A Thousand Years of Hope - 12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Tani frowned, and Dante smiled, brushing a second kiss on Tani’s right cheek. Tani was cute when he was upset and unsure of himself. Dante decided to take advantage of the indecision. He led Tani to the front door of Artri House and gave an approving nod when the house opened the door without his prompting.

The manor felt empty.

His grandmaster was out, and his mom was in the vineyard handling daily chores with the vineyard manager. It seemed his father had yet to arrive.

The old grandfather clock in the main hall said it was fifteen minutes after four. Holding Tani’s hand tight, Dante led him up the staircase, heading to the third floor where his suite of rooms was. Dante opened the door to his suite and turned to meet Tani’s gaze, knowing they were crossing an invisible line, one he wanted gone but needed Tani’s consent.

Tani hesitated briefly, then gave the subtlest nod, and Dante led him into his room. He closed the door, and they both stood at the entrance for a moment, Dante still holding Tani’s right hand. He used his left hand to sink his fingers into Tani’s wet hair.

“You need a hot shower,” Dante said, then turned to lead the way into the bathroom on his right.

Dante opened the sizeable shower stall and turned on the water, using his temperature preferences. He stepped back out and turned to Tani, who stood behind him, seeming in deep thought.

“Wanna talk about it?” Dante asked, letting go of Tani’s right hand. He stepped in closer and rubbed his hands up and down Tani’s arms, drawing his attention. He frowned when he noted the red mark on Tani’s right cheek.

“You were smiling when I left you. Who ruined your mood?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Tani said, shaking his head. Then, he looked at his wet shirt and started unbuttoning it.

“Okay, don’t talk about it,” Dante said. “I’ll make dinner for us, and we can spend the evening together. We can get to know more about each other.”

Tani removed his wet shirt without unbuttoning it and dropped it on the sink counter.

“Sounds delicious,” Tani said with a slight nod. He reached for the button on his trousers and paused when Dante held his hands in place.

“Thank you for coming,” Dante said and smiled when Tani looked at him, amber eyes filled with surprise. “I’m thrilled you came when I called, Tani.”

Tani made a face at him, and Dante bit back a chuckle.

“Take a shower,” Dante said, taking in Tani’s naked body as he removed his pants. “Have I told you how exciting it is to have you stripping in my bathroom? I don’t think I’ll forget this one for years. It is fantastic, sexy.”

Tani chuckled and picked up his trousers and boxer briefs. He shook them out and placed them on the sink counter. He blew a kiss at Dante before he entered the shower stall and closed the opaque glass door.

Dante sighed, wishing they were at a stage where he could follow Tani into the shower. It was a tragedy not being able to yet. He took Tani’s wet clothes and dropped them into the hamper. This was the second set of clothes he would have in his closet for Tani. The first set was from the day Tani healed their soil. Dante let out a happy hum and hurried to his wardrobe. He found a T-shirt and comfortable gray slacks.

Dante spelled them to fit Tani’s size and placed them on the sink counter. He found a towel and a new toothbrush. When he was sure Tani had everything he needed, he listened to Tani shower for a few minutes, then called out.

“I’m going downstairs to the kitchen. Find me when you’re done.”

“Okay.”

Dante grinned and left his suite, heading downstairs. In the kitchen, he washed his hands and headed to the fridge.

Dante took stock of the ingredients in the fridge and was happy to see his mother had stocked the makings of chicken rice pilaf and a veggie salad. He pulled out shredded chicken in a sealed bowl and another bowl with chicken broth.

Dante carried them to the kitchen range counter and searched for long-grain rice and orzo in the pantry. He measured enough of both to include his parents and the grandmaster.

Although, he and Tani would have a private dinner. No one was taking his time with Tani tonight.

Besides, Tani was not in the mood to socialize. His parents would have to wait until tomorrow to meet Tani.

Dante wore an apron, rewashed his hands, and got to work.

Tani came downstairs when Dante was busy adding the chicken broth to the sautéed rice and orzo. He looked calmer and laid back in the borrowed t-shirt and sweatpants. His hair was dry and messy, as though Tani had finger-combed it. A lock of it fell over his right eye, and Dante wanted to reach out and push it back so he could see Tani’s eyes.

Scents of cinnamon and allspice filled the kitchen.

“It smells so good in here,” Tani said, walking barefoot. He pulled out a chair at the island table, sat, watched Dante add a teaspoon of salt, and reached for the black pepper crusher. “You look at home in the kitchen.”

