Chapter 15
I’d finally discovered the identity of my daddy, and I’ll be honest, I kind of wished I hadn’t.
If only I could have remained ignorant and gone on believing I’d been the result of my mom hooking up some drunken frat boy at a party.
But no, it just had to be this shadow elf king, which made this asshole by my side my half-brother.
A brother who’d been mistreating me despite knowing we were family.
I yanked my arm free and, in the same motion, whirled and slapped him hard.
Gryvak gaped. “How dare you!”
“How dare you!” I snapped right back. “This is why you were determined to come back and dragged me along with you. Thought you’d throw daddy’s bastard child in his face.
And then what? We’d band together against him?
Think again, brother. I am quite happy being an only child and have no need of you or a deadbeat dad. ”
“You should be thanking me for revealing your heritage. You might be a half-blood, but you’re still royal,” Gryvak stated.
“And? I have no interest in being a princess. Just like I have no interest or intention of helping you take this throne even if he”—my laser glare slewed to the watching king—“deserves losing it for being such a shit father.” The insult raised dear daddy’s brows, but he said nothing, letting Gryvak vent instead.
“Ungrateful, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t need you to like me or even agree for me to siphon your power as my own.”
My turn to arch a brow—just like my daddy. “Like fuck you are. I am not some battery you can drain whenever you want.”
He lunged and grabbed me by the wrist. “You will obey.”
“I don’t think so,” I growled, even as I felt something sinuous trying to invade my body. It came from the fingers latched around my arm. It appeared my brother needed to be in contact with my flesh to try and steal my power.
While I gritted my teeth and managed to somehow hold him off, I needed to break his grip.
“How entertaining. So weak you can’t even control your own half-human sister,” chortled the king.
I whipped my glare onto a new target. “This is not amusing Mr. Couldn’t-Wrap-His-Dick before having sex with my mom.”
His jaw dropped, and people gasped.
Just wait. I wasn’t done. “Not bad enough you seduced her, likely pretending to be human, but you didn’t wear a condom, nor did you contact her afterwards.
” While Mom always claimed it had been a one-night stand with a stranger, I’d often wondered if there’d been more to it.
While she vehemently claimed it hadn’t been rape when asked, I’d known something was off since she chose to not date.
“My dalliance with your mother was unexpected. As for keeping contact, one moment she smiled at me as we walked on the beach, and the next, she was gone.”
I frowned. “Wait. I thought you guys hooked up at a party.”
“Perhaps that’s what she claimed. However, the truth is through some feat of magic I’ve never managed to decipher.
We were both drawn to a third plane, a place of sandy beaches, warms salty waters, and no one but the two of us.
A paradise neither of us could escape. My magic doesn’t allow for the opening of portals, and hers was too weak to conjure one.
Given we were stranded, we had to rely on our own skills, few as they were, to survive.
Over time, it was only natural we became intimately involved. ”
I gagged. “Jesus, that’s my mom you’re talking about.”
“A woman whom I cared for deeply until we were torn apart, thrust back into our respective worlds, the time we’d spent away but a few hours instead of weeks.
Over time I believed I’d dreamed it, and yet here you are.
My flesh and blood. A woman of strong will and immense power.
” His expression turned sad. “Your death will pain me.”
“Excuse me? Why exactly am I dying?”
“Because,” Gryvak gleefully interjected, “despite being considered impossible, you carry not just the magic of one world but two, and prophecy states—”
“Be quiet!” The king didn’t roar, and yet Gryvak abruptly ceased talking as if slapped with a gag.
But I’d heard enough. “So let me guess, someone predicted you’d lose your throne to a person with shadow elf and human power, and of course, your first thought is I must murder the daughter that I created and abandoned.”
“It’s not abandonment if I wasn’t aware,” he huffed defensively.
“Did you even try to find my mom?” I snapped right back. “Or did you go back to ruling you little fiefdom and forget about her?”
Judging by his guilty look…
I uttered a noise of disgust. “I see shadow elves aren’t as evolved as they like to think.
What a disappointment you turned out to be.
I’d always hoped if I did find my dad, he’d be someone cool like a fireman or a doctor.
But instead, you’re a murderous dictator and, judging by Gryvak, a shit father. ”
Gryvak’s grip on my wrist had loosened somewhat during the revelations, but it tightened again. “You see now why I have to kill him.”
“He’s a dick, agreed, but I won’t be a party to your plot to take the throne. You want it, then do it on your own.” Before I gave my arm a yank, I slammed my foot down hard on Gryvak’s instep.
He yelped and released me, allowing me to put some distance between us.
The fact he wanted to use me, the fact he’d kept this secret, the existence of my father, everything unfolding had me simmering, not just in rage—and shock—but with power.
A force hummed inside me and must have been visible, given the sudden explosion of whispers.
“Have fun fighting each other. I’m going home.” Before I could wish hard enough to open a door, the king roared, “I did not give you permission to leave!”
Invisible bands wrapped around me, immobilizing my arms, making me a sitting duck for his judgement. A judgement he appeared determined to mete despite the regret in his eyes.
“I truly am sorry for this. Apparently, your mother was wise to keep us apart.”
“She knew of the prophecy.” Stated, not asked.
He didn’t have to reply. I saw the answer in the slump of his shoulders, a rounding that lasted but a brief second before he conjured a sword of crackling white flame.
He really was going to do it. In a panic, I huffed, “You don’t have to kill me. I have no interest in your throne. Let me go back to Earth and I promise we never have to see each other again.”
“Until another like your brother thinks he can use you against me.”
“Do you really think I’d agree to help anyone dethrone you? You might be a dick, but I’m not a murderer.” Although, given my current level of irritation—and lack of salty snacks the last few days—I might soon turn into one.
As we argued, no one watched Gryvak, that sly coward. He slipped behind the king and, before anyone could shout a warning, power fisted a hole through my dad’s chest.
The wide surprised eyes almost made me feel sorry for him.
As daddy-not-dear dropped, his fire sword winking away, I saw Gryvak standing behind, his hand bloody, wearing a shit-eating grin. “I told you I’d be king.”
I could have let him have the royal seat.
Could have opened a door and walked away but years, decades, of people using me—even if I didn’t know it at the time—left me with a giant chip.
Not to mention, I knew Gryvak would never let me live in peace.
Either he’d find a way to have me killed or he’d make me his prisoner, his tool to conquer the other kingdoms.
“And now, dear sister, I will allow you the honor of being the first to kneel and swear fealty.”
“Like fuck,” I spat.
“You will obey!” Gryvak hollered, and then he tried to encase me in the bubble of silence. A shell meant to quell. To render me meek and malleable.
No more. My rage exploded.
Literally.
From my humming body, flames shot out, and since my brother stood in front of me…
Gryvak started screaming as he lit up like a pyre. He ran, arms waving wildly, heading for those watching, who stood there like morons, and thus a few ignited as Gryvak passed by, which led to even more high-pierced shrieking.
Oops. This might be a good time to leave.
And so I did. Like Dorothy, I started thinking, There’s no place like home.
There really wasn’t. I missed the shitty house I’d made my own.
Missed my best friend. Even missed Cedric, that hissing furball menace.
Most of all, I really regretted not having that pizza before getting kidnapped, and as the thought of a warm gooey pie filled my thoughts, a slit opened in the air in front of me, and this time, I didn’t fall but stepped into the portal I’d made and found myself in my favorite pizza parlor.