A Thousand Years of Hope - 4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 

Tani sat in the library until the sun disappeared on the horizon. Night filled the skies and the house with light from the wall lamps. The library door opened, and in walked a tall man. Tani looked at him because it was the first motion in the room. The tall man was dressed in a black tailored shirt and dark trousers. His feet are in leather sandals. His red shoulder-length hair was in a short bun. The light from the lamps illuminated his chiseled features; his sharp green eyes reminded him of a fox who studied Tani. The tall man narrowed his gaze as he turned on the closest lamp.

“Why sit alone this long?”

“Uncle Amu,” Tani said in greeting, not moving from the armchair. He leaned his head back to stare at the mural on the ceiling.

“How is my mother?” Tani asked after a moment of silence. He knew his uncle had come from visiting the Ekho Realm. Unlike Tani, Amu could come and go as he pleased.

“She is well,” Amu said, not saying more. He sat in the armchair across from Tani and touched the lineage book on the stool where Cale had left it. “You’re brooding over the mortal.”

“He’s no longer mortal,” Tani said. “He is a warlock born with fire.”

“Interesting,” Amu said with a sigh. “You are finally gaining some luck.”

Tani sat up then and met his uncle’s vivid green eyes.

“Did you interfere with his lineage?”

“Why bother?” Amu asked. “Tani, do you remember my first reaction to you binding your soul to him?”

Tani smiled and dropped his gaze to his lap.

“You beat me with a broom,” Tani said. “Then threatened to kick me out of your house.”

“I’ve never hidden my feelings on the matter,” Amu said. “I’m relieved your calamity is ending. You can return to the Ekho Realm and live the life you deserve. You’ll forget the mortal soon enough.”

“Uncle,” Tani said, used to this statement from his uncle. “I’ve been sitting here thinking I don’t want to forget him.”

“Your inability to let him go is always your greatest weakness,” Amu said. “So, what have you decided sitting here in silence?”

“I wanted to give up,” Tani said. “Let it all go after all this time. Walk away.”

“How futile,” Amu said. “Tani, you fought for him despite me, your father, and the Septum. Finish it. At least when you face your father at the end of it, you will have no regrets.”

Tani frowned.

“You think I have regrets?”

“Don’t we all?” Amu asked, his right brow rising in question.

Tani scoffed.

“Perhaps,” Tani said. “Okay. I’ll face Dante Arturo to save him from whatever kills him.”

“It will be to save you, too,” Amu said. “You’re lost in a world of wasted hope. I’d love to see you free of it.”

Tani shrugged.

Hope was starting to dwindle. He did not have the strength to hope with the energy he had used at the start. His hope now resembled a small candle burning in a dark room—a breeze threatening to turn off the light every second.

“One last time,” Amu said as though reading his thoughts. “Tom has cleaned up your identification. In case your dealings with Dante make him curious.”

“Thank you,” Tani said, rubbing his forehead with his left hand. “Um, Uncle Amu, can a bloodborn warlock sense an Ekho’s presence?”

Amu frowned.

“Never heard of it,” Amu said. “Our illusions are quite strong, unnoticeable to the mortal eye.”

“Even with a warlock?” Tani asked.

“Yes. Our magik blends different from a mortal warlock,” Amu said.

“Hm.”

“Why?”

Tani studied the bandage on his right palm. There was no need to hide his wound. Hera would have already shared the incident with Tom. Tom would have told Amu.

“How strong does an Ekho need to be to create a bloodborne warlock powerful enough to burn me?” Tani asked.

Amu’s gaze lingered on Tani’s right palm. When he looked up to meet Tani’s gaze, his green eyes were full of sadness.

“None in the lower clans can make a fire warlock,” Amu said. “Not even our fox clan can manage it.”

“So, it is an Ekho in the immortal clan,” Tani said.

“Yes,” Amu said. “Not just the immortal clan, someone in the Septum itself. This is dangerous knowledge to have, Tani.”

Tani scoffed.

