A Thousand Years of Hope - 7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Tears, Tani scoffed. He could not wipe them away because Dante held his elbows, locked in a conduit spell. Shaking his head, he cursed under his breath and met Dante’s curious gaze.

“What else hurts?” Dante asked, still taking Tani’s pain.

The heavier wave of discomfort eased. Tani found it easier to wrestle his considerable power into staying locked within the prison the binding spell created using the gold cuffs on his wrists. Forced his very life force to stay within the prison, the Septum insisted he deserved for loving this man.

“I’m feeling better,” Tani said when Dante kept studying him with concern. “The pain is bearable now.”

“You’re crying.”

“I’m clearly not crying,” Tani said, despite his clumped lashes and the wet tear tracks running down his cheeks.

Dante studied his face for a moment and then smiled.

“Are you thrilled I helped with the pain that it’s brought you to tears?” Dante asked when the pain he was taking in trickled into nothing.

Tani chuckled.

“You take yourself very seriously, Dante.”

“I should. No one else will if I don’t.”

Tani chuckled again and shook his head.

“Why do you wear these gold cuffs?” Dante asked. “Why can’t we find a way to remove them? This Cale is not your friend if he returns them on you, knowing the damage they cause.”

Tani bit his bottom lip, his gaze dropping to the gold cuffs he had kept on for nine hundred years plus. There was a time when the cuffs drove him mad. It was right after his sentencing. He could not be with Dante then, so he retreated to the forest where his Uncle Amu kept up their first home.

The first one hundred years were hell.

Uncle Amu once found him holding an axe, wondering how he could cut the cuffs off to escape the crippling prison the Septum forced on him. Afraid Tani might genuinely lose his mind, Amu and Cale restrained him in a locked room in the forest for a decade. It took that long for him to accept his prison; accepting his life force would remain locked away until Dante chose him.

Dante was the only one who could save him from the cuffs.

It was funny to hear him ask why Tani would wear them. If Tani rejected these cuffs, he would be dragged back to the Ekho Realm forever. He would never meet Dante again. The thought made him sick to the stomach.

What was a little pain?

“I told you when we met in the olive grove,” Tani said. “Why I must wear these can’t be explained at our first meeting. We need to get to know each other more.”

“Does it mean you won’t disappear on me?” Dante asked, and Tani looked up to find Dante studying him. “I threatened to burn Cale’s suit to keep you with us earlier. If he returns, I’m afraid you’ll leave with him.”

“You threatened Cale’s suit?” Tani asked, grinning. “I know you’re of fire, but Cale values his bespoke suits. He is capable of holding an intense grudge.”

Dante chuckled.

“Is he the god of calamities?” Dante asked.

Tani nodded.

“Why are you hanging out with such a sinister character?” Dante asked.

“He’s not so sinister,” Tani said. “Just because he presides over dark desires does not mean he is disagreeable.”

“Only an Ekho would think that way,” Dante said, squeezing Tani’s elbows. “We lowly humans are terrified of the god of calamities and his dark, dark eyes.”

“I suppose he is an acquired taste,” Tani said. “I’ve known Cale a long time. He’s been a companion when I didn’t know I needed one. You’ll find comfort in the unlikeliest of places.”

Dante frowned.

“Are you two—?” Dante asked and then stopped, the lines between his brows deepening.

Tani hid a smile and returned to the thin lines tying his arms to Dante.

“You should stop now,” Tani said. “I am no longer in pain. I can manage anything that arises from a flare-up. The worst is over.”

“Are you sure?” Dante asked. “We can keep the connection on for a little longer.”

Tani met Dante’s brown eyes. How he wished they could keep touching like this, locked together. The memory of Dante’s family filled him. The images of two children and Viola, their mother, living in the US slashed through him.

He let go of Dante’s arms and started to move back.

“Wait,” Dante said, frowning again. “Let me disconnect us. Otherwise, you’ll only hurt when you try to compensate for losing my power to heal you.”

“Has anyone told you that you’re too overconfident in your abilities?” Tani asked.

“Everyone,” Dante said, winking at him.

“How do you walk around with that big head on your shoulders?”

“I’ve always had it, so it’s no trouble,” Dante said.

Tani huffed and watched as Dante slowly withdrew the power he extended to him, the conduits fading from Tani’s arms, unwrapping from around his elbows. They returned to Dante, and Tani was free.

