A Thousand Years of Hope - 9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Nora led Dante to the basement the evening after Tani left Artri House. Nora led the way to the bookshelves and stopped at one written Artri Lineage. She held out her left hand to Dante.

“I need to borrow your power,” Nora said.

“Why?” Dante asked.

“Your grandmaster checks mine. I have secrets I have hidden here,” Nora said. “I believe it is time to give them to you.”

“After this, will you approve of me pursuing Tani Ryuzo?” Dante asked, meeting his mother’s gaze.

“You may do as you wish, Dante,” Nora said.

“Alright,” Dante said, taking his mother’s hand.

He felt it the moment she tapped into his well of power. The connection binding them by blood warmed his blood, his power flowing to Nora like a big fat river. She held out her right hand and pressed it to the wood of the bookshelf. The shelf split into two shelves and separated.

A thick book flew out and dropped on the floor at Nora’s feet. She nodded in approval and restored the lineage bookshelf to its original size.

She let go of Dante and bent down to pick up the book. It refused to budge, so she sighed and straightened to her full height. Dusting off her hands, she placed them on her waist and faced Dante.

“Stupid book still views me as an outsider. The blood in the family is too thick,” Nora said in annoyance. “You pick it up.”

Dante bent down, and to his surprise, the book leaped into his hands, and the lock snapped open.

“Discrimination,” Nora hissed, glaring at the book. “I will burn you up one of these days.”

Dante chuckled and stroked the spine of the book. The cover opened, and he took it to the closest table. He pulled out a chair for his mother and was surprised when she shook her head, declining his offer.

“My part is to give you the journal when you are ready,” Nora said, her gaze on the black leather covering the old journal. “Your grandmother wrote this journal without telling your grandmaster. She hid it in the shelf and placed it under my care because she thought you were the one who would get the warning.”

“So, you knew the moment the grimoire opened up to the Ryuzo warning,” Dante said.

“In a way,” Nora said. “As you know, we have an Ekho in the family. That is how our family is Ekho-blessed. This Ekho encouraged your great-grandfather’s marriage to a mortal woman. The generation coming from your great grandfather, his children, would have no power until the next: your father and then you.”

“As my children will remain until the next generation,” Dante said, thinking of Zachary and April.

“You chose a mortal to sire them. It is what it is,” Nora said, stepping closer to place a reassuring hand on Dante’s shoulder. “We have all made arrangements to ensure they are cared for in the future.”

“Is this journal the reason why Grandmaster spelled you?” Dante asked.

“No. The name of the Ekho who sired the first of Artri House is why they spelled me. I cannot say his name, though your grandmother met and talked to him. What he told her had her worrying about finding a resolution for Ryuzo. She was sure you would be the one to bear the burden.”

“Grandmaster needs to understand he cannot harm my family,” Dante hissed.

“It’s not his fault,” Nora said, shaking her head. “In any case, the Ekho helped your grandmother ward Artri House. The story he gave her made her write the stories of Ryuzo and his fate with a soul named Durante. The woman your great-grandfather married is from the same lineage as Durante.”

Dante blinked, his gaze dropping to the journal on the table. Durante was the man who loved Ryuzo in his dreams. The man who broke Ryuzo’s heart three times so far, as he chose a life with Viola instead of Ryuzo. He had hoped they were only dreams.

Dante dropped into the chair he pulled out for his mother, opening the journal to the first page.

“Your grandmother said you cannot move on without finding a resolution for Ryuzo. She hoped these stories would benefit my child. I have kept the journal a secret because I worried it would interfere with your life. I did not want you to have to follow her wishes. I wanted you to make your own choices when it came to love. Still…”

“This journal is why you were always against Viola,” Dante said, tracing the title on the yellowed page. Duante and Ryuzo, 16th century, Spain. “You knew we didn’t belong.”

“Belonging is a perspective, Dante,” Nora sighed. “For a time, you did belong to Viola. For the duration of their lives, you do belong to Zach and April. You should have named April Nisan, like I told you. She would have a deeper connection to our family here.”

“It wasn’t my call,” Dante said, shaking his head. “Viola preferred April. You can call her Nisan whenever she visits you.”

“If ever,” Nora said with a sigh. “The journal should explain why Ryuzo is important to you. Why the grimoire opened, why the house likes him.”