“They punish me for loving a mortal,” Tani said. “Yet they are wandering the mortal realm, leaving offspring behind.”

“They are not bonding their souls to mortals,” Amu pointed out, his voice tinged with bitterness.

“You’ve never forgiven me.”

“No,” Amu said. “Because it hurts your mother—”

“Hurts, my mother,” Tani said, shaking his head.

Anger rose inside him so deep it threatened to choke him. He swallowed hard and glared at his uncle.

“She hurt me first!” Tani said, raising his voice, unable to hold back his dissatisfaction with his mother.

“Tani—”

“She. Hurt. Me. First,” Tani said, pointing a finger at Amu as he stood up. “You don’t get to bring her up to me. I’m the child she still can’t stand to look at because of her forbidden love for my father. I remain abandoned by her to this day. I will not hear of what she’s suffered.”

Amu held his words.

Tani turned away from his uncle, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He worked at not thinking about his mother. He tried not to remember her expression when she last looked at him. He wished he could forget the hate he read in her eyes. He did not understand why she broke down in heartbreaking sobs when she looked at him.

Tani stared at his right palm and shook his head.

“You’re right about one thing. It’s my fault for being as weak as my mother was with my heart,” Tani said. “I dragged Dante into my world. I’ll save him from it.”

“You can’t make such promises, Tani. I could not save your mother,” Amu said. “I could not save you from binding your soul to a mortal. I’m trying to tell you that you cannot save someone who doesn’t think they need saving. Free will is not something you can stop.”

“He will not die because of me,” Tani said. “I won’t let it happen. Do we agree?”

“Yes, sounds fair enough,” Amu said.

“I will not ask for forgiveness from you,” Tani said. “You are right about my choices to bind myself to Dante. My love was freely given. It is not wrong. I don’t regret my choices.”

“I don’t expect you to ask for forgiveness,” Amu said.

Tani nodded and started for the door, now cured of sitting in the dark.

“About your mother,” Amu said.

Tani froze, standing still, holding his breath.

“She asked about you,” Amu said, his voice low, careful. “She gave me three apple trees she’s been tending to mark your born day. She was sorry she missed it last month. Do you want to plant them?”

Tani closed his eyes, fighting to lash out at Amu for bringing up his mother. Thinking about her always left him unhinged, like a wildling lost in the forest without kin.

“I’ll think about it,” Tani said and left the library with fast steps.

*~*~*~*~*

Dante returned to Istanbul on Monday night, staying at his apartment instead of heading to the island. Tuesday was a busy day. He needed to finish the last of his university lectures before returning to his usual research duties at the Koch Museum of Natural History. He liked immersing himself in research much more than teaching, so he looked forward to the change.

Tired of endless flights and dealing with customs, Dante fell into a restless sleep on his bed. Tossing and turning, he kicked away his sheets and dreamed…

Dante ran into a wild forest, heart pounding and fear filling his mouth with a bitter taste.

It was him, but not him, but the fear felt very real. He looked no more than eighteen years old. He dressed in a simple brown tunic and dark trousers, the fabric colors dull, his feet in coarse leather shoes with rabbit’s fur on the rims. He held no weapon. His hair was longer, black, wild.

He ran fast, stumbled, and lost his path. He ran deeper into the wild forest, past massive tall trees and thick bushes. Behind him, a pack of wolves howled as they gave chase…

He ran faster, biting back a whimper when he tripped over a large tree root and escaped a fall. Stealing a glance behind him, he cried out when he saw three giant wolves approaching him. They were close, so close…

He tripped again.

This time, he fell into a small clearing surrounded by tall trees. He fell to the ground hard, his fingers digging into the mud and decayed leaves, looking for a stick to beat the wolves off him. He turned to see the first wolf rushing him and fell on his butt, heart in his throat, fear taking over. His hand closed over a thick branch, and he brought the branch up, biting his bottom lip hard. Breathing hard as the wolf jumped in the air, jaw wide open for the bite. Heart speeding in his chest, he closed his eyes, and then…

Silence.

