Page 70 of Curse of Ancients

They got started on purchasing a jet, while Dom went outside to stand guard, and Gemi, Juniper, and Katherine cleaned the kitchen, then took over watching Juni. Bayu waited until close to bedtime before reaching out with his mind. Carleigh filled him in on the jet and her call with Dakota and Sebastian, asking him if he was okay traveling to West Virginia for the fourth. He was, so she texted Dakota to let her know.

After reading Juni his books, Carleigh laid down with the cub instead of getting in her own bed. It was a tight fit, but she wanted some snuggle time since she missed her mate.

Bayu called when they landed the next morning. It was nine p.m. in Japan, but Bayu wasn’t waiting to go retrieve the scroll. He, Silas, and Warren were all shifters with enhanced vision. There was no sign of the Black Lotus, so they considered the potion Violet had given him a success. After they hung up, Carleigh joined the others for breakfast, then she went into her office and got online with Harlow. She missed being in the office with her cousin, so she connected the video so they could see each other while they talked. Carleigh filled her in on everything, including their planned trip to Carlton over the fourth.

“Are we still doing the light show?” Harlow asked. “I’ve been working on the choreography some more.”

“I’d like to. That’ll be so much better than loud fireworks.”

They spent a few hours going over all the logistics, and when they felt they had it perfected, they called it a day. Or Carleigh did. She logged off knowing Harlow would hang around the office a few more hours. Maybe it was time Carleigh paid her cousin back with her own intervention. At least Harlow would have something else to focus on when they went to visit Bas other than her mate woes.

Carleigh kept her phone on her in case Bayu called. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to get to the small shack from the stone circles, but the longer it took, the more worried she became. She didn’t want to bother him, so she texted Silas. Then Warren. When her phone remained silent, Carleigh tried reaching out through their bond. It wasn’t until her Goyle told her to calm down that she did.

Bayu’s okay. They’re deep in the woods in the middle of nowhere.

It was going on six when he finally called, which meant it was seven a.m. where he was. “My tiger?”

“Hello, my Sayang. That took longer than expected, and there are no cell towers anywhere nearby. I have the scroll, and we’re headed back to the airport. I cannot wait to see you and Juni.”

“We miss you too. So, no trouble then?” Carleigh held her breath.

“Only making our way through the dense forest. I don’t know how my grandfather managed it without leaving a trace that he’d been there.”

She exhaled. “Good. We’ll be waiting for you. I love you.”

“And I you. Give Juni my love.”

Carleigh disconnected and held the phone against her chest. Now that he had accomplished his first task, they could get on with their lives.

Chapter 24

Bayu didn’t try to read the scroll while Warren drove them to the airport. He thanked them both for helping navigate their way through the thick forest. It looked nothing like what he encountered in his dream, but that might have been Baekyo’s way of testing him. The building itself was the same except that once inside, the scroll was rolled up and held together with a jute cord. He did look at it to ensure it was Hariz’s biographical scroll, and as soon as he read his father’s name and dates, he rolled it back up. Bayu hadn’t wanted to linger longer than necessary.

He and Silas spoke about Steven joining them in Atlanta and the upcoming trip to see the King and Queen. Silas mentioned accompanying them to Carlton, excited about seeing Sebastian and meeting Dakota. Bayu had no idea how long he should employ a bodyguard, so he planned on discussing it with Carleigh. Silas told him he enjoyed watching over his family, but after hearing Silas and Warren discuss other, more interesting jobs, Bayu wondered if the male was being truthful.

Bayu had a feeling he and Carleigh would search for a place to build a house while in West Virginia, and he was okay with that. He didn’t care where they lived as long as they were with family. He prayed Gemi would be okay with moving because he wanted her with them.

Cruz and Celeste had the jet ready to go, and once they were in the air, Bayu excused himself so he could read his father’s biography. He absorbed every word that told of the same man Bayu remembered as well as the Nuhuala Bayu knew nothing of. His parents hadn’t met by accident. His mother’s father set up the meeting. What the scroll did not mention was how his grandfather came to be on the Council of Shen, if he was the same man, or why that group of humans were entrusted with such secretive information.

Unlike the Nuhuala before him, Hariz had been tasked with more jobs, thus the extended trips. What Bayu read made him angry. His father had taken on drug lords, poachers, sex traffickers, and more. People the governments of the world either couldn’t or wouldn’t take off the board. The scroll did not say what his father’s powers had been, but maybe they were different for each chosen one. Bayu would find out his when he finished reading the complete set of ancient texts upon returning home. He had his first task, but he didn’t see it being an easy one.

Hariz was loathe to send Juni away, but he had done it out of love and fear for the child’s safety. Hariz visited Juni in his dreams often. Bayu’s love for his father hadn’t waned, but knowing he hadn’t stayed gone for the hell of it, leaving his family behind, healed the tiny bit of friction he’d felt toward Hariz.

Bayu rejoined the others and settled in for another long flight. Tiger and Carleigh’s beast were in almost constant contact. Bayu felt as though he had a secret mirror into Carleigh’s life, and it went far in making the distance more tolerable. Juniper had texted copies of the photos she took of their family to his phone, and he shared those with Celeste when she asked about Juni.

Bayu ate at the appointed times, but crossing time zones back and forth screwed with his sleep cycle. He didn’t want to be overly tired when he arrived in Atlanta, so he leaned back in one of the recliners and slept a few hours. He had expected Baekyo to come to him in a dream again, but his thoughts were silent. For that he was grateful. Bayu didn’t like the disorientation upon waking from what he considered were false scenarios. The only time his previous dreams had made any sense was the last one where he couldn’t reach Tiger. That had been more of a revelation of things to come as opposed to nonsensical musings.

When the jet touched down in Atlanta, Tiger stirred with glee. Bayu opened the closest shade and looked out onto the tarmac where his little family awaited him. Carleigh was holding Juni in her arms, and his little cub was waving like crazy. Bayu held back the tears. Barely. He was out of his seat before the plane stopped.

“Bayu,” Celeste chided. “You know the rules.”

“Yes, ma’am, I do. But Carleigh and Juni are out there.”

Celeste grinned. “Then let’s get you out of here.” She did so as quickly as was safe, following him down the stairs.

“Abah! West!” Carleigh placed Juni on his feet, and he took off toward them. Bayu scooped him up, twirling him around. Juni’s giggles warmed his heart. When they came to a stop, Juni reached out for Celeste.

“Hello, Juni.” She sniffed his neck and sighed.