CHAPTER 16 JARED #2
If it had been one of them, then the moment I stepped into this house someone should have said, Hey, we've already met. Let me introduce myself properly this time in my human form.
But nobody did.
That leaves only two possibilities.
Alternatively, for reasons of their own, they don't want to reveal that secret to me, which would be understandable in today's world, where magical ABOs aren't exactly treated kindly. The military and all kinds of laboratories experiment on mutants like them.
Or there's another explanation.
There are many more beings like that living around here, and it was neither of them.
Feeling flustered, I reach for my phone, but fuck, it's dead.
Veyron dried it out, but the battery was already at the same low level it had been at before I arrived here.
My hair is still damp when I leave my room and follow the sounds through the hallway toward the room where I thought Gianni had gone earlier.
I knock quietly.
Gianni opens the door.
He's not wearing his thick glasses, and without them his face looks different, strangely naked.
He's the kind of person whose appearance doesn't catch anyone's attention at first, yet if you really stop and look at him, it's easy to see that with just a little effort, he'd actually be quite an attractive omega.
And I'm an influencer who's made dozens of videos about makeup and how to present yourself in the best possible way.
If I could have some time with him, I could make him glow up.
He has nice long eyelashes and soft lips, so somebody like me could work with that and give him a bit more of that Instagram magic.
"Could I borrow your phone?" I ask outright, without beating around the bush.
Gianni blinks. "Well. Of course. No problem," he says, pulling a slightly outdated smartphone from his pocket, with an absolutely battered case. "If there's anything I can help you with, just say so," he adds, raising an eyebrow, his voice carrying a note of expectation.
"No. There's someone I need to call. I don't want to bother you with it."
Gianni simply nods, biting his lip.
I take the phone and walk away so I can make the call in private. Once I'm back in my room, I close the door behind me and type in the number from the business card Davos gave me. The old man answers after a few rings.
"Good evening. I hope you remember me. A few days ago I came up to you in the town square asking about a location near Rainbow Springs…"
"Ah, yes, of course," Davos replies warmly. "The tall blond elf, right?"
An awkward little laugh escapes me.
"An elf? Umm… well, I suppose you could call me that. I actually wanted to ask you something…"
"I'm listening, dear. I'll help if I can. Just keep in mind my memory isn't what it used to be."
I'm almost certain his memory isn't that bad, but okay…
"When we spoke, you mentioned Renato Santoro, the owner of the large estate near the place I was interested in.
You could say I've recently come across…
" I hesitate, trying to find the right words, "…
certain secrets. I saw him transform into something that definitely wasn't human.
I remembered you saying he was someone powerful, someone extraordinary.
At the time I didn't understand what you meant, but now everything has finally started to fall into place.
My question isn't actually about Renato, though.
Is Renato one of a kind, or are there more beings like him? "
Davos takes a deep breath, and I'm almost certain he's secretly delighted that I asked such an open-ended question. I probably have just made his entire evening, because if there's one thing this man clearly enjoys, it's talking.
"Oh, my dear, this town is full of extraordinary beings!
You could call it a sanctuary where all kinds of supernatural creatures live.
A lot of magical ABOs. My own husband wasn't an ordinary man either, and he's the one who brought me here.
I'm just a regular human, though… but over the years, I've learned to keep my mouth shut.
Still… for you, I'll make an exception."
I have serious doubts about that whole keeping-his-mouth-shut part, considering he'd practically blurted out Renato's secret after we'd spoken for barely a few minutes. I listen with a faint smile tugging at my lips.
"If you're asking specifically what Renato is, you could say he's a Guardian of the forest. People in town call them fae to make it simpler, but they call themselves Silvari. ‘Silva’ means forest in Latin. They’re sort of small woodland deities who are responsible for watching over it."
I let out a weak chuckle.
"Renato is a Guardian of the forest? He owns sawmills and sells lumber, for f— sake." I correct myself quickly, not wanting to curse in front of the old man. "That doesn't exactly scream 'protecting the forest'. It sounds more like making money off it," I say, pursing my lips.
Davos bursts into genuine laughter.
"You're looking at it far too superficially, my child.
Renato practices responsible forestry. He removes diseased trees, cuts down those growing on unstable slopes that could collapse, clears damage left behind by landslides and fires, and manages the forest with great care.
Whenever an area becomes too sparse, he plants new trees.
He doesn't practice destructive logging, quite the opposite.
He also makes sure the other owners of sawmills and forest land treat the woods with the same respect.
His family has lived here for generations doing just that and keeping the forest as it is.
They came from Sicily, you know, a long time ago. "
Sighing, I decide to steer the conversation back toward the fae thing.
"Umm, that’s great. What I really want to know is whether there are more beings exactly like Renato."
"Sweetheart, there's only one Guardian in each Silvari generation, only one who's the active protector. His very essence is bound to the forest itself… at least that's what Tony once told me."
"Tony? His nephew, their cook?"
"Yes, he only started working for his uncle after a car accident forced him to leave his job as a chef at a restaurant in Franklin. Back pains. We chat sometimes whenever we run into each other at the grocery store."
I swallow hard. Does that mean the man I met in the forest really was Renato? The thought is weirdly disturbing. But the fae could expand the knot…
"I have to admit I'm completely confused. I met someone in that forest who definitely wasn't a beta. He was an alpha, but he looked just like Renato. I mean… he glowed the same way, like some green spirit of the forest."
Davos sighs softly. "I'm afraid I can't help you much there, child. Tony never mentioned anything about any other Guardian besides Silvio."
"Silvio is a Guardian too?"
"He was, for four decades! And very much loved by everybody. But retired. Renato took over, and he’s far more rigid and harsh."
"Could any of his nephews be the next… Guardian?"
Davos sighs. "Tony mentioned that Guardians are either born that way or that the power can manifest later in one of the Silvari of their generation, if the Guardian has no direct descendants.
Sometimes it appears in his nephews or other relatives.
I have no idea if it has manifested in anyone after Renato.
I don't know anything about that side of their family that left Rainbow Springs.
It's like there's a conspiracy of silence around it.
None of them ever talks about Silvio's youngest child, an omega named Aldo, who left for the big city.
There are only rumors that they… disowned him, over something he did, but no one knows what. "
"There is actually one alpha living in their house. His name is Mauro. Renato introduced him as his nephew."
Davos falls silent for a moment, as though turning the thought over in his mind.
"Is there? I'm afraid I don't know him. I've never even heard anyone mention the names of Renato's nephews.
They stopped coming here years ago. But one thing I can tell you for sure is that there are other beings in this town who could look very much like what you described.
I know at least several magical ABOs capable of transforming into something similar, so be careful before jumping to conclusions about the man you met in the forest. Around here, it feels like every other resident has some unusual gift. "
Well, I'm one of those people myself. I carry my own strange little piece of magic, so maybe I really should hold off on drawing conclusions?
"Well… thank you. You've given me a lot to think about."
"I hope you're not in any trouble, child. I saw Tony at the farmers’ market last week. He casually mentioned that they’d spotted several black cars with tinted windows on the roads near their estate. They’re a little worried about it."
It surprises me, but I don’t say anything. The Santoros haven’t said anything about it to me, so maybe it’s no longer an issue.
"For now everything's fine. What I'm struggling with isn't danger. It's not knowing."