All he could hear was his beating heart and harsh breathing; his hands trembled as they gripped the thick, decayed branch. It took him a moment to open his eyes. When he did, he stared into amused amber eyes. He breathed hard, taking in the young man crouched a few feet away.

Amber eyes studied him in turn. Dante frowned. The unusual eyes reminded him of a fox. The young man looked lithe and very clean despite being in the forest. Unlike Dante, he wore vibrant robes made of thick wool and dyed a brilliant blue. His leather boots were constructed with thick leather and decorated with gold metal on the edges. His red-brown hair combed into a tight ponytail on top of his head. He was very handsome, and when he smiled bright and charmingly, Dante dropped the branch and fell back on his elbows.

A chuckle followed, and the handsome man shook his head.

“Why are you lying down in the mud?”

When Dante met an amused gaze, his cheeks filled with fire, and he had no words to say.

“Still scared?” Amber eyes asked. “They won’t hurt you.”

Dante looked beyond amber eyes and sat up when he saw the wolves sitting around them. He scrambled to his knees, fear filling him again.

Shaking, he looked to the young man who had straightened to his full height.

“I promise, they have found different prey,” Amber eyes said, as though his words would explain why the wolves still sat watching him with intense interest.

“I—Are you sure?” Dante asked.

“Very,” Amber eyes said. When Dante still looked at the wolves with apprehension, he sighed. “I’ll send them away.”

“How?” Dante asked.

A smile and then amber eyes turned away from him. The next moment, the wolves ran deeper into the forest.

“There, they are gone. What is your name, young man?”

“Durante. What is yours?”

“Names are a powerful spell,” amber eyes said, taking Dante’s arm and helping him up. Dante was taller than his savior was, but not by much. “If I give you mine, it might get you in trouble.”

“I don’t care, you saved me,” Dante said. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Won’t you?” A smile and then a nod. “I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway. You can call me Ryuzo. You ran into my domain in distress, so I helped you, Durante. Now, you’ll help me by not telling anyone you’ve seen me.”

“Do you live here alone?” Dante asked, looking around the wild forest. “Aren’t you afraid of the wild animals? Where is your family? You can stay with mine if you don’t have one.”

Ryuzo chuckled, making Dante look at him. He liked looking into Ryuzo’s amber eyes. Living in a forest didn’t seem right for such a handsome man.

“You are sweet, Durante. Where is your family? Why would they let you get chased in the forest by wolves?” Ryuzo asked.

“We were collecting herbs on the slopes of the hill. The wolves came without notice,” Dante said. “I diverted them so my mother and sisters could get away and get help.”

“Oh,” Ryuzo sighed. “Help means burning fires in the forest. We should get you back before your family decides to burn down my forest. I’ll walk you to a safe path to get you back to the slope and your village.”

“What about you?” Dante asked as Ryuzo turned away from him and started walking. Dante followed, careful to keep close in case the wolves returned.

“What about me?” Ryuzo asked, his voice gentle and calm.

“Do you live in this forest?” Dante asked.

“Yes. It’s my home.”

“Aren’t you lonely?” Dante asked.

“I don’t understand,” Ryuzo said, reaching up to move a large tree branch, waiting for Dante to pass before he followed. “Why would I be? The wolves are good company, and so are the foxes and others.”

“There are no other humans here,” Dante pointed out. “Your family—”

“I have an uncle,” Ryuzo said. “He’s not home often, but we live together.”

Dante sighed and shook his head, making Ryuzo stop to look at him.

“What?”

“Are you sure you’re okay living here?” Dante asked.

“You’re a peculiar mortal.”

Ryuzo continued their walk to the edge of the forest. He walked fast, not giving Dante another chance to talk. He didn’t stop until they were on the edge of the thick forest, and Dante could see the path leading to the slopes and, beyond that, his village down below.

“Here you are. Don’t run into the forest again,” Ryuzo said. “I’m not always around to help you.”

“How do I find you if I want to thank you?” Dante asked.

