Page 42 of Touched By Destiny

“I just started it, and I don’t even find the first one slow like David did,” Rosalind added. “You’ll love it.”

“Can you send me the buy link?” Eric asked David. There was nothing Eric loved more than a good romance, and the addition of fantasy in any form was among his favorites.

“Of course. There are even necromancers in it,” David enthused. “And a few resurrected races. I think you’ll enjoy it. Gabriel, did you want me to send it to you too?”

“Why would someone like Gabriel want to waste his time with silly romances?” Alden scoffed.

“What does that mean,someone like Gabriel?” Eric demanded.

“It’s no secret you’ve had your head in the clouds since you were a child,” Alden replied. “Your parents have despaired about it for two decades but have done little to discourage you. Gabriel’s a serious man trusted with the security of you and this family, along with the Marwood properties. No one is morehonorable than Gabriel. He’s not frivolous or wasting any of his gifts.”

“Alden, are you insinuating that Eric is wasting his gifts as a destiny-touched necro?” Clark asked sharply. “Each day he’s talking to spirits and helping them cross to where they are meant to be. And when he’s not doing that, he’s working on a variety of spells to push his magic.”

“Did anyone ever stop to consider that spirits should find their own paths?” Alden asked. “Perhaps there is a point to them lingering. Or they are being punished for some evil in their mortal lifetime. Yet here we have one of the most gifted among us, spending his days unemployed and talking to random spirits. There certainly has to be much more you can do as one of the destiny-touched.”

“We’re very proud of the work Eric does,” Rosalind retorted as she slapped her cloth napkin on the table. She shoved her chair back and laid a hand on David’s shoulder. Whenever there was any turmoil in the house, Eric’s mother immediately removed David from the situation. Tonight was no exception. “David, let’s head to the kitchen. We can start on the dishes while everyone finishes up their meal.”

Maribeth lifted her chin, and her mouth firmed in disapproval. “That was rude, Dad. I think you should apologize to Eric. His gifts are his own, and he can use them however he wants.”

“Come on, he’s a grown man,” Alden said, then turned to Eric. “I’m sorry if you think I’m being harsh, but you’ve been coddled since you were a baby. Great sacrifices were made for you to have a life, and each day this family gives up freedoms to protect you. It’s not normal for a twenty-five-year-old to never have made a friend outside his family or expect that family to keep guards posted everywhere. I’ve been telling Clark for years that the danger to people like you is vastly overstated,and Gabriel shouldn’t have to babysit you. His skills are being wasted.”

“Alden, that’s enough,” Clark retorted. “You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but this is our home, and I’d prefer it if you didn’t insult my son or his choices. What other destiny-touched necro do we know who has survived as long as Eric has?”

Alden pushed his chair so far back it scooted past the area rug and the legs scraped the tiled floor. “He’s not alone. I know of others. Some even live without guards following them everywhere. Thank Rosalind for dinner. Maribeth, I’m putting the house on the market tomorrow. I’d like you to move out as soon as possible. It’ll show better with no one living there, and I’ll hire a professional staging company to decorate it after I get rid of the existing stuff.”

Without waiting for his daughter’s reply, Alden marched out.

“Mari, I’m sorry,” Richard said.

Maribeth shook her head and wiped a tear from her cheek. “I hate that I’ve built him up in my head as this perfect father who’ll be there for me once he can deal with his grief. Clark, is it okay if I stay here until I can find a place of my own?”

“Mari, this is your home,” Clark refuted softly. “I’d prefer…I think we’d all prefer if you lived here permanently. We love you and don’t want to imagine this household without you.”

Maribeth’s cheeks filled with color as she grinned at Richard. “I don’t know, I guess I always thought a house could only handle one drama queen. And since Richard already lives here—and everyone knows I’m high maintenance—the house might implode or something if we’re both upset on the same day.”

“Like we’ve made it through the last twenty-nine years without a single day of us both losing our shit? Please. Have you forgotten how we fight?” Richard asked with an eyeroll.

“How could anyone forget? Your last fight was last week,” Eric muttered.

“She borrows my stuff without asking and leaves a mess behind in the process,” Richard growled. “Everything in my room has its place.”

“As entertaining as it is to watch Richard argue about his intense need to organize, I need to get that link from David,” Gabriel said, standing and grabbing his dishes.

Unsettled by his uncle’s words and wondering if he wasn’t living up to the potential of a destiny-touched, Eric polished off his wine as Maribeth and Richard squabbled good-naturedly. Like Gabriel, they were clearing plates and silverware as they bickered.

“Eric,” his father said.

“Yeah?”

“No one knows better than you how your gifts work and the best way to use them. Alden may have heard of others like you. It’s hard to imagine you’re the lone destiny-touched on the planet, though we must deal with facts. I don’t know of any other living ones. I wish I knew where they were and understood their secrets to survival. In a perfect world, you could meet with them and further your abilities by applying what they’ve learned. But nothing about our lives is perfect. The danger is very real.”

“I know, Dad.”

“I’ve sacrificed nothing. I want you to know that. And I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that you have eternity. We’re proud of you, and those spirits you help have no one else to turn to. You hear them because you’re meant to. I’m just grateful we raised a son kind and patient enough to never give up on a ghost.”

“It’d be nice to know more about my magic though. I wish more was written. I hate feeling like I’m always working in the dark.”

“Pioneering anything isn’t easy. Keep pushing. Every day, you try harder. Your determination is admirable.”

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