Nora started to leave, and Dante reached for her right wrist, stopping her exit.

“Thank you for the journal, Mom. But you still haven’t answered Tani’s question,” Dante said. “Surely, you can tell me which Ekho you’ve met outside Artri House. He or she might have brought us the Kara ot that damaged the vineyard.”

“His name is Aero,” Nora said. “I did not share his name with Tani because Aero asked us never to tell another Ekho he visits us. Because of this, the spell your grandmaster placed on me always activates. I am not the only Artri matriarch who has known Aero. Aero used to deal with your grandmother before me and your great-grandmother before her.”

“What is his purpose?” Dante asked.

Nora hesitated and then shook her head.

“We trade with Aero,” Nora said. “I give him spelled objects as he needs, and he brings herbs and spell ingredients from the Ekho Realm or worldwide. It has always been this way. I only continued the tradition.”

“The vineyard makes enough money to sustain Artri House,” Dante said, letting go of his mother’s hand. “Why would you need to supplement income?”

“I keep reminding you, I’m your father’s wife,” Nora said, narrowing her gaze at Dante. “I might run the vineyard, but the manor’s money goes to the family accounts. Christophe runs the accounts and checks statements to the account he’s given me to use. It’s been the same for all the wives of this manor forever. Your great-grandmother discovered a way for us to make extra money away from the family. She showed your grandmother, who showed me how when I married Christophe. I like having extra money to do whatever I please without explaining myself. So, I kept up the relationship with Aero.”

Dante bit his bottom lip hard because he had no comeback for his mother’s finances. It was not his place to talk to his parents about how they managed their money. He, too, received a paycheck for his work as a professor. With the money he got, he made a life in Istanbul and paid for his children’s trusts.

“Still—,” Dante started.

“We’re not having a conversation about where I get money to spend,” Nora said. “You don’t worry about Aero. I’ll talk well with him the next time we meet.”

“Mom—”

“I gave you his name, Dante,” Nora said, glaring at him. “The rest is up to me. The vineyard’s health is important to me. My income with Aero is in question, so I will handle it and ensure no issues. Trust me.”

Dante let out a sigh and nodded.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Nora said, reaching out to caress his jaw, her fingers smoothing his beard. “I love my life in this manor. I’ve also been a bit of a rebel and ended up raising a son like you. Don’t look at me with pity. I’m happy.”

Dante nodded and pressed a kiss to her inner wrist. She smiled and turned to leave.

“I’m going out with my friend Lily. We’ll hang out at the bistro in town,” Nora said. “Warm the baked potatoes if you get hungry. There is a veggie salad and cheese in the fridge.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Dante said.

She waved at him and left the basement.

Alone, Dante stared at Tani’s last name written on the yellow page of the old journal. He started to turn the page, only to pause when he saw a foreword appear on the inner page of the cover.

“A strange love story began six centuries ago,” Dante started to read.

A strange love story between an Ekho and a mortal, two souls that should never have met but did. Durante, the son of a farmer, met Ryuzo in a wild forest on the outskirts of his home in a great crisis. It is said that wild wolves chased Durante in the forest until he was on the brink of losing his life. The half-immortal lord/half-fox lord, Ryuzo, intervened. Ryuzo saved Durante’s life and gave him a second chance. In so doing, Ryuzo tied their fate together.

Durante returned to find Ryuzo to thank him, and Ryuzo crossed the invisible line and took a step into the mortal world. He started a romantic relationship with Durante. Their connection grew so deep that not even Ryuzo’s uncle could stop him from seeing Durante. Never had an Ekho loved a mortal in the way Ryuzo loved Durante. Soon, unknown to his brethren, Ryuzo bound his soul to Durante. He promised to love only Durante for the rest of his days. His many, many days.

The Septum soon discovered Ryuzo’s promise. The grand council dragged Ryuzo back to the Ekho Realm and forced him to break his promise to Durante. Ryuzo refused, claiming Durante was his soul’s other half. He could not break a promise already given. The Septum tried everything to get Ryuzo to break his vow. Still, Ryuzo stayed loyal to his Beloved. He kept his vow, forcing the Septum to punish him for his grave transgression of binding his soul to a mortal.

