is not your friend if he returns them on you knowing the damage they cause.”

Tani bit his bottom lip, his gaze dropping to the gold cuffs he had kept on for nine hundred years plus. There was a time the cuffs drove him mad. It was right after his sentencing. He could not be with Dante at the time, so he retreated to the forest where his Uncle Amu kept up their first home.

The first one hundred years were hell.

Uncle Amu once found him holding an axe wondering how he could cut the cuffs off to escape the crippling prison the Septum forced on him. Afraid Tani might genuinely lose his mind, Amu and Cale restrained him in a locked room in the forest for a decade. It took that long for him to accept his prison, accept his life force would remain locked away until Dante chose him.

Dante was the only one who could save him from the cuffs.

It was funny to hear him ask why Tani would wear them. If Tani rejected these cuffs, he would be dragged back to the Ekho Realm forever. He would never meet Dante again. The thought made him sick to the stomach.

What was a little pain?

“I told you when we met in the olive grove,” Tani said. “Why I have to wear these can’t be explained on our first meeting. We need to get to know each other more.”

“Does it mean you won’t disappear on me?” Dante asked, and Tani looked up to find Dante studying him. “I threatened to burn Cale’s suit to keep you with us earlier. If he comes back again, I’m afraid you’ll leave with him.”

“You threatened Cale’s suit?” Tani asked, grinning. “I know you’re of fire, but Cale values his bespoke suits. He is capable of holding a very deep grudge.”

Dante chuckled.

“Is he the god of calamities?” Dante asked.

Tani nodded.

“Why are you hanging out with such a sinister character?” Dante asked.

“He’s not so sinister,” Tani said. “Just because he presides over dark desires does not mean he is disagreeable.”

“Only an Ekho would think that way,” Dante said, squeezing Tani’s elbows. “We lowly humans are terrified of the god of calamities and his dark, dark eyes.”

“I suppose he is an acquired taste,” Tani said. “I’ve known Cale a long time. He’s been a companion when I didn’t know I needed one. You’ll find comfort in the unlikeliest of places.”

Dante frowned.

“Are you two—?” Dante asked, and then stopped, the lines between his brows deepening.

Tani hid a smile and returned his attention to the thin lines tying his arms to Dante.

“You should stop now,” Tani said. “I am no longer in pain. I can manage any that arises from a flare-up. The worst is over.”

“Are you sure?” Dante asked. “We can keep the connection on for a little longer.”

Tani met Dante’s brown eyes. How he wished they could keep touching like this, locked together. The memory of Dante’s family filled him. The images of two children, and Viola, their mother, living in the US slashed through him.

He let go of Dante’s arms and started to move back.

“Wait,” Dante said, frowning again. “Let me disconnect us, otherwise you’ll only hurt when you try to compensate for the loss of my power healing you.”

“Has anyone told you that you’re too overconfident in your abilities?” Tani asked.

“Everyone,” Dante said, winking at him.

“How do you walk around with that big head on your shoulders?”

“I’ve always had it, so it’s no trouble,” Dante said.

Tani huffed and watched as Dante slowly withdrew the power he extended to him, the conduits fading from Tani’s arms, unwrapping from around his elbows. They returned to Dante and Tani was free.

His first instinct was to shift back. He reminded his heart that he wasn’t here to get close to Dante but to save him from whatever killed him at thirty-six.

Tani gasped when Dante grabbed his right arm and stopped his getaway.

Dante leaned in too close, their faces an inch apart.

“Don’t teleport out of this house,” Dante said, smiling, his brown eyes filled with amusement and…something else.

“Why?” Tani asked, he’d been about to return to Elderwood.

He needed a bit of time away from Dante. A moment to gain back his balance after Dante handed him a small part of himself despite the chasm between them.

“Artri House is warded against Cale, and all Ekho coming ins and outs,” Dante said. “An ancestor of mine was obsessed with finding a way to either keep one of you in here or one of you out. We could never figure it out.”

Tani tried it anyway, closing his eyes, reaching for his dampened powers, hoping to travel a familiar path back home to the fortress. Instead of the warm energy of home responding and pulling him home, a black wall of nothing greeted his attempts.

He sighed and opened his eyes to find Dante studying him.

“You promised to stay and tell me more about why you’re here, Tani Ryuzo. Your ward is downstairs with my mother hoping you feel better soon. She cried when you were in pain. In any case, my mother has healing spells she can learn for other situations.”

“What are you trying to say?” Tani asked.

“You should stay here at Artri House,” Dante said, still holding Tani’s right arm. “I have questions—”

Tani scoffed.

“Because you have questions, you somehow feel you have the right to get answers right away,” Tani said.

“You did promise to stay in the olive grove,” Dante said, his grip tightening on Tani’s arm.

“I did,” Tani said with a slow nod. “But it was before I knew what it would take to cleanse your vineyard. This…,”

Tani used his free hand to point to them, sitting on a bed, half-naked hours after meeting for the first time. Dante having used a very intimate spell to save him.

“It’s-it’s more than I expected to give on our first meeting.”

“Okay,” Dante said, though he did not make a move to shift away or let go of Tani’s arm.

Their knees stayed pressed together. Tani took a deep breath and the scent of jasmine filled him up. It was torture. He broke their gaze and stared instead at Dante’s bare chest.

He didn’t remember when Dante had removed his t-shirt.

Tani curled his fingers into tight fists to stop himself from pressing his palms on Dante’s chest. To feel his warm skin, discover the sound of his heartbeat…

Tani closed his eyes, his nails digging into his palms.

“What do you need of me so that you can stay?” Dante asked in a low cajoling voice. “I’ll give it to you. Anything but you leaving.”

He pressed his palms on Tani’s face, using his thumbs to wipe away the lingering tears on Tani’s skin. Dante was not playing fair. Every part of him trembled at Dante’s touch, his caress. How long had it been since he had been touched like this?

Too long, Tani’s heart skipped with joy and he let out a shaky breath.

“Dante Arturo.”

“I like how you say my name. It sounds like an important discovery. Like your voice is making love to me.”

Tani shook his head, opening his eyes to meet serious brown eyes.

“You’re a shameless flirt,” Tani accused, making Dante smile.

“Please stay,” Dante said again, this time he begged.

Tani sighed and pulled Dante’s hands away.

“I need space. Leave me alone and go find Hera. Make her milk tea, not the Turkish-brewed blend, but her way. I need time to get my head together. Okay?”

“Okay,” Dante said. “Anything else?”

Tani closed his eyes testing out the black wall of nothing he was facing when he tried to leave

‘Can’t leave yet. He wants you to stay.’

It took him a minute to realize it was the manor itself forcing him to stay within its walls.

“Your house makes the rules according to what you want,” Tani said. “It’s choosing not to let me leave. Let it know Cale is important to me.”

Tani opened his eyes in time to see Dante give him a fierce scowl. The second one was in reference to Cale.

“Why is the god of calamity important to you?” Dante asked, his expression turning cold, hard.

“We don’t know each other well yet for me to give you an answer,” Tani said.

“I dream about you,” Dante said, surprising Tani.

Ha, this is a new one, Tani thought. Why would Dante dream of him?

“They are old dreams, older than should be possible. Three lifetimes now, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth century. I don’t know if the dreams are real.”

“Is this how you knew I was Ryuzo?” Tani asked, surprised by this development.

“Yes,” Dante said. “In them, we—we were…we are…”

Tani studied Dante for a moment, and then because he was not ready to find out what kind of dreams Dante was having, he smiled and clasped Dante’s hands.

“Go take care of Hera for me. She worries when she thinks I’m in trouble. Give me some time, and let Cale in.”

Dante sighed and let go of Tani’s hands. He got off the bed and stretched his arms over his head.

Tani tried and failed not to stare at the effortless movement of muscles as Dante stretched. He wished he could run his hands over Dante’s back, feel him respond to his touch; trace his fingers on the perfect line down his spine. Press a kiss on the nape of Dante’s neck.

Tani looked away when Dante caught him staring.

Dante bent down and picked up his t-shirt with a slow grin.

“What would you like to eat?” Dante asked, wearing his t-shirt. “I’m a decent cook. You must be hungry after all the energy you’ve expended today.”

“Hera will know,” Tani said.

“You defer to her a lot,” Dante said with a small frown. “She’s important to you.”

When Tani only nodded, Dante’s frown disappeared.

“Then, I’ll check on her and make sure she knows you’re doing better.”

“Thank you,” Tani said, and pointed to the door. “Please close the door when you go out.”

“So bossy,” Dante said, pausing to study Tani. “All you’ve done is told me what to do.”

“You said all I had to do was say what I wanted. Will you do it or not?” Tani asked.

“I’m going,” Dante said. “I like your bossiness. Might want you to do it more. Except in my bedroom. I’ll want to take over then. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Tani scowled at Dante.

Dante grinned and winked at him as he left the guest room. He made sure to close the door with a distinct click.

Tani let out a soft breath, the scent of Jasmine dissipating from the room, letting Tani know how far Dante was. He waited three minutes until Dante was going down the stairs to let out the cough he had been holding in his chest.

Scrambling off the bed, Tani hurried to the open door near the entrance into the room and was grateful to find a fully equipped washroom. He leaned over the sink and coughed out a mouthful of blood.

“Uncle Amu,” Tani said, willing the manor to let his uncle into the room.

When Amu did not appear, Tani sighed and closed his eyes, focusing on the dark wall cutting him off from Amu and Cale.

“Dante can’t help me. I need help stabilizing the power balance inside me. It has to be an Ekho doing it.”

‘I’ll bring one to the manor.’

One moment Tani was rinsing out his mouth in the sink, washing away blood, the next Kinon, the god of fire, stood behind him.

“You—,” Tani started, surprise on his face.

“Artri called,” Kinon said, with a quick grin. “Sneaky lordling. I see you’ve discovered one of my secrets.”

Tani wanted to ask more but the energy inside him punched at his veins. He coughed again, his mouth filling with blood. The blood he coughed up was a result of internal damage caused by his revolting powers. He needed an Ekho to help him regulate the meager energy inside him, remind his system it no longer needed to compensate for the massive amount of power now locked away.

Cale usually helped, or Uncle Amu. But now—

Kinon gave Tani a critical glance, then placed his hands on Tani’s shoulders and made him turn to the mirror. Tani spat out the blood into the sink, turning on the water to wash it away.

