Aurora's Consort *ch. 51 added*

A/N: Hey everybody! Lots going on this chapter so hope you like it!

A big shout-out goes to the following cuddly reviewers: Nodoz, ReighChama, Sie, Duelreil, Vicxn, Vamp Fangirl, Paradox13, Kata, jbbrz, dorome, MustLove-PrettyBoys, Destiny, Gwengwel, and allthepowersoftheoldgod.

Extra big thanx and huggies go to my proofreader Madrachadevvi.

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Chapter 29 A Matter of Opinion

Devin watched quietly as his father placed Chris on the bed. His little brother looked paler than normal and, although Master Alan said he was alright, Devin couldn’t help but worry about him. Chris’ vitals seemed alright now, but Devin still thought that the young man had passed out. Sure, Master Alan and his father had said that Chris had just centered himself, but that just seemed like so much bullshit as far as Devin was concerned.

To make matters worse, Devin couldn’t get it out of his mind the way that Adam had acted earlier in the Great Hall. No matter how many times he tried to push it down, his irritation started to boil back up again. Adam had been a complete asshole to Chris in Devin’s opinion. He hadn’t wanted to interfere before now because Chris hadn’t complained and seemed happy with Adam. Still, after what happened in the Great Hall Devin couldn’t help but feel like it was his place, as Chris’ friend, to set the other man straight.

Sarah had run back to her room to get something, so Devin figured that now was the best time to talk to Adam about it. Especially since Jayden was off doing damage control and trying to assess the situation before the joint meeting with the Genesis Council and Assembly. For once, there was no one around to interfere. He watched quietly as Adam pulled a blanket over Chris and kissed him gently on the forehead. Then, when Adam turned to face him, Devin didn’t waste a moment voicing his opinion.

“You need to calm the hell down Father. You’re too hard on Chris. You expect too much out of him. He’s nineteen fucking years old and you expect him to start acting like a grown up overnight. If you wanted a mature, ‘socially acceptable’ partner, then you should have waited for him to grow up before you bonded with him or found somebody else and left him the hell alone.”

Adam scowled at Devin’s words and narrowed his eyes in anger. “I have no idea what you are saying, Devin. I love Chris very deeply and part of the reason I was so taken with him was his free nature and unpredictability. To infer that I have tried to…”

With a snort of disgust, Devin cut him off and growled, “Give me a fucking break, Adam. It’s like a goddamn, twenty-four hour etiquette lesson around you guys. ‘Don’t do that. Don’t look at this person. Don’t talk to that person.’ And God forbid that Chris should slip in a dirty word or two. Or even worse, drop the f-bomb in front of one of your precious Genesis Councilmen. Wouldn’t want that now would we?” Devin asked sarcastically.

“You do not understand how thinks work here,” Adam fired back in a scolding voice. “I am in a very important position of power and I have to set a good example for others to follow. Chris is my mate and the High-Consort, so that means that he will also be placed in the public eye. The fact that Victor Ashcroft is his father makes it all the more important that he leave a good impression.” With a roll of his eyes Devin let out disgusted huff. He’d heard all of this shit over and over again from his father and was getting sick and tired of it.

“That’s a bunch of bullshit,” Devin yelled, getting angrier with his father each passing second. It almost sounded like Adam was ashamed of his Consort. “If you really love Chris for who he is, you wouldn’t spend every spare minute of the day trying to change him. Personally, I could give a big, hairy rat’s ass what all of those stuck up councilmen and the Assembly members think about him.

“Chris has always had his issues, and I’ll be the first to admit that. But he’s also a fun, sweet, loving person who people would be naturally drawn to if given the chance to get to know him better.” Adam’s face was turning red in anger but Devin really didn’t care whether his father liked what was being said or not. So when Adam opened his mouth to give his two cents, Devin cut him off with an upheld hand and a dirty look.

“But did you do that? No. You keep him tucked away, safe and sound, while you pound it into his head how inappropriate his behavior is and how unacceptable his use of language is. Well, if you ask me, Chris is worth a million of those bastards running around the castle, with their proper speech and fancy accents. I’d rather have Chris tell me to fuck off than to have any of the others tell me I’m their best friend.

“Because at least with Chris, I know where I fucking stand! With those other people, I’d have to worry about getting stabbed in the back the second I turned around. And I’ll tell you another thing! Instead of Chris learning to be more like them, those people need to loosen the fuck up and take a lesson or two from him. And if you ask me, the first one who needs to give that a try is you, father!”

Devin was so angry that it felt like the top of his head was about to pop off. He’d been letting this shit build up inside him for far too long. So, now that he had his chance to speak up, he just couldn’t seem to stop himself. Still, he’d never seen his father look this angry and certainly not at him. It was obvious by Adam’s fierce glare that, although Adam had stayed quiet long enough to let Devin speak his mind, Devin was pushing the man past his breaking point. Devin drew a deep breath and squared his shoulders while he and his father traded angry looks.