Ryuzo, believing his beloved would love him the same way, stood by his decision and claimed that his beloved would choose to bind his soul with Ryuzo. For the Ekho Realm carries secrets of bound mates. Secrets not even I, who writes this tale, know. Worried the little lordling was blinded by love, the Septum let Ryuzo prove his words. They gave Ryuzo one thousand years to show that his beloved would choose him. If his beloved chose him even once, the punishment would be void. Ryuzo and his beloved could continue together undisturbed. However, if Ryuzo were proved wrong, he would have to give up his beloved, take back his bound soul, and return to the Ekho Realm, promising never to return to the mortal realm.

Dante stared at the last paragraph, his heart beating too fast when he remembered his dream.

Ryuzo stood by the fence, staring at Durante, who was now married to a woman of his mother’s choosing. What had Ryuzo said in the dream…?

“You are bound to another this eve.”

“She is a good woman,” Durante said. “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.”

Dante scoffed and closed his eyes. Fool! Durante had no clear understanding of Ryuzo’s commitment. Shaking his head, he continued reading.

When Ryuzo returned to the mortal realm, he discovered his beloved bound to another. A woman chosen by his mother to push the line down to the next century. Ryuzo was disappointed, but he did not lose hope. He waited. He waited for Durante to live out his current life and took care of Durante’s descendants until Durante’s soul was reincarnated again. A new chance to love would begin.

Ryuzo approached Durante, now going by Dante—

Dante hissed, pressing his index finger on the name. A frown started as he continued reading.

Dante of the twelfth century was easygoing. He was the first in the thousand-year cycle Ryuzo faced. He fell in love with Ryuzo on a whim. His heart was strong, but his family was stronger. He broke Ryuzo’s heart in the space of two years after they met. He married Violet at his family’s insistence.

Dante wanted to keep his relationship with Ryuzo despite his marriage. Believing Dante would change his mind and give him a chance, Ryuzo allowed the infidelity. All was stable until Violet discovered them. She made their village rise up and chase out Ryuzo with an accusation of adultery.

Ryuzo’s love ended quickly in the second cycle because Dante did nothing to save their love or hold on to him. And so, Ryuzo’s tragic love continued…repeating cycle after cycle, until the sixteenth century. Duante and Ryuzo almost made it in Spain. Duante loved Ryuzo with all his heart. Still, his ties to his family crippled them. Ryuzo left Duante when he married Violetta over land disputes. It was Duante who pleaded for help on how to help Ryuzo. He received advice from an unlikely ally, our Ekho patriarch. Find Artri House and merge blood. It was advice that took two precious centuries to complete.

The Ekho who told this tale insists Ryuzo wears his punishment on his wrists. The Septum bound his powers with thick gold cuffs forged by the Ekho Realm’s god of fire. Should he choose to break his vow to his beloved, all he has to do is remove them. Otherwise, he must keep them on for one thousand years…or until his beloved chooses him.

You are reading this journal because you are Durante’s soul reincarnated for the last cycle of Ryuzo’s thousand-year punishment. I tell this tale for you who are last in line, hoping you will not make the same mistakes as your predecessors. One of you must break the cycle, either convince him to take off the cuffs or give him what he granted you when this first started. This is the debt of karma you owe each other.

Dante stood then, bracing his hands on the table as he stared at the journal. He remembered watching Cale remove Tani’s gold cuffs in the olive grove. He remembered with clarity the scream Tani let out when Cale returned the cuffs on his wrists.

“Why does he have to wear the cuffs? Can’t we take them off?”

Dante scoffed and pressed his fists to his eyes. He was a stupid idiot.

Stupid, stupid!

How could he ask such a question when he was why Tani wore the cuffs?

Tani.

Dante reached for his cell phone in his pocket and found Tom King’s number. He dialed it fast and waited with impatience.

“King.”

“It’s me, Dante. I want to talk to Mr. Ryuzo. Can you forward me to him?”

“No.”

“Please,” Dante said, moving away from the desk. He started pacing on the aisle between two bookshelves.

“I can’t,” Tom said. “He asked not to be disturbed this afternoon. It’s been rough, as you know.”

“Please, Tom. I need to talk to him. I have questions.”

“I’m sure you do,” Tom said.