“Enter the forest on a sunny day like today,” Ryuzo said.

Dante looked up. The sun was high in the sky, and the valley was awash in light. When he turned to look at Ryuzo again, disappointment filled him when he found Ryuzo gone. No trace of him left behind.

The images shifted, blurred in a haze of life in a village, and then Dante was once again entering the thick forest high on the hill. It was a sunny day. The sun was high above in the sky. He had made an effort with his clothes; they were clean, though not as vibrant colored as Ryuzo’s robes. He was clean, and his hair was brushed and trimmed. He carried a sack of fresh apples from the tree growing on his father’s farm. A smaller bag held fresh bread, cheese, and dried seasoned meat.

His steps were wary as he entered the forest. He hoped the wolves were not around. He did not want to be a meal while trying to thank a mysterious man with one.

Shaking his head, he stepped on an old branch, which cracked in the forest's relative silence. He jumped and looked around him, afraid the wolves would turn up again.

“You’re back,” Ryuzo’s voice reached him before he saw him.

Dante clutched the bags he held and turned around, searching the trees.

“You shouldn’t have come,” Ryuzo said, his voice soft. “I gave you a chance to escape me.”

“I worried about you here…alone,” Dante said. “The weather has also not been cooperative. I—I worried…”

“You should worry for yourself,” Ryuzo said with a chuckle.

A soft wind caressed Dante’s ear. When he turned around, he stared at the Ryuzo standing before him. Ryuzo was in green. A wide leather belt held his tunic in place at his waist. His red-brown hair was still in a ponytail, and the amber eyes indeed resembled the eyes of a fox. Even the iris was a thin black slit. Dante took in a deep breath.

Ryuzo smiled and lifted his right hand for Dante to see. His fingernails turned a deep black, extending into sharp claws.

“I could rip your neck open and let the wolves have the prey they lost,” Ryuzo said, his gaze on Dante, a challenge in his voice.

Dante let out air and took in another deep breath. There was no cruelty in the amber eyes looking at him. He knew what a cruel gaze looked like. The village elder’s son had a cruel gaze. The bastard whipped his wife often until she grew welts on her arms and back. Once, Dante helped his mother carry the woman to the healer. He had to fight off the village elder’s son to get to the woman. The eyes of the village elder’s son were filled with dark intent.

Yet, this man standing before him, amber eyes like a fox, carried no ill intent. His eyes might stop anyone from stepping closer, but Dante took one. The sharp claws on a strong hand would frighten anyone, but Dante knew…Ryuzo would not hurt him.

“How do you do that?” Dante asked, studying the dark, long claws. “Your hands didn’t look like this last time.”

Ryuzo narrowed his gaze at him, then let out a soft chuckle. He kept his hand up for Dante as his nails slowly changed to the standard shade of a human’s nails.

“What are you?” Dante asked when Ryuzo dropped his hand to his side.

“What do you think?”

“A fox,” Dante said with a grin. “A clean fox, I’m surprised.”

Ryuzo laughed then.

“I’ve never been teased about being clean. I hate being dirty.”

“So, are you one of the foxes who cheat men out of their fortunes?” Dante asked. “The Village Elder told us a tale of a fox who changed into a beautiful woman and seduced a merchant in the village beyond ours. Do you know her?”

Ryuzo laughed harder, and the birds responded, chirping with delight around them.

Dante stared as Ryuzo tossed his head back in a perfect angle. His laugh was musical in the wild forest. His eyes closed in delight. His heart sped up, and he reached out to touch the curve of Ryuzo’s lips. Ryuzo stopped laughing and stilled, looking at Dante.

“I missed you,” Dante said, his voice low. “Somehow, as the days passed, day and night, I thought about you and wondered how you were. I—I missed you.”

“Durante is dangerous to me,” Ryuzo answered, silently holding Dante’s gaze.

The dream changed again.

