Page 44 of Fennick’s Fortune (Sentinels of Apollo #2)

“Roan, I’ve never read her mind. And I did try after she had an issue arise,” Nico admitted.

“May I ask what the issue was?” Roan asked.

“I have accidentally taken Fen into my memories. It happened before we were mated,” I answered.

There was astonishment on all four faces of the others seated with us, even Cooper’s. “You can’t read her mind?” Cooper asked.

“I can’t. I could see the memory in Fennick’s head, but not hers,” Nico admitted.

“You may not be aware that, as a cheval mallet, I have a small, rarely used ability. I can enhance others’ magical abilities.

Nico, I believe that if you and I were to try together, you could see into Akiva’s mind and deeper.

I would not be able to see anything. I would only be a booster, as you call it.

If you would like to know what it is I swear I sense, then I offer you my service. ”

His declaration and offer blindsided me. I had no clue what I could have inside of me besides bear shifter DNA. Only those able to have children with a shifter were their own kind and a Precious One. I knew my mom was a bear. She’d told me. And I’d seen my father transform more than once into one.

“Are you trying to say you think one of my parents was a Precious One like Cerys?” I asked.

“Possibly, or something else. I have an idea, but I don’t want to say unless it’s found to be so,” Roan stated.

I looked at Fen . “What do you think? Should I allow it?” I asked psychically.

“It’s up to you. Don’t do it just because Roan wants to know.”

“But it matters if we’re to have children. What if it were my father, and whatever he was, made him the way he became? I don’t want to risk passing that along to children.”

“I doubt it was his genes, but if it worries you, then we can try,” he casually answered.

“You can speak to each other telepathically,” Roan said in awe.

“Yes, we have that ability. I’m scared, but I want to know. Is it something that requires preparation?” I asked. Now that I knew, I was anxious to do it and find out without delay.

“No preparation. I’d touch your hand and rest my other hand on Nico. It will link us and boost his power when he touches you,” Roan explained.

I turned to Nico. “Would you be willing to do it?”

“Akiva, if you and Fen want me to do it, I’ll gladly try. I must admit, I’ve been trying to figure out why I couldn’t get through your barriers, yet Fennick does it without issue.”

“I’m with you no matter what we discover,” Fennick said aloud.

Our conversation had attracted the attention of the others, who were crowding around to listen. The kids were absorbed in a cartoon in the office diagonally across from the great room, so they weren’t paying any mind to us.

“I’d like you to try. Fen and I need to know before having children. I need to know if my father was something else and if it contributed to his mindset,” I said delicately to Nico.

Nico gave me a sympathetic smile and nodded. “I understand. If you’re ready, I’ll do it right now.”

Not wanting to wait and just grow more anxious, I gave him a chin lift.

Roan placed his hand on mine. I clutched it.

Then he put his other hand on Nico’s arm.

The last link was for Nico to touch me, which he did after flicking his eyes to Fen and back.

I wondered what my mate told him, but I wasn’t slowing us down to ask.

Fennick had his hand on my back, rubbing.

When Nico placed his hand on me, I was disappointed.

I expected to feel something. It was the same.

Then, like a switch had been flipped, I was hurtling like I was on one of those shows about space where they showed the lights speeding by in bright streaks of colors as the ship supposedly jumped into light speed.

There were so many points of light zooming by, and I was in a tunnel with them all around me.

I couldn’t speak, though I tried. Suddenly, I was back on the couch. There were no more lights or a tunnel, and everyone stood there watching us expectantly.

“Did anyone else see that?” I asked hoarsely.

“I did,” Fennick said.

“What did you see?” Nico asked.

“Lights and they were racing by at lightspeed,” I explained.

“I didn’t,” Nico answered.

Roan shook his head. I was about to cry when Nico continued, “But I did see your past and even further into your memories. There’s a reason I couldn’t break through your barriers, Akiva. You had a mind block placed, and it wasn’t put there by a vampire. It was done by an extremely powerful witch.”

“A witch? But why? How? Who?” I asked one right after the other, not giving him time to answer in between.

“It was to protect you. I can speak to you and Fennick alone if you prefer,” Nico offered.

I appreciated him trying to protect me and my past, but I had nothing to be embarrassed about. I wasn’t the one at fault for what occurred. “It’s alright. They can hear whatever you found. We’re here to establish friendships and provide protection.”