His first instinct was to shift back. He reminded his heart that he wasn’t here to get close to Dante but to save him from whatever killed him at thirty-six.

Tani gasped when Dante grabbed his right arm and stopped his getaway.

Dante leaned in too close, their faces an inch apart.

“Don’t teleport out of this house,” Dante said, smiling, his brown eyes filled with amusement and…something else.

“Why?” Tani asked. He’d been about to return to Elderwood.

He needed a bit of time away from Dante. He took a moment to regain his balance after Dante handed him a small part of himself despite the chasm between them.

“Artri House is warded against Cale, and all Ekho coming ins and outs,” Dante said. “An ancestor of mine was obsessed with finding a way to keep one of you in or out. We could never figure it out.”

Tani tried it anyway, closing his eyes, reaching for his dampened powers, hoping to travel a familiar path back home to the fortress. Instead of the warm energy of home responding and pulling him home, a black wall of nothing greeted his attempts.

He sighed and opened his eyes to find Dante studying him.

“You promised to stay and tell me why you’re here, Tani Ryuzo. Your ward is downstairs with my mother. I hope you feel better soon. She cried when you were in pain. In any case, my mother has healing spells she can learn for other situations.”

“What are you trying to say?” Tani asked.

“You should stay here at Artri House,” Dante said, holding Tani’s right arm. “I have questions—”

Tani scoffed.

“Because you have questions, you somehow feel you have the right to get answers right away,” Tani said.

“You did promise to stay in the olive grove,” Dante said, his grip tightening on Tani’s arm.

“I did,” Tani said with a slow nod. “But it was before I knew what it would take to cleanse your vineyard. This…,”

Tani used his free hand to point to them, sitting on a bed, half-naked, hours after meeting for the first time. Dante having used a very intimate spell to save him.

“It’s-it’s more than I expected to give on our first meeting.”

“Okay,” Dante said, though he did not make a move to shift away or let go of Tani’s arm.

Their knees stayed pressed together. Tani took a deep breath, and the scent of jasmine filled him. It was torture. He broke their gaze and stared instead at Dante’s bare chest.

He didn’t remember when Dante had removed his t-shirt.

Tani curled his fingers into tight fists to stop himself from pressing his palms on Dante’s chest. To feel his warm skin, discover the sound of his heartbeat…

Tani closed his eyes, his nails digging into his palms.

“What do you need of me so that you can stay?” Dante asked in a low, cajoling voice. “I’ll give it to you. Anything but you leaving.”

He pressed his palms on Tani’s face, using his thumbs to wipe away the lingering tears on Tani’s skin. Dante was not playing fair. Every part of him trembled at Dante’s touch, his caress. How long had it been since he had been touched like this?

Too long, Tani’s heart skipped with joy, and he let out a shaky breath.

“Dante Arturo.”

“I like how you say my name. It sounds like an important discovery. Like your voice is making love to me.”

Tani shook his head, opening his eyes to meet brown eyes.

“You’re a shameless flirt,” Tani accused, making Dante smile.

“Please stay,” Dante said again; this time, he begged.

Tani sighed and pulled Dante’s hands away.

“I need space. Please leave me alone and go find Hera. Make her milk tea, not the Turkish-brewed blend, but her way. I need time to get my head together. Okay?”

“Okay,” Dante said. “Anything else?”

Tani closed his eyes, testing out the black wall of nothing he faced when he tried to leave.

‘Can’t leave yet. Dante wants you to stay.’

It took him a minute to realize the manor was forcing him to stay within its walls.

“Your house makes the rules according to what you want,” Tani said. “It’s choosing not to let me leave. Let it know Cale is important to me.”

Tani opened his eyes in time to see Dante give him a fierce scowl. The second one was about Cale.

“Why is the god of calamity important to you?” Dante asked, his expression turning cold, hard.

“We don’t know each other well yet for me to give you an answer,” Tani said.

“I dream about you,” Dante said, surprising Tani.

Ha, this is a new one, Tani thought. Why would Dante dream of him?

“They are old dreams, older than should be possible. Three lifetimes now, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth century. I don’t know if the dreams are real.”

“Is this how you knew I was Ryuzo?” Tani asked, surprised by this development.

