Chapter Fourteen
When Bréagha stepped out of the portal, she found herself in the middle of the square outside of Stephen’s deli.
There were tables already set up and ready for the Sentinels coming through the portals.
Bréagha waved at Stephen, who threw her an air kiss and waved her to an empty table where Killian and Jaxx’s team were headed so she moved in that direction as well.
The smell of bacon, frying eggs, and coffee seemed surreal after hours of smoke, shouting Sentinels, and screaming shadows.
“Roz, before you head to the infirmary will you look at Bréagha’s arm?” Killian stopped Bréagha and pulled her toward where Roz was about to teleport away. She turned around and looked over at them.
“You’re hurt?!? Why didn’t you say something?” Roz asked, rushing to help her friend. Bréagha offered a rueful smile.
“It’s not that big a deal.” She lifted her arm for Roz to see and gasped. “Where is it?” She looked down at her side where there was a clear slash through her leather top, only perfect clear skin was seen underneath.
“Do you really think I would let you stay injured?” Sperwa said and Killian shook his head.
“Of course you have super-healing, of course you do,” he continued muttering to himself as he moved to join his team.
“I guess I don’t need you after all. Go take care of the Sentinels who don’t have a phoenix on their shoulder,” encouraged Bréagha. Seeing her friend was okay, Roz teleported to the infirmary and Bréagha followed behind Killian.
“Here! Here! For the heroes!” Bracken raised his cup of coffee towards Bréagha and Sperwa who shook their head in unison. “Does anyone else find that weird? They have known each other less than 24 hours and they’re in complete sync?” He faked a shiver. “Soo creepy.”
Bréagha sat across the table from Bracken, between Killian and Aiden.
She picked up the small container that was filled with sugar packets and threw the whole thing at Brackens head.
He ducked the bowl but got a face full of sugar packets.
One of the packets busted open on his forehead and showered glittery sugar down his black combat clothes.
He grinned and idly threw sugar packets at everyone at the table who laughed.
“Okay, my handsomes and beauties. What can we whip up for you? Bacon and extra bacon for our badass new Sentinel, what about the rest of you?” Stephen danced his way to their table and Bréagha grinned. She was already a regular, she felt special.
“Hey, can I add pumpkin spice pancakes? Oh, and eggs, sunny side up to dip that double or triple order of bacon,” asked Bréagha sweetly and got a wink in response as the other guys yelled their order out.
It only took a moment for Stephen to have the food ready and back at the table.
He included a pumpkin spice latte for Bréagha, which he had learned how to make especially for her and Roz, who had also taken to the drink with a vengeance.
The table was silent while everyone dug into their breakfasts and refueled from the hours they’d just spent on the battlefield. Once Bréagha had gotten her fill and felt the caffeine kicking in, she sat back in her chair.
“Okay, probably something I should know. But what exactly are those shadow things?” Everyone turned to Killian who winced. Being the leader sucked. He wiped his mouth, took a drink of his black coffee, the psychopath, then turned to Bréagha.
“So, you know when a person or animal dies in one of the realms, their souls come back to the Garden. It’s okay if the soul comes back a little worse for wear, a little dark…”
“Singed,” offered Bracken.
“Burnt toast,” inserted Cathal. Killian glared at them both and they just grinned, before pretending a great interest in their empty plates.
“Um, anyway. Yes, like burnt toast where the outside is black, but the inside is still light bread. If the core of the soul is still untouched, just a little beat up from whatever it had to endure during the last lifetime it can come back to the Garden. It heals, and then once the last person from their life no longer remembers them, they are reborn.” He looked over at Bréagha to make sure she was following.
She was staring idly over the square, chewing on the last few pieces of her bacon.
When he didn’t continue right away, she turned back to him and raised an eyebrow which he took to mean she was listening and wanted him to continue.
“Yeah, so, when a soul is too damaged, or the core has darkened too much, the soul isn’t allowed into the Garden. Normally this soul would immediately go to the spirit realm where all souls go at the end of their journey.”
“Too evil equals a one-way ticket to the end. Got it.” Bréagha murmured. “Which is sort of horrifying if you think about it.”
“Exactly. However, some souls get lost and those become shadows. We aren’t sure why some get lost while others don’t.
