A Thousand Years of Hope - 13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Anit Izuna returned to the Ekho Realm in a state of annoyance. The earth goddess, Eren, left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. Eren’s words spread a pile of salt over her unhealed cuts. Tani’s predicament in the mortal realm always left Anit feeling incapable.

She stood in the back gardens at the fox clan’s log house and stared at the thousands of apple trees she had planted these last thousand years. Thinking of Tani stuck in the mortal realm, unable to visit the Ekho Realm or discover the extent of his abilities, ate at her. Yes, she was the reason he was in the mortal realm, to begin with, but in time, she would have returned him here. He was the next Fox Lord. His latent power was greater than hers and her father, Nua Izuna.

Tani was a nine-tailed fox at five hundred years of age. He was also blessed with Sunu’s gifts. In time, Tani would be capable of uniting the two clans and holding them together, becoming an everlasting Emperor. She hoped his reign would reduce the inequalities caused by the Immortal Clan’s absolute control of the Palladium Gates. Sahdrina was a just guardian but was still affiliated to the Immortal Clan.

Shaking her head, Anit moved to the worktable laden with tools and sat on the bench. She shifted a few tools aside and paused when her hand touched the pot holding an Elderwood sapling. Tani’s shining eyes filled her mind’s eye.

“You still can’t look at me.”

Anit shuddered at the memory of Tani’s accusation and frowned at the Elderwood plant.

Yes, Tani had inherited his father’s eyes; even his power was presented like the Immortal Lord. She worried Tani would make a better Immortal Lord than a Fox Lord. Then his grudge against her grew, and Anit found much of herself in him. It was sad that she only managed to give him the bad parts of her soul.

Now, all she could think about was the ending of his calamity. She would know what to do for him if he moved back to the Ekho Realm.

She would have a chance to make it up to Tani.

Shaking her head again, she stared at the Elderwood plant. She could not look at Tani’s eyes because they reminded her of her impossible love for Sunu Ryuzo. The most powerful Ekho in their realm. The man who saved her from an unprecedented misfortune. The father of her son. The one who kept half her soul safe while she kept his. They were mated and separate.

She let out a soft breath and closed her eyes when the constant pain of losing Sunu shifted in her heart like an old friend. It should have eased in the two thousand years they had been apart. It should have, but the pain grew and refined itself with every passing moment. She sometimes wished Sunu had not found her in the Zona Forest the night he saved her. They would have avoided this pain, but then…she opened her eyes and touched the petal of the small Elderwood plant. Without Sunu, she would never have gotten and loved their son, Tani.

The memory of her first meeting with Sunu filled her mind, her thoughts lingering on the thick branches wrapped around her, promising to squeeze life out of her. Sunu saved her, but she never considered why she would be in such a position. So blinded by her love for Sunu, she had ignored the matter for some time.

“Nela Bao,” Anit said.

Nela appeared behind Anit. Nela Bao was her most illustrious and loyal defender. She was the strongest in the Bao Sentinel Branch. The one who protected the oldest and the head of the sentinel branch. Nela was Anit’s confidant.

“Lady Izuna, welcome back home,” Nela said in greeting.

Nela would know she wasn’t in if she had come looking for Anit earlier.

“How is Gralia?” Anit asked of the lands the Fox Clan called home.

“The clan lands are calm,” Nela said. “Our capital city, Taesi, is sufficiently managed. The Inter Clan Court will commence tomorrow and will last thirty days to handle matters brought forward by the many ministries. They asked me to seek your attendance.”

Anit nodded her agreement, caressing a delicate leaf on the Elderwood sapling before her.

“As you make arrangements for my attendance, know that Amu will come to you for assistance,” Anit said, thinking about her brother, her son’s keeper. She wished she could have half her brother’s sense of justice. “Afford him anything he asks.”

“Yes, Lady Izuna,” Nela said.

“Is there anything else?” Anit asked, knowing Nela would not come looking for her for something as small as attending court. A note to the log house would have worked just fine.

“My uncle asked me to convey a message,” Nela said, her tone hesitant. “I disagree with it, but he is the head of our Bao Sentinel Branch. I am obligated to bring the message in confidence.”

“What is his concern?” Anit asked, shifting so that she could look at Nela.

“The Anael Sentinel Branch has been making unusual moves,” Nela said. “Our Bao has noted that the branch has retained the same man as head of the branch for nearly one thousand years. The reason why it should be so is unknown, but your office has mandated sentinel heads change every three years. Of late, those opposed to the continued reign of the same Anael leader have gone missing in mysterious ways. Their disappearances are tied to illness and/or accidents. My uncle is concerned.”

“Why are you not concerned?” Anit asked, narrowing her gaze on Nela.

“I believe the five sentinel branches have a right to run their houses as they see fit,” Nela said. “Our House of Bao has had the same head depending on strength and wisdom as guidance. We cannot dictate how the others choose to live.”

“Hm,” Anit frowned and returned her attention to the Elderwood sapling.

