The Source: Book III of the Holding Kate Series (47 page)

KATE GLOWED, RADIANT
in her white wedding gown. She strolled down the aisle with her father through a rain of white flower petals. Corey’s heart hammered as she drew near.

He took her hand and they spoke familiar vows in front of friends and family. Corey withdrew a box from his vest and opened it. Nestled in the black velvet were two rings. The braided gold wheat stems were dipped in 24 karat gold and on Kate’s ring diamonds had been set in the grains of the stem.

“Are those?” she whispered.

Corey nodded. “They are our wheat stems, preserved eternally.”

Tears poured down her cheeks as he placed the diamond studded wheat stem on her finger and she placed the golden band on his.

When Chaps pronounced them husband and wife, the chapel erupted into shouts of victory. They already considered themselves husband and wife. No one could do that better than the Beautiful One, but Corey felt he was part of this ceremony as well. Corey was glad to share this moment with their friends.

They turned to look at their family and friends gathered in the chapel. Mama Ty sat beside Kim Stevens, who clasped Dirk’s hand, tears shining from their eyes. The Cheleuthi warband were all present. Eunavae was counted among them now. She and Drayse had gone to live in Cheulseti and were busy raising more babies. Candol and Stealthlin beamed next to Staid and Starlythe. Krenne and Manifus wrestled with two of their babies. The Chartreuse team hooted and hollered from their perches. Charlie Goshen, Wallace, and several of the white coats filled the back of the chapel. Corey’s lawyer, Tom, was there with his wife. Corey glanced to his left at his best man, Trip. He clapped Corey on the shoulder, looking past Kate to the golden maid of honor, Tara. Tears streamed down her face. They were young and glorious once more.

Corey drew a deep breath and gazed over the crowd of dearest friends. Movement in the back of the chapel caught his eye. An old man slipped out the back door. Corey didn’t recognize him, perhaps he was part of Kate’s family. He came from her side of the building.

All their loved ones were present and full of wishes and blessings. The reception was a huge block party in the center of Heartwork Village. All three thousand jumpers and jump commanders were invited. They danced and laughed until midnight, then Kate and Corey were sent off with more flower petals and white doves.

They jumped into the cart plastered in tulle and ‘just married’ signs and careened into the night, down the hill around the lake and into the cover of the willow trees. A white tent glowed soft amber, spilling warmth beneath their willow tree. Filled with mattresses, fleeces, flowers and candles it cradled them in the heady scent of romance. Lost in ecstasy and passion, Corey and Kate burned. Kate’s skin became Corey’s sustenance. She gave strength and he gave tenderness, and their union blazed holy and pure.

They lay spent in each other’s arms staring up through the netting of the tent into the dancing branches of the willow tree and, of course, the fireflies came to wish them well. Corey trailed fingers between her breasts and planted a kiss there. He breathed in the scent of her and felt complete.

“Kate,” he sighed.

“Mmmhmmm.” She stroked his back with her palms and kissed his hair. The sound of her bliss was like a prayer.

“Who was the old man who sat in the back on your side?”

“What old man?”

“Don’t you have an uncle or someone who was there with your family? Someone very old.”

“Nope. Not on my side.” She nuzzled her face into his neck and traced kisses along his jawline.

“Sweetheart, if I asked you to make one more jump, would you be up to it?”

Kate stilled at his side. “If you thought it was important, Corey, I would for you.”

Her devotion staggered him. He grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her deeply.

“First thing in the morning we need to go see someone,” he murmured between increasingly urgent kisses.

“Yes. Whatever. You. Say.” Her voice was breathless with passion as he ran his hands along her body.

Lost in one another again, they were carried away in their own sphere of bliss.

Then next morning Corey and Kate dressed, jumped in the cart, and drove through the Village to First Cabin. They pulled up to the boathouse, ran in, and activated the jump pad.

The sphere landed in an alley in London. Westminster Abby towered just as Corey and Donnie had left it in the 1800’s before. Corey took Kate’s hand, and they jogged across the street. Ducking into an alcove, they climbed stairs to a crackled, black painted door.

The bell rang when they entered the doctor’s office, but they weren’t greeted by the secretary. An old man stepped into the doorway and gazed at them with shining eyes.

Kate froze. “Doc?”

“Hello fish maiden.” He chuckled and his laughter turned into a fit of coughing. He sat down in a chair and waved them into his office.