After a moment, Adam took a calming breath as well and then, in a carefully neutral tone, replied, “You have no idea what you are saying, Devin. What would people say if I allowed my Consort to run wild, cursing and throwing tantrums in public while…” When the words ‘what would people say’ crossed his father’s lips Devin lost it again.

“Who gives a shit what they say?” Devin asked desperately, his exasperation at his father clearly on display. “Fuck them! And fuck you! I don’t want Chris to change. You want to improve your Consort and make him into someone you can be proud of and show off to your precious council buddies? Then let him out of the goddamn bed long enough to get him a fucking education.”

A shocked gasp escaped Adam at his crude words, but he was way too pissed off to care. Somebody had to take care of Chris and if Adam wasn’t the one who was willing to do it then Devin sure as fuck would. Before the pompous, self-righteous bastard could recover from his shock and get a word in, Devin started in on him again.

“How about showing him a bit of unconditional love for starters? Then maybe he’ll build some self-confidence instead of believing every nasty fucking thing some piece of shit down in the dining hall whispers in his ear when nobody’s looking. If you spent half as much time trying to make him happy as you do trying to make him acceptable to those pompous, judgmental pieces of shit you call Aurorans, he wouldn’t be laying there pale as fuck and out of his mind.”

Adam’s eyes widened dramatically at Devin’s latest rant as he placed a hand over his chest, above where Devin knew their gold mating mark lay. The man’s anger had completely drained away and his hand looked suspiciously like it was shaking when he ran it through his hair in a frustrated gesture. Finally he looked Devin in the eye intently and whispered, “I do try to make him happy, Devin.”

“Bullshit,” Devin fired back impatiently. Seeing Chris in such a state didn’t leave any pity in his heart for the man he called father. He still loved Adam, but this shit had gone on far too long. Chris deserved to be loved and appreciated for who he really was. “If I ever had a doubt before this about how important his being happy was to you, your lovely display downstairs said it all.

“My little brother was already shaking and two seconds away from a fucking breakdown, and then you ripped into his ass right there in front of everybody. It’s too bad he’s so small,” Devin hissed, “because it would have been nice to have seen him walk up and kick your self-righteous ass for being such an obnoxious prick. God knows I should have fucking done it for him.”

“What would you have had me do Devin?” Adam fired back defensively. “Just stand there while he ruined what little credibility he had left by cursing one of our Kingdom’s greatest institutions?” With that question he pinned Devin with a pleading look, as if begging him to understand his position. But Devin was too fed up with all of the bullshit going on to care. When Adam realized that Devin wasn’t going to reply, he tried again to explain.

“The guards heard what Chris said, Devin. His father is Victor Ashcroft! The leader of the sworn enemy of Aurora and the Genesis Council. How would it look for his son to be overheard in the Great Hall, the room that embodies the power of Aurora’s King, degrading such a revered institution? I had no choice but to stop him before he did more damage to…”

“Revered institution my ass,” Devin sneered, letting every ounce of his disgust show in his face. “The Genesis Council is no better than the rich, pompous aristocrats that ruled the old houses of Europe. They’re born into their positions of power and never have to do anything to earn them. I think it’s disgusting to place so much power in the hands of people just because they were born to privilege. They should be chosen based on merit and character. I mean, think about it, father.

“When we went to the closed meeting that day, and you and Jayden told them about Chris’ background, the best of the best were there. Those ten men were supposed to be the most in tune with Auroran principles and charged with the task of advising the King and upholding the law. How many of those men turned on you? Councilman William was asked to step down right after that because he wanted to throw an innocent man to the wolves to keep down trouble.

“Councilman Julius went out of his way to rid Aurora of its little ‘Chris’ problem. Now he’s locked up, so that means that somebody else is spreading rumors. It’s obvious that at least three of the highest ranked people in the Genesis Council are nothing but lying, backstabbing pieces of shit who don’t deserve their positions. What does that say about Aurora’s most ‘revered institution’? Especially when honest, trustworthy Aurorans, like Augustus, Paul, and Nathan, are excluded because of who their fathers are.

“If you ask me, Chris was being generous earlier. Because, from what I’ve seen so far, the Genesis Council is full of spoiled, rich, self-serving, pompous bastards who don’t have the first clue about what Auroran principles really stand for. This,” Devin growled as he pulled off his crown and shoved it into Adam’s hand and pointed at each symbol inscribed there, “is what King Jayden believes in.

“Aurora, Genesis, unity, wisdom, strength, humility, service, protection, foresight, fertility, love, and longevity. This is what Auroran morals are supposed to be based on. Not how many four-letter words fall out of a person’s mouth, or who their father is, or what position they were born into, or how superior they think they are to everybody else. Even I can see that much and I wasn’t even raised here. Thank God for small favors.”

