09-02-2022, 06:00 AM
Lasher barked and came padding out of the room with the spear as Aiden grabbed the book from Dimitri. Aiden forgot himself for an instant as Lasher came to lap his tongue against Aiden’s free hand. He looked down at his faithful hound and rubbed at Lasher’s neck, moving the short fur back and forth in a rhythmic motion. He barked gleefully at the attention as Aiden moved his gaze back to the worn leather book that now sat in his right hand.
Aiden opened the small book and immediately noticed that it was hand written in Old Gaelic. He had translated the language before; it was close enough to modern Gaelic, but old enough to give him problems when trying to read on the fly. Still, a few words at the top of the page stuck out to him enough to reasonably translate the line, “High King Lugh, The Spear, and the Gae Bulg.”
Dimitri cocked an eyebrow. Aiden looked up from the book and smiled widely. The story of the Gae Bulg was an old one, but he had never seen something like this. The earliest writings in Old Gaelic had dated back to the sixth century. Should the book in his hand prove authentic, it would predate any known writings of Lugh by four centuries. Aiden was sufficiently intrigued, “Father knew exactly what I was writing with Russian Dolls. Why did he send this now? I could have used this.”
A easy chair made a squeaking sound as Dimitri shifted uncomfortably. He took another sip from his coffee before clearing his throat and answering, “Yes, well, I had hoped to tell you of this later – but it seems that your parents have relocated.”
Aiden’s eyebrows shot up and his jaw all but dropped, “Re-relocated? Surely not here – not to the CCD?”
Dimitri shook his head quickly, “Oh no, far from it. They seem to be retaining their loyalty. La Jolla. California. They began the move at the end of last week. Your father seems to be clearing out his personal library. They said that they are downsizing.”
Aiden shut his mouth and moved up from the couch and over to the wet bar. He poured another glass of whiskey. He shook his head in disbelief, “Are they selling the manor then?”
“It seems so,” Dimitri replied warily.
A weight took hold of Aiden’s chest. He had grown up in that manor. His earliest memories had been in that manor – his home. How could they sell it? Aiden had always assumed that it would be left to him and that he would retire there, in the Garden District, when he was weary of the world and his career. He would host all the family gatherings there and Rowan would have the child she always wanted, and they would have renewed, healthy relationship, Aiden and her – of course. Aiden would be there with his husband – perhaps Sage – and they would have their own children and everything would be wonderful and…
“Who are they selling it to?” Aiden asked abruptly.
“Seamus didn’t say,” Dimitri replied.
“Call Susan, his personal assistant, and find out. I want you to do whatever you have to to ensure that I receive the deed to that manor,” Aiden said slowly before downing the whiskey he had just poured.
Dimitri’s eyebrows shot up, “You’ve been spending quite a bit lately. I-“
“Please, Dim,” Aiden interrupted him in a pleading tone, “This is important to me.”
Dimitri nodded quickly, his wallet appeared in his right hand almost imperceptibly. With a flurry of a fingers and a few vigorous nods of the head, Dimitri looked back up to Aiden and said, “I’ve placed an offer. I will let you know what they say as soon as they say it.”
Aiden nodded with satisfaction. Light swept across the room from the crack in the door. Aiden moved towards it and closed the door. Dimitri spun around and asked, “What? Have you set up a disco in the spare room?”
“Something like that,” Aiden chuckled, “You’ll have to take the couch if you’re staying here tonight.”
Dimitri shrugged, “I’m not making Cooper drive back to Suzdal tonight. The morning will do me just fine.”
“Well, if you’re planning on staying, you won’t mind if I take a whack at translating this then?” Aiden asked seriously. It was a thin little thing, and honestly, Dimitri could not have expected anything less.
“Oh no,” Dimitri chuckled as he pulled a laptop out from his side bag, “I have an MMORPG I have been neglecting. You take your time with the book so I can level my healer.”
Aiden nodded with a half groan; he would never get the appeal of online gaming. Player driven stories were the only thing that could catch his interest. Solo player driven stories. He grabbed a spiral notebook and a pen from his desk off in the corner of the living room and hunkered down with a freshly lit cigarette.
The wallet in his pocket vibrated and he pulled it free. Sage. He was running out, apparently. Aiden replied with a quick, "Have fun. I'll be home in a day or two. Just need a little more rest. I wanna pick your brain about our little... Epic."
“Upon being named High King of the Tuatha De Danann, Lugh, sought a worthy weapon to act as the symbol of his office. Three years into his rulership, and into his quest, a neighboring King declared war upon Lugh’s island domain,” Aiden read out as he worked through the words. Those two sentences alone had taken a good ninety minutes. He took a deep drag of his fifth cigarette and looked over his shoulder, checking on Dimitri. The man had donned a full headset and was furiously clicking away at the pad on his laptop – he had clearly forgotten where he was.