“What are you doing here?” Tani asked, shocked to meet one of the Septum in Dante’s house.

“The manor called me,” Kinon said, sliding his palms over Tani’s shoulders to his back. “Stop talking and take in a deep breath.”

A thousand questions on his tongue, Tani pushed them aside and complied with Kinon’s request.

Kinon’s palms warmed on his back, the heat seeping deep under his skin, rolling through Tani restoring balance, and healing damaged pathways. The walls on the cage holding Tani’s power solidified and sealed.

The pressure weighing on Tani’s shoulders eased and he took in an easier breath.

“Cale returns the cuffs with too much force,” Kinon said, dropping his hands away from Tani’s back. “Call for me the next time you need to remove them.”

“Will you answer?” Tani asked, shocked Kinon would offer.

“Why would I refuse, little lordling?” Kinon asked.

Tani frowned, looking at Kinon through the mirror.

“You—”

“Before you accuse me of being callous, remember I live in my domain most of the time. Pushing you to choose your people is what I should do as a member of the Septum,” Kinon said. “As a fellow Ekho, an individual with my own beliefs, I retain a healthy sympathy for the less fortunate.”

Tani scoffed.

“In which reality do I qualify as less fortunate?”

“This one,” Kinon said, moving to lean on the sink counter on Tani’s left side.

Unlike Cale who had assimilated into the human culture, Kinon dressed in the Ekho Realm traditions. That or Artri House had called on him from his domain.

Now that was an interesting connection to explore, Tani frowned. His gaze lingered on the red sleeveless long loose shirt Kinon wore, the edges of the open collar embroidered with thin gold lines. He wore dark trousers that disappeared into red boots with gold studs. The cuff clasped around his left bicep was carved with ekho realm symbols. It was similar to the cuffs on Tani’s wrists, though Tani doubted it served the same purpose.

Tani looked into Kinon’s crimson eyes and his frown deepened when he read pity.

“You’re meant for a greater purpose,” Kinon said, shaking his head. “I would like to see you help your father guard the Septum’s balance. Live the life you deserve in the Citadel. Your blood unites two powerful clans in our Ekho Realm.”

“I am living a life I have chosen,” Tani said, looking away from Kinon. Hating the pity in Kinon’s eyes because it meant the Septum saw him as a failure, a deviant. “I do not need nor want your pity, god of fire.”

“Mortal life is fleeting, child,” Kinon said. “One blink of an eye in the face of the thousands of millennia we live. Your obsession with this one will fill you with pain for a moment after he’s gone. The pain will fade and you will forget. I look forward to talking to you then.”

“Why is Artri House calling you?” Tani asked.

Kinon chuckled.

“Such a deadly question, you deflect a topic with skill, little lordling. I am not ready to give you those answers.”

Tani’s gaze narrowed at him.

“You’re the reason Dante is so powerful,” Tani said. “You’ve interfered with a lineage.”

“My interference is not for you to judge,” Kinon said. “All you need to know is that Artri House is under my care. Cale is not welcome in my domain. If you want to see him, step outside in the courtyard or call him to Elderwood. You’ll need clothes after you clean up. I’ve left some on the bed for you. Take care of yourself, Tani. None of us enjoy hearing you are in pain.”

Kinon left as fast as he appeared.

Tani cursed under his breath and turned on the sink. He took in several deep breaths, fighting for control. His anger rose at Kinon’s comments about his higher purpose. What right did the Septum have to judge his small purpose?

It was his life, his millennias of loneliness if Dante left him again. Not theirs.

Tani cupped his hands under the water and splashed his face, cooling his temper. His thoughts lingered on Kinon and the members of the Septum. They all thought him insane. As though one could direct their heart in love.

Closing his eyes, his mind’s eye filled with Dante. How he’d looked sitting on the bed with him, helping him with the pain. The sound of his voice as he begged Tani to stay. The presence of the small part of Dante filled a small part of the emptiness inside him.

Insane or not, his choice was worth having Kinon call him a fool, Tani decided. He would rather be a fool than never have known Dante.

Taking in a calming breath, Tani glanced at the spacious glass stall on his left and decided he needed a shower. Warm water cascading over him always washed away his doubts and stress.

****

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At the Arturo Vineyard, in the majestic manor, the Arturo family called Artri House, Tani rested on a large bed with comfortable blue sheets. He was dressed down in comfortable sweatpants borrowed from Dante’s closet. His t-shirt and jeans were already in the washing machine in the laundry room.

No sheet covered him and his red-brown hair was damp with sweat. His body shook with unending spasms, his jaw clenched tight as though to keep his mouth shut, allowing no sound to escape his lips. The muscles on his arms were taut, as he clenched his fingers in tight fists. Holding himself tight, in place as best as he could.

Dante could only assume the spasms Tani endured were pain-filled. They were alone in the room. Hera was downstairs making a list of items for Tom to bring back from their home. A home Dante realized they all shared somewhere in the Elderwood Conservancy. Nora was in the basement in search of a healing spell that would help an Ekho.

Dante was sure she would call the family grandmaster in and his father. He shuddered at the thought.

Reaching for the white washcloth in the bowl resting on the bedside table, he squeezed out warm water. Dante used the washcloth to wipe the sweat off Tani’s brow. He wiped off sweat beads on Tani’s flawless hairline, passing the cloth over Tani’s hair. Changing direction, he brought the cloth to wipe at Tani’s neck, along his ears where he noticed five Elderwood leaves made of gold, decorating Tani’s right earlobe like earrings. He leaned closer to inspect them, expecting to find pins on the other side, but they did not have pins. The leaves were part of Tani’s skin.

Dante had not noticed them before. Perhaps because of Tani’s hair falling over his ear, or the glamour he dropped earlier in the olive grove.

A hard spasm racked through Tani again. Dante dropped the washcloth on the pillow. He placed his hands on Tani’s forearms holding him in place, pouring healing energy into Tani’s body as much of it as he could. He wanted to ease Tani’s pain any way he could.

To Dante’s shock, Tani’s eyes opened slightly, eyes shining like gold.

Tani let out a soft moan and then bit his lip hard as the spasms increased in force.

“Let go of him,” Hera said behind him.

Dante could not bring himself to let go of Tani when he kept trembling as though his body wanted to explode into pieces. He could only hold on and hope to keep Tani together.

“You are adding to the pain,” Hera said, placing a gentle hand on Dante’s shoulder. “Stop giving him your healing energy and you will see I’m telling the truth.”

Dante hissed, horrified by the thought of adding to Tani’s pain. He drew back his power and the spasms slowed. Tani’s eyes closed, he breathed easier and seemed to return to a point of rest.

Dante let go of Tani and stood, shaking his head he moved away from the bed.

“Why?” Dante asked, watching Hera take his place next to Tani.

She took the white towel he had been using and rinsed it in the bowl of warm water. She then wiped down Tani’s bare chest. Her movements were efficient, as though she did it for a living. It was clear to him that this was not the first time she had cared for Tani. She was careful not to touch Tani in her ministrations.

Hera wiped down Tani’s right arm, pausing when she reached the gold cuff around Tani’s wrist.

“You must have seen the terrible power Babu released today,” Hera said, as she wiped Tani’s fist, wincing as she worked to open Tani’s fingers so she could wipe dirt off his hand. “When Cale takes off the cuffs, it floods out of him like pressurized water breaking the walls of a large dam. It is terrifying, suffocating power, isn’t it?”

Dante crossed his arms against his chest, his gaze on Tani’s face. He leaned on the wall closest to the bed, unable to look away, taking in the beads of sweat that had appeared on Tani’s brow again.

“I couldn’t breathe when he first let it out,” Dante agreed with Hera’s assessment of Tani’s power.

“That’s right, it’s suffocating,” Hera said with a nod.

She returned the washcloth to the bowl and sat next to Tani without touching him. Her gaze fixed on the gold cuffs. Tani clenched his hands into fists again as a tremor swept through his body. A tear rolled down her cheek and Dante understood Hera’s worry.

She reached up to wipe off the tear on her right cheek.

“The cuffs are restraining that awful power. It fights back, wanting release after so long in captivity. Babu’s body suffers until he can control the effects the cuffs place upon him. At times he will bleed, but today he seems to be doing his best to hold it together.”

As if on cue, Tani’s eyes opened again, glowing gold for a few minutes before he closed his eyes and his torso arched off the bed in a hard spasm. Tani’s jaw was locked tight, but a strangled cry escaped his clenched teeth.

The sound of the harsh cry had Hera getting up in a panic. Her eyes filled with horror as she made to reach out for Tani, but then she could not touch him. Her hands hovered over him for a moment, frantic. Then she turned a panicked gaze to Dante.

He was surprised when lunged for him, grabbing his right arm and pulling him to the bed.

“I cannot control my elemental gifts,” Hera said, shaking her head, tears now streaming down her cheeks. “If I touch him, my power seeps into him. I bring him more pain. I notice you can control yours. You pulled it back and held him. So, hold him down, Dante. Please hold Babu down.”

Dante nodded and knelt on the bed.

A rippling blaze flooded his senses the moment he pressed his palm on Tani’s flat stomach. Tani’s skin was hot to the touch, damp with sweat. He fought his first instinct, which was to caress, slide his fingers over smooth skin, and memorize the contours of Tani’s muscles as they arched into his touch.

Hera watched him with tear-filled eyes.

Pushing back his urges, Dante pressed Tani’s abdomen down to the bed. He straddled Tani’s body and placed his right hand on Tani’s left shoulder, holding him in place as Tani continued trembling in violent spasms.

Tani’s eyes fixed on him. For the first time, he unclenched his fingers from the tight fists and bunched the sheets tightly. Dante noticed the change, holding Tani’s gaze as the gold intensified. Heat seeped into his left palm. Dante dragged his gaze away from Tani’s face to where his palm rested on sweat-coated skin. His hand was covered in a gold mist that seemed to pulse at the point of contact. Pulling on the heat from Tani’s body.

An idea filled his head. One he had tested during his training days with the grandmaster but had never had an opportunity to try in a real setting. No powerful beings had crossed his path until now. The heat rolling off Tani made him hot, his cock hardened and he bit his lip hard to stop a soft moan.

They needed to be alone.

Dante glanced at Hera. He needed to get her out of the room.

