Chapter 6

"I kind of wish my family was like yours," Tabitha told Kainen wistfully. "But they aren't."

"Well, now you have a large family that will actually care about you," Kainen told Tabitha, as they both got into the rental car. "We'll be invited to things like birthday and anniversaries parties. Also, holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. We don't necessarily have to attend these things, as it's not mandatory, but we probably will make at least some of them."

"It sounds wonderful," Tabitha decided actually clapping her hands excitedly. "My parents aren't really the type to host a lot of events like parties, even before we disagreed on the courses I wanted to take in college, so it'll be nice to experience something like that."

The two were silent as Kainen drove towards the hotel that he had made a reservation at in advance. Kainen had actually gotten only one room after asking Tabitha if she minded sharing with him, and since she hadn't, he hadn't seen the point of getting a separate room for Tabbi. The hotel room came with a nice queen size bed, which was certainly big enough for the two of them to sleep together and even make love, though Kainen had always used a condom as he hadn't wanted to start to turn Tabbi immortal until she knew his secret.

"You are part of this family now Tabbi, never doubt that for a second. You'll be smothered with so much love and affection you'll go into shock. Your choices will always be yours, as my family would never imagine trying to force one of their children, too go into a certain career. I mean, my parents or my godparents didn't try to convince me not to be an artist. You'll probably be astonished at their casual acceptance of whatever you decide to do with your life. An immortal happiness and their children's happiness is really all that matters. My family is nothing like your parents. They are always accepting of their children's right to choose their own path. I'm not saying your parents don't love you, because from what you've told me I know they do, but that doesn't mean that they wanted you to go into an art career, to have to struggle to get recognized as a serious artist. They just want you to go into an easier career and went about trying to change your mind in the wrong way."

"I'll say they did!" Tabitha exclaimed. "Still, I can see, that being immortal you'd be miserable if you were forced to become a doctor or a lawyer or any profession that your parents thought was more suitable then that of an artist," Tabitha said.

"That's only part of it Tabbi. Even if they were completely mortal, they would still be accepting of their children's choices, as that's just who they are," Kainen told his mate, even as he drove towards the hotel they were staying at.

A five star course as none of his family ever stayed anywhere else unless it was a quaint little bed and breakfast or inn.

"They're not though, as they've seen what it does to families who don't accept their children's choices, so they don't interfere. Of course, if that child is going down a bad path like by taking drugs or hanging out with a bad crowd then it's a parents right to interfere to try to correct it, but not just over their choice of career. I hope you'll marry me at some point," Kainen told her.

The sudden switching of the subject, shocked Tabitha, though she knew she shouldn't be, as she had known from the beginning what Kainen's goal was. Considering that his family had just told her about immortals and magic and she had mostly accepted it she shouldn't be so surprised at the subject change.

"You know what my goal was from the beginning so don't act so shocked now," Kainen said noticing Tabitha's expression.

"It's more that you suddenly changed the subject to that, that has me shocked. I wasn't expecting you to change the subject so suddenly," Tabitha told him her shock wearing off and Kainen chuckled appreciatively. "Yes, I knew what your goal was nearly from the beginning when we begin dating and since I haven't run screaming into the night that ought to tell you that I have mostly accepted what your family told me, even if I'm still trying to absorb a lot of it."

"Of course you are, it's to be expected," Kainen told her. "My family knows that what they are and what they can do is earthshattering news for a regular mortal. It's one reason we usually do this on a weekend when most people don't have to work or at least we do it on Friday night, so they have a couple of days to absorb what they've learned about someone that they've been dating. Someone that they have no idea is at all unusual, as we act and look human because we basically are human, except for the immortality and the magic,"

"I had no idea such a thing existed, as immortality, much less magic, until tonight," Tabitha shaking her head in wonder.

"Of course you didn't, as most people never discover that there's anything unusual about the world around them because they don't bother to look past the obvious and look deeper. Magicals basically went underground near the end of the dark ages, because it was considered evil and wrong even if it was used for good. The only way we could survive and thrive back then was to hide from the primitive authorities, so they didn't find out about us. If those primitive authorities had found out about us would have been very bad at the time. Today, it's very likely that the same thing would happen that did so many hundreds of years ago during the Salem Witch Trials," Kainen explained. "You know that ironic thing?"