Eren’s suspicions about Kara ot in the Mortal Realm filled her head, and she bit back a soft curse. Mention of a problem among her highest-graded officers made her unsure. She hated strife within her ranks most.

“You are right, but so is your uncle, Nela. A thousand years is too long for a Sentinel Branch Master. My father dictated a three-year term for each one. Someone has made a great effort to keep the status of Anael’s current leader hidden from me. The Bao Sentinel Branch changes leaders depending on health and leadership capacity, even with your privilege of family. Your house has had a hundred leaders in one thousand years. Your uncle is right to be suspicious of such unusual behavior. Your Bao branch shall investigate further. Tell your uncle he has my support.”

“Understood, Lady Izuna,” Nela said with a swift nod.

“Before you go, I have a task for you. The memory of the day I met Sunu is plaguing me,” Anit said, closing her eyes.

She could picture the moment as though it happened last night.

“I was at a disadvantage three thousand and three hundred years ago. It was the first time it ever happened to me, but then I met Sunu and got distracted. I have always thought the fertility goddess caused my misfortune in the Zona Forest. I thought it was the Immortal Clan weaving a plot for the sake of their future heir. Still, I cannot forget my misfortune.”

“What was your misfortune, Lady Izuna?” Nari asked.

“What was it, indeed?” Anit sifted through her memories, searching for the moment she felt Sunu’s power sing to hers for the first time. “A call for help from a desperate fox in the Zona Forest triggered it. Our fox clan lands share the forest with the immortal clan lands. The cry for help was unusual. I felt the fox’s pain as if it were my own. When I arrived in the Zona Forest, I only remember the strength of thick vines wrapping around me with a force I could not break. They were heavy with malice. I could not break them without Sunu’s help.”

“Are you saying it was an attack?” Nela asked, her eyes wide with shock.

“Perhaps,” Anit said with a frown. “Why have I not thought about this misfortune all these years? Perhaps being in Tani’s Elderwood triggered the memory. Seeing his pain, or is it mine…”

Anit trailed off, thinking about Tani’s disappointed gaze when he looked at her. The tilt of his head when she moved away from him at the sight of his eyes. He left his home, his sanctuary because she was there. All of it was too much to bear. The pain should have triggered the memory.

“It’s been a long time since I was in the Zona Forest,” Anit murmured. “I do not know what you will find, but I want to know what triggered those branches. The Immortal Lord bestowed good fortune upon them. They will have survived all this while. Trace the source of their malice.”

“I will, Lady Izuna.”

“Keep what you discover between us,” Anit said. “I will protect your mind from your uncle.”

Nela gave Anit a short bow and shimmered out of the apple garden.

Anit sighed softly and picked up the pot holding the Elderwood sapling. She headed toward the log house. She would find a place for it in the garden she kept in the middle of the log house. It was time to think of how she would heal the rift between her and Tani. She wanted him to return to his rightful place and learn how to smile without pain in his eyes.

****

The Anael Sentinel Branch was third in rank of importance to the Fox Clan’s log house. They handled the policing of Gralia, with their efforts concentrated on the capital city, Taesi.

The head of Anael was named Zal. His last name was not mentioned often because it was similar to Lady Izuna, the Fox Goddess. No one wanted to call him Lord Izuna. It would seem as though he was married to Anit. No one wanted to bear the consequences of the insult. This was Zal’s greatest annoyance. Why? No one had ever wondered why his last name was Izuna, too.

Zal Izuna stared at a painting of Anit, the most powerful fox in their clan, a mix of envy and awe swirling inside him.

Anit was three hundred and sixty thousand years old. He still could not believe she was ten thousand years his junior. She was the daughter of the previous Fox Lord, Nua Izuna.

Nua gave her the right to succeed him in the leadership of the Fox Clan on the day Anit accumulated enough power to become a nine-tailed fox. She was one thousand years old. Already deemed remarkable and extraordinary by their clan’s elders.

Most foxes in the clan only gained four tails during their long lifetime. The more tails a fox had, the stronger it was. It took most of them tens of thousands of years to gain each one. Unless they were Anit or Amu, who was Anit’s younger brother. Amu had seven tails.

Amu was three hundred and fifty-seven thousand years old, just three years younger than Anit.

Compared to his extraordinary half-siblings, Zal had only managed to gain three tails in his three hundred and seventy thousand years of life. He was older than Anit and Amu by ten thousand years. He still could not measure up to them. Their difference in power was too clear.

Anit and Amu were levels apart, which was probably why their father, Nua Izuna, had dismissed him as a mere servant of the people.

The Ekho Realm’s fox clan was old and filled with troublesome and powerful magik. Bloodlines determined the weight and size of the magik, so the trouble always started with a fox’s lineage.

Zal had spent thousands of years studying why his power could never reach Anit’s level. It turns out his bloodline was his greatest weakness. To be Anit, he must be born of two powerful fox parents.

