Chapter 85 #2
“You really should have just told me I was your mate back then and let me figure out what I wanted to do with that information.” Reiya looked up to see the sheepish grin on Lee’s face.
“Instead, Chelsie and I had to wipe the drool off her chin every time she saw you.” Brody listened as Reiya gasped.
“Brody!” Reiya said, slightly mortified.
“That’s okay, Reiya. Levi here was no better. I knew every time he came back from seeing you, he would be brooding and in a bad mood.” Xander looked around the room. “Is Lita still working on replicating those crystals?”
“Yes,” Reiya said with a slight frown. “It’s taking so much out of her.”
“It’s going to be weird without you guys living in the dragon kingdom,” Lila said, knowing Xander was thinking the same thing.
The nembrant glass left her in a bit of a blur.
Unlike Alexa, who had remembered everything clearly, she didn’t.
It was like waking up from a dream state.
What happened from the time she got the nembrant glass in her eye until it was removed was hazy.
She didn’t even remember when it happened.
“Any word on Alexa?” Brian finally spoke up in agitation. He was not like this family, and just pretending everything was fine didn’t work for him.
Levi frowned and looked down at Reiya. Her face was crestfallen as she glanced down at her hands. The whole room became solemn as their worries were brought to the surface.
“No … nothing.” Levi said quietly.
“Then what are we doing? We should be—” Brian started but stopped with a glance from Levi.
“How do we find her? We can’t just aimlessly wander around looking for her. With everything going on, we shouldn’t be splitting up. I would do anything to keep her safe. I—” Levi stopped as three people manifested in the middle of the room.
“Thank the gods!” Reiya jumped up and wrapped her arms around Alexa. Alexa hugged her mother tightly as her father wrapped them both in his arms.
“Just god. Thank the god. And I’m right here. You’re welcome,” Ken said with a smirk.
“Pfft. Thank the guardian. I’m the one who killed Erebus.” Mikah snorted and Ken glared at him.
“And we found them because of me.”
“Because the moron broke the necklace. Oh … I’m sorry …” Mikah said solemnly.
“Sorry?” Ken looked at him in confusion.
“I shouldn’t speak like that about your ‘lover.’” Mikah grinned widely.
Ken glared at Mikah. That damn bear couldn’t wait to tell everyone.
“Lover?” Brian asked with a playful smile on his lips.
“Didn’t you know? Ken is so much of a man that Erebus fell for him.
” Mikah ran his hand over his chest and tugged down on his shirt.
He bit his lower lip and batted his eyes at Ken.
“Careful, Alexa, or I might not be able to resist those godly pheromones he is practically dripping with.” He dodged to the side as Ken swung his arm at him. “Owww, you vicious thaaaang!”
“Erebus was in love with you?” Levi looked up at Ken, who turned from Mikah and shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t think he knew what love was, to be honest.” Ken just couldn’t fathom such a poisonous love. Erebus thought he was in love with him, but his actions never reflected it.
“Are you okay?” Reiya held her daughter’s head against her.
“Yes, I’m fine. We would have been back sooner. But we searched over Erebus’ castle for clues, and I needed to change my clothes before we came back.”
“What did you find?” Levi asked, looking at Ken and Mikah.
“Nothing. There was nothing there. It was almost … it was as if he planned to die,” Mikah said, clearing his throat uneasily.
“I wish we didn’t have to kill him. I couldn’t seal him on my own, and we couldn’t risk losing him again.” Ken looked at Levi and shrugged. “Damned if you do … damned if you don’t.”
“You didn’t have a choice. You couldn’t risk him getting away.
” Levi then directed his attention to Mikah.
“I spoke with Gaia more about you. I’m guessing Ken filled you in.
” He watched as Mikah nodded his head. “You have chosen Alexa as your master. You are connected to her now, which is why you could sense each other even when you weren’t a guardian.
The master bond with a primordial still has many mysteries.
Gaia isn’t sure what all this will mean.
