TWO: MUTINY (The Origins of Captain Smith)

B'Bodian Smizek was born to be a soldier. Every man in his family was a member of the Eltarian Guard. B'Bodian had been born on a Military base, and from an early age, he was trained in that way of life. His first few years were relatively happy. He adored his mother, a nurturing woman who raised him to respect people and to always have honor. "Remember, B'Bodian," she said often. "Love is the greatest magic there is. Have love in all you do."

In contrast, his father was a highly-ranked and respected member of the Guard, along with his uncle. He was a stern man and served with pride. B'Bodian was quite honored to be his son and hoped to one day serve Eltar as well.

His mother and aunt were both gifted with sorcery, and B'Bodian had inherited the gift. His mother enjoyed training him to use his magic. It brought them closer together. When B'Bodian was three, his sister Narilyssa was born. Lyssa, as she was called, also showed an affinity for sorcery at a young age. B'Bodian helped his mother train her as he grew a bit older. He loved them both dearly.

Things changed when B'Bodian was eight. His mother was assaulted by another member of the Guard who was jealous of B'Bodian's father. When she came to her husband in tears, he murdered her in his outrage that she'd "let" another man touch her. B'Bodian witnessed the crime. His father ordered him to tell no one what he had done. He went after the soldier who'd assaulted his wife and killed him, making it appear as if the man had murdered B'Bodian's mother before killing himself. To keep his son compliant, he told him he would hurt Lyssa if B'Bodian dared to speak against him. To protect his five-year-old sister, B'Bodian obeyed his father.

B'Bodian remained compliant for years, even as the guilt of knowing the truth ate away at him. He despised his father, but he knew he had to obey orders. His father insisted he stop embracing his gift for sorcery and focus instead on physical combat. He was born to be a soldier, and that was the only path he was allowed to follow. Although B'Bodian still practiced minor magic in secret, he could not nurture his gift the way he previously had. He excelled in combat training, and quickly earned the attention of Lady Eleanor, the fiercest person on all of Eltar. She began to train him herself, fully believing he would one day be one of the greatest warriors Eltar had ever seen. He was officially enlisted in the Guard by the time he was eleven, which was unheard of.

Everything changed once more when B'Bodian was seventeen. He came home from training and sensed something was wrong inside of the house. B'Bodian hurried to Lyssa's room and discovered his little sister asleep in her bed, or so he thought. "Lyssa? Lyss, can you hear me?" He asked, sensing she was not well. "Narilyssa!" He called again.

Lyssa didn't respond. He saw a shattered potion bottle beside her bed and knew she must have dropped it. She had taken something… B'Bodian immediately checked her pulse. It was there, but barely, and she was not breathing. Quickly, he performed the life-saving measures the Military had taught him. It was of no use. Lyssa never woke back up. At just fourteen years of age, Narilyssa Smizek, who B'Bodian had loved more than anything, was gone.

He held her for a moment, whispering soothing words she could no longer hear, before he finally released her. B'Bodian only cried for a moment… He could not allow his father to see such weakness. He noticed a journal on his sister's desk and picked it up, taking it to his room and hiding it until he would have time to read it. Perhaps it would shed light on this tragedy.

Lyssa was buried quickly. His father told everyone she had died in her sleep. It was ruled a tragic, but natural, death.

Finally alone, B'Bodian began to read the journal. To his horror, he learned that his uncle and his own father had been abusing Lyssa for years. As the entries continued, they detailed horrific abuse that included Lyssa basically being used as currency between members of the Guard. B'Bodian's heart broke. Lyssa always had a smile on her face. He'd had no idea… His only comfort was the fact that Lyssa had provided a full list of every man who had ever abused her. It was then that B'Bodian began to plot, determined to achieve justice for his beloved little sister.

After months of planning, at eighteen years old, B'Bodian began to kill the men Lyssa had named in her journal. He spent an entire year finding them and delivering swift and efficient ends to their lives. He considered torturing the men, as they had tortured his baby sister, but there was no honor in sinking to their level. He disposed of them so they could do no further harm and that was the end of it. During the course of this, B'Bodian became the youngest ever soldier to receive the rank of Captain in the Guard. Lady Eleanor beamed at him with pride. Even she had no idea what he was up to when not training and serving the Military of Eltar. Finally, at the end of that year, B'Bodian confronted his father and uncle.

