27. Auslin

Chapter 27

Auslin

A fter an enjoyable breakfast, Auslin headed to the training hall for some solo practice since Jaega and Fersen were both busy.

Lost in his thoughts, Auslin startled when he almost ran into someone when he rounded a corner. His apology faltered when he realized he had bumped into an amused Kizoshi. "You're finally back!" Auslin hugged her before thinking better of it.

She fondly smiled down at him when he stepped back. "I am pretty sure that is supposed to be my line."

"Sure, except you look zero percent surprised to see me."

"Are you implying I have secret insights into knowing when you would make your return to the present time?" Kizoshi asked in mock indignation.

"You're best friends with the Fate and Knowledge Powers," Auslin said with a laugh. "I think you get all kinds of sneak peeks that help you stay enigmatic about everything."

She smirked at the accusation. "Being friends with Sophina and Liros has its perks from time to time."

"Are you back for long?" Auslin hoped she would stay for a while this visit.

"Are you that eager for me to be gone?" Kizoshi teased him.

There was no point in hiding his intentions from someone as astute as the clever War Power. "No, it's more like I have a million questions, and I'm really hoping you'll be around long enough to answer some of them."

She gestured for Auslin to follow her as she led the way to her room. "There is indeed much to discuss."

Once they settled in the front sitting room of Kizoshi's suite in the family wing, Auslin immediately jumped into the most pressing question he had. "Are you willing to talk to me about my heritage now?"

In true Kizoshi fashion, she answered his question with one of her own. "What have you deduced?"

"I don't know if it's deduced so much as Elder Bancho implied to Kitsuki that I'm Imeyu's son." Auslin wrinkled his nose at the thought. "It all seems so outlandish to me, especially since I lived at a temple that wasn't dedicated to him."

"Would that not explain a lot?" Kizoshi's expression was inscrutable.

Auslin made an indecisive noise. "Well, I guess it would on some level, but I don't have any Power markings. Kitsuki says my scent has no trace of Divine heritage, so what Elder Bancho says doesn't add up."

"You are missing a few pieces of that equation," Kizoshi conceded. "Perhaps this will clear things up for you." She walked over to stand in front of him. "May I?"

He wasn't sure what she was asking permission for, but he nodded his approval.

Kizoshi placed two of her perfectly manicured fingers in the center of his forehead. He shivered when he felt her immense aura pulsate while summoning her powerful magic. She chanted in the Divine language, a beautifully melodic sound. Ancient magic surged forward, entwining with hers to embrace him. It reminded him of the sensation he experienced when he passed through Fate's Gate.

Auslin's powers rose to answer the call, fusing with the magic surrounding him. Her lyrical intonations and the warm glow of magic suffusing him brought him a great sense of peace.

When she finished her spell, the combined energy pulsated around Auslin before bursting in a flash. The suddenness of it dazed Auslin. It took him a few moments to gather his bearings enough to realize there was something different about him. It almost felt like his magic was too big for his body to contain. His powers hummed with a new strength that was dizzying.

It took a few attempts for him to form words. "What did you do?"

Instead of explaining, she summoned an ornate black lacquer mirror with bejeweled inlays into her hand for Auslin to see himself.

The silver in Kitsuki's claiming mark on Auslin's neck was now entwined with royal purple lines. They shined brightly the way Kitsuki's did whenever his dragon was in control. He reached up to touch it in disbelief, only to discover the purple markings were also on his hand and ran down both of his arms.

Words failed Auslin. "I don't…what?"

"You are indeed Imeyu's son," Kizoshi confirmed, making her mirror disappear before taking her seat once more.

"But I've never…these lines," Auslin struggled to respond. "I don't understand."

"When Imeyu ascended to the Beyond Realm to be with your mother, as his rightful heir, you would have been called to the Divine Realm to assume his role as the next Healing Power," Kizoshi explained. "That would have left Sephen alone in this Realm because he could not join you in the Divine Realm since he is fully human. To prevent that from happening, Imeyu sealed your powers to hide you and ensure his brother would take over his position."

