"You know I love you, don't you Sevee?"
Lenore's sudden statement caught me off guard. It was just the two of us sitting out near the woods earlier that morning. We'd been hoping to have this quiet time together, especially since Lenore was so close to the end of her pregnancy.
It was strange for me to see her like that, but also exciting. She sat there in a dark blue dress, caressing her very pregnant belly. I swore she had a glow around her in the filtered sunlight dancing down through the leaves of the tree. It was almost heavenly to me, although I reasoned that it might've also been from the happy mood I was in.
"Of course I do." I responded, sitting back next to her, "You wouldn't have ended up like this if you didn't."
Lenore huffed, acting indignant, "Who says I wouldn't? You are a cute guy, and it's not like sleeping with you isn't fun." she teased.
"Anybody ever tell you that you're a brazen woman?" I teased back.
"I like to think I became that way after becoming an Astarte." I watched as she looked at her swollen belly, smiling contently, "But I've been happier than I ever thought I could be. I love you, and I love that we're going to have our own little family, even if we didn't expect it."
I couldn't resist moving closer to her and laying my hand over hers as she rested against me. I could feel the baby inside of her moving as I did.
"Yeah, I love you too, and I love this life now. Meeting you gave me a reason to want to be here, and I'll be happy spending the rest of my life with you." I told her.
Lenore was quiet as I said this, keeping her hands over mine on her belly. It was like she was thinking about something. After a few minutes of silence, she finally decided to speak.
"Hey Sevee?"
"What's up?"
"Can you promise me something?"
"I guess."
I wasn't sure of what to make of this sudden request, but I heard her out. It was the least I could do, especially with how serious she suddenly looked.
Lenore shifted so that she was able to turn and face me, an intent look in her blue eyes.
"I know you'll do everything you can to protect me, but promise me, if anything happens to me, please make sure that our baby's safe."
"You know I would, but where is this suddenly coming from?" I asked her.
Lenore only smiled, now attempting to downplay what she'd just said. Yet I couldn't help feeling like she was saying it for a reason. She just didn't want to tell me what that reason was.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just wanted to make sure you'd promise that to me just in case."
Her words echoed in my mind as I stood with my father in the deep woods right outside of Madison. Now I feared that I finally understood why she'd brought that up to me. She knew that this was probably going to end up happening. I just wished that I'd never left her. If I hadn't, then maybe I could've done something to keep that Fox from taking her.
"It'll be alright Sevee. Whatever happens, we'll handle it." Sean told me quietly.
"I don't know Dad. I can't shake this bad feeling." I confessed.
Sean shook his head, not facing me, "I hate saying this, but neither can I."
We both looked forward as we heard footsteps approaching, crunching the ground around us. I caught the familiar scents of my grandfather and uncle. They'd wasted no time in getting there. Guess Mia called them literally when she'd stepped into the house.
"Glad you could make it so quickly." Sean stated as they joined us.
"We wouldn't sit around on this, especially with the high stakes in it." Raphael informed him.
"How long has it been?" Michael asked us.
"Around half an hour now. I'm also certain that he's used this gateway to reenter the Veil." Sean explained.
"Let's not waste any more time then. There's no telling what that Fox may end up doing given the circumstances." Raphael responded.
There was no argument as the four of us stepped through the gateway. It was a strange experience for me, like walking through a wall of static electricity. Coming out to the other side, I looked around us in wonder. This world was so vibrant compared to the mortal one. The plants around us were bright shades of greens and brown, and I could hear birds calling from high in the trees. The smells around me were also unfamiliar, making me a little uneasy. I didn't like being uncertain about my surroundings like this.
Okay, so maybe I wasn't ready to explore this side of the worlds yet.
Sean was the one who led the way for us, walking through the forest we were in without hesitation. Michael and Raphael didn't seem amazed or intimidated by this place either. I betted that all three of them knew this place pretty well. They probably had been slipping in here ever since they'd been living in Madison. It seemed like a convenient way to get to this side.
"Hey, um Dad, do you know where we need to go? Are you following his scent?" I asked quietly.
"There is still a faint trace of it, but unfortunately it's become fainter now. I believe he's done his best to cover it because he knows we'll come after him." Sean admitted as he stopped with us.
Michael turned to Raphael, "Do you think you can follow any imprints?" he inquired.