Talia, the primordial beast that was killed, never took on a master. ”
“I guess we’ll be learning about it now.” Mikah chuckled and shrugged. “The dark sprite is no longer an issue for me. I’m not sure exactly, but I believe I absorbed it.”
“Let me see.” Lita’s voice rang out clearly through the room.
She walked toward Mikah with Asher and Grayson.
Her face was drawn and her body was tired, but she would complete her tasks and do whatever she could to ensure everyone’s safety.
She walked up to Mikah, cupped his cheeks, and stared into his eyes, searching for the lifeforce of the sprite.
“He’s right. The sprite no longer exists inside his body.” Lita dropped her hands and then turned to look at Alexa. “We have a lot to fill you in on, but you look tired. You’ve been through a lot. Why don’t you rest?”
“I’m taking her to my home to rest. When she’s feeling better, we’ll come back here.” Ken looked at Levi, who reluctantly nodded his head and frowned.
“She could rest here too,” Levi said, and Ken chuckled.
“I was going to take her straight to my place, but she insisted on seeing everyone here first. I was just going to send you a mental message that she was safe.” Ken turned his head slightly to look at Mikah. “I told you the sea slug would have something to say.”
Levi scoffed and Mikah grinned. “I think his reaction was pretty mild, considering everything that happened.” Mikah elbowed Ken lightly. “You’re not the only one who loves her … and she wasn’t the only one who loved you.” He grinned widely as Ken shoved him.
Terra stepped forward with Jasper by her side. “I’ve decided to stay with Jasper if that’s—”
“Stay with your mate, Terra. You deserve happiness.” Ken watched as she smiled, and Jasper rested his arm around her.
“I know there’s a lot to talk about. I’ll be back in a day or two. Will you still be in Elysia?” Alexa looked at her mother, who nodded her head.
“Yes, your father and I are moving to Elysia. It’s something we can talk more about when you return.” Reiya squeezed her daughter tightly before she released her.
Ken reached for Alexa, who stepped into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head gently and brushed his nose in her hair. She was exhausted and needed to rest. He understood that her family needed to not just hear that she was safe. They needed to see it. He looked up at everyone in the room.
“I’ll bring her back after she’s rested,” Ken said and Lita raised a hand.
“Wait. Before you go …” Lita handed a scale to Alexa and Mikah. “Take these. They will prevent the nembrant glass from affecting you in the future.” Just then, a baby started crying and Alexa turned her head in shock.
“Did someone have their baby already?” Alexa looked over at Lucie now, finally noticing the baby she was holding despite still being heavily pregnant.
Lucie smiled and shook her head. “We’re all still pregnant here.” She rocked the baby slowly until she fell back to sleep. “I think the baby is something else we can talk to you about after you’re rested.” She glanced at Reiya, who nodded her head.
Alexa let out a tired sigh and leaned into Ken.
After being held captive, fighting against Erebus, and recovering from her wounds, she was exhausted.
It was finally creeping up on her. Ken knew this through their connection.
He was also exhausted after the search for her, having barely slept.
Right now, they needed to rest. Everything else could wait. The immediate danger was over.
Ken nodded at everyone, and a moment later, the three of them were standing in the main room of their home.
Mikah watched as Ken lifted Alexa up and carried her up the stairs. He headed to the kitchen to grab a quick snack before he headed to bed himself. His thoughts weren’t entirely on sleep, though. He was thinking about Brandy. When he saw one of the servants, he decided to ask about her.
“Is Brandy still here?”
“No, she is due to make a delivery tomorrow morning, though.”
Mikah nodded as he gathered some snacks in his arms. He felt a wave of disappointment wash over him as he made his way back to his room.
He couldn’t deny what he was feeling. Suddenly, his body was screaming at him to find Brandy.
As if she was his and belonged to him. Maybe it was just the anticipation of seeing her again?
Or … it was something more. He would know when he saw her tomorrow morning.
In the morning, he would make an important decision about his future.