It was a lot of information to process. "Sealed my powers? But I could still heal and purify."

"You were so young when this happened that the seal used to suppress you was sufficient for that time," Kizoshi explained. "However, as you grew older, your powers grew beyond what that seal could fully contain, giving you limited access to them. Now that I've removed the seal, you will find you are even more powerful than you were before."

Auslin could already feel a difference in the way his powers felt inside him. They felt more immense somehow. But her news left him distraught. "But if you removed the seal, won't I have to return to the Divine Realm to become the Healing Power?"

"Be at ease, Auslin. Your father appointed his brother to be the next Healing Power, who continues to reign today. His successor is his daughter. You will never be expected to serve in that capacity."

Auslin sagged in relief. It made him realize something important. "So that's what Satsuma meant when she said my father was protecting me from himself." He stared in disbelief at the purple lines now covering his skin. "I really am the son of a secret, just like she said."

"Exactly," Kizoshi confirmed. "By suppressing your heritage, Imeyu protected you from taking his place as the rightful Healing Power."

"But how did no one else in the Divine Realm notice what he did? It seems like someone should have alerted the authorities about Imeyu hiding me."

"It did not go unnoticed."

Auslin's brow furrowed. "Then why did nothing happen to me?"

"Your father was a wonderful man who was a great friend to many. He also was very wise. Because the Fate's Gate Temple worships the Fate and Knowledge Powers, it gave Sophina the power to ensure your fate was to remain in the Living Realm. It also granted Liros the ability to conceal the knowledge of your whereabouts. And I may have started a brutal civil war in Kunushi to distract the other Powers from paying too much attention to what my friends were doing. It is one of the few times Nasume has proved useful to me."

"What do you mean?"

"His willingness to murder his father to steal the throne was a convenient way to hide our actions to protect you," Kizoshi said.

It was a lot for Auslin to process, so he took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Did me showing up in the past make you want to help me when I was a child? To keep me from being recalled to the Divine Realm?"

"It was partially that. But the three of us adored your father, so we wanted to help him rest in peace, knowing you were protected once he crossed over to the Beyond Realm. As you grew older, we all found different reasons to take care of you."

"I still don't understand what makes me so special out of everyone in the Living Realm." Trying to figure out the mystery hurt Auslin's head.

"Your heart has a remarkable capacity for love, which allows you to touch those who have closed themselves off from believing they deserve that affection. It is one of the many gifts your healing powers blessed you with."

Auslin had never considered that trait as an extension of his healing abilities. "I can do that for anyone?"

"Yes, so long as they're willing to open their hearts to you. Kisano is a great example of your abilities to make someone's life better with your love."

Auslin toyed with his lower lip as an idea formed in his mind. "What about Maseo?"

"What about him?"

"Do I have the power to make him believe he deserves a love like Kitsuki and I have?"

She studied him carefully. "Why is that so important to you?"

It took a moment for Auslin to articulate his reason. "Because it breaks my heart no one's ever loved him. Now that he's left Kio, I don't want him to be alone."

"You want to show him what love is?"

Auslin rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I do. Is that weird?"

"You should trust your instincts with him," Kizoshi said. "They will never lead you wrong."

Her answer strengthened Auslin's resolve to help the half-shifter. "I hope I see him soon, then."

"Your paths will cross again sooner than you think. You will heal him in many ways at that time."

Relief flooded Auslin. He still didn't understand why it was so important for him to make Maseo's life better, but something inside him insisted it was the right thing to do. That certainty had only increased with the growth of his powers.

Auslin fell silent as he struggled with a troublesome question. "If Imeyu was my father, why didn't he heal my mother so she didn't die? How could the Healing Power let someone he loved die when he could cure her?"

Kizoshi's gaze grew sympathetic. "Unfortunately, fate would not allow him to do so."

"But that's so unfair!"

"Please understand, I do not say this out of unkindness." She paused before continuing. "Fate decreed you and your brother must live at the Fate's Gate Temple. As heartbreaking as it is, your mother's death was necessary for that to happen. Imeyu understood that."