"What?" Tabitha asked curiously.

"The ironic thing is, that during the era where the Salem Witch Trials took place is that they mostly didn't burn witches just ordinary people that had ticked off the authorities of the day mostly women. Women that the men in high positions of power had impure thoughts about, so of course, she was a witch all because she wasn't married. All the woman had to be was young, beautiful and single for her to be considered a witch back then. It didn't matter if it was the man with those impure thoughts. There thinking was that they wouldn't be having such thoughts if the lady in question wasn't a witch. Most women married incredibly young back then in their teens as soon as they started puberty."

"That's way too young," Tabitha said, winkling her nose at that rather surprising information or at least it was surprising to her, but then, she had never been a history buff so she really didn't know what it was like back centuries ago.

"You have to remember that humans didn't live as long back then and they often died by the time they were 30 so they had to marry at a very young in order to have as many children as possible, since kids died from all kinds of diseases. As society has progressed lifespans have gotten a lot longer than they used to be back then for humans," Kainen explained. "Laws are in existence now that weren't back then.

"Well, I suppose, if humans died really young back then I can understand them marrying some girl that had just hit puberty," said Tabitha.

"Today you need permission from a parent or guardian to marry before you're 18," Kainen said. "There were no such laws back then."

Tabitha thought about Jazz's comment about a Jorge and was very curious to know what she had meant, but now was not the time to ask Kainen about it, as they were nearly to the hotel. She would be asking him, however, as her curiosity was going to eat her alive otherwise.

Kainen pulled up at the hotel they were staying in and landed in one of the free spots in the parking lot. The doors automatically opened as soon as Kainen shut off the engine and he got out and met Tabitha on the sidewalk.

"Shall we, my lady?" Kainen inquired offering Tabitha his hand.

"Of course, kind sir," Tabitha said, smiling, taking his hand pushing Jazz's comment to the back of her mind for now.