When Devin stopped speaking, Adam looked up from the symbols on the crown with a strange, thoughtful look on his face. Then he handed the crown back to Devin and, in a sincere voice, replied, “Most of the councilmen are not like that Devin. If they were, our political system wouldn’t have worked for as long as it has. You cannot condemn the entire council based on your observations of a few mages.”

“That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard,’ Devin murmured with a sigh of disappointment when he realized that he hadn’t gotten his point across. “Do you really think I’m that stupid, father? I’m not making judgments based on what Councilman Julius and Councilman Williams said or did. Sure, that’s a small part of it, but what you’ve said and done tells me all that I need to know.”

Adam’s brow furrowed in confusion at Devin’s comment before he replied in a confident voice. “I’ve never spoken negatively against the Genesis Council. They are…”

“You didn’t have to father,” Devin cut in pleadingly, begging his father with his eyes to listen to what he was saying. “You claim that they uphold the principles of your society, but then you go out of your way to change Chris and make him more acceptable to those people. Don’t you see? Chris is so loving and loyal and protective of others. He wants to make everyone around him happy, even if that means denying himself.

“He embodies love, protection, service, humility, and strength. Wisdom and foresight are things that can only come with age. But he’s so special, and you still don’t think he’s good enough for these people. That alone says everything to me. Because if these people truly embraced their own doctrine, then they’d accept him with open arms and love him as much as I do. As much as you claim that you do.”

Adam just stood there for a minute and met Devin’s sincere, pleading look with a stunned expression on his handsome face. Then he tore his gaze from Devin to glance over to where Chris lay on the bed, so still and lifeless. The usual spark and energy was gone and his consort looked like a frail, helpless child. It broke Devin’s heart to see his friend in such a horrible state. He wanted to lash out at the people who had done this to Chris. He wanted to lash out at Adam for failing to protect him.

Suddenly Adam looked back at Devin, his familiar, icy gaze filled with tears. “I never wanted to change him. I love him, Devin. I just thought that it would make things easier for him. My only intention was to help him fit into our society. To help him be accepted.”

“What good is it to be accepted anywhere if people won’t accept you for who you really are?” Devin replied, a little surprised by his father’s admission. “You can’t force him into a mold, Father. He is who he is. Even if you did manage to do that, he wouldn’t be Chris anymore. He’d just be… another one of them. Why can’t you understand that?” Devin asked with a desperate tone. Then another thought occurred to him and slipped out before he could stop it. “Do you really love him, Father? Or are you just trying to make another Darien out of him?”

“Darien has nothing to do with this, Devin,” Adam retorted in an offended tone. “Chris is nothing like him. I understood that from the beginning. Chris is far more passionate about life. He’s like a free spirit. Your father was a reserved and quiet man who took great pride in always observing protocol and upholding our society’s beliefs. Darien was nothing if not stable and conscientious at all times.”

“And isn’t that what you’re trying to make Chris be? Jayden has already told me a lot about him and he sounded like a good man. He also told me about how much you loved him and how hard it was when he was murdered. I need you to tell me that you’re not trying to make Chris into a replacement for Darien. I need you to stop trying to change him into someone else. Chris would do anything you asked him to. He’d even give up his own identity if that’s what he thought would make you happy. I can’t let you do that to him. I won’t let you,” Devin added firmly.

Adam clenched his jaw in irritation and once again anger flared in his pale gaze. Devin refused to back down however. He’d meant every damn word he’d said. Chris deserved better than to be treated like some replacement clone for Darien. They stood there for a long time, staring each other down as each fought not to say something he’d later regret. Finally Adam narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced back toward Chris.

“You have no right to say such a thing to me,” Adam whispered in a trembling voice. “When Darien died, I wanted nothing more than to die with him. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have. I mourned your father’s death for so long and then I found Chris. I’ve never, for one moment, entertained the thought of changing him into anyone else. What I’ve done, I’ve done to protect him. I refuse to lose him. I can’t let that happen.”

“Then let him be who he is.” Adam seemed so sincere and Devin couldn’t help but believe what he said. Still, what good would it do to protect Chris if it destroyed the very things that made him . . . Chris? “Don’t you think he has enough to deal with already, without having to guard every word that comes out of his mouth? He’s on pins and needles constantly. Every time he slips up, he’s looking to see if he got caught. He’s constantly worried that you’re going to be disappointed in him. I just get so fucking sick of watching you . . .”

