Chapter 28 #2
“It’s not about what they want, but about what is right!” she screamed back. “Aghen is your son. He’s your rightful Heir, he’s—”
“Half as powerful as Anastasia is!”
My mother gasped and the whole space seemed to have frozen in time. Waiting. Holding its breath.
“You should have seen her fly,” my father said, voice now just a whisper.
“Her bird size, the last time I’ve seen her shift, was nearly as big as mine, and it was five years ago.
When she flew into a storm, the lightning was called to her.
When we passed over a volcano, it bubbled and sizzled like she was the flame it needed to breathe. You don’t understand how—”
“She also burned down entire forests because she couldn’t control that damn power!”
My father sneered, his teeth and fists clenching.
“You think I was born able to control mine? You think Aghen never had any mishaps? If I’d been able to teach her, to help her, it would have never happened in the first place.”
My mother looked at him, fury burning in her sort of green eyes. “I should have killed her the second she was born.”
Dimitri anticipated my gasp and his hand landed on my mouth. His eyes were murderous. Darting from me, to both my parents far away on the shore.
My father reacted before Dimitri could do something stupid. He grabbed her throat and nearly lifted her from the ground, growling at her face. “I should have killed you, the second you gave birth, but here we fucking are.”
She scratched at his hands, trying to get free, but his hold was too strong.
“I gave you my word. Followed your wishes since they were born. Named Aghen my Heir and forbade Anastasia to shift and use her rightful powers again to appease you. Don’t question my morals, or I’ll send your head back to the Chimeras’ clan.”
“You’d start a war,” she choked out.
“At this point, I don’t even care anymore.”
“If you do make her your heir and break your word, I’ll go back there,” she threatened, feet kicking in the air. “And I’ll come back with the Chimeras’ army.”
“If you keep pestering me, I might. And don’t stay on my account; I’ve been praying to the stars for you to leave since you set your foot here. Hoping that, as soon as the children were born, you’d fuck off back from where you came from.
“If you actually did when I offered, my children would have been free to live as they pleased. My son wouldn’t hate me for forcing him to do things he doesn’t want to. My daughter wouldn’t have enough repressed power to burn down a continent because she’d be able to control and use it as needed.
“I wouldn’t live with a fucking constant headache at the thought of you putting your nose everywhere it doesn’t belong.”
He dropped her back to the floor and shoved her toward the narrow passage leading out of the cave.
“The reality is you know your own clan doesn’t like you any more than we do here. And you know that going back there would only make them see you as even more of a failure as they did when you left.”
Her chest heaved as she threw daggers at him with her eyes.
“I’m only staying because I don’t trust you,” she clipped.
“Because I know the second I turn my back, you’ll go back on your word and start a war.
And all this for what? Because you lack a backbone.
Because your dear children can manipulate you like their fucking puppet.
Because you’re so soft they know they can get their way if they try hard enough. ”
“Get out,” my father answered. “I don’t want to see you again for the foreseeable future.”
She gritted her teeth but nodded anyway, turning around sharply on her heels.
“And I’m taking Anastasia for a flight later this week,” he said, surprising me. “She won’t ever be allowed to once she’s gone. She deserves to fly one last time.”
She stopped in front of the crevasse in the wall, clenching her fists, her shoulders tensing. But she was gone a couple of seconds later without another word.
My father turned back to the natural pool, crouching again, letting his fingers slide into the water with a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered simply.
He stayed there for a few minutes, watching his own finger under the fluorescent water, before he stood up and left like my mother did just before him.
Dimitri’s hand finally left my mouth and I exhaled softly, head dropping in defeat.
He was silent, but his gaze on me made my skin tingle with awareness.
He’s heard everything they said. Everything I haven’t told him.
“You’re a Phoenix.” It was all he said. There wasn’t much more to add.
I gave him a slow nod, not lifting my eyes to look at him.
Shame. Why was I feeling shame? About who I was?
Maybe because I was never really allowed to be myself.
Forced to repress my Phoenix’ abilities, my powers, my need and desire to fly freely.
Like I wasn’t supposed to want any of it. Wasn’t supposed to even exist.
“The whole Maiden thing makes so much sense now…I was curious as to why you had to be the Dragon’s Maiden when there were so many human females he could have chosen instead. But the Maiden has to be an Astral, doesn’t she?” Dimitri asked. “But why you specifically?”
“Because Astrals can’t reproduce within their own species,” I explained. “The Dragon’s Maiden can only be a Chimera or Phoenix, and for some reason, he decided he wanted me between the two that were offered.”
He hummed, hugging me closer. “But why you? Aren’t there other female Phoenixes?
Your father has other children with other wives, right?
I’ve read about that…The Maiden for the Heir, the other wives for the less powerful descendents.
Plus, there are other Phoenixes clans, it doesn’t even need to be the child of a Shard Carrier, right? ”
I shrugged. “I’m the first female to ever be born with Heir blood. And you’ve heard my mother…I think she wanted to ensure my father couldn’t choose me as the Heir to maintain the balance.”
“What balance?”
“Male Shard Carriers can only produce one heir. It’s said that if the Shard goes to a female, she can have as many Heirs as she wishes.”
His jaw dropped open.
“And, only one Maiden of each species is offered to avoid ‘internal conflicts’ within the clans,” I continued before he could ask more.
He tilted my chin up as he frowned. “What, would there be catfights otherwise? Do the Maidens want to be chosen enough to fight with each other?”
“Sometimes,” I whispered. “That’s also why each clan isn’t allowed to know who the other Maiden is in the other one.”
Dimitri sighed as he rested his forehead against mine. “Did you think I already knew what you were?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I knew you didn’t.”
His eyes were soft as he slid one of his hands in my hair, cupping the back of my head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I didn’t know. Probably because I was scared. Because we’ve been taught our whole life not to trust Divine and Hellrisers’ blooded beings. Because I thought that, once he knew, he’d react the same I did with him.
“Anastasia,” he whispered, his lips close to kissing me, eyes searching mine. “I don’t care whether you’re human or Astral.”
I nearly sobbed.
“You’re my mate either way. I love you no matter the color of your blood…Wait, do Astrals have red blood? I didn’t see anything different when we made the binding promise…”
I nodded. “Our blood is red. But if you look closer, you’ll see silver too. It’s said that the stars are running through our veins, as a reminder of where we came from.”
Dimitri smiled as he pressed his mouth to mine in a soft kiss. “I love you, dusha moya. No matter what happens next, you’ll always have me by your side.”
And I wanted to believe him. So much so that, for the first time since I knew what my fate was, I had hope that I'd somehow get to live a happy life.