“I know,” Hiro said. “I know you’re right, but I don’t want her to grow up.”
“I know.” I leaned up to peck his lips.
“Dad! Paelie!” Rasha yelled from the side of the house.
Breaking apart, I turned to find Rasha coming up the pathway that led to the butterfly garden, so I asked, “What’s up?”
“Uncle Jorah’s acting really weird,” she answered. “I think you should come see him.”
My brow furrowed, and I felt Hiro’s concern, so the two of us quickly followed her down the pathway, through the fairy archway, past the butterfly garden, and to the pink beach.
Rasha pointed to Jorah, who was at the edge of the water, and she said, “He’s been doing that for like an hour, but now he’s mumbling to himself.”
Hiro tilted his head to the side, but I stepped closer to see what the hell my little brother was doing. He’d been blocking me all day, but now that I concentrated, I could feel that he was agitated. I hadn’t noticed before because I’d thought it was only Hiro’s agitation I was feeling.
As I moved closer, I realized Jorah was pulling any fallen or dead trees he could find to the edge of the water, making a pile. And it didn’t seem like he was simply doing it to clean up the beach.
“Whatcha doing, Jor?” I asked.
Without looking up from his ministrations, he said, “Something’s wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can feel it. I can…” He trailed off and finally stared at me, and I was taken aback by how haggard he looked. It had only been a few hours since I saw him, and he hadn’t been like that. “I can’t wait any longer.”
“Can’t wait for what?” I asked.
He flung his arm out, pointing toward the sea. “I have to go there. I can’t wait anymore. Something’s wrong.” He was visibly upset now.
I stepped closer to him with my hands out, then gently grabbed his shoulders to get him to focus on me. “Okay. Do you feel like your magic’s messed up or—”
“No, Bas! I’ve always felt drawn to the north, you know that. But something is fucking wrong.” He was almost vibrating with frustration and impatience. I could feel it under my hands and through our link.
That made me pause. “You want to travel north?”
Jorah’s green eyes filled with unshed tears, and he whispered, “I have to go. I. Have. To. I can’t wait any longer. Something’s wrong, and if I don’t leave now, it’ll be too late.”
“I don’t understand.”
He wiped at his face. “I don’t either, but I have to follow my gut, Bas. I have to.”
I nodded. “Talk to me.”
“I’m building a boat, and I’m going whether you guys like it or not. I don’t care if I have to go by myself, but I have to go. I need to.”
“Okay,” I said softly. “I’ll help you.”
A single tear slipped out of his eye. “You will?”
“Yeah, Jor, I will.” I stepped closer and pulled him into a hug. “Of course I will.”
“Thank you, Bas.” He squeezed me, then pushed away and wiped off his face again before he started hauling a large tree trunk closer to his pile. I’d start helping with… whatever the fuck that was once Thay, Toby, Nik, and Talon got here so we could make sure our Three magic was okay. I felt fine, though.
Thayer, I called him. You guys need to get to the beach. Jorah is—
We’re already on our way. Be there in a few minutes.
Hiro and Rasha came closer, and Hiro said, “Guess we’re going on an adventure?”
“I guess so.” I stepped into Hiro’s side, and he put his arm over my shoulders.
Rasha said, “If you guys think I’m going on some weird sea adventure with you and Uncle Jorah, you’re crazy.”
I chuckled, and Hiro snorted, saying, “I’m sure Ailin and Seb won’t mind if you stay with them for a few days, but remember we can and will portal back to check on you at any given time.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know the routine.”
“And if you set one little toe outta line, you won’t be goin’ to your boyfriend’s party next weekend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” She scowled.
I said, “Yet.”
She gave me a look like I was a traitor. “Paelie, stop it. Don’t make it worse.”
“Sorry, sorry. I was only teasing you, sweetpea.”
She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I know.”
Hiro said, “I’m serious, Rasha. You have to behave and listen to Seb and Ailin.”
She dropped her hand and glared at him. “I know that, Dad! You do realize I’m a straight-A student, and I never get in trouble, right?”
Hiro tilted his head. “Yeah, but I’m still tryin’ to figure out if you’re really that well-behaved, or if you’re just that good at hidin’ things.”
She smirked, definitely a Hiro expression if I ever saw one. “And you’ll never know.”
A laugh came out of me before I could suppress it, and Hiro pinched my side as he said, “We’ll figure out details tonight.”
“Thank you.”
“She is so your daughter,” I said.
“Poor kid.”
With a snort, I glanced up at my viramore. “You’re really going to come with me?”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course I am. I’m always with ya, witch.”
I smiled. “Yeah. I know, hunter.”
He kissed my hair, then released me, and the three of us went to help my brother with his crazy-ass plan.
The End