Time running ahead, Dante watched days of Ryuzo and Durante exploring the forest together. Ryuzo gifted Durante with a handsome black tunic and more meals from Durante; Ryuzo introduced Durante to the wild wolves, and finally, the two of them played under a waterfall, naked. They had their first kiss with the water falling on them. The kisses turned to more, and Ryuzo showed Durante his lair hidden in a cave behind the waterfall. They made love on a bed covered with wolf fur. A gold mist slowly covered Durante’s body in the process, though he did not appear to notice it wrap around him like a second skin. Ryuzo did, though, touching it with a finger and smiling contentedly. Later, lying naked on the soft blankets, Ryuzo told Durante he loved him. They looked happy.

Dante frowned when the time changed again.

This time, Ryuzo stood clutching a fence made of sticks tied together. His gaze was on a wooden house in the middle of the farm. It was night, and the yellow light from the candles made the house look warm. Laughter drifted to Ryuzo, and his hands tightened on the sticks. The kitchen door opened, and Durante came out of the house stumbling drunk. He looked handsome in a white tunic, his hair brushed perfectly, and leather ties braided.

Durante stopped when he glanced at the back fence and saw Ryuzo. His drunken stumble to the wall where Ryuzo stood was heartbreaking.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Durante said in greeting. “I thought you only showed yourself when the sun is high.”

“The moon is high,” Ryuzo said, his voice rough with emotion. His gaze rested on the plain silver band on Durante’s left wrist. “You are bound to another this eve.”

“She is a good woman,” Durante said, shaking his head. “My mother needs a helper and grandchildren.”

“I cannot give these things,” Ryuzo whispered. “I cannot take them from you if you want them.”

“I’m sorry.”

Ryuzo stared at Durante in the moonlight. His amber eyes shone with tears, and then one single one fell down his left cheek, and he turned away.

“Be happy.”

“Ryuzo,” Durante started, “Wait. I—”

Ryuzo did not give him a chance to say more; instead, he disappeared into the night faster than Durante could see.

“I’m sorry,” Durante’s broken whisper filled the night.

Dante woke up with a jerk, the whisper echoing in the depths of his soul. Sorrow at the loss and heartbreak filled his chest; it felt out of place. He pressed his hand into his chest and took in deep breaths as he tried to fight off the heavy feeling. The dream felt too real. The vision of sad amber eyes filled his thoughts; it was all he could see for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he let it out to shake off the strange dream. Rubbing his eyes, he groaned when his phone buzzed on the bedside table.

Reaching for the black gadget, he answered the phone with a grunt.

“Arturo.”

“Good morning. I’m Rachel from the Elderwood Conservancy. Please hold for Mr. King,” a pleasant feminine voice said.

Dante sobered up, getting off his bed. He adjusted his sleeping shorts at his waist and walked to the window. Pulling back the curtains, he stared into the forested park near his apartment complex and hoped Tom King was giving him the good news.

“Mr. Arturo,” Tom said. “Sorry to call so early in the morning. We have finished analyzing the soil samples you left with me. I would like us to meet to talk about the results. Are you on the island?”

“I’m in Istanbul at the moment. I have one last lecture at the university this morning,” Dante said. “I have a few errands after returning to my usual office. I can try to make it to the island by late afternoon.”

“Why don’t we meet tomorrow?” Tom asked. “We can make it a day to spend on your vineyard’s business. You won’t have to come to the conservancy. We can meet at your vineyard.”

“We?” Dante asked, curious about the people working with Tom.

“I have a very talented assistant interested in the soil samples,” Tom said. “Her name is Hera, and she helped me analyze the soil samples. We might bring a third, but that depends on availability.”

“I’ll call my mother so that she can expect you,” Dante said, thinking about the olive grove and hoping it could be saved. “I will probably arrive on the island in the morning. I’ll meet you at the vineyard.”

“That sounds like a great plan,” Tom said.

“I’ll send you Mom’s number so you can agree on time.”

“Great,” Tom said.

“So, what do you think the problem is?” Dante asked.

