My Brother’s Mate
Chapter 97

Luther's

POV

Farrah leaves the room.

"This pork is delicious." Bethany says in between bites.

I feel like a man who has laid his guts on the operating table. What happened to me? I am a powerful witch, yet here I sit groveling.

"Do you think she will help?" Bethany manages to put her fork down long enough to ask.

"What do you care? You seem happy just to stuff your face." I push my plate forward. I am a beaten man.

"I haven't had a decent meal in weeks. You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Yes, you had the Tribrid. Yes, she got away. But she is still out there. And as long as she's alive you still have a chance." Bethany says. "Maybe Farrah is right. Maybe I risked my whole family for nothing." Bethany slams her hands on the table.

"No, I know you are feeling sorry for yourself, but we have come too far for you to decide to take a back seat. I have given my whole life for this. No stop acting defeated and start acting like my father." Bethany gets up from the table and storms off. I am left alone. I know she is right, but I don't know where the Tribrid is, I don't have an army to fight her with even if I did. I don't have a plan. Maybe some sleep will help clear my mind. I get up from the table and head back to my room. I have a hard time sleeping, and it's not exactly restful.

The next morning I take advantage of the shower and clean myself up. I go downstairs and the house seems quiet, not that I really know what it's supposed to sound like.

"Hello?" I look in each room downstairs, but see no one. I go to the back of the house and see a set of open French doors. I walk over and see Bethany and Farrah shooting arrows. I flash back to when they were younger and I was teaching them how to hold a bow. Bethany liked welding a sword better, but Farrah was born with a bow in her hands. She was a natural, and by the looks of it she still is. I walk out to them. Farrah aims her arrow and hits her target right on the bullseye.

"I see some things haven't changed." I say.

"I have thought about your request. And I will grant you a small army. But not like what you had before, only what I can spare." She says.

"Oh what's the point." I say. My two daughters look at each other and then back to me.

"What?" Farrah asks.

"I don't know where she is and I don't know how to get her back." I say. I start walking towards the garden.

"Seriously? After everything, you're just going to give up?" Farrah asks surprised.

"You've wanted me to give up for years. Well here is it." I say.

"Oh don't act like you are doing this for anyone but yourself. You could care less what I want. They knocked you down and you want to act like a big baby." Farrah says. Why are my daughters so insensitive. Who raised them? "If mom was here she would be ashamed."

"But she's not here is she? She left because we had big plans. And they are all ruined now. They're gone."

"You big baby." Farrah says.

"What?"

"You heard me. You are only the big bad Luther when things are going your way. It's pathetic."

"Don't talk to your father that way."

"Or what? You going to feel bad that I hurt your feelings?" Farrah says.

"How dare you? I am Luther, your father, and the head of the Blood Seekers. Do not talk to me like I am some child." I snap.

"Then act like one. Come up with a use for these men I'm offering you." Farrah snaps back. I walk past her and back into the house. If she wants a plan, she will get one. I grab a knife from the kitchen and cut my hand. I create a circle of blood and sit in the middle. "Dad what are you doing?" Bethany comes in the room and asks me.

"Coming up with a plan, now shhh." I tell her.

"This is blood magic."

"I know. Drastic times call for drastic measures." I take my shoe off and then my sock.

"Bring me, a belt, a cup, a hammer, and a sterile cloth." I say. Bethany hands me the cup first. I drip some blood from my hand into the cup.

"Majorum invoco." I chant as I drink from the cup.

She hands me the rest of the stuff. I bite down hard on the leather belt. I position the knife over my pinky toe. I aim the hammer up and, SMACK! Pain shoots through my foot and up my leg. "AAAAAHHH!" I scream through my clenched teeth.. Okay lets finish this quick. I wrap my foot in the sterile cloth as quickly and efficiently as I can. I grab my severed toe and I smash it to a pulp with 2 swings of the hammer. I scrape up the pulp and place it into the empty cup.

"Laachreanum, fortusobium!" I soak my magic into the pulp. It glows red. I eat the pulp. I try to swallow as quickly as possible, and I manage to choke it down. Then I close my eyes. I feel the wind inside the room pick up. I hear glass breaking around me. Then I say the final words.

"Dirige meinst. Ostende mihi." I feel my spirit splitting. Blood magic takes its toll. My spirit is flinging back and forth. I open my eyes and I'm in a black void. I look around for something, anything. A single star is shining above me. Then I see the creeping arms of fog rushing towards me from all sides. Oh no. I jump up towards the star. The fog crashes onto itself below me. I'm flying thorough the void heading straight for the star. The wind whips past my face. As I get closer the star grows bigger and bigger. I can feel heat emitting from it. The heat cuts through me, scratching at my face. I lift my hands up covering my eyes. Then suddenly everything stops. The heat is gone. I'm standing still. It worked!

I look around. I see a man sleeping in a cave. He is surrounded by wolves. He's in the middle of the pack lands. The Pures? Why am I seeing this? The vision breaks and I open my eyes. I look around. Im sitting on the floor, I see broken plates and glass all around me. It's dark outside. Bethany and Farrah are gone. They were just here! I stand up to find them. My legs are weak. And my foot is in excruciating pain. I gather my strength and call out for them. "Bethany! Farrah?!" I yell.

I hear some shuffling and then footsteps running towards me.

The doors swing open and Bethany and Farrah come running in. I fall to the ground. I'm exhausted. Bethany opens my mouth and Farrah pours something in. It's sour and strong. I swallow it and WOAH! I'm alert.

"Tonic. Mom showed me how to make it. I had it ready for you." Farrah says.

"How long was-"

Bethany cuts me off. "9 hours." She says. They help me walk to the living room. I plop down on the couch in front of the fire place.

Jane comes in with a first aid kit and a tray of food. She places the food in front of me, and starts dressing my wound. I'm too weak to cast a spell of healing right now, plus I've never been very good at those anyway. I'm ravenous. I grab the turkey leg, and take a huge bite. Then a piece of crusty bread with a hunk of cheddar. I wash it down it another tonic. Then I catch my breath. Jane finishes with my foot, and I lay my head back against the couch. I could fall asleep right now if I wanted to, tonics or not my body is still exhausted. Bethany and Farrah are staring at me waiting patiently to hear about what I saw.

"Well?" Bethany asks me.

"It looks like we're going back to where it all started." I say with a smile.