180
The days passed without incident as the girls got accustomed to their dragons. Scylla and Chusi were different shades of silver and I laughed heartily when I realized that Chusi was exactly like Shae, bossy and care-free.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked Wynter one evening as I found him standing on the porch, looking out onto the lake.
“I don’t know Dad, something feels off,” he said.
“What does Echo say?” I asked him.
“Not much but he feels it too. It’s weird, I feel like something’s going to happen,” he said.
“Like what? We’re lone dragons, nobody knows about your sisters,” I said.
“If I knew don’t you think I’d tell you?” His voice was laced with irritation.
“Easy tiger, I’m trying to help you,” I said.
“I’m sorry, it’s just frustrating as hell,” he replied.
“Wynter, things in life aren’t always what they seem. You have a destiny, we all do, you’ll find yours,” I said.
“Where? Like you said, we’re lone dragons, nothing ever happens here in this shit hole,” he said.
“Watch your tone boy,” I said to him my eyes flashing yellow.
“I hear the stories of my friends, how they live as a lair, the things they do, ceremonies, community life. We have none of that because you were too lazy to even try to be a Sire,” he said and stomped down the porch steps. Echo separated from him and they took off into the night.
“If only he knew the truth,” Abeloth murmured.
“I don’t want that life for him. He doesn’t know what it takes to be a Sire,” I said.
“Let’s hope he never finds out,” Abeloth replied.
“If he does, he’ll become a traitor, hunted. I want him to be happy, live his life as he should,” I said.
“You can’t outrun your destiny and his was foretold by Typhon,” he said.
“I know,” I said and headed inside.
I was restless the whole night because Wynter hadn’t returned home. Milo was silent when I questioned him and he just looked at me and smiled. He wasn’t going to tell me where Wynter was and I asked Abeloth to reach out to Echo.
“They’re fine, he’s down by the lake,” Abeloth said.
I fell asleep much later, agitated by my dreams as the King’s warriors came for us and I relived that horror as they killed my whole family, again. I woke up with a start, my breath catching in my throat and sweat beading my forehead.
Nova wasn’t in bed next to me and I pulled a t-shirt over my head and headed downstairs. My heart was thumping because it was too quiet but I could smell foreign scents in the house. The kitchen light was on and I raised my hands as I walked through the swing doors.
“You must be the husband,” the strange man said to me as two guns were aimed in my direction.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked him.
“I’m Lord Marshall Covington, brother to the King,” he said.
“He’s Alexis’s father,” Nova said.
“Are the guns really necessary?” I asked him.
“Go get my daughter,” Marshall said to Nova, ignoring me.
“She might have half your DNA, but she’s not your daughter,” I said to him.
“She is a royal princess of the Covington line, it is time she came home where she belonged,” Marshall said.
“You didn’t even want her,” Nova said.
“I won’t be taking her tonight. You will send her to the royal court when she turns seventeen and is eligible for marriage,” Marshall said. “This is a friendly warning, you will be deemed a traitor if you don’t comply.”
Marshall stood up from the kitchen chair and his men lowered their guns. The door opened as he raised his hand and they walked outside. They walked down the porch steps as I watched them and evaporated into thin air.
“What the fuck was that Nova?” I asked her angrily.
“I didn’t think he’d come for her, he told me to get rid of her,” Nova said as she sat down, her hands shaking.
“He has no other children, that’s why he wants her,” I said after a few minutes of silence.
“Well he can’t have her,” she said.
“What’s going on?” Wynter asked from the doorway.
“Ask Nova,” I said and walked out of the kitchen.
“Why are you mad at Nova?” Abeloth asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said but I could feel the anger simmering beneath the surface.
“We both accepted Alexis as our child, anger won’t solve what’s coming in seven years, do something about it,” Abeloth said.
“Yeah? Like what?” I asked him.
“Kill them all,” he said, his voice full of venom.
“I can’t kill the entire royal family,” I said.
“I can,” Abeloth said and I felt him push forward.