“Whoa there Devin,” Sarah scolded as she walked through the bedroom door with Master Alan in tow. “This is not the time to have father-son disagreements. I can’t believe the two of you have been in here arguing when you know how sensitive Chris can be to that kind of thing. Now, either play nice or get the hell out of here. That goes for you too, Adam, since your little display downstairs is at least part of the reason Chris is lying here in the first place.” Adam sighed and turned away at her comment while he gripped his forehead between his thumb and forefinger like he was trying to keep his head from exploding.

“That’s exactly what I was trying to tell him,” Devin grumbled in his own defense before walking over to brush Chris’ bangs away from his forehead. Master Alan cleared his throat from across the room and Devin glanced over to find the man looking at him and Sarah with a sheepish expression.

“I hate to ask this of the two of you, especially considering the circumstances. However, I need to speak to High Councilor Adam alone for a moment,” Master Alan said in a respectful tone. A look of surprise crossed Sarah’s face and Devin’s heartbeat sped up suddenly.

“What the hell for? You said that Chris was okay earlier. If something’s going on, then I . . . we need to know about it.”

Master Alan gave Devin a soothing smile and, in an unexpectedly friendly gesture, patted Devin on the back and replied, “Nothing to worry about at all King-Consort. I just need to have another look at your friend and have a few words with his husband. If High Councilor Adam wants to fill you in later, then that will have to do.”

“Fine,” Devin replied hesitantly before turning to take Sarah’s hand in his own and heading toward the door. “But if anything is wrong, I want to hear about it immediately.” Master Alan nodded his agreement and Devin and Sarah left the room grudgingly.

Still, Devin only went as far as shutting the bedroom door behind them and moving over to take a seat on the couch. There was no way in Hell he was leaving before Chris woke up. Something just seemed off about all of this. No matter how many times they tried to tell Devin that Chris was ‘just centered’, Devin couldn’t help but think they were full of shit. Nobody is that focused. Something else was going on and he was willing to bet money that Master Alan knew exactly what it was.

*~*~*~*

Adam eyed Master Alan warily as the man made his way over to where Chris lay on the bed. He couldn’t figure out why the man, who normally grumbled at Adam for being overcautious about his Consort’s health, had insisted on a checkup visit so soon after he’d assured Adam again and again that nothing was wrong. It didn’t make sense at all, and each moment that passed without Chris waking up only set Adam more on edge.

The fact that he also felt horribly guilty about his role in causing Chris’ retreat only added to his stress. What Devin had said to him earlier had shaken Adam to his very core. Not only his son’s comments about the Genesis Council, but about his treatment of Chris as well. Devin had made several good points. Obviously, the fact that the young man wasn’t as immersed in or accustomed to Auroran society as they were had allowed his son to see things that he and Jayden couldn’t due to their proximity to the issue.

Adam glanced back down at the pale face of his Consort, who was now being reevaluated by Master Alan, and nearly grimaced as Devin’s words rushed back to him. He’d wanted so badly to make Chris fit in here, and to have him accepted before the nasty truth of his origins came out, that he’d become an overbearing dictator to his lover. That was going to change though. Devin was right.

Chris was a wonderful person and, although the young mage really did need to work on his vocabulary, if the people of Aurora couldn’t accept him for who he was then that would be their loss. It was ironic that the very things that had drawn Adam to Chris in the first place were the things he’d been trying to suppress in his young lover. Adam loved Chris deeply, so there was no reason that others wouldn’t accept him for who he really was given the chance to know him.

A throat cleared across the room and pulled Adam out of his thoughts as he looked up to meet Master Alan’s serious gaze. “I have good news, and I have bad news. Which would you rather hear first,” the man asked solemnly. Adam’s heart froze in his chest for a moment, but he kept his emotions in check.

“Either way. Just tell me how he is,” Adam replied softly.

“The good news is that your child is giving off a magical signature, although it is still too weak to read properly. I’m not sure how that is possible so early in the pregnancy, but stranger things have happened.” Master Alan stopped for a moment to give Adam a reassuring smile.

Not trusting his voice to speak, Adam nodded for him to proceed. Then Master Alan cleared his throat and said, “We have already established the fact that High-Consort Chris had been gifted with the ability to see auras. However, I believe that he has the gift of second sight as well.”

Again Adam nodded, so Master Alan continued. “This is a rare and much sought after gift, and as such there are a few things about it that are not common knowledge. The secret has been passed down from successor to successor inside of the King’s infirmary since it was founded. The only ones who are allowed to know the specifics are the gifted mage’s parents, children, and husband or Consort, whichever the case may be.”

Master Alan’s words took Adam by surprise and he looked up at him in confusion. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before. I have no idea…”

“Unless you were a mage with this gift or a close relation to one in a past incarnation, then you wouldn’t have heard of it,” Master Alan explained. “That’s why I said it was a secret. I would have told you sooner if I had known. However, just because Chris was gifted with the ability to see auras, that didn’t necessarily indicate that he was gifted with second sight. Only mages with second sight have this particular ability.”