"This is for Lyssa," he informed his uncle as he pulled the trigger of his gun. His uncle died quickly. His father stared at him in shock.

"B'Bodian, what have you done?" He demanded.

"What have I done?" B'Bodian asked. "What have you done, Father?" He held the gun steadily on his father, who stared at it with the fear clear in his eyes.

"Nothing! I have done nothing!"

"You killed my mother… And this is partially about that. However, it is also about Lyssa."

"Your sister took her own life. You know this."

"I do. I also know why she did that." He pulled the trigger. His father barely had time to register his words before he fell to the ground dead.

It was Lady Eleanor who discovered B'Bodian standing over his father and uncle. "Captain B'Bodian Smizek!" She said in horror.

"Hello, Lady Eleanor," he said numbly. He was exhausted. He'd killed twenty-seven horrible men who had hurt his sister and who knew how many other innocent children, and now he'd killed his father and uncle. Everyone who had ever harmed his sister was dead. Perhaps he could finally rest.

"B'Bodian… What has happened here?" She asked.

"Justice," he said simply. He did not speak again, even as she was forced to arrest him for High Treason. He did not fight the charges. It became clear he was the man behind all of the other murders as well. Although Lady Eleanor argued for the fact that there must have been a reason for his actions, the Counsel of Eltar sentenced B'Bodian to death for High Treason. Lady Eleanor fought this, and he was granted a stay of execution until the matter could be further investigated, but B'Bodian knew he would most likely die. Eltarians were not a forgiving people when it came to High Treason, no matter the motive. He accepted this. He had committed a crime and he was prepared to face the consequences with honor. The important thing was no one else would be harmed.

Upon learning of the fact that Lady Eleanor was trying to save him from his sentence, B'Bodian's aunt tried to murder him with magic. She cast a spell that slowly shut down his systems until B'Bodian was in such pain he could not even think straight. She abducted him from the prison, using a spell to put the guards to sleep, and took him where no one would find him until he was already dead.

To his surprise, several people arrived. The cavalry had come to save him. He watched them in confusion. His aunt fled, knowing she was outnumbered. A woman gave him a potion of some sort. He drank it, too far gone to even consider whether or not he should trust her. The woman and several of the others began to heal him as the potion worked its way through his body, breaking the spell.

"He will survive," a man said with a smile. "Excellent. I had hoped we would arrive in time." He looked at B'Bodian. "You have nothing to fear from us, my boy. I am called Garron. I had a vision of your situation and we came as soon as we could. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Captain B'Bodian Smizek," B'Bodian replied.

"Captain Smizek, it is an honor to meet you."

The woman who'd given him the potion smiled at him kindly. "Hello, Captain Smizek. I am Vitella, of the Rebellion of Eltar. We have come here today to assist you because we believe you have been unfairly sentenced to death," she said. "Lady Eleanor has provided compelling evidence that your actions may have been justified."

"Lady Eleanor has known me since I was a boy," he said. "That is why she fights for me."

"You are still a boy," Garron said.

"I am a Captain of the Eltarian Guard," B'Bodian argued.

"Yes," Vitella said kindly. "The youngest ever, in fact. This is quite impressive. Captain Smizek, we believe you would do well with us. You saw an injustice… Corruption at the highest level… And you did something about it. On your own, you slaughtered twenty-nine men who hid behind their rank and pretended to have honor while harming a child."

"How did you know that? I did not provide such information, and Lady Eleanor's theories have not been made public."

"I have visions," Garron explained. "I saw what became of your sister… I am terribly sorry for your pain, Captain Smizek. I deeply respect how you chose to handle your grief, however."

"You are a warrior, Captain Smizek," Vitella said. "It would be an honor to have you fight at our side."

"Fight for what?" B'Bodian asked.

"Justice," Vitella promised. "The Rebellion stands against the corrupt governing body of Eltar, and will one day stand against all corrupt governments. We resist their lies. People are not disposable. The lives of the innocent matter. We do not stand for senseless bloodshed or the abuse of power. Stand with us, Captain."

He saw something in her eyes that he trusted. B'Bodian nodded. "Yes," he said. "I accept."

"Excellent. Come with us now and recover. You are a fugitive, Captain. However, we will protect you and help you go underground, where you will continue to fight for justice." She led him away.

