Chapter 79
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
Meryl watched as the three men vanished from her view through the crystal. She snorted angrily and began pacing the room. How? How was that even possible? The room was protected by a sealing stone! It didn’t make sense. What was it about fairy magic? How could it bypass the magic of the gods?
Fairy magic was different than the magic witches used.
It was difficult to control since it had a life of its own.
It had no rules, no restrictions, no laws.
It was wild, untamed and free. It was a force of nature, just like the wind or the raging sea, both chaotic and unpredictable.
It was like a hurricane; it blew so loud and powerful.
It did whatever it wanted and even the gods couldn’t stop it.
Meryl scowled as she furrowed her brows and looked at herself in the mirror.
She never understood fairy magic. Its origin was also a mystery.
Fairies were said to have come from Endymion.
But she suspected that wasn't where the fairy magic came from.
It was more like they were the chosen ones that could use fairy magic.
Even the idea of the guardians was unnerving.
A fearsome, powerful creature that was able to tap into an unnaturally strong energy.
It was a magic that intrigued her. If she only had a way to tap into fairy magic herself.
Her black eyes flashed, and a sinister smile spread over her mouth.
She walked over and grabbed a special little violet bottle. Time to visit Erebus.
Reiya sat up on the bed and Brody growled, placing his hands on her shoulder. He gently applied pressure and she swatted him away.
“Brody is right. Lay down,” Xander commanded.
“I’m fine. I already told you—I’m fine. I was only weak because my energy left me to help Lee.” Reiya looked up at her mother with determined eyes. “I’m getting my daughter back.”
Lita smiled. “Reiya, you’ve used a lot of energy. You need to stay here and relax. We will—” Lita stopped talking as three bodies manifested in the room.
“Lee!” Reiya called out as his arms engulfed her.
“Mikah … thank goodness.” Lita breathed out a sigh of relief as she turned to look at Asher. He squeezed her shoulder gently with a small smile. No one knew of her internal worry but him.
“What … happened?” Ken said in a voice that was barely managing to stay in control.
He didn’t know what happened exactly. He just heard Levi say Alexa went to meet Erebus and he grabbed onto Mikah to teleport.
He was worried. He had never felt so afraid before, and his anger was radiating through his body. He was like a volcano ready to erupt.
“It’s all my fault!” Raine sobbed as she stepped into the room.
“Alexa came to save me. She agreed to go with Erebus willingly and stay with him for a month in exchange for my release.” She felt the room shake as Ken balled his hand into a fist. His face was rigid, his jaw clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes burned with a menacing glow.
Levi watched as Ken turned around and took a step away. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to kill a god.” Ken turned and fixed Levi with an icy glare.
“Can you find her?” Levi asked as he tightened his hold on Reiya.
“I—I can’t sense her. She is being hidden.
If she is wearing the necklace I gave her, all she has to do is smash it and I can come to her.
It will pull me to her. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to go looking for her.
” Ken turned his head and looked over at Mikah, whose aura was dark and stormy.
“I’m taking Mikah with me. He might be able to sense her if we’re close. ”
“That’s right!” Levi looked over at Mikah and sighed. “There is a lot we need to tell you.” They needed to explain to Mikah exactly what he was and about his connection with Alexa. The reason Ken was able to find Mikah was because she was his master.
“I’ll tell him. We’re going to be searching together and I don’t want to waste time chit-chatting over tea.” Ken growled as Levi straightened up to face him.
“I’m coming too,” Levi said, and Ken shook his head. “Yes, I am. That’s my daughter!”
“Right, and you are her father whose life is connected to her mother’s.
If she loses you, she loses both of you.
It’s better you find Gaia. We need to know more about this relationship we discovered.
” Ken eyed Levi, who reluctantly nodded.
Ken had felt the reality of what would happen if Levi died.
Alexa would lose both her parents in an instant.
He never wanted her to experience such pain.
Gaia had crucial information they needed right now as well.
Ken and Levi didn’t know much about a primordial connection to its master. What exactly was this bond?
Levi’s face broke into a soft smile as he looked at Mikah. “It’s really good to have you back, Mikah. I feel like we just saved you only to have you go risk your life again.”
“This time things will be different,” Mikah said firmly as Ken placed his hand on his shoulder.
“Of course they will … for more reasons than one. And we’ll talk about that as we travel.” Ken looked up at Levi. “We will bring her back.” And with that, he teleported him and Mikah out of the room. They were going on a dangerous hunt. And this time, Erebus was going to die.
Alexa looked up at Erebus as he sat down across from her at the small table. He hummed casually to himself as he slowly cut up his steak and prepared his plate. He looked up at her and frowned.
“What is with that scowl, princess?”
“I agreed to stay willingly. Is this necessary?” Alexa moved her hands and feet, making the chains jingle loudly.
Erebus chuckled. “More than necessary. I don’t exactly want an ice shard in my back. You agreed to stay, not that you wouldn’t try to kill me.” His smile spread as he looked at her. “You didn’t think I was clever enough to know what you were thinking, did you?”
“Well, thinking hasn’t been your strong suit.” Alexa sighed and listened as he chuckled.
“That will just make sure you behave yourself. Those anti-magic cuffs will keep that icy bite of yours at bay.” Erebus could see the scowl on her face. “Come now. You’re going to be with me for a while. You might as well eat. Don’t worry. I didn’t lace your food like I did with your cousin.”
“How sweet.” Alexa clicked her tongue as she stared down at her plate.
She needed to find out his whole plan and wondered if he would speak freely about it if she behaved.