“You were protected from displaying the extent of your abilities. If your father had known of them, you would’ve been in far more danger than you already were. Your slipup with communicating with babies was only a tiny portion of your powers,” Nico informed me.

“So, who was the witch who placed the barrier, and how did she do it? My father and the other two never allowed outsiders near us. You know that.”

“I do, and it wasn’t an outsider. First, let me tell you that you don’t need to worry about your father being the one with mixed blood.

It comes from your mother. And the witch who put the block in place was also your mother.

She was half-witch and half-bear shifter.

A combination I didn’t think was possible.

She safeguarded your mind. However, now that I pierced it, I believe you’ll begin to recall things she hid. ”

“She hid? Like what?” I asked hoarsely. Everyone around us was deathly quiet.

“Tales she told you of her family. What she taught you as far as using magic and maybe more.”

I was trying to absorb this revelation. Based on how quiet the others were, they were equally shocked. Eventually, I glanced over at Roan. “Did you know that a witch could produce hybrids?”

“I’d heard such tales in my youth, but I thought they were fairy tales told to me.

I’m over seven hundred years old, Akiva.

I’ve seen many things in my life. I’ve always been able to sense what others are without needing to smell them.

You gave off this hint of what I always associated with magic, but I couldn’t be sure what kind.

Or if I wasn’t imagining it,” Roan explained.

“Alright, the fun is over. Nice gag, but there’s no way that’s possible. It’s New Year’s Eve, not April Fool’s.” Bruce broke the silence of the others. He was frowning as he rolled his eyes.

“It’s not a joke,” Fennick told him. “I saw what Akiva did, but I could feel tremendous energy, too. I’ve lived a few of her memories with her.”

“Well, I don’t believe it. Sorry, Roan, but you must be getting senile in your old age, and Nico must’ve had too much to drink,” Bruce said with an uneasy laugh.

There were murmurs of half-disbelief mixed with half-enthusiasm.

They wanted to believe it was true. The chatter lasted a few minutes, with Bruce still denying it was possible.

I was about to ask Roan for more details when a flash of blinding light, like what you sometimes see when lightning strikes, filled the room.

Several people cried out in fear. I had to blink a few times to clear my vision, and when I did, I discovered, standing in the middle of the room, was someone I’d seen before.

It was Apollo. Only this time he wasn’t smiling. He wore a vexed expression.

Those in the room who weren’t Sentinels, me, Twyla, or Cerys, immediately fell quiet. They were scared and huddled close. Automatically, I was drawn to my feet by Nico and Fen. The other Sentinels, Cerys, and Twyla, had risen and were bowing.

“You honor us, Mighty Apollo, with your presence. What brings you here?” the Sentinels asked as one.

“You may rise, my faithful Sentinels. First, I must ask. How is my Precious One and her progeny doing? You look even lovelier than the last time I saw you,” Apollo said as he smiled at Cerys.

“I’m doing very well, Mighty One. And the babies are growing and in perfect health,” Cerys reported off. She acted as if talking to a god was no big deal.

“As they should be. I will let nothing prevent these young ones from being born. Ah, and the beautiful Twyla, how are you, my fair one?” Apollo asked her next.

“I’ve been causing trouble wherever I can and enjoying it immensely, Great One,” Cerys’s grandmother told him cheekily.

We watched as Apollo threw back his head and laughed.

“I love it! And I expect you to do nothing less. We need to have another conversation soon, my lovely. There are so many things I want to talk to you about. Artemis will join us this time.” The way Twyla nodded and smiled, she understood what he referred to.

Did she meet with Apollo often? What had they talked about before?

Then Apollo turned, and his eyes landed on me. I gulped.

“I told you, fair Akiva, that we would meet again soon. And I see that you and Sentinel Fennick have established the mating bond. Good. It will be a strong and necessary one. Your children will be extraordinary as well. However, I must say I am disappointed in you,” he said, pointing to Bruce.

“I-I don’t know what you mean, Great Apollo, Wise One and Mighty Healer,” Bruce said in a raspy tone.

“I mean that you doubt not only two of my Sentinels, and a Precious One, but also an ancient one! How dare you! They revealed something remarkable, and you cast doubt rather than being thankful to witness it. Do you doubt that I am real and Apollo?” he asked.