The news left Auslin with a weird feeling of guilt. But the dots connected for him. "Because I had to be there to go through Fate's Gate to meet Kitsuki in the past."

"Precisely."

Auslin absentmindedly rubbed his fingers over his newly emerged lines on his arm. "What about Sephen? What's his reason for needing to live at the Fate's Gate Temple?"

"Because it was the only place where he could learn to be the person he needs to be."

"To what end?"

"To gather the knowledge to bring happiness to himself and others. Your brother will touch the hearts of many. You do not need to fear for his future."

It was a relief to hear. "Is he also secretly a half-Power?"

Kizoshi shook her head. "His father was a human warrior, which is why he has no magic."

"But if my mother was in love with Imeyu, then how did that happen?"

"Imeyu fell deeply in love with your mother from afar. He abandoned his duties to live with her here in the Living Realm. When he was recalled to the Divine Realm, the normal punishment at the time for that crime was banishment to the Beyond Realm."

"Why wasn't he punished that way?"

"Your father was a beloved Power. Other Powers threatened to revolt, so the council in charge of ensuring they don't neglect their duties compromised. Instead of banishing him to the Beyond Realm, they placed him under permanent guard to ensure he could never return to the Living Realm again."

"That's horrible! My poor parents."

"It was the best possible outcome under the circumstances. The council does not accept love as a justifiable defense for abandoning your responsibilities."

"It sounds awful." Auslin hated hearing his parents were forcibly driven apart for such a reason.

Kizoshi continued. "That left your mother alone in the Living Realm with you. That is a very dangerous position for a woman to be in, so she found love with someone who could protect you both in Imeyu's forced absence."

"But Sephen's father, Domiel, died in battle shortly before our mother got sick," Auslin told Kizoshi. "If Imeyu passed to the Beyond Realm when she died, wouldn't that mean my mother reunited with both of them in the afterlife?"

"It would."

Auslin puzzled through the problem. "But wouldn't that be awkward for them? She genuinely loved them both."

"What would stop her from finding happiness with them both?" Kizoshi challenged with an arched eyebrow. "After all, it is common to find more than one love in life. There is no reason the three of them could not have found happiness together in their afterlives. Imeyu thought Domiel was a wonderful protector who took good care of you and your brother."

"I suppose," Auslin hesitantly agreed. "I guess I never really gave that any thought."

"It applies to life in the Living Realm as well," Kizoshi added with an expression Auslin didn't know how to interpret. "Some people have big hearts meant to love more than only one person at a time."

Remembering being torn between Kio and Kitsuki in the past, Auslin wondered what that said about him as a person. It was a thought best left alone, so Auslin returned to the subject of his heritage. "Have you really known this whole time that I'm a half-Power?"

"I honestly do not understand how it went unnoticed for so long," Kizoshi replied with a shrug. "Purple eyes, markings, and auras can only belong to those with Divine heritage. Your lilac-colored eyes should have been a giveaway, not to mention your incredible powers."

Auslin traced one of the lines on his arm from his elbow to his hand. "Does this change anything?"

"You are still you," Kizoshi reassured him. "You will continue to live your life here in the Living Realm with Kitsuki. The biggest change besides your stronger powers is you are welcome to visit the Divine Realm should you choose."

"I could go there?" Auslin questioned in amazement.

"Your half-human heritage does not prevent you from entering the Divine Realm any more than my being half-shifter does. I would be happy to take you there so you could explore."

The idea excited Auslin. "Could we go to a bookshop?"

Kizoshi laughed behind her hand. "Why is that the first place you would wish to go?"

"Because I could buy my brother something by Liros in the Divine language," Auslin explained. "I know he can read them in Kisano's library, but there's something special about having his own copy."

"You are so thoughtful." Kizoshi smiled at him with a fondness that brought a blush to Auslin's cheeks. "I bet we could even talk Liros into signing a copy for him."

Auslin's jaw dropped. "Wait, I could meet him?"

"And Sophina, your uncle, along with anyone else you wish to meet."