“Mom made sure I knew how to cook,” Dante said, finishing with the black pepper. “She did not want a son who cannot care for himself.”

“Nora is admirable,” Tani said with a small sigh. He rested his elbows on the kitchen table, watching Dante cover the pot and lower the heat. “Do you have cousins?”

“I do,” Dante nodded. “My mother has siblings. Two sisters who have made their lives in Istanbul. I have five cousins between the two aunts who now have families and live in Greece and Spain.”

“Do you visit them?” Tani asked.

“Yes, when they have occasions, they call us. Mom makes it mandatory to attend, so I cannot ignore them. They all come here for family celebrations, too. Artri House comes alive in those times. Those days, we have almost a hundred people in these halls. My mom loves it.”

“Do you love it?” Tani asked.

“Sometimes,” Dante said with a shrug.

He got a baking pan from a shelf under the kitchen range counter. He greased the pan with olive oil and spread out the pieces of shredded chicken on the pan. He turned on the oven and sprinkled the shredded chicken with chopped cilantro, salt, and garlic.

“What do you mean sometimes?” Tani asked.

Dante met his gaze and braced his hands on the counter.

“I do try to avoid spending too much time in the festivities. It gets noisy, and I find my affection for everyone is not at par with theirs,” Dante said, staring at the shredded chicken on the baking sheet. “Viola called me cold. She believes my emotions are locked away behind a cold wall. I agree with her. I was locked away.”

“Was?” Tani asked.

Dante glanced at Tani.

Tani’s gaze set his heart dancing in a wild rhythm inside his chest. He had never felt this surge of excitement over a person before. Not even with Viola. He was happy just having Tani sit across him at the island kitchen table.

“Dante?” Tani’s amber gaze filled with concern.

Dante smiled and picked up the baking sheet. He opened the oven and slid the baking sheet in to warm the shredded chicken for ten minutes. He set the timer and closed the door. Wiping his hands on the hand towel in his apron pocket, Dante returned to the stove to check the rice.

“Are you saying you’re free now?” Tani asked, not letting the topic fade away.

“Perhaps,” Dante said, getting a clean spoon. He used it to scoop out a bit of rice to check doneness. “I might be thawing out because of you. I feel too much when I’m around you, Tani.”

Dante walked around the island table to where Tani sat and held out the spoon of cooling rice.

“Taste,” he said, and Tani studied him for a moment before taking the spoon into his mouth and eating the rice. “Is it good?”

“Mm,” Tani nodded when he swallowed.

Dante leaned on the chair next to Tani, holding the empty spoon.

“You should have been a chef.”

“No,” Dante shook his head. “I’d be a terrible taskmaster. I would chase away all the staff with a bad temper.”

Tani grinned and rested his chin on his right hand.

“What were you like as a boy?”

“Full of myself and out of control,” Dante said. “I had to learn how to control the fire inside me. There were very many near misses. Mom had her hands full. One summer, I burned the grapevines closest to the manor when I tried to roast potatoes in the firewood pit in the back garden. Nora gained a few gray hairs that day.”

“Were the vines saved?”

“No,” Dante shook his head. “We only managed to stop the fire from spreading to the rest of the vineyard. We had to uproot the damaged vines, restore the soil, and plant a new batch. Mom and Dad punished me to work with the crew for a month. I helped with the digging. No spells allowed to make it easier.”

“It must have been an adventure.” Tani chuckled

“I did not think so at the time,” Dante said, shaking his head. “It was the first time I understood how tiring tilling the land can be.”

He moved away from Tani and returned to remove the rice from the stove.

“What can I help with?” Tani asked as Dante picked up the pot and placed it on a wooden board on the island table.

“I just need to put the chicken rice pilaf together. Then we can toss a veggie salad together. Give me a minute. I’ll bring the salad ingredients to you,” Dante said, checking the oven timer. He had five minutes on the chicken.

Dante hurried to the sink. He had rinsed the iceberg lettuce and cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Dante added a mix of herbs he had chopped into fine pieces: sorrel, parsley, dill, and fresh mint. He mixed them in with the lettuce. He took the colander to where Tani sat, together with a clean glass salad dish.

Dante then went to the fridge and bought out lemon juice squeezed by his mother into a small jug and a slice of white cheese. Closing the fridge, he got the salt container and the olive oil. He carried everything to Tani.