“We profiled the samples,” Tom said. “The soil has obvious signs of degradation—depleted nutrients and highly acidic at 2.0 pH. We want to look at the source of the samples to discover what caused the problem. It could be mismanagement of fertilizers.”

Dante doubted Hasim, their vineyard manager, would mismanage their organic fertilizers. Still, maybe a new worker had mixed up solutions and made a critical mistake.

“I’ll explain it to Mom so that she can check our stores and the farm logs,” Dante said.

“With the right care, the problems are reversible; we just need to catch it before any damage is done to your plants,” Tom said.

“Thank you so much, Mr. King,” Dante said.

“Please, call me Tom.”

“Then, I’m Dante, Tom.”

“See you tomorrow, Dante.”

Tom ended the call.

Dante immediately dialed his mother to tell her about Tom and arrange for tomorrow, his dream forgotten.

*~*~*~*

Tuesday evening, Tani arrived at the bar and restaurant where Hakan worked. It was named Balkon and was on the second floor of a building with a beautiful city view. Tani found an empty table on the balcony terrace. She pulled the wooden chair closer to the table as he settled for the evening.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Tani unzipped his jacket and reached for it. He found a message from Tom.

‘Meeting arranged for the Arturo Vineyard tomorrow. Hera is coming along. I hope you will, too.’

Tani placed the phone on the table and turned to stare at the sun setting on the horizon. The religious would say God was busy painting the sky. Tani liked to hang on to this beautiful belief. He smiled and sat back, watching the sky turn a beautiful orange.

“May I take your order?”

Tani’s smile disappeared, and he glanced at his waiter.

“Hakan.”

The man standing by his table froze, staring at Tani.

“You’re a hard man to get a hold of,” Tani said. “I’m not half as unavailable as you.”

“Babu,” Hakan said in shock. “What are you doing here?”

“I eat, too,” Tani said, folding his hands against his chest. “Hera insists this is a great place to eat. You don’t get to call me Babu. I’m disappointed. I came home to find Deniz and Hera sad because of you. Deniz waited the whole weekend to see you, and it bothers me that you didn't show up. You didn’t call her either. She cried in my arms last night, wondering why you don’t like her anymore. I had no answers for her. So, I’m here to ask what you truly want to do about them.”

“Babu—”

“Hakan.”

“I—”

“Babu is for those under my care,” Tani said. “At the moment, they are three, maybe four. Tom is getting ready to marry his girlfriend. There would have been five had you stuck it out, Hakan. You have chosen to become an outsider. Outsiders are not under my care.”

“Mr. Ryuzo,” Hakan said.

“Good man,” Tani said. “Now, tell me, what do you want?”

Hakan stayed quiet, and Tani took the time to study him. He was of Turkish descent. Handsome enough to resemble a young Tom Cruise, fit and in love with v-neck tee shirts. At the moment, Hakan wore a black one with dark slacks. Tani wondered what Hera saw in Hakan, but he could not judge others regarding love. His own mistakes were many.

“Why don’t you get me a glass of orange juice? And something sweet,” Tani said. “When you return, tell me your thoughts on your daughter and her mother.”

“Alright, Mr. Ryuzo.”

Hakan hurried away, and Tani sat back in his chair; he returned his attention to the sunset.

“You’re very quick to solve Hera’s problems,” Cale said, pulling a chair opposite him.

“Stalking me can also be considered a hobby,” Tani said in greeting.

“Your hobbies are more interesting,” Cale said, settling in. He signaled a young woman who was walking by. “Get us a bottle of red wine, please. Cancel his orange juice order.”

“Coming up,” the woman hurried to fulfill Cale’s order.

“Tom says something is wrong with the soil your man dropped off at the conservancy. He is going to visit the vineyard with Hera. Are you going?” Cale asked.

“Mm. I’ll check it out,” Tani said, watching the sunset. “You said to meet him. I will and get it over with.”

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic about it,” Cale teased, smiling at the server who brought them a bottle of fine red wine. She opened the bottle and poured Cale a glass. He went through the motions of tasting the wine, then gave her a nod to leave the bottle on the table.