"It's worth a try. I can't see where that many Foxes would traverse through this area." Raphael responded. He stepped in front of us, holding out his hand to feel out the environment. After a minute or so, he spoke again, "I've found him. He might be able to hide his scent, but he can't erase his imprint for what he's done."
"That is true. Emotions leave the strongest imprints." Michael added.
We followed Raphael forward, heading deeper into the forest and away from the gates. I was looking around us as we walked, trying to distract my mind by taking in my surroundings. This place, it was so different yet the same as the mortal world. I could hear different creatures moving around the trees, and see small creatures flying around the high tops of them, leaving sparkles in their wakes.
Pixies? Nymphs? I guessed either was possible. That or they could've been other things entirely.
There were also larger creatures roaming near us, although none seemed to mind our presence. There were several that had bodies that looked like they were made of tree bark. They were massive things, as large as elephants with glowing golden eyes and huge toothless mouths. They moved slowly and silently away from us, only their footsteps thudding on the ground.
Sean noticed me watching them.
"There's no need to worry about them Sevee. The Woodlex wouldn't harm any except for those who threaten their young." he reassured me.
Michael and Raphael stopped with us, looking at the creatures too.
"It has been a long time since we've come into this world, hasn't it?" Michael commented.
"It has." Raphael acknowledged, "I can say that it doesn't really change either. It's still as beautiful as the first time I was able to slip in here."
"Out of curiosity, do you two come over to this side a lot? I know Dad does." I spoke up. I was actually trying to distract myself a little again before continuing on.
"We have off and on since we were teenagers. You could say that we stumbled onto that gateway by chance, but it also gave us the opportunity to explore more of this side, and attempt to learn more about our own heritage." Michael explained to me.
Sean looked at him and Raphael, "I must ask as well, what is the plan with all of this? Are we simply demanding for Anari to hand Lenore back, or do you intend on punishing him for what he's done?"
"Both. The obvious would be taking back Lenore, but we also can't overlook that he's kidnapped her. That's enough for me to feel it justified to put him down." Raphael answered without hesitation.
"Seriously? You're going to kill him?" I managed to spit out.
"It is justified, just as Raphael has stated. You were the Fox to claim Lenore as your own, and given your bloodline within the Renaldi family, she is considered one of us now. For Anari to take her like he has, he's not only infringed on your right to her, he's also crossed the line in kidnapping one from a Nephilim family. That's more than enough grounds for retribution." Sean explained.
Well, it did make sense when they put it that way. Lenore was considered mine within the Fox world, and that would make her part of the Renaldi family. I almost felt bad for this Fox, although I had the distinct feeling that he probably already knew what would happen to him once he did this. I wondered why he'd even take such a risk.
The four of us continued on after this conversation, with Raphael still periodically reading the imprints left by this Fox. The forest seemed to stretch on forever, with nothing really changing. Finally, we reached an open area that looked full of thick briars. I stood still as I caught the familiar scent of the Fox Anari, and I could tell that Sean did too. This was it. This had to be the area of his den.
But there was also another faint scent that caught our attention as we stood there. My heartbeat quickened as I recognized it.
It was the smell of blood.
Sean caught it too, looking at Michael and Raphael.
"Something's wrong here. We need to clear these briars he's grown and get into that den quickly." he told them.
"Easy enough." Raphael agreed. He held up his left hand, and the briars were burned away in a flash of blue flames, revealing a hole that had been dug into a side of a large embankment near us. This had to be Anari's den.
But as we got closer to it, the smell of blood became stronger. Both Sean and I were hesitating, but forcing ourselves to move forward. Whatever had happened here, we needed to know, and more than that, we needed to see if Lenore was still in there.
The inside of this den reminded me a lot of the one that Flint had created twenty years before. It was earthen and dark, although I noticed that there were burnt out oil lamps lining the walls as we went further inside. The smell of blood was getting stronger and stronger now, and there seemed to be a lot of it.
What the hell did this Fox do? I wondered.
We finally made it to what looked like a large cavern. That was where we saw it. There were bloodstains all over the floors and walls in there, and bloody clothing was strewn about the room. I realized that all of the clothing belonged to women. Could this have been from the other Astartes he'd been keeping?
"This is a bad sign." Raphael said quietly.