Adam felt like the other man was rambling and it was starting to irritate him beyond endurance. He wanted the man to get straight to the point so he ordered, “Just tell me what’s going on with my Consort, Master Alan!”

“Chris is physically here, but a mage with this particular gift will have the ability to separate from his body spiritually and ascend to another plane. According to Master Xavier and the few mages that had this gift before him, the actual appearance of this ‘alternate realm’ depends on the individual mage’s energy signature. In Master Xavier’s case it was an island of sorts because his energy signature was related to water.”

“So, are you trying to say that my Consort is no longer here in this room?” Adam asked in disbelief. What Master Alan was saying was impossible. Chris had yet to find his energy signature, much less learn how to use it to such an extent. “I apologize if you find this rude, but that might be the most ridiculous thing that I’ve ever heard. How could Chris have learned to do such a thing without my knowing? He is just learning to use barriers efficiently. We spent all of last week working…”

“The reason this knowledge is so closely guarded is for the protection of the gifted mage. It would put them at a great disadvantage if others knew about it. Once they enter this state, they are left totally unprotected because they have no awareness of what is taking place with their physical body. Judging by the length of time that High-Consort Chris has been in this state, this isn’t his first experience with it.” Adam couldn’t hold back a small gasp of surprise as Master Alan rushed forward with his explanation.

“Normally a mage with the second sight will stumble onto the other plane without knowing what it is. The length of time that they are able stay there builds up gradually as they become more experienced with it. Chris was already out of his body when I checked him in the Great Hall earlier. Unfortunately, I couldn’t mention it because there were so many others present. It was best to let them believe that your young Consort had simply centered himself.”

“How do I get him to come back?” Adam asked as he ran through his mind the number of times that Chris had gone into a deep, centered state to the point that he was no longer aware of anything that went on around him. He couldn’t help but wonder how many of those times Chris had been doing this very thing without Adam’s knowledge. Master Alan paused for a moment and eyed Adam strangely before answering.

“You can’t get him to come back,” Master Alan replied in a sympathetic tone, tearing Adam from his confused thoughts. “High-Consort Chris will have to come back on his own. As his mate and husband, all you can do is wait and protect him until his spirit returns to his body. I wouldn’t worry though. He’s still fairly new at this, so he should be waking up fairly soon. I hate to leave you like this, but I have to get back to the dining hall to help the guards.” Then, with an apologetic look in Adam’s direction, Master Alan made his way to the door.

“I only came to make sure that he was still okay, and to explain to you what was happening so you wouldn’t worry as much. Just keep in mind that only the father, birthfather, husband, and child… or children in your case, are to be given this information. I’ll come check on him again in the morning. Until then, make sure that someone stays here with him. It’s best that he not wake up alone with all of the negative energy in the area.”

Adam nodded his agreement and watched in bafflement as the mage left the room. It was quickly becoming clear that Chris’ gift would be a heavy burden for both of them to bear. Furthermore, it seemed they would have to bear it alone because telling Chris’ birthfather and father anything like this would the same as handing them the key to Adam’s and Chris’ own destruction. Then an image of Devin’s worried face crossed Adam’s mind.

Master Alan had said children and, although Devin wasn’t Chris’ child, under Auroran law he was Chris’ stepson. Adam knew that Devin would want to know about something like this, but he’d have to think about whether or not to burden his son in such a way. It would be a burden for Devin to bear and one that he wouldn’t be able to share with his husband. Nevertheless, Chris would have the final say in the matter.

*~*~*~*

Chris let out a tiny laugh as he edged his toe into the water. One of the fish swam up to it and brushed it slightly, causing Chris to giggle and pull it back. ‘I hope you don’t think that you’re gonna trick me into the water and try to eat me or something. I’m not a piece of fruit you know?’ A tailfin flipped up out of the water for a moment, like it was teasing him, and Chris rolled his eyes as he moved to step in again.

‘Stay away from the stream Father,’ a soft, childish voice called from somewhere behind him. Chris immediately froze and turned away from the stream to look for the owner of the voice. A young boy, no more than five years old, stood a few feet away, as naked as the day he was born. His golden-blond hair was cut in short curls that framed his face and neck and he had startling ice-blue eyes, just like Adam’s and Devin’s.

‘Do I know you little boy?’ Chris asked with a friendly smile, amused that he’d somehow managed to imagine a small child for his secret place. His hideout just seemed more and more real every time he came here. Well, except for the whole ‘everything smells and tastes like sunshine’ bit. After studying Chris intently, the little boy tilted his head to the side and grinned up at him with an impish, mischievous look in his pale eyes.

‘You will know me. My name is Taro and you are to be my father. You’re very beautiful aren’t you? I shouldn’t be surprised though. Your aura is also very beautiful, although you can’t see it yourself. Even with the sight you can never see your own aura.’

