Chapter 6
After their quiet heart to heart, Gabal and Aoifa regained their places and went about business as usual. They ironed out the details of the date and time of departure, as well as the method of travel.
All in attendance were confused when the witch told them she had their journey covered. And after a very vague and short explanation, they decided they did not need all the details. Magical travel was often very messy, stress beforehand could make it even more so. She had just told them to all be in her house at the time, and asked that Gabal had a map marked with a ten acre square, cleared of animals and people, in his packlands. She emphasized the cleared portion of that sentence several times as she spoke. He got the message and had Jackson, the Betason, contact his brother to get it done.
Once things were in motion, all they had to do was wait a couple hours and they would be off. The weres made themselves at home, being almost as accepted by the house as Gabal had been. Lefony had taken up a place in the living room on an old couch, taking interest in an old medical journal from the time Aoifa was still a human. Goddard had found Aoifa's weapons corner. It was filled with all manner of things picked up during her time traveling throughout the years. Much like her books, they told stories of her life she thought no one would ever know. Places and times she had been, people she had seen, lives she had taken or saved.
Overall, she felt a bit exposed. A foreign feeling in her own home. But as these strangers marveled over her secrets, it was a hard feeling to quell. She was relieved that the youngest, and most inquisitive of the group, had decided to only explore her kitchen. He was quick to devour some of her stores, making sounds of appreciation as he went, gorging himself on flavored meats and fruits until he was resting happily on the floor against her cabinets, hands held over his belly, satisfied smile in place across his face.
The fourth member of their group was still seated at her table, he had yet to say a word and only stared blankly in the general direction of Gabal. His eyes tracking his movement, yet constantly aware of his surroundings. It wasn't until the house started to clean up after Jackson's mess that the silent stranger made a move. He would have impaled one of Aoifa's favorite plates if she had not stopped the knife. She had not seen him draw it or throw, but she could feel the ivory the handle was made from, hunted during a time when elephants posed a threat to humans and agriculture, making it a choice between their life and his. She could feel it, the care he had used crafting the weapons, more than one for she could feel its brothers lying against his skin. It was easy to call the knife to her, and as she studied it, she missed the awe in those around her.
She raised her eyes to meet those of the stranger. "My house and the things in it tend to move on their own, you'll find that when I'm around, what is alive acts of its own will. Please refrain from impaling my things in the future. I can assure you one hundred percent, as long as no one brings me harm, no harm will come to you and yours." She paused and thought a moment, rectifying her statement. "Except the occasional stubbed toe or lost item," she finished with a warm, secretive smile. She willed the knife back to him, resting it softly on the table when he made no move to grab it from the air
After he had stowed it, he stood and bowed deeply at the waist, surprising her again. "My name is Ansel, a warrior. I apologize for my rash actions." A grunt came from Gabal, who was now sitting under her, public affection be damned. He could tell his Given prefered him here, so that was where he would be.
"Shadow," he grumbled, not pleased by the fib his protector had slipped to his mate. He was a warrior, that was true, but he was also so much more. He was a shadow in every sense but the literal one. Ansel followed Gabal everywhere. He had saved him more times than he could count, and though Gabal could hold his own against just about anything, Ansel was there for the underhanded stuff Gabal had a hard time detecting. As strong as he was, assassination attempts were often dishonest, swift, and quiet. A deadly combination when used in the right way. Gabal, for all his ancient strength, owed his life, many times over, to his silent defender.
When the two were young, they got into all manner of trouble, having grown together as young boys. When Ansel found his Given, Marlina, things had changed. The panther grew and matured, readying himself for the family that was in their near future. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned for the couple. Obstacles were placed in their way. After many years of trying, it was concluded that Marlina was infertil. The blow to her psych turned out to be fatal. Just three short days after the news, she took her own life. Ansel felt their bond break in the dead of night, and try as he might, he was never able to recover her body and return her soul beyond the moon. In the letter she left, she explained that she could not live without children of her own, that she was a failure of a mate, and wished that he would choose another to hold his heart. For many years, he was a shell of himself, consumed by a rage so uncontrollable he spent most of it imprisoned.
It was not until an attempt was made on Gabal's life that his head raised above the drowning, violent waters of absolute despair. As his childhood friend lay in a coma, recovering from injuries, Ansel realized that he still had something to live for and people that loved him. It was the reality check he needed most. By the time Gabal had gained consciousness, Ansel had disposed of various threats to Gabal's position, asserted himself as Head of Guard, and claimed the coveted Shadow position. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of his Alpha, of the man that breathed life back into his soul.