"Do you think he's done this himself?" Michael asked him solemnly.
"Seems like it." Raphael confirmed.
Sean walked over to one of the scraps of clothing. They were shredded, reminding me of what Missy's clothing had looked like when she'd appeared in my nightmares. Yeah, Raphael was right. Anari had done all of this.
"Is this what's left from the other Astartes?" I asked Sean as I stood near him.
Sean nodded, "I believe so. This is an Astarte's scent on this clothing, although I don't smell or see Lenore's at this moment. It's odd though. Why would he kill the rest of them?" he wondered.
"That is because he heard of the orders given regarding them."
All four of us turned at hearing the sudden male voice. Sean immediately stood up with me as a figure came out from one of the nearby doorways.
I stared in disbelief and wonder. I'd never seen a creature like him before. Much like the other Foxes I'd gotten to meet, he appeared more like a man, standing a bit taller than us and with a medium build that was easy to tell with his white silk shirt and black pants. Yet his hair was stark white, and he had large animal like ears and a fluffy tail to match it, along with his eyelashes. His irises were a deep golden color, and stood out even in the dim lights peeking in through the high ceiling.
But the part that caught me the most was the sense of power I was getting from him. I'd never felt a creature this powerful before. It rivaled what I'd felt before from Michael and Raphael when they'd had to step in and defend our family back when Seraphina and I were little.
"Are you..." Michael started.
"You're the ruler of the Northern Lands. The Luna Dog, Jekia." Sean stated.
"Ah, I see you recognize me. But I'd imagine that Sage did feel it was in your benefit to see me at least once when you were young." Jekia responded. He remained where he stood with his arms crossed, not looking threatening at all as he regarded us.
"No, I didn't forget that day, even if it was only from a distance." Sean agreed. He still looked wary, and I noticed that he was staying partially in front of me.
Michael and Raphael weren't so on edge about all of this. They both looked more intrigued.
"So you are the Northern ruler. I had always wondered what you actually looked like, and I have to say that they described you well; a dog that harbors the color of the pale moon, with power unmatched by most within this world." Raphael commented.
"Yes, I do enjoy their descriptions of me, considering they do fit." Jekia humored him. He seemed to be studying us too, "And you both are Nephilim. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are from the Renaldi family."
"It sounds like you've heard of us." Michael noted.
"I have, considering you've been said to have visited these areas in the past. But more than that, you remind me much of him. I'd dare say that he left his mark on his offspring, though one could reason such to be a good thing. It should be a sign of divinity for how they've allowed you to be created." Jekia continued.
"Hold up. You know that Angel that started our family?" I spoke up.
Jekia's attention turned to me, and I felt frozen to the spot under his gaze. Even if he wasn't being threatening, the power he had was intimidating enough.
This made Sean uneasy, "If you've taken an issue to us being here, then please forgive us for intruding. We're simply looking for one of our own that the Fox who made this den has taken." he explained to him.
"Yes, this particular Fox." Jekia glanced around us with some distaste, "I must say that Foxes do tend to bring about a lot of trouble for me at times, even if I called one my best friend for most of my life. The majority are far too impulsive in what they do, especially the weaker willed ones. It's hard for me to imagine that this one thought he'd hide away making Astartes forever. It was only a matter of time before it was caught onto and the grim task of sending them back to their rightful places was handed to me."
"You mean you killed these Astartes in here?" Raphael asked him.
I felt my heart sinking again as I heard them talking about this. Could Lenore already be dead? Had Jekia already taken her life under orders?
Jekia shook his head, "No, I did not have the chance to take care of the ones here, nor would I have done so in such a barbaric manner. Whether you choose to believe me or not, I do feel bad for such creatures. They did not ask to be created, and it is only more indignity in their original deaths to allow such a thing to happen."
I somehow found it in me to speak up then, "You've already been through this den, right? Did you find what was left of a pregnant Astarte?" I dared ask.
"A pregnant one?" Jekia repeated quietly, his expression still neutral.
"Yes. That's why we're here. This Fox did make her, but she had stayed on the mortal side and was pregnant with Sevee's child. I'm sure you understand that the baby would be considered a Renaldi, and even if we can't save Lenore, we do want to take the baby back with us." Michael explained to him.
