Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Michaela
The tension in the room was ridiculous. Nuriela’s face was turning purple. Lo punched her dainty fists against Ty’s back, but he didn’t even flinch. Morax stood in front of me, acting as a shield.
“Delphine, my love.” Grem coughed. “Perhaps you should’ve explained to the princelings that you were not, in fact, murdering one of their bonded brothers before you started the spell.”
Delphine smirked. “And where’s the fun in that?”
Andras pinched the bridge of his nose, the only outward sign of his inner turmoil regarding the craziness that just unfolded.
I swear that man was part statue for all the expressions, or lack thereof, that he shared.
But I was also certain Seraphina would not have chosen him for a mate if she hadn’t seen something of his true self.
“Explain, now,” Andras demanded. “Before I let Typhon squeeze the life out of the female.”
Delphine crossed her arms, unafraid. “We needed a soul connection to Seraphina. Not a body, the pure energy of a soul. And I was only strong enough to send one of you with him. Phen knows the land.”
Ty roared, and my eyes snapped back to him in time to see Nuriela kick him in the balls and roll them over. She pointed a second dagger directly over his heart. Of course, a cheeky assassin like her would have more than one. Seraphina would have enjoyed this.
“Enough,” Morax growled, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. “We are all on the same side, and you’re behaving like children.”
I scoffed at his attempt at controlling the chaos, and Morax elbowed my side, raising a brow. My big, scary mate. I ducked under his arms and stood in front of him, letting him cocoon me against his hard chest.
Delphine’s attention turned to me. “Your turn, Michaela. Time to unleash the power.”
Nervous energy sizzled in my veins, but Morax kissed the top of my head and sent soothing thoughts down our bond. I will be with you the entire time.
It wasn’t just the power that I was nervous about, but seeing my mother. Seraphina saw Belfegor when she unleashed her stone. My memories of Aurora Valdis were very few, being that I was so young when she died.
“What do I do?” I asked Delphine, snapping the chain and holding the stone in my palm. It looked similar to a clear quartz and pulsed with powerful energy.
“Smash it.” Delphine crossed her arms, and I nodded.
Typhon picked up Devon’s lifeless body and everyone in the room stepped away from the table, away from me.
Morax stayed by my side as I stepped up to the table.
I pulled the slim dagger from the sheath around my thigh.
It was strange to wear weapons, but Morax said it was better to be armed and get comfortable with weaponry.
Flipping the blade around, I hovered over the stone and took a breath. “Here goes nothing…”
As soon as the hilt of my dagger cracked the stone, the room vanished and I was alone. The mate bond shimmered within me, alive and intact. I sent a message down the bond that I was okay, hoping he would get it.
Everywhere I turned, puffy white clouds passed me by. Somehow, I floated amidst the clouds without my wings, endless blue skies in every direction.
A presence was coming, but who, I wasn’t sure. “Mother?”
The clouds parted, and a figure walked toward me. She had golden-blonde hair and bright-blue eyes that matched one of my own. Her smile was soft and reminded me so much of our mother’s.
“Lailah.”
She grinned, her pink dress swaying as she drifted toward me. Her figure was similar to mine, slender and long limbs. She reached for me, and when our hands connected, a surge of power rushed through me. Flashes of memories passed through my head.
“Little Kaela.” She smiled, squeezing my hands. “You’re gorgeous and everything I knew you’d be.”
“Knew?” I asked, trying to stay in the moment as the visions kept coming.
She sighed, sadness in her blue eyes. “It wasn’t a power I wanted, but in the end, it’s the one that would save everyone I love. Now it’s yours.”
I winced, the visions causing my head to ache. “Does it always hurt?”
Lailah shook her head. “Only if you reject it. This power is so much more than visions, Kaela. Don’t let Belial take it.”
I nodded, taking deep breaths and trying to let the visions flow through me. “I won’t.”
She smiled at me. “I know you can handle this, baby sister. Help Seraphina. She’s going to need you.” Lailah paused, tears threatening to spill over. “And tell Nuri…she’s doing everything right. Tell her I’ll see her in the stars.”