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  And I was still enjoying the views when Hector said to me, “Okay, we’re all by ourselves here. Teddy is one of your biggest fans. Show him.”

  Olympia groaned but didn’t object. I transformed from Inconspicuous Me into Bloody Mary. Hector toasted me with his glass of wine.

  Teddy whooped with excitement. “I don’t believe it! Really? You seemed so small.”

  Again, I felt that odd mix of pleasure at being recognized and embarrassment at their enthusiasm. “It’s true but remember I didn’t willingly fight as a gladiator. And all of that prize money I earned went to my owners.”

  Unlike his great-granddad, who kept grinning at me, Teddy’s smile vanished. “Right. Sure. Was the fighting itself real or staged?”

  “Oh, extremely real, and I suffered plenty from those punches and kicks, earned this face honestly.”

  “Sorry,” he said, “but great-grandpapa probably told you. He and I’ve watched as many of your matches as we could. You’re a great warrior.”

  For some reason I could accept his praise much better than Hector’s. Maybe it was because he was still a kid, and he had a right to be immature. For whatever reason, I answered his questions about the gladiator world and my life as a sorceress while we cruised down the coast. Hector and Olympia joined in the conversation now and then, but they mostly listened as I talked about the bad old days.

  What I didn’t tell them was I wouldn’t go back. If I got to the point where I was about to be enslaved, I’d kill myself first.

  It seemed so strange to think such dark thoughts in such a beautiful place. The forested mountains tended to run straight to the sea, a forbidding coast with damned few places where someone could farm or operate a ranch. The land seemed to be untouched by man, except at widely scattered sites where people had cleared enough forest to build a house or barn.

  We spotted a number of seals and otters, and once, a California gray whale breached the surface a few hundred yards from our boat. I took pictures with my phone until he dove again. This area did seem like heaven. Thanks to the company, the scenery, and the wine, I slowly relaxed. Everyone in Monterey might’ve been right. I needed this time to clear my head.

  -o-o-o-

  AFTER HOURS OF cruising, we came to a flat headland about three miles long perched a hundred feet above restless sea which beat at sheer, black cliffs.

  “Home, dull home,” Teddy said. “Welcome to Elysium.”

  “I can see why your ancestors chose this place,” I said. “Talk about being out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “We’re not completely isolated anymore,” Olympia said. “We have satellite service, both cable TV and Internet. And we can use that connection to make phone calls and send emails.”

  Teddy kept the boat a quarter-mile away from the dark, foreboding cliffs. “Where do you land?”

  Hector smiled. “Patience, Moira. We’re almost there.”

  A small town rested on the southernmost part of the headland. It’s largest building was a white, three-story structure that reminded me of pictures I’d seen of the old temples in Greece. It was surrounded by a wide green meadow filled with goats and cows.

  My curiosity grew because the town seemed inaccessible. Finally, though, we rounded a spit of land jutting out into the water. On the opposite side, a deep, narrow cove ran back to the forest. Farther south, the mountains dropped straight into the ocean again.

  The cove was only a quarter-mile wide at its mouth, and it extended back a half-mile to the mouth of a river. Teddy steered between giant blocks of black rock that formed a breakwater blocking most of the entrance to the cove. The boulders left a gap only fifty feet wide, and our pilot took the boat right through the center.

  Inside the barrier, the water’s surface was perfectly still. At the far end, a small beach extended on both sides of the river. That spot looked inviting after seeing so many miles of rocky shore, and I made a mental note to check it out as soon as I could.

  “What a gorgeous place,” I said more to myself than to the others. “How many people live here?”

  They grinned back at me, apparently pleased at my spontaneous reaction.

  “Fewer than fifty now,” Olympia said, “I can’t imagine living anywhere else, but the only jobs here are either farming or working at the resort. Unfortunately, when most of our children grow up, they leave for better opportunities. My son Leo did that, made a fortune on the kickboxing circuit and travelled the world. But he also saw a lot he didn’t like, and when he retired from fighting, he came back home.”

