Dani and the Bull Ch. 15

Andre walked down to the pier and he felt the tears on his cheeks fall even as he tried to stop them. When he thought about it, he wondered why he should. His heart was bent but not broken and in his own way he knew it was better this way. Hadn't his father once told him that the love of a woman was good but peace in yourself was even better. The best thing he could do was let his sorrow free, and then pick himself up and do all he could to find that peace.

Somehow he wasn't surprised to find the old Apache Shaman standing behind him when he felt like someone was watching him. The old man was gray and wrinkled and his eyes showed a million years of pain and joy in them. When he moved to sit down as Andre was the younger man hurried to help him.

"Tears are a gift from the spirits; they cleanse the eyes and help us see more clearly. She was never yours Andre, in truth she could have met any of your brothers and none of them would have affected her as Bull does. Did your uncle tell you that their destiny was written long ago among the stars?"

"He made some reference to it, but nothing specific."

"Then sit beside me and listen to the water and I will tell you a story. I will make it short as time is short, but in the world around us, a day is but a blink of an eye."

"Back when the world was new and the spirits battled for dominance, three demons were set on the Earth to help determine the balance of the battle. Now not all the demons were evil. One was and he was given to the blood that now runs through Nick, another was pure and that demon was given to the blood of the Lazarus family. But the thing was; only a woman of the blood could control it. The final demon was given to the blood of your father's family, and for generations they have battled. Sometimes the evil won and other times your family was successful. Each time the prize was the demon that runs in Dani's blood. When the evil won, her family produced the warriors that you see in her brothers and father. When your family won, her family produced a series of souls that was able to balance the good and the evil. Nick is the last of his blood, his brother who is also his son will die in the battle that Dani and Bull now fight but Nick doesn't care, he thinks he will win even if he fights alone. His daughter and Dani's brother have joined in a way that both their demons, once this battle is over, will be completely neutral."

Andre had to ask. "What about the child Dani carries?"

"If Nick wins, the child will be lost to the evil that Nick will infuse him with. The problem is he will continue the battle and no matter how many children Bull and Dani have the battle will continue. That is why Nick must be stopped now. The time has come for it to end and it must end with the child Dani carries."

"And if it had been my child, would all of this have happened."

"Regrettably yes, because you and Bull carry the same blood, this would have still happened. I know you hurt from what you think you have lost but the pain will make you strong in the coming battle and that is what you must concentrate on now, the strength to help Dani and Bull win the battle."

"So no matter what Granny did, if she had told the truth or lied as she did, none of it would have changed. All of it would have still happened. Do Bull and Dani know?"

"No, but I will be speaking to them later in the day, you are my main concern at the moment. I felt your pain and knew you had to be made aware of what this was all about. I also wanted you to know that soon I will be performing a ceremony in the grove. It will be one that will call on all the spirits of your family and you must help me. I am an old man, and I will need your strength."

"I will do all I can to help." Andre knew it was the least he could do.

"Then grieve for what you have lost while you can, as I said time grows short."

Helping the old man back into the house, Andre knew that he would do all he was able to keep his nephew from becoming a pawn of evil and to ensure his brother and Dani and their happiness. It was the least he could do...