Anit was born of the previous Fox Lord, Nua Izuna, and his beloved, Meljean. Meljean’s bloodline was as old as Nua’s family. Her ancestors had ties to powerful fox lords and goddesses long lost to the Ekho Realm’s timeline. Nua and Meljean’s powerful bloodline created Anit.

There was no way to beat her strength. Thanks to her age and her bloodline’s ability to accumulate power, she had joined the ranks of one of the most potent Ekho in the realm, second only to the Immortal Lord, Sunu, who was over four hundred thousand years old.

Zal had no information on Sunu Ryuzo’s actual age. The Immortal Clan kept his secrets well hidden.

No one in the fox clan could beat Anit’s power. Well…perhaps there was one.

Anit’s son, Tani Ryuzo. Another Ekho blessed with luck and infinite good karma. He was prime pedigree.

What was it like to have the Immortal Lord as a father? Zal wondered with a wince.

Zal hated the envy burning inside him. It was constant, unwavering. There was nothing to do about it but tend to the fire. He could at least console himself because he could call Nua Izuna his father.

“Lord Zal.”

“Yes?”

Zal turned to look at the woman standing a few feet away. She was Tara, the vice head of the Anael Sentinel Branch. She rose up the ranks next to him. Now that he was the head, she worked beside him as the vice. They had held the same position for the past thousand years with careful orchestration and iron will.

“The Inter Clan Court has noticed Shugo’s disappearance. I’m afraid we have not been able to keep our movements as quiet this time. Election season at Aniel is approaching. We will have a few eyes on us. The Inter Clan Court is expected to convene tomorrow. What should we do?” Tara said.

“Any word from the Mortal Realm?” Zal asked.

“No,” Tara said. “There has been no tragedy with the mortal. Perhaps Lua is late making the delivery of black weed. I’ve met the Dragon clan’s Aero. He always has news of the hybrid Ryuzo. There has been nothing to report on Ryuzo’s return to the Ekho Realm. The mortal is living in his family home. He has made no efforts to return to the Americas.”

“Something’s shifted,” Zal said with a frown. He had planned so carefully. Tani’s beloved always chose the mortal woman. If he refused to return to Viola, the mortal would die at Lua's hands. “Where is Lua?”

“Our people have not been able to reach him these days. It looks like he has gone into hiding. I will ask Aero to find him,” Tara said.

“Interesting,” Zal said, his frown fading. “Lua is quite shameless and hardly worries about being caught. Something must have happened if he is in hiding. Has someone noticed my plan?”

“There is no indication,” Tara said. “The first to respond to suspicion would be the House of Bao. They are running as usual. The Fox Goddess has made no mention, and no sentinels have come by order of the Inter Clan Court.”

“You are right,” Zal nodded and let out a sigh. “I can’t wait for this to end. I hoped a fight in the mortal realm for the mortal’s soul would occupy the clan for a time. Now, we must create a distraction of our own. Tell Aero to help find Lua. If he cannot find him, Aero must use the black weed spear to stay out of the Septum’s radar.”

“I’ll send him a message,” Tara said.

“Do it fast,” Zal said. “We need a commotion to distract them from our Anael House and what we’re working to achieve.”

“I’ll take care of it, Lord Zal.”

Zal watched Tara leave and then turned to the portrait of Anit. His thoughts returned to the father he shared with Anit, and a past he wished was different.

The previous Fox Lord, Nua Izuna, was no saint, though the Fox clan would fight Zal on the mere thought. Nua was a powerful man with a wandering eye before he mated Meljean. He dallied with women from the lesser fox clans often.

One of those women was named Dran.

Dran had enough power to keep her beauty and run a cheerful inn in the picturesque district of Waterside Cross. Waterside Cross was found near the beach in the lower lands of Gralia. Dran never dreamed of entering the Fox Clan’s great Log House hidden in the mystical Yesserin Mountain. No, she was happy with her life at Waterside Cross.

When Nua spent two months at Dran’s family inn to fulfill a peacekeeping mission with the ocean folk in the lower lands, Dran grew infatuated with him. Though she knew Nua felt nothing for her, even as he spent time with her, her foolish heart could not resist his advances, and she soon conceived.

Two months ended too fast, and Nua soon left Waterside Cross.

Dran asked nothing of him, though Nua presented her with a large chest filled with precious jewels to pave her way. They never met again. Nua returned to his life as the Fox Lord and soon mated to Meljean, Anit and Amu’s mother.

Dran gave birth to her child, a fat son she loved with all her heart. She was happy that he was born from Nua, but that was the extent of her ambition. She named her boy Zal and raised him in the small district of Waterside Cross. When her parents passed on, she took over the family inn.

In time, Dran hoped Zal would do the same when it was her time to move on.

Zal frowned, thinking of his mother.

Dran never understood his need for more. Not when he asked her if he could meet his father. Not even when Zal left Waterside Cross in search of his father. He could still picture her frown as she watched him board the magik coach to the capital city, Taesi.

Zal moved from his mother’s small town to Taesi at the age of five thousand years. Ambition gripped him tight, fueled by the need to find and meet his Fox Lord father.