“Yes,” Dante said. “In them, we—we were…we are…”

Tani studied Dante for a moment, and then, because he was not ready to find out what kind of dreams Dante was having, he smiled and clasped Dante’s hands.

“Go take care of Hera for me. She worries when she thinks I’m in trouble. Give me some time, and let Cale in.”

Dante sighed and let go of Tani’s hands. He got off the bed and stretched his arms over his head.

Tani tried and failed not to stare at the effortless movement of muscles as Dante stretched. He wished he could run his hands over Dante’s back, feel him respond to his touch, and trace his fingers on the perfect line down his spine. Press a kiss on the nape of Dante’s neck.

Tani looked away when Dante caught him staring.

Dante bent down and picked up his t-shirt with a slow grin.

“What would you like to eat?” Dante asked, wearing his t-shirt. “I’m a decent cook. You must be hungry after all the energy you’ve expended today.”

“Hera will know,” Tani said.

“You defer to her a lot,” Dante said with a slight frown. “She’s important to you.”

When Tani only nodded, Dante’s frown disappeared.

“Then, I’ll check on her and ensure she knows you’re doing better.”

“Thank you,” Tani said and pointed to the door. “Please close the door when you go out.”

“So bossy,” Dante said, pausing to study Tani. “All you’ve done is tell me what to do.”

“You said all I had to do was say what I wanted. Will you do it or not?” Tani asked.

“I’m going,” Dante said. “I like your bossiness. I might want you to do it more except in my bedroom. I’ll want to take over then. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Tani scowled at Dante.

Dante grinned and winked at him as he left the guest room. He made sure to close the door with a distinct click.

Tani let out a soft breath, the scent of jasmine dissipating from the room, letting Tani know how far Dante was. He waited three minutes until Dante descended the stairs to let out the cough he had held in his chest.

Scrambling off the bed, Tani hurried to the open door near the entrance into the room and was grateful to find a fully equipped washroom. He leaned over the sink and coughed out a mouthful of blood.

“Uncle Amu,” Tani said, willing the manor to let his uncle into the room.

When Amu did not appear, Tani sighed and closed his eyes, focusing on the dark wall, cutting him off from Amu and Cale.

“Dante can’t help me. I need help stabilizing the power balance inside me. It has to be an Ekho doing it.”

‘I’ll bring one to the manor.’

One moment, Tani was rinsing his mouth in the sink, washing away blood; the next, Kinon, the god of fire, stood behind him.

“You—,” Tani started, surprise on his face.

“Artri called,” Kinon said with a quick grin. “Sneaky lordling. I see you’ve discovered one of my secrets.”

Tani wanted to ask more, but his energy punched into his veins. He coughed again, his mouth filling with blood. The blood Tani coughed up resulted from internal damage caused by his revolting powers. He needed an Ekho to help him regulate the meager energy inside him, remind his system it no longer required to compensate for the massive amount of power now locked away.

Cale usually helped, or Uncle Amu. But now—

Kinon gave Tani a critical glance, then placed his hands on Tani’s shoulders and made him turn to the mirror. Tani spat the blood into the sink, turning on the water to wash it away.

“What are you doing here?” Tani asked, shocked to meet one of the Septum in Dante’s house.

“The manor called me,” Kinon said, sliding his palms over Tani’s shoulders to his back. “Stop talking and take in a deep breath.”

With a thousand questions on his tongue, Tani pushed them aside and complied with Kinon’s request.

Kinon’s palms warmed on his back, the heat seeping deep under his skin, rolling through Tani, restoring balance and healing damaged pathways. The walls on the cage holding Tani’s power solidified and sealed.

The pressure weighing on Tani’s shoulders eased, and he breathed easier.

“Cale returns the cuffs with too much force,” Kinon said, dropping his hands away from Tani’s back. “Call for me the next time you need to remove them.”

“Will you answer?” Tani asked, shocked that Kinon would offer.

“Why would I refuse, little lordling?” Kinon asked.

Tani frowned, looking at Kinon through the mirror.

“You—”

“Before you accuse me of being callous, remember I live in my domain most of the time. Pushing you to choose your people is what I should do as a member of the Septum,” Kinon said. “As a fellow Ekho, an individual with my beliefs, I retain a healthy sympathy for the less fortunate.”

Tani scoffed.

“In which reality do I qualify as less fortunate?”