Three days later, Raffitty, the infamous son of one of the Senators who had been locked up for daring to attack his father, was released from prison. To B'Bodian's surprise, the boy was brought to the same place he was. "Captain Smizek, this is Raffitty," Garron informed him. "You two shall soon be given tests to prove your loyalty. Get to know one another." He left them alone after that.

Raffitty looked haunted. It was clear he had been through hell in his young life. "Hello," B'Bodian said. "I'm Captain B'Bodian Smizek. It is nice to meet you."

"Captain?" Raffitty asked. "You don't look a day over eighteen."

"I'm nineteen, actually."

"As am I… It's nice to meet you, B'Bodian… I am Raffitty. You may call me Raff. Do you have a preferred name?"

"I have always been B'Bodian… Captain Smizek to the soldiers and to the Rebels… But seeing as how we are the same age, I suppose it would be alright if you called me something more familiar…"

Raff smiled at him. "You don't have any nicknames, do you?"

"No… The Military is a formal place, and I grew up there."

"Well, Captain… You don't have to be a Military officer here with me… Perhaps you can simply be Bob? We could be friends… If you like." The boy seemed shy, and starved for friendship, and he clearly hesitated to even say the words.

B'Bodian smiled. "Bob. Yes, I like that, I think," he replied. "It would be nice to have a friend, Raff… I have never had one before." It was true. He had never been around someone his own age in a casual setting before. The closest he'd come had been his sister.

They shook hands, and B'Bodian was relieved to finally have a friend. It was comforting, in the wake of everything else that had happened.

Two days after that, the boys were assigned their tests. B'Bodian was to kill his aunt, while Raffitty was to kill his abusive father. "It is not a test for you, Captain," Vitella explained. "We know you are capable… However, it is necessary. Your aunt is a threat to you. She will continue to try to kill you if she is not put down. I am sorry, and I know this is asking too much. If you prefer, we can assassinate her… However, I believe you should do it on your terms."

B'Bodian sighed. He knew she was right. If he didn't stop his aunt, she would kill him, and the Rebels would not be kind to her. He knew the honorable thing would be to put her down himself. He agreed. Still, upon seeing her, he tried to reason with her. "Please, I do not want to harm you," he said.

"Really?" His aunt demanded. "You murdered my husband and your own father!"

"My father killed my mother… And your husband and my father tortured Lyssa… They abused her in horrific ways."

"She was a little wench!" His aunt shouted. "I would have ended her myself if she hadn't done it! The whore had relations with my husband!"

"You knew?" He asked softly. "You knew what he did to her?"

"Of course I knew! She must have used her sorcery to seduce him. She deserved the end she met!"

With those words, B'Bodian knew his aunt could not be saved. "I am sorry," he said softly. Then, he fired a shot straight into her head, killing her immediately. He shook his head and closed his aunt's eyes, upset that he'd killed a woman but knowing he'd had no choice. He forced himself to walk away.

He could have killed Kreeda for good measure. His cousin was a year older than he was and she was as skilled with sorcery as her mother. He chose to allow her to live, however, hoping she would choose a path of light.

That day, after he killed the last member of his family aside from Kreeda, B'Bodian became Captain Smizek full-time. He was no longer the boy he had once been. The Rebels had taken to calling him by his title, and it felt right. Only Raff would call him Bob, and he liked that he did. It gave him just a touch of humanity. He never told anyone to call him by his title, but it seemed everyone did anyway. At least Raff still treated him like a person and not just a warrior.

SEVERAL MILLENNIA LATER… CUBA, 1898.

He'd fought in countless wars on Earth. Captain Smith did not know any life but that of a soldier, and he was happy to fight on whatever side he deemed justified. The Civil War in America had been especially interesting, where brother fought against brother over the "right" to own slaves. Captain Smith, who'd taken a liking to New York and set up there a while ago, proudly fought with the North for the freedom of the enslaved people of the South. He was running his own Chapter of the Rebellion on Earth, and they were based in Uptown New York. Whenever he was deployed, his Lieutenant, Kizzie, was in charge of the others. He completely trusted the young sorceress, who he'd basically adopted after saving her from being burned at the stake as a witch. Kizzie had matured quickly and become an indispensible asset to him. He loved her as family and was incredibly proud to know her.

Now, the United States had sent forces to help in what would become the Spanish-American War. Captain Smizek, who had adopted the Earth identity of Captain Bob Smith, had just returned to active duty, this time with the United States Navy. He was stationed in Cuba when something unexpected happened.