Taesi was the capital city of Gralia, the Fox Clan Land.

It was where all foxes who wanted more in the realm gravitated. Where the Inter Clan Court stood, souls from the lesser clans came to stay and find work. Taesi was both majestic and pitiful, depending on which end of the city one ended up. There was good and bad luck, good fortune and bad. There were wealthy families, poor families, and some in between. All living in the grand city were ruled under the Inter Clan Court, governed by the Fox Lord, Nua Izuna, at the time.

Zal arrived in Taesi in time to see the grand celebration arranged by the Inter Clan Court for his father’s marriage to Meljean. It was soon apparent that to meet Nua, Zal needed power or a connection to a powerful lord who could enter the sacred Yesserin Mountain.

His grand wish looked impossible at the time.

Zal used his father's precious jewels to buy a modest house in the capital and enroll in one of Taesi’s prestigious academies. He aimed to become a scholar and gain a place working under one of the Inter Clan Court’s many ministries.

The Inter Clan Court ran Gralia’s central government. It handled finances, education, construction and works, medicine, magik registration, governance, etc. The court then answered to The Five Sentinel Branches.

These five Sentinel Branches were responsible for keeping the peace and mediating issues in the Inter Clan Court. The Five Sentinels were the closest post to the Fox Clan’s Log House. They had legitimate access to Yesserin Mountain.

Ambitious foxes aspired to work in one of the Five Sentinel Branches. They were Sandu, Amyntas, Anael, Reima, and Bao. The Five Sentinels were considered guardians of the fox clan. They trained armies, policing sentinels, and managed border patrols. They provided relief when environmental events occurred. They fought wars when other clans challenged the Fox clan boundaries.

The Fox Clan’s Log House used its forces to accomplish tasks as needed.

The heads of these branches reported directly to the Fox Lord. Any capable fox could ascend to the leadership ranks in the Five Sentinel Branches. At some point before Zal, the Fox Lord insisted on three-year tenures for the top rank, except for the House of Bao. Bao leaned heavily on the family tradition, and the head was the oldest, supported by the strongest family member.

Zal learned and memorized the power hierarchy and forged a path to the Five Sentinel Branches. He studied hard and graduated with respectable scores. He made good friends with some of the plebes from elite families in his academy, so he managed a first placement into the Registry Department.

From there, he worked his way up to the higher offices of the Inter Clan Court.

It took him five thousand years to find a position affiliated with the Anael Sentinel Branch. It was a branch tasked with creating policing agents in the city, investigating cases, collecting and archiving information, and passing concerns to the Fox Log House.

When Zal turned ten thousand years of age, Meljean gave birth to Anit.

Zal had just qualified as a sixth-level government official. He joined the Anael Sentinel Branch and became an inspector tasked with investigating cases brought forward by the Inter Clan Court.

Days before Anit’s birth, Zal met Nua Izuna.

It was the day he received his rank badge at the Fox Log House. The memory was etched in his heart forever. His father might have left the clan's leadership and moved on to traverse the realms ages ago, but Zal remembered him with explicit memory.

Nua stood at almost seven feet tall. He was strong, his body forged of hard muscle. Nua was dressed in a black sleeveless long tunic, dark breeches, and his feet in heavy dark boots. He wore his red hair cut short, save for a long braid at the back that reminded Zal of a tail. His arms were thick with muscle as he crossed them against his chest.

He stood on a short dais waiting to receive the new inspectors and hand them badges in preparation for work in the five sentinel branches. His sharp green gaze missed nothing.

Zal remembered Nua’s presence engulfing the large hall. His power felt large enough to suffocate a roomful of mortals. It was easy to see how this man had suppressed the dragon clan’s fire during their last boundary dispute. The dragon clan dared not start another fight against the Fox Clan. Gralia’s borders were now secure.

Each new inspector approached Nua and said their name and current rank. When it was Zal’s turn, he could barely get his name out as he faced his father.

“What is your name?” Nua asked.

“Z-zal.”

“Last name?” Nua asked.

“My mother did not dare give me my father’s last name,” Zal said, holding Nua’s green gaze with some trepidation.

“She is a wise woman. I feel your blood calling to mine,” Nua said, stepping closer to Zal. He dropped his arms to his sides and leaned closer to look into Zal’s blue eyes. “The blood is there, but not the power. I remember your mother. She is Dran. She remains a kind and sweet soul. I’m glad she has you to keep her company and look after her. Be good to her.”

Nua stepped back.

“You shall be Zal Izuna,” Nua said. “A son is given to the clan to work with and live among them. Dran has raised you well if you have chosen to serve in the Five Sentinel Branches. May you find fulfillment among your equals.”

Zal started to protest his father’s swift conclusion. He had hoped Nua would see more in him, but his father had already moved on to the next inspector.

