Galena

Marie ported herself and the others to the deep part of the Lost Forest. She didn’t speak, only asked for them to follow her, which they did. After pushing through a few bushes, they came to a sand pit. Marie stepped to the side, inviting one of them to jump in first.

“It’s an untraceable portal back to Vorik,” Marie answered after seeing the look Jace had given her. Jace was the first to jump through and Marie turned to Maggie. “I will explain everything once we’re in Vorik,” she said, then saw the burns on her wrist, “Emma will heal them.”

Maggie nodded and stared back at the pit. She took in a deep breath and stepped in – landing in front of Marie’s house. Emma ran to Maggie and hugged her, offering to heal her wrist right away. Marie joined them a moment later and explained that Vanessa would not go down without a fight. She suggested staying in Vorik to gain their strength and strategize on what to do next which they all agreed on.

“How did they even know about mom’s base?” Jace asked, looking over at Maggie once Marie went inside.

Maggie glanced up at him, “I don’t know. Heath knew and so did Diana. But Diana is gone, and I know Heath didn’t tell them.”

“How can you be so sure?”

She glared at Jace as she answered, “I just know.”

“Because you love him,” Jace scoffed in a matter of fact tone.

"Excuse me?” Maggie exaggerated. She stared at her brother with her eyes narrowing. “It is not like that,” she continued. She might’ve loved him, but her brother didn’t need to know this.

“That’s exactly what it seems like.”

“Are you kidding me, right now? Mr. I-was-a-Knight-now-I’m-going-to-play-King?”

Jace let out a laugh, “Are you kidding me right now, Maggie? If you have something to say, then say it! Because as far as I’m concerned, we’ve both been beating around the bush for a very long time now!” he said, standing in front of her with his arms crossed. “Let’s start with the fact that we had magic and you never told me. Or that you took it upon yourself to burn mom’s stuff! Is there anything else I need to know, Maggie Creed? Because I am all for learning new things. Go on!” he pushed farther, raising his voice at her until she finally snapped.

"I have magic, Jace. Not you! All you can do is see it. There’s a huge difference! Mom took your magic the night she left and passed it to me like I really wanted it! I can’t even figure it out!” Maggie yelled back. “Do you see this, Jace?” she asked, holding up her hands. “This is the last of the Creed magic. I can see it, Emma can see, that- that bitch can see it!! They can all see it and I can’t do a single thing about it! But you skated away free! You ran away. You joined the Garzil and you lived a pretty damn good life while I lost everything and everyone. So, excuse me for not telling you about my little problem!”

Emma held her necklace listening to the two people she loved yelling at each other. So much pain and anger from over the years finally came to a head. She glanced at Marie, who was watching the fight just as intensely. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she stepped up to them saying, “I think you two need to accept these secrets you kept from each other. You both need each other, plain and simple. So, you need to work this out if you want to take Galena back from Garos. Please!” She paused before meeting both Jace and Maggie’s eyes. “I love you both very much and I know there’s love between the two of you,” she continued, “But you’ll never get to that point if you don’t accept and forgive.”

“Fourteen years is a very long time…” Maggie began, pulling her eyes away, “So, I’ll be honest- I need time.”

Emma looked at Jace, whose answer was the same as his sisters. She slowly nodded, saying, “As long as you promise it will happen. Now come on, Marie wants to see us,” she said, walking around the two and into the house.

They each sat in Marie’s kitchen, listening to the story she told Jace earlier that day. Maggie listened with her arms crossed, trying to hide the magic on her fingers. She was absorbing everything she was being told, then realized, “You’re the elder who helped Diana seal the bakery.”

Marie nodded, “I am. I never imagined it would be reversed. Vanessa is only an Archmage, but no doubt she is fueled by Garos’ magic. She was never this strong when we were in the clergy.”

“Do you think she was looking for something?”

“The things your mother kept in her base wasn’t anything that could criminalize anyone. If anything, they were old plans of what the Thaumaturgy had already done, and names listed of people who have already passed.”