  I wasn’t surprised at his reaction. After growing up in such a remote place, Leo was probably dying to see the outside world. For me, having lived away from this place all my life, it seemed like a perfect refuge where I could catch my breath.

  I glanced at Teddy and wondered if he’d stay. He didn’t volunteer an opinion. I asked, “Is Leo your dad?”

  “Uncle. Dad’s just a farmer, but at least he stuck around and raised his kids. Uncle Leo has never tied himself down.”

  “He came back for us,” Olympia said. “And he did bring back a boyfriend.”

  Teddy snorted. “Rick? After a few weeks, he was dying of boredom. No wonder that he left on the first boat that arrived from the outside.”

  I was going to follow up with a question, but Teddy was busy adjusting the boats speed and direction so we didn’t plow into any of the other ten boats moored in the cove. Then he steered us to a sturdy wooden dock sticking out on the north side of the cove.

  I helped him tie the boat off, and we disembarked and piled into an old SUV. Olympia drove up a one-lane, rocky road that climbed the hillside to reach the headland. The town spread out before us. It included several dozen houses, but many of them looked vacant. A restaurant or bar sat main street, and a grocery store with a single gas pump occupied the opposite side of the road. Those seemed to be the only open businesses.

  On the far side of town, the resort consisted of the three-story main building, a barn, and several smaller structures. The hotel contained gothic columns that rose from the ground to the roof. Plenty of windows filled the white expanse between the columns.

  “You built it out of marble?” I said to no one in particular.

  Teddy laughed. “Of course not. This is California, not Greece.”

  He parked in front of the building, and we grabbed the luggage. Hector led us into an airy, bright lobby that looked like the old hotels from a century ago. Tall tapestries covered the walls showing Greeks dressed in togas while fighting and hunting.

  Most of the open space was filled with a conversation area with comfortable chairs and coffee tables. In the room’s center, a large marble fountain gurgled. Statues of nymphs and satyrs played in the water. The lobby seemed particularly cool and refreshing after such a long trip, and I almost ran over to it to splash water on my face.

  Teddy walked behind a marble counter and retrieved a key. “Mom’s given you a suite on the top floor,” he said. “The views are slightly better from up there. It’s three hundred a night, if that’s okay.”

  I wasn’t about to complain. It was only money, and for the first time in my life, I could enjoy traveling in style. A wide, spiral staircase led up to the other floors, and the railings were polished mahogany. Man, is this resort amazing or what?

  The Diogenes Suite was large and comfortably furnished. French doors opened to a balcony that faced south overlooking the cove. Beyond it, I could see a part of the rocky coast that wasn’t obscured by fog. Past the town, there were no signs of civilization. I was seeing what the first Greek immigrants must’ve seen and marveled at.

  It had been a long trip, so I poured myself a glass of Athiri wine and sipped it as I used the hotel’s Wi-Fi to let Dana and Philippe know I’d made it there safely.

  -o-o-o-

  I’D DRIFTED OFF in my comfortable chair and slept through happy hour. Being hungry, I headed to the small dining room on the first floor. The
windows faced west, and the sun’s dying light illuminated a gray gazebo perched out on the promontory we’d passed. It was too late to visit it, particularly since a squall was passing overhead, but I promised myself I’d check it out in the morning.

  As I passed two couples already eating in the dining room, they paid no attention to me. Perfect. I needed a little solitude to unwind. So, I enjoyed a fabulous dinner of local lobster and vegetable while I watched the ocean disappear into the darkness. Why had I made such a fuss about coming here?

  Then I answered my own question. I didn’t want to leave Philippe, Dana, and the others. I sipped my expresso and decided I could stand to be alone for a change after all. And I wondered what I’d do to pass the time over the coming days. Despite what Gill had said about staying weeks, that wasn’t in the cards. I had too many commitments in the real world.

  Luckily, this place didn’t seem to be highly regimented. My schedule had been too packed back at the inn. I needed to strike a balance, training as much as possible while not overdoing it. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was possible for someone as obsessive as me.