One day, Captain Smith was caught up in an ambush while on land. Most of the sailors around him were killed because they had not been anticipating the attack. Captain Smith took out a large number of the assailants, but he took a bullet to save Seaman Hill, the youngest person on the battlefield. He was barely ranked, not even a Petty Officer, and he had only been with them for a few weeks. The boy was brave, but still so young and innocent in many ways. Captain Smith knew he had to protect him. Hill walked away with bruises and some scratches, but Captain Smith was severely wounded. The young boy screamed for a Medic, but none came. Captain Smith tried to reassure him as he accepted he might very well die this time. He was okay with that because he knew he'd made the honorable choice.

A woman made her way through the battlefield, hurrying toward them. She was Cuban, and she took in the carnage with horror on her face. That was quickly followed by a look of determination.

"Americans?" She asked Hill. He nodded. She knelt beside Captain Smith and began looking over his injuries. "The wound is bad, but I can help. I am a nurse," she explained.

"He saved my life," Hill said. "Please don't let him die."

She smiled at them both kindly. "I promise I will do my best," she said.

It was unsafe on the battlefield. As soon as she had stopped enough of the bleeding to risk it, she asked Hill to help her move Captain Smith. They made it to a small home nearby and placed Captain Smith on a bed. The nurse began to patch up Hill's minor injuries. "Go rest," she told him. "There is a cot in the other room. I will care for him."

"Thank you, Miss," Hill said. He hesitated. "Thank you, Captain... Please don't die, Sir." Then, he walked away.

When Hill was gone, the nurse resumed tending to Captain Smith's wounds. She opened his shirt, trying to get a better look at the damage. Captain Smith was aware, but fairly incoherent. He watched her curiously, taking in her strikingly beautiful features. She smiled at him reassuringly.

"You are safe here, Capitan," she told him as she began to disinfect his wound with alcohol. He barely noticed the way it stung. "This may hurt... I must remove the bullet."

He forced himself to nod. She extracted the bullet carefully. Captain Smith was used to pain, and he made no sound as she removed it. He watched her as she moved expertly, treating the wound once the bullet was out and stitching it closed.

"There," she said, smiling at him warmly. "You lost much blood, Capitan, but you will survive."

He finally found his voice as his mind began to clear. He realized he was healing quicker than he should be. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Carolena Fernandez." She pronounced it "Ca-ro-lay-na." And the boy called you..." She hesitated, taking a breath before using the English term. "Captain Smith, si?"

He smiled at her kindly. "Yes... Captain Bob Smith."

"I am pleased to meet you, Capitan. You may return to your people soon."

"Your English is muy bien, Miss Fernandez."

"Thank you... And Carolena will do... Capitan." She smiled at him again and he melted a bit inside.

He was about to reply when suddenly, his body began to tremble violently. He realized something was wrong, but he couldn't focus. Carolena studied him in alarm. "I do not understand..." She mumbled as she frantically checked his vital signs.

Captain Smith understood what was happening. He had reacted this exact way the day his aunt had tried to assassinate him.

"Kreeda..." He mumbled. His aunt might have been long-dead, but her daughter still lived. Apparently, she'd followed in her mother's footsteps after all this time.

"Capitan... What is causing this?" Carolena asked.

"Dark magic... Sorcery..."

Most people would have written such a claim off as delirium. Carolena, however, did not tell him he was insane. Instead, she grabbed a wet cloth to wipe the sweat from his head. "Your fever is high," she said. At least that response was kinder.

"Kizzie..." He mumbled. "I need Kizzie…"

"Kizzie?" Carolena repeated.

"She could blend an antidote..."

"Antidote? Is this a poison? Tell me the cure, Capitan. I shall find it."

"There is no cure on Earth..." He began to have difficulty breathing. This curse was one of the blood. Only a relative could cast it against him, and the only remedy he knew of so long as he had the same blood as his cousin was made of Eltarian herbs. "Bad blood... I need... To cleanse it..."

"You lost much blood... You need more... What is your blood type?"

"Aizzon... A type not seen here..."

Carolena shook her head. "Capitan, you need more blood to survive... I must know your type."

He looked into her eyes and sighed. "Universal... But perhaps not this universe... This planet is different... I have never tried..." He began convulsing severely, and he knew it was too late.