“What’s missing?” Dante asked, leaning on the table and smiling at Tani.

“Something to mix everything,” Tani said.

“Okay, coming right up.”

Dante found a tablespoon and the wooden spoon they used to mix salads. He brought them back to Tani and stole a kiss on Tani’s cheek. Tani smiled, and it felt like a little win.

Tani took a small, clean bowl from a pile on the island table and got to work. He poured about three tablespoons of olive oil into the bowl, adding a pinch of salt and half the juice in the jug. He used the tablespoon to mix the liquids.

Dante returned to the other side of the table.

“Did you get to eat your roasted potatoes?” Tani asked as he put the lettuce mix into the glass dish.

“I did,” Dante said. “I had gotten them from the vineyard manager’s patch. They were huge and looked delicious. So, I ate them in the evening when my mother thought I was repenting my sins in my room.”

“You didn’t even share with her after burning the vines. Sneaky child,” Tani said.

“I was determined to keep my roasted potatoes to myself,” Dante said. “If I offered them, then I would have to explain how I got them in the first place. I didn’t want my potato supply cut off.”

Tani laughed then, and Dante paused in the act of chopping parsley and dill to stare at him.

“What now?” Tani asked when he noticed Dante staring.

He was pouring the mix of olive oil into the lettuce in the dish. He used the wooden spoon to toss the salad and ensure every bit of the lettuce was covered with olive oil.

“I should find more funny stories to tell you,” Dante said. “I love your laugh.”

Tani took a piece of lettuce and popped it into his mouth. He nodded in satisfaction and reached for the slice of white cheese.

“Your childhood sounds so interesting,” Tani said. “I wish I could have seen it.”

Dante started to ask if Tani had tried to see him when he was younger, then stopped himself. He did not want to see Tani sad tonight. Their past was difficult to deal with; keeping things light and cheerful was better.

“Did you have a girl or boy you liked during your teenage years?” Tani asked as though reading his thoughts.

“There was one,” Dante said, finishing with the parsley and dill. He got four stalks of scallions and chopped up the green parts only.

Dante left them all on the chopping board and went to check on the warming shredded chicken. Opening the oven, he pulled out the baking sheet without an oven mitt, relying on his fire magik to shield his fingers. In any case, the heat had never burned him.

He placed the baking sheet on the cooker and turned off the oven and the timer.

“Who was he?” Tani asked.

Dante glanced at him and found Tani concentrating on breaking pieces of white cheese and tossing them into the salad bowl. He smiled back, remembering his torrid infatuation with Ermin, a boy whose family lived by the docks. Ermin’s family ran a tourism business, taking tourists on boats to see the surrounding islands. Ermin was handsome and loved the waters too much.

Dante always found him on a boat dressed in swimming shorts and nothing else. He could not be blamed for wanting to find out what a kiss between them tasted like or all the exploration they did with each other on the beach of a minor, tiny, deserted island where Ermin liked to fish.

Dante grinned at the memory of Ermin now.

“He must have been something if he still has you smiling,” Tani said, pushing the salad bowl to the middle of the table.

“He was,” Dante said. “Ermin was a summer fling I thought I would never get over. We were experimental with each other. He taught me how to kiss and make my partner feel good. We had a lot of oral sex. I was young and excited to be getting off whenever I felt like it. Ermin denied me nothing. We celebrated each other until my mother caught us in the fertilizer storage room.”

“What did Nora do?”

“Of course, she was shocked,” Dante said, opening the pan with the rice.

Dante added the shredded chicken and placed the chopped herbs on the chicken. He took the chopping board to the sink, thinking about his mother’s wide gaze when she opened the store and saw him coming as he clung to a shelf as Ermin sucked him off. He could not have stopped himself if he wanted.

She indeed chose the wrong moment to check on their fertilizer stocks.

“Were you scared?” Tani asked, studying him now.

“No,” Dante said, placing the chopping board on the drainage rack. “I didn’t really care about it, but Ermin did. He was mortified. I guess I was scared of losing access to him. Nora left us alone, and we cleaned up in the shower behind the store. We found her waiting for us at the back of the manor. She gave us both a glass of lemon tea and made us sit with her. She asked Ermin if he was serious about me, and he got scared and ran off.”

Dante wiped his hands on his handcloth and leaned on the sink counter. He met Tani’s gaze and shrugged.