  Chapter 15

  AFTER DINNER, OLYMPIA walked up and refilled my cup. I invited her to join me, and she poured herself an expresso, too. Then she asked, “Would you like to talk about your time here?”

  “Perfect, I was just wondering.”

  “Ian showed me your training schedule back in Monterey, and I was astonished that one person could do so many things.”

  “I stayed busy,” I said. “There always seemed to be a new angle I could try to get stronger. In case you haven’t heard, my mom and sister are still slaves. Everything I do these days is focused on getting strong enough to fight for their freedom.”

  She nodded. “Here, life moves at a slower pace. In fact, you don’t have to move at all, if you don’t want to.”

  I appreciated the offer, but I couldn’t slack off completely. “No rest for the wicked. I’d like to dial back the craziness, but I didn’t come here for vacation. How much time can you and Leo spare me?”

  “All you need. Ian thinks it would be best for us to focus on improving your ability to read people. I can see where that would be useful for a fighter, but improving relationships is beneficial for everyone.”

  She seemed to be giving me a chance to avoid most of the whole touchy-feely agenda, and I jumped at it. “He’s right, I need help reading people. That’s the big priority. Once I get my family back together, we will all come up here for hugs and kisses.”

  I cringed as I realized how thoughtlessly I’d put her down. “Sorry, didn’t mean it that way. Your dad isn’t the only one who can be socially inappropriate. I’ll watch my mouth better.”

  Her face had frozen for an instant, then she sighed. “Well, you warriors do like to avoid getting close to others, don’t you?”

  She’d hit the nail on the head. We were uncomfortable sharing feelings, so we pushed folks away. “The truth is, I’m borderline crazy. I need a complete mental overhaul. But it’s going to have to wait until I kick a few more butts. I promise, I will come back with my sisters and Mom, and you can turn me into a functioning human being.”

  She gazed at me for a moment with a bemused smile. “Does putting yourself down actually keep your loved ones at a distance?”

  She was too sharp. “Better than it works on you, that’s for sure. It’s just that, for the time being, I have to be fanatically focused on getting tougher.”

  She shrugged. “As you wish. You and I can spend two hours a day together. I imagine that will be as much time as could be productive. I’ll teach you how to recognize nonverbal cues and what they mean. And my son will enjoy the chance to spar with you. A few experienced fighters come through here to train with him, but not nearly as many as we’d like. And the honeymooners,” she waved her hand at the two couples, “never seem to be interested in fighting with him.”

  Newlyweds. No wonder they only had eyes for each other. “Hector seems plenty vigorous. Does he spar with his grandson?”

  “Every day, but they’ve fought so many times, they know each other’s tricks too well. Leo is really looking forward to meeting someone new.”

  “That’s great. I need to keep myself sharp while I’m up here, so I’m happy to accommodate him. Does he use Holar magic?”

  She sipped her coffee and shook her head. “My only regret is that his magic never developed much. His father and I are both blessed that way, and Hector, of course, is an extraordinary magician, but sometimes magic skips a generation. Neither of my children are particularly gifted, but then Teddy came along. He’s my pride and joy. We all expect him to make the world take notice. Ian has already agreed to take him as a disciple when he comes of age.”

  She sighed again. “Teddy can’t wait to go. I’m sure he’ll ask you all about Monterey and the clan.”

  I fought to keep a smile from forming because she seemed so sad to lose him. But he seemed like a great kid, and he’d be welcomed into the Garda with open arms.

  -o-o-o-

  Tuesday, March 9th

  IN THE MORNING, after a breakfast of Greek yogurt and fruit, I took my expresso and walked out to the gazebo on the headland. The old redwood structure rested twenty feet from the edge of the cliff. I sat on a porch swing facing north and watched the waves crash against the black rocks below. The closest breakers were a few hundred yards away, and from there, the black cliffs stretched for miles to the north. The surf was definitely up, and it smashed headlong into the land sending tall clouds of water and foam high into the air. A dull, continuous roar drowned out most other sounds. From time to time, seabirds floated overhead, but they rarely called out. A mist coated my skin and clothes, and the fresh salty breeze invigorated me. This was the perfect place to hide from the world.