Cale poured a glass for Tani and passed it to him, touching their glasses together when Tani took his glass with a nod.

“Who is enthusiastic about heartbreak?” Tani asked, sipping his wine. “He’s already gotten children with Viola. I can only imagine what that will be like.”

Cale scoffed.

“You’re overthinking the situation,” Cale said.

“One thing I know for sure,” Tani said. “He always wants to take care of his children. Something about them taking care of his mother later. I do not overthink his intentions.”

“Hm,” Cale sighed, sipping his wine.

Hakan arrived at their table carrying a plate with a slice of chocolate cake and a fork. He placed it before Tani, who studied the chocolate cake slice.

Tani took up the fork and took a small bite of the cake. He sat back, nodding as he swallowed the cake.

“The cake is good,” Tani said, placing the fork on the plate. “Have you thought about what you want to say to me, Hakan?”

“I think you should not interfere with my relationship with Deniz,” Hakan said. “I’ll solve how to care for my daughter alone.”

Tani pushed the chocolate cake aside. He rested his hands on his lap and leveled his gaze on Hakan.

“Hera is my ward. I have helped raise her to the age she is now. You’ve walked into my house and given my ward trouble. With your logic, what should I do with you?”

Hakan bit his bottom lip and clasped his hands in front of him. He looked around the busy restaurant before returning his gaze to Tani.

“I—,” Hakan started.

“Hera is valued in our Ryuzo house,” Tani said. “Her daughter even more so. If you cannot be there for them as you should be, you had better keep off, Hakan. Don’t make promises you cannot keep. I will not tolerate it.”

“Mr. Ryuzo,” Hakan started.

“I came to tell you that Hera and Deniz are under my care,” Tani said, lowering his voice and allowing the amber in his eyes to shine bright. He continued. “I won’t allow you to disrespect my ward. Keep off if you can’t keep your promises.”

Hakan stepped back, shock evident in his gaze.

“Hakan,” Cale placed enough money to cover their wine bottle and the cake. “Listen to what he says. You don’t want him unleashing me into your world. I revel in misfortune.”

Hakan took the money and hurried away, sparing Tani a wary glance.

Tani smiled and shook his head, amused. He reached for his wine glass to take a sip and paused when his nostrils filled with the scent of his beloved’s jasmine. The gold mist aura wrapped tight around his beloved lingered in the air, indicating he was close.

Tani held the glass stem too tight, and it cracked and broke. The broken glass fell on the table, but Cale muted the sound, hiding the resulting mess of red wine on the table. Cale grabbed Tani’s left arm and pulled him up.

“Are you going to meet him now?” Cale asked, noting Tani’s nails turning black and his eyes taking on a fox’s attributes. “You’ll frighten him away.”

“No, it has to be tomorrow with Tom,” Tani hissed, catching a glimpse of his beloved standing by a table on the opposite side of the balcony terrace.

Dante looked distracted, a frown dancing on his forehead as his gaze searched.

Tani’s right palm throbbed, reminding him that he needed Dante to heal the wound.

“Let’s go,” Tani hissed, ignoring every instinct, begging him to walk to Dante’s side and introduce himself.

Cale nodded, took Tani’s jacket, and led the way out of the balcony terrace.

*~*~*~*

Tuesday ended in a whirlwind. Dante finished his lecture series and handed it over to the resident Associate Professor, Thomas, and their 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 of Byzantium on the architecture found in our religious houses up to now.”

“I’m more excited about the trip to the 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 has not been 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 sit at the table large enough to sit four.

“Our Ryuzo house…” the words drifted to him, and he stopped to pull 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 apparent 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 again to see if he could spot who had mentioned Ryuzo. The balcony terrace had several tables. Each of them had 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 wearing 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.

In perfect form, sunlight highlighted amber eyes like a mischief-filled fox, as 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 again 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 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 in a tight ponytail on top of her head. Her feet were 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 slight 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 from 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 spirits. 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 that 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 were 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.

*~*~*~*~*