The two of them walked hand-in-hand into the hotel, and to the elevator immediately heading up to their room.

~~~Kainen and Tabitha~~~

"I have something else to tell you before we head for dinner at my parents place," Kainen told Tabitha the day before they were to head back to San Francisco.

"What are the secrets could you possibly be keeping, as the two you revealed were certainly shocking enough," Tabitha asked. "I'm still trying to absorb a lot of it."

"I know and I'm sorry about that," Kainen apologized, even as he rubbed her tight shoulders. It was as if Tabitha was preparing to hear even more news that was going to shock her.

"So? What is it?" Tabitha asked. "Just get whatever you have to tell me out of your system, so that I'm not dreading whatever you have to say. Well dreading and anticipating."

"It is simply that most every magic users has a talent that is specific to them," Kainen explained calmly. "My talent, as well as my imagination, makes me a very good artist."

"So your magic is why you went into the profession you did?" Tabitha realized, and Kainen nodded. "So how does your talent help you in your art?"

"I am what is known as a metal mage," Kainen explained. "Basically, I can shape any type of metal into whatever form I choose. If I'm working with more than one piece like if it's a statue, I don't need a soldering iron or a blowtorch or any tools that ordinary metal artists use."

"I've been to your studio though, and I saw all those things," Tabitha said.

"They're just for show, because people come to my studio sometimes, so I have all the tools that any artist that works with metal would have, but I don't need them. Remember, magic is supposed to be a secret, so outside of people like you no one else needs to know," Kainen explained. "It's why my seams to where I join the the pieces are so fine that it basically looks like I made it out of one piece of metal unless someone looks very closely and people have been wondering how I do that."

"I understand," Tabitha said. "I won't say I've heard the talk, but then I'm not part of the gossip when it comes to that kind of art. Working with metal is just a different type of art then what I do. I'm not even sure I've ever seen any of your work, though I suppose, I might have, and didn't realize you were the artist. Remember, I told you, back when we first met, that I had never heard of you, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen some of your work somewhere," Tabitha said. "I would love to see how you work sometime, as it sounds fascinating and it will give me a chance to see magic at work."

"Of course, you can. You are the only person I will ever have allowed to be in my studio while I'm actually working and yes, I know I showed you where I work, but I wasn't actually in the middle of a project when you were there," Kainen told her. "Remember, I can't allow most people to know how I make a statue out of metal."

"Which is why you've never had anyone observe the process before," Tabitha said.

"That is largely the reason, but also some people don't know how to just observe and not talk or distract me in other ways when I'm at a critical phase of changing the shape of whatever metal I'm working with," Kainen explained. "I don't like having to start all over again because then that's energy wasted. I'm always tired after I finish a piece, because using my magic takes a lot out of me, but then, that's true for all magic users depending on what they're doing with it of course."

"That little light you showed me..." Tabitha began.

"Witch light," Kainen reminded her of the name. "They don't take much energy to produce, so no, I wasn't tired after I'd shown you that piece of magic. I was using only my own personal power, though it is possible to combine powers if necessary if you're trying to do something that takes a lot of energy and magic. We can discuss that later, though, as I know you still have a lot to think about, and I don't want to overload you anymore, but you needed to know about my special talent before we go to dinner in a few hours."

"Why did I need to know now though?" Tabitha wondered.

"Because my uncle gave me a look that told me I would be getting asked whether I had told you or not as soon as my family saw us for that meal we promised to be there for before heading back to San Francisco," Kainen explained.

"Can you communicate telepathically," Tabitha wondered. "I would think you wouldn't know what such a look meant."

"No, we can't communicate telepathically," Kainen chuckled at Tabitha's naïve question. He could see why his mate would think that, but any immortal picked up how to read body language and facial expressions if they were any age at all. Really though, it was a logical question because people had trouble understanding how they knew what others in their family meant just from a look. "You have to remember, honey, that we're immortal, so we have skills that most people don't have like being able to read peoples expressions and body language. I'm older than I look so yes, I knew exactly what my uncle meant when he gave me that significant look, as there was only one thing he could possibly mean. You just wait sometime during our visit I'll be asked whether I told you or not in private and I'll be able to answer honestly that yes, I did."

"If you say so," Tabitha said shaking her head in amazement and Kainen simply grinned adorably at her.

"You'll eventually be able to do it too you just wait and see," Kainen grinned at her unrepentantly

"Now, that I have told you my last biggest secret, why don't we go do something for a few hours before we have to join my family for dinner?" suggested Kainen.

"I think I'm going to be discovering things about you for decades to come," Tabitha told Kainen smiling.

"You will be, just like I'll be discovering things about you," Kainen assure her.

"I have far more to learn about you than you do about me, though," Tabitha told him.

"We'll see," said Kainen.

Tabitha didn't reply at Kainen's answer of 'we'll see', and simply shook her head.

"What do you suggest we do as we really don't have that long before dinner, just about three hours," Tabitha asked.

Kainen suggested several things and Tabitha picked one, which was to tour a museum, because they really didn't have that much time before they were going to dinner with Kainen's parents and godparents and probably his little brother.