“Mom did not mind that I liked having sex with boys,” Dante said. “She just cared that the boy I was with was serious about me. He wasn’t. Ermin was terrified Nora would tell others about us. When the summer season ended, he moved to Istanbul.”

“His loss,” Tani said.

“Nora’s exact words to the whole incident,” Dante said with a small smile. “After that, Nora made my Dad have the sex talk with me.”

Tani grinned.

“Did he? What was it like?”

“Christophe is not like my mother or the Grandmaster with many words,” Dante said. “He’s laid back with me. He took me out to the beach beyond the olive grove. He brought a pack of beer and a cooler filled with fish. We camped out, roasting fish, and he gave me my first beer. I told him I liked both boys and girls. I thought he would lecture me, but he gave me two rules. One, to learn to commit when a relationship is serious, and two, to take responsibility if my partner gets kids.”

Dante thought about his stint with Viola and his father’s eternal disappointment that his grandchildren were not Ekho-blessed.

“I failed with the first rule, but I have learned how to take responsibility for the consequences to the best of my ability,” Dante said.

“You’re a lucky man, Dante. Your parents are present for you, each in their way. You should be proud of it.”

Dante nodded and wondered why he had read a wistful note in Tani’s voice.

“I am,” Dante said, pushing off the counter. He went to get two plates from the cupboard and two wine glasses. “Come serve food, Tani. We’ll leave the rest warming for Mom and Grandmaster Landi. Dad might also be around, but I want to be selfish tonight and hide away with you.”

Tani got up, bringing the salad bowl with him. They spent the next few minutes serving up plates. Dante cleaned up the remaining dishes and left the pot of chicken rice pilaf on the cooker. They sealed the salad bowl with cling film and left it in the fridge.

Dante got a new bottle of a medium-bodied rosé from the wine cellar next to the pantry. He handed it to Tani, along with the pair of glasses.

“I’ll carry the food,” Dante said, taking their plates and spoons on a tray.

“Where to?” Tani asked.

“My rooms, no one will disturb us,” Dante said, leading the way out of the kitchen.

Tani followed without question.

“Artri House watches the happenings within its walls,” Tani said as they ascended the stairs. “Does it bother you?”

“No,” Dante said. “I wouldn’t call it watching because that sounds creepy. I think of it as logging, like remembrance. The manor will let us know when something is amiss, or someone is in danger, or when an intruder comes in.”

“That’s useful,” Tani said as Dante’s door opened when he got close. “Very useful when you’re carrying stuff.”

“Yes,” Dante said, taking their plates to a low table in the middle of the living area in his suite.

His suite was his sanctuary. It was built with three significant rooms. Two rooms on each side of the living area. Floor-to-ceiling windows filled the living area with natural light and a great vineyard view. Dante had decorated the space with an eclectic antique style. He collected pieces during his travels and brought them back to add to the comfort. His most exciting piece of furniture was the comfortable couch with large, deep burgundy cushions facing the windows. It was the perfect spot to watch the vineyard, the olive grove beyond, and the seas on the horizon.

Dante could already imagine an evening spent sitting with Tani on the comfortable cushions, watching the sunset.

“My bedroom is to the right,” Dante said, pointing to the open door to his sleeping space. “The closed door on the left is a library/office/study/research room. I clutter it with a lot of paperwork on good days.”

“What happens on bad days?” Tani asked, taking in the living area with an air of curiosity.

“I fill this place with chests packed with artifacts and old papers. They spill over into this room and my bedroom,” Dante said. “Mom calls them my obsession moments.”

Tani placed the bottle of wine on the low table and the wine glasses next to it. He reached for a cushion from one of the regular couches by the wall and dropped it on the floor near the table. He sat down and smiled up at Dante.

“I can’t wait to discover those days for myself,” Tani said. “Let’s eat, Dante. I’m suddenly starving.”

***

At Elderwood, Anit stood in the middle of Tani’s bedroom, taking in his personal space. The large bed in the middle of the room was neat. The closet was open, so she moved closer to find the room filled with tall racks. Tani’s clothes were hanging on the clothes racks, and a collection of the same type of shoes in different colors. Anit touched a black pair of Vans and smiled at her son’s little quirks.

“Your presence here kicks him out of his home,” Cale, the god of calamities, said behind her.

She pulled away her hand from Tani’s shoe with a sigh.