“This one,” Kinon said, leaning on the sink counter on Tani’s left side.

Unlike Cale, who had assimilated into the mortal culture, Kinon dressed in the Ekho Realm traditions. That or Artri House had called on him from his domain.

Now that was an interesting connection to explore, Tani frowned. His gaze lingered on the red sleeveless, long, loose shirt Kinon wore, the edges of the open collar embroidered with thin gold lines. He wore dark trousers that disappeared into red boots with gold studs. The cuff clasped around his left bicep was carved with ekho realm symbols. It was similar to the cuffs on Tani’s wrists, though Tani doubted it served the same purpose.

Tani looked into Kinon’s crimson eyes, and his frown deepened when he read pity.

“You’re meant for a greater purpose,” Kinon said, shaking his head. “I would like to see you help your father guard the Septum’s balance. Live the life you deserve in the Citadel. Your blood unites two powerful clans in our Ekho Realm.”

“I am living a life I have chosen,” Tani said, looking away from Kinon. Hating the pity in Kinon’s eyes because it meant the Septum saw him as a failure, a deviant. “I do not need nor want your pity, god of fire.”

“Mortal life is fleeting, child,” Kinon said. “One blink of an eye in the face of the thousands of millennia we live. Your obsession with this one will fill you with pain for a moment after he's gone. The pain will fade, and you will forget. I look forward to talking to you then.”

“Why is Artri House calling you?” Tani asked.

Kinon chuckled.

“Such a deadly question. You deflect a topic with skill, little lordling. I am not ready to give you those answers.”

Tani’s gaze narrowed at him.

“You’re the reason Dante is so powerful,” Tani said. “You’ve interfered with a lineage.”

“My interference is not for you to judge,” Kinon said. “All you need to know is that Artri House is under my care. Cale is not welcome in my domain. If you want to see him, step outside in the courtyard or call him to Elderwood. You’ll need clothes after you clean up. I’ve left some on the bed for you. Take care of yourself, Tani. None of us enjoy hearing you are in pain.”

Kinon left as fast as he appeared.

Tani cursed under his breath and turned on the sink. He took in several deep breaths, fighting for control. His anger rose at Kinon’s comments about his higher purpose. What right did the Septum have to judge his small purpose?

It was his life, his millennias of loneliness if Dante left him again. Not theirs.

Tani cupped his hands under the water and splashed his face, cooling his temper. His thoughts lingered on Kinon and the members of the Septum. They all thought him insane, as though one could direct their heart in love.

Closing his eyes, his mind’s eye filled with Dante. How he’d looked sitting on the bed with him, helping him with the pain. The sound of his voice as he begged Tani to stay. The presence of the small part of Dante filled the emptiness inside him.

Insane or not, his choice was worth having Kinon call him a fool, Tani decided. He would rather be a fool than never have known Dante.

Taking a calming breath, Tani glanced at the spacious glass stall on his left and decided he needed a shower. Warm water cascading over him always washed away his doubts and stress.

****

Dante hurried downstairs, taking the hidden staircase to the basement. He found Nora and Hera bent over a healing book. Nora explained the book's contents to Hera, who nodded to show her understanding.

Dante stopped by the entrance, watching Hera. She wore jeans and a flowery blouse. Her black braids in a tight ponytail on top of her head. Her feet were in work boots, ready to walk the land. She looked like she was in her late twenties, twenty-five, maybe. The frown lingering on her forehead was enough to let him know she was still worried about Tani.

Her empathy levels were higher than his, Dante thought.

“The basic ingredients in these spells are herbs,” Nora explained. “Easily found in a kitchen garden. The rest is the magik found in your elemental gifts. Your affinity is water, so you must find the pages discussing using your element.”

“I’m surprised you have information on water users,” Hera said, tracing her index finger on the open page.

“We are of fire, but some extended relatives belonged to the water, earth, and wind. It’s common to fill our library of books with information about other elements.”

“You say the same things Babu does,” Hera said. “I’m always looking for a way to help him. I need to learn how to quiet my abilities when he is facing an overload.”

“This is a skill we teach our young children early,” Nora said, moving away from the large desk they were using.

Nora disappeared into the maze of tall bookshelves laden with books to the room's east. She returned a moment later with a small book Dante recognized. He had needed to memorize its contents at the age of ten.