“The painting,” Jace let out, making everyone’s attention turn to him, “The painting above our fireplace was from the bakery’s basement. It’s the same painting mom used in my dream to see me. She said it was a portal.”

Marie’s eyes widened at hearing this, “This painting… It was of Galena? Gold frame?”

“It had writing on it,” Emma said, feeling like she failed Marie on telling her this piece of information, “Do you think it’s that important?”

“If the incantation is chanted properly, it can bring the caster anywhere they please by zooming in and out using the image. I will work on retrieving this painting.”

“What if it falls in the wrong hands?”

“The person needs to be able to read the ancient language,” Marie answered, afraid of the destruction that could be caused from someone using the portals wrong, “and only a few still live who can do that.”

“If they can read the frame then they can read mother’s journal,” Maggie said, realizing her mother’s book was left in the house. She normally hid it if she was going out, but she wasn’t expecting to be forced out of the house today. She hit the table, “Shit!” Maggie got up and left the room trying to control the anger towards herself.

Jace looked back at Marie as the front door slammed shut. “Mom wrote the same language in a journal and gave it to Maggie when we were kids,” he told her, “I think she left it out in the open back at the house…” Jace ran his hand through his hair, feeling the same as Maggie.

“I’ll see if I can retrieve that too,” Marie said, reaching out to touch Jace’s arm. She then asked Emma to show Jace and Maggie where they would be staying. “And Jace,” she added, “Tomorrow will be better for you and Maggie to talk about what’s going on. You were both protecting each other, understand it from that standpoint. I will say the same to Maggie when I see her.”

***

In the morning, Maggie woke up with stale thoughts about what happened the day before. Marie talked with her a bit before she went to bed. Told her she’d get the journal back and reminded Maggie that just like herself, her brother was protecting her not telling her about his past. Maggie had to respect that reason, but she was still upset.

She got up and put on the clothes Emma had left her. She lifted the pants up and looked at them. Vorik fashion was certainly different. She slipped them on thinking about the last time she wore pants. She was a child and by the time she reached ten, her mother started putting her into skirts and dresses. Next, Maggie put on the white blouse and pulled the black boots up to sit under the cuffed pant legs. She left the room to see if Emma was around and found her sitting in the living room. She greeted her.

Emma looked up at Maggie and smiled, pulling her shawl around her arms. “How are you feeling?” she asked, moving over for Maggie to sit.

“Better than yesterday, I guess,” Maggie shrugged.

“The clothes fit?”

Maggie nodded, and Emma offered her something to drink. “Where’s my brother?” she asked, taking the cup from Emma.

“At Marie’s. He’s feeling pretty crappy about going after you about Heath.” Emma watched as Maggie became bothered hearing Heath’s name. “I’m sorry, Mags…” Emma let out, reaching over and touching Maggie’s arm. She watched as the magic danced around Maggie’s fingertips.

“Do you know if Marie got the painting?” Maggie asked, trying to change the subject.

“You want to go check?”

Maggie agreed and stood with Emma to leave but jumped back. Sitting in the hallway was Benzi. Her stomach twisted with fear.

“What’s wrong?” Emma asked, seeing the look on Maggie’s face.

Maggie looked at Emma then back at Benzi, but he was gone. “Diana’s wolf was just there.”

“He’s probably checking up on you,” Emma answered, walking to the hall to see if Benzi was still around. “He comes to see Marie too.”

“He came to my house before the Garzil knocked on my door.”

Emma wasn’t sure what to say, but rubbed Maggie’s back, asking if she was ready to see Marie. Maggie nodded, and they continued out the door. As they crossed the yard, they could see Jace leaning on the banister talking to someone who had their feet up on the railing.

Marie was rocking in her chair and looking over at the young man slumped in his seat. He had an ice pack on his left eye and it wasn’t until they got closer that Maggie could see who it was. Her eyes narrowed on Heath just as he noticed her coming towards them. He jumped to his feet as Maggie rushed forward with her hands becoming fist.