Zal scoffed at the memory of Nua smiling at the next inspector on the same line. Having dismissed Zal and moved on with a single nod. The encounter remained etched in his brain. It was the first and last time he met Nua Izuna. He never got another chance. Nua abdicated his position to Anit when she was ten thousand years old and went on a pilgrimage with his dear mate Meljean.

Zal did not know where he was now.

Nua looked at him once and deemed him unworthy of entering the Fox Clan’s mystic Log House. Instead, he was only good enough to join ranks with those in the Five Sentinel Branch.

Zal let out a soft sigh as he studied Anit’s portrait.

The painting on the high wall was one of the many found in the capital city, Taesi. They were in memorial halls, in the Inter Clan Court halls, in small and large shops. Every fox in the realm knew what Anit Izuna looked like and gave her respect at the mention of her name. They thought her a deity, placed in Gralia to guard the fox clan with her life. They expected her son to take over when he was old enough.

Zal hoped to change that expectation in time. He bit his bottom lip to stop his smile at the thought of his coming triumph.

Anit's only weakness was in the mortal realm and named Tani Ryuzo. The son she could not control. A son Zal helped her abandon for nearly three thousand years now. His plans were developed quite well thanks to Anit’s unique flaw of holding a lasting grudge.

If his plan were to play out right, Tani Ryuzo would end up in the Citadel in the Immortal Clan or in the god of calamity’s domain. He would be too broken with loss to think of his birthright for centuries, and Anit would have no heir to take on the fox clan.

Amu had long abandoned the ruling of the clan. Zal would be the only option left to take over from Anit. Anit would have no choice but to turn to him to take over leadership. He dreamed every night of entering the Fox Clan’s Log House as its master.

Zal could not stop his smile as he looked up at Anit.

“You’ll have no choice but to reach out to me, Fox Goddess,” Zal said with a slight chuckle. “I will be the only relative you can turn to. Wait for me.”

****

Sunu Ryuzo stood at the largest waterfall in the Citadel, thinking about the night he had met Anit. The memory lingered in his thoughts. Triggered by his strained bond with Anit. She had to be thinking about the past, too.

When Sunu first met Anit, he thought the incident was a machination of the Fertility Goddess. Helia was known to encourage love matches among those in the Septum. To ensure the stability of their court and make sure the Immortal Lord had an heir.

Yet, the sinister way he found Anit would not have been Helia’s style.

Sunu saved Anit’s life. He should not have needed to; she was strong enough. That he had needed to save her made him pause. Closing his eyes, his memory returned to three thousand and three hundred years ago, on a moonlit night.

Sunu walked into the Zona Forest after a grueling day of subduing disagreements between the god of air, Mizian, and Rianon of the water. Their fight had caused a significant flooding event in a village in the mortal world. Sunu was not looking forward to Cale’s report on casualties in the Mortal Realm. Trying to restore balance and push out misfortune in the village would be long and tedious.

Sunu walked through thick, vibrant bushes hidden under tall canopies. Birds chirped in their nests, the forest alive in the afternoon light. Sunu loved the rhythm of life pulsing in the thick wilderness. A thick vine slithered on the forest ground, brushing over Sunu’s dark boots. He glanced down, and the leaves of the thick bushes around him shifted away to show him the branches' path.

His long, dark tunic caught on pine needles. He swept his hand to free the pine needles, and a chameleon jumped on his dark sleeve.

Sunu chuckled and touched the chameleon’s head. It changed colors from a muted green to match his dark tunic. Sunu altered the color of his tunic to dark green and grinned when the chameleon stared at him with its large eyes and promptly turned back to its green color. Sunu returned the chameleon to a sturdier branch, his attention returning to the slithering branches on the forest floor.

The branches were fast crawling in the thick foliage.

Sunu followed them out of curiosity and found a thick cocoon of thick vines wrapped around a body. All he could see between the branches was deep red hair. Surprised, Sunu reached for the closest branch, even as the rest tightened, strangling the person wrapped deep inside.

Sunu frowned when the branches ignored his touch and did not stop their task. It was rare. It meant the branches were under someone else’s command. Someone with deep malice.

“Unwrap your prize, break the malice,” Sunu murmured. “I, Sunu, will gift you good fortune.”

The branches tensed, tightened one last time, and unwrapped their prize.

Sunu traced his fingers on the bark of the branches as they retreated. Gold specks sank into the branches as he made good on his promise. When the branches were gone, Sunu stared at the beautiful woman lying on a patch of stinging nettle, her soft skin mottled with red rashes. She wore nothing but her long, thick red hair. The branches had ripped at her dress and torn it to pieces. Tears filled her green eyes when she looked at him, frustration and pain clear on her face.

Relief flooded her when she could breathe again.

Sunu fell in love.

He never stopped to wonder why his beloved was wrapped in an air-robbing cocoon or why she was hidden in a thick forest to die. All he knew was that her name was Anit Izuna. She was a nine-tailed fox, and she made him happy. Their love was obsessive and intense. It grew fast, and Sunu soon discovered he had a great weakness regarding Anit. He gave her part of his soul as she gave him his, then…they made a life together.