Chris furrowed his brow slightly and studied the child more carefully. Not only was he completely different from the black-haired child that Chris had seen in his mind’s eye several days ago, but the name wasn’t the same either. It also seemed weird that someone so small and cute would sound so much like a grown up. Then Chris laughed at himself for taking it so seriously. It was all just in his head after all, no matter how realistic it all seemed.

‘How did you get here anyway little boy?’ Chris asked, deciding it might be fun to play along for a moment. Then he made his way closer to his most recent delusion and took a seat on the grass beside where the child stood staring at him. When he did, the strong scent of the ocean wafted over to him. It seemed really out of place since his private spot always smelled like sunshine.

‘I spent a lot of time here during my last incarnation, Father. Although it didn’t look anything like this when I came. Of course, that’s to be expected since your magical energy signature is the scent of sunshine, whereas my own was the sound of crashing waves. I must say that I find it most pleasant,” the boy added with confidence. Chris giggled before he could stop himself, amused by the boy’s proper way of speaking. It reminded him of the way Adam talked, especially when he was upset about something.

‘What was your name when you came here before?’ Chris said curiously, smiling up at the child who stood before him proudly. The boy looked down at him with a serious expression, like he was trying to decide whether or not to answer the question. Then he shrugged his shoulders, just like Chris did when he talked, and gave him another mischievous smile.

‘I was known as Xavier. Of course that is quite irrelevant now. Once I’m reborn I’ll have a new existence and a new name. I look forward to it after so many years.’ Chris froze at the words, remembering the name immediately. God knew that he’d heard it often enough since they’d figured out that Chris had the gift of seeing auras. Suddenly Chris didn’t think the child’s presence was nearly as fun or interesting as he had at first.

Not only did the kid look like Devin must have when he was a small child, but he was claiming that Chris was his father and that he was the reincarnation of Xavier. It was a little much to take in and, even though Chris knew that it wasn’t real, it kind of pissed him off to have his private paradise invaded that way. Impatiently, he stood up and made his way back over to the stream to see if the water had cleared up at all.

The fish seemed to be gone, although where they could have disappeared to was beyond him. They’d probably given up on him coming into the water and had moved on to find something good to eat. So much for loyalty. Unfortunately the water was still a messy swirl of irritating color and, even if they were still around and had just gone further under, he wouldn’t have been able to tell.

A glance over his shoulder showed that the young boy was still standing there watching Chris patiently. Something about the boy’s too old gaze annoyed Chris for some reason. ‘Maybe you should head back home . . . or wherever you came from. You really don’t belong here little boy,’ Chris said with a slight frown.

The child returned the frown and cocked his head to the side again as he studied Chris intently. ‘My name is Taro and you should refer to me as such. My only reason for joining you here was to prevent you from making the same mistake I did, Father.’ Chris sighed and turned his back on the child.

‘I’m not your father, Taro. I am pregnant with a child, but I’ve seen him in a vision. Or at least it felt like one at the time. Like it came from somewhere outside of my body. He didn’t look anything like you and I plan to name him Jiro, not Taro.’

‘I see. I understand now. You simply don’t know yet. Nevertheless, my purpose in coming here was to help you, not to discuss these things. You asked me a question and I gave you the answer. Do with it as you will.’

‘Thank you for worrying about me Taro, but I don’t need any help. This place isn’t real and neither are you. This is all just inside of my head. To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out why I imagined you here in the first place. Now if you’re done talking my ear off, I have some fish who need my attention,’ Chris grumbled as he made his way closer to the bank and started looking for the fish again.

‘Did you not hear what I said to you Father? I told you not to step in the stream. If you do, you will have connected with your energy source. Your ability to see auras and have visions will be so much stronger once you do. I made the same mistake during my training period and it will make things so much harder to bear.’

Chris sighed in irritation and turned back to the child in disbelief. This was the only place that he could come to be alone and feel at peace and now this imaginary man/child had shown up to ruin it. ‘I already told you to go back to wherever you came from, so why are you still here? I mean, you’re cute and all that, but you’re creeping me out a little bit. Besides, I already told you this place isn’t real. I just wanted to get this stream cleared up because it’s driving me crazy.’

‘I’ll go away if you promise that you won’t attempt to enter the stream until you’ve mastered the use of your barriers. It contains the overflow of the negative auras that overwhelmed your system. It’s best to leave it here. If you reabsorb it into your system, you’ll take it back with you when you return,’ the child replied, his little cupid bow mouth set stubbornly. Chris melted at the sight and he ignored the child’s strange words as he walked back over to squat down in front of Taro. He really was the cutest little thing and Chris felt really bad for being so grouchy with him earlier.

