Chapter 36
Xev wasn’t sure why he was meeting Shadow at Sanctuary today. Other than it’d become a bit of habit for the two of them for a while now. There was just something about the shape-shifter bar and grill that had a homey feel to it.
Ever since the last Malachai, Ambrose, had freed him from his slavery while Ambrose was in high school, and had allowed him to live as a person and not an animal, Sanctuary had become a home base for many of their old comrades.
And it was a very special place for Ambrose, whose mother used to work here.
Cherise Gautier.
Xev’s granddaughter.
He still couldn’t get over the way things in life worked out. How life always seemed to take him to places he didn’t want to go.
Sometimes the trip was absolutely abysmal, and other times, it was shockingly wonderful.
Cherise and Ambrose had been two of those amazing surprises. Jared had fathered a beautiful little girl who, in turn, had become the mother of the latest Malachai.
Ambrose Gautier.
His grandson.
The sole hope humanity had for survival.
It still boggled his mind whenever he thought about. All these centuries later, hundreds of Malachai later.
The great-great-great-great-great-great-great-times thousands of grandsons of Monakribos was his biological grandson.
Life was weird and it was messy.
And he’d never understand it. But at least he no longer dreaded living. In spite of the pain and misery of his past, he’d found a reason to keep going.
Now, he actually looked forward to life. To watching Ambrose grow and mature.
To hopefully keeping him from turning evil and destroying the world.
Xev inclined his head to Remi, who was at the door. Though not quite as tall as Xev, Remi was almost as lethal. Xev definitely wouldn’t want to tangle with the WereBear. Especially given the fact that Remi didn’t have much in the way of a sense of humor.
“Hey, Xev,” Aimee said as soon as she saw him. “Shadow’s in the booth in the corner, waiting for you.” She pointed the way for him.
“Thanks.” He headed for his brother.
This time of day, there weren’t many patrons, which was fine by him. He didn’t really like crowds. It reminded him too much of battle.
Shadow already had a soda on the table, along with pretzels, waiting for him. “You’re late.”
That was normal, actually.
“Sorry. Ambrose cornered me before I could get past him.” Xev’s grandson liked to talk. And this morning, he’d been particularly chatty. Not that Xev minded. There was nothing he loved more than spending time with him.
Well, other than spending time with Jared.
“All good.” Shadow looked past Xev, toward the door. “Caleb decided not to come with you?”
Xev shook his head. “He wanted to sleep in. He was up late with Aeron, Simi, Vawn, and Kaziel last night, watching movies.”
“That sounds perfectly awful.”
Wasn’t his party, either. Especially given the weird films they chose. “Yeah. It was something called Killer Ninjas from Outer Space.”
“That a thing?”
“Apparently. Involved a lot of profanity…although that might have been Caleb complaining about Vawn and Kaziel talking over the actors and spilling spoilers every few minutes. Both of those make him crazy.”
Shadow laughed, then sobered. “So how’s Ambrose?”
“Slipping.” Which was concerning for all of them. The last thing they wanted was for Ambrose to turn full Malachai and end the world they’d been trying to save all these centuries past.
A tic started in Shadow’s jaw. “The signs are aligning. It’s going to get ugly.”
“Yeah. Been through enough nightmares. I really don’t want to live through any more.”
“Agreed.”
Xev took a drink as he reflected on all the centuries they’d lived. All the Malachai who’d come and gone.
Mostly, he remembered the one who’d started it all so long ago. Sometimes, he saw Monakribos reflected in Ambrose. Heard his voice in the wind.
So much had changed. Jared was now friends with the Malachai he’d once been at war with. They worked together to keep the balance and peace.
War did make strange bedfellows.
Bedfellows.
That word conjured an image in Xev’s mind that he’d spent eternity cherishing.
Myone. She’d been the only woman for him. In all this time, he’d never found anyone else. Never wanted anyone else.
Once you had perfection, it was hard to settle.
Closing his eyes, he regretted losing her most of all. If he could have one wish…
“Dary?”
Xev’s breath caught at a nickname he hadn’t heard in centuries. Only one person had ever used it. Mostly because he’d have killed anyone else. But from her…
He’d loved the sound of it.
“Dary?” There it was again. More insistent this time.
Were his memories really that powerful?
He felt the air stir beside him.
No. It couldn’t be.
Too afraid to look, Xev opened his eyes and met Shadow’s gaze. His brother’s features were as pale as his had to be.
There was no way for her to be here. Not after all this time.
“Myone?” Shadow whispered.
Xev turned his head to look up.
It really was her…sort of. Maybe?
Like him, she had no wings and her skin was a deep caramel instead of gold. But everything else was identical.
Same dark hair. Blue eyes.
She looked just like his Myone.
Unable to believe it, he slid out of the booth to stand by her side. His hands shaking, he cupped her face. “Is it you?”
Biting her lip as she used to do whenever she was unsure or nervous, she nodded.
“How?”
Tears filled her eyes. “Your father pulled me off the field when I was wounded.”
What? His mind went back to that time he’d relived for so many centuries that it was forever etched on his soul. To this day, he could see her there, dying. Feel the soreness in his throat as he screamed out for her. For them to kill him.
“I saw you die,” he whispered.
“I got to her in time and healed her. Then I hid her to keep them from knowing she lived.”
Xev looked past Myone to see his father a short distance away. “I don’t understand.”
“I had to wait until it was safe to wake her from the trance I had to put her in. I’m sorry it took so long. Even sorrier that I couldn’t tell you or Jared before this.”
Was he serious? “You bastard!” Xev started for him, but Myone caught him.
“Dary!”
She was right…and yet he wanted to gut his father where he stood. Why had Jaden put him through all of this when one word would have saved him?
What’s done is done.
She was with him now. So he settled on what was most important—he pulled her against him and held her tight, grateful for this miracle. It didn’t matter how she’d come to be here. All that mattered was that she was with him now.
She’d said it best all those centuries ago when he first saw his son. Don’t let the past screw up his future.
This time, he was going to make sure he didn’t.
“Where’s Jared?” she asked.
“Mom?”
Xev turned at the hesitant voice. He barely had time to get out of the way before his son almost ran him over to get to her. Laughing, he watched as Jared lifted her clear of the floor and turned in a circle.
Then Xev met his father’s gaze. “Did you really have to wait so long?”
Jaden shrugged. “I’m a bastard. No one has ever argued that. But at least I’m not as bad as Azura.”
He had a point. And right now, Xev was too happy to hate. For all his faults, Jaden had saved her and kept her safe for them.
For that, Xev could forgive his father anything. Sadly, they’d all screwed up so badly trying to protect each other.
But at least they’d tried.
No one could argue that. Now they were together, and that was all that mattered. He would spend the rest of eternity making sure nothing ever divided them again.
After all, family was chaos. It was fighting. It was important.
And it was everything.
No. It was the only thing.