"On the one hand, my brother would be eternally grateful if I did that. On the other, he might kill me out of jealousy because I got to meet Liros, and he didn't. Liros is the only person Sephen loves as much as Reskin."

She laughed again. "And with good reason."

"I don't suppose he and Sophina ever come to the Living Realm?"

"Liros does not visit often, but when he does, he enjoys spreading new forms of knowledge." Kizoshi's grin made Auslin wonder how he did that. "Sophina and her twin are unfortunately forbidden to leave the Divine Realm."

"Wait, isn't her sister Destiny Power Shaleia?"

Kizoshi nodded. "She is. They could not be more different if they tried."

"Why aren't they allowed to leave?"

"Their mother was the Destiny Power before Shaleia. She abandoned her post when she fell in love with their father, who was a spider shifter here in the Living Realm. Unlike your father, she refused to return to the Divine Realm to face the council. To punish her rebellion and put the fear into the rest of the Powers, they banished her to the Beyond Realm and forbid her daughters Sophina and Shaleia from ever returning to the Living Realm."

Auslin's heart went out to the twins. "I can't believe they punished her daughters because of what she did."

"It is exceedingly unfair, but the council refuses to change their minds, despite the twins obeying the ban for centuries."

"The council won't punish me if I go to the Divine Realm, would they?"

Kizoshi shook her head. "No, you have nothing to fear from them since you do not have an official duty."

"In that case, I'd like to go someday, if it's not too much trouble."

She smiled at him. "It is no trouble at all."

The prospect of visiting the Divine Realm was beyond exciting. He regretted he wouldn't be able to bring Sephen, though. As Auslin continued trying to process all the information, he realized, "Wait, so does this mean my scent changed, too?"

"Slightly, yes," Kizoshi confirmed. "There is now a trace scent of ancient magic that is a signature marker of all the Powers. It is most pleasant, I assure you."

Auslin could only imagine what that smelled like. He wished not for the first time that he could experience the world on that level. His mind wandered as he tried to process everything he had learned. "Why are you answering all my questions so directly?" Auslin suspiciously asked.

"Would you prefer me to be indecipherably cryptic?" It was impossible not to laugh along with Kizoshi.

"No," Auslin denied while still laughing, "but it worries me you're being so upfront instead of making me decode your riddles."

She tilted her head to concede the point. "I suppose that is fair."

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I appreciate your directness," Auslin hurriedly reassured her, "but somehow, it almost makes me more nervous."

"Be at ease, Auslin. I am merely telling you what you need to know."

"You mean what I need to know right now ," Auslin corrected, knowing Kizoshi was a stickler for technicalities and qualifiers.

Kizoshi radiated amusement. "If you wish for sneak peeks of the future, you will have to befriend Sophina yourself."

"The thought is slightly terrifying. I can only imagine how fearsome the Fate Power must be."

"I believe the reality will surprise you," Kizoshi predicted. "It is one more thing for you to look forward to on a future visit to the Divine Realm."

"Since you're being so unusually generous with information," Auslin said in a teasing tone, "is there anything else you wish to tell me?"

"I have already told you more about the future than you realize." Kizoshi's playful wink made him laugh. "But you will come to understand my meaning one day."

Auslin ruffled his hair. "Are you saying that you were being cryptic by being direct?"

"You should know better by now than to expect anything else."

"Yes, I suppose that's true."

"You need not fear me, Auslin. I will always have only your best interest at heart," Kizoshi promised him. "We will have more words later."

He recognized the dismissal. "I appreciate you talking with me today." Auslin gestured at his arms. "And for all this."

"It is always a pleasure," Kizoshi replied with a beautiful smile.

Before he left the room, Auslin had another question. "Are you staying long?"

"For a few weeks," she answered.

"Great! I can introduce my brother to you."

"I am very much looking forward to that," Kizoshi said in a way that made Auslin wonder why she felt so strongly about meeting Sephen.

Knowing better than to question why, Auslin exchanged a few more words with Kizoshi before leaving to see Kitsuki.