****
"Bloody hell," Arlen exclaimed.
Arlen pulled up his shirt to see what was burning and found a disfigurement that looked like a raven burned into his flesh. Hagan and Brody looked on astonished.
"I wonder what the freck that means?" Arlen rose to run water over the offending image.
"Aine," Brody said staring at his father's raven. "Something is wrong at the house."
Hagan nodded. Arlen sighed. Both his sons had inherited a measure of Druid magic from their mother. If they said something was wrong at the house—there would be. No matter how much their mother had tried to discourage the magic—there it was.
"Is your mother okay?" Arlen asked.
"Seems to be," Brody nodded. "I would like to make known that if you decide to be moving to the property, that I won't be going with you. I plan on asking Melanie to marry me."
"About time," Hagan punched him on the arm.
Arlen smiled at his two sons. They took after Caryn with their dark brown hair and fine blue eyes. The only feature he saw in them from his family was their nose. It was a little big. He and his family were mostly fiery redheads with brown eyes. From time to time Arlen would notice a flash of purple within his son's eyes. He knew that Caryn saw it also, but tried to pretend it wasn't so. Both sons were growing strong and tall. Hagan and Brody thought it was fun to look down upon their father. That was okay. He was still the man of the house!
"Melanie is a fine young lady," Arlen smiled and then frowned. "If we move to the estate, which unfortunately is likely, you boys may have this house. You can figure out the details."
"I'll go with you," Hagan told his father. "I like it there. Brody can manage the house."
"Hey, thanks," Brody said happily.
One of the reasons that he had hesitated about asking Melanie to marry him was because they would have nowhere else to live. Melanie and his mother did not get along. He couldn't move her in here. Neither woman would approve. His father caught his eye and winked. He just laughed. You could choose your wife—you could not choose your mother. If you were smart, you would marry someone as unlike your mother as possible.