Nora noticed him leaning on a pillar and smiled.

“You’re here,” Nora said. “Is he alright?”

“He’s awake,” Dante said, drawing Hera’s attention.

Her dark brown eyes were wide with surprise. She straightened up from where she was leaning over the desk.

“How?” she asked.

“I found a way to help him deal with the pain,” Dante said.

“Good,” Nora said, moving to Hera’s side by the desk. “This little book teaches how to control our elemental affinities. How to reduce their leakage, hold them in check, and release them at will. All children born in our house master these techniques by age ten.”

“Oh,” Hera said, taking the small book from Nora. “My house lets us learn at our own pace as needed.”

“We are of fire,” Nora said, squeezing Hera’s right arm. “It’s not easy to explain a burned down house or even burnt skin on a stranger. We must control our fire from when we are very young. Otherwise, we’re bound to have disastrous outcomes.”

“Makes sense,” Hera said, hugging the tiny book.

“Keep this copy,” Nora said. “For you and your daughter.”

“How did you—?” Hera started.

Nora reached out to touch the charm bracelet on Hera’s wrist. It had a charm with the name Deniz on it.

“Oh,” Hera said, a smile lighting up her face. “You’re observant.”

“I mothered Dante,” Nora said, nodding in his direction. “Observation remains a required skill. Otherwise, he might have burned down this vineyard by age three if left unchecked.”

Hera chuckled and looked at Dante.

“Babu?” Hera asked, looking behind Dante, her gaze expectant.

“He asked for a few moments alone,” Dante said. “He also asked me to make your milk tea, not our Turkish blend. He said you would show me.”

Hera’s smile was instant and broad. She hugged the book in her hands tighter and relaxed. The tension in her shoulders eased.

Dante realized Tani had sent a message to Hera—a message to help her not worry anymore.

“I’d love some milk tea,” Hera said happily.

“Great. Let’s go to the kitchen then,” Nora said. “Dante, what would our guest want to eat? I’ll make it.”

“Hera will know,” Dante said, waiting for her to reach him before he led the way to the stairs.

Dante found the milk in the fridge when they got to the kitchen. He found a small pot while Nora and Hera bonded over tea blends.

“It is almost lunch. Allow me to cook for you, Tom, and Mr. Ryuzo. What does Mr. Ryuzo like to eat?” Nora asked.

“Babu?” Hera asked.

Dante narrowed his gaze on his mother, but she avoided looking at him as she nodded in answer to Hera.

“Oh, he has a terrible sweet tooth,” Hera said. “He loves sweet things. I make him coffee cookies often. Otherwise, for real food, he will eat stuffed baked potatoes every day if you let him.”

“How lucky,” Nora said, hurrying to the kitchen counter where the gas range was set up with a hood above it. She opened the oven doors and reached for oven mitts. She pulled out a tray with baked potatoes wrapped in foil. “I made a good guess for lunch today.”

Hera grinned, but Dante’s gaze turned suspicious as he looked at his mother. She knew more about Tani Ryuzo than she was letting on.

“Hera, you’d better help Dante make your tea,” Nora said. “Otherwise, you will wait years for it.”

Dante scowled at her, making Hera chuckle.

Hera walked around the island table to where he stood near the fridge and took the pot from him. She measured milk with the mug, poured it into the pot, and then handed him the milk bottle to return to the fridge.

“How long have you lived with Tani?” Dante asked, refusing to call a man he wanted to kiss Babu.

Tani had to be the hottest grandpa he ever met.

“All my life,” Hera said, taking the pot of milk to the gas range. She took the empty mug to the sink and filled it with water. Smiling at Dante, she returned to the gas range, added water to the milk, and turned on the fire.

Dante found a bag of their best tea leaves and a sieve. He moved to Hera’s side.

Nora was busy checking the baked potatoes to make sure they were cooked.

“How long is all your life?” Dante asked Hera, arranging the packet of tea leaves next to her mug.

“It’s rude to ask a lady her age,” Nora said.

“I don’t mind telling, but I won’t,” Hera said, winking at Dante. “We don’t know each other well enough, Dante. Babu has been a part of my life since I could open my eyes. He helped feed me my first taste of mashed pumpkin and carrot.”

“You promptly helped me wear it on my face,” Tani said, making them all turn to the kitchen entrance.