“Which puts you in a bad mood,” Anit stated. “You enjoy filling yourself up with his sadness, don’t you?”

“If that’s how you want to judge it, then I gain more with your presence here. Your pain is far more infinite than his,” Cale sighed. “I disagree with you punishing Tani this way. You’re his sore spot. Stop giving him unnecessary pain.”

“Cale, I don’t want to hear a lecture from you on how to treat my son,” Anit said, stepping away from her son’s peculiar shoe collection. “When is his calamity ending?”

“The mortal is almost thirty-six years old,” Cale said, shaking his head. “Tani stayed away too long this time.”

“A broken heart will do that to you,” Anit said. “It would be insane to expect him to carry the same feelings after so much pain. Whatever the outcome, you pull Tani out of the mortal realm before the Septum gets to him. I will lock him away in our lands. The next Fox Lord will no longer be a pawn for the Immortal Clan.”

Cale sighed.

“What?”

“Sunu has asked Tani be returned to the Immortal Clan.”

Anit scoffed.

“My son will take on his rightful title. He is the Fox Lord, the only one in the recent millennium's past. I will not hand him over to the Immortal Clan.”

“He is also the son of the Immortal Lord,” Cale said.

“Your people forgot that part when they chained him to the mortal realm for a thousand years,” Anit said, her green eyes filled with anger. “You tell Sunu I don’t care what he wants. He watched me leave the Citadel when Tani was five hundred and did nothing to stop us. He shall endure his choices for as long as I draw breath.”

Cale studied her for a moment and then scoffed.

“Meanwhile, Tani suffers between you and Sunu,” Cale said. “You think Tani is enduring his sentence for love because of a human in the mortal realm? You’re wrong. It is because of the lack of love you and Sunu forced on him. Don’t ever forget that truth. You should have afforded him more care. Amu and Eren are ready downstairs.”

Cale left the room, and Anit fought the urge to fling Tani’s shoes after him.

What did the god of calamities know? Sunu betrayed her first. He abandoned her and Tani first.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Sunu would not get Tani to enter the Citadel.

Tani belonged to the Fox Clan.

Anit did not bother to go down the stairs. She shimmered out of Tani’s room and appeared in the living room, where she had met Tani for the first time in two and a half millenniums. She knew mistakes were made, but Cale did not have to rub it in.

Still, she would never forget how beautiful Tani’s amber eyes looked.

Anit glared at Eren in the living room and sank into an armchair nearest the fireplace. She arranged her dress and rested her hands on the armrests.

“What does the Septum want with my Fox Clan?” Anit asked of Eren.

“Goddess Anit, Eren greats you. I heal the soils of our Immortal Clan lands. I would ask the Fox Goddess how much Kara ot is in your lands.”

“The black weed is forbidden in my court,” Anit said. “I obliterate it as fast as it is detected. The weed is dangerous for the fox children born between mortals and those of our clan. Black weed infects them, bringing them unimaginable pain as it works to rob them of their abilities. We do not tolerate its presence in our lands.”

“Are you saying you have allowed hybrid children to live in the fox clan lands? How is that possible?” Eren asked, her eyes wide with shock.

“We are not purists. It is not impossible in our lands to find children from the mortal realm,” Anit said. “Our fox clan does not punish our people for loving mortals when they visit the mortal realm. Our traits are strong. Children are natural consequences of mating. When one of ours sires a child with traits leaning to our clan, we bring them back to our lands. Pulling them out of the mortal realm is acceptable to protect our Ekho Realm secrets. My council and I have worked hard to create guidelines on the matter. The Palladium Gatekeeper has the guidelines on our rules. She allows passage as needed.”

“So, the foxes are visiting the Mortal Realm often,” Eren said with a knowing nod.

“You suspect one of our people of bringing the black weed to the mortal realm?” Amu asked, his gaze wide at Eren’s comment.

“We can’t rule them out,” Eren said.

“How bold of you,” Anit said, her voice heavy with annoyance at the audacity in the Immortal Clan. “My people are cautious. I just laid out to you how deadly the weed is to our children. Which of us would then dare to carry it around? How dare you look down on my people?”

“Fox Goddess, I do not mean to disrespect you or your people. I am only pointing out that there is a break in the chain. This problem needs both our clans to find a resolution. The Immortal Clan is willing to help—”

“Eren of the Earth. Our Fox Clan manages to solve problems without your help,” Anit said, slapping her right palm on the arm of her chair. “I have personally cleansed Kara ot from vast swaths of land not only in our Fox Clan but even in the Dragon Clan’s lands and the lesser clans’ provinces. How dare you imply we do less than your Immortal Clan?”