“Is this why you wanted to stay away?! You bastard!” she yelled, throwing her fist. “How could you do that?! How could you let them do that?!” She hit him in his arm, then threw another one which he dodged.

“I couldn’t stop her, Maggie!” Heath told her, defending himself. She got one more hit on him before Jace grabbed her. “Vanessa called the orders after restoring the base. I sent you a warning!”

Maggie pulled away from Jace’s hold and glared up at Heath, “What warning?”

“Benzi,” Heath answered. He picked up his bag of ice and threw it back on his eye, looking over at Jace, “She hits harder than you.”

“Diana left him her spirit guide, dear,” Marie answered, still rocking in her chair.

Maggie looked at Heath from Marie, asking, “Why are you even here?”

“He’s got Vanessa on a wild goose chase,” Jace answered, “He put decoys of us in Ori.”

“According to Benzi, they are at a loss right now on where you all are. He’ll report to me when activity picks up again in Galena,” Heath said, sitting down and putting his feet back up.

“My nephew has everything covered,” Marie began, looking up at Maggie and smiling.

“Nephew?” Emma asked. She was just as shocked as Maggie was to hear this. Emma looked back at Heath with a small smile, “I thought you were familiar. You have Vork blood, like me.”

“Born and raised,” Heath answered, beaming at his aunt.

“Until you ran away,” Marie reminded him.

“May I?” Emma asked, feeling her hands warm up more than normal. She knew it was that healing boost Nainen left with her. Heath graciously took the heal, adding that it wouldn’t look good when he went back to work.

“Your Commander won’t question where you are?” Maggie asked, crossing her arms and watching Emma’s hands glow as she placed them over Heath’s eye.

“I’m off the clock until this afternoon,” Heath answered and thanked Emma. “I figured I’d come to Vorik. See how you were all doing. Maybe work with Jace on his swordsmanship since his combat skills are still fresh.” He shot Jace a smirk.

“You deserved that,” Jace said.

“Didn’t say I didn’t,” Heath said, letting out a laugh. He walked up to Maggie and pulled her gloves out of his back pocket. He held them out to her, apologizing. “I had to play the part Vanessa wanted.”

“I could’ve ended up like Diana…” Maggie answered, holding the other end of her gloves. She looked up at him, wanting to hate him, but couldn’t. She could see the fear in his eyes with her words, then thought about how sad he looked as he stood at her door in Kent.

“You don’t know how much that killed me,” he softly let out, brushing the back of his hand on her cheek.

Jace cleared his throat, trying to interrupt the two. Emma gave him a look and touched his arm. She looked over at Marie, asking for Maggie, “Did you get the painting?”

“Vanessa has it,” Heath answered, looking at Emma and Jace, “I didn’t know about it until Marie asked me to grab it. It was too late. I did manage to get this,” he reached in his back pocket and pulled out Vivian’s journal. Maggie’s eyes widened as he handed it to her.

“We’ll figure out a way to get the painting back. But for now, come help me make breakfast,” Marie said to Emma. She stood up and went to the door, “You too, Jace.”

Alone, Maggie looked up at Heath. “I thought it was gone forever,” she said, letting a tear escape her eye. “Thank you…”

Heath gave her a soft smile and wiped the tear off her cheek. It bothered him to see her cry. “I’m sorry about yesterday,” he let out. “I wasn’t going to let her hurt you,” he said then let out a small laugh, “I even had a plan.”

Maggie let out a laugh too and Heath pulled her into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and rest his cheek on the top of her head. Maggie buried her face into his chest, relieved in knowing he wasn’t behind the Garzil coming to the house and that she had her mother’s journal back in possession.

Maggie pulled away and opened the journal. She showed Heath a few pages, asking, “Do you think Vanessa would’ve been able to read this?”

Heath tilted his head and read each word perfectly in his head. “No, but I can,” he answered. “I’ll help you read it, but not tonight. I want you to have my undivided attention and I can’t do that if I need to work with Jace on a few things.” Maggie nodded, and Heath leaned forward, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I promise I will though.”