Tani stood looking healthy again in a red long-sleeved tunic shirt with gold embroidery on the open collar and dark jeans. His red-brown hair was damp from a recent shower. There was no trace of pain on his face.

Dante’s gaze dropped to Tani’s feet. The man was killing him, walking around the manor with no shoes. It felt…so intimate. Like Tani belonged here. He wished Tani would spend more time in the manor looking this comfortable.

“Dante?” Nora’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Hm…,” Dante dragged his gaze away from Tani’s bare feet to find his mother glaring at him. “What?”

“Hera asked you to hand her the sieve you’re holding,” Tani said.

Dante turned to Hera, who watched him with amusement, unlike Nora, who shook her head. He smiled and handed over the sieve to Hera.

Tani sauntered to the island table and pulled out a chair. He sat and rested his elbows on the table. Dante wondered what Tani would do if he went over and sat next to him.

“How are you feeling?” Nora asked Tani.

“Much better,” Tani said, giving her a small smile. “The best outcome of our encounter is that the vineyard is cleansed.”

“Cleansed of what?” Nora asked, facing Tani, her eyes wide.

“Black weed,” Dante said.

When Nora kept staring at Tani, he sat back in his chair and returned her gaze.

“The Kara ot we found in the olive grove is a deadly weed in the Ekho Realm. The olive grove was suffering from a serious infection. The weed grows underground, sucking up nutrients from the soil and all living beings close to its location.”

“How did the olive trees survive?” Nora asked, abandoning the baked potatoes. She moved to stand before Tani.

“The olive grove is old, seasoned. The roots can reach further away for nutrients. We can say the olive trees survived because of their age,” Tani said.

“What happens now?” Nora asked. “Will the Kara ot return?”

“It will not return unless someone brings it. The vineyard is cleansed and the soil nutrients restored,” Tani said.

“You burned away the black weed and all its traces from our land,” Dante said.

“Yes,” Tani said, his gaze dropping to his wrists. “It’s the only way to remove black weed. Our Ekho abilities burn the weed away. It is the duty of those like us in our realm to keep the black weed under control. Left unattended, it burrows deeper and finds a new place to root if we don’t get it all.”

“How did a weed from the Ekho Realm get into our vineyard?” Nora asked with a sigh.

Tani looked up then.

“Have you had a visit from one of us?” Tani asked, narrowing his gaze.

“No,” Dante said.

“Yes,” Nora said.

Tani’s right brow lifted in surprise.

Dante turned to his mother in surprise.

How did she know an Ekho who could visit Artri House? Artri House whispered all its secrets to him. So, how could she keep a visit from an Ekho from him?

Unless they did not meet in the manor or near it.

Dante reached out to touch his mother’s shoulder, but she moved away from him.

Nora returned to her baking sheet lined with baked potatoes. She tested the foil around one potato before washing her hands at the sink.

Hera finished with the milk tea. She took the empty pot to the sink and added water for it to soak.

Hera then carried the two mugs of milk tea she had made around the island table. She placed one mug before Tani.

Tani thanked her with a wide smile. A smile that lit his face up, making Dante’s heart squeeze tight at the sight of it. He wished he could get a similar smile turned to him, too.

It was frustrating to know that Tani reserved his smiles for Hera.

Hera slid into the chair next to Tani and sipped from her mug. Tani followed suit, sipping his milk tea, his gaze returning to Nora. He waited for an answer to his question.

Dante gave the pair at the island table one last glance before he turned his attention to his mother.

“Mom?” Dante asked, leaning on the island table, curious when Nora kept her back to him. “What’s going on? Is there something I should know?”

“There are things I cannot say. I called your father and the grandmaster as soon as Mr. Ryuzo entered this manor,” Nora said, her tone heavy, as though she carried a weight she could not easily let down. “The truths I know must come from your grandmaster, Dante.”

“Yes, but answering Tani’s question should be easy,” Dante said. “He did help our vineyard. Our olive grove is saved. Telling him who might have brought a deadly weed from the Ekho Realm is the least we can do.”

“I wish I could say the name,” Nora said, turning to look at Dante, her eyes red. “I cannot. I’m sworn to secrecy.”

“Secrecy?” Dante started to protest. “What are you talking about, Mom?”

“I—I—,” Nora broke off and swallowed hard, her eyes filled with worry.