Everything else faded away, and their child became all that mattered.

Tani became their greatest joy and their mightiest failure.

Sunu sighed and focused on the moment in the Zona Forest. Heavy with malice, the thick branches wrapped Anit in a tight cocoon. The magik in the crawling branches felt dark, similar to the kind found in black weed. He had touched the branches, broken the malice, and infused the crawling branches with good luck. Perhaps the malice clung to him and fell on his child, tainting Tani’s future.

The thought made him sick to the stomach. Cale was looking into Sahdrina’s concerns, which might help release Tani from his calamity. Still, the Zona Forest needed a deeper look. He needed to know who had placed Anit at a disadvantage.

“Kinon.”

“Lord Sunu,” Kinon said, standing right next to Sunu.

“The night I met Anit, there was malice in the Zona Forest. I cannot appear in the forest, as it will hide from me. You do well with tracking what darkness has touched. Do you think you can trace it? The tracks should still be there. I have never directed anyone to the spot where I found Anit. I need answers.”

“I will go right away, Lord Sunu.”

“Let’s keep this between us,” Sunu said, meeting Kinon’s gaze. He gave in to curiosity. “How is Artri House?”

Kinon smiled.

“Happy for now.”

Sunu returned the smile.

“I’m glad.”

“Lord Tani is almost returning home,” Kinon said.

“Cale thinks he won’t want to stay at the Citadel,” Sunu said with a soft sigh. “I gave it some thought, and perhaps my brother is right. I have decided to grant Tani a home of his own. If we clean the Zona Forest, I’ll build him a house there. It will be at the boundary of the Immortal Clan and the Fox Clan. Anit won’t have reasons to complain. I will let Tani stay there as long as he wants. What do you think of this?”

“It is a fair plan, Lord Sunu,” Kinon said. “I will get the members of the Septum to help.”

“Tani’s house will be auspicious. He has only faced calamity, and I want him to heal. I hope they only bring good fortune befitting my son.”

“I will make it clear,” Kinon said. “I’ll visit the Zona Forest now.”

“Thank you, Kinon.”

****

Dante woke to sunshine flooding his bedroom and the feel of Tani Ryuzo’s warmth in his arms. He lay still, taking in the scent of his shampoo mixed in with Tani’s clean scent. It filled his nostrils, permeated his cells and lungs, and filled his heart with joy. He could not remember feeling so content in his life.

Tani shifted, snuggling deeper into his chest, and Dante smiled at the trust Tani was giving him.

He rarely held his partners in his arms, not even Viola, with whom he had children.

Dante brushed his fingers through Tani’s red-brown hair and enjoyed the moment. They were on his bed, the covers wrapped around them after a night of hard sleeping. Tani breathed in gentle motion, deep asleep.

Dante took the chance to sink his fingers into soft red-brown hair, allowing his fingers to memorize the texture of it between his fingers. He stroked Tani’s hair and managed to uncover Tani’s right earlobe.

The gold leaves lining Tani’s right earlobe drew his interest, and he shifted his fingers to the earrings. It took him only a second to discover the leaves were not earrings. They were part of Tani and could not be removed. They looked sealed into Tani’s skin. Five Elderwood leaves, their artisanship was not easy to copy. They looked real.

Dante rubbed his thumb on the surface of each leaf, fascinated by their presence on Tani’s ear. Why five golden leaves on his ear? Did they represent something? Did he feel it when Dante touched them?

Dante kissed the top of Tani’s earlobe and leaned back to find Tani watching him. His breath caught when he looked into clear amber eyes. His cock filled in full appreciation when Tani pressed into him with a small smile.

“Morning,” Tani murmured, burying his face into Dante’s chest.

“Morning,” Dante said with a pleased grin, then whispered into Tani’s right ear. “I think I should tell you I’m in trouble.”

Tani leaned back, eyes wide with worry.

“What kind of trouble?”

“It’s very serious trouble,” Dante said, his tone grim.

Tani frowned, and Dante grinned.

“Now that we’ve spent this night together, I really cannot give us up. I slept so well, and then I woke up with you in my arms. It’s a gift. I have to keep you. Can I?” Dante asked. “You’re addictive.”

Tani shook his head at Dante’s declaration and studied him.

“I didn’t think you were so mushy,” Tani said, resting his head on Dante’s chest.

“I can’t help it,” Dante said, rubbing Tani’s back up and down until Tani leaned back to look at him.

“You’re not the only one addicted,” Tani said. “I love yo—this, I love this, too.”

Dante smiled and leaned in to kiss Tani. Taking his lips in a sweet kiss that quickly turned possessive. The moment his lips touched Tani’s, he wanted more to feel Tani’s skin, explore, caress, and touch every inch of him. Discover what made Tani moan in pleasure and come apart in ecstasy. Tani returned his kisses with equal hunger. Dante wished they could stay in his bed, making out the whole day.