"Hmm..." Jekia nodded, then snapped his fingers. As soon as he did, a wisp of smoke rose up and turned into the Mage Emelio, "You overheard what has been said, correct?"
"Yes, I did. Shall I take us back to the palace now?" Emelio responded.
Jekia looked at us, "If you will oblige me, I would like us to return to my palace to discuss this more. It would appear our meeting has been pushed forward, although I have no mind for such."
"Very well. Let us do that then." Michael agreed.
It was like we were transported out of that den in an instant as soon as he agreed to it. The next thing I knew, we were standing in a large courtyard full of all different kinds of flowers and trees. Looking forward, I could see a large palace set into the cliff in front of us.
This must've been Jekia's home, and it was as beautiful as I would've imagined a ruler's being.
As we stood out there, we heard one of the doors to the palace open. My eyes widened as I took in the sight of two small children running out there. There was no doubt in my mind that they were Jekia's. Both were boys that looked only about four or five years old, and both had ears and a tail like him, although one's was red while the other's was white like his.
Jekia knelt down to greet them as they stopped in front of him.
"Welcome back!" the white haired boy chimed.
"You brought back company too?" the red haired one added.
"I have, and they are very important company right now." Jekia told them. He glanced at the palace, "Is your mother still taking care of him in your room?"
Both nodded.
"Yes. Do you want us to get her?" the red-haired boy asked.
"Not yet. Simply let her know that I am here with them." Jekia instructed them.
Both children agreed, hurrying back into the palace. I noticed that Sean looked surprised.
"I didn't realize that you'd had children. They appear young too." he commented.
Jekia stood up straight as he regarded him, "Yes, they are. It has only been in the last few years that this has come to pass, but I like to think that the timing was also correct. Things have been mostly quiet enough for me to devote appropriate time to Rin and Rayne."
"Rin and Rayne huh? You've chosen some interesting names. Are we to assume they are twins?" Raphael inquired.
"They are. It was a bit of a surprise as well, but a pleasant one." Jekia confirmed. He turned to the palace, "Come now. Let us speak inside."
We followed Jekia into the palace, and he led us to a large parlor where we could sit together and talk. I felt antsy as we did, wanting to get back out there and look for that Fox and Lenore, but at the same time, I felt like it wouldn't have done me any good. Maybe I already knew deep in my heart that she was gone. She'd met the same fate as those others like her. I just didn't want to face it yet.
Raphael remained candid as we sat at the table with this ruler, not hesitating on speaking about what we all suspected. For our part, Sean and I decided to leave this to him and Michael for now. Obviously, Jekia would more than likely show more openness in talking to them because they were close to the same class.
"It seems that you know more about what's become of this Fox and Lenore, especially if you've brought us here instead of offering to locate them. Aside from that, you've also stated that you were ordered to take care of the issue of the Astartes he created. Am I to assume you were intending to do so when you located that den?" Raphael asked him.
"All of what you've said is true. I will not deny any of it." Jekia responded with a slow nod, "I did have my orders that were sent to me this morning about locating the Fox den and returning the Astartes to their original states, along with imprisoning and possibly eliminating the Fox responsible. While I typically do not wish to do such a thing, I confess that I had a bit of anger rise when I saw what he had done within that den, not to mention what he intended to do."
"You mean that he had already killed the Astartes there." Michael surmised.
"Yes. That would be the case. As I stated before, I would not use such a barbaric way to free them of that existence." Jekia confirmed.
"But you still would've killed them. Isn't that barbaric enough?" I pointed out.
"Enough Sevee." Sean quietly admonished me.
"It is fine. I do understand his sentiments and acknowledge them." Jekia assured him. He turned his attention back to me, "What you say is true. There is nothing kind in having to take another's life. What I refer to with the Astartes is simply doing so quickly by immediately destroying their hearts. That way there is no suffering or pain with it for them, and they may pass back into their original resting places peacefully."
"You do come off as compassionate, especially for a ruler on this side. I wasn't expecting that." Michael admitted.
"Such is understandable, and do not get me wrong. I, like the other three, know what is expected of me, and I do as I am ordered, even if I do not always agree or wish to do so. We have been reminded many times throughout the centuries now that such empathy is also good for us. Without it and doses of humility, we would be very weak-minded rulers, and much more susceptible to committing acts of tyranny." Jekia explained.