“Then, give me his cell phone number. I’ll text him.”

“No.”

“You’re not going to think about it?”

“Nope.”

Dante rubbed his eyes with his free hand and shook his head. He had yet to learn where Tani lived. He doubted very much it was in the fortress.

“And before you ask, no, you can’t visit his house,” Tom said, reading his thoughts. “He will find you when he is ready.”

Tom was a very skilled gatekeeper. There was no foolproof way to find Tani without Tom’s help.

Think, think…

“That won’t work for me,” Dante said, dropping his hand. He turned on the bookshelf aisle, gazing at the journal on the desk. He needed to confirm why Tani wore the gold cuffs on his wrists, if they were there because of the beloved with his name.

“I am requesting to visit the fortress,” Dante said. “You said you would ask.”

“I will ask,” Tom said.

“Okay. How long do I wait for an answer?”

“I’ll let you know,” Tom said.

“Tom,” Dante said through gritted teeth. “I know we don’t know each other well, but this is important. I have something to say to him.”

“I hear you, Dante,” Tom said. “It’s just…Mr. Ryuzo does what he wants. You must be patient as I ask and get an answer.”

Dante remembered Tani teleported out of Artri House without warning after promising to stay.

Tom was right. Tani would do what he wanted.

Dante cursed under his breath and wished he knew where Tani actually lived. He would drive there right now. He closed his eyes, fighting back frustration.

“Please, Tom,” Dante said, trying to remain cordial. “I really need to see him.”

“I won’t forget to mention your request. Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“Have a good evening, Dante.”

Tom ended the call.

Dante cursed under his breath loud enough to make the shelves shudder. He returned to the table and stared at the open journal. The grimoire warning made sense. His past self was a disloyal dimwit. They all chose a family with a version of Violet. His frustration grew with each word he read.

Bracing himself, he decided to discover in detail all he could about his apparent past lives and the wrongs done to Ryuzo. Tani, where did he take all the pain his past dealt him?

***

Two days later, Dante paced his office at the manor as he talked to Thomas and Justina on his cell phone. His laptop stood open on his desk, and an email from Tom King was open on the screen.

Hi Dante,

I’m letting you know you got special permission to visit our fortress. You’re welcome to bring a small group. Ten students at the most. Please remember that The Elderwood Conservancy uses the fortress as a place of business and research. We will work at accommodating your visit but understand there are sections of the fortress you might not be able to access.

If you agree to these terms, Tuesday or Wednesday is best if you want a guided tour from our patron. 10 am to 1 pm. We will arrange lunch for you and your students in our cafeteria. Forward me a list of allergies and dietary needs.

’Looking forward to your visit,

Tom.

“I’ve confirmed us for tomorrow, Wednesday,” Dante said, reading the days listed in the email to confirm with Justina and Thomas. “Set off early so you reach the island by nine o’clock. Call me when you arrive. I will have our vineyard staff bus driver give you guys a lift to Elderwood.”

“I’m so excited this came through,” Justina said on the other end. “How did you manage it?”

Dante thought about Tani standing in his kitchen and smiled. It would be difficult to explain that he had helped an Ekho with pain, which was how he was getting to tour the fortress. He could also say he was a warlock desperately needing to make things right with a rejected Ekho. Justina and Thomas would both think he needed a good psychiatrist.

“It’s a secret,” he answered Justina. “Don’t forget to forward the list of students and any allergies for use at lunch. Our list should have at the most ten students.”

“Thankfully, only eight have signed up for the tour. I’ll forward the list once I’ve confirmed dietary needs,” Justina promised. “Is there a fee?”

“No,” Dante said. “Elderwood has granted us special access. I’ll sort it out on my end.”

“Thank you, Dante,” Thomas said. “I’ll make sure to bring my camera for photos.”

“Then, I’ll see you guys in the morning,” Dante said, ending the call.

Alone, he walked around his desk to sit in his chair. He stared at Tom’s email for a minute, and then his gaze shifted to the leather journal his mother gave him. Reaching for it, he opened it to the lineage map showing the families leading up to him. One of Durante’s ancestors married into the Arturo warlock family. Making him.