More information was needed, but she wasn’t expecting the anti-magic and anti-shifting cuffs …
though she should have. Her only chance now would be to summon Ken.
But she wanted to see if she could get more information out of Erebus first. Then she would break her necklace and summon Ken.
Just thinking of him made her heart hurt.
How was he? How was her father? And what about Mikah?
She knew Mikah was alive, and that he was her guardian again.
“So why don’t you tell me what all of this is about?
What’s the plan? You want to keep me here and put the glass back in my eye?
” Alexa quirked her brow as she looked at Erebus.
She watched as he brought the fork to his mouth and took a big bite, chewing slowly as he looked at her.
“All of this just to hurt Ken because he dyed your hair white?”
Erebus slammed his fork down on the table.
He shot her a lethal glare and snarled. “Is that what that bastard thinks?” He chuckled dangerously and shook his head.
“Of course …” He let out a loud airy laugh.
“Of course! That’s all it is. I was just a bad sport who couldn’t take his prank.
” His face suddenly became solemn, and he looked up at Alexa. “Do you think it’s all about my hair?”
Alexa watched as his eyes bore into her. The man with normally dark, wild eyes hid a deep pain behind them. She couldn’t see his grudge only being about his hair color. It must have been because of the dryad woman, Ivory. Maybe he did really love her, and her betrayal destroyed him.
“I can’t imagine it’s only about your hair. It seems like you have suffered a deep emotional wound.” Alexa saw what almost looked like relief in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but then black smoke formed in the room and Meryl appeared on the other side of the table.
“Hello, sugar. Did you miss me?” Meryl cackled as Erebus growled at her. “I’m here to collect. I’ve held up my end. Now …” She held out the purple vial.
“Disgusting creature. How dare you just come into my place as you please! Don’t you dare disrespect me!” Erebus watched as Meryl’s smile spread over her face.
“Now now now … I just want what I’ve come here for. And then I’ll leave.” Meryl could see his eye twitching as he glared at her.
Erebus held up his hand. “Give me the container.”
Meryl held it out and he snatched it out of her hands. He concentrated on the violet jar. It began to glow as a dark substance filled it. As it came out of Erebus, they heard a shrill scream of agony.
Alexa watched as Meryl’s face twisted in pain, and for once she saw emotions on her face. He black eyes watered, and her bottom lip trembled slightly. She reached out and grabbed the bottle, putting a little purple cork on the top.
“Don’t worry. Everything is alright now.” Meryl pulled the jar up against her chest and let out a quiet sigh of relief. She looked over at Alexa, and a wicked smile spread over her lips. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
Alexa watched Meryl disappear in a puff of black smoke. She looked over at Erebus, who shrugged slightly and began eating again.
“I need to tighten things up here. I don’t need disgusting corpses dropping pieces of themselves in my home.” Erebus took another bite of food while he concentrated on his plate.
“What did you put in the bottle?” Alexa asked as she poked at her food, trying to be casual.
“It is her granddaughter’s soul. It was useless to me anyway.” Erebus continued to bring the fork to his mouth, not bothering to look at her.
Alexa winced at how casually he spoke about using and discarding someone’s soul.
But she stayed quiet and continued poking at her food.
They ate the rest of their dinner in silence, with only the sound of metal forks scraping against glass plates echoing off the walls.
She wondered if she was playing with fire …
if she should just summon Ken. But Erebus knew what was going on with the demons.
He knew about the pool of power. Alexa wanted to know how much time they had—if it was already too late or if there was still a chance to stop it.
This was their one chance to get answers. She had to seize it. She looked down at the cuffs, which prevented her from shifting and using her ice magic. But she wondered … would they prevent her from using her fairy magic?
Erebus stood up from the table and walked over to her. “It’s time for you to rest. I have a guest coming to speak with me.” He looked at her as one eyebrow lifted in question. “It isn’t a request, and I don’t owe you an explanation.”
Alexa smiled up at him innocently as she stood up. “Is it a lady friend?”
Erebus grabbed her shoulder and roughly escorted her down the hall.
“Don’t be jealous. You’re the only lady friend I will accept for eternity.
” He squeezed her shoulder as he smiled down at her.
Then, with gentle pressure, he pushed her into the room and shut the door.
She heard a strange popping noise, and the door glowed red.
Whoever he was meeting, he really didn’t want her to know about it.
Erebus walked down the hall and entered another room. A shadow moved across the floor, and Erebus bowed his head slightly. “My lord. I was surprised that you came here, and so suddenly.”
“Have you finished the preparations on your end?” the shadow whispered eerily.
“Yes,” Erebus answered with a slight nod as his eyes followed the shadow on the ground.
“What about the woman?” it hissed.
Erebus pursed his lips, and his tone hardened slightly. “That is my personal business.”
The shadow laughed and weaved across the floor. “Just don’t get distracted. You know what I need you to do?”
“Yes, of course I know. As soon as I get those shards from Meryl, I will make sure to shove one in the nycrops’ eye. Then she will be under your control. Well, technically my control.” Erebus chuckled while the shadow remained quiet. He then cleared his throat uncomfortably as the darkness swirled.
“Don’t mess this up.”
Erebus sighed as the shadow vanished from the room, its heavy aura dissipating with it.
He turned and left the room with a small smirk resting on his face.
The Demon King was getting more and more pushy.
Acting like he was his boss. But soon … soon he planned to take his crown for himself.
He was just waiting for the right moment, when he would be able to devour the Demon King’s soul.