1
This is it. This is how it ends, isn’t it?
The unbidden thought made his jaw clench and his shoulders roll back, chiseled features becoming a rigid, statuesque picture. If anyone were to look through one of the many bay windows at that moment, they may have been forced to do a double take, unsure if they stared at a man or sculpture. Of course, no one was apt to do anything of the sort. He was tucked away properly on Blanca Peak purposely, far from prying eyes.
It was not just his rugged handsomeness that gave off the impression that he was cast of stone. Octavius Kur had what he often considered was the curse of immortality that had taught him a stoic way. Sometimes, it made him feel lost or dead.
Like in that moment.
The grayness of the day had forced Tav inside, but the temperatures had remained in the high seventies, making him feel slightly claustrophobic, despite the vast amount of space his cabin boasted.
Tav had purposely retreated to live in the mountainous Colorado landscape. The Blanca Peak mountain range had been his home far longer than it had been a trendy spot for hikers and skiers. For the most part, they did not bother with Tav’s neck of the woods, his spacious cabin well hidden from the general populace, although not completely overlooked.
He had lived in various parts of the country before that, as well as different parts of the world, but nothing had ever quite stuck with him as well. Today, however, it felt far too remote, and he wished he were somewhere else.
For most of the day, Tav had paced around the room, the urge to do something overtaking him. But when he tried to determine what he needed to do to settle his mounting anxiety, he knew that it was not that simple.
Immortal or not, we will all eventually die of boredom. We’ve seen and done it all now. What else is there?
It was not the first time he had asked himself such a question.
Sighing, Tav paused his brisk pacing to again look out the window. The climate dictated that he should lay low and read a book, but there was an uneasiness growing inside him, one that overtook him in a way he wasn’t quite used to. He felt like something out there was calling to him, something unseen. Whatever this apprehension was, it was different than everyday irritation, the idea that he had been around the world a million times or more.
Fire and water don’t mix, he reminded himself as his eyes trailed up to the storm clouds. He cringed at the thought of being caught in a downpour. He wasn’t particularly concerned about getting wet from a cosmetic standpoint, but if it could be avoided, Tav would certainly avoid it.
If it had been even a little bit colder, he would have forced himself to settle by the hearth and read a book, but it was far too warm to start a fire. He had already tried to pick up his much-worn copy of “Iliad”, but even Homer’s words could do nothing to alleviate the unexplained tension rising inside him.
He was in no position to do anything but fly, and he knew it. The restlessness inside him was only going to grow until he succumbed to the urge. Fighting it was futile and stupid.
His wise blue eyes scanned the plateau for signs of life, but even the most brazen woodland creatures had taken cover, knowing that a storm was brewing.
The chipmunks know better. Am I really dumber than a chipmunk?
But he knew it had nothing to do with intelligence. This was a matter of spirituality and facing what his honed senses were screaming at him.
Again, Tav rolled his muscled shoulders, stretching his neck side to side as he contemplated his next move. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of his cell phone ringing.
Saved by the bell?
He instantly swallowed his thought with a groan when he read his brother’s name on the display.
Don’t answer it. Do not answer a call from Andreas. It can only be drama and bad news…
Yet some deep-rooted sense of kinship forced his hand, and in seconds, Tav was speaking into the mouthpiece.
“Hello, Drea,” he muttered without any emotion.
“There’s my big brother!” Andreas cooed into his ear. “How goes out there in the mountains, Tav?”
“You know,” Tav replied lightly. “Same old.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Andreas chuckled. “I have a life. In the city. With live beings. I don’t know how you do it.”
If he calls womanizing and being a playboy a life, he can have it, Tav thought dryly, but he kept his comments to himself. He did not need to rehash their differences. It was well documented over the span of five centuries that the Kur brothers were all very different in their own right. Pointing out the obvious only fueled bad blood between them, and at that point, they had all learned to live together in relative peace.
At least for the time being.
“What’s going on, Drea?” Tav asked, trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice. He knew that Andreas wouldn’t be calling without a reason, and he wished his youngest brother would get to it.
“What? A man can’t just call and say hello to his sibling?” Andreas asked coyly.
A man can. You can’t, Tav retorted silently.
“I’m just on my way out,” Tav said, his path suddenly very clear. Any sense of procrastination had fully dissipated. “Can I call you back after I get home?”
“Benny’s a little pissed at me,” Andreas blurted out. “Actually, he’s a lot pissed.”
Tav inhaled deeply.
I am shocked, he thought caustically, rolling his eyes skyward. He was glad Andreas had not opted for a video call. Tav found it difficult to keep his emotions from showing on his face.
“What did you do now?” Tav demanded, unable to keep his voice neutral. Of all his siblings, Benedict was probably the closest in temperament to Tav and the furthest to Andreas. Hearing that his two brothers were at odds was hardly shocking, but it bothered Tav all the same.
“I dunno,” Andreas lied. “I mean, it could have something to do with an investment that he made…”
Andreas trailed off and let the words hang between them.
“Oh for Christ’s sake, Drea,” Tav snapped. “What have I told you about involving us in your scams?”
“Scams?” Andreas sounded annoyed. “They aren’t scams. They’re investments. I don’t call your businesses scams.”
“That’s because we’re all actually working. You’re playing fast and loose with our inheritance.”
Andreas snorted.
“Tav, you and I both know there is no shortage of money. We couldn’t spend our money if we lived a thousand lifetimes, and we’ve already come close to that.”
“That’s not the point!” Tav growled back, running a hand through his chestnut waves. “Moreover, you have enough connections without coming to us for investments. No wonder Benedict is pissed off at you.”
“Why do you always assume everything is my fault?” Andreas complained. “Like I’m always the asshole.”
Don’t answer that, Tav growled to himself, biting on his tongue.
“Would you please just talk some sense into him,” Andreas went on, sensing that he was about to get lectured by Tav. “I mean, it was a few million. What’s the difference?”
“I’m not getting involved in any of this,” Tav shot back. “Give Benedict his money back and stop hitting us up. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”