She started to step toward Dante but stopped. She looked at Tani with a deep frown.

“I understand,” Tani said, placing his mug on the table, his gaze on Nora even as Dante turned to him. “Hera, do you have things you need to collect here?”

“Only a book and your clothes from the laundry,” Hera said.

“Forget the clothes,” Tani said. “Take your book.”

Hera complied without asking more questions. She got up, took her mug and Tani’s to the sink, and then retrieved the spell book Nora gave her from the counter. She returned to Tani’s side.

“Wait—” Dante said, realizing Tani’s intention.

“Your family has heavy secrets,” Tani said. “From your mother’s expression and the visible pain it is causing her when she tries to tell you, I imagine these secrets cannot be said in my presence. I am an outsider.”

“No,” Dante shook his head, hating the visible sting in Tani’s eyes.

This was different from how he had wanted. He had hoped for a quiet lunch with Tani and Hera to get to know them better.

Nora swallowed hard and shook her head, her gaze apologetic when she looked at Tani.

It was absurd. What unmentionable secrets could his family have?

Tani had admitted to being an Ekho. It was the most significant secret anyone could keep, so what right did they have to keep secrets from him?

“Mom, tell Tani he can stay,” Dante said, turning to Nora. “You—”

“Hera and I will return to Elderwood now. Thank you, Dante, for burning my pain today,” Tani said. “I owe you a gift in return. You may request anything of me, but keep it reasonable. As you know, I’m not at full power. I will grant your request. You can call Tom King when you want to find me.”

“But—”

Tani held out his right hand to Hera, holding Dante’s gaze, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.

Dante started to go around the island table, determined to stop Tani.

“It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Arturo,” Hera said, taking Tani’s hand.

Tani and Hera shimmered in a gold cloud and then were gone.

It was the first record of an Ekho leaving from within Artri House. The manor’s records did not have information on another who had managed. They all left through the front door. The records had the few who had stepped into Artri House teleporting from the front step.

Nora sighed, relieved, and leaned back on the counter, breathing hard. She pointed to the potted plants along the wide kitchen window. Their leaves were vibrant green, the white flowers on the oregano peaking out next to the rosemary.

“Your Ryuzo is blessed with good fortune. He made the flowers on my herbs bloom before their time,” Nora said, amused. “He’s a charmer.”

“Mom!” Dante glared at her. “You made him leave before I could get a word in.”

“I’m sorry. Tani Ryuzo is not an easy one to keep. You’re going to need to work harder than healing his pain, Dante,” Nora said, shaking her head. “Artri House has not stood this long because of good fortune. The more I think about it, the more it feels like misfortune.”

“Does this have to do with the warning in the family grimoire?” Dante asked.

“Yes. Your grandmother told me the truth about Artri House before she died. She worried another generation would pass by without a resolution for Ryuzo. The moment your grandmaster discovered I knew about the warning and why it exists, he locked the secrets away with his fire,” Nora said with a sigh.

“How could he?” Dante asked. “You are of fire. It should not harm you.”

“He’s more powerful,” Nora said, shaking her head. “The only thing I ever agreed with Viola was the callous nature of the men in this house. Your hearts are coated with ice despite your firepower.”

Dante frowned at her.

“If I tried to tell the secrets of Artri House to outsiders, I would burn to a crisp, Dante. Thinking about it now, your grandmaster has a ruthless streak. I’ve always believed in righting wrongs as early as possible. However, I’m not an Arturo by blood. I cannot make decisions for your father and his great-grandfather or you, Dante. This is why we must wait for your father and Grandmaster Landi's arrival.”

“What is this you can’t say before Tani? These secrets will ruin me,” Dante said, pulling out a chair at the island table, his gaze on the chair Tani had used. “Who knows when I will get to meet Tani Ryuzo again?”

“We’ll leave that to fate,” Nora said with a shrug. She turned her attention to the baked potatoes on the baking sheet and sighed. “It’s too bad I did not get to make him my stuffed baked potato. I think he would have loved them.”

Stuffed baked potatoes aside, he would have loved Tani to sit at this table longer.

Something about the man shook his heart and filled him with…longing. The heart his mother called callous squeezed tight as though robbed of something precious. He pressed his right hand to his chest, mourning a loss.

Dante frowned.

****