I found him watching us with a face of granite, hard and impassive, with his arm poised gently around my mother. I recognized that look and knew it well. It was one I had worn many times myself. It was a guarded expression, one that kept violent emotions at bay—as a god and my father he was used to only watching happiness from afar, never able to participate in it.
My eyes trailed over to my mother, the blue circling her green gaze sparkled knowingly, and she nodded encouragingly to me.
"Thank you," I said.
Startled, Shea's penetrating stare landed on me, confused and calculated at first, and then he grunted. "All those adventures you had when you were young, when you dreamed of faraway realms and new worlds with naught but a chickadee to guide you…they were not dreams daughter, they were real. Together you and I traveled the universe…"
I blinked, unable to take my eyes away from the raw confession I saw on Shea’s face.
A deep purr cut through my mess of emotions bombarding my skull, and soothed its storm.“In the cave, you shared with me that you used to dream about going to distant lands following a chickadee. Remnant…it was your father. He found a way to be with you the only way he knew how. Fuck, I despise this bastard but goddess help me, I would have done the same.”
Still processing what this meant, I shook my head, “It was you. All that time.”
Shea nodded slowly, “Yes. As you got older it was harder to reach you. You see…a faeling’s soul is wide and vast, innocent and open but as we age we harden, and those once beautiful realistic dreams,” he shrugged, “they rust, they shatter, and they disappear.”
I swallowed down the emotional burn rising in my throat. I wasn’t sure how to respond or even what I was feeling now so I simply nodded, my own face turning to granite. Absorbing one simple truth from all of this—a parent would go through any lengths and find any loophole they could to ensure the happiness of their children.
A small smile graced his lips watching my expression change and he nodded back. For the briefest of moments, we understood one another, a connection that was once severed had reclaimed its place—I had a father.
Clearing his throat, Shea turned his gaze on Sadhbh who was also receiving a good scratch from my soulmate. "I believe we cannot stall any longer, the sands are shifting.” At this, the white dunes rose in an eerie ghost-like wave to part a brand new silver path. “It is time for your journey to begin."
Barking happily, Blaithin rolled to stand and I snatched Riella quickly from her large body before she was entirely crushed. Her mother huffed hard in reprimand at her offspring before rising fully to her own great height.
I smiled in awe at her beauty. Her fierce red eyes boring down on all of us were menacing in the Sheol twilight and the whispers of bad omens clung to every soft panting breath she took. But to me she was sheer perfection—an example of beauty found even in death.
Shea approached, patting the beast's front leg. "Sadhbh and her pup will carry you through the Eithne upon the silver path only, they cannot enter the Vagari which is where you will need to go in search of The Well of Souls." His jeweled eyes turned on me, harsh and firm. "Have care, as I said before, once you enter the Vagari, I have no control of the chaos there, it is wild, untamed, and violent for a reason." His chin rose proudly. "If you stay true to your course, you should be there in a few days."
I crossed my arms and clenched my teeth. "How will we know which direction to take?"
My fathers eyes gleamed. "There are a great many paths towards a destination, follow your instincts. You are its goddess after all."
My brows rose,he could not be serious. "If I followed my instincts, I would have never come here."
The god of death smiled knowingly. "It is instinct to not always follow your instincts."
My mother snorted, shaking her head while Kade barked with laughter. My brother had stayed petulantly silent this whole time and I knew why. He was preparing for the sharp cut of abandonment again.
"Riddle that one, sister. Again he somehow answers you with no answer at all. Good luck with those instincts—I’m sure there will be a few more shadow dicks if that’s the advice you take."
Eve rolled her eyes, patting Shea’s chest, keeping him firmly in place while he looked on at his son with death itself clinging on his rising shadows.
I laughed softly, shaking my head at my instigator of a brother while at the same time, Riella tugged on Emon’s shirt
“Grandmother told me that a dick is the word for penis. Also that you have a penis and I do not. She told me it is a good place to aim if someone ever tries to take me from you and mother.”
Brows raised, I sent my own mother a sharp glance, which she returned with a leveled one of her own.
Running a hand through his hair, Emon crouched down. “Eve is right, my cub, and if someone ever does try to take you away from us, make sure your hit is swift and hard. Then you run. Understand?”
Riella’s eyes widened and she nodded quickly.
Emon sighed. The relief tangible before he nuzzled her nose. “Would you like to ride Blaithin on our journey?”
She nodded with a wide smile splitting across her face, almost too big for her petite features. “Yes, please!”
I marveled at my soulmate, how easily he fell into the fatherly role, and the grace he held with every new challenge. It was no wonder his aura was so fiercely bright and golden because that was what his love felt like and it touched everyone around him, thoroughly.
Rising, Emon shifted the pack on his shoulders, sending me a heated knowing look before turning on Kade. “I expect we have everything we need?”