‘Don’t worry about me, okay? This is all just make-believe anyway sweetie. Are you hungry? There’s some fruit over there if you want some,’ Chris said as he pointed to a few of the trees nearby. ‘They all taste the same though.’ Taro looked surprised by Chris’ offer and sudden change of attitude, and then a bright smile spread across his little face.

‘No thank you, Father. I can’t stay any longer, so please remember what I said.’ Chris was surprised by the child’s sudden announcement, but before he could ask where Taro was going the child simply disappeared into thin air. All that was left was the faint smell of the ocean. He just sat there in a crouch for a moment, not sure what to make of the boy when a splashing sound drew his attention back to the stream.

‘I see you’re back now fishies. You didn’t like our visitor? Kinda creepy, huh?’ he murmured distractedly as he searched the water for his golden friends. A tail splashed out of the water, as if at least one of the two agreed with Chris’ take on the subject. With a laugh, Chris sat down on his fern cushion to watch them, but still the water was a swirling mess of red, green, orange, and black.

He thought for a minute or two about what the little boy had said to him about the water. Then it hit him that he’d been dipping his hands into it earlier to feed the fish and nothing had happened. With a shrug of his shoulders, Chris decided that a compromise might be the best thing for the situation. He really wanted to see and play with the fish, so he dipped his foot into the water and nothing bad happened.

The water cleared up and he saw the flash of a fish swimming by. Carefully he slipped the other foot in alongside of it and still nothing, but the water did clear up quite a bit more. Suddenly Chris rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. That weird kid showing up had thrown him for a loop and he’d gotten a bit carried away. Which wasn’t hard to do when everything seemed so realistic.

One of the fish butted its slippery, golden head against Chris’ ankle and he let out a giggle. ‘You like that huh? It must suck to be stuck down there in that mess.’ He could actually see both fish swimming around his feet now. Suddenly he felt that weird feeling that he usually got when his time was almost up and he couldn’t hold back a groan of disappointment.

It felt like a sucking or pulling sensation over his entire body and it would continue to get worse until he woke up again. He wasn’t ready to go back yet, but it wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter. He only had a minute or two left, so he jumped up from his spot and ran over to a tree to grab one last piece of fruit for his little fish friends. Then he jogged back to the water’s edge quickly to mash it up and drop some into the water, but when he came to a stop his feet slid on the wet foliage below and he just kept going.

In a panic, he let out a yelp and braced for the impact that was sure to come when he hit the shallow bottom of the stream, but it never came. Apparently it was much deeper than he’d thought because, before he knew it, Chris was completely submerged in its murky depths. He quickly fought his way back to the surface and gasped for air and was surprised to find himself treading water. If there was a real bottom to the stream he had yet to find it.

Suddenly the little boy’s warning came back to him and Chris couldn’t help but grin at himself for being such an idiot and worrying so much about something like that. Still, the pull on his body was getting stronger so he turned to swim the three or so feet to shore and climb back up on the bank. By the time he reached the shore again, Chris felt really weak and shaky for some reason and when he tried to pull himself out he found that his arms didn’t quite have the strength anymore.

Soon he gave up and just clung to the foliage that lined the bank as he waited to go back. A quick glance around him showed that the water was nearly clear now, but for some reason he couldn’t find any joy in the sight. He felt really heavy and tired, and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep right there. The peaceful, relaxed feeling that he normally had in his secret spot was completely gone, replaced by a crushing wave of emotions. Suddenly the weird feeling intensified and Chris nearly sighed in relief.

That meant that it was time to leave. He waited for the smell of sunshine to disappear like it always, did but for some reason it seemed to grow stronger instead. Suddenly he felt the hard jerk throughout his entire body that meant he was on his way. But at the exact same moment the sunshine smell intensified until it was unbearable and something that felt like an electrical shock ran through his entire body. It felt like fire searing him from the inside out and a sudden surge of horrible, swirling color washed over him as he screamed in agony at the pain inside him.

*~*~*~*

Devin paced nervously beside Chris’ bed under the ever-watchful eyes of a worried Sarah. He knew that his fidgeting was probably driving her nuts, but then again maybe not. She’d been sitting there bouncing her leg and pulling nervously at her clothes for some time and was clearly as upset as he was. Adam had been gone for over two hours now. The concerned man had stayed with Chris until Augustus had come to drag him off to the meeting between the Genesis Council and the Assembly.

According to Nathan, Jayden planned to announce the truth publicly about Chris’ true parentage and explain their reasons for keeping it a secret up until now. Devin hoped that it was going well and wished that he could have been there for support. But someone had needed to stay behind with Chris in case he woke up and Devin really felt like it should be either him or Adam. A small, rustling sound came from the bed where Chris lay, jerking Devin out of his thoughts as he swung his anxious gaze to his friend’s pale face.

