They dropped into a casual discussion on the work each did on Earth, discovering several interests they shared in common.
Going upstairs when Rhys finished eating, they worked out several hours together, each trying to one-up the other before coming to the conclusion that Rhys was sadly out of shape. He felt a stirring in his chest he hadn’t felt in a long time to actually care about his body.
When Rhys left Jericho to grab a shower, he found clothes in the closet that fit him, which was again, Fate’s work, Rhys was sure. He had just finished dressing when a knock sounded on his door.
Broni timidly knocked on Rhys’s door, not anxious to see Rhys while still feeling bruised by his words the night before. His expression let Broni know he wanted to see her even less.
“I have to go out again, and Mother has requested that you accompany me.”
“Tell Fate I’m not—” Rhys broke off his words at Broni’s negative shake.
“Not Fate, Mother. You can’t refuse her requests. Believe me, you don’t want tomake her angry,” Broni warned.
“Very well, it’s not like I have anything better to occupy my time.” Broni winced at his sarcastic words.
She held out her hand and Rhys took it after a brief hesitation. With a blurring movement of time that took mere seconds, Broni and Rhys found themselves in the middle of a deadly battle. Instinctively, Rhys dodged an arrow headed for him.
“What the fuck!”
Broni burst out laughing. “Don’t worry; their weapons cannot harm us. They don’t even know we are here.”
After they watched the battle to the conclusion, Rhys felt the pull within him to join the losing side as they began to retreat. Rhys wanted to yell at them to hold. Inexplicably, he could see if they’d held their ground they would have won the bloody fight. Instead, they had lost because their leader wasn’t courageous enough to move his men forward. He was concerned more for the casualties than the battle, an error that had cost them the victory.
Rhys was disappointed when he found himself back in his room.
“That’s it?”
Broni nodded. “Sometimes it is. The battle ended the way it was supposed to, or I would have known what to do. A lot of the times I’m just a spectator. They are given free will and many times they do make the right decisions.”
“And when they don’t?”
“If I am allowed to intervene, I lead the person to the correct path,” Broni explained.
“When you’re not allowed to intervene, you just leave them to their misery even knowing you could have changed it?” His voice was filled with derision.
“It’s not that simple, Rhys. A person’s life is made of layers of whom and what affects them. If I change something without knowing the eventual outcome, I could cause irreparable damage, not only to the one I want to help but others,” Broni stated softly. “Foresight of the future is not my gift.”
“How convenient for you.”Rhys went to the closet to get fresh clothes. He needed a shower, even though they had just stood as spectators. He still felt hot and sweaty from the blazing sun and flying dust the horses had stirred up.
Broni watched him closely. His remarks had been snide, yet she sensed he was finally listening to her explanations.
“Each of my sisters and I have struggled with this aspect of our gifts. Cara feels the pain of taking souls before their time or whenever they’re not ready to leave their earthly bodies. I constantly battle with the desire to intervene sometimes because I become so caught up in what is happening I want to help.
“One time, I was watching a football player at a bar. My goal was to keep a fight from occurring with another. However, the football player was so obnoxious I seriously wanted someone to knock him on his spoiled ass. If I had let the fight occur, he would have lost his contract for professional football. The son of a bitch didn’t deserve to become as famous and rich as he did either.” Broni shrugged. “I almost intervened, but my mother stopped me.” Shuddering, she turned away from Rhys, sitting down on the chair beside his bed. “The fight would have made him lose his temper, leaving the bar drunk and killing a college student.”
“You couldn’t have known.” Rhys was beginning to see the difficulties of her duties, Broni hoped.
“It wasn’t my place to know, only to do as I was told. I almost failed. Only Destiny and Fate know Mother’s plans. It’s not my place to intercede. It took me a long time to learn that lesson. The consequences could destroy someone’s life, despite my well-meant intentions.”
“Are you saying Mother is responsible for my family’s deaths?” Rhys’s jaw was clenched, waiting for her answer.
Broni sighed and explained as best as she could.“No, Rhys. What I am trying to say is their deaths were a result of a chain of events. You being a lawyer, Daniel altering the evidence, Shelton not being able to cope with his wife’s death, and deciding to take justice into his own hands.”
“So who is to blame?”
Broni gave him the best answer she could. “Your profession is blinding you to the true answer, Rhys. Your lawyer mind is telling you to place blame and give the appropriate punishment. To you that is justice, but to us it is not so simple. Humans see death differently. It is much more complex than that. Each human has unique DNA, yes?”
Rhys nodded.