Page 27 of Gift from the Wing

Ever the understanding. Ever the patient.

“Yes, he is, and he’s right. All the times I’ve told you, it’ll all make sense soon. Well, soon is sooner than it’s ever been. Allow it to come as it’s supposed to, filia mea,”CC murmurs and I shudder at the sound.

“If you can’t give me the answer of how this is possible, will you at least tell me is this permanent? Will I hear you forever like you asked for?”

“Yes and no. There are rules for the request Elementra granted me. Such as, I will always come to you in times of importance or need if my presence doesn’t interfere with your path. I’ll always know what is being said and can respond in time like a conversation, but most times, I won’t be able to speak to you freely, give you all the answers you seek, or have everyday moments. There must be a purpose for my presence. As there is now. For now.”

“And the guys? Gaster? Will they always hear you?”

I askbecause none of them have flinched or moved whatsoever since he spoke. I can’t tell if they can hear him, or they just know I’m having a conversation in my mind, so they don’t interrupt. One way or another, I’d like for them to have a warning. The effect this is having on all of them today is obvious and they’re only holding it together because I’m crumbling.

“Gaster and I will have conversations in your presence but none on our own. And the boys…not really. Few and far between will situations arise where they’ll hear me as you do. Today is an exception to that. Your freshly completed bond is at its peak of unsettledness, which allows the Memoria stone easier access to them, but that will not be the case for long. In the future, if you choose so, you may allow them in to hear or replay what I’ve said.”

“And what about—”

CC’s laugh ricochets through my mind, silencing my next question, and the sound makes the corner of my mouth twitch. That’s a melody I’ve long since forgotten, but now that I hear it clearly, remember it completely, I can recall the millions of times I’ve caused it. Me and my never-ending questions. Or my foul mouth.

“You get it all honestly, Willow. Never change. For now, though, take some time with the boys. Allow your mind a break. If you can.”His teasing tone pulls a choked laugh from my chest as I wipe beneath my eyes.

He’s never discouraged my questions, my curiosity. Even if he couldn’t tell me the truth, he found humor in the seriousness, and a teaching opportunity at every turn. He never made me feel like a burden for my always racing mind.

Turning my attention to my men and Gaster, I inform them of what I was just told, and the guys’ shoulders relax while Gaster’s almost perk up. There’s a stark difference between how my Nexus and myGuardriafeel about having conversations with someone in the beyond.

“Corentin…” I whisper, gaining his attention from where he’s staring off into nothingness.

“Yeah, princess.”

“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.

This is a huge reality check for all of us, so I’m attempting not to invade their deeper emotions. The ones they’re trying to bury, but he’s completely blocked off. He’s giving me nothing.

“I’m not sure honestly,” he grits out.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble. I don’t know what else to say.

What he discovered is only one surprising truth that we just uncovered. Multiple things, big things were just revealed to all of us.

“Gaster, are all your memories back?” Tillman asks.

“Yes, they’ve all returned now from what I can tell,” he says quietly, with a small smile on his lip.

“This is how you knew he was gone. You were the only one. Mom gave us no choice but to listen, believe he was gone although there was no proof. Did she know about the bond? Why did you keep it a secret from us?” Caspian asks, strained, seemingly hurt by the secrecy.

I hadn’t considered it, but now that Caspian’s pointed it out, something clicks. That day at Oakly’s family’s lake house, Gaster mentioned secrets not even the boys knew.

This was his secret.

“I’m sorry, Caspian. Everyone. I didn’t want to keep this a secret, but I didn’t have a choice. Until now,” Gaster says softly, then clears his throat. “Orien’s gift emerged at fifteen. He was the youngest of our time until you, Corentin.”

“No, he emerged at seventeen,” Corentin argues immediately.

“That’s when he openly shared his gift with everyone, but he truly emerged two years prior. His first vision came the night after his fifteenth birthday. He swore off his birthday after that. Ordered everyone to never mention his day of life from that point on.” He sighs, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes for a moment before carrying on. “He couldn’t share everything he saw with me, but he was inconsolable and told me we had aGuardriabond, but no one could know until the time was right. He made me vow to keep that secret with him, and I did because truthfully, at the time, I thought he’d just had a vivid night terror or something. He was frantic about it, so I made the vow tocalm him.

“Lo and behold, he was telling the truth. The moment the vow was sealed with our magic, our awakening happened, then the bond snapped in place. I was over the moon. The draw to the Vito family that I’d felt for many, many years prior didn’t exactly make sense to me, but I’d chalked it up to having finally met what felt like family. Then it all clicked into place with Orien’s bond. Generations of the Vito line needed me, but he needed me and my guidance the most. He wasn’t thrilled at first about the bond, but that had more to do with everything else he saw that night. He learned a lot in his emerging, including the fact he would be Nexus-less. Also, I’m afraid, he learned of the time and way of his passing.

“As for your mother believing me, Orien had told her many times that if I were to say something about him, then to believe me. She, of course, denied my claim that he’d passed at first, but after a few minutes of pacing, she knew the truth. On a soul level she knew it. You could feel his absence in the palace like his life force to it was tangible. Then it was just…gone.”

Caspian sinks back into his seat, staring at Gaster in a whole other light, and slowly but surely, the sense of betrayal evaporates in all of them, but it leaves behind a deep, deep feeling of loss. One that coats my tongue so thick in ash, I could choke on it.

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