Free Unafraid by Michael Griffo Page A

witnessed this miracle many times before, they still watched in awe as their blood swirled with the holy water to create something new, something that only their eyes could behold: the mixture of their blood, their souls, and the life force of The Well.
    Their voices mimicked their clasped hands, and they became one as they recited the ancient prayer:

    â€œUnto The Well I give our life
our bodies’ blood that makes us whole.
We vow to honor and protect
and ask The Well to house our souls.”

    Immediately the transformation began. Their hands and feet lost their human appearance and became webbed; their bodies and their limbs grew even longer. Together, they dipped their webbed hands into The Well to scoop up its silver water, and then they drank the now-familiar brew. As the cold liquid filled their bodies, a translucent light—like the one that shone from the center of The Well—emanated from their skin. They were being illuminated by their creator, in Its beloved image.
    The cave was suddenly aglow with the combination of light that shone from Michael, Ronan, and The Well, and it looked as if the sun had fallen from the sky, submerged itself under the ocean, and decided to light up the sea. The rock walls of the cave twinkled as if they were covered with rows and rows of sparkling lights. The ground was hardly visible, and the boys looked like they were standing on a floor of white electricity. It was obvious: The Well was truly grateful for their offering, and in turn the boys felt truly blessed.
    Ronan was already sitting on the shore of Inishtrahull Island when Michael emerged from the ocean. He watched his boyfriend walk toward him and did his best to control his anxiety. Michael sat down and allowed his bare, wet shoulder to graze against Ronan’s, but kept his eyes transfixed on the undulating ocean. He knew Ronan was going to tell him his final secret. He knew he would listen to every word that Ronan had to say, but he didn’t think he could watch him as he spoke. He just didn’t think he was that brave.
    Ronan, however, knew better. He touched Michael’s hand softly and turned him so they could face each other. He was so beautiful. Aflame with The Well’s power, Michael radiated strength, both physical and emotional. Yes, Michael was nervous. He was unsure of what Ronan was going to tell him, unsure that he even wanted to hear it. But just by looking at him, his face stoic, his eyes compassionate, Ronan was confident that Michael would hear his words with both an open mind and heart and that he would ultimately accept his words with grace and thankfulness. Once he heard Ronan’s story, he would understand why it was so important that it had to be shared.
    â€œI need to tell you about Morgandy,” Ronan said. “Morgandy van der Poole.”
    Michael had never heard of the name before and yet he knew it was the name of his enemy. The reaction was primal, instinctive. Somehow, he also knew that it was the name of Ronan’s first soul mate.
    â€œHe was the eldest son of a major Atlantian family. He was preordained to become a Guardian of The Well,” Ronan explained. “And I loved him.”
    As unhappy as Michael was to hear that last bit of information, that news didn’t come as a shock either. Michael had known there was someone who had come before him and Nakano, someone who Ronan had been in love with. Giving that love a name didn’t change the past. It did, however, make it more permanent and make it more difficult for Michael to ignore the fact that he wasn’t Ronan’s only love.
    â€œI can’t lie and tell you that I didn’t think I would spend all eternity with Morgandy when we asked The Well to join our souls,” Ronan admitted. “At the time it was what I wanted.” His next words caught in his throat, and Ronan paused. It had been a long time since he had said Morgandy’s name out loud. He thought it