“I meant we can’t morally do it, she’s his daughter, I get why he wants her,” I said.
“So you’re going to just give her to him?” he asked me with narrowed eyes.
“Of course not,” I said.
I splashed cold water on my face in the bathroom and looked at my reflection. The door opened and Wynter barged in, looking ready to spit fire. “Don’t start,” I said and pushed past him into the bedroom.
“Don’t start? Are you kidding me? It’s Alexis we’re talking about!”
“I didn’t appreciate your tone earlier and I sure as hell won’t tolerate it now,” I said to him.
“You did nothing! They were in our house and you just stood there like the coward you’ve always been!” he said loudly.
I had my hand around Wynter’s throat and pushed him up against the wall. “You have no idea who I am, what I’ve done to protect this family, you don’t get to call me a coward.”
“Dad,” Wynter struggled to say as I gripped his windpipe.
“Ryder! Let go!” Nova yelled from behind me as she hit me on the back with her fists.
I let go of Wynter as he sank to the floor holding his throat. My eyes were flashing dangerously. “Everything I’ve done and still do is to protect you,” I said before leaving the bedroom.
I sat on the front porch steps with my head in my hands. I felt Milo next to me and then he sighed. “I love you Dad, I really do and I don’t condone what Wynter said to you or how he said it to you but if you ever touch him again I’ll rip your heart out,” he said.
“Life’s not always black and white Milo,” I said.
“I know, but neither is strangling your son,” he said and stood up.
“We raised that one right,” Abeloth said and I smiled despite feeling like the shittiest father on earth.
When the sun rose I went back inside and went to stand behind Nova where she had just put the kettle on. “I’m sorry,” I whispered into her neck as my arms went around her.
“You can’t blame him for what he doesn’t know,” she said.
“I know,” I replied.
“I’m letting them stay home today,” she said and I nodded.
I went upstairs to my room and opened the safe in my dressing room. The tingling sensation started slowly and then spread like wildfire along my body until it sizzled in my head. It was hard to breathe and then I couldn’t stand.
The pain in my soul was too much as I started screaming as the first bond snapped. It tore at me like an iron fist to the gut. My vision was blurry and I could hear Wynter’s voice from somewhere. The second bond snapped and I grabbed my head as I gritted on my teeth.
I felt the third bond snap and it felt like something was trying to pull my soul from me. It was the most intense painful feeling I had ever experienced, the torture I had endured in my previous life didn’t even come close to this. I couldn’t breathe or speak and I was thankful when darkness swallowed me.
Nova’s face came into view when I opened my eyes. “He’s awake.”
“Holy shit Dad, you scared me half to death,” Wynter said as he knelt next to me.
“We have to go,” I said as my phone started to ring.
“Go where?” Milo asked as I looked into his worried eyes.
“Hello,” Nova answered my phone.
“It’s someone called Rev,” she said and I took the phone from her as I stood up.
“What the fuck happened Rev?” I asked him.
“It was an ambush, Lucas was on his way to you, he received an email threatening your life. He told me over the phone as they were headed to the airport,” Rev said breathing hard.
“Me? I’m nobody,” I said and I saw that flicker in Wynter’s eyes.
“Whoever they are, they wanted Aurora, the territory, so I’m thinking it’s another Sire,” Rev said.
“I’m on my way,” I said.
“I don’t think that’s wise,” Rev said.
“What happens to the lair with no Sire?” I asked him.
“What happens to your kids if they kill you too?” he asked me.
“I can take care of myself Rev,” I said.
“Ryder, you’ve never been a Sire, you’ve never had to fight your way out of anything,” Rev said.
“I’ll be there by tonight,” I said and ended the call.
“What happened Dad?” Wynter asked me.
“Pack a bag, we’re going to Aurora,” I said as I opened the door of the safe and they all watched me with wide eyes as I started taking my weapons out.
“They’re dead aren’t they?” Nova asked softly.
“Yes, they took out my parents and my brother and now they’ll die too,” I said.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