He couldn't register what was happening because of the seizure. At some point, he lost consciousness entirely. He was surprised when he came back into awareness. He blinked several times, trying to clear his head, before he looked up at Carolena. She was brushing his hair away from his eyes gently.

"Welcome back, Capitan," she said. She looked pale.

"Carolena... Are you well?" He asked.

"I will be... And so will you."

It was then that he realized Carolena's wrist was bandaged. "What did you do?" He asked.

"I gave you the only blood I had on hand... My own. Your symptoms slowly subsided."

"It worked? How extraordinary..." He realized that, somehow, Carolena's blood had protected him, acting as a shield against the attack meant to specifically harm his bloodline.

That was when the house began to shake. Suddenly, the roof was blown off, and a woman he'd hoped to never see again came down inside of a small tornado. Captain Smith grabbed Carolena, pulling her behind him protectively. He was impressed that she did not scream in terror, but instead watched the sorceress in fascination.

"What do we do?" She asked him.

"Stay with me. I shall protect you," he vowed.

Kreeda laughed at him. "How terribly sweet... You would protect this pathetic insect who dared to infect you with her impure blood," she said. "It may have protected you from my spell, but it shall be her end! Or... You may come with me willingly, back to Eltar. Face your crimes and I shall not harm her."

Captain Smith nodded. "Stop this destruction and I shall go with you freely," he said. Hill was most likely still in the house, and Carolena had saved his life. He could not let his cousin harm either of them.

"Capitan, no," Carolena objected.

"I shall not allow any harm to come to you, my sweet Carolena. Be safe," Captain Smith said.

As Kreeda prepared to restrain him so she could drag him back to Eltar, a knife landed in her shoulder. Kreeda let out a cry of pain and Captain Smith realized Carolena had thrown the weapon. "You do not come to my home, destroy my property, and abduct the man I worked so hard to rescue," she said firmly. "When I protect someone, it is to the very end!"

Kreeda laughed. "She has an unexpected fire within her, Cousin," she said. "Allow me to extinguish it."

"No!" Captain Smith cried, but it was too late. Kreeda had shoved a sword through Carolena's side. He reacted on impulse, shoving his own sword straight through his cousin's heart. He hated it, but he'd always known this was how it would end. Kreeda was the last person in his family still standing aside from him… Now, even she was gone.

"Vrit, ma'zzahay flimrir," Captain Smith whispered sadly. As Kreeda's body began to burn in a fire that remained contained only to her flesh, he added, "I am so sorry, my cousin… Forgive me…"

Carolena made a soft sound of surprise, alerting him to the fact that she was still alive. Kreeda's body turned to ash and vanished completely as Captain Smith pulled Carolena into his arms. "You are dying…" he whispered in horror. "Stay with me, Carolena… I am here." He quickly pulled a syringe out of his pocket.

"What is that?" Carolena asked weakly.

"It will heal you… I hope," he said. "I would have used it on myself, however, my mind was too unfocused and I didn't think of it." He wasn't sure it would work. The syringe contained a potion meant for Eltarians. It could very well kill this kind human woman who'd saved his life, but he had to try. She was dying anyway. He injected her, knowing it was her only hope.

She gasped in surprise before she began to literally glow. Captain Smith watched this in confusion. Soon, it was clear she had healed and become significantly stronger. "Who are you, Capitan?" She asked. "Honestly?"

He sighed. "Honestly? I am Captain B'Bodian Smizek, of the Eltarian Rebellion, and I am not from this planet. I am sorry you found yourself caught in the middle of my world, Carolena." He looked away from her, horrified at what had just happened. "I understand this must be terrifying to you."

Carolena touched his cheek gently until he looked her in the eye again. "I do not fear you… B'Bodian."

It was the first time someone had called him that in ages. On occasion, Garron used his birth name, but no one else really did anymore, and Raff generally stuck to calling him Bob. "You are incredibly brave, Carolena," he said.

She smiled at him and it made him smile back. "I will keep your secret, B'Bodian. I promise."

He remained with her for two days before finally returning to the battle with Hill by his side. The battle only lasted a couple more weeks, and in that time, Captain Smith found himself thinking about Carolena. They were set to go home and Captain Smith used his last day in Cuba to check on her. To his shock, Carolena ran into his arms.