Eren sighed and sat back in her chair. She had no words to use with this Fox Goddess. The woman somehow twisted her words no matter what she said. They used up all their good fortune with her.

“Eren,” Amu said. “What do you need from us?”

“Access to the Inter Clan Court. Being one in the Septum, I do not know the members. I only know that the Fox Goddess greatly influences the court,” Eren said.

“I refuse to carry on the Immortal Clan’s chores,” Anit said, getting up. “Amu, don’t bring me out to handle such a small problem. I’ll go back to my planting now.”

“Can’t you think of your son?” Eren asked.

The Fox Goddess did not like her or the Immortal Clan, so she would walk away without giving Eren a chance. Eren gave up on diplomacy and decided to sting the woman with words.

“Every time there is an outbreak of Kara ot in the Mortal Realm, Lord Tani is the first to know. He is the one to cleanse it, as his power demands it, unlike that of Cale. To cleanse black weed, the cuffs on his wrists have to come off. Surely, no one would wish such pain on their child.”

Anit stopped her departure, and her gaze fixed on Eren.

Cale got up fast and stood in front of Eren.

Eren frowned at his apparent worry, then felt the air pressure rise in the room and understood his concern. Cale started to shield Eren, but Anit waved her hand and pushed him away as though he were nothing, sending him to the living room entrance.

At the same time, vines as thick as a hand pierced through the wood floors and wrapped around Eren in tight bands, giving her no chance to escape. Bright green leaves with sharp and deadly edges cut Eren’s skin on her arms and neck.

Anit used the vines to drag Eren closer so that she could look into her eyes.

“You would dare poke at my weak point to get your way,” Anit said, her green eyes as turbulent as a storm in the deepest ocean. “Eren of the Earth, have you forgotten who placed those cuffs on my son’s wrists? Who voted to keep him here for loving a mortal? For daring to follow his Fox Lord heart, all because he has Immortal Clan blood. You punished him for sharing his soul with a mortal and did not even care to ask me about it!”

“Fox Goddess,” Eren started to say, and the vines around her tightened to the point of drawing a whimper of pain from her.

“I loved your Immortal Lord with all my heart,” Anit said. The sneer on her beautiful face seemed to add to her power. She scoffed. “Your Septum conspired to pull us apart, saying a fox and the Immortal Lord cannot live in the Citadel. It will somehow make our clans imbalanced. Your Septum made it so that I could not fight back. So, I left the Immortal Lord and took our son. The loss was difficult, and I dared to blink to mourn my sorrows, only to discover that you lot put my young son in a bind. Now, you, Eren of the Earth, dare poke at my inability to protect him after the criminal decisions you’ve placed on our shoulders. Do you not like living?”

“You can’t kill me,” Eren said, straining against the vines wrapped tight around her.

Anit laughed long and hard.

“I know I can’t, but you are in the Mortal Realm. I can make you bleed so much that you can only crawl to the Palladium Gates to heal. Don’t test me,” Anit said. “You’re the one who came to me to ask for help. I refused to help. You dared bring up my child. I retaliated. Don’t get the story wrong when you meet the Septum. I do hold deep grudges.”

The vines disappeared as fast as they wrapped around Eren.

The wood floors were restored, and Anit added her stamp to Tani’s living room.

Anit then met Amu’s gaze for a full minute before she shimmered out of Tani’s sanctuary, her heart breaking at the thought of her son having to endure pain again.

She left an Inter Clan Court badge on the coffee table next to Amu.

Eren sank into her chair and let out a long sigh after Anit’s departure. She reached up to touch the stinging cut on her neck and grimaced when her fingers came back with red blood.

“She must be in a good mood today,” Cale said, returning to the room. He sat in the armchair Anit had used. “Uncle Amu, should we thank you that she did not give Eren a thousand cuts?”

“Eren, why did you mention Tani?” Amu asked, picking up the fox clan badge that would grant them entrance into the Inter Clan Court. “You should have given her a moment. We could have talked it out and gotten her to see your side. Anit does not take kindly to one who mocks her failures.”