“My mother is finding a healing spell in the basement of this house,” Dante said. “Take the stairs down, when you reach the front hall, head to the kitchen. You will find an open door going into the basement before you reach the kitchen. Tell my mother to hurry.”

“There was no door there,” Hera said, shaking her head.

“Trust me, you will find a door,” Dante said, keeping his voice as gentle as he could. “Go, I’ll watch over your Babu.”

Hera wiped away her tears, hesitating as her gaze remained on Tani’s gritted teeth.

“Why do you call him Babu?” Dante asked, curious.

“It means grandfather in my language,” Hera said, a fond smile coming through the worry. “I’m his ward. He has taken care of me all my life. I hate to see him in so much pain.”

“Alright. Hera, the only way to ease his pain is if you head downstairs. Mom won’t know to hurry unless you tell her.” Dante promised him. “Go. I’ll watch over him.”

“Okay,” Hera said, then sprinted out of the room.

Dante let go of Tani and slammed the door closed with his will, making sure the lock turned. Pulling off his own shirt, he threw it on the carpeted floor and gripped Tani’s arms. He pulled Tani up, making him sit, helping the unconscious ekho cross his legs. He slid his right hand to the back of Tani’s head, holding him in place.

“Tani,” Dante murmured, sweeping damp red hair away from Tani’s face when locks of it fell over Tani’s eyes.

Tani’s closed eyes made his heartache. The ice around Dante’s heart broke another inch and the urge to restore Tani’s health filled him up. Tani trembled again, hands shaking with the effort to hold himself together.

Dante cursed under his breath.

“I don’t know what is pulling me closer to you,” Dante said, his gaze dropped to Tani’s lips.

Tani bit his bottom lip hard working to keep from crying out.

Dante brushed a thumb over Tani’s ravaged lip, hoping to ease the bite, but Tani only whimpered and bit harder. Dante let out a sigh of defeat.

“If what Hera says about your cuffs is true, my mother’s spells will not help. They will only infuse more healing energy into you, which will make you hurt more. You’re left with my methods,” Dante said, crossing his legs so that his knees pressed to Tani’s knees. “I will help you.”

Dante’s hand slipped away from Tani’s neck, and he started to fall back on the bed. Dante gripped Tani’s bare arms, his fingers tightening around Tani’s elbows. He pulled Tani into a sitting position so that they now faced each other.

A violent tremble rolled through Tani. Dante gripped his arms, holding him in place as Tani’s head tilted back, his eyes sparking gold. For a moment, Dante stared at the elegant arc of Tani’s neck, the perfect line of his chin, his ravaged lips open in a whisper of a murmur, up to the elegant curve of his nose, to half-closed eyes. He wanted to press a kiss on Tani’s forehead, his lips, but this was not the time.

It surprised him that he wanted time for the kisses later.

Dante smiled and tightened his hold on Tani’s arms. He murmured the spell to bind his energy with Tani’s, and thin conduit lines formed on Dante’s arms moving to his wrists and then to his fingers tips. He let out a soft moan when the lines wrapped around Tani’s elbows, moving along Tani’s arms to the gold cuffs on Tani’s wrists.

Tani opened his eyes then, meeting Dante’s gaze. His eyes changed from gold to amber, like a sparking light.

“W-what a-are y-y-you doing?” Tani asked, his voice a trembling mess. “I—I’m—n—ngh, not i-in control…burn you to a crisp.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Tani Ryuzo. I’m born of fire,” Dante said with confidence.

“Don’t want to hurt you, Dante. D-don’t—,” Tani started to protest only to stop when he trembled in earnest, losing focus.

“Acını paylaş. Yakacağım,” Dante said, speaking the spell, and bringing it to life.

Dante let out a harsh gasp as fine pain flooded him from Tani. Pooling inside him like a sharp knife scraping over his skin. He held the pain, using the fire in his very blood to burn the pain. Making sure to isolate his powers, not allowing them to follow the conduits to find Tani. Instead, he siphoned Tani’s pain, dragging it to the pillar of the flame inside him, doing his best to burn it. More waves of pain filled him, faster than he expected.

Tani gripped Dante’s elbows then, fighting to control the wave of pain going into Dante.

“Y-you’re a-an i-idiot,” Tani said at some point, then shifted and pressed his forehead to Dante’s, merging himself in Dante’s spell.

Dante closed his eyes, taking steadying breaths as they worked to find a balance.

---

Tani wished he could stop Dante, but the spell to burn off his pain felt good. It eased the burden on his body allowing him to build back control over his own power as the cuffs on his wrists demanded. The binding walls holding his power were no longer overflowing to the brim, threatening to break his veins and arteries and leave him bleeding.

Dante gripped his elbows tighter, and let out a sigh as a balance started. Dante pulled in a beat of pain, burned it off, and pulled another wave.

The spasms racking Tani eased, reducing to manageable trembles.

Tani breathed easier, and then shock filled him as he realized a part of Dante’s fire was seeping into him through the conduits on their arms. A part of Dante…a very small part of Dante’s fire soul. Its white-hot aura burned bright as it escaped the tightly bound conduits on Tani’s arms. Sliding up Tani’s left arm of its own free will, filling Tani with delight as it raced to his chest.

Tani gaped as it sunk into his heart, filling his heart with warmth. It was a small drop in an ocean that had stayed still for nine hundred years. It was a small part of Dante’s soul, but it was the first Tani ever received.

When he opened his eyes to look into Dante’s brown eyes, he could not help but cry. Tears slid down his cheeks unrestrained.

Dante panicked.

“Did I burn you?” Dante asked, still clutching Tani’s elbows.

The pain had reduced, and the spasms were gone, as Tani managed to control his power. The only thing out of control was Dante’s strange choice to bind a small part of himself to Tani.

“Big idiot,” Tani said, fighting down a sob, he looked away from Dante, his tears still falling.

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Acını paylaş. Yakacağım – Meaning, Share your pain. I will burn it.

Cale left the Arturo Vineyard and went straight to the towering Palladium Gates hidden in the vast sandy dunes of the oldest desert in the world, The Namib. The Sentinel who lived at the gates guarding the gates appeared at Cale’s approach.

Sahdrina, daughter of The Namib, guardian of lost souls who wandered to the Palladium Gates. Sahdrina was as old as Cale, as secretive, if not more. She governed the border into the Ekho with an iron fist.

Cale frowned because Sahdrina often opened the gates for him without showing herself to him. When she did, especially in the form of a woman holding a long walking stick, he knew she had words for him.

Shining flecks of the same silver-white found on the palladium gates dusted her light-brown skin. Her paler white hair was in thick locks and it flowed down her back. Her sand-colored dress swept the sand under her bare feet.

“Cale of the Night,” she said in greeting.

“Sahdrina of The Namib,” Cale said, coming to stop before her.

His gaze lingered on the thick wooden walking stick forged from an olive tree. It turned into a vengeful sword when Sahdrina wished to deal a punishment for violations of the gate.

“Forgive me for interrupting your passage,” Sahdrina said. “A message was left with me by your brother. The Septum gathers. They all felt the shift of power in the mortal realm. They seek answers.”

“As always,” Cale said, giving her an elegant nod. “I thank you for the message, Sahdrina.”

“Instead of thanks, I will ask a question of you, god of calamity,” Sahdrina said, taking a step closer to him. “Do you consent?”

Cale remained where he stood and met silver-gray eyes.

“How may I assist you, Sentinel?” Cale asked, in any case, he had no choice.

He could not enter the Ekho Realm if Sahdrina kept the palladium gates closed.

“We are experiencing strange phenomena here at the gates. A veiled creature crosses the realms with full standard authorization. He reeks of your Dark Fort and has a permission spell on his palm from the inter-clan court. My underlings have tried to discover more about this creature and failed. I now ask you, Cale of the Night. Which of your creatures have you given permission to walk through my gates?”

Cale kept his face blank. The creatures living within his defensive walls at Dark Fort had no permission from him to leave the realm. They worked to help him control the worst of the dark. They were too busy to bother visiting the gates and tangling with the Sentinel. If he were to give permission to cross the gate, he would give a Dark Fort permission spell.

The lesser clans used the inter-clan court to access resources found easily by the main clans. Still, Sahdrina would imagine an individual with dark intentions was born of his fort. It wasn’t always the case.

Cale fought down a scoff and answered the question.

“I have not allowed any of my dark creatures to visit your gates, Sahdrina.”

Sahdrina studied him for a moment before she stepped back.

“If not you, which clan in the Ekho Realm would have a dark soul moving in and out of my gates?”

Cale chuckled.

“My Dark Fort is not the only place you’ll find black-hearted creatures, Sahdrina. They only end up in my fort when they are captured for wrongdoings or decide to jump fully into my world.”

“True,” Sahdrina said, with a nod. “Then, I would like to ask for your help, god of calamity.”

“The Septum will have much to say of a request made to me by the Sentinel.”

“The creature’s permissions to cross our gates are indistinct. The palladium senses ambiguous intentions each time it crosses. This mystery is enough to have forced me to watch the crossers of this gate often. The only one allowed unfettered passage through these gates with ambiguous intent is you, Cale of the Night. I cannot allow another. The Immortal Lord suggested I bring my concerns to your attention,” Sahdrina said. “Know that I do not share my concerns with you lightly.”

Curious, Cale thought of the large infection of kara ot on Arturo’s land.

“When was the last time this creature crossed to the mortal realm?”

“Three decenniums ago the frequency of passage had me concerned,” Sahdrina said, shaking her head. “My concerns pulled me to supervise the passage of this gate in person, instead of leaving it to the acolytes. The added attention had the creature returning to our Ekho. Our routines here at the gate returned to normal. These last two years, I have noted signs of the creature returning to the gates. The visits have been staggered so as not to draw my attention, nevertheless, I notice because I remember the blankness of answers needed.”

“What do you want of me?” Cale asked.

“The identity of the creature,” Sahdrina said. “I must find out the nature of its passage through my gates and which clan it belongs to. The clans must take responsibility for those who cross to the Ekho realm.”

“I have listened to your concern,” Cale said.

“Will you assist me?” Sahdrina asked.

“I am tied to the Septum’s decisions,” Cale said. “I’ll tell them your request and give you an answer on my way back.”

“Thank you. I will await your answer.”

Sahdrina turned to the towering silver-white gates and the outer layer slid open.

