章 21: She Who He Trust
Snacks. Authentic South Korean snacks and seasonings.
Duncan had to smile each time he recalled the last conversation they had at her home.
He was expecting bags, something that she could show off. Something that a typical woman would ask for a man that was showing interest in her.
Duncan should have known better. Julie was not any other woman. She was...special.
Looking down at the busy streets below, Duncan cannot help but wish that her little family was with him.
He never expected that he could find the other half of his soul in this timeline. He had two sons from the woman he had long passed.
They were good, but they were never able to satisfy his soul the way Julie does. Something about her sets her apart from everything and everyone. Even the kids were special.
He cannot erase the memory of Claude nearly dying, and what he had failed to mention to Julie was Nicole was also, trying to waddle into the water to save her brother even though she doesn't know how to swim.
The horror and the icy dread he felt that day will never be forgotten. If he was not there, the loch would have taken another soul.
"My liege, your guests have arrived," his servant announced, breaking his thoughts.
Without looking at the servant, he nodded and said, "Tell them to explore the building, let them have the freedom they think they have." There was a coldness in his voice that was not usually there.
Over the millennia since he had been crowned ruler of Tuatha Dé Danann he had learned to adjust to the world. Change, after all, was the only thing that was constant in this world.
So, that is what he did. Change, adapt, and accept. An immortal being like him, each turn of the year is like a blink of an eye.
Duncan had seen cities rise and fall. He had seen families lose more than one parent, and he had witnessed numerous deaths. All in the name of power. All in the name of glory.
"But, my liege, they are..." the servant countered.
"Ben, it is okay. These young gods have forgotten that their powers are null when they enter a different pantheon." Duncan faced his faithful servant that was stationed in South Korea.
He gave the aging man a gentle smile and said reassuringly, "Hurting other my people, humans and immortals, and others will backfire against them."
The smile on his face never reached his eyes though. His eyes looked cruel and ruthless. The same eyes that defeated countless of men in battle.
He was not "Duncan McLaren" at the moment, he was Lugh. And Ben, one of his most trusted servants, knew that his master's words were law.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duncan looked at the clock and groaned.
It was almost four in the afternoon in Scotland, and Julie must be about to go home to the kids. He was about to reach for his phone but stopped midway.
This was the first day he was apart from Julie and the kids ever since he stated his intention. Duncan got so used to being with them that it felt like a part of his soul was missing.
His phone lit up, making a glance at it. A loud booming laugh echoed through the whole room. Duncan had never laughed this hard ever since his youngest son left him.
It was a picture of Fall. The mutt was covered in flour and looked like he was trying to plead for help. Next was a message from Claude.
{Mr. Duncan and Fall tried to run away with the flour.}
Rather than sending back a text message, he opted to call.
"Claude, lad, what happened?"
[I cannot really stay away from them...] he thought and made sure that he was seated comfortably. Knowing these kids, he was in for a long conversation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The quick phone call turned into an hour long. Duncan was not able to talk to Julie alone, but he was able to have a video call when Nicole asked for one.
He felt the loss of connection the minute the call ended. It was like the effect of the balm suddenly ended, leaving him in pain.
As much as he wanted to be with them, there were responsibilities that he needed to accomplish. He had a team of capable people doing the human end of the job. However, as King of Tuatha Dé Danann, his presence was a must.
Lighting cracked and the sound of thunder rumbled out the busy midnight metro of Seoul. The weather report was clear that it will be a sunny week. So, the sound and the light show meant only one thing.
"What are you doing here, Thruston?" Duncan asked the man who appeared inside his private quarters.
He and Thruston Thorsen had the same body built and height. They were like twins when their backs were turned. And since he started hanging out with him, the damn male, even had the same hairstyle as him.
"I was just curious, I guess," his guest replied. "You set the whole Realm buzzing when you announced that you had found her." Ocean blue eyes met grey-green ones.
Thruston or "T" for him had this chiseled jaw, broad chin, and prominent brow bone look. Duncan was not surprised that he was usually mistaken for Chris Hemsworth when he began that blonde look phase.
The male even became a stunt double for Chris. For four months, he looked for someone more suitable for the role.
He was, after all, the actual God of Thunder.
"So, about the woman," T began. Duncan raised his eyebrows when he reached for the bottle of absinthe and prepared himself a drink.
"Are you even sure that she is THE ONE?" He asked while placing the Absinthe spoons on the top of a shot of absinthe. He then put a sugar cube and placed everything underneath a container filled with ice-cold water with a spigot.
"Oh, I know she is the one," Duncan confidently said, smiling as he watched how the cold water hit the sugar cube to melt, causing the green alcohol into a milky white drink. "You just wanted to have some of my absinthe, didn't you?"
Thruston tipped the glass in answer and drank everything in one go. "Yep, damn that was good," T said, a satisfied smile on his face. "I don't know where you get this stuff, but of all the 'green fairy' drinks, yours is the best."
"Is that the only reason we are friends?" He dryly said. Mixing his own shot of absinthe. Like what T had done, he also gave the other man a salute.
They shared a grin, they were from different pantheons, but it did not stop them from forming a friendship that lasted longer than their previous love relationship.
However, the light in T's eyes died, and he became serious.
"Spill," he told the God of Thunder. Duncan had a hutch for what he was about to say, but it was nice that someone gave him the heads up.
"She caused a stir that no one had anticipated, and some are, let's say, uneasy about the turn of events," Thruston said.
Instead of being concerned about her safety, he laughed, making T frown at him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked, irritated that Duncan was not taking his warning seriously. "They will be testing her, Duncan. We both know how those assholes are."
"I would worry more about their pride than Julie. If there is one thing I asked from you, it is to make sure that her kids are protected," Duncan told the other male. "Fall is with the kids, but they might..."
"Done."
Duncan nodded. He was not worried, why should he?
Julie Madrigal, the one for him, was ruthless, and the gods were about to find out just how much.
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