“Do you really think she would give us that badge out of kindness?” Eren asked, sitting back, her heart still beating too fast. “She hates the Immortal Clan. I should have realized it was incurable. When does one find Anit and her son, Tani, in a good mood?”

“It depends on who you are,” Cale said with a chuckle.

“Cale.” Amu chastised.

“Okay, I won’t tease Eren anymore. We should use the badge quickly and go to the Clan Court.”

“Is this what you’ve been waiting for?” Amu asked.

Cale nodded, getting up.

“I have business in that court, and we can only enter with her permission. Amu, sometimes you forget I’m also from the Immortal Clan.”

“I truly do,” Amu said, narrowing his gaze at Cale. “What are you looking for in the Inter Clan Court?”

“The same culprit you’re looking for,” Cale said. “We should go now.”

Amu sighed and looked at Eren.

“Cale is right. We should leave. Otherwise, Tani will never return home if you stay longer,” Amu said.

Eren stood slowly, touching the cut on her neck once again with a hiss.

“Why won’t it stop bleeding?” Eren asked.

“Anit’s special power is nullifying our Ekho gifts in the mortal realm,” Cale said. “You won’t be able to heal that cut until you enter the Palladium Gates again. So, we should go.”

“She’s so unreasonable,” Eren hissed as they all left Elderwood and appeared before the Palladium Gates.

****

At Artri House, Tani shifted on the oversized, comfortable couch with the giant pillows facing the beautiful windows. He and Dante were watching the sun fade on the horizon. The sunset was stunning this evening. He sipped his wine and returned his attention to Dante, who sat next to him.

Dante had changed out of his day clothes and released his hair from the tight ponytail. He was now in a black t-shirt and matching sweatpants. His feet stretched out before him. He was the picture of relaxation.

“Why did you study World History?” Tani asked, loving that Dante answered his many questions without hesitation.

“I like learning about the past,” Dante said. “As you know, our Artri House takes the education of its Ekho-blessed children seriously. Grandmaster Landi runs a successful institute in New York that trains those like us. This also means he expects too much of the children from his house. The only outlet I had from the pressure was learning history. I liked discovering the rhythms of growing nations, people, cultures, and languages.”

“So what do you do all day when you’re not at Artri House entertaining a deviant Ekho?” Tani asked.

“Hmm, not so deviant if you ask me. I was teaching the students you met today until two weeks ago,” Dante said. “My sessions with them are over. So, I’ve returned to my research work. We’re documenting an underground city discovered in Asikli. The dig is dated back to the Neolithic age. It’s an ongoing dig site. So far, we’ve uncovered painted churches and houses rebuilt over time. It is slow, tedious work, but I enjoy it.”

Tani smiled at Dante’s evident infatuation with his day job. He could watch him talk about excavating dead cities forever. Sitting on a couch as the sun set, they shared a bottle of wine. This small pleasure was all he lived for when he could have Dante in his life.

Why couldn’t life be this simple all the time?

His heart squeezed tight, and the familiar sting of tears at the back of his eyes had him blinking.

“Tani?”

Tani found Dante watching him.

“You okay?”

“Mm,” Tani nodded, bringing his glass to his lips and taking a sip; he turned to look at the fading sunset in the distance. “These floor-length windows are such a genius idea. You get a great view any time you take a look.”

Dante placed his glass on the stool in front of them with their half-full bottle of wine. Dante closed the little distance they had maintained between them. He took Tani’s glass and set it on the stool, too.

“Look at me,” Dante said, taking Tani’s left hand. “You were lost in thought a minute ago. I’ve talked myself thirsty this evening. You’ve just asked questions. Now, I have one for you.”

Tani met Dante’s gaze then.

“Ask,” Tani said.

Dante cupped Tani’s right cheek and looked into Tani’s eyes.

Tani’s heart thundered in his chest, wishing and hoping Dante would not ask him about his past. This was a beautiful evening, and he did not want to dwell on their tragic past. It would ruin this…and he wanted to hold on to this happy memory. Simply sitting here with Dante, having a conversation.

“Can I kiss you?”

Tani bit his bottom lip and smiled in relief.

“Dante, I have wished I could kiss you since we met in the olive grove. I…”

Dante leaned in and took his lips in a sweet, short kiss that tasted of sweet rosé. He ended the kiss as fast as he started but did not move away.

Tani kept his eyes open, meeting serious brown eyes, already wanting another kiss. Their breaths mingled, and Dante’s gaze shifted to Tani’s lips. Tani took in a short breath, his heart racing again.