She lowered her head in a rare departure as Cale passed her. He smirked and continued through the palladium gates into the realm that made one such as him. As the silver-white gate slid closed behind him, three more slid open along the corridor between the realms.

The raw energy connecting the two realms was contained between four palladium gates built by Sahdrina’s people. The power enough to suffocate a lesser Ekho with a weak mind. It crushed humans into nothing.

Each of the three doors slid closed behind Cale. The power held within stripped him of his mortal realm glamour and returned what it took from him as he entered the Ekho realm. With a thought, Cale changed his ruined navy blue suit into his standard clothing. A black long-sleeve, close-fitting, knee-length coat with a stand-up collar and dark leathers for trousers. They disappeared into leather boots, with gold plates lining the sides.

The last of the doors slid closed behind him, and he stopped to breathe in the air. Fresh and revitalizing, it restored his power, and gave him a healthy glow. He flexed his hands, testing the dark power racing in his veins and it responded like the air he breathed, present and reliable.

Visualizing the citadel built on a floating island; Cale took a step forward and appeared at the entrance of his brother’s personal domain.

The immortal lord’s island was filled with wild nature: unique plants and fruits, old tall trees, waters pouring the sides of the floating island, and lush land that grew any food needed for those who called the island home. In the middle of the island, the towers of the white citadel stood tall and proud in the bright sun. The white-walled citadel was the immortal lord’s home. The citadel’s courtyards are open to those who lived on the island, and those who chose to serve under the immortal lord. He held no one here who did not want to be here.

Cale walked a long wide path lined with thick columns. The wild forests on each side of him filled with the sound of birds chattering. Gossiping creatures sending news to their master of his arrival.

As if on cue, the immortal lord and his blood brother appeared to his right, matching Cale’s footsteps.

“Cale.”

“Brother,” Cale said in greeting.

Sunu was the most powerful Ekho in the realm. He ruled the Septum, keeping a steady majestic equilibrium among six creatures of great power. He was the light to Cale’s dark. His power was absolute, his judgment obeyed without question, and his true name was Immortal Lord, Sunu Ryuzo. An emperor and a guardian of the Ekho Realm.

“You’ve come from the mortal realm,” Sunu said. “How is my son?”

“Unconscious,” Cale replied, stealing a glance at his brother.

Sunu was dressed in a long loose white shirt made of natural fibers. It framed his muscular figure to perfection. His legs were in white-fitting trousers, and his feet were in leather sandals. His curly brown hair was cut short. He walked with his hands clasped behind his back. A frown creased his smooth forehead.

“You removed his cuffs,” Sunu said with a heavy sigh. “This child, why is he so stubborn? Why won’t he return to our realm and live a happy life?”

“Why did you fall in love with Anit?” Cale countered. “Your offspring comes from a stubborn fox mother, and power battery named Sunu. He was bound to live a hard life from the start.”

“You are too blunt for your own good,” Sunu said, though he did not refute Cale’s observation.

A young girl dashed onto the path, blocking Sunu’s way. The little girl was dressed in a long blue frock, her hair in a thick braid. In her hand, she held a crown woven with branches and dotted with vibrant blue gentian flowers. She looked up at Sunu, holding the crown with a wide smile.

Sunu chuckled and crouched down, presenting his head for her. She placed the crown of flowers on his head and grinned wide. She held out her hand to Sunu, and he slid his palm on hers, blessing her with flecks of gold dust. An infusion of power to help her grow. She thanked him with a kiss on his cheek and then ran back to the forest. Sunu watched her leave with a small frown.

Still crouched, he looked up at Cale.

“I never got to reward my own son with gifts,” Sunu said. “Anit took him to the fox clan when we had to separate. I don’t know who I should be angry with over our current state.”

“The fox clan and the rules of your immortal clan,” Cale said, shaking his head.

“This is his last cycle in the mortal realm,” Sunu said, getting up, and making sure the crown on his head stayed put.

It was an innocent gift. He would keep the crown. Cale knew it. It was what made Sunu the light against the dark.

“Tani wanted to stay away this last cycle,” Cale said, as they continued to the citadel. “He is tired and unlucky as you in love.”

“Ryuzo men have never had a love cycle that lasted,” Sunu said, shaking his head in disappointment. “I did not wish him sadness, but he was too young when he bound his soul to a mortal. We can only hope this last cycle ends quickly. I do not care that he will have failed. Only that he will be returned to the Ekho Realm. I will have him live with me here at the citadel.”

“What if he chooses my Dark Fort?” Cale asked. “His soul will be ravaged with loss. Do you believe your bright citadel will fill him with joy again?”

“I will not lose my son to anyone else,” Sunu said. “Anit let him live in the mortal realm while he was too young to know what was right or wrong for an Ekho. I allowed it because she is his mother, and she thought it was right. When Tani returns to the Ekho Realm, he will stay with me, Cale. No one will interfere.”

“Is that what you wanted to tell me before the Septum meets?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard your wishes,” Cale said. “What of Tani’s wishes?”

Sunu kept his silence and shook his head.

“His wishes aside, his presence here will give us time to get to know each other,” Sunu said.

Cale shrugged.

Sunu had no idea how stubborn his son was. Tani Ryuzo would do what he wanted. After all, he had loved a mortal for nearly one thousand years and not given up hope. Cale scoffed and shook his head.

“You sent the sentinel to me,” Cale said, changing the subject.

“It seemed fitting,” Sunu said. “There are movements even I cannot decipher. Events happening that concern me.”

“Such as?” Cale asked.

“I first met Anit in a unique moment of crisis. She was in the Zona Forest bound by crawling vines. They were doing their best to squeeze the life out of her. I saved her. We fell in love and did not stop to think of why she would be in danger. Then calamity descended on us brought on by Anit’s transgressions. The fox clan wanted their ruler back. Their laws pulled her back to her clan’s lands. She took Tani with her, leaving me alone in the citadel. In what felt like a blink of my eyes, Tani grew up and bound his soul to a mortal.”

Sunu scoffed, going silent as he contemplated Tani’s decision.

“None of us could convince him it was a mistake,” Sunu said his voice heavy with grief. “So, he started a thousand-year trial in the mortal realm. I still did not question our family’s bad fortune.”

“You think there is a force behind the bad fortune?” Cale asked.

“Perhaps,” Sunu said, shaking his head. “A feeling has crept over me, the same way it has over the Sentinel. A hidden intent affecting both Anit and Tani. I cannot find what is hidden from my sight. Since any attempt on my part to find it results in its hiding, I believe we should allow it to come out in the open, encourage the intent, and make it feel safe. This is why I asked the sentinel to find you. You’re the only one who can have ambiguous intent. It is enough to uncover this unknown actor.”

“What shall the Septum know of this request?” Cale asked as they reached the only private courtyard in Sunu’s Citadel.

The private space was a round atrium with an open sky above. The walls of the citadel rose up on all sides and were covered with healthy Elderwood trees. Some days they were blooming, others like today the leaves of the trees covered every inch of the walls.

A massive hundred feet tall archway marked the entrance into the atrium. The pillars on each side carved with Ekho symbols marking the seven immortals allowed into the atrium. Water, Air, Fire, Earth, Wind, Calamity, the Fertility Goddess, and Sunu to govern them all.

Sunu stopped at the entrance.

“You shall only mention Sahdrina’s request,” Sunu said. “I will not offer my thoughts on the matter. Are we in agreement?”

Cale studied his brother.

Sunu’s eyes reminded him of Tani’s amber. He often wondered how Sunu managed to live a life of never seeing his son. Sunu had only seen the first five hundred of Tani’s three thousand and a hundred years old. After that, the tragic rules of the clans descended on a small family.

Tani left the citadel at five hundred, still a baby at the time. He lived with Anit, his mother, for a hundred in the fox clan, and then ended up in the mortal realm with Amu for the rest of his years.

No wonder Tani made the choice to love a human. He knew nothing of the wonders of his father’s citadel.

As for Anit, her broken heart left her bitter and unable to look at Sunu and Tani. She refused to meet or talk to them.

And Sunu…his position made it difficult to appear before his son. He relied on Cale’s stories to get to know his son.

Father and son, Cale could not decide which one had a more heartbreaking life.

“Yes,” Cale said when Sunu lifted a brow in question. “Let’s do it your way, brother.”

Sunu nodded and entered the archway. It lit up with gold light, similar to Tani’s power.

Cale smiled and followed his brother into the atrium. The pillars glowed black when he passed through them. The other five members of the Septum were already in attendance. They sat on throne chairs with tall backs and imposing curved headrests. The chairs stood on seven palladium pillars arranged in a circle to fit the atrium leaving space between. Sunu stood by his empty chair directly opposite Cale’s empty one.

Cale climbed his pillar turning his palladium pillar soot dark as he sat down. Sunu sat last, opening his arms wide in invitation for the meeting to start.

“A massive ripple of Ekho power startled those of our kind in the mortal realm earlier in the day,” Kinon of the fire said. “Is there a reason the little lordling was unbound, Cale?”

“Tani Ryuzo has cleansed black weed from the mortal realm,” Cale reported to the Septum. “The black weed grew deep in the land, spreading for almost fifteen acres. I needed to remove his cuffs to allow a cleansing.”

“Cale, I’m surprised you offered to remove the cuffs,” Helia, the fertility goddess of the Ekho realm said. She was revered by all for her ability to grant life and prosperity among all Ekho souls. She brought good fortune.

“I made no such offer,” Cale said, sitting back, elbows resting on the arms of his chair. He clasped his hands with a smirk. “Tani begged me to remove the cuffs.”

“I imagine,” Mizian, the god of air, said. “You enjoy the little lordling’s suffering too much.”

“It is my nature,” Cale said with a shrug.

“Did he manage to heal the earth?” Eren of the earth asked. Her voice filled with concern. “Should I pay a visit to the location to supplement his work?”

“He managed to cleanse the soil and heal it,” Cale said. “There were no traces left. You may visit if you wish. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you cared enough.”

Rianon of the water scoffed.

“Don’t tease Eren,” Rianon said. “Tani Ryuzo is never happy to see any of us. We are the reasons he is bound to the mortal world and the cuffs on his wrists cause him pain at the moment.”

“His trial is almost over,” Kinon said. “He will forgive us when he returns to the Ekho Realm. He does not belong to the mortals no matter how much he loves them.”

Helia looked to Sunu who sat in silence. A frown graced her forehead as she studied the immortal lord.

