Chapter Eight #2
“Rozengwyn, you called?” She just stared at Killian until he raised one of his eyebrows. She shook her head and then gestured to the door in front of her.
“What do you see?” Killian tilted his head at her question.
“A wooden door that Aiden made you go get from his bar this morning,” offered Cathal, trying to be helpful.
“Look closer.” Aiden, Bréagha, and Roz stepped back so the other three could step closer, Makani having disappeared when the other Sentinels entered the room.
“Isn’t that Bréagha’s phoenix?”
“And Aiden’s tiger?”
All three Sentinels stepped closer, jostling each other as they called out other animals they spotted. Then they all stepped back and marveled.
“When was this carved?” Killian turned to Aiden as he asked the question.
“I started them a few years ago. Finished them both about a year ago,” he answered, scrunching his face as he tried to remember exactly.
“How did you know what to carve?” Liam asked, his gaze locked on the intricate carvings, leaning closer as he spotted even more things he recognized from the Garden. Even the mountains behind it all looked familiar. Cathal moved to the other door panel.
“There are even more over here. But I don’t recognize a few.
The phoenix is the same though.” They all moved to stand beside Cathal and examined the second door.
The same phoenix was in the foreground, like the other door, but behind it was a large tree and encircling it were scenes from what looked like different places, with their own animals and flowers.
“Wait is that Flammaimpes?”
“And Silvanemus?” questioned Liam and Cathal as they reached out to trace both areas. Killian looked closer and then turned bewildered eyes towards Aiden.
“How is this possible?” he asked. Aiden tilted his head and ran his hand behind his neck.
“It’s the same phoenix from my trunk, Aiden.
” They all turned to where Bréagha stood gazing down at the trunk that still sat on her bed.
There, on the top was indeed the same phoenix.
Behind the phoenix, was the same tree that was on the second door.
Then situated all around the tree were different flowers, but not easily recognizable ones.
Roz flew over, touched the trunk, then closed her eyes.
She frowned, then looked over at Killian.
“This trunk was carved here, from one of our trees, in the Garden, not Earth.”
He scowled, running it all through his mind. Then he saw the picture that Bréagha had placed on her bedside table. He walked over, picked it up, and stared at the face. Trying to remember why it looked so familiar.
“Anyone recognize this woman?” He turned the picture to the others from the Garden, who looked at it closely.
“Looks familiar but I can’t place a name,” Liam finally answered.
“Roz, take this to Marcus and Lily and bring one or both back. This isn’t a coincidence.
” Roz instantly obeyed, popping out with a bright pink flash after being handed the picture.
The remaining group stood staring at the two doors.
Cathal and Liam picked the doors up and moved them, so they stood side by side against the window seat.
That way they could look at them both easily.
A few silent moments went by before Roz portaled back with Marcus and Lily in tow. Marcus held the picture and was frowning down at it.
“Where did this picture come from?” He asked without looking up.
“Um….it was in this trunk when I was left as a baby.” Bréagha pointed to the trunk on the bed. Marcus walked over to it, placed his hand on the top and closed his eyes just like Roz had done but it didn’t seem like it was to see where the tree was from.
“Marcus?” Lily stepped up and placed a hand on his arm.
“This is a Magic Keeper that we lost many years ago. She was sent on a mission with a Sentinel and neither made it back. Her name was Azara and the Sentinel was Caius.”
“The ones sent to handle that uprising on Earth? That would’ve been, what? 25 years ago?” asked Lily, looking over his shoulder at the picture and Marcus nodded.
“Roz, can you take me back to the library?” Lily asked and Roz grabbed her hand, without question.
She teleported her out just to return a few seconds later.
Lily held two books in her hand. She walked over to a table across the room and laid them both down.
She shuffled through the pages of both books, stopping at particular parts and stepping back. She gestured for the others to look.
“Every soul who is ever born gets a book that follows their lives, no matter how many they have. It writes their story as it happens, and the Record Keepers bear witness to it. Several Record Keepers keep a vigilant watch on the books that appear in the Spirit room. These came from there very recently. In fact, they appeared the same day your books showed up in the library.”
Bréagha stepped up and there on the table, inside one of the books was the same woman from the picture.
She reached her hand out and traced the woman’s face.
She was looking up at something and laughing.
It looked like she was outside sitting by a creek.
The sun shone down through her auburn hair and lit up her green eyes.
She looked over at the other book and saw a young man with dark hair falling across his face.
He stood the same way Killian, and the other Sentinels, had the habit of doing, legs shoulder-width apart and arms crossed against his chest. He was serious but his eyes looked like they were sparkling with amusement.
Behind the man was the transparent form of a wolf.
“This is Azara and Caius,” explained Lily. She flipped to the last page of each book, and both ended the same way.
“The shadows came and took their souls, but at least the babe was safe. Safe and hidden to be found another time and place. Rest in peace warriors.”
“Does this mean…I mean is that…” Bréagha cut herself off, not wanting to finish the thought.
“Yes, I think so. Bréagha, I think your parents were Azara and Caius. They were soul-mated.” Lily answered the questions Bréagha couldn’t ask.
“What about Aiden?” Liam asked. Marcus flipped a few pages back in Caius’ book.
“There were two more soul-mated that were sent with Bréagha’s parents outside of Caius’ Sentinel team.
They were both Magic Keepers, Tala and Solen.
Tala was a Portal Keeper and Solen was a healer,” read Marcus.
Lily looked at Roz and without saying a word, Roz grabbed her hand again and teleported them both out, returning moments later.
Lily did the same to the two new books, flipping to the end.
“Looks like Tala was killed shortly before the others, so they were left trying to find a portal on Earth that they could activate. They didn’t make it.
Azara was also a healer if I remember correctly,” read Marcus.
“Aiden was born six months before Bréagha, both born on Earth during their mission which was a long one.”
Aiden stepped closer to the books and saw his parents for the first time.
The woman was petite like the other Magic Keeper females he had seen, while his father was just as big as he was.
His mom had long red hair that curled around her waist and bright green eyes, a dash of freckles across her nose made him smile.
He had clearly gotten his own dark hair and golden eyes from his father.
Marcus clasped him on the shoulder, leaving him to have a moment.
“Now, let’s look at these doors that has Roz in a buzz.
” Marcus and Lily walked over to the doors.
On his way, Marcus handed Bréagha’s picture back to her and she clutched it to her chest. She took a few steps back from the crowd around the doors, her chest heavy and her eyes filling with tears.
She had parents, parents who had fought and died shortly after her birth, parents who hadn’t left her at the firehouse because they didn't want her, but because they were trying to keep her safe and hidden from whatever evil they’d been running from.
She tried taking deep breaths to calm her heart, but it didn’t work.
She turned and exited the room through the balcony doors.
She stared up at the stars above her, so similar but so different from home.
She tried blinking the tears away but several escaped and ran down her cheeks.
She turned when she felt the warm presence beside her.
She was momentarily taken aback when she realized it was Killian, and not Aiden, but when he put his arms around her, she buried her face in his chest, allowing the tears to flow freely.
He didn’t say a word, just pulled her tightly against him and let her cry.