The warning in the grimoire was apt. His past self was responsible for the gold cuffs on Tani’s wrists. It was not easy knowledge. Remembering the pain Tani endured when they were returned made him sick to the stomach. He wished there was an easy fix but did not know how to start repairing such long-term damage. He couldn’t even think about it.

Dante closed the journal and leaned back with a sigh. He needed to see Tani.

He could only hope Tani was willing to see him, too.

***

On Wednesday morning, the day of the tour to Elderwood, Dante woke up early. He called the bus driver to confirm when they would set off for the docks. Afterward, Dante showered and dressed for the day, choosing a white cotton shirt, folding the sleeves to his elbows, and a pair of navy blue slacks. He lingered at the mirror, trimming his full beard.

He wondered if he should shave it off for a moment, then shook his head with a quick grin. He hoped Tani liked it. He brushed his chin-length hair back, opting not to hold it today. He wanted to look his best when he met Tani.

Satisfied with his looks in the mirror, he left his bathroom. In his closet, he slipped his feet into dark side-zip leather boots, grabbed his wallet and phone from the bedside table, and left his room.

At seven o’clock, he was in the kitchen brewing tea when the backdoor opened, and his grandmaster walked in.

Dante remembered that Nora had called him and Dante’s father to come to Artri House.

“Morning, Dante,” Landi Arturo said, dropping the duffel bag he carried by the door. He removed his jacket and placed it on the counter next to the door. He took three steps into the kitchen.

The backdoor closed, and Dante made sure it locked. The floor turned liquid silver under Landi. Liquid silver flooded around Landi’s black canvas shoes and then solidified into thick, sharp spikes. They grew tall, thick forest of them, each wrapping around Landi, holding him in place. When they reached his thighs, one of them rose higher than the rest, its end as sharp as a dagger; it came to a stop at Landi’s throat.

Dante focused on brewing morning tea with the double teapot his mother liked for daily use. The water boiled in the bottom teapot. He added three large teaspoons of tea leaves to the top teapot. He picked up the bottom teapot and added hot water to the tea leaves. He ensured the water was enough to make six glasses of brewed tea. Covering the top teapot, he placed it aside. He picked up the bottom teapot and added water. He returned it to the cooker and placed the top teapot back on top.

Only then did he give his grandmaster his attention.

Landi stood very still. He did not struggle. He only narrowed his gaze at Dante.

“Are we having a bad morning, Dante?” Landi asked.

“Are we?” Dante asked, moving to the cupboard where his mother kept the teacups.

He got three tulip-shaped tea glasses. He arranged them on saucers on the kitchen counter before he leaned on it, waiting for the tea to brew.

“You are threatening to rip me up with liquid steel this early in the morning,” Landi said. “Artri House’s arsenal is growing thanks to you. How did you think this up?”

“Seeing you makes me hot with rage,” Dante said, narrowing his gaze at his grandmaster.

“How did I displease you?”

Landi tried to wiggle out of the spell, but the steel bands only tightened around him. He frowned when the sharp blade rose higher, almost touching his skin.

“Your power has grown,” Landi commented. “I’m worried you’re threatening to draw your grandmaster’s blood.”

Dante shrugged and returned to the brewing tea on the gas range. He liked his tea dark, but his mother liked hers light. He was glad to hear her coming down the hallway, her slippers dragging on the wood floors.

Nora entered the kitchen, still in her comfortable white pajamas, and stopped.

“Landi,” Nora greeted, running her fingers through her hair. She made no comment on the hardening steel rods wrapped around Landi. “It’s early in the morning for your arrival.”

“My flight landed earlier than we thought,” Landi said, his voice strained.

Dante got a sugar cube and added it to the tea glass his mother would use. He placed a teaspoon on the saucer and turned off the fire on the double teapot. Dante poured dark brewed tea into his glass, filling it up. He then poured half of the same brewed tea into his mother’s with the sugar cube. He added hot water to fill her teacup, lightening the color.

Dante smiled with a grateful sigh when she came to take the tea glass. He leaned down to her height and grinned when she brushed a kiss on his left cheek. She smoothed her palm over his hair and sipped her tea.

After placing the double teapot back on the cooker, Dante turned to face Landi after sipping his tea.

“Why are you holding your grandmaster prisoner?” Nora asked, stirring her tea in lazy motion.