“An infection large enough to need the little lordling’s cleansing is cause for concern,” Helia said after a moment. “Kara ot destroys life, Lord Sunu.”

“Cale,” Sunu said. “Kara ot grows most in the Dark Fort. Eren has done her best to cleanse it from our clans’ lands. Do you think someone from your fort might have taken it to the mortal realm?”

“I do not give passage to the gates to my people, nor do they wish to have it,” Cale said. “I’m the only one who has passed the palladium gates of late. The Kara ot in my Dark Fort dares not cling to my fine clothes. The clothes burn it off.”

“Hm,” Sunu said, studying him for a moment before he turned to the rest. “Eren, do you have suggestions? You’re the one who knows where it grows most.”

“I would like to point out that I have not managed to enter the fox clan’s lands for the past one thousand years,” Eren said. “The fox goddess Anit has closed the borders to anyone from the immortal clan, the elemental clans, and the Septum.”

“I have proof of this claim,” Kinon said. “She responds to requests from the immortal clan with burned Elderwood trees at the border. I have taken to smuggling elderberries from their territory through the dragon clan. She will only allow the dragons through.”

“Do you think kara ot would grow in her territory?” Mizian asked, studying Eren.

“It would,” Eren said. “However, Anit is a goddess, second only to Lord Sunu, and generates enough firepower to cleanse it.”

“The fox clan lands are not infested with kara ot, but they themselves live wilder than we do,” Kinon said.

“True, Anit is liberal with the passage at the palladium gates,” Rianon said, her disapproval clear. “There are enough foxes in the mortal realm to start a revolution if they so wanted. Their petty nature might have led to one taking it to the mortal realm.”

“How can we reach her?” Helia asked, shaking her head. Her long red flock dress was embroidered with gold threads that glittered as she shifted in her chair. “We used to be friends, but she has not reached out to me much in years.”

Sunu glanced at Cale.

“Cale, take Eren with you as you head back to the mortal world. She will inspect the location Tani cleansed. After, introduce her to Amu,” Sunu said. “Amu will know the condition of the fox clan lands. He might have a way for Eren to visit the fox clan lands.”

“Do you think Amu will listen to me?” Eren asked.

“He is a diplomat,” Cale said. “He will give you a chance to make your case.”

“We need to discover who would take black weed to the mortal realm and allow it to grow so large,” Kinon said. “That blight can wipe out an entire realm if left unchecked. It will not be good if the ekhos are responsible for the end of the human realm.”

“Agreed,” the others echoed.

“We’ll wait to hear your good news, Eren,” Mizian said.

“Speaking of news,” Cale said. “Sahdrina has requested my help. She seeks the identity of a veiled creature crossing the palladium gates with ambiguous intent. I told her I will bring it to the Septum before I give my answer.”

“The god of calamity fulfilling a sentinel’s request is unheard of,” Kinon said. “Why did she not ask any of us?”

“When was the last time you passed through the palladium gates?” Mizian asked with a chuckle.

Kinon sat back in his chair, his palladium tower burning hot as he bit his bottom lip.

Mizian shook his head at Kinon’s temper.

“Why did she not approach Lord Sunu?” Helia asked. “I passed the gates yesterday; she did not make a request of me?”

“Perhaps she is worried the ekho in question is dangerous,” Eren said. “It happens. None of us like confrontation.”

“I don’t mind confrontation,” Kinon said, with a scowl. “Mizian is always full of mischief. Not to mention Rianon who is always fighting with Mizian over the quantities of rain, wind, and the resulting floods. Eren, not everyone is as gentle as you.”

“Clearly, I was the only one she could approach,” Cale said then.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Rianon demanded, glaring at Cale, the water in her pillar turning turbulent.

“Sahdrina must have thought I’m the calmest of you lot,” Cale said, shaking his head. “Lord Sunu is saddled with a bunch of babbling teenagers in this Septum.”

“Say that again,” Kinon threatened, his eyes burning with fire.

“Just because I cannot drown you doesn’t mean I can’t fill your head with water, Cale,” Rianon scowled.

“We can always set the Dark Fort on fire,” Mizian said. “I’ll urge the flames to life so that you’re not able to turn it off.”

“If he manages to curb the fire, I’ll flood the fort,” Rianon said, getting up.

“Order,” Sunu said, his voice laced with power that had the lot of them quiet, and Rianon sitting. “Sahdrina’s request is made; the Septum must consent for Cale to answer her.”

“I consent,” Helia said, surprising Rianon.

“Me too,” Eren said, smiling at Cale. “Sahdrina must truly need help to have approached Cale.”

Kinon, Mizian, and Rianon held their silence for a moment, then Mizian cursed under his breath and nodded his consent.

“As long as Cale gives the name of this creature to the Septum, I consent,” Kinon said, leaving Rianon.

“Helia’s question remains. Aren’t you curious?” Rianon asked, her frown deepening as she studied Cale. “Why would Sahdrina approach Cale instead of Lord Sunu?”

“Cale travels the gates more often,” Mizian said. “He is the most conversant with the palladium gates. Sahdrina has seen a lot more of him than she has Lord Sunu.”

“Perhaps,” Rianon said, turning her gaze to Sunu. “My Lord, what do you think I should say?”

“I will not interfere with your decision,” Sunu said in answer.

Rianon frowned, but she turned to Cale. “I consent, as long the Septum gains the knowledge too.”

“It is decided then. Cale shall help the sentinel,” Sunu said, ending the discussion.

“What of the little lordling?” Helia asked. “He must be injured by the cuffs.”

“We cannot interfere,” Cale said, his dark gaze landing on Helia. “I still oversee the trial you placed on his shoulders. He shall endure the pain.”

“Truly, god of calamity never misses an opportunity to relish other people’s pain,” Kinon said, with a sigh.

“I will not apologize for my nature. I’ll remind you once again that I’m only carrying out this Septum’s wishes as directed by the five of you,” Cale said. “I did not decide to make the cuffs on the little lordling’s wrists bring him pain. You lot made those plans when Kinon forged the cuffs.”

Sunu closed his eyes because he had been unable to vote on Tani’s punishment. Nor was he allowed to interfere to ease Tani’s pain or bring him comfort in any way.

Cale was exempt from the decision too because of his relationship with Sunu.

The four elementals and the fertility goddess thus formulated Tani’s punishment and made Cale the executioner. He was the best warden to keep Tani in line. He had yet to forgive them. It was not pleasant watching Tani in pain, or watching his brother live a life without his son.

“If your questions are answered on the power released in the mortal realm, I will excuse myself,” Cale said, standing. “I have matters to attend to at the Dark Fort before I head back to the human realm.”

“The meeting is adjourned,” Sunu said, his tone low, strained.

Cale looked at him and sighed when Sunu simply disappeared from where he sat. “You claim my Dark Fort is full of ill intent. I wonder what you harbor in your elemental domains when you make such comments before Lord Sunu. Eren, I’ll meet you at the palladium gates tomorrow morning,” Cale said, and then with one last glare at Kinon, he left the atrium too.

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The power filling the olive grove felt massive, unimaginably strong. It enveloped the olive grove, stifling everything it met. Dante ran fast, determined to stop it before it reached his mother or even Hasim in the vineyard. He chose to use the same spell he used before at Viola’s house. Adding a bit more energy into it, making the heat burn hot. He needed to contain and incapacitate this being.

A shout reached him as he raced by a thick cluster of olive trees and entered the wide clearing. Shock filled Dante at the sight of Ryuzo kneeling on the ground. His hands were covered in black soil, a sharp contrast to his pristine white t-shirt and jeans. Blood tears trailed down his cheeks, and amber eyes looked other.

He barely registered Ryuzo’s presence when the hard earth-bound his feet in place on the ground, and thick vines wrapped around his wrists. He hissed when an ice shard dug into his neck.

“Disperse the heat, or I will end you,” a woman stepped up to him and said, her brown skin with warm orange undertones. Her dark brown eyes filled with fury. Her right hand trembled with the restrained power holding the shard of ice pressed to his jugular.

“I’m not afraid of drawing blood,” she said, her soft accent reminding him of Africa. “You have crossed a line, Arturo. How dare you harm with your fire! Disperse it.”

“I’m defending my territory,” Dante said with a hiss when the shard pierced his skin. “This is not the first time I’ve felt him. He shook off my attack the last time when we were abroad.”

“You burned him then,” the woman said, still glaring at him. “The pain you’ve inflicted for days lingers. Now you come blazing with more fire like a raging beast. Stop it now or I will send this ice into your veins.”

“Hera,” a pain-filled voice said in soft admonishment.

“Don’t talk for him when you’re in pain, Babu,” Hera said, her eyes filling with tears.

Dante frowned when he noted Tom standing next to Hera. The disappointment he read in Tom’s eyes told him he had gone overboard. His gaze returned to Ryuzo who had closed his eyes as though to absorb the worst of his pain.

It was truly Ryuzo from his dream. There was no mistaking him for a human. He wasn’t, from his black sharp claws to his extraordinary eyes, those amber eyes looked too other, even as they were closed. Tears of red blood streaked down his cheeks. Ryuzo’s face looked the same as it had in the dream.

Dante frowned when Ryuzo shivered, his eyes opening again to stare at Dante, the pain reflected in amber eyes enough to sober him.

Dante willed the pillar of heat around Ryuzo into healing energy. Relief flooded amber eyes and Ryuzo relaxed, sitting back on his haunches.

“Why would you attack us?’ Tom asked shock in his voice, drawing Dante’s attention. “We talked yesterday. I told you we would be here today.”

“In my defense, this is not the first time I’ve felt the overwhelming power just now. It feels too large. This is my home, Tom. My mother lives here. There are innocent men and women working here—”

“Still—” Tom started.

“Stop, Tom,” Ryuzo said, drawing Tom’s surprised gaze.

“Tani—,” Tom frowned.

“The energy around me has healed my burn.” Ryuzo raised his right hand to show Tom and Hera his right palm. “It’s no longer painful. No pain, the heat around me has turned healing. It is only holding me in place. You’re a powerful warlock, Dante Arturo.”

“I have my grandmaster to thank for the skill,” Dante said in reply, a small smile tugging on his lips at the compliment.

“You dare smile while Babu is on his knees,” Hera hissed.

The ice on Dante’s neck pressed into the skin of his neck. Dante hissed and closed his eyes sure, she was going to make good on her threat to kill him with ice. He could not blame her.

