dream.
“Lazo?”
Lazo smiled. Relief tumbled through her. It was only a dream.
She looked around. The naked Sierra Mountains jutted into the dusky light. Horses grazed in the distance. A fire crackled from somewhere beyond her vision.
“Where?” She forced Lazo’s arms away and stood as the memories washed over her. Lazo caught her as her knees buckled. She struggled, trying to break free. She had to find Chris.
When she finally broke from Lazo’s hold she ran toward her horse. From her peripheral vision she saw the Avenger. The pain she had sensed in him before was now etched in the smallest contours of his face. She changed direction and dropped to the ground before him.
“Did you?”
Aaron nodded his assent as his eyes filled with pain. It took her a few breaths to realize the pain she saw in them was her own.
“Did he feel it? Did he feel everything he did to us?”
“More,” Aaron said.
Manda sat back on her heels. She didn’t feel the satisfaction she had hoped for, only a hollow emptiness. She studied the Avenger, sensing he already knew her thoughts.
“I need to find him,” she said, referring to Chris.
Aaron took her hand. She could still feel the power pulsating within him.
“We will help.”
“You’re avenging both of us?”
“No.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you only feel power when you’re avenging a betrayed.”
“When I avenged you I avenged your brother. The power within me isn’t the same as the avenging power. It’s less intense but more painful. My purpose is to save your brother, Manda. That’s why I still live.”
The gray haired man beside the Avenger began to hum a tune she hadn’t heard since she was a small girl.
If he can’t find the purpose there
If he can’t give his love away
The Avenger will walk the land no more
And the world will be betrayed .
She looked at the Avenger, unsure what the song meant.
Aaron’s eyes glowed golden in the firelight. In them, Manda saw years of pain, centuries of living with the agony that could only come from love’s betrayal. It was too much for her to fathom. The depths of his gaze told her he was never free of the anguish. With every breath he felt the pain of love.
His love was the only thing saving him from the pain. How would he survive if he gave his love away?
She wanted to help him. She took his hand and kissed it, holding it to her face in silent thanks.
He smiled. When he did, his entire face lit with caring beyond comprehension.
“Thank you, Manda. You’ve given me a purpose. Your heart is pure. You remind me of someone I knew long ago. I’ll do my best not to fail this time. I’ll do my best to save your brother.”
Manda wrapped her arms around the Avenger’s neck, too overcome for words.
- - -
“I want you both to remember not to judge people by their appearance,” Ramie said, looking between his children, “and to strive to be beautiful on the inside.”
Ravi stared up at him with wide wet eyes. Reese sat in silence as he always did after one of his father’s lessons, contemplating what he had just been told. Javi watched from across the room with a smile on her face.
“Is he all alone, Daddy?” Ravi asked.
Ramie pulled his daughter into an embrace. She had been calling him Father for years. Her reversion to the more childish name betrayed how much the story had touched her. “Yes, he’s more or less all alone.”
“Make him come here. He wouldn’t be alone here. Reese and I would spend time with him,” Ravi said quietly. Ramie smiled into her long, black hair. Ravi was going to be even more beautiful than Javi, if that was possible, and just as tender hearted.
“I tried, Ravi. He wouldn’t have it. That’s another lesson to you both.” Ramie glanced at Reese to see if he was listening. “You have to want to help yourself before help will come. Even a king has to rely on others. You must let others help you in order to become the great person you strive to be.
“Lazo?”
Lazo smiled. Relief tumbled through her. It was only a dream.
She looked around. The naked Sierra Mountains jutted into the dusky light. Horses grazed in the distance. A fire crackled from somewhere beyond her vision.
“Where?” She forced Lazo’s arms away and stood as the memories washed over her. Lazo caught her as her knees buckled. She struggled, trying to break free. She had to find Chris.
When she finally broke from Lazo’s hold she ran toward her horse. From her peripheral vision she saw the Avenger. The pain she had sensed in him before was now etched in the smallest contours of his face. She changed direction and dropped to the ground before him.
“Did you?”
Aaron nodded his assent as his eyes filled with pain. It took her a few breaths to realize the pain she saw in them was her own.
“Did he feel it? Did he feel everything he did to us?”
“More,” Aaron said.
Manda sat back on her heels. She didn’t feel the satisfaction she had hoped for, only a hollow emptiness. She studied the Avenger, sensing he already knew her thoughts.
“I need to find him,” she said, referring to Chris.
Aaron took her hand. She could still feel the power pulsating within him.
“We will help.”
“You’re avenging both of us?”
“No.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you only feel power when you’re avenging a betrayed.”
“When I avenged you I avenged your brother. The power within me isn’t the same as the avenging power. It’s less intense but more painful. My purpose is to save your brother, Manda. That’s why I still live.”
The gray haired man beside the Avenger began to hum a tune she hadn’t heard since she was a small girl.
If he can’t find the purpose there
If he can’t give his love away
The Avenger will walk the land no more
And the world will be betrayed .
She looked at the Avenger, unsure what the song meant.
Aaron’s eyes glowed golden in the firelight. In them, Manda saw years of pain, centuries of living with the agony that could only come from love’s betrayal. It was too much for her to fathom. The depths of his gaze told her he was never free of the anguish. With every breath he felt the pain of love.
His love was the only thing saving him from the pain. How would he survive if he gave his love away?
She wanted to help him. She took his hand and kissed it, holding it to her face in silent thanks.
He smiled. When he did, his entire face lit with caring beyond comprehension.
“Thank you, Manda. You’ve given me a purpose. Your heart is pure. You remind me of someone I knew long ago. I’ll do my best not to fail this time. I’ll do my best to save your brother.”
Manda wrapped her arms around the Avenger’s neck, too overcome for words.
- - -
“I want you both to remember not to judge people by their appearance,” Ramie said, looking between his children, “and to strive to be beautiful on the inside.”
Ravi stared up at him with wide wet eyes. Reese sat in silence as he always did after one of his father’s lessons, contemplating what he had just been told. Javi watched from across the room with a smile on her face.
“Is he all alone, Daddy?” Ravi asked.
Ramie pulled his daughter into an embrace. She had been calling him Father for years. Her reversion to the more childish name betrayed how much the story had touched her. “Yes, he’s more or less all alone.”
“Make him come here. He wouldn’t be alone here. Reese and I would spend time with him,” Ravi said quietly. Ramie smiled into her long, black hair. Ravi was going to be even more beautiful than Javi, if that was possible, and just as tender hearted.
“I tried, Ravi. He wouldn’t have it. That’s another lesson to you both.” Ramie glanced at Reese to see if he was listening. “You have to want to help yourself before help will come. Even a king has to rely on others. You must let others help you in order to become the great person you strive to be.
Similar Books
