Stefan's Journey

Chapter 10

Stefan was sitting at the desk in his study when Moira walked in. Stefan glanced up and smiled when he saw her. He motioned for her to join him. Moira smiled as she walked over and placed her hands on his shoulder. She peered over his shoulder at the papers scattered over his desk.

"What are ye working on?"

"I'm just pouring over the old records. They're pretty dull really. This pile deals with taxes, this one deals with crops, while these all deal with livestock." Stefan waved at each pile as he spoke. He shook his head as he looked at his cluttered desk. "I knew that my father kept records, but I didn't think that he kept records of everything."

Moira kissed Stefan on the head. Stefan wrapped an arm around Moira's waist and pulled her onto his lap. Moira giggled as she settled more comfortably on Stefan's lap. Stefan leaned forward and muzzled her neck.

"Shall we go to bed?"

Moira playfully smacked Stefan. Stefan flashed his fangs at her playfully. Moira snuggled closer to Stefan's chest and sighed. "I'm worried about Thalia and Hector."

Stefan ran a hand down Moira's back in a soothing manner. The room was silent except for the sound of birds that drifted in through the open windows. Moira was just about to fall asleep when Stefan spoke.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking about those two."

Moira raised her head sleepily. Stefan's amber eyes were soft as they met hers. Moira reached up and ran a hand down the beard Stefan had. She needed to remember to ask him how he was able to be a vampire and have a beard.

"Have ye come up with a solution?"

"I believe I have," Stefan said we confidence. "I have decided that we will have games to celebrate our wedding. We will get married and have a week's worth of games. The Callahan clan will be invited. They will see how generous the Gordon clan is."

"What do ye mean?"

Stefan leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "I plan on making Thalia and Hector part of my clan."

Moira pulled back in surprise. "Ye can do that."

"I am Lord aren't I? They are young and I believe them to be good people."

Moira nodded. "It is a good plan."

Moira stood from her perch on Stefan's lap. She stretched before she moved to the windows. Her keen eyes picked out the mythical creatures moving about in the gardens below.

"How do ye plan on showing the world that the Gods exist?"

Stefan joined her at the window. He studied the gardens. He laughed as a fairy scared Moira. Stefan held his hand out and the fairy danced on his fingers before flying away.

"I plan on showing them. I have invited all those who were both friends and foes of my family. I also made sure to invite a reporter or two. They plan on writing a news article on our wedding."

Moira sighed as she leaned against the open window. "It's a lot of work."

"Yes," Stefan agreed. "But it's well worth it."

***

Holly was jealous. She watched from the shadows as Stefan and Moira kissed in the light mist that blanketed the land. She'd been spying on them since they'd taken a walk after breakfast. It should be her that Stefan was kissing. Everything had been perfect till Stefan had gotten weird on her. It wasn't her fault.

Holly glared with passionate envy at Moira. That witch would pay for taking Stefan away from her. She had to of bewitched him. Stefan was falling in love with her until he saw Moira. Holly could kick Kerri for bringing Moira here.

"I know how ye can get even with Stefan."

Holly turned around and beheld a man surrounded in mist. Holly squinted at the dark shape of him. From the looks of it he was tall with a muscular physique and had curly hair. The man stepped forward once Holly spotted him. She shivered as she was pierced with his sharp blue eyes. The man was the handsomeness man she'd ever saw and she felt her entire body shiver in need.

"What do ye mean?"

The man eyed her body before he gave her a sexy smile filled with mischief. "I am Dwyn. I can help ye get back at Stefan."

Malice lit up Holly's eyes as she moved forward greedily. "What shall we do?"

Dwyn pulled her closer with a crook of his finger. He bent close to her and whispered in her ear. His scent enveloped her and made her head swim as he spoke. "I can make Stefan suffer for what he did to ye. There are ways of making people disappear."

Holly gazed greedily up at the man. "I want Moira gone and I want Stefan to be humiliated for what he did to me."

Dwyn's eyes blazed down at her. They held her in place and burned her. "What will ye give me in return?"

Holly glared up at him. "I will give ye whatever ye ask for," she hissed.

A smile spread across Dwyn's face. "Go back to your room woman. I'll come to ye when I'm ready."

Holly hurried back to her room. She lay in bed and plotted the demise of Stefan and Holly. Her thoughts were anxious and she was impatient. Holly knew exactly what she'd give Dwyn. It had been a long time since she'd last slept with a man.

***

Dwyn let his lip curl up as he watched the mortal walk away. His gaze turned to where the mist shrouded Stefan and Moira. He knew those two well. He'd spent plenty of time around the Gordon boys. Stefan's siblings had played so many tricks on him that it had made even Dwyn sick of them. Moira's family had been full of innocent tricks.

"I find this distasteful brother."

Dwyn turned and gazed back at Taliesin. Taliesin stood with his hands folded. His fingers tapped out the beat to whatever poem was being composed in his head. Taliesin didn't answer Dwyn right away. Dwyn waited patiently and was finally rewarded when Taliesin spoke in his soft musical voice.

"Neither do I Dwyn, but it must be done. Our Great Father demands it. The Gordon's have always been good to us. They have always sacrificed to us even when they quit believing in us. The Callahan clan, on the other hand, has never been good to the Gods."

Dwyn sighed as he turned away from the gardens. He walked off into the woods with Taliesin following him. Dwyn gave Taliesin a roguish look. "Shall we go down to the kitchens and have fun with the maids."

A crwth appeared in Taliesin's hands. He plucked at the strings while he moved the bow slightly across the strings. A dream like look appeared on Taliesin's face as he stroked his instrument.

"I believe I can come up with a few songs that'll make the servants dance."

Dwyn laughed as he slung an arm over Taliesin's shoulder. "I enjoy when ye decide to join me on my little escapades. Who could say no to the two of us?"

***

Branwyn shook her head as she watched the two Gods walk by her hiding place. Trouble always followed wherever those two went. It had been many long years since the Gods had last decided to shower ill fortune upon a group of mortals. Branwyn didn't like it when this happened, but this time she was in agreement with them.

Branwyn dismissed the Gods from her mind as she traveled deeper into the woods. Cealeach was meeting her at one of the standing stones and she didn't want to be late. Woe to any mortal, or God for that matter, who happened to chance upon her and Cealeach that night.