“Hera, don’t draw blood. You’re a healer, child.”

Hera mumbled under her breath, scowling at Dante, and then the sharp piece of ice moved away from Dante’s neck turning into water. She removed a handkerchief from her pocket and caught the water with it, soaking the handkerchief.

“Release him,” Hera said, pointing to the heat column around Ryuzo. “You have no reason to hold him. He is here to help you. That is if he still wishes to help after how you’ve treated him.”

Dante sighed and glanced down at the thick vines binding his hands together, and his legs covered in thick mounds of dirt. It would be easy to break away, but he needed patience right now. Tom was important to his family because of the vineyard. It was also clear Tom and Hera valued Ryuzo. What he needed now was to earn their trust, somehow.

He could not strong-arm his way out of his current situation.

His gaze shifted to Tom, who stood watching him in silence.

“Your house is Ekho-blessed,” Tom said, after a moment. “Why don’t we know you exist?”

“We do not announce our presence,” Dante said. “My ancestors have worked hard to keep our existence quiet.”

“Clearly,” Tom said with a frown. “Did you know we were Ekho-blessed when you came to Elderwood?”

“No,” Dante said. “Our meeting was coincidental.”

“There are no coincidences,” Tom said, shaking his head, he looked to Ryuzo.

His gaze sought a way forward from Ryuzo.

How interesting, Dante thought.

“Tom, let him go. He can release himself from your makeshift chains, if he wanted,” Ryuzo said, his voice filled with amusement, as he studied Dante.

“Ah, you’re powerful enough to hold our Babu. So, are you looking down on me by pretending to be held by those vines?” Tom asked, turning his gaze to Dante.

“Not at all,” Dante shook his head. “I’m keeping the peace. I made a mistake first. I’m sorry for coming in on the attack. Please understand my side. My family is very important to me. I only wanted to make sure we were not in trouble. Tom, I really want to stay friends with you. I’ll stay like this if it is what you want.”

Tom narrowed his gaze for a full minute before the vines slid away from Dante’s arms, and the soil loosened from his legs.

Dante let out a relieved sigh and got to his feet. Shaking his hands out, he ignored Tom and Hera and went to stand right before Ryuzo.

“You are Ryuzo,” Dante stated.

“I am Tani Ryuzo.”

Tani stood up, studying his right palm, he smiled and met Dante’s curious gaze.

“Thank you for healing my wound. It was rather painful. How do you know my last name?” Tani asked, his amber eyes sparking with curiosity.

“I—” Dante stopped.

Would it sound crazy to say he dreamt about Ryuzo?

Not once, but the last two nights. Ryuzo’s smiles and his tears filled his head now.

“What are you?” Dante asked.

“What am I?” Tani countered.

Dante frowned, his gaze shifting to the black claws on Ryuzo’s fingers, then back to stunning amber eyes and red-brown hair styled in a right undercut with long floppy locks threatening to hide Tani’s eyes.

His past self, Durante, called Ryuzo a fox but the description felt wrong. There was more to this man. Ryuzo was not simple folklore. His eyes widened when he remembered his grandmaster’s lessons about where his power came from.

The elusive Ekhos from the Ekho Realm hidden from the mortal realm. Humans could never find their way into the Ekho realm but Ekhos visited the mortal realm often. According to his grandmaster, they were powerful creatures divided into different clans based on power attributes and elemental affinities.

His grandmaster named a fox clan, a dragon clan, an elemental clan, and something he called an immortal clan as the most powerful clan. There were lesser-known clans, clans with little power, rooted in each of the powerful clans. All of them were governed by the ruthless Septum. Mortals like his grandmaster only knew what an Ekho was because he met one in a moment of crisis.

“You are Ekho,” Dante said.

Tani smiled wide.

“This Dante is more learned,” Tani said. “Yes, I am Ekho.”

“Your kind does not appear easily in our mortal realm,” Dante said, remembering his lessons with the grandmaster.

Dante suspected Tani Ryuzo had a fox clan in his lineage, but also something else. His power felt large, as though on the brink of a nuclear explosion.

“Why are you in the mortal realm?” Dante asked.

“The answer is too complicated for our first meeting,” Tani said.

“Are you going to release him?” Hera asked, behind Dante.

Dante’s gaze widened.

“Has the pain stopped?”

“It has,” Tani said, showing him his right palm. “No pain, no wound.”

“Good,” Dante nodded, still staring at Tani.

“The burn on his palm shouldn’t have been there to start with,” Hera said, her annoyance with Dante clear.

“Forgive this child of mine,” Tani said with a small intriguing smile. “She’s protective.”

“Mm,” Dante nodded, wondering how he could get Tani to the Artri House.

He needed answers, and to understand why he was dreaming of breaking Ryuzo’s heart. Most importantly, why the thought of hurting Ryuzo left him feeling so empty?

---

How poetic that he would meet Dante in an old olive grove. Their relationship was already so heavy perhaps this old olive grove was the only thing that could contain the misses between them. Tani took in Dante up close, filing away the nut shade of brown eyes, different from the previous one’s dark brown. Dark hair held in a tight bun, Tani wondered what the texture of the soft strands would feel like between his fingers. Dante wore a beard that gave him a rugged image, the best kind of rugged, making him look wild. Tani imagined it would be interesting to watch Dante trim it.

The ground shifted under his feet and he dragged his gaze away from Dante’s face, afraid all his longing and need would betray his thoughts. He stared at the ground where he had sunk his fingers before Dante arrived. His black and white Vans were covered with black soot. The tendrils of fine black dust covered the perfect circle where he stood. The heat from Dante’s spell kept the soot-like tendrils inside the circle.

Tani frowned when the tendrils grew thicker, like growing roots reaching out of the ground.

“Dante,” Tani said. “Don’t lower this wall of heat. Keep it in place.”

“Babu,” Hera started.

“I’ve found the source of the corruption,” Tani said, staring at the soot-like roots coming up from the ground.

Dante’s eyes widened in shock when the soot tendrils thickened, rising from the ground, swirling around Tani’s feet now, they swirled around him but they did not touch Tani.

“Babu, come out of there,” Hera said, her voice filled with panic. “

“Don’t worry, I’m Ekho. It won’t touch me,” Tani said, realizing he was looking at a parasite from the Ekho Realm: Kara ot – black weed. It would have followed an Ekho from the Ekho realm and found its way into the mortal world.

“Tom, Hera, this is a parasite from our Ekho Realm,” Tani said. “It feeds on hybrids. You cannot get close.”

Kara ot was deadly for the Ekho blessed. It searched out their power and infected them in an attempt to suck out their vitality to the last drop. In fertile soil and all living plants, it exhausted nutrients growing and spreading its roots until the land turned barren.

Tani worked hard to eliminate the black weed in the mortal realm.

“Hera, Tom, get out of the olive grove. This will grow wild and gravitate to you both for your power. It’s dangerous for you to be here. Find the mortals in the vineyard, get them back to the main house,” Tani said.

“What about you?” Hera asked, fear in her dark eyes.

Tom hurried to Hera’s side. He took her right hand and turned to Dante.

“Let’s go. Babu is serious when he says to leave.”

“Dante stays,” Tani said, making Tom and Hera stare at him in surprise.

The thick black roots swirled around Tani’s thighs now, hitting against the wall of heat Dante kept in place.

“He and I have an unfinished conversation. The black weed is staying with thin the circle he has made. He is safe for now. Go.”

Hera gave an impatient sound, glanced at Dante, and then shook her head.

“I’ll be fine,” Tani said, giving her a small smile. “Go with Tom. Keep Dante’s family and the workers on the vineyard safe for me.”

Hera nodded and turned to Dante.

“I’ll make sure he’s okay,” Dante said before Hera could speak.

Hera let out a soft sigh. She bit her bottom lip unsure, and then because the black thick roots were only growing faster, she gave Dante a hopeful nod.

“Should I call Uncle Amu?” Tom asked.

“No,” Tani said. “I’ll find a way to deal with it. No need to disturb uncle. Hurry, Tom.”

“We’ll wait for you at the vineyard’s main house,” Tom said, still holding Hera’s hand.

They ran in the direction Dante had come to get everyone out of the vineyard and to the main house.

Tani met Dante’s worried gaze. It was time to jump into important matters. His smile disappeared.

“One of ours has left your vineyard a terrible gift. You find yourself in a unique moment of crisis,” Tani said. “The black weed rises from the ground because it feels your power. It’s confused for the moment because I stand here. Your knowing I’m Ekho makes what happens next easier. We’ll discuss why you know what I am after we deal with this parasite.”

“Promise you won’t leave after you help us,” Dante said, his voice tinged with an emotion Tani could not define. Brown eyes watched him, anxiety rising as they dropped to the black weed growing at Tani’s feet. “Please promise you won’t disappear on me. Your kind does that often to people you help.”

Tani smiled then because Dante was right. It was easier for others like him not to interact with mortals. Their lives were so fleeting after all. Yet, their encounter was different. Tani could not walk away now. The aura surrounding Dante teased him. The scent of jasmine sank into him, healing his ripped heart like a healing salve over an open wound that will not heal.

“I will stay,” Tani said, his promise a vow. He would stay until Dante discarded him again, or he saved Dante from death

The black root tendrils reached his waist. They were careful not to touch him still, as though he had a shield around him. Instead, they started hitting Dante’s wall of heat with growing agitation.

“What is it you want to do?” Dante asked, his worry growing. He took a step closer as though to help and Tani stopped him with a shake of his head.

“Don’t be too shocked at meeting another like me,” Tani said, then closed his eyes and called the god of calamity. “Cale, find me.”

When he opened his eyes, Cale stood behind Dante. Tani’s eyes widened when Cale held out his right hand intending to put Dante to sleep.

“Don’t,” Tani said, making Cale look at him in surprise. “I need him conscious. No secrets this time, Cale. He knows I’m Ekho.”

Dante jerked to the side when Cale moved to stand on his right in silence.

“Where did you come from?” Dante asked, shock clear in his expression.

“Somewhere your kind cannot reach easily,” Cale said, studying the black roots rising around Tani.

“Why are you standing in a circle of heat?” Cale asked Tani. He pressed his palm against the wall and winced.

“Powerful magik,” Cale said, staring at his singed palms when he pulled his hand away. His wounds disappeared in an instant.