"We won't be able to tour the whole museum," Tabitha said.

"I know," Kainen agreed, "but we can at least do part of it before that dinner unless you just want to stay here and fuck each other senseless of course, but I figure since we're in Bar Harbor, we might as well see at as many sites as possible. I know we've gone to see some of the major sites in the last couple of days, but we leave on one of the last shuttles to head back home after dinner with my family, so we might as well at least tour part of one of the museums here before we leave. We'll be back many more times over the centuries."

"Yes, we can make love any time, but since we're here anyway you're right, we might as well see some of the sites. It's why we've stayed an extra couple of days," Tabitha agreed. "Not that making love with you isn't always out of this world."

"That I totally agree with, but then, from what I understand from all the mated couples in my family making love to your mate is always better than making love to anybody else," Kainen said. "Just wait until I don't have to use a condom anymore."

"Why have you been using a condom as I'm on the pill, so I won't get pregnant before I marry," Tabitha asked Kainen, as the two of them exited their hotel room and headed for their car.

"I know I told you I didn't want you to get pregnant and that using a condom was just an extra precaution, since I know, birth control pills aren't always completely reliable depending on what brand you're taking and how much sex a couple indulges in, but really, I didn't want to turn you immortal," Kainen explained, as they both got into the car and started the engine.

"So that's how you do it," Tabitha breathed in understanding from the passenger seat, even as the seat webbing automatically engaged to buckle her in securely. "You turn someone immortal through sex."

"That's the way the males do it, yes," Kainen agreed, "which is whenever we have sex with anybody who isn't our mate we always use a condom whether the lady is on the pill or not. Of course, now that I've met you, I never intend to have sex with anybody else, but there are plenty of male members of my family that have not yet met their mates, so they're free to have other relationships, even if none of them are serious."

"Yeah, I would never want to go without sex for centuries," Tabitha said making a face, as she imagined doing just that.

"Exactly and it usually takes that long to meet your mate, as usually no immortal is as lucky to meet them in just a few decades," said Kainen. "Still, from an immortal's perspective a lot of my family have met their mates a lot sooner than neither my parents or godparents expected it to happen. However, after the first few times they did our family started to consider ourselves extremely blessed."

"So a lot of your family have met their mates?" Tabitha inquired curiously and Kainen nodded.

"Yes, they have and believe me, it usually takes a lot longer for an immortal to meet the right person and they just know when they have as you are aware."

"You said you felt as if you had hit a brick wall the second you laid eyes on me," Tabitha said remembering what she had been told by Kainen.

"Exactly," Kainen agreed. "I know you noticed the way my eyes widened, as if in shock. I was surprised and that was because I'd met my mate when I wasn't expecting it, but that's always the way it happens. You never know when your mate is going to cross your path, whether in a store of some kind or at some kind of event, a party or a concert or even an educational lecture or a speech of some kind. You can meet your mate anywhere, at any time and an immortal is never prepared for when it actually happens, even if really, they are always searching whenever they're out of their own homes."

"So your mate could literally be anybody your vid repairman or your handyman, even someone like your mechanic," Tabitha said and Kainen nodded, even as he drove towards his parents house.

"Yes, exactly. You've caught on quickly," Kainen said.

"What about same-sex couples has that ever happened?" Tabitha asked well aware men could love other men in a romantic and sexual way and so could women love other women.

"I know there's a lot of it out there but no, it's never happened in my family," Kainen said. "If that happened, my family every single one of them, would accept it, but so far, it's always been a man and a woman who meet and the one that is immortal knows they've met their mate, even if the one that is mortal doesn't."

"How do you know your family would accept two men being together or two women for that matter?" Tabitha asked.

"Because an immortal could no more reject their mate then they could stop breathing or in the immortals case die. We can't die by any ordinary means, though I'm not saying it's not possible," Kainen explained. "To reject your mate, even if they're the same sex you are, is to cause yourself endless emotional and mental agony and then that immortal would find a way to die permanently if they were to be so foolish.

"My family is aware of this, so if it ever does happen, they won't be rejecting that person just on the principal that they're the same sex, as that would mean that their child would ask one of them to end their life or find some other way to do it if they refused."

"Well, I see I have a lot to learn," Tabitha said after a moment now, knowing that Kainen's family would accept anybody, even if they were the same sex because if they didn't, that would mean the death of that immortal by someone else's hand, something no loving parent wanted to contemplate.

"You'll get there," Kainen said encouragingly. "Give yourself time you'll pick everything up eventually. You're still trying to absorb something rather fantastic and unbelievable so you need to give yourself time to do so."

"You're right," Tabitha admitted. "I'll try not to ask anymore questions until I have time to finish absorbing what I learned just a few days ago."

"Questions are natural, I understand that and so will everyone else," said Kainen. "That doesn't mean you don't need time to sort out everything in your head, however."

"That is very true," Tabitha decided and leaned back in her seat, falling silent and looking out the window.

~~~Kainen and Tabitha~~~