Dante took a second sip of his dark brewed tea, then a third. When he felt fortified enough, he placed the tea glass on the counter and moved closer to his grandmaster.

“Break the spell on my mother,” Dante said, looking into Landi’s dark brown gaze. “Now.”

“Dante—”

“I had to watch her struggle, afraid she would burn up if she spoke a word out of turn,” Dante hissed. “Break your archaic binding spell, now.”

“Is that why you’re holding me with liquid steel?” Landi asked. “Don’t you think this is deranged—?”

“You have no right to discuss deranged spells with me,” Dante said, pointing to Nora. “You’ve spelled my mother. She’s a member of this family. She is my mother, and you’ve dared to put a spell on her. You’re lucky I didn’t pull you under this manor and bury you in liquid steel.”

Landi sighed when Dante’s glare turned threatening. He looked at Nora.

“Don’t turn to me,” Nora said, moving to sit at the island table. She let out a small yawn and sipped her tea. “You’re the one who trained him.”

“He’s from your fire blood,” Landi said, accusation in his tone.

“He’s only my blood when he has you at a disadvantage,” Nora said, shaking her head. “Other days, he’s Arturo warlock blood.”

Dante folded his arms against his chest.

“I have somewhere to be in an hour and a half,” Dante said. “You will break the spell on Mom before I leave this house.”

“Dante—”

“I will remind you. I am now the master of Artri House. You have stepped in here with your guard down. No one can save you, not even my father,” Dante said.

“You would not harm—”

“I thought so too until I watched Mom struggling to avoid burning from the inside out,” Dante said. “You broke trust first.”

“Nora, are you going to help here?” Landi asked.

“I’m the one spelled,” Nora said.

Landi sighed and nodded, meeting Dante’s gaze.

“Fine, I’ll break it.”

“Now?” Dante asked.

“Yes, now,” Landi said.

“Mom, move closer,” Dante said, willing the steel rod to slide away from Landi’s neck, releasing Landi’s arms and stopping at his knees.

“You’re mistreating an old man,” Nora said while standing beside Dante.

“He mistreated you first,” Dante said, meeting Landi’s gaze. He smirked. “No one mistreats my mother, Grandmaster Landi, not when I’m here.”

Nora chuckled next to him, and Landi let out a sigh.

“You’ve brought up a bully,” Landi said, gently placing his palms on Nora’s neck. He closed his eyes and started a chant.

“Sözlerini serbest bırakıyorum, serbest bırakıyorum,” Landi spoke, breaking the spell on Nora. ‘I release your words, I release them.’

Landi repeated his chant until Nora released a soft sigh, and Landi’s hands dropped away from her shoulders.

“It is done,” Landi said, turning to Dante.

“May it never happen again,” Dante warned, releasing Landi from his liquid silver. Restoring the floor to its usual tiles. “Would you like some brewed tea? I made it dark this morning.”

Landi let out a tired sigh and shook his head.

“You just threatened me with a sharp steel rod,” Landi said. “Now you offer me tea?”

“Don’t want it? You can always heat it up on your own,” Dante said, taking up his tea glass. He sat at the island table beside his mother and focused on drinking tea. “Let me not hear you returned the spell on Mom because I left. Artri House will let me know.”

Landi frowned, studying Dante, his gaze critical.

Dante returned the study.

Landi was six feet tall. His dark hair, long, turned gray and always messy on his head. He loved sweaters and had them in all colors. Nora made it a game to find a cashmere sweater color Landi did not own. Today, he was in a dark green one, dark slacks, and his favorite black Converse shoes.

“Dante, despite your deadly threat, the manor feels happy. Are you in a good mood?” Landi asked.

Dante sipped his tea and reached for his phone because it buzzed in his pocket. He checked his messages and was glad to see one from Justina. Their students arrived on time and were on the way to take the ferry.

It was good they were on the way.

He calculated time and alerted the bus driver to let him know they would leave Artri House in an hour.

“Dante received good news,” Nora was saying when he tuned back to the conversation.

Nora squeezed his left shoulder and got up to head to the fridge.

She got a container containing fresh white cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce. She placed the cheese container on the island table before Dante. She handed Dante a knife and a chopping board to slice the cheese and tomatoes into palatable sizes. She returned to the kitchen counter to get bread from its box, a jar with honey, and the grape jam she canned herself.