"B'Bodian… Something has changed within me," she said.

"What do you mean?" He asked, concerned.

"I always had a talent for healing the sick, but now… It is stronger."

"I believe you are a healer, Carolena… I felt subtle magic as you took care of me. Perhaps the trauma of recent events caused it to become stronger?"

"It is more than that… I appear to have developed a few other… New gifts." She opened her hands and a brilliant blue light radiated from them.

This was troubling, to say the least. "You have magic," he said. "Somehow, when you gave me blood or when I injected you with the potion from Eltar, you must have become tainted with Eltarian magic. I have never seen this happen before, but it is clear…"

"What must I do?"

"Are you afraid?"

"No… I do not scare easily, B'Bodian. I thought you realized that by now." She offered him a smile.

He smiled back automatically. "My brave, beautiful Carolena…" He took a deep breath. "You must leave Cuba for a time… I shall send you to New York, to my companions. They can help, and I will return home soon."

To his surprise, she did not argue. Instead, she asked, "You wish for me to go to your home?"

"Yes, Carolena… To receive help, and… Perhaps… To remain by my side. I have grown quite fond of you," he admitted a bit shyly. Captain Smith had been with some women over the millennia, of course, but he didn't typically get attached to them. Unfortunately, there simply wasn't time for things like romance when there were battles to be fought. Still, he could not deny how much he was drawn to Carolena. She was different… Somehow, they were connected, and now, her blood literally ran through him and Eltarian magic ran through her. Perhaps this was the Universe's way of saying she was meant to be in his life. The idea of never seeing her again caused him physical pain.

She smiled wider at his words. "I would like that," she said. She stunned him by kissing him. A surge of electricity shot through them both. He'd never felt anything like that before. "Destino…" She mumbled.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked softly.

"Destiny… This feels like it is destiny, does it not?"

He smiled, pulling her closer to him. She felt so right in his arms he could not understand how he had ever survived not having her there. "It does," he agreed.

"I will go to your home… You promise you will meet me there?" She asked.

"I vow, with all that I have, that I will be at your side once more as soon as possible," he said. "Until then, I shall send you with this." He began writing something down before handing it to her. "Bring this to Kizzie. She will assist you until I return home."

She nodded. "B'Bodian… I shall miss you very much," Carolena told him.

"And I, you, my sweet Carolena… Until we meet again." He kissed her once more before opening up a portal.

Carolena stared at it in wonder. "Such magic! Incredible…" She said.

"It is safe, Carolena. Step through, and go to the address I have written down on the paper. Tell the man at the door that Captain Smith sent you. Kizzie will bring you upstairs once you give her the note."

She nodded before smiling at him a final time. "I shall see you soon, B'Bodian," she said as she stepped through the portal fearlessly.

Some time later, when the sailors returned home, B'Bodian hurried to the building his Chapter resided in. "Welcome home, Sir!" Kizzie greeted him cheerfully.

"Kizzie! I am pleased to be back," he replied.

Carolena entered the room, greeting him with her warm smile. "B'Bodian…" She said.

He pulled her into his arms, relief and joy flooding through him. "My love…" He said softly.

It should have been strange to proclaim such a thing when he hardly knew her, but Captain Smith could not deny their connection. He knew without any doubt that he never wanted to be away from this woman again.

"My Capitan…" She replied, kissing him. "I love you, too." That was all he needed to hear.

Ten years later, it was clear that Carolena had not visibly aged, just as an Eltarian would not have. Her magic had grown stronger and Kizzie continued to help her master sorcery. Captain Smith knew that she'd truly been infected with Eltarian genes, and he would not have to fear losing her to things like the incredibly short life span of humans. He proposed to her and the two were married a short time later with many of the Rebels by their side. Captain Smith knew that Carolena had been right… Their love had been destined, and for the first time since he'd lost Lyssa, he was finally truly happy.

A few decades later, in 1949, they welcomed a daughter name Marie. Like her mother, Marie possessed Eltarian magic. Watching Kizzie train his daughter as an older sibling would train a younger one brought back memories of training with his sister when they were young and gave Captain Smith a sense of peace. He might have lost his family long ago, but he had a new one now. Somehow, Carolena had slowly resurrected something within him that he'd thought he'd lost for good.

Love is the greatest magic there is, he thought with a sad smile. He hoped his mother, wherever she was now, was proud of him.