"You're speaking of what happened in the Eastern Lands, aren't you?" Sean guessed.
"What would that be? I don't believe we've heard such a story before." Raphael noted.
"Very likely not. It has been over four hundred years now since those events were brought to a conclusion, although I would imagine that Sean is well aware of the story from his father. Sage always did find the entire ordeal rather fascinating, especially for the rise of the current ruler and how unique he is." Jekia agreed.
"Very much so." Sean responded. He sat back a little in his chair with his hands clasped on the table, "From what I was told by my father, there was a time when the Eastern Lands within the Veil were ruled by an Ogre that became much like a tyrant. There were many creatures who fled those lands for the surrounding ones, and it caused a crisis in trying to help and shelter them. For that, there was much discussion about the other rulers taking out the Ogre and splitting the lands into their own until a new one could be found. However, there ended up being no need, as a creature from those lands rose up and killed the Ogre, claiming the throne and keeping the lands peaceful and prosperous ever since."
"What kind of creature are they?" I asked, feeling incredibly curious now.
"My father called him a mixed breed; one they had never seen before. He also claimed that he might also be the most powerful of the four rulers here, although I wouldn't know that for certain. Sage did like to embellish things like that at times." Sean answered.
Jekia chuckled like he was amused, "Yes, very true. I always did like to think of it as one of your father's charms in a sense, and he often amused me with it, especially when I knew the truth behind what he was saying. But for this, he was being very accurate. Lyric technically is the most powerful of us, even if he's also the youngest. I'm rather grateful that he has such a level head on his shoulders."
This statement made Michael curious too, "What kind of creatures is he mixed with to be so rare and powerful?" he asked him.
"Rare would probably be understating it. Lyric is mixed between a Dragon and what we call a Jelly Siren, and has inherited all of their most powerful abilities. Jelly Sirens are themselves rare and considered royalty among their kind, and are said to be similar in abilities to some of the jellyfish in the mortal world from what I understand." Jekia explained.
"Quite an interesting combination. He sounds very formidable." Raphael commented.
"Indeed, and he is not one to take lightly in anything, though you may be surprised whenever you get the chance to meet him. I will leave it at that." Jekia responded. He then changed the subject, "But back to the issues of this Fox and the Astartes. While I am certain that you came here in hopes of bringing the Astarte back, and would have had rights to do so, there is something we must speak of now, and it is more than likely not what you wish to hear."
We all knew then that Lenore was gone. Jekia wouldn't have alluded to it like this if she wasn't. Even though it hurt worse than anything I'd ever felt before, I couldn't stop myself from being numb at that moment. Maybe it was shock setting in. I hoped that it didn't melt to a nasty breakdown until I got home and had some privacy.
Michael read between the lines, picking up on what I didn't in my pathetic state.
"Even if you're saying that she's already been killed, you brought us here for a reason. It's the same reason that you reacted as you did when we said that she was pregnant. You have her baby, don't you?" he guessed.
My heart beat harder when I heard that. It was like a ray of light shining through the darkness that was threatening to envelope my heart. My child was still alive. There was still a part of Lenore living.
Jekia nodded in acknowledgment, "Yes. I do." He let out a long breath before continuing, "I confess that I did not know who this child belonged to at first. When I found that den, all of the Astartes were already gone, and only the Fox remained with this newborn, which he was preparing to kill. Considering I already had orders to deal with him, I made sure to do so while Emelio took the newborn and brought it back here so that my wife could look after it. Needless to say, I knew from the smell of them and this Fox's actions that they did not belong to him, so I had been planning on looking into where they'd come from. But thankfully, you made my job much easier."
It took everything I had not to jump up from my seat and demand to see my baby. Even through the pain of knowing what had happened to Lenore and what could've happened to them, I was still elated that they were alive.
"I need to see them. Please." I begged softly, doing my best to act composed. The last thing I wanted was to look stupid or desperate in front of this creature, even if I felt that way.
"Of course. There is no reason at all for me to deny such to another father." Jekia easily agreed. He snapped his fingers again to call on Emelio, who appeared beside him, "Take him to where Lana is keeping the baby. The child is rightfully his, and needs their father."
"Right away sire." Emelio agreed.