Aiden sighed with relief as he began to work out the next sentence, “Being a cunning individual, Lugh used the powers of Illusion and Compulsion to sneak into the other King’s castle.”
It was going to be a long night.
Aiden opened the small book and immediately noticed that it was hand written in Old Gaelic. He had translated the language before; it was close enough to modern Gaelic, but old enough to give him problems when trying to read on the fly. Still, a few words at the top of the page stuck out to him enough to reasonably translate the line, “High King Lugh, The Spear, and the Gae Bulg.”
Dimitri cocked an eyebrow. Aiden looked up from the book and smiled widely. The story of the Gae Bulg was an old one, but he had never seen something like this. The earliest writings in Old Gaelic had dated back to the sixth century. Should the book in his hand prove authentic, it would predate any known writings of Lugh by four centuries. Aiden was sufficiently intrigued, “Father knew exactly what I was writing with Russian Dolls. Why did he send this now? I could have used this.”
A easy chair made a squeaking sound as Dimitri shifted uncomfortably. He took another sip from his coffee before clearing his throat and answering, “Yes, well, I had hoped to tell you of this later – but it seems that your parents have relocated.”
Aiden’s eyebrows shot up and his jaw all but dropped, “Re-relocated? Surely not here – not to the CCD?”
Dimitri shook his head quickly, “Oh no, far from it. They seem to be retaining their loyalty. La Jolla. California. They began the move at the end of last week. Your father seems to be clearing out his personal library. They said that they are downsizing.”
Aiden shut his mouth and moved up from the couch and over to the wet bar. He poured another glass of whiskey. He shook his head in disbelief, “Are they selling the manor then?”
“It seems so,” Dimitri replied warily.
A weight took hold of Aiden’s chest. He had grown up in that manor. His earliest memories had been in that manor – his home. How could they sell it? Aiden had always assumed that it would be left to him and that he would retire there, in the Garden District, when he was weary of the world and his career. He would host all the family gatherings there and Rowan would have the child she always wanted, and they would have renewed, healthy relationship, Aiden and her – of course. Aiden would be there with his husband – perhaps Sage – and they would have their own children and everything would be wonderful and…
“Who are they selling it to?” Aiden asked abruptly.
“Seamus didn’t say,” Dimitri replied.
“Call Susan, his personal assistant, and find out. I want you to do whatever you have to to ensure that I receive the deed to that manor,” Aiden said slowly before downing the whiskey he had just poured.
Dimitri’s eyebrows shot up, “You’ve been spending quite a bit lately. I-“
“Please, Dim,” Aiden interrupted him in a pleading tone, “This is important to me.”
Dimitri nodded quickly, his wallet appeared in his right hand almost imperceptibly. With a flurry of a fingers and a few vigorous nods of the head, Dimitri looked back up to Aiden and said, “I’ve placed an offer. I will let you know what they say as soon as they say it.”
Aiden nodded with satisfaction. Light swept across the room from the crack in the door. Aiden moved towards it and closed the door. Dimitri spun around and asked, “What? Have you set up a disco in the spare room?”
“Something like that,” Aiden chuckled, “You’ll have to take the couch if you’re staying here tonight.”
Dimitri shrugged, “I’m not making Cooper drive back to Suzdal tonight. The morning will do me just fine.”
“Well, if you’re planning on staying, you won’t mind if I take a whack at translating this then?” Aiden asked seriously. It was a thin little thing, and honestly, Dimitri could not have expected anything less.
“Oh no,” Dimitri chuckled as he pulled a laptop out from his side bag, “I have an MMORPG I have been neglecting. You take your time with the book so I can level my healer.”
Aiden nodded with a half groan; he would never get the appeal of online gaming. Player driven stories were the only thing that could catch his interest. Solo player driven stories. He grabbed a spiral notebook and a pen from his desk off in the corner of the living room and hunkered down with a freshly lit cigarette.
The wallet in his pocket vibrated and he pulled it free. Sage. He was running out, apparently. Aiden replied with a quick, "Have fun. I'll be home in a day or two. Just need a little more rest. I wanna pick your brain about our little... Epic."
“Upon being named High King of the Tuatha De Danann, Lugh, sought a worthy weapon to act as the symbol of his office. Three years into his rulership, and into his quest, a neighboring King declared war upon Lugh’s island domain,” Aiden read out as he worked through the words. Those two sentences alone had taken a good ninety minutes. He took a deep drag of his fifth cigarette and looked over his shoulder, checking on Dimitri. The man had donned a full headset and was furiously clicking away at the pad on his laptop – he had clearly forgotten where he was.
Aiden sighed with relief as he began to work out the next sentence, “Being a cunning individual, Lugh used the powers of Illusion and Compulsion to sneak into the other King’s castle.”
It was going to be a long night.
Russian Dolls and Broken Gods, a new Fantasy novel by best-selling author, Aiden Finnegan, out this December! Preorder online and instore today!