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We had burned all the bodies on the island and Lucas and Rylee had arrived a few hours later. I had called Chase too but I told him not to come, he had his own lair to protect and I didn’t know if anyone else could be a target.
“Rex left me this,” I said and showed Lucas the memory stick.
“Let’s see what’s on it,” he said.
We were in Elio’s office and we both sat down on the sofa with the laptop on my knees as a video of Rex popped open. His skin was pale and his eyes were sunken in. He looked halfway dead in the video.
“Ryder, I don’t have much time. I’m being poisoned by someone close to me and the Florida Elders have reported your wife and son’s dragons. I’m sorry for what will happen to you because they will come for them.
A friend of mine wrote this spell for you, any witch can perform it, the people present in the room will remember you but everyone else will forget your history. Your life will be erased and so will your accomplishments but that will also set you free.
The first dragoness in our history will either be tamed or killed and I’m so sorry. Perhaps you’ll still have time to stop the attack. Hurry Ryder, your family’s not safe.”
“They’re dead,” Lucas said clenching his fists.
“Any retaliation will be the end of us all,” I said and stood up.
“So you’re just going to do nothing?” he asked me.
“Not nothing. I’m going to protect my children,” I said.
“You’re going after the King?” he asked me with shock etched onto his face.
“No Dad, I’m going to have Marlo do the spell,” I said.
“Ryder, that’s just insane,” he said.
“It’s the only way we get to live in peace,” I said.
“Face to face I’d break that boy’s neck in a heartbeat,” he said.
“Wynter could probably take him,” I said with a smile.
“I don’t care about titles Ry, I’m no longer an active Sire, I’m with you, whatever you need,” he said.
“Promise me you’ll come visit once we settle down somewhere,” I said.
“I think you meant to say thanks Dad for coming with us as we settle down,” he said.
“Yeah, Mom’s not letting those kids out of her sight, is she?”
“Not a chance,” he said.
“Have you thought of a name for her?” he asked.
“Not yet, Megan said it would come to her when she saw her the first time,” I said and inadvertently tears formed in my eyes.
“You’ll need a name for the birth certificate,” Lucas said gently.
“I know Dad. I also know Megan wouldn’t want me to name her Megan. She’d want her to be her own person and not feel like she was in someone else’s shadow,” I said.
“Her birth was nothing short of a miracle,” Rylee said from the doorway and we turned to look at her.
“Miracle is a bit of a cliché as a name,” I said and Rylee smiled at me.
“I know that revenge is almost your middle name, but you need to change your name, go into hiding, whatever it takes to keep them safe,” she said and I looked at Lucas.
“I should go speak to Marlo, Dad, you can fill Mom in on what we just discussed,” I said and left the office.
The night was quiet and dark. I sat on the porch with a cup of coffee and researched baby names. I had a feeling that something would speak to me. Abeloth pushed through as I scrolled down the page on my phone. “That one,” he said and I looked at it.
“I like it,” I replied and he retreated with a grunt.
“I’ll do it Ryder,” Marlo said from behind me.
“It’s the only way Marlo,” I said to her as she sat down next to me.
“I have another favour to ask you and Elio will fight us on this but I’ve seen both outcomes and this is the best way forward,” she said.
“What is it?”
“You need to take Milo with you,” she said.
“No. Elio and Basil are his family, he needs you guys,” I said.
“He needs you more, he is after all his father’s son,” she said and stood up again.
“Marlo …”
“Nobody can train them like you will. They’ll need it or they won’t succeed,” she said and walked back into the house.
“Wynter will one day kill the King,” Abeloth murmured.
“Not if I can help it,” I said with determination.
I got up three times for the baby during the night and after the last feeding session, I put her in the bed with me and we slept until eight am when Rylee brought coffee to my room. The moment I opened my eyes realization hit me that this time Megan really wasn’t coming back.
“So … today’s the day,” Rylee said as she sat down on the edge of the bed and handed me the coffee cup.
“Yeah it is.”
“Have you thought of where you’re going to go after this?” she asked me.
