Chapter Thirty-Five #2
“Yes, the future queens of Shayla, Eryx, and Tanith are all your half-sisters,” the goddess says.
I don’t know how I feel about this. On one hand, I’m giddy with excitement since I always wanted brothers or sisters, and that longing was even stronger after Gryffin and the two girls visited.
On the other hand, will they want anything to do with me?
After everything that has happened, are we going to be able to get over our father’s betrayal so we can become a semi-functional family?
Or will we remain distant allies at best?
So many scenarios play over and over in my head as I come to terms with the news.
“So Loki is a quarter of each race, which is how you were able to create children with all four women, but how did each of them turn out as the supernatural race they need to be? Colbie is definitely all shifter with no other traits.” Hunter raises a questioning eyebrow at the goddess, who shrugs unapologetically.
“Remember, they only have the potential to be supernaturals, so when they are exposed to the right magic, it triggers the change. Had Colbie been subjected to Eryx’s magic instead of mine, she would have been a vampire.
Loki is the only one in the Chaos Kingdom who has all four bloodlines running through him. ”
“That doesn’t seem like a coincidence,” Gem points out dryly, and the goddess blushes.
“We did what needed to be done.”
I focus my attention on the man who sired me. “My mother told me you were a cheating bastard who left when he found out she was pregnant.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Your mother always had a propensity to tell lies. I’m sure that narrative fit her perfectly.
In fact, she was only ever a brief fling, one I knew she would get pregnant from, but the goddess told me you would have to be raised alone to become the person you were meant to be.
I entranced her and her parents to believe I was around longer than I was, but that the relationship went south, and we split up.
In truth, I never saw her again after the week we spent together.
I did it so she wouldn’t come looking for me.
Anything she told you about me is a lie and made up to fit her own needs.
As much as I wanted to be in your lives, the goddess forbade it.
If I had my way, you would have been raised here in the kingdom with me, spoiling you all rotten.
” He sounds desperate, like he needs me to believe what he’s saying, and I kind of do.
That may be my own desperate need for a loving parent grasping at straws, but in this moment, I don’t care.
I glare at the goddess, furious that she took away my chance to be raised by a more stable and caring environment, but she just stares back at me.
“We did what needed to be done. You are the person you need to be because of your upbringing and have unbiased views of supernaturals. Had you been raised in your father’s care, you could have picked up prejudices. ”
“What a load of crap,” Liam spits out, and I feel a rush of love at his support, even though she is probably right. “Being raised in Chaos Kingdom would have been the best place for all of them. It would have made them neutral.”
She vehemently shakes her head. “Not if Loki’s grandfather had gotten his hooks into them. Remember, Loki only succeeded the man just over ten years ago. The girls would have been fully under his influence.”
“What happened to him?” Brodie asks, unable to stop his curiosity.
“I killed him,” my father said flatly. “He was throwing around words of war, no longer content to be hidden from the humans or ignored by the other supernaturals. He was stirring up trouble for the kingdom, and I wasn’t about to see all of our people die for his delusions.”
“You know a lot of supernaturals, especially the wealthy and influential, are not going to be thrilled that all four kingdoms have rulers so closely linked to the Chaos king. They are going to think he will be able to manipulate them,” Micah points out thoughtfully.
Loki shrugs, but the goddess shakes her head. “He will not be the ruler who will see Chaos Kingdom into the future, though I don’t doubt he will continue to guide the one who will.”
Loki narrows his eyes and growls at the goddess. “What did you do?”
She winces. “There is a fifth child who has been raised by a woman in the Chaos Kingdom. You will step down, and she will take your place.”
He stiffens and jumps to his feet. “What do you mean? I have not had a relationship with another woman in years. Not since…” He trails off, and the goddess nods, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Not since you thought you found your mate, but she turned out to be someone else’s.
I know. I’m sorry we did that to you, but we masked the mate bond for all of you so our plans could move forward.
We needed you to do what we required without the burden of guilt.
Both Camila and Wyatt are your mates. She was already pregnant when they met.
They have been raising the child together. ”
Loki looks furious. “Why? I did everything you asked for. I gave up my chance to be a father five times over for all of your machinations. When is it going to stop?” I hear the anguish in his tone, and I can’t help but feel a sense of kinship for this man.
These goddesses have been manipulating all of us for too long, and he got the worst of it.
“I’m so sorry, Loki, but now you get your reward for having served us so well,” she says as she stands, affectionately cupping his cheek, and my eyes widen.
“Did you and him…” I trail off, wondering if my father has a relationship with the goddess, but they both blanch.
“Hell no!” he exclaims vehemently. “They are like annoying, interfering older sisters.”
“We each have our own mates. They just choose not to get involved in our kingdoms,” she tells us, and I heave out a sigh of relief. I’m not sure why, but the thought of them together felt wrong.
“We will unmask the bond as soon as the other queens are all in place,” she assures Loki.
“I’m sorry you have to wait a little longer, but use this time to build relationships with your other daughters.
All of them will venture to the Chaos Kingdom for this news.
You will send out your other assassins and have them bring them here,” she explains.
Titus, who has been quiet this whole time, frowns thoughtfully at the king and goddess.
He opens his mouth like he’s about to ask a question, but his phone pings, alerting him to a message.
He looks at it before slipping it into his pocket then stands up.
“Ah, it seems the final player has arrived. I will escort him in,” he says, and without waiting for a response, he puts his hooded cowl back on and disappears in the blink of an eye. My mouth drops open.
“What was that?” I point at the now empty space.
“Titus’s fae genes give him the ability to sift,” Loki says absently, lost in his own thoughts. It looks like our family is having bombshells dropped on all of us today.
“Sift?” I ask, not familiar with the term.
“It’s like teleporting. They move through ley lines, which run through each of the kingdoms, allowing them to travel long distances in a blink,” Gem explains.
“Who is here?” Hunter asks, smoke drifting from his nose as he looks between the goddess and the king. I can feel his agitation and worry that we are going to be ambushed with something else.
“If I had to hazard a guess, it would be Colbie’s final mate,” the goddess replies absently. She’s still watching Loki carefully, like she’s expecting him to explode at any moment.
“Nox?” Gryffin asks, looking toward the door. “But he isn’t Colbie’s final mate. One is still missing.”
“No, there isn’t,” the goddess retorts, her eyebrows rising with surprise.
“They are all gathered here now. Once she seals the bond with the last two, she can return to Aramis and finally claim the crown and face anyone who may challenge her.” Aramis’s words send my mind reeling.
If what she is saying is true, then that means the assassin is my final mate.