I slowly got up, leaving the room with him as Jekia continued his conversation with my family. No, I didn't feel nervous about being on my own now. It was obvious that none of them intended to harm us. As weird as it was, it seemed like Jekia was pleased to have us there. I wondered if he intended to clear the air with my dad over what happened to Sage now. Hopefully I could ask him later, if my mind was straight enough.
The hallways were massive as we walked through them. I glanced around me at the many doors and paintings on the walls, mostly of landscapes. Everything there looked so elegant too, like pictures I'd seen of castles and palaces in the human world. I wondered if some of this was Jekia's tastes because of how long he'd been around, even if he didn't appear much older than me or my dad.
We ended up at a door several hallways away from where we'd been. Emelio knocked on the solid oak door, and I heard a female voice answer from the other end.
"Yes?"
"Pardon me, my lady. Lord Jekia has requested me to bring the baby's father to retrieve him." Emelio called back.
"Oh yes. Please, come right in." the woman responded.
I reasoned that she must've been Jekia's wife, and fully expected to see another dog like him as Emelio opened the door and we stepped into the room. But the woman in there was far from that. She was a dark haired young woman who didn't look any more than eighteen or nineteen years old. Her brown eyes were bright as she regarded me, and she cradled a bundle in her arms as she sat in the ivory rocking chair.
No way, I thought, I know this smell. She's human.
Now I was getting the different smell with the two little boys that I thought I'd picked up earlier. They were mixed with a human woman, just like my father. That shocked me. I never would've thought that Jekia would be married to a human girl or have children with her.
The boys, Rin and Rayne, were also in there with her, and I realized that this looked like a large child's bedroom. It must've belonged to them, considering there were two of everything in there except for that rocking chair. They were sitting on one of the beds, where they'd been playing a game.
The woman gave me a gentle smile as she slowly stood up with the bundle in her arms.
"Thank you for bringing him Emelio. Why don't you take your leave for now? I will call you if we need anything." she said.
"Yes my lady." Emelio agreed as he disappeared.
I wasn't sure of what to say now. Most of my attention was on that bundle she was holding. I couldn't see them yet for the blankets around them, but I would've known that smell anywhere. Maybe it was even that my heart knew it. This was the baby that Lenore had been carrying.
This was our baby.
The woman seemed to understand my mixed feelings in all of this, and spoke gently to me.
"Why don't you sit down so that you can hold them? It may help you to pull yourself together a bit better." she offered, gesturing to the rocking chair.
"Yeah..." I managed, taking her up on her offer.
I sat down slowly in that rocking chair, letting her carefully hand the baby to me. It felt surreal to finally see and hold them. They were so tiny, with little fox ears and looking back at me with green eyes so much like my own. They even had some white hair on their head, just like their mother.
The woman stood near me, remaining pleasant as she watched me and spoke.
"I made sure that he was cleaned up and taken care of right after Jekia brought him here. We wanted to make sure that he'd stay warm, and I did manage to feed him a little not that long ago."
"Thanks." I breathed as I stared at the baby, "So, he's a boy?"
"Yes." the woman confirmed. She seemed to catch herself, "Oh, I'm really sorry. I feel so rude. My name is Lana. What's yours?"
"I'm Sevee. Sevee Renaldi." I responded. I managed to pull myself together a little more so that I could talk to her. It was feeling a little better right now, especially as I was holding my son, "Thanks for all of this. Um, at the risk of sounding nosey, are you human?"
Lana took my question in stride, "Yes, I'm human. I always have been. I just got lucky enough to stumble into the Veil and meet Jekia a long time ago, and now we have two beautiful children."
"I never thought one of the rulers over here would have a human wife." I admitted.
"Well, I was the first, but now the ruler of the Western Lands also has a human wife." Lana told me as she pulled over another chair to sit near me.
I looked back at my son, who yawned and closed his eyes as he snuggled the side of his face to the soft blanket around him. Even though it hurt to think about what had happened to Lenore, I felt grateful to be holding him now.
"I'm sorry." I whispered to him as I hung my head, "I really did want to save your mom."
I could feel the tears stinging my eyes now. The weight of everything was setting in. I really had lost Lenore. The only thing I had left was our son.
"For what it's worth, you shouldn't blame yourself for what's happened. It's hard to prevent many things in this world, especially when you feel powerless within it." Lana spoke up.