His phone buzzed on the bedside table and burst the bubble. He ignored it, kissing Tani, wrapping his arms around him, and rolling so he was on his back with Tani lying over him. Their kiss continued until they were both breathing hard. His phone started ringing again, this time in earnest, and Tani broke their kiss to stare at the gadget on the bedside table.

“Nora is calling,” Tani said, looking at Dante. “She seems determined.”

Tani rested his head on Dante’s chest, releasing a soft, contented sigh. Dante sunk his fingers into his hair as he reached for his phone with his left hand. He answered the phone.

“Morning, Mom.”

“My son is finally awake,” Nora said. “I wanted to catch you before you decide to leave this morning. Your father is home. It will be nice to have breakfast together. I also have news from Aero. Will you come down?”

“Yes, Mom. I am also bringing someone to breakfast.”

“That sounds heavy,” Nora said. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

Dante smiled as he hung up and looked down to find Tani watching him.

“My family is downstairs,” Dante said, placing his phone on the bed so that he could wrap his arms around Tani. “They want to have a meal together.”

Tani nodded and held his gaze.

“You want me to meet your family?”

“Why not?” Dante asked, kissing the top of Tani’s head. “I want to introduce you to my family as my boyfriend. This way, they will not be confused. They’ll know what you mean to me.”

Tani gave him a slow grin, his amber eyes shimmering momentarily with a beautiful ring of gold. His eyes were so beautiful; Dante breathed as his heart leaped. Tani lowered his gaze and rested his head on Dante’s chest. Dante’s gaze caught on Tani’s right earlobe, and he caressed the gold leaves.

***

Tani closed his eyes and listened to Dante’s heartbeat. Tani’s heartbeat matched the rhythm. It was steady, assuring.

“Your right earlobe is fascinating,” Dante said, thumb stroking Tani’s earlobe. “Why do you have five gold Elderwood leaves on your ear?”

“They show my standing in my father’s family. To show that I’m his son,” Tani said, not liking the melancholy filling him when he thought about his father.

“Your Dad?”

“Mm,” Tani said, looking up to meet Dante’s gaze again. “Let’s not think about him. I don’t want to spoil this beautiful day.”

Dante studied him for a moment, then smiled.

“Okay. It is a beautiful Thursday morning,” Dante said with a nod. “The best I’ve ever had. I lay here earlier, watching you sleep, and contemplated taking a sabbatical.”

“Are you running away from work?”

“It won’t be running away,” Dante said with a chuckle. “Just taking time off and spending a year with you. I don’t want to miss a moment with you, Tani. It occurred to me that I’m almost thirty-six years old. You are the first person I want to give all my time in my life. Maybe Viola was right, and I am a cold bastard.”

Tani’s heart skipped a beat, and warmth filled his chest at Dante’s words. He had already given Dante all his time, his life. It felt good to have Dante want to give him back a little of the same. It was the first time his beloved had voiced even an intention of more than a dalliance.

“I will cherish your time, Dante,” Tani said. “And you’re not cold. You’re filled with fire. She didn’t know how to see it.”

“Do you see my fire?” Dante asked, his brow rising in question.

Tani sat up, his left hand resting on Dante’s chest. The warm fragment of Dante’s soul in his empty heart sent a heat pulse through him. The gold mist swirling around Dante wrapped around his palm, responding to the obvious affection in Dante’s heart.

Their connection was so very fragile but promising.

Tani wished there was more, but this felt enough for now. He had no words to describe the gift of spending a night in Dante’s arms after decades of being without him. There were never sufficient words to describe this moment.

He looked into Dante’s curious gaze and smiled.

“You forget,” Tani said. “You seared my palm with your fire at our first meeting, Dante Arturo. I was so stunned that I ended up ankle-deep in marshland when I returned to Elderwood. You ruined a good pair of my favorite shoes.”

Dante grinned, his lips curving in a handsome smile. Tani immediately wanted to kiss him again.

“I promise to get you a pair to replace them,” Dante said, his grin turning into a short chuckle.

Left with no defense, Tani kissed his beloved to feel Dante’s smile on his lips and then scrambled out of the comfortable bed. Afraid they might linger and not leave at all.

“I’ll wash up first. I can’t believe you have me meeting your parents when we weren’t on our first date.”

“It is part of my secret plan,” Dante said, making Tani pause at the bedroom door to look at him.

“What secret plan?’

“The plan to seduce you and keep you at Artri,” Dante said. “Before you showed up, I had planned on kidnapping you.”

Tani laughed.

“Does my staying here make me a willing kidnapee?” Tani asked as he opened the door.

“Yes. Elderwood will have to be calling you to hear your voice,” Dante said. “I’m a very invested kidnapper and will entertain you until you forget you have them waiting.”

Tani chuckled and shook his head.

“Entitled warlock,” Tani said as he headed to the bathroom.

“Dazzling Ekho,” Dante called back. “Come back to bed and make out with me all day.”

“Your parents are waiting downstairs,” Tani replied and grinned when Dante sighed.

“They are clearly ruining perfect plans,” Dante complained.

