Page 35 of Aofie's Quest
Romulus’s hand on my knee brought my head up. He squeezed gently, his gray eyes full of sympathy, reminding me he was a friend. I opened my mouth, and the words poured out of me. “Remember when I met you in the vale, I’d just escaped from the goddess, Jezebel?” I twisted my fingers together in my lap. “You told me she wanted my blood, because it’s royal blood, but that’s not entirely true. You see, when she captured me, she cut me and tasted my blood. When she did, she discovered something about me that only my mother knew. Jezebel hunted me down and she brought an army of soldiers, gnomes, and trolls with her. Before the attack, I discovered my mother kept baby trolls underground as prisoners. The trolls came for their children.”
Romulus folded his arms across his chest, a scowl deepening on his grim face. “Ah. She took prisoners of war to keep the trolls at bay.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “I don’t understand. How did Jezebel find the hidden entrance and break the spell?”
“She’s a goddess,” I spat, my anger at her rising. “She’s the one who did this to me. Don’t you understand? It was my fault, because it was my blood that set her free. It’s my fault she destroyed the people of the vale, and it’s my magic that allowed her to find me. She killed my mother in front of me and then took me to a hilltop and bled me for days!” I broke off, shaking with fury.
“Aofie. Aofie.” Romulus leaned forward and put his hands on mine. “It’s over now.”
I bit my lip and dropped my head, fighting tears. I was tired of crying about it but it was the truth. Everything that had happened to me had been my own fault. I’d carry guilt like I carried my scars.
“Listen,” Romulus went on. “It is not your fault; you were at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“You don’t understand,” I protested. “She’s free to walk this world and cause endless chaos. I came to help and all I’ve done is make things worse.”
Romulus’s voice went cold and his eyes almost glittered. “I can’t make you believe me, but this is not your fault. What she did to you was wrong, evil.” He turned my wrists upward, exposing the crisscrossing line of welts. Even though his touch was gentle, I flinched. “Any mere mortal would have died under this kind of torture. Aofie, what are you not telling me?”
I stared at my wrists, wondering what I should tell him. As I considered, my mother’s warning about the icemen came back to me. They were spies and traitors, full of betrayal and dark deeds. Romulus was one of them, and according to my mother, I should not trust him. Yet, he’d crossed my path again, and I took it as a sign. Takari had mentioned going to the elves—would he escort me there too? Besides, there was the dream I’d had, and I was certain it was about him.
The ice melted out of his voice and his fingertips stroked my arm. “It can’t be easy, what happened to you, and I am sorry. Takari did not want to leave you alone with people you hardly knew, but your mother wanted us to leave, and I admit, we hardly knew you either. A few weeks of travel…” He shrugged. “I knew better, but I assumed you were safe. I’m not saying the situation would have turned out differently if we had stayed, but we should have.”
Romulus. An iceman just apologized to me. I thought him grim and cold and yet, he’d shown another side of himself to me when I needed it the most. I struggled with an overwhelming desire to hurl myself into his arms, for I felt lost and vulnerable. The words and touch of a friend made me tremble. Taking a deep breath, I thought of Epona. When faced with a difficult decision, she advised me not to trust what others said, but to hold to a deeper truth. If nothing else, I should trust my feeling and the aura a situation gave me. Despite the warning of my mother, I trusted Romulus. There was a connection between us.
A calmness came over me and I lifted my chin and met his gaze. “I thought of you and Takari too, and I admit, I wished I’d stayed with you too. Here’s the truth.” The very truth I’d wrestled with, night after night, but it felt right to tell someone. “Although Ceana Mor, the fallen queen of the kingdom of men, is my mother, Conan Mor is not my father.”
Romulus nodded. “You look like her but your hair is red.”
“Yes.” Self-conscious, I touched the strands of my chopped hair. “She could not conceive, so she went to a witch woman, who tricked her into sleeping with a god. Dagda. In exchange I believe she was given the gift of fertility, which is why I have four younger half-siblings.”
“Were they killed?” Romulus asked, his brow creasing.
I shook my head. “They escaped down the river with a guard but I don’t know where they were going.”
Romulus nodded, encouraging me to go on.
“When I was born, my mother saw my red hair and left me with the centaurs to train to become a warrior. She knew I am a child of the gods and she knew I have magic. She wanted me to go to the elves, learn how to use my magic and take upClaíomh Dearg.But after everything that has happened, I don’t know what I want to do. The angel of death has been in control for almost two decades. It seems impossible to rally armies and take him down, especially when I can barely keep myself alive. I need knowledge and alliances, and it seems the gods have turned their backs on me.”
Saying the words aloud sounded like blasphemy, but it was only the truth. More than anything, I wanted to go back home to the Beluar Woods, crawl up next to Epona—my true mother—and tell her everything. I wanted no part in the evil and corruption of Labraid. From what I’d seen of the world, I understood that bad things happened to good people. And there were good people. The humans I’d met treated me with respect and made me feel welcome. They deserved to live, and yet the trolls, soldiers, gnomes, and rogue goddesses played games with them. If I could not stand against them, there was no way I could stand against the angel of death.
I glanced up at Romulus, expecting him to be disgusted with my outburst, but his face remained calm, almost thoughtful even. He brushed the hair out of my face and his fingers stroked my cheek. Heart thudding, I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch. It was unlike him—gentle, tender, and heartfelt, making me wish for something more.
“Aofie,” Romulus whispered, awe in his voice. “Child of a god. I’ve been curious about you but I never imagined.”
I opened my eyes, stunned at his reaction. His eyes had glazed over, filled with a lust for power. A muscle in his cheek jerked and for a moment I saw a Romulus I did not recognize. Then he blinked, and the look was gone. Nostrils flaring, I pulled back, wondering if I had imagined it.
“Your life is not a joke.” He dropped his hand and sat back, breaking all contact between us. “But your destiny is unsure. It would be wise, though, not to share what you’ve shared with me with anyone else.”
His words made sense, and I recalled what Adomos had told me. I nodded. I wanted to tell him that I trusted him, but the look of lust I’d seen on his face moments earlier gave me pause.
“There is a story among my people about destiny and fate,” he said. “We are not always sure why we are born to such a rough life, but the mages who live among us have sage advice.Life is a quest.Leave your birthplace. Travel the world. Dwell with people of various races and cultures until you find what makes your soul sing. When you return, your reason for living will become clear.When I left Norbrin, I was an outcast and did not believe I could discover my life’s purpose. Yet, as I traveled Labraid, it crept up on me, almost without my notice. Perhaps, Aofie, you have always assumed you were born to defeat the angel of death, but as you travel Labraid, you might discover something else. Whatever it is, I am confident you will find it.”
I sighed, but a slight smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, the first one I’d had in weeks. “You’re trying to make me feel better, aren’t you?”
Romulus winked at me. “Did it work?”
Indeed, my heart did feel lighter. Perhaps it was the simple act of sharing my pain and sorrows and frustrations with him, but I felt better. I tightened my fingers into fists. “I want to find Dagda and ask him why he tricked my mother, and why I live. What purpose does he have in mind for me?”
Romulus gestured to my wrists. “For one, his blood kept you alive. Wounds like that would kill any mortal. It takes much more to kill a child of a god, although it is not impossible, just difficult.” Romulus stood. “Listen, I’m going to get more food and you should probably rest. I have more to share with you. Later. Perhaps we can start a revolution together.”
My soul hummed at his words.Together.
