A Beast Among Gods (The Mac Tire Chronicles) by Garnet Davenport (have you read this book .TXT) 📕

“So, you’re saying that you could have lived past this girl, a female mac tire at that, and met her only during some supernatural time travel body swapping curse?” I asked.

“Exactly,” Sebastian said. “But I have this feeling that I have yet to meet her.”

“A feeling?” Shen Xui replied.

“Yes. She’s out there somewhere. I just know it,” Sebastian responded.

“And what are you going to do when you find her? Tell her that you took an oath to the Quadripartite to defend this world against demons, but you’re in love with her,” Shen Xui quipped.

“I’m not in love with her. I just felt like there was a connection,” Sebastian explained.

“You mean there was a connection as you drove the sword through her,” Gabriel said and then crossed his arms over his chest.

“You killed her?” I asked.

“I had to do it to give her mercy. The legend says that, if you are cursed by the sword, you will live through all the deaths it has caused. If I hadn’t killed the demon, she would not have been returned to her life,” Sebastian explained.

“You have all had these amazing lives. It’s hard to believe what you all have gone through,” I said.

“You’ve been through your own life. But what you’ve been missing is the connection with others. We’re here. We aren’t going anywhere, and we will help you through it,” Káobe said.

“Thank you,” I said, nodding my head slightly.

***

I stayed with them for the next two years, practicing meditation and Buddhism. I made peace with my ogre side and allowed myself to communicate with my mac tire. Something Alvar told me only elves could do. Now, when I go into a deep meditative state, I can allow us to join together.

I felt a camaraderie with them for the first time since the day I lost my wife and daughter. We were out in the city center one afternoon when Gabriel stopped what he doing and stiffened.

“What is it?” Sebastian asked.

“Split soul. A god’s soul.” He started to look around. “There. His soul is gold.”

“I’ll go,” I offered.

I stood and walked toward him. I was trying to get a read off of him, but there wasn’t anything specific that would have told me that he was the son of a god.

“What are you doing here?” I growled.

“What? Who are—are you Striker?” he asked.

“Who’s asking?”

“My name is Nomad. Aodhan sent me.”

“Your name is Nomad?” Sebastian said from behind me.

“It is,” Nomad asked.

“Are you talking about Aodhan O’Dorcha?” I asked.

“Who else?” Nomad asked.

“I haven’t seen or heard from him since I was a teenager. How does he know where I am?” I questioned.

“He’s always known,” he said.

That just pissed me off. If he’s kept tabs on me my entire life, then he should have done something any of the times that I needed him. I needed to get out of there. I needed to think.

“I’ve got to get out of here. Let me think,” I said, backing away from him and then taking off as quickly as I could.

I went to the rooftop where I had dinner with them the first night I was in the city. I paced the roofline for hours. Aodhan knew where I was—where I had been, and now he knew about Jefferies and Jean. I had to go home to them. They had to be all right.

I met up with the others inside the apartment. They were being hospitable to Nomad. He was eating a traditional Tibetan dish and getting all the information from them. They all looked up at me when I walked in.

“All right, so you know Aodhan. What’s the plan?” I said.

“I’m here at your service until I hear something,” Nomad said.

“All right,” I said.

➣ Chapter 27

Home Sweet Home

We spent the next three years together. Nomad trained and learned some of the arts of meditation alongside me. That was until one day he received a phone call. He stood and started to walk the room.

“I understand,” Nomad said. “I will see what I can do.”

He hung up the phone and looked directly at me.

“What?” I asked.

“It was Aodhan. He told me to get you home. He said that Jefferies and Jean need you. We need to leave soon,” Nomad explained.

They all looked at me. Wondering the same thing that I was wondering—was I ready to go back home?

I had to go back. There wasn’t any other reason to stay, and if the only people left in this world needed me, I would do this for them.

“When do we leave?” I asked.

Thirty-six hours, three stops, and a horrible taxi driver later, I was standing in front of the Twister Belly with a new friend. We stood outside that cold morning, looking up at the sign.

“What does Twisted Belly mean?” Nomad asked.

“Ever drink so much that your stomach won’t stop twisting and turning?” I asked.

“No,” he said.

“Me neither. But I’ve seen it.”

He chuckled.

I started toward the door. I opened it and walked inside for the first time since I had lost Lucy and Taylor. The memory of the night Lucy first walked into the Twisted Belly. She was an angel that night, and now she was truly an angel.

I saw Jefferies behind the bar, checking off inventory. It was almost like the first day that truck driver walked me in here.

“We’re closed,” he called out.

“I know. I’m not here for a drink. I need a safe haven,” I replied.

He looked up. His eyes widened.

“S—Striker? Is that you?”

“In the flesh.”

“JEAN! Quick! Come here!” he called out.

Jean came running, looking at Jefferies, and then looked over to see me. She stopped dead in her tracks. Then she came running at me.

“Oh my goodness, as I live and breathe! Is that my baby?” she called out.

She practically threw herself into me, and I caught her in my arms. She squeezed me so tightly that I thought she was going to cut off my air.

“It’s good to see you too, but I need