“Probably some town with no Sire,” I said.
“Good, look at these and pick one,” she said and handed me a stack of papers.
“What’s this Mom?”
“Farms for sale, that gives you enough space for Abeloth and Echo. It also gives you some solitude and privacy,” she said.
“Thanks, I’ll take a look at them,” I said and drank my coffee as Rylee took the baby with her.
After showering and breakfast we gathered in the living room where Marlo would do the spell that would erase my past and set us free. Basil had arrived late last night and we hadn’t spoken at all. I knew he was mad, he blamed me for Felix and I couldn’t find fault with that. I found him drinking coffee on the porch.
“Basil …”
“How did this happen?” he asked me.
“I was King Rex’s assassin, I worked for him. I was summoned back to France when he died and his son King Florin made the same request. I rejected his offer. King Rex left me a memory stick with valuable information on it, but I didn’t watch it immediately. On the flight home Abeloth felt Megan’s fear. I jumped out of a plane in order to get here. Me going to France was just a ploy, the King’s warriors were waiting. Even if I was here, we never stood a chance,” I said.
“And my brother died because of you, again,” he said bitterly.
“What do you want me to say Basil? That I’m sorry? I am sorry! If I could change it, I would!” I said angrily.
“Your sorry isn’t enough!” he said angrily.
“My wife died in that attack, so did my brothers, Tank and Jack, you’re not the only one that lost someone, I lost everyone except my children,” I said.
“I know you would do anything to bring them back, my heart’s torn in two here because I love you like I love Felix,” he said.
“Florin would’ve come for us no matter what we did. We started our own tribe, merged people together and prospered. Felix was a big part of that. Florin’s jealous of people with too much power and that’s why I said no to him. Rex on the other hand, he gave me an out,” I said.
“Are you really willing to trade all that you’ve done and let it go into oblivion?”
“I am.”
“I’ve given my consent to let Milo stay with you if you go through with the spell. Marlo’s right, we can’t train Milo the way you can, nobody was closer to Felix than you were. You’ll raise him the way Felix would have, train him to be the best he can be and we’ll visit regularly,” he said.
“I don’t know Basil. I think Milo needs to be with family, he’s a vampire and we’re dragonkin,” I said.
“You’re his family too,” he said and walked inside leaving me alone on the porch.
The new inner circle now consisted of Lucas, Rylee, Elio, Marlo, Basil, Max and Bethany. These were the people that would remember me for me. Chase was on video call with Melissa since he couldn’t leave the lair on such short notice.
I stood in the middle of the living room with Marlo facing me. Burning candles stood on every table and the curtains were drawn to darken the room. Marlo’s eyes turned completely white and even I held my breathe as the magic flowed through her.
“Ryder Grey, from this day forth you will be known as the second son of Sire Lucas Grey, a son that never ruled his own lair, a son that has potential but is unwilling to take up the reigns of leadership. Your true personality will always remain intact as will your power. Dragonkin will recognize your Sire blood but all your accomplishments of the past will be erased.”
“I accept this,” I said.
“I pray for the protection of your family, for the knowledge of your true self to remain with those present here today. I pray for health and wealth to follow you and for your past to never be remembered by the outside world.”
The candles burned brighter for a few seconds and Marlo started chanting in her gibberish witch language, as I felt a tingling feeling envelope me. It shot through me and I knew that she was done. My life had been erased.
“You are free now,” Marlo said and her eyes returned to their normal colour.
“That’s it?” Lucas asked.
“Are you questioning my skills Sire Lucas?” Marlo asked him as her eyes flashed white for a second.
“Not at all Marlo,” Lucas said.
“It’s time for us to hit the road,” I said. “Thank you Marlo.
“What about the baby’s name and registration and …” Rylee began to say.
“She was registered as Abigail Grey last night,” I said.
“Abigail, I like it,” Rylee said.
“Where are you going?” Basil asked.
“Hartwell, Georgia, I closed on a house yesterday,” I said.
“Call us when you arrive so we can make plans to come and visit,” Basil said.
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