Dragon Clans Bk. 01 Pt. 21

Stripping off her clothes, Tera followed Valerie towards the bathroom, the burden of the day still weighing heavily on her but still, just a bit lighter than it had. Such is the nature of having lovers to share such things with. ............

"There was nothing any of you could have done," Aoife's comforting tone did little to assuage Michael's feelings.

'That may be true, but it is still just wrong, and being witness to it, of being present and effected by it means that there is some accountability. I know that I couldn't do anything to stop it, that doesn't change the fact that it took a bit of my soul,' Michael thought in return as the warm water carried away the lingering physical signs of the explosion.

Michael watched as the grayish black water swirled around his feet, wondering at how much destruction and violence had found their way to his life in the last few weeks.

'It's me isn't it Aoife, there is something about me, something about me being here, you, all of it that is behind these things. There have been too many things for it to be mere coincidence, what is it, why am I here, what is to come,' Michael asked in his head, the water filling the space with a thick fog like steam that obscured everything. He could have been in a roman bath or his shower back home in Florida, it took on the ethereal feeling of being out of space and time, reflecting Michael's own frame of mind.

'The time will come soon Michael, you will know all the answers, have all the history, you'll be able to choose, one way or another, there is not much time left. I am sorry for the pain and violence, it is the nature of transitions that things become so. You have the strength and the will, both your own and that of those...who love you,' Aoife said as she receded from his mind.

Michael sighed, he was getting tired of "soon" being the answer to most of his questions.

Head rising into the warm stream of water, hands slowly moving through his hair, Michael heard the latch on the shower door click. Turning he watched as two forms entered the shower, their features obscured, turning them from flesh and blood into ephemeral shades that moved to his sides. He felt their hands encircle him, felt his universe shift as it always did, knew in that moment that no matter what may come next, they would face it together.

Michael was the first to exit the shower. None of them had spoken. They simply stood there and held each other, enveloped in a warm safe space for a brief moment. Simply reveling in each other's proximity, understanding that they were not now and never would be...alone.

He felt better as the towel traveled over his body, now looser from the tensions of the day, everything would work out, everything would be as it would.

Wrapping the towel around his waist he glanced back over his shoulder, a smile found it's way to his lips watching the two clouded forms move within the shower, it was a smile of comfort, the kind that come from knowing you do not face the future on your own.

The phone ringing by the bed brought Michael back to the moment. Moving over to the bed he picked up the receiver.

"Hello, this is Michael," he said.

It was a solemn Ian on the other end.

"How are the three of you," Ian asked, his tone that of a man who had been pushed to far beyond his limits.

"We are doing ok Ian, it took awhile for all of us to process but I think we are in good shape, is there anything we can help with?" Michael asked, wanting to try and help take some of the burden if he could.

"We have everything pretty much under control, I have people onsite working to find out what happened and who is responsible. It has hit the town very hard we are a tight nit group and something like this effects everyone." Ian said with emotion that was not lost on Michael.

"What will happen with the festival?" Michael asked, certain that it would be postponed or canceled.

"It will go on as scheduled, we have increased security and started sweeps of the area every 15 minutes, the festival needs to go on, it will go a long way to helping the town heal."

Michael thought about this, his first reaction had been to cancel, but that was a reaction based in fear, which was the intent of such actions to begin with.

He was impressed that Ian, who was much closer to the people in this town, understood that, finding the pure action within a circumstance that must have been profoundly emotional for him.

"I understand, it is the right choice to make, is there anything I can do to help," Michael asked.

"Simply be there this evening for the opening ceremony, it will take place about 8pm, Valerie knows where. I am sorry we didn't have a chance to talk more today, perhaps this evening or tomorrow, I'll see you this evening, take care of Valerie and Tera." Ian said as he hung up.

Michael sat on the bed watching the slowly fading light, wondering what it must be like to feel that kind of responsibility for so many people, not only to the people, but the place they live, its' history, and making sure that history is secure. .........

"Where is Nicholas," Ian asked Nigel, his voice dripping with venom and malice.

"It took us awhile to track him once he left England, he turned up in France but by the time our team was in a position to place eyes on, he had already left. Current whereabouts are still unknown, we believe he is back in the U.K," Nigel paused taking a long swallow of his Port before continuing.

"The team in France tracked him to a farmhouse, it was a smoldering ruin by the time they arrived, there were two bodies found in the rumble, initial data suggests they were tortured and murdered. We have been monitoring everything and called in a few favors with the Yard, I hope to have an update within the hour. Sweeper teams uncovered two more devices, one on the festival grounds, one...in a delivery for the castle." Nigel concluded. Eyes closed and fingers rubbing his temples he couldn't remember a longer more hectic few weeks.