“Dante gets to take the students of his world history class at the Koc University for a special access tour at The Elderwood Conservancy,” Nora boasted. She got a second board and knife. She brought it to the island table and started slicing bread into bite-sized rectangular pieces. “There is someone he hopes to see at the conservancy.”

Landi walked around the table and stopped where Dante sat, slicing fresh white cheese pieces. He placed his hand on Dante’s right wrist and pressed his fingers to Dante’s pulse.

“Something’s changed. You’re one cold idiot, but the punishment you just meted out on me screams of empathy for your mother. When did you start feeling empathy?” Landi asked, looking into Dante’s eyes. “There must have been a huge shift.”

“I’m—”

Dante frowned, his gaze dropping to where Landi held his right wrist.

“You can’t read me.”

“True,” Landi said, nodding. “But, I can tell the ice around your heart has melted or fractured. It was always there from when you were a boy. Your mother shares her empathy with you. It helped keep the house warm. I can tell you’re fuelling the warmth in this manor, even as you threatened me. You seem…hopeful. What’s changed?”

“Nothing,” Dante said, thinking about the conduit spell he performed on Tani.

He had felt something shift in him that day. He could not define what, only that he desperately needed to see Tani again for their shared past.

“Your mother mentioned Ryuzo was in this house,” Landi said, letting go of Dante’s wrist. “Tell me what happened, don’t leave out anything.”

Dante sipped his brewed tea and continued to slice white cheese into neat pieces, arranging them on the platter his mother had brought him.

Nora narrated the events leading up to Tani entering the manor. She talked about the olive grove suffering nutrient loss and Tani healing the soil, ridding it of kara ot.

“He was unconscious after,” Nora said, arranging a platter filled with sliced bread pieces, a bowl with black and green olives, sliced cucumbers, chopped sweet peppers, shredded lettuce, and cut peeled tomatoes.

“Landi, grab the plates from the shelf over the sink. I’ll brew more tea. Cale, the Ekho god of calamity, brought the little lordling to Artri House. The manor would not let Cale in, so he could only stay in the front yard. He left soon after. Dante carried Tani inside and spent a few hours with him in the guest room performing a conduit spell.”

“You connected with an Ekho,” Landi said, returning to the island table with three plates, spoons, and forks. He sat opposite Dante, staring at him. “And you didn’t feel overwhelmed or lose any part of your power?”

“No.” Dante shook his head. “I—I just wanted him to stay here. It felt important.”

Now that he had read the diary from his great-grandmother, he understood why.

“Hm,” Landi nodded. “Nora said Ryuzo teleported out at the end.”

“Yes,” Nora agreed. “Mr. Ryuzo asked me about any Ekhos who have recently visited the vineyard. I could not say the name without triggering your spell on me.”

“A spell that should never have been cast,” Dante said, glaring at Landi.

“I broke it already,” Landi said, accepting Nora's glass of brewed tea. He thanked her with a nod and turned to Dante.

“So, Mr. Ryuzo said he owed you a favor,” Landi noted, sipping his tea.

“I don’t want a favor from him,” Dante said. “I believe I might owe him more.”

Landi nodded and studied the platters on the table, thinking.

Nora got a frying pan and placed it on the cooker. She started the fire and got six eggs from the fridge. She got busy frying two each for them.

Dante took a slice of bread and arranged a slice of cheese, olives, and tomato, making an open sandwich. He took a bite and nodded as the combination of tastes burst in his mouth. Breakfast was always great with family. A moment passed before Landi finally looked at Dante.

“Dante,” Landi said. “I hoped you would escape the warning in the grimoire. Your father did, and while I don’t know this, Ekho Ryuzo—”

“I do,” Dante said, holding his grandmaster’s gaze. “I’ve met him. I saw him help us. What he did is worth more than Mom paid the conservancy. I don’t need the family to decide what I should do about Tani. I’ll make my own judgments and choices about him.”

Landi took a deep breath and smirked.

“I figured I would hear such a statement from you. Fine, do what you think is right, but protect our Artri House through this encounter,” Landi said. “We still need to survive in the aftermath.”

“I’ll try my best,” Dante said. “Which reminds me; Mom told me about Aero. Do you think he would want our vineyard ruined?”

