Gaia's Champion Ch 53 - Teaser (Patreon)

“But what now?” Chris asked, his gaze flicking between Linus and the video screen where Donald still waited.

“That depends,” Sela cut in, her voice sharp and deliberate as she leveled a pointed look at Donald. “On what your boys are really doing here. What’s your mission?”

Donald’s face hardened. “I’ll tell you,” he said carefully. “But I need a show of good faith first.”

Sela arched a brow, but after a moment of silence, she gave a small nod. With a flick of her wrist, the knives on the table slid back into their sheaths, the shimmering magical blades dissipating like smoke in the air. Her daughters followed suit, tucking their own blades away.

Linus exhaled, feeling the tension finally drain from his body. Pete stretched his neck with an audible crack, muttering, “God, I thought we were about to end up as dinner.”

Chris shot him a look. “You’re still not off the hook for flirting with Sofia mid-standoff.”

Pete grinned. “Can you blame me?”

Sela ignored their banter, her sharp gaze still fixed on Donald’s face. “Alright,” she said. “We’re listening. What’s your play?”

Donald’s face remained grim on the screen, his gaze locked onto Sela as he prepared to lay out the true reason his men were in Bogotá.

“We’re here,” he said carefully, “because a new group’s popped up on our radar. A group we know only as the Godsborn.”

The reaction was immediate. Sela’s eyes widened slightly, and her daughters exchanged surprised glances. For the first time since the knives had been put away, tension returned to the air—not from hostility, but from sudden, uneasy recognition.

“You know them?” Donald asked, picking up on the shift.

“We know them,” Sela confirmed, her voice tight. “But I’d like to know why they’re suddenly on your radar.”

“That’s what we’re here to figure out,” Linus chimed in, his gaze flicking to Sela. “We’re not here to pick a fight or stir up trouble. We need intel—who they are, what they do, their methods... everything. The Praetorians are being rebuilt from the ground up, and part of that means rethinking everything we’ve been taught. The Sons poisoned us for years, fed us lies about who our enemies were. We’re done working off their script.”

“And you think the Godsborn are enemies?” Sela’s voice carried an edge of suspicion again.

“We don’t know,” Linus stressed. “That’s why we’re here. We’re not assuming anything—not anymore. For all we know, the Godsborn could be potential allies... or something far worse. All we want is to know for certain. Firsthand, if possible.”

Hearing Donald’s words seemed to melt away some of the remaining tension in the room. The hard edges in Sela’s face softened, her sharp gaze easing as she studied him on the screen. The same shift was reflected in her daughters; Isabela, Mariana, and Sofia no longer held themselves quite so stiffly, their postures relaxing as suspicion gave way to something closer to respect.

“We’re not looking for a fight,” Donald continued. “The truth is, we want to help anyone who’s working toward the same goals we are—people who value life, peace, and stability. We’ve seen firsthand what the Dark can do, and we know it’s spreading. We’re here to push back... but we can’t do it alone. Allies make all the difference. You can never have too many friends in a fight like this.”

“That’s true,” Isabela murmured thoughtfully. “And it’s a good thing Linus here thought to walk up to us back at LAX.” She shot Linus a smile that was equal parts teasing and approving. “Because allies are exactly what we are.”

“Seems like we’re on the same side,” Mariana added, her tone warmer now. “We’ve been fighting the Dark long before you even knew it existed.”

Sela gave a small chuckle at that, the sound rich and deep. “They’re not wrong,” she said, her gaze returning to Donald. “I’ve been fighting this war since before you and your boys knew which end of a blade to hold.”

Donald gave a wry smile, but said nothing, sensing that Sela had more to say.

“We are Brujahs,” Sela said proudly, her voice stronger now. “Witches, in your language—but not the kind the stories like to tell. My daughters and I, we’ve safeguarded these lands and our people since long before the Spanish arrived, with their ships and their greed for gold.” Her expression darkened briefly, the weight of history flashing in her eyes. “We’ve seen the damage men like that can do... and we’ve been protecting this land and its people ever since.”