Chapter 45 #2
“Well we should check it out when we go there,” Jack said. “What else?”
At that Petra grinned. “My friends are of the same bloodline as me, so...”
“So they could be devotions?”
She looked over to Bradley, who had been sitting on the floor, among two stacks of books. “Hi,” she said.
“Bradley,” he said. “Are you saying your friends could be devotions, too?” She nodded. “Excuse me,” he said ad walked out.
Jack laughed. “He’s going to go tell Damon.”
"So does that mean you're half-sisters? Cousins? Different branches?" Finn asked. "One of the things I've been curious about and Kildare couldn't answer is how we avoid inbreeding."
“Different branches of Gaia’s line, through Estra,” a woman said as she walked in.
“Petra and the girls from the Ohio compound are all direct blood descendants to Estra. Estra, nor her line, ever mated with any from The Order, let alone any of the thirteen.” She looked to them.
“All of their blood, her blood, is pure and the children from these women will be completely new lines into The Order.”
“Matron,” Emerson said. “It’s an honor.”
“It’s an honor to meet you all, paving the way for a better future. We are all in your debt, sons of the thirteen.”
"Just trying to do what's right." Was Finn blushing? "We're very glad you're here to help us. How are the women holding up? Understandably, they've been reluctant to speak to us much."
“They are...traumatized to say the least. We talked, they would like to leave here, as I’m sure you can understand this is a place of pain for them. I would like to suggest we bring them back to Ohio, to where Petra was raised. There is room, and it is a safe place, for healing.”
"Not to Idaho?" Carter was surprised by that but Finn nodded.
"If they need time and space away from the others to heal, that's fine," he said, grabbing his phone to make a note. "I'll get transport arranged."
"I can do that," Carter said. "Let me liaise with Matron Elise and organize the transfer. You have enough on your plate."
“Use the jet,” Emerson said. “In fact, Carter...we should buy some new transport.” Given the amount of money they now controlled from the dead Elders, they had much at their disposal. “Matron, how ready for a large amount of people is Ohio?”
“Well enough. We make do with what we have, same with the rest of the compounds,” Elise said to him.
“Not anymore. Carter, can we make sure Elise and the other matrons have access to the accounts? I think also modernizing anything that needs it, and ensuring they are all more than comfortable is paramount.”
"I'm meeting with the accountants tomorrow," Finn said.
"I think, at least to start with, we need to have some kind of budgetary plan in place.
It might be an obscene amount of money, but rebuilding and education and rehabilitation are going to be expensive.
I'll make sure Matron Elise has access to an account with a generous allowance, but we aren't going to make the mistakes of the Elders we ousted.
All that money is going to be accounted for and transparent.
If you want a new jet, put in some paperwork explaining why it's necessary so that we have something on file. "
Emerson laughed. “Okay, okay...but for now, Matron, my company jet is at your disposal.”
“Generous of you. Thank you.”
“Thank you nothing, you fit so many puzzle pieces together for us, it’s the least we can do.”
“I would love to sit and talk with you all soon, before I leave of course...”
“Dinner in the main hall will be for everyone in attendance tonight,” Jack said.
“Wonderful. Thank you, gentlemen.” She looked to Petra. “And thank you, Priestess.”
She nodded.
Elise left moments later, leaving Petra with the seven of them. He looked her over, heart hurting, at how beautiful she was. And she was theirs.
“So...you going to tell your friends?” Rix asked.
She nodded. “Though it might be something I might have to do in person, they are going to call bullshit.”
“I’m sure we can make that happen. Though something tells me Damon and the guys will want to meet them as well,” Jack said.
"Yeah, the way that Bradley ran out of here was pretty telling," Leo laughed. "But you said they didn't freak out when you told them about us, so they might not be averse to an introduction to other groups."
"And now you can tell them the whole truth," Easton pointed out. "No more secrets between friends."
She nodded. "I think that's the best part of this. My friends, my family get to be part of this, too.”
"Do you think they would want to be?" he asked her. " I mean I know they were interested but..."
"I think so. I mean it would be different for them than with us but that's not a bad thing. And we don’t know they would end up involved, either."
"Still, it's family they didn't know they had before," Leo pointed out. "I mean you guys are the family I chose, but finding out my mom is alive means something completely different. I'm sure they'll be excited about all of it."
"Plus, it's pretty cool to find out that God is actually real," Carter said, amused. "I still remember the look on your face when you saw the power coming out of the well at Halloween."
"I wonder if that's how or why they ended up where they are," Finn said thoughtfully. "Didn't you say they were scientists or something? Perhaps He will work through them to make groundbreaking discoveries."
“That might be true, though how is it I went into art?”
“Safe to say it’s how you connect with Easton,” Rix said.
"And me," Finn reminded her. "We were all in your life in some way before we knew we were supposed to be. That had to be him making maneuvers."
“That is true,” Emerson said. “Could it be that the devotion complements their group?”
“Who is to say they would be devotions? Fiona is not interested in a buncha dudes...”
“But the others?”
“Vic and Carlee are both interested in it, especially how I handle seven of you.”
“That’s easy...with two hands.” Jack winked at her. “Well, most of us.”
"In any event, it's not really important right now," Finn tried to herd them all back on topic.
"You can run all the studies you want when this is settled, but for now we need to deal with more practical shi—uh, stuff.
" He tried not to look at Matron Elise and it was adorable.
Petra didn't think Elise would care about the odd swear word, but it was sweet that Finn was trying.
"The meeting tomorrow with everyone that's on site.
..did you get the sound system sorted out? "
“Everything is handled,” Rix offered. “Our girl is back, questions have been answered, So why don’t we take a break, yeah?”
Petra went to Finn then and grabbed his hand. “Come, my Devil...we have a nap in our future, yes? You did promise and I could do with Finn cuddles.”
Emerson laughed at her cuteness. Ther leader needed her almost as much as Easton did but he knew the other man had his own plans for their sweet victim. “Go, take him with you and make him sleep a few hours. We can reconvene at dinner.”
"But I haven't spoken to—"
"Go, Finn!" Carter said in his commanding voice, the one that even Finn didn't dare counter.
"Fine," Finn sighed. "But if everything goes to pot, it's on you guys."
“You act like it’s a hardship to get naked with that woman,” Rix said offhandedly. “If that’s the issue I’m sure one of us would gladly take your spot.”
“Hey, no one mentioned naked...” Jack said with a pout.
“Oh, I thought it was implied?” Petra said with a giggle. “Skin on skin snuggling.”
"Maybe one of the others should go with you then," Finn said. "I'm exhausted, my love. I don't have the energy to play. I thought you meant we were going to sleep."
“I did mean we were going to sleep,” she said seriously. “I’m beat. But there is nothing to say when we wake up we don’t have any clothes on.” She winked at him. “Plus, I like being surrounded in your scent, Finn.”
"How could I refuse a request like that?" He smiled. "Well then, I guess we should go."
Emerson watched them walk out, arms around each other’s backs, Petra whispering to Finn as they went.
He smiled to himself. If nothing else, their girl was good to keep them healthy and happy and that made all the difference.
Before her, their bond was there, but nowhere near as strong.
Now? They were able to do so much, and he knew it was her strength, her acceptance of them as they were, that brought them to this point.