  The constant roar contrasted with the eerily quiet hotel. Except for occasional voices, I’d been enveloped in silence. That would help my powers of concentration, but as I sat on the swing, I had no trouble meditating.

  When I felt recharged, I walked north on one of the resorts trails. A young woman at the front desk had given me a map and explained that the Greeks owned the entire headland, all two thousand acres of farmland and pastures near the ocean. Farther east, they also owned ten thousand acres of land covered with old growth redwood forest. Almost all of it remained untouched, just as it had existed since time immemorial.

  I followed a trail that skirted the edge of the cliffs from the promontory to the northern extent of the headland, where the mountainside dropped straight to the sea again. There, the trail turned east for a half-mile until it reached the boundary of the woods and skirted it, encircling the mostly open ground until it returned to the hotel again.

  Some of the fields had been plowed and seeded, but the pastures were filled with tall grass. In some spots, large patches of orange and yellow California poppies mixed with other flowers. This was pastoral beauty at its best. My body seemed to unwind with each step as I let my worries fall away. I would be doing all I could to prepare for the future, and Olympia had told me they hadn’t been attacked by sorcerers in more than a decade.

  I returned to the hotel and ate lunch. As I passed through the lobby, Teddy was waiting for me. He offered to show me on a hike up into the hills, and I gladly agreed.

  We followed a trail along the river I’d seen the day before. On each side of the rushing water, the undergrowth was too dense to see more than a dozen yards. The deep green vegetation, mainly ferns, bushes and small trees, somehow managed to live in the shade cast by towering redwoods. And everything dripped from the rain that had fallen overnight.

  As we walked, he asked me more about modern America and the Celtic clan in Monterey. I told him what I could, but I kept reminding him that I’d grown up in an isolated society, too. We both had a lot to learn about the world.

  Deep in the forest, the only sounds came from our footfalls, water churning in the river, and lots o
f birds and squirrels. I kept stopping to peer at new discoveries. I’d never seen a forest so lush and filled with life.

  Many of the trees along the trail were over ten feet wide at the base, and when I passed one bigger than the rest, I stopped and hugged it like I’d clung to that ancient redwood near Santa Cruz. Within seconds, I felt the low hum I’d noticed before, and my magical core resonated in harmony.

  “Don’t mind me,” I said, “I’m a tree slut. I’ll give myself to any of the big boys who ask.”

  His face flashed red, probably horrified at what I’d said, and him still a teenager. “Sorry, very inappropriate.”

  He shook his head and laughed. “My parents keep warning me about you older women from the outside. Lucky, girls my age like to spend time in these woods, too.”

  In other words, I was too old for him. That was comforting to know I wouldn’t inadvertently give him the wrong impression.

  I held the tree for a few minutes, savoring the experience, until I’d taken advantage of Teddy’s patience long enough. He didn’t try to hurry me along, but I didn’t want to be late for my first meeting with Olympia.

  “We have to go back,” I said.

  While we hiked downhill, my legs felt rubbery, like I’d drunk a bottle of wine. The redwood was that good. Unfortunately, the ground was wet and slippery, and I had to step carefully to make sure I didn’t slip and fall on my ass.

  Teddy, on the other hand, had no trouble. Although he was big for his age, he moved with fluid grace, like a young Greek god. No wonder that the girls his age wanted to get him alone in these woods.

  We made it back to the hotel just in time.

  “Thanks for the company,” I said to him.

  “My pleasure,” he said with a friendly, casual smile. “We’ll have to do it again sometime. I work in the mornings, so my afternoons tend to be free.”

  He waved goodbye as he entered a room behind the front desk.

  Olympia spotted me from across the lobby and motioned for me to approach.