“Do you think my father could be a druid?” I ask with renewed hope.
“I honestly have no idea,” he says excitedly, “but I don’t think we should rule it out as a possibility. On my first night in Dublin, a man broke into my hotel room while I was sleeping. I woke up with my arms pinned behind my back and one of his knees pressed between my shoulder blades. He told me to stop looking for your father or he would kill me the next time we met.”
“Did you believe him?” I ask. People often intimidate others by threatening their lives, but very few will actually follow through with murdering someone else.
“Honestly, I'm not sure if he was bluffing or not, but it ended up not mattering what I believed. The chief druid I went to see must have been visited by the same guy because he canceled our meeting the next day and told me not to ever contact him again.” Royce reaches for his glass but realizes it’s empty. He motions for the bartender to refill his drink before he continues with his story.
To say I’m disappointed in the outcome of Royce’s adventures in Ireland is an understatement. “Then, I’m afraid I have to fire you, Royce. I refuse to have your blood on my hands. Write up a full report for me and make sure you include a picture of the Dara Knot the fairy drew for you. I’ll go to Dublin myself and see what I can dig up.”
“Eve,” he says, placing his hand over the one I have resting by my drink, “maybe you should forget about trying to find your father. He doesn't want to be found, especially by you. I think it's pretty obvious he sent that man to threaten me because we were getting too close to the truth.”
“I’m fully aware of that,” I say agitatedly, sliding my hand out from under Royce’s, “but I don’t believe my father will send his henchman to kill me.”
“How can you be so sure?” The doubt in Royce’s voice stings because I feel the same uncertainty in my heart.
“I guess I don’t, but I can’t stop searching for him now when I’m so close to finally discovering who he is.”
“Why is finding him so important to you? He knows you’re looking for him, but he’s purposely trying to push you away. You might be better off cutting your losses now and forgetting he even exists.”
I take a sip of my drink before I stand from my stool. “Add my drink to your final bill, Royce. Thank you for everything you’ve been able to do so far. When will you be able to get your report to me?”
“Give me a day or two,” he says, looking disappointed that I’m leaving so soon. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay and at least finish your drink? If you’re firing me anyway, I would say the business part of our relationship is over. If it isn’t obvious by now, I’m interested in getting to know you better on a more personal level, Eve.”
“You’re a good man, Royce, and an excellent private investigator to get so close to finding my father. No one else I’ve hired has kicked the hornets’ nest quite so hard and had their life threatened. Honestly, it’s not you. It’s me. I’ve experienced a once in a lifetime kind of love, and nothing less than that will do for me. I truly wish you the best in life, but this is the last time we’ll ever see each other. Mail your report and the final bill to my apartment. Goodnight, Royce. I hope you have a beautiful life.”
With those parting words, I turn my back to Royce and leave the bar to find my way home.
On the drive back to my apartment, I can’t help but consider Royce’s advice. Maybe he’s right. If my father wanted to connect with me, he would have by now, but at least I know one thing: he’s still alive. That was always a question I could never get my mother to answer. She told me to leave well enough alone and forget about him, but the more she pushed me to stop questioning her about my father’s identity, the more I wanted to know who and what he is. Maybe if I can learn more about him, I can also discover more about myself.
Sometime between my third and fourth birthday, I began seeing the aura of people’s souls. I didn’t understand what was happening to me at the time, and all my mother did was force me to keep my peculiar talent to myself. I felt ashamed of my ability until I met Sion. He was my first love and the only person I’ve ever met with an iridescent aura. His soul was pure, and my love for him was all-consuming. We met when he was eighteen, but Sion died three years later in a tragic car accident. His death devastated me to the point where I wanted to end my own life. I almost did, but one thing stopped me.
I had a dream about a man I could only see from behind. He was dressed in a dark tailored suit that accentuated his broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs. His layered blond hair feathered in the back, and his deep laughter filled my dream with a promise that we would meet one day. Off and on during my life, I’ve had dreams that were premonitions of the future, and I knew the dream I had that night was one of them. Every night, I go out in hopes of finding this mystery man, and every night, I end up going home alone in disappointment.
As I pull up to the valet parking station in front of my apartment building, my car notifies me that I have an incoming call from my mother. Alarm bells instantly ring inside my head because I know my mom wouldn’t be calling me unless something extremely important happened. I quickly press the button on the screen to answer.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I immediately ask.
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is right!” Hearing my mother sound so overly excited sends up a red flare. “Can you come over? I need your help with something.”
“If you’re inviting me over to get rid of that man’s body tonight, I’ll pass. I told you I would come over in the morning to help you do that,” I tell her, assuming her invitation has something to do with the man I found for her at the nightclub. Although, I’m surprised he’s already dead. She normally plays with her meals for as long as possible.
“It has nothing to do with him. In fact, I let him go. Please, Eve, just come over!”
I don't want to drive all the way out to my mother's estate, but her mood has me both curious and worried, especially after learning it has nothing to do with her chosen victim for the evening.
“I’m driving to you now from my apartment,” I tell her. “I’ll be there in about 30 minutes.”
“I’ll see you when you get here, my love!”
I push the button on the screen to end the call. What in the world has my mother so excited? I have no idea, but whether I want to or not, I’m about to find out.
My mother’s mansion is located in a small city right outside of Las Vegas called Henderson. Syndra always lives lavishly no matter where we move. The last home we had was an extravagant villa right outside of Paris. I hated to leave the sprawling estate, but considering how slowly I age and the fact that my mother doesn’t age at all, plunking down roots anywhere isn’t practical. We have to relocate every five years to avoid any suspicion from our neighbors. Making new friends in the cities we move to is impossible unless they’re a part of the supernatural community.
When I drive up to the front of my mother’s Mediterranean style mansion, I mentally prepare myself for what might be lying in wait for me inside the house. Humans aren’t the only creatures who can suffer from mental illness. My mother has a bipolar disorder that she refuses to admit to having. I’ve taken her to doctors in our community who have offered her medication to combat her condition, but she refuses to take any of it. That’s why I decided to find my own place when we moved to Las Vegas. I needed a break. I’ve lived with her mood swings all my life, and I’ve begged her to accept the help her doctors have offered. She keeps badgering me to come back to her, but I’ve stood my ground and refused to give in unless she starts taking her medicine. So far, she hasn’t budged, but I still have hope she’ll come around one day.