Read part one of this story.
Luckbringer
by Barbara G.Tarn
They went as a family through the cobbled streets of Agharek, their long blond hair shining in the sun. The local Humans covered themselves from head to toe, so the only uncovered heads in the marketplace were those of pointed-eared Genn in various shades of blond.
Luckbringer and Goldstar bought flat-breads, candies, oranges and dates, and were headed for the herbalist when a commotion stopped them in their tracks. The Governor’s guard was making way for the Governor’s son and his family, who were leaving the palace in an open carriage.
Luckbringer’s smile slowly vanished as she stared at Damir’s haughty looks and Mathilda’s triumphant expression. Her eyes rested on six-year-old Giordano who looked nothing like his parents. His sweet face was lit by innocent sea-blue eyes neither Damir nor Mathilda possessed.
Mathilda spotted her and stopped the carriage in front of the Genn family to stare at Joyspring with a puzzled expression. Luckbringer held her baby tighter, feeling Goldstar’s protection spell surrounding the three of them.
“Luckbringer, you had a baby?” Mathilda squealed in fake delight. “May I see it?”
“Her,” Luckbringer corrected. “Her name is Joyspring.”
“Well, may I see Joyspring?” Mathilda insisted impatiently.
Luckbringer offered the baby who had stopped smiling at the sound of Human voice.
Mathilda leaned to look at her, but didn’t try to touch her.
“I see, what a miracle!” she said cheerfully, leaning back and holding Giordano to her generous bosom.
Luckbringer glared at her. She knew Mathilda wasn’t her friend, and she better not upset me or I’ll expose the truth about her son’s birth.
Mathilda giggled nervously, aware of the threat. “Really, Luckbringer, I hope you have found happiness with your Genn mate.”
“I have, thank you, Mathilda,” Luckbringer answered, glancing at Damir’s gloomy expression. He was staring at her with a mix of anger, envy and other not so clean thoughts again. “May the Immortals protect you and little Giordano.”
“Let’s go,” Damir snapped, averting his eyes.
Mathilda suavely waved good-bye to the Genn family as the carriage moved on.
Giordano got up to look at the Genn baby and smiled a genuine smile as the carriage took him away.
“What a sweet boy,” Goldstar said, squeezing Luckbringer’s shoulder to prompt her to move on. “So glad he has none of his parent’s haughtiness.”
“His father isn’t haughty,” she grumbled as they walked towards the herbal shop. Poor Giordano, stuck with the wrong side of his family. Would they ruin him, or would he keep his natural innocence?
“What do you mean?” Goldstar asked, puzzled.
She remembered he didn’t know what had happened at the Governor’s palace before her divorce, as Damir had unbelievably managed to keep it under wraps.
“Giordano is not Damir’s son,” she explained. “Damir is sterile. Mathilda toyed with Conall the half-blood.”
“Marina Isabel’s son who had been secretly kept prisoner at the palace?” Goldstar asked, incredulous. “So who knew he was there, besides the Waiora that rescued him?”
“Damir, his personal valet who fed Conall, Mathilda and I,” Luckbringer sighed. “I think even Desiderio knew at some point, but he decided to ignore his son’s misdeeds. I tried to heal Conall before Mathilda used him but he was so hurt, I guess only the Waiora could actually help. But that opened my eyes on Damir, he’s a monster and his hatred for Conall made him do things to the poor half-blood, I still shiver at the memory.”
“So Giordano has his father’s eye-color,” Goldstar mused. “I was wondering how that was possible. I mean, Lady Fairuza has blue eyes, but not really that shade of blue. And I don’t know what Mathilda’s ancestors look like, but they probably don’t have a Waiora eye-color.”
“And Damir is so happy, he can’t see it,” she said scornfully. She looked at Joyspring’s emerald eyes and smiled. “Humans are tricky, honey,” she told the baby who smiled. “Stay away from them when you grow up.”
Goldstar chuckled. “Yes, don’t be as silly as your mother!”
“Goldstar!”
He quickly hugged her and they entered the herbalist’s shop. Luckbringer was very glad to be rid of her crush on Damir. Life with Goldstar was the best thing she could dream of.
She prayed Ether to give Joyspring a Human-free life, so she wouldn’t have to struggle with the feelings and passions Humans liked to impose on Genn.
Books of the Immortals – Ether is set 15 years later and deals mostly with Luckbringer’s daughter Joyspring.
In between you can also read Conall’s sons about Giordano, who also appears at the beginning of Ether.