“Corey, this man is the one who rescued me from the jackal. He tended to my wounds or I would have bled to death. He saved my life.” She followed the old man into his office, face bewildered.

“So, Mr. Chastain, you are here. That must mean you have figured it out, eh?”

“Not all of it. You’re Pops McGee, right? You’ve worked at the village for twenty years.”

“That is one name I go by. Doctor Patrick McGee is another.” He lifted a sheepish smile to Kate. “Or Doc, or…”

Kate’s face blanched. She reached up and touched her lip. “Gregory!” she whispered.

“You always were the smart one, Kate.” He chuckled again and his fit of coughing returned.

“You saved me the night I was attacked by the jackals, but you also took me the next day.”

“But, then you sent the cane to me, to save Kate, the night—”

“Yes, yes. Guilty as charged.” He reached for a canteen and took a sip of his special tea. “I have lived with the guilt of what I did for many, many years. My younger self was determined to possess you. You were right about me, Kate. I did not know what love was. It took too many mistakes for me to figure it out.”

He launched into another fit of coughing, pulling a handkerchief to his mouth. His voice rasped out his confession. “My younger self excused many atrocities. I almost annihilated a world. Certainly I ended the species of the ancient and graceful dragons of Ampeliagia. I almost killed you, Kate, my love.” His whole body shook, and his face registered deep sorrow.

“You served at Heartwork Village to pay for your crimes. You sentenced yourself to a lifetime of service.”

“Yes, several lifetimes. I could never make up for the pain I caused. The blood of so many innocent lives rests on my hands. I have served at Heartwork, here in this clinic, in the Wildenland Desert of Ampeliagia, the orphanages of Garwold, Poland. Many other places I have volunteered to try to balance my scales. But I am running out of time…or more accurately time has caught up to me.” He doubled over in a fit of coughing again.

“Now, I have only one thing left to do. I must ask your forgiveness. Corey I ask you first, because I know you have already forgiven me or you would not have come and brought your lovely bride. But if I could just hear it from your lips.”

“Of course, I forgive you, Gregory,” Corey stated with full conviction.

Gregory’s eyes turned to Kate. “You, my dear Kate, would be justified if you decided to never forgive me. I have caused you the most pain of all, the one I thought I loved most is the one I hurt worst. The lies, the manipulation, the arrogance that I perpetrated against you are unforgivable. When I raised my hand to strike you, I realized I did not know love. My obsession with you was destructive and evil. I have caused wounds in you, my dear, that will not quickly heal.” Tears streamed down his face as he gazed into Kate’s eyes.

“Please, though I know I do not deserve it, I beg of you, forgive me Kate, if not for me, then for yourself.”

Kate drew in a shuddering breath tearing her eyes away from the man who had caused so much pain and turned to look into the eyes of her husband who brought so much healing. She didn’t want to forgive Gregory. The wounds were too fresh, the pain of his betrayal and murderous rage still rocked through her soul. He stole more than a decade of her life. He ripped her away from the only source of love and life and lied to her. He tried to break her connection to this life flow. He succeeded. She lost hope in Corey’s love. Because of Gregory’s deception, she had given up and began to die a slow and painful death. She lived in agony and torture for thirteen years and that didn’t even count the thirty seven years of sheer terror before he abducted her.

Tears pooled in her eyes.
No, I do not want to forgive this man. He can rot with the guilt of his sins weighing him down to the pit of hell!

Then she looked at Corey. In his eyes she saw her reflection and the face that had messed up so many times. She saw her own sin, her own shortcomings. She had failed him time after time, yet he always forgave. Corey knew something about the power of forgiveness, that Kate had just realized.

It isn’t for the healing of one person. It is for the healing of both, for the healing of all. Kate knew in that moment, in the depths of those blue eyes, that the forgiveness that she needed was not just for Gregory, but for herself. She had been forgiven so much, how could she not forgive? And if Corey, who she betrayed so thoroughly could forgive, then how could she not forgive herself?

“I forgive you, Gregory.” Hot tears splashed onto her cheeks and she glanced up to see Gregory doubled over with soul wracking sobs. She stood, walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around this man who did not deserve it, because she knew she had been wrapped in arms she did not deserve.

“I forgive you.” This time the words were not just for Gregory, but for Kate.

Katie Lynn Wilson Chastain had forgiven herself.

The End