“The wall of heat is secondary,” Tani said. “Why do we have kara ot on this island?”

“Clearly, someone has brought it here,” Cale said, with a shrug. “Should we let it flourish?”

“This is not a joke,” Tani warned. “Mortals live here.”

“You mean your mortal lives here,” Cale said, glancing at a confused Dante.

“Cale,” Tani said, annoyed by Cale’s indifference.

Dante frowned when Tani held out his hands to Cale. Tani’s hands moved through the wall of heat with no trouble.

“I thought I was holding you in place?” Dante asked.

“Were you?” Tani asked, smiling at him. “Don’t be shocked.”

“You keep saying that. Shocked by what?” Dante asked.

The illusion Tani kept up for the sake of his mortal life fell away.

Dante gaped. His gaze fixed on the intricate wide gold cuffs wrapped around Tani’s wrists. They were an inch thick and looked heavy enough to sink a man to the bottom of a deep lake. Intricate designs were carved into the heavy gold.

The symbols forged in the gold were a binding spell designed to hold Tani in the mortal realm for a thousand years.

“I’m the only one who can heal this blight. Take them off,” Tani said to Cale.

Cale watched the black tendrils grow faster now. Whipping around Tani, agitated.

“Why can’t we let the black weed grow? Let it flourish in this place—”

“Your power is currently feeding the Kara ot,” Tani said, annoyed when Cale only shrugged. “It is deep in the land to be coming up this fast. Hera and Tom are on this property. You know the black weed will seek them out and do its best to infect them until they are wasted. You are honor bound to Uncle Amu to protect them.”

Cale still looked unwilling, his gaze sliding to Dante with a wince.

“Tani, returning the cuffs will hurt. Are you sure you want to do this now?” Cale asked, nodding to Dante.

Tani looked at a shocked Dante. He had no words for this moment.

Hearing Dante refer to him as Ekho had felt good. The secret of what he was always easiest out, like the first time they met in the old forest. The lifetimes where he had to hide what he was were the hardest. Dante’s abundant power meant there was no need to remain cautious. They could meet on equal terms.

In any case, the kara ot needed to be cleansed.

Tom and Hera had come to this vineyard to heal the soil.

Tani always did his best to fulfill their wishes.

“I will endure,” Tani said to Cale.

He then met Dante’s curious gaze.

Cale grumbled under his breath as he looked at Dante, then let out a loud exasperated sigh. He stepped forward, taking Tani’s wrists in his hands. White light wrapped around the gold cuffs and they disappeared from Tani’s wrists.

---

Dante took a step back as Tani pulled his hands back into his circle, head tilted to the skies, every muscle on his body straining, amber eyes turning a brilliant gold. Lightening colored the skies above them, and thunder rolled, loud and heart-shaking. The ground shook and Dante started to step back, reaching for the closest olive tree to steady.

“Don’t move,” Tani said, his voice soft, cajoling as he met Dante’s gaze, his amber eyes now a vivid gold. “Otherwise the kara ot will come for you. Now, feel and learn what I teach. Your wall of heat is incomplete if you want to use it to keep in your prey.”

Dante started to ask what Tani meant, only to gasp when the wall of heat shifted, moving away from Tani and instead circling around him. The spell to make a similar wall whispered in his head, burned into his memory, as revitalizing warmth circled around him. The wall of heat turned solid, like clear glass forged from clear sand, wrapped around Dante in a hard protective circle.

One moment Dante was staring into Tani’s eyes. The next, Tani dropped to the ground, slamming his right palm deep into the ground where the black weed grew. When he straightened to his full height, he pulled out a large thick root of the black weed. Holding it with both hands, Tani closed his eyes and gold fire seeped into the black tendrils from where he held the thick root, black claws digging into the soot skin.

Sensing danger, the large black tendrils did their best to wiggle away from the gold fire. Wiggling, agitated. The thick roots slammed hard against the circle around Dante. Dante was quick to notice the black weed did not attempt to reach for the man in a navy blue suit standing to his right. Cale, Tani had called him.

The ground shook and trembled, the dark roots digging deeper into the ground, moving under the soil, and uprooting three large olive trees. Dante winced at the distraction, wishing he could save the old trees. The black weed dug through the earth, racing away from Tani and his gold fire.

“No,” Dante said, afraid when the ground bulged at a fast rate, the damage heading straight toward the vineyard and Artri House.

Tani noticed the black weed’s change too.

“The parasite is rooted deep in the land. Cale,” Tani said, in his voice rough. “Protect yourself from me.”

“Burn hot little lordling,” Cale said, giving Tani an exaggerated bow.

Dante frowned at Cale when he rose up off the ground a dark cloud swirling around him.

“Dante, shield your eyes if it gets too bright,” Tani ordered, sparing Dante a single glance before he let go of the black weed.

Gold fire wrapped the thick black roots around Tani, squirming in an attempt to escape the damaging gold flames. Tani knelt on the ground, eyes closed, and he sunk his hands into the disturbed ground. He seemed to pop open a cap holding his power deep inside him. He allowed his power to pour out of him in a forceful rush.

Dante gasped as the pressure of Tani’s power wrapped around him, despite the shielding wall around him. The pressure surrounding him felt like falling into the deepest part of a lake with no knowledge of how to escape the crushing force of water, suffocating. There was not enough air for his next breath. Dante’s hands came up to his throat, breathing shallow breaths, fighting panic. Dante gasped for air.

“Sorry,” Tani whispered.

The pressure eased, and he took in several deep breaths in relief.

Tani remained focused on the ground.

Dante’s gaze shifted to the black weed now racing toward Artri House over the vast expanse of the vineyard. The thickening roots formed deep damaging ridges in the land, damaging vines and trees in a quest to escape Tani.

Tani let out an arduous shout, drawing Dante’s gaze. He watched as Tani sunk his hands deeper into the ground until they were elbow-deep, and then gold light enveloped every living thing in sight.

Dante closed his eyes to escape the intensity of the white-hot light. When he opened his eyes again, it was to see the ridges made by the dark weed healing. The vines restored as before, slowly creeping over their usual lines. The deep ridges returned to normal, and the roots of the uprooted olive trees dug back into the ground, sinking deeper until they were standing again. The ground around Tani was scotched white.

The wall of heat melted away and sunk into the ground. Dante stepped back, eyes wide as the grass on the ground was restored to green, the white circle around Tani reducing until he removed his hands from the ground.

Dante took a step toward Tani. Tani remained kneeling and when he looked at Dante, it was with beautiful amber eyes. Dante closed the distance between them and dropped to his knees before Tani.

“Your vineyard is clean again,” Tani said, with a small smile. “I suppose we should solve the mystery of how such a large parasite ended up on your precious vineyard.”

“Is it normal for Ekho realm parasites to migrate to our realm?” Dante asked.

“No,” Tani shook his head and then he started to reach up to touch Dante’s cheek. He stopped when he noticed the dirt on his left hand.

Dante frowned at the disappointment that sprung inside him when Tani dropped his hand to his lap.

“Almost millennia and you still shake my heart,” Tani said, his words heavy with sorrow and joy melded into a tone that sunk into Dante’s cold heart.

Dante started to speak but Cale cut in.

“Are you ready?” Cale asked.

“I’m never ready,” Tani said, sounding tired and unwilling. “Let’s get it over with.”

“Move,” Cale said, squeezing Dante’s shoulder.

Dante moved away from Tani, not stepping too far though. Cale crouched before Tani and held his gaze for a moment, and then Tani nodded.

Cale cursed under his breath, and then he was holding Tani’s wrists.

Tani let out a gut-wrenching cream making Dante grip Cale’s shoulder intent on pushing Cale away from Tani. Cale shrugged off his hold and glared at him.

“Stay put, mortal,” Cale ordered. “It is not your place to interfere.”

Tani’s scream continued, making Dante feel like he might tear out his hair at the pain-filled sound. Then silence came, and Tani fell into Cale’s arms.

Dante placed a hand on Tani’s right shoulder, pulling him back. He peered into Tani’s face, resting on Cale’s shoulder. Tani’s eyes were closed. He was unconscious.

“What did you do to him?” Dante asked Cale. “What the fuck did you do to him?”

“Wrong question. You should ask what he did to himself because of you,” Cale said, wrapping an arm around Tani’s shoulders. It was in clear preparation to leave, so Dante gripped Cale’s arm, holding both Cale and Tani in place.

“Tani promised to stay,” Dante said, meeting unnerving black eyes. He had never seen eyes as dark as midnight before.

Cale had to be a dark Ekho. Perhaps the god of calamity in person.

“He promised to stay,” Dante said, holding Cale’s terrifying gaze, refusing to cower in the face of such dark power.

“He sure makes a lot of unnecessary promises to you,” Cale hissed, making Dante flinch.

“Artri House has comfortable guest rooms,” Dante continued, ignoring the annoyance in Cale’s unusual eyes. He was not losing Tani because he was afraid. “He has protected our vineyard. The least we can offer is a place for him to rest. Please, don’t take him away.”

Cale started to shrug Dante’s hold on his arm away, and Dante felt panic rise. He tightened his grip on Cale’s arm as a small part of the cold wall inside him cracked and crumbled away.

“Please…” Dante said, shocked by the depths he felt his plea.

He was desperate to keep Tani with him, at Artri House. Dante bit his bottom lip, determined to keep Tani. He would fight Cale off if needed. He was still strong enough to burn an Ekho.

“You…,” Cale frowned, his gaze shifting to where Dante held his right arm. The blue suit was starting to singe. “Hey, don’t you dare burn my bespoke suit. Do you know how much it costs? I got it delivered two days ago.”

“Give him to me,” Dante said, not letting go of Cale’s arm.

“Are you sure?” Cale asked with a scoff. “He might be more than you bargained for.”

“I don’t care, give him to me,” Dante said, impatience coloring his voice.

“No need to get mean,” Cale said, then with a sigh. “You cannot teleport. I will get you to Artri House. You can take him from there.”

Cale did not give him time to protest the idea. They teleported out of the olive grove and a second later, Dante’s arms were filled with a passed-out Tani, while Cale leaned on a sculpted stone urn planter bursting with blooming Sweet William flowers.

Dante glared at Cale.

“You can’t teleport without care here. There are people in the house—”

“You forget what I am,” Cale said, folding his arms against his chest. “None of the mortals saw us. They’ll assume we drove back from the olive grove. Hera and Tom are in the kitchen with your mother.”