"Um, are you talking about what happened with my grandfather?" I asked as I looked up at her.
Lana smiled, although it was more of a sad one, "I thought you were Sage's grandson. I can see him in some of your features. Even if it's felt like forever since I last was able to see him, it feels nice to be here with you now. At least I know he has a legacy living on."
I shifted my son a little as I sat back in the rocking chair, making sure to speak a little softer so that he could sleep.
"It sounds like you knew Sage pretty well."
"Yes. I met him right after I was brought here. I guess you could say that outside of Jekia and those here at the palace, he was my first friend. Well, I guess friend would fit after a while. He always was an Alpha Fox too." Lana responded.
I wasn't sure I wanted to know all of what that part meant, so I stuck to the main subject.
"I know it might not be my business, but do you know what really happened to him? I mean, my dad and grandmother had always been told that Jekia killed him, but then Lenore told me that it was only a rumor that Jekia spread because he felt so guilty over how Sage died. I don't get it. If that's true, then why did he do that?"
"Because he felt like it was his fault, and that he should take the blame."
"Huh?"
Lana let out a long sigh, glancing at her boys. They were still playing on the bed, but I noticed their ears twitch as she'd spoken, like they also knew the truth about what had happened back then.
"I know it sounds strange." she continued, "But that is what Jekia did. I'm sure that your father and grandmother never got to hear the full story of why Sage ended up where he was that night. It was actually to help save me. There had been a long-standing feud between Jekia and the Lycans that were left in this area, and that day, they had managed to kidnap me when I went out to visit one of the towns with my maidservant. She tried to defend me, but they killed her, and took me back to their caves. When Jekia heard of this, he called to Sage requesting his help in locating me, and it was Sage who first found me in those caves."
"You mean that he ended up dying helping Jekia find you?"
She was right. Sean probably never knew anything about that. Not with how he'd described that night that Sage had died. Him and Sara had always said that Sage had received some kind of note and quickly left the den, and never returned.
Lana wiped her eyes before she answered me.
"I'm so very sorry. I've always blamed myself for that day. If I had only listened to him and run away instead of not trusting him to escape, he might have survived. Jekia has felt such guilt too, because he arrived too late to stop him from taking that mortal wound. Even though Sage never blamed us, we've always felt that way, and Jekia has always done his best to ensure that his final wish was fulfilled."
"What was that wish?" I pressed.
"He wanted Jekia to ensure that his wife and children remained safe." Lana confessed, "Those were his dying words. 'Please protect Sara and my sons'. That is why we decided to ask the Foxes to maintain such a story, and to request that Musket talk Sara into leaving the Veil and returning to the mortal world. Jekia knew that it would be safer for her that way, and he felt relieved when your father went with her. Afterwards, he ensured that his brother would remain safe with Musket as well. It was the least we could do for your family."
Now it all made grim sense to me. Not only had Jekia footed the blame for Sage's death, but he'd also gone a step further in ensuring that his dying wish was fulfilled, and his family was protected.
"That's how Sara was able to survive right away when she came back to the mortal world, isn't it? You and Jekia made sure that she could." I guessed.
Lana nodded, "Yes. Jekia made sure that she'd have enough holdings within the mortal world to have a home and settle there, although we never disclosed it outside of Musket."
Rin and Rayne had gotten up by then, coming over with me and peeking at the baby.
"Are you gonna take him home now?" Rin asked.
"I told you boys; he needs to be able to go home with his family." Lana reminded them.
"Oh, can he at least visit us soon?" Rayne begged.
I couldn't stop myself from smiling. They were cute kids, and when I thought about it, they weren't that different than me and my sister, or even our father.
"Tell you what; if your father's okay with it, I'll bring him back when he's a little bigger and can play with you, okay?" I suggested.
"I'm certain Jekia would be fine with such, and I'd love that too. I've enjoyed this last hour with him." Lana told me.
"I don't mind. I'd like to come back to this world with him too when I can. I guess you could say I also have a foot in both." I smiled back at her.
I confess now that even though I was still heartbroken over Lenore, I did feel a small bit of peace being there and knowing the truth about so many things. I also had my son, and he was okay. I was sure that I could take care of him, not to mention we also had our family.
We'd be okay, even if it was going to be just the two of us.