There was some movement under Chris’ closed eyes and it seemed like his friend was coming around at last. Relief washed over Devin when he saw a finger move, but then a strange thing happened. A weird, yellow glow seemed to seep into the area around Chris and surround him completely, as if it were being absorbed into his body. Devin let out a little gasp and glanced quickly over to Sarah, who was also watching Chris with interest but didn’t act as if anything strange was going on.

The glowing light kept getting brighter and soon burst into leaping red flames. Devin could feel the energy start to build around him and was shocked to realize that he was absorbing power from the room. He immediately screamed to Sarah, “Go get Nathan and get him in here right fucking now!” Sarah jumped slightly and looked up at him in shock, but Devin could feel the energy continuing to build up around him and, in a panic, yelled, “Go!”

Without a word, she jumped up from her seat and ran out of the room as fast as she could go and Devin sank down onto the floor, fighting against the power surge that kept growing and swirling around him. ‘What the hell is going on here?’ he wondered desperately as he watched for Nathan to return. He’d never had a surge like this before without some kind of serious emotional upheaval. It just didn’t make sense.

Within seconds, Nathan was there beside him and seemed to understand immediately what was going on. Without a word, the man dropped down onto his knees beside Devin and grabbed him roughly with one hand on each side of his head. A sharp pain shot through Devin’s head less than a second later and stars exploded behind his eyes. Still, it was nothing like the last binding Devin’s father had placed on him. Adam had knocked him out cold the binding had been so strong.

This time Devin collapsed into a heap, consciousness intact, but he could still feel the power growing and calling out to him. It didn’t feel like it was absorbing into his body for now, but it was still there waiting. Out of nowhere, Chris shot up in the bed and screamed like he was in the worst agony imaginable and everyone in the room jumped out of their skins at the horror of it. Then a brilliant flash of gold color filled the room and Devin immediately felt the binding break as pain shot through him.

“Oh shit,” he murmured as the power in the room burst into flame again and started to flow into his body. He started to call out to Nathan, who’d rushed to check on Chris. But, before he could get the words out, someone grabbed him from behind and physically pulled him from the room. Once he was in the living area of Adam and Chris’ suite, the person dropped a second, more powerful, binding on him and Devin couldn’t hold back a cry of pain as the light exploded behind his eyes again.

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed that Paul was the one who’d saved his ass this time. Without a word, the serious man hoisted Devin up, tossed him over his shoulder, and packed him out into the hallway. He didn’t stop there however. He kept going, several guards in tow, as he made his way out of the King’s private area and headed towards the Genesis Council Chambers.

It suddenly occurred to Devin where the man was taking him and the thought of being carried into such a place in this undignified manner was a little too much, even under these circumstances. “Put me down Paul. I can walk.” Paul immediately lowered Devin to the ground and his knees crumpled beneath him. Paul caught him before he could hit the ground and then leaned forward to run a supporting shoulder beneath Devin’s own.

“What the hell happened back there Paul? I don’t understand why I started drawing power out of nowhere like that.” Paul looked at him with sympathy shining in his strange golden eyes for a moment before answering.

“High-Consort Chris tapped into his power somehow. I felt the energy building up in the hallway but thought you were the source. If that had been the case, the binding Nathan placed on you would have been more than enough. However, Chris was the source and you were drawing power from him. Surely His Majesty and the High Councilor explained that part of your gift is to draw the energy from people as well?”

Devin didn’t know what to say to that so he just stood there and stared at the bald-headed man in horror. The very thought of drawing on his own power was enough to overwhelm him with dread, but this was something altogether different. Yeah, they’d told him that he would be able to draw magical energy from others, but hearing about it and seeing it were two entirely different things.

Hadn’t Jayden told him, after the accident at the warehouse, that if a mage’s magical energy levels dropped too low that they would die? According to Jayden, that was the reason Devin had been so weak after the explosion. Then a horrible thought occurred to him. What if he’d taken too much? What if no one had been there who was strong enough to bind him? A sense of dread washed over Devin at the thought.

“Chris is okay, isn’t he?” Devin asked Paul in a desperate, pleading voice. The larger man gave him a reassuring smile and then started moving them toward the Genesis Council Chambers again.

“He’s fine. The energy you drew from him was excess. We just couldn’t risk leaving you in the area in case you broke the binding again. I used a lot of my energy to do it and I’m not sure I could have produced a second, strong binding quickly enough if you had.”

Suddenly Devin couldn’t find Jayden soon enough. Jayden was the strongest mage that he knew and, until he learned to control his terrible gift on his own, he planned to stay as close to the man as possible. This couldn’t happen again. He could have killed Chris. As strong as Jayden claimed that Paul and Nathan were, it had taken both of them to stop him and still they’d been forced to remove him from the area all together. It was time to learn how to control this shit. And the sooner the better.

*~*~*~*

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