Dante hissed and looked at Tani’s face. Tani looked peaceful, as though he slept. Dante touched the lock of red-brown hair falling over Tani’s right eye. Stroking the soft strands away with his index finger.

Tani looked thirty years old. High cheekbones, clean-shaven, and his skin smooth. Dante wanted to trace the line Tani’s eyelashes made against his skin. He stopped himself because Tani was lying on the grass in front of Artri House.

Cale’s dark eyes watched him with too much interest.

“When is he going to wake up?” Dante asked.

“I don’t know,” Cale said, rolling his shoulders in a negligent shrug when Dante looked at him. “Last time it took a month.”

Dante frowned and returned his perplexed gaze to Tani.

“I—”

He never finished his sentence. Hera and Tom came running out of the house. Hera pulled Tani out of Dante’s arms before he could protest. She rested Tani’s head on her lap, while Tom straightened Tani’s arms and legs.

“What happened?” Hera asked, looking at Cale.

“He cleansed the kara ot from the vineyard. It was larger than he thought, sunk deep in the ground in the olive grove. It has been feeding itself a long time,” Cale said.

“The cuffs came off,” Tom said, sitting back on his haunches with a sigh.

Hera echoed the sigh and pointed to Tom.

“You get the car. I’ll hold him for now,” Hera said.

Disappointment filled Dante. He did not want Tani to leave yet. Even if it took a month for Tani to wake up, he wanted him here at Artri House.

Irrational, as they had just met, but…panic rose deep inside him.

“Wait, Tom. Tani asked to stay with Dante,” Cale said, surprising Dante.

“What?” Hera asked, frowning as she looked at Dante. “Why would Babu ask to stay with a man who burned him and caused him pain?”

“It’s complicated,” Cale said. “Sweet Hera, you always do what your Babu wants. He promised to stay here.”

Hera cursed under her breath in a language Dante didn’t understand. He was quite sure she was cursing him out, as she promptly glared at him.

“Dante Arturo,” Hera said, her accent clear as she said his name. “Does anyone in your house know the healing arts?”

“Yes,” Dante said with a triumphant smile. “My mother is very skilled.”

“I hope so. Let’s get Babu off the grass and into a comfortable bed,” Hera said. “It took too long to heal the damage caused by the cuffs. Perhaps with your bloodline, we might be able to wake him earlier than a month.”

“Why does he have to wear the cuffs?” Dante asked his gaze on the shining gold cuffs on Tani’s wrists. Their intricate designs were enough to make him sigh. He never wanted to hear Tani scream as he did back in the olive grove. “Can’t we take them off?”

Cale scoffed behind Dante.

Hera and Tom stared at him with wide eyes.

“Dante,” Nora Arturo said from the front door. “I know I taught you better than this. How dare you keep a guest lying on our front lawn like a discarded carcass?”

Dante winced at his mother’s callous comments. She could embarrass the god of calamity if she so wanted.

“Come on, Dante, make use of those muscles and lift Mr. Ryuzo up,” Nora said when he didn’t move fast enough for her. “Get him off the grass, his t-shirt will get grass stains and that’s not good. Take him to the blue room. Hera, Tom, come inside, we’ll show you where your boss can stay for the duration of his visit with us.”

Hera sighed as she watched Dante lift Tani into his arms. She did not move until he started toward the front door of Artri House.

---

Nora Arturo stood at the front door, her arms crossed against her chest, her gaze on the tall man in a navy blue suit standing by her sweet Williams. The dark aura around him was enough to make her shudder.

Hera and Tom entered the house, following Dante and his…

Nora frowned.

Ryuzo, she thought with a small smile.

Her gaze returned to the dark man still standing by the flowerpot urn.

“You’re warded against me,” he said, straightening to his full height.

“We are,” Nora said. “It’s an old ward, created by my grandmother.”

“She was powerful,” Cale said, a smile curving his lips. “I can’t step on the grass.”

“She was paranoid,” Nora said.

“Look after the little lordling for me,” Cale said.

“Artri House will take care of him,” Nora said.

“Thank you,” Cale said, giving her an archaic lordly bow before he disappeared.

Nora let out a soft breath and dropped her hands to her sides. She could not believe that the calm creature was the god of calamity.

There seemed to be more to the Ryuzo warning.

As she turned to enter the house, she stopped when she saw the five Elderwood leaves carved on the wood threshold of Artri House glowing gold.

Nora smiled and pulled the front mat over the symbol with a pleased grin.

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Tuesday ended in a whirlwind. Dante finished his lecture series and handed it over to the resident Associate Professor, Thomas, and their shared overworked teaching assistant Justina. To celebrate his time teaching on Thomas’s behalf, he invited Thomas and Justina out for an evening meal.

“We should do this again next semester,” Thomas said, as they walked to Balkon Bar and Restaurant. It was a comfortable place and the food was good. “I enjoyed listening to your lecture on the influence Byzantium has left on the architecture found in our religious houses, all the way up to now.”

“I’m more excited about the trip to Aretias Island. I can’t believe you found a fortress there,” Justina said. “How come we’ve never had an opportunity to explore it?”

“It’s in a conservancy,” Dante said. “I was as surprised as you are when I arrived looking for researchers to help me with soil. I can’t explain it. Anyway, the trip is not confirmed yet. I’ll meet the management guys tomorrow. I’ll call you with information if they give me their consent.”

“I hope they agree,” Justina said, smiling wide.

Thomas chuckled and shook his head. “You just want a break from reading exam papers from my students.”

“You caught me,” Justina said, as they entered the building that housed Balkon.

Upstairs, Dante led the way to the balcony terrace and found a table near the balcony. The sunset was almost gone. He wished they had made it earlier to catch the show. He invited Thomas and Justina to take a seat at the table large enough to seat four.

“Our Ryuzo house…” the words drifted to him and he stopped in the act of pulling out his chair. He turned his gaze in search of the owner of that voice.

Ryuzo. The memory of amber eyes filled him and all he could remember was the clear sadness in amber eyes.

“What will you have, Dante?” Justina asked, her voice pulling him back to their table. “Should we order drinks first?”

“Sure,” Dante said, distracted. He pulled out his chair and turned once more to see if he could spot who had mentioned Ryuzo. The balcony terrace had quite a number of tables. Each of them with a set of patrons. Each one deep in conversation with their companion, Dante frowned and glanced to the door they had used to enter the balcony terrace.

Dante froze when he saw the lithe man dressed in a black leather jacket. His red-brown hair was rich in the fading sunlight. His profile was handsome as he looked at the sunset. Dante wished he would turn…and then he did, once, looking straight at Dante. His heartbeat skipped.

The light seemed to highlight in perfect form, amber eyes similar to those of a fox filled with mischief. Just like he remembered in his dream.

Ryuzo’s eyes, looking at him in broad daylight, how impossible.

“Dante?” Thomas said his name, dragging him back from his wild imagination.

Dante glanced back to the exit one more time, and frowned when he saw the doorway empty.

He was gone.

Dante wondered if he might have hallucinated his existence.

*~*~*~*

The Arturo Vineyard was beautiful. Tani stood in the middle of the old olive grove staring at the tops of the mature trees. They were old and full of memories. It was mid-morning. Tom and Hera were focused on following a track of corrupted soil in the olive grove. Dante’s mother was in the vineyard house, preparing a meal for Tom and Hera to thank them for their work. The vineyard manager was inspecting the grape vines. Something he was apparently doing every day now.

Tani sighed, marveling over the beautiful olive grove. He loved old places like these most. The aged grove made him feel at home, like meeting old friends who had seen the past years the same as him. Closing his eyes, he listened to the leaves dance in the wind. Then he felt more than heard Tom walking up to him.

“Do you want to sink your fingers into the soil, Babu?” Tom asked, coming to stand next to him on his right.”

Hera’s pace was more leisurely. She stopped on his left, her bangle jingling. Today she wore jeans and a flowery blouse. Her black braids were in a tight ponytail on top of her head. Her feet in work boots, ready to walk the land.

“What are the olive trees telling you, Babu?” Hera asked.

“They’re old,” Tani said, flashing a small grin when she scoffed. “What? We are kindred spirits.”

“I think you’re avoiding bending over with us,” Hera teased, moving to the closest olive tree to check the soil. “Something strange is happening in this grove. The soil is losing its nutrients. If this continues, your old trees will rot to death.”

“Hm,” Tani said, pulling his hands out of his black trouser pockets. He scowled at the tan bandage on his right palm. The wound was not healing despite Hera’s best efforts.

Damn Dante and his new petty nature. Ignoring the pain, he removed the bandage and folded it, scowling at the red scar on his palm. He adjusted his white t-shirt and crouched on the ground. Tom stayed beside him.

“Let me know when you see Dante’s mother or the vineyard manager,” Tani said.

“I will,” Tom promised.

Tani pressed his palms to the ground, his fingers changing, black nails growing longer, digging into the ground, turning the dirt. He sunk his fingers deep until his hands were wrist-deep. He closed his eyes then and let his senses search for what was wrong in the ground.

*~*~*~*

Dante arrived home on the island in high spirit. He couldn’t wait to hear Tom’s verdict on their soil. It would be great to solve the mystery of corrupt soil in the vineyard. Then after, he would get the chance to convince Tom to let him bring fifteen eager students on a tour of his fortress.

Smiling at the thought, Dante drove the vineyard jeep to the olive grove. He was dismounting when he felt the powerful presence following him around. Leaving the jeep door open, he ran into the olive grove determined to catch it this time.

*~*~*~*

Tani was focused in his search, allowing his power to seep into the soil, seeking…then a familiar hot heat came racing at his back. He had one second to pull his hands out of the ground and push Tom out of harm’s way before a thick column of heat surrounded him, burning so hot, he could not hold back the guttural scream of pain that left his lips. The burn in his right palm seemed to awaken with a vengeance

Tani fell to his knees as raw pain sunk deep into his bones.

He looked up when the bloodborne warlock responsible for his pain arrived at the clearing. His amber eyes long stripped of their resemblance to a human; Tani looked at Dante and shook his head, great disappointment filling his heart.

His beloved was the only one in his life capable of bringing him pain.

Oh, what fine pain his beloved dealt, he could only cry tears of blood to get through it.

*~*~*~*~*

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