Chapter 24
“That was an amazing battle!” Kri clapped Xev on the back so hard, he actually staggered from the blow. Tall and handsome, the Malachai was almost a head taller than Xev these days. He was a massive beast and a fierce warrior.
But Xev didn’t share his glee.
Yeah, it was awesome,he thought sarcastically. He was covered in blood, entrails, piss, and vomit. None of it was his, which he was grateful for. But still…
Amazingwasn’t the word in his mind. Disgusting. Awful. Nightmarish. Gross.
Lots of other adjectives.
None of them made him feel like celebrating. He wasn’t even glad he was alive at the moment. Rather, he felt awful for all the lives they’d taken. Not just today, but every time they fought.
And for what?
He still didn’t know why they were fighting. ’Cause his mother wanted to control his father? Noir wanted more respect?
Apollymi wanted revenge for Kissare by taking the lives of everyone else’s husbands and fathers?
None of this made sense to him.
He just wanted a bath.
Most of all, he wanted Myone.
“Come celebrate!” Kri offered him a goblet of wine.
Xev took it and drank deeply while Kri and his wife hugged and cheered. How he wished he shared that joy in their victory. He just couldn’t muster it.
Xev?
He froze at the sound of Myone’s voice in his head.
Would you like to meet your son?
His breath caught as he finally found something to smile about. That was worth celebrating. Tears gathered in his eyes as a real smile spread across his face. He couldn’t remember the last time anything had made him this happy.
Not true. He felt like this every time he saw Myone’s face.
Throwing his head back, he shouted in joy. He handed the goblet back to Kri and pounded him on his massive shoulder. “I’ll be back to celebrate. I need to bathe.”
Kri grinned and inclined his head. “That’s the spirit, my friend.”
Without another word, Xev flew to his rooms. He wanted to go immediately to his wife, but there was no way he’d meet his son while smothered in death. It clung to every part of him and clogged his nostrils.
He took the quickest bath of his life and had barely dried himself off before he teleported through the shadows to make his way to Myone’s bedroom. In fact, he was still dripping, and his hair hung in wet curls around his face.
He didn’t care. All that mattered was seeing his wife and son.
When he started to step out of the shadows, he saw his father with her.
Jaden turned toward him. “It’s all right. Come meet your brother.”
Xev didn’t need the reminder of their pretense. His father had never once referred to Jared as anything other than his own son, and Xev wasn’t about to correct him now.
His legs and wings trembled as he approached her in full reverence of what she’d done without his being here. And he hated that, too.
While he’d been taking life, she’d been giving it. He sank to his knees beside her bed. Laughing through her tears, she pulled back the soft white blanket to show him the tiniest creature he’d ever seen, sleeping soundly in the cradle of her arms.
Humbled to the core of his soul, he had no words. All he could feel was an overwhelming sense of love unlike anything he’d ever known. The need to protect that innocent child was so overwhelming that he couldn’t breathe for it. This was his son.
Blood of my blood.
That surge of love and emotion was followed by a wave of profound hatred that was indescribable. He no longer saw his child in Myone’s arms. He saw himself there.
While he’d known his father had turned his back on him, it wasn’t until this moment that it hit home just how cold and uncaring his father had actually been.
The viciousness it’d taken for both of his parents to lash out against him when he’d been the most helpless of creatures.
What was wrong with them?
His breathing ragged, he looked up at his father and shook his head. “How could you abandon me to Azura?” Having never been around a babe before, he’d never really understood his parents that day.
What it’d taken for his father to be so cold as to order his death. And for his mother to send him into Azmodea to die as a helpless infant.
Now, he did.
They were broken.
At least Jaden had the decency to look away. “Be grateful every day of your life that you will never know the regrets that haunt me.” And with that, he vanished.
Haunted him? Was he serious?
Myone reached out and took his hand. “I believe him, Dary. I saw the look on his face when he first held Jared. He regrets everything.” She brushed her thumb against his whiskered cheek. “Please don’t let your past destroy this moment.”
She placed his hand on Jared’s chest so that he could feel the rise and fall of the baby’s sweet breaths. “This is our future. And he’s beautiful.”
Yes, he was. Unspoiled and untainted. And much better than Xev deserved.
Jared would never know the fear and pain of Xev’s childhood. Never doubt that he was loved.
Or protected.
Whatever it took, Xev would keep his son safe.
Myone sat up and put their son in his arms. Xev tried his best not to cry as he held him, but he couldn’t stop the tears that began to flow over this tiny miracle she’d given him. She kissed his cheek. “I love you both.”
“Love you more.”
“I know.” She brushed her hand through his wet hair, then nuzzled his neck.
Xev couldn’t believe how beautiful their son was. Such tiny little wings, hands, feet, and ears. Bald as he could be. Yet perfect in every way.
Just don’t ever hate me, little one. That was all he asked.
He never wanted this baby to feel toward him the way he felt toward his parents. Never wanted Jared to think that he’d abandoned him.
“I will always be here for you. Always.”
“He’ll know that, Dary.”
Would he?
Because Jared was going to grow up thinking Jaden was his father. And that was the most sickening part of all.