They can’t stand any source of light, as you witnessed, but can enter any kind of dark shadow in any of the realms outside of the Garden.
They attack en masse trying to take out the gates every few weeks, their souls instinctively want to enter but can’t.
It’s our job to keep them out.” Killian finished and sat back, reaching for his coffee again.
“There did seem a lot more than usual this time though, right?” Liam asked from his place next to Bracken. He looked at Killian who glanced over at Jaxx.
“Maybe? They did seem a bit more motivated this time.” He finally answered.
“Do they always have a gate rammer?” Aiden asked. They all looked at him and he raised his eyebrows. “What? Is that not what it’s called?”
“I called it a Boar’s head, like the orcs used in Return of the King,” answered Bréagha and Aiden grinned down at her.
“Oh! That is exactly what it looked like! Even had the flames coming out of its mouth,” said Aiden, excitedly.
“Why do I never know what you two are talking about? Do you speak a whole other language that sounds vaguely like ours?” Killian sighed and stepped in, knowing this conversation would go off the rails quickly. The two in question just laughed and shook their heads.
“Um, no. Now that you mention it, I don’t think they have ever used a gate rammer like that.
Not one that used fire, since fire is a source of light.
” Jaxx spoke up from his end of the table.
He looked over at Killian who glanced back at him.
He saw the worried look in his brother’s eyes and knew he was thinking the same thing he was.
Why the escalation in number, motivation, and upgrade in their battle tactics?
“I think we should ask Drago and dad.” Killian answered Jaxx’s silent question.
They all agreed, the last few bites or sips of coffee were quickly shoved in mouths as they all stood.
They grabbed their trash and dishes, cleaning their area so there was less work for Stephen and his staff.
They all yelled their thanks and waved at Stephen as they headed towards the Sentinel Elder’s offices in the mountain.
The Elders didn’t always greet them after a battle; they waited for the team leaders to check in and the Record Keepers to generate reports instead. Roz was busy in the infirmary with the Sentinels who weren’t as lucky as they were, so they all hoofed it the two miles to Sentinel headquarters.
“Shouldn’t we all learn how to ride the dragons? I mean, we have to walk while they just lazily circle us up there.” Bracken watched as Kaedryn and Vyranthos slowly circled the group in the sky.
“Try it little human. You’ll see how those gingerbread men felt.” Bracken screeched and tripped on his feet when Kaedryn’s voice spoke in his head.
“Only our Sentinels dare ride on our backs and only with our permission.” Vyranthos spoke into their minds as well.
“Can all our animals do that?” Aiden asked, glancing over at where the other animals walked behind the Sentinels, except Bracken’s panther and Mason’s bear that looked like they were wrestling a little further back.
“I don’t know. Can you hear me?”
“Or me?” Suddenly, they had a full chorus of different voices in their heads.
“Seems like the answer is yes, Aiden. They can all do that.”
“So, it’s no longer just teams?” Bracken asked as he climbed back to his feet and dusted the dirt from his leathers.
“Bracken, try to talk to Killian with your mind,” suggested Liam.
“Why didn’t you just do it?” Bracken grumbled. “Killian can you hear me?”
“We can all hear you.” Liam responded.
“Wait?!? I can hear you guys?” Bréagha gasped, disturbing Sperwa who had curled up against her neck and dosed off during the walk, full of Stephen’s cinnamon oat bread. “I haven’t been able to do that before!”
“Wait, is this for all the Sentinels?” Bracken frowned in concentration as he looked off into the distance towards where the other Sentinels were finishing their breakfasts.
“Doesn’t seem like it.” Killian noted as he watched Bracken’s face redden as he tried to communicate with the other Sentinel teams.
“So, this is just our teams? And Bréagha?” Mason asked.
“Something else to tell the elders?” Jaxx asked his brother who nodded. They all turned and kept walking, a little faster this time.
“You are all connected to the Guardian and her familiar. I think we will all find things changing as we move forward. We must be prepared for what’s coming.
” After that ominous statement Sperwa resettled on Bréagha’s shoulder, then went back to sleep.
The battle must’ve taken a lot out of her; she had created a lot of fire.