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Izdahl landed by the pond in his parents’ backyard.
“Mother, I’m here for our trip. We haven’t been to Mahenira in a while and—” His words trailed away as he took in the scene.
Dagmar stood in front of Hadil with his fists clenched.
“Hadil, you must listen,” Dagmar said. “It’s not what you think. If you could only understand what I—”
“I have nothing else to say. You need to leave.”
Dagmar reached out to grip Hadil’s arm. She shrugged off his hand.
Izdahl rushed to Hadil’s side and made black flames materialize in both hands. “Dagmar, get away from my mother.”
Hadil put a hand against Izdahl’s chest. “It’s all right.”
Dagmar glared at Izdahl and then at her. “So this is how it’s going to be?”
“Yes,” Hadil said. “I’m severing all ties.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way.” Dagmar stepped closer, his hands opened beseechingly. “You’ve been twisted by the Amasis. We were together in another lifetime. Doesn’t that matter to you? Can’t you—”
Izdahl held out a hand. “It doesn’t matter what soul memories you have. You can’t be with her in this lifetime. You need to understand that. Why would you think you could ever compete with my father? He—”
Dagmar raised a hand at Izdahl. “Shut up! You absolute waste of—”
Dagmar gasped and fell to his knees. His eyes squeezed shut and he clenched his chest. Izdahl knew his mother could not only touch someone’s soul, she could also constrict it, causing excruciating pain. He hoped that’s what she was doing to Dagmar right then.
“I know you weren’t trying to hit my child.” Hadil bent in front of Dagmar and he cried out in agony, as blood vessels bulged in his eyes and his nose bled. “I’ve reincarnated seven times. You should feel fortunate I dampened my powers. I’m allowing you to breathe in my presence. Stay away from me. Stay away from my loved ones. Now get up and leave my sight.”
Coughing and blinking rapidly, Dagmar slowly rose to his feet and wiped the blood from his nose. He pushed off the ground in a rush of air, angrily flapping his wings. He hovered above Hadil and Izdahl, viciously cursed at them, and flew away.
Izdahl watched Dagmar go, again priming the black fireballs in his hands.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Hadil said. “Don’t do it.”
Grunting in frustration, Izdahl extinguished the flames, as he watched Dagmar leave. “You should have let me burn him out of the sky.”
“You’d cause another disagreement between him and Xeira. Their interactions are already too strained, to take such chances.”
“Are you all right?” Izdahl asked.
Hadil smiled and straightened her sleeves. “I’m fine. No need to worry.”
“Why was Dagmar here?”
“He was trying to talk to me about the Dara Rysalva.”
“Does he want your help convincing Xeira about it?”
“Yes. He’s becoming more stubborn about rebuilding it.”
“You said there’s that among other things. What else is there?”
“Well, he began the conversation about the Dara Rysalva. Then, like he has before, he drifted into talking about our past lives. He can’t let go of the time we had together. It wasn’t even that long.” Hadil sighed and put a hand against Izdahl’s cheek. “Listen, I really don’t want to get into this.”
“Mother, please. I’m not a child. Why won’t you tell me?”
Hadil smiled softly at him. “You will always be my child.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.” She motioned to one of the benches in the garden. “Let’s sit and talk.”
“I don’t usually see Dagmar that furious.”
Hadil’s laugh was bitter. “I have an interesting effect on him. He took it as an important sign that in this life we ended up matched as Core Guardians. I’m glad my time serving as one with him is long over.”
Izdahl glanced at this mother. “Father said Dagmar has been in love with you.”
“Jaxon told you that? When?”
“Last year, soon after my fragment activated. He talked about how he struggled when Dagmar was your Shield Partner.”
Hadil sighed. “Yes. Your father and I had a very rough time because of his jealousy about Dagmar. Then, I became pregnant with Syrik. Becoming a father settled things for Jaxon.”
“Are you going to talk to Father about today?”
“Do you think I need to inform my husband of this.”
“Mother, that’s not what I meant. Dagmar’s just—”
“I don’t keep things from Jaxon.” Hadil frowned at him. “Still, you need to mind your business.”
Izdahl grimaced dramatically at being scolded.
His mother laughed. A moment later, her humor disappeared and she sighed. “Dagmar being here might have derailed my day. You and I planned to visit Mahenira. But now, I’m so agitated.”
“How can I help?”
“Maybe I should still go. It could ease my annoyance.”
“Of course, Mother.” Izdahl smiled, wanting her to be more relaxed. “It’s a nice day. Maybe we should fly there. You and I haven’t done that in a while.”
Hadil nodded. “That’s a good idea. We could have lunch there in the Kasykelan Realm.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Izdahl stood and pushed off, flying with his mother. They flew in silence and Izdahl knew Hadil was lost in thought. He kept pace with her, reading the frustration and sadness on her face. Not wanting her to stay in that melancholy mood, he flew loops around her until he could make her laugh.
“Come on, Mother,” he said, his tone bright and playful. “There’s the River Shan. Let’s touch the water for luck.”
The River Shan was sourced from one of the highest peaks on Planet Rivkaen. An ancient legend had it that the river was created by Evutana, the Ziyad Goddess of Flight and Luck. Touching the river while flying was believed to result in seven years of incredible fortune.
Laughing, Izdahl and his mother swooped low and trailed their fingers in the water. Hadil splashed some at him, with her mood completely changed. They landed a short while later at the main Ziyad estate in Mahenira. Afterward, they ate lunch at one of the rustic restaurants, surrounded by the shimmering blue dust the Kasykelas created.
Even though Izdahl had helped Hadil get in a good mood, he still worried about the strain of the conversation with Dagmar. He knew his mother could defend herself, but he didn’t like her being stressed in anyway. He thought of how bold Dagmar had been with Hadil. Even just a few months ago, Dagmar would have never spoken to her in such a disrespectful manner. Izdahl wondered what was driving Dagmar’s erratic behavior.