Landi’s gaze shifted to Nora, who was busy plating the first plate of eggs and starting another. She ignored Landi’s piercing look and concentrated on frying eggs. Landi sighed.

“It still shocks me how the women of the manor embrace capitalism,” Landi said.

“Everyone has to survive somehow. It’s a true tragedy when white magik does not make money,” Nora said.

Landi shook his head and looked at Dante.

“Your father and I worked quite hard to identify Aero. We cornered him at an auction in Tokyo where he was trying to sell off one of the spelled pens your grandmother made for him,” Landi said, looking at Dante. “Aero is an Ekho from the dragon clan. He only agreed to tell us who he was after Christophe spelled a refilling goblet.”

Nora stopped cooking the last batch of eggs to look at Landi in surprise.

“He does not come close to the manor because he is afraid of the family’s patriarch,” Landi said.

Landi met Nora’s gaze then.

“Please tell me you didn’t think we would watch the wives of this manor deal with an Ekho and learn nothing about him?” Landi asked.

“Why did you all act like you don’t know?” Nora asked.

“Christophe insisted he wanted a peaceful home. So did I,” Landi said with a shrug. “We all knew why you and Dante’s grandmother left to visit the beach beyond the grove. Let’s call it a badly kept secret.”

“How kind of you all,” Nora scoffed, burning the last batch of eggs. She moved the frying pan and shifted the teapot to the heat. She then plated the overdone eggs and brought them to Landi.

Dante hid a smile when Landi started to complain but stopped when she glared at him.

“Thanks for the food, Nora,” Landi said, picking up his fork.

Nora brought Dante his eggs and lingered over the brewing tea.

“Aero might know who would bring us the black weed,” Dante said. “We should talk to him.”

“I told you I will handle it, Dante,” Nora stated.

“Okay,” Landi said. “When you can’t, we’ll step in.”

“Fair enough,” Nora said with a nod.

Dante hid a smile, knowing his mother would ensure she got the information they needed from Aero to prove Landi wrong.

“When is Dad arriving?” Dante asked as they settled in for breakfast.

“Tomorrow,” Nora said, bringing Landi a glass of tea. She sat next to Dante again and reached for a plate to make a white cheese sandwich between two pieces of bread. She took a bite and smiled at Dante. “It will be nice having the family home.”

“Yes. It’s good to have us all around, just in case,” Landi said, nodding.

Dante drank his tea and relaxed as breakfast progressed.

Nora gave Landi updates about the vineyard. They sat talking about plans for the wine factory until Dante’s phone buzzed with a message from the driver. He realized it was nine o’clock.

“I have to go,” Dante said, getting up from the table.

“Do you think you will meet Ryuzo today?” Nora asked.

Dante picked up his plate and the tulip-shaped tea glass with its saucer. He took them to the sink counter. He washed his hands and wiped excess water with a napkin.

A tight feeling was growing in his chest; the anticipation and anxiety of going to the Elderwood Conservancy was catching up with him. He prayed and hoped Tani would be the one to give the tour. How many Ekhos could there be in an organization anyway? He doubted Cale had anything to do with Elderwood. Their organization needed abundant goodwill, and Cale was full of the opposite.

Dante refused to entertain the idea that Tom King would be the one to give them a tour…

‘Fates,’ Dante thought. ‘Let it not be Tom.’

“Dante?” Landi called.

Dante bunched the used napkin into a ball and threw it into the trashcan under the sink.

He turned to his family and smiled.

“I’ll call you later,” Dante said, walking around the island table.

He picked up his phone from the table, kissed Nora’s right cheek, and turned to leave.

Landi spoke up when he got to the back door.

“Dante, you’re not responsible for righting past wrongs. You’re you,” Landi said. “You’re not your past reincarnations. Whatever might have happened, you’re only responsible for what you choose now.”

Dante paused to look at Landi, held his gaze for a moment, and then nodded his agreement. He smiled and unlocked the door, stepping out into the bright morning.

After spending hours reading his great-grandmother’s journal, all he knew was that he belonged with Tani. Tani had tried to show it to his past self. Those idiots must have been dimwitted. Now, it was up to him to prove Tani’s love true. He wanted a chance. He just hoped Tani would give it to him.

***