“You are a dream to me,” Dante said, closing his eyes. “I’m half afraid I’ll wake up tomorrow and discover I’ve made up this encounter with you. Will you stay with me tonight? Let me hold you?”

Tani breathed him in and leaned in to brush his lips on Dante’s cheek, smiling at the tickle of Dante’s beard on his cheeks.

“I’m already here with you. There is no need to imagine it,” Tani said, closing his eyes when Dante brushed back his hair, sinking his fingers into his red hair and pushing it away from Tani’s face.

“I’ve never been anyone’s dream. What do you picture about us?” Tani asked. “Will you tell me?”

“I never thought anyone else a dream before you. When I saw you, I wanted to experience everything with you,” Dante said with a slight chuckle, shifting even closer to wrap an arm around Tani’s waist.

Dante maneuvered them until they were lying on the long couch, the pillows pushed and arranged for their comfort. Tani rested his head on Dante’s right shoulder, burying his face into the curve of Dante’s neck when strong arms rubbed down his back. Their feet tangled, and Tani hummed at the warmth between them.

“I never felt much before,” Dante said, his hand moving up and down Tani’s back. “But since I met you, I’ve felt helpless, jealous, angry, infatuated, almost simultaneously. It’s overwhelming.”

“What kind of experiences do you want, Dante?”

“Will you give them to me?”

“Yes.”

“All of them?”

Tani grinned and leaned back to look into Dante’s eyes.

Dante kissed him again on the lips. The lingering, teasing kiss warmed him up straight to his heart. He wanted more, and because he did, he worried about how much time they had together.

Tani ended their kiss and answered Dante’s question.

“I will give you all of them,” Tani promised.

Dante smiled.

“Then, I’ll give you what you want, too,” Dante said. “I have talked away the whole evening. I never allowed you to say what you think about us.”

“You haven’t asked,” Tani said.

Dante held his questions.

“Are you scared to ask?” Tani asked when Dante kept quiet.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Your memory is too long,” Dante said. “I’m afraid it is full of sad moments about us. I want to change those memories and fill them with good ones. So, I’ll wait before I ask you what you want.”

Tani bit his lip hard because Dante’s thoughtfulness threatened to undo the protective walls built around his heart. He swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat and let out a soft breath.

“Then, you tell me a few things,” Tani managed to say. “We can do them while I think about what I will ask you.”

“Okay. I’ve already said the first one. I want to wake up next to you daily,” Dante said.

“I’m already here with you at Artri House tonight and tomorrow. I’ll try to make your wish come true, but it might not be daily. There is still Elderwood.”

“Fair enough,” Dante said with a slight nod. “If I’m welcome, I’ll sleep over at Elderwood with you, then we can balance it.”

Tani grinned and nodded in agreement.

“What else do you want us to do?”

“I want to make love with you,” Dante said, breathing Tani’s scent. “Not yet, though. When we get to know each other better. I don’t want our first time to feel impersonal.”

Tani hid a smile. He did not remember their sex life being fast and impersonal. Their lovemaking was consuming in the best of ways. He missed being close to Dante. Loved their intimacy. It was the one thing they never got wrong.

“Let’s not wait too long,” Tani murmured.

“Then after our third real date.”

“Is this our first?”

“No,” Dante shook his head. “You came to me when you were upset. This, here, is me comforting you. Our first date should be fantastic and memorable. We can go on it tomorrow.”

Tani grinned at Dante’s enthusiasm.

“I can work with that,” he said.

“With what?”

“Fantastic and memorable,” Tani said, thinking Dante’s wishes were easy to fulfill.

“About earlier,” Tani continued, pressing his face into the curve of Dante’s neck; he closed his eyes as the sting of his mother’s slap finally faded. “Thank you for making me stay here with you. I had an unpleasant encounter. I cannot explain it yet, but you’ve healed the sting I thought would stay with me.”

“I’m a great listener, too,” Dante said. “Whenever you’re ready to discuss it, I’m here for you.”

“I know,” Tani said, grateful that Dante had not pressed him on the details of his encounter with his mother.

“Should we travel?” Dante asked. “Let’s see the world together…”

Tani and Dante talked into the night; they mapped dreams of traveling together, places they could visit, and Dante’s interests. They fell asleep on the comfortable couch, holding each other tightly as though an inch between them would be too much to suffer.