As Aoifa looked at the two, noticing the way Ansel briefly flicked his eyes to meet Gabal's, and the soft way that Gabal looked at the man in return, she realized that they shared a deep connection. This man was a brother to her mate, one who held a special place in his heart, and in turn her own. If he was important to Gabal, she would make any effort to be in his good graces and connect with him as well. When Ansel swung his eyes back to the Lady Luna, he found that she was smiling softly as him, eyes full of some warm, gooey emotion that should surely be reserved for her own mate. He looked away and down, uncomfortable with being shown kindness from a stranger. He would never admit, not even to himself, that a warmth began to blossom in his chest under her gaze.
Aoifa stood slowly from her chair and stretched. "I have some things to do outside in preparation for our journey. I'll be back inside soon." Gabal immediately moved to follow, not even letting her get a few steps from the table before he was on her tail. She willed her trusty, bottomless bag over her shoulder and proceeded toward the back door. A few floorboards titded themselves up and slipped out nine wooden disks into her awaiting hands. She lovingly rubbed them between calloused fingers. The smooth walnut buzzed excitedly under my fingers. It had been a long time since she had the chance to use these. Aoifa shared in their anticipation and joy.
"What are those," questioned Gabal over her shoulder. He peered at the wood, noting its likeness to his skin and the wild energy it exuded. Runes had been singed into the face of each one. From what he could see, they had three circles of the markings, progressively getting smaller in size, though not in number.
"These are going to help me focus," she said simply. In her excitement, she skipped out the back door and down the steps, her bare feet meeting wet grass. The firm hand that clasped the back of her neck brought her to an abrupt halt. When she turned to look, Gabal was holding her sneakers aloft with a pointed look. Aoifa gave him a sheepish smile and let him slip them on her feet without fuss.
Ansel had come outside during the exchange, and leaned back against the house, his knee bent, foot resting comfortably on the lattice covering the space for structural piers on which the house sat. He regarded the way they interacted with careful consideration. His heart flared with what he knew was envy and longing. His face struggled to remain neutral under the weight of his dark heart. He was desperate to push away such emotions, knowing how distracting and poisonous they could become. His pack could not afford another downways spiral from him. They were already suffering enough at the hands of this mysterious sickness. He shut down his humanity, tucking it away into the same dark corner that housed memories of his late Given. Now under control, he inhaled a fortifying breath and started after the Alpha couple.
Aoifa was aware of Ansel as she walked her property. She chose not to comment on the longing and bitterness, so strong that she felt it without trying, or on the fact that it disappeared soon after it came. Instead she focused on precisely placing the disks around the outskirts of her land. One at each of the cardinal directions and one at the halfway point between those. Two intersecting squares were the outcome. By the time she was done, over an hour had passed. Walking the vast property at her pace, even with the direct paths she made, was a long process.
She made it back inside, both protectors trailing behind without a word. The first thing she did was slip off her sneakers. For this to work she needed direct connection to the wood. It would be preferable if she was naked, but she highly doubted Gabal's compliance with that given the current company. She would not want him naked around other females either. Taking a quick inventory of her mental checklist, she made a quick trip to the bathroom, next. She had learned the hard way what tough magic did to a full bladder. After that was taken care of, she went around her home and made sure all her breakables were secure, curving the kitchen shelves at an angle to hold the jars better, placing her knick-knacks on the floor to prevent falls.
"Has the land been cleared as I asked," Aoifa said, coming to Gabal's side when she returned. He gave a short nod in reply, sliding the map now resting on the table to her. On it, clearly outlined in red marker, was a perfect ten acre square. She took a quick second to whip out her phone and access maps, zooming out and back in with satellite view to better orient herself. Always better to be safe than sorry when doing something this big.
"Alrighty, let's begin. If everyone could sit down and buckle up, we will be departing shortly," a grin broke out across her face as she took in the confusion of the others.
"What are you doing," asked a worried Jackson. His face pulled in a grimace, obviously not trusting whatever she had up her sleeve. Aoifa let out a short cackle, making everyone even more uneasy, except Gabal. He knew his Given was having her fun, his only concern was her safety after using a large amount of magic. He knew focusing tablets when he saw them, and only the biggest spells required those. He had never seen an aether wielder use more than three at a time. He suspected he knew what she was doing with them, and if so, it would be one of the largest, most complex feats of magic to which he has ever bore witness. His worry intensified, but still, he said nothing. Gabal, while protective, also had faith in his Given's abilities, including the one to recognize her limits.
"Now, a word of warning," her face turned deadly serious. "Do not, under any circumstances, break my concentration. You will not like the consequences." She looked everyone in the eye and waited for a nod before moving on. Her smile returned again and she spun, facing the front door, her back to everyone who had decided to sit at the kitchen table. "Ready house?" She whispered it quietly and the shudder that answered was enough to sneak a jump from everyone but her Given and his shadow.
With that, she raised the remaining dish in both her hands, feet together, back straight, elbows stretched out to either side as far as they could go, and slowly, on a depp, deep, endless inhale, she raised the wood up to her third eye, making the world around them explode.