Tani smiled in amusement and closed the bathroom door.

****

Thirty minutes later, they were both showered and dressed for the day. Tani had made friends with Atri so he could teleport to his house for a moment for a change of clothes. He returned just as Dante was emerging from the bedroom.

Dante stopped Tani by the door on their way out. He pressed him against the wall, kissed him, making Tani chuckle, and wrapped his arms around Dante’s shoulders.

“We should stay in here,” Tani said, kissing Dante’s face. “I love it in your suite of rooms.”

Dante smiled and wrapped his arms around Tani, holding him close. He buried his face into Tani’s shoulder.

“I agree.” Dante squeezed Tani tight, loving that Tani was an Ekho and seemed to love tight hugs. He did not flinch at Dante’s strength. “But we should finish with my parents downstairs. My father must know all about the black weed in the olive grove by now. Mom wants to tell us about the Ekho she meets there.”

Tani rubbed his hands over Dante’s back.

“Dante. Let’s live your day today,” Tani said. “Tomorrow, we can live mine. I have lawyers to meet. Then we can deal with the rest after.”

“Okay,” Dante agreed, pressing a kiss on Tani’s shoulder, not moving to open the door.

Tani rested his chin on Dante’s strong shoulder. He rubbed his hand over Dante’s back, smoothing the pale blue shirt he wore. He liked the color on Dante. It brought out his eyes. Dante’s stomach growled, and Tani chuckled.

“Dante.”

“Mm?”

“You’re my beloved, and I worry about you very much. We should leave your room so that you can have your morning meal,” Tani whispered into Dante’s ear.

“I’m in love with how you talk to me,” Dante said.

Tani grinned when Dante let him go and took his right hand.

“Let’s go eat breakfast,” Dante said. “The faster we get through it, the faster we can have time to ourselves.”

Dante opened the door and led Tani out. They descended the stairs, and Dante could not help looking back every few steps just to see Tani following him.

“I won’t disappear,” Tani said when they got downstairs. Dante squeezed his hand, making sure to walk right beside him. “I’ve already thrown my lot in with you.”

Dante stopped, bringing Tani’s right hand up to press a kiss on his inner wrist.

“I just…I feel like I need a minute or two hours to process,” Dante said and then squeezed Tani’s hand, a kiss on his inner wrist. “Maybe twenty-four hours or a few days…”

“Months?” Tani asked, teasing.

“Definitely months,” Dante said. “Years even.”

Tani’s amber eyes gained a gloomy cloud that quickly disappeared. The shadow hidden behind the strange wall Tani was keeping up between them.

Dante could not wait to break it down and discover what brought the shadows into Tani’s eyes. He wanted to obliterate it, replace the shadows with joy.

“Your family fills the kitchen,” Tani said as they walked along the hallway to the kitchen. “Your father doesn’t know I’m here. Your mother and the grandmaster might.”

“Are you nervous?” Dante asked, surprised by the naked note of anxiety in Tani’s voice.

“They are your family. Your closest ones. Of course, I’m nervous. What if they don’t like me for you?” Tani asked, anxious energy filling him as they approached the kitchen.

Dante stopped their progress, brought their clasped hands to his lips, and kissed Tani’s knuckles.

“They should worry if you like them,” Dante said, kissing Tani’s right cheek. He clasped Tani’s hand tighter and did not give Tani a chance to think as he opened the kitchen door.

Nora gasped when Dante and Tani walked into the warm kitchen. She sat drinking tea at the island table next to Christophe. Grandmaster Landi sat across them, arranging a salad plate.

They all looked at Dante and Tani when Nora gasped.

Tani tensed as Nora pushed her chair back and got up. Dante squeezed Tani’s hand as she crossed the room to meet them.

“Dante,” Nora said, coming to kiss both his cheeks. “You look very happy this morning. Well rested. So very handsome.”

“Are you saying I wasn’t handsome before?” Dante asked, giving her a scowl as she let go of him.

“You’re always handsome to me. I am only saying you look even more handsome this morning,” Nora said, turning to Tani. “Do I have you to thank for this change?”

“I can’t take any credit. Dante got it all from you,” Tani said.

“Aw, I like you very much,” Nora said, leaning in to kiss Tani’s cheek. “What is this?”

She rubbed her thumb over a red spot on Tani’s neck.

“I like kissing Tani,” Dante said, wrapping his arm around Tani’s shoulder, pulling him closer, making his cheeks fill with color.

“Oh, that is the mushiest thing you have ever said near me,” Nora said, holding her hand to Tani. “You’re a miracle to have him announcing he likes you in our kitchen. Come, I’ll introduce you to Dante’s Papa.”

Tani pulled his hand out of Dante’s and took Nora’s in a gentle handshake. She led him to the island table, where two men stood looking at him, caught between shock and…surprise.

Tani could not tell.

“Christophe,” Nora said, leading Tani to the younger of the two older men. “This is Tani Ryuzo. He healed the soil in our olive grove. Dante is sweet on him.”

******