"Find him Nigel, I don't care what it costs, find him, I made the mistake of letting him go once, I had hoped he would get the message, it appears I was wrong," Ian said as he stood from his desk and began to pace in front of the large stone fireplace.

For the last several days Ian had been plagued by nightmares, he now understood that the nightmare was real, that the time had come to stand in the face of the future and do what must be done to ensure that the promise it holds can be fully realized.

"Get some rest Nigel, I know you are doing everything you can, we won't go out for the ceremony for a few hours and we will all need to be at our sharpest. See if you can track down Millie for me and ask her to join me, get yourself something to eat and take as much of a break as you can. I think we will all need as much energy as possible to get through the next few days." Ian said placing a hand on his old friends shoulder.

"I'll find her for you, and everything will work out Ian, it always does," Nigel said as he stood and walked slowly towards the door, shoulders straightening, strides more purposeful with each that fell. ...............

"This is the best roast beef sandwich I have ever had," Michael said between mouthfuls.

Valerie and Tera smiled as they watched him eat, all of them were glad for the distraction a little food and conversation provided.

They had been hungry after the incident this morning. It took a bit of time but they all finally found their way to the kitchen which was abandoned as the cooks and servants who would normally be bustling about were all at the festival site preparing for the ceremony.

A quick inventory found fresh roast beef, aged Swiss cheese and a loaf of French bread. All that was missing was the wine.

Michael sat at the granite island, watching Tera and Valerie move about the room.

Valerie was at the refrigerator, she wore tight fitting riding pants that left very little to the imagination. More than once, both here and in the room, Valerie had turned to find him simply staring at her ass, the look of hunger in his eyes as he would finally look up and meet hers was thrilling and a bit scary all at the same time, she had never felt so wanted by anyone. Calf length leather boots, one of which was currently perpendicular to the floor as she reached into the refrigerator looking for something to drink, gave the impression of being painted on more than worn. They flexed and moved fluidly with the muscle beneath as Valerie closed the door and moved to sit across from Michael. As she sat, Michael once again became lost in the curves her white angora sweater highlighted.

She watched him as she took a sip of the orange juice she had found, once again pleased by his attention.

Tera watched the two of them, she smiled at Valerie's easy flirtations with Michael, his open and easy reactions to both of them filled her with passion, and hope that their future would hold the discovery of the depths of the feelings they have, up until now, only scratched the surface of.

Tera walked towards Michael, the movement caught his eye and he swiveled in her direction.

The black jeans she wore did nothing to hide the muscular definition of her legs, she didn't move so much as stalk. There was a grace and power and intention to her movements, which gave her a sensually lethal aura that Michael found captivating.

Straddling him she sat on his lap, their eyes met for an instant and then she was kissing him, hands curling in his hair as their tongues battled. When she finally released him and took a long deep breath she did not know who had won that battle, actually, she didn't care.

The trio's energy was broken by a noise off towards the dining room. A moment later Millie and Ian appeared, they were both cloaked in shadow, their silhouettes visible but not the details, Ian was leaning into her, the murmur of their conversation made it's way towards the three but that was all, there was only the acknowledgement of sound no detail within it's cadence.

With a final hug Ian slipped from Millie's arms and disappeared into inky blackness beyond the doorway. Millie watched the space in the darkness where he had disappeared, a sense of foreboding engulfing her as their just finished conversation replayed through her mind.

Trying to shake off the melancholy, vowing to have the strength for what may be required, her back straightened as she finally turned from the doorway and approached the three of them who hurriedly looked away, caught, and knowing it, in a supremely human moment of voyeurism.

Michael noticed a bit of redness around the older womans eyes, undoubtedly this had been a hard day on her as well. Instinctually he rose and pulled her into a warm embrace, understanding that in this moment, a bit of comfort could and did, mean everything.

Millie did not pull away from Michael's embrace; she fell into it, feeling his heat and concern, finding the comfort within his arms that was his intention.

"Thank you," Millie whispered as she pulled away gently from him, her hand tracing down from his shoulder to his hand, which she held in a strong embrace.

"What can we do," Michael asked the sincerity of his words were reflected in his deep brown eyes.

Millie was caught in their depths for a moment, finding herself suffused by their depth and energy. Shaking herself she smiled broadly looking away from him.

"We can make for the festival and have a wonderful evening," Millie said, her smile genuine, but the shadow of fear that crossed her eyes not being missed by anyone.

The four of them walked from the kitchen, each lost within their own thoughts of the day and what the future may hold.

All of them knowing that the future rarely provides anything close to what our thoughts of it...may be.