Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Mikah began cutting out different shapes on paper bags in her bedroom while Alexa watched.
Ken had left her to go speak with her father.
She didn’t like the level of secrecy that was going on.
Ken told her he would fill her in on everything later.
At least the two of them were actually talking.
She wanted them to eventually get along like the rest of her family. Hopefully, they would get there.
“Look!” Mikah smiled and spread the bags out on Alexa’s bed. “We have his mad face, his happy face, his sad face, and here is his Squidward face.”
“I see you’re having fun.” Alexa giggled, and an evil grin spread over Mikah’s face.
“You know, if you say you made these, he will definitely wear them.” Mikah watched as Alexa’s mouth dropped open.
“I am not going to tell him that! I feel bad for him having to swallow his dignity like that anyway.” Alexa looked at the brown bags on her bed with a frown.
“I guess that shows how much he loves you. Not even pride will stand in his way.” Mikah gathered the bags together. It took him a while to calm down earlier after everything. He was working hard to keep his focus on other things … like making paper bag faces for Ken.
“Is it hard for you … with Ken around?” Alexa had been curious how Mikah felt about it. He’d always had instant access to her, and soon this wouldn’t be the case.
“No. Actually, it’s a relief. He’s another strong protector for you. Just in case anything ever happens to me, I know there’s someone more powerful watching over you.”
She snapped her head toward him. “Why would you say that?” Alexa watched a small smile play on his lips.
“I’m just saying is all. I doubt that a replacement guardian will be as strong as me if something ever happened. I don’t need to worry about that now.” Mikah shrugged as he looked at Alexa. Her eyes drilled into him as she studied him.
“Mikah …” Alexa whispered. “Don’t leave me … please.” She watched his eyes widen in shock. “I don’t want another guardian. I don’t want you to take unnecessary risks. And I swear … if you use that damn double-edged sword—”
“Lex.” Mikah reached over and pulled her to him.
He held her and patted her head. “My job is to protect you. The reason for my existence is to take the sword in your place. I’m not planning to use anything or to go running to my death.
But I wouldn’t hesitate to exchange my life for yours.
Not just because I’m your guardian, but because you’re my family. I don’t have a purpose without you.”
“Don’t say such things. You do have a purpose.
You have your own life too. If anything, because Ken is my mate, you have even more freedom.
I understand your job is to protect me, but I’m also going to protect you.
You aren’t just some expendable shield.” Alexa sighed and leaned back to look into his blue eyes.
“I know you said no, but just hear me out … will you think about taking a mate?”
“No.” Mikah shook his head.
“Mikah, don’t be like that.” Alexa furrowed her brows as he smiled at her.
“I don’t need a mate. Lex … I don’t need a mate to be happy. Besides, Uncle Grayson is right. Mates are a distraction. Look at Chasen and Brody. If it was a matter of life or death … let’s say this. Either Chelsie would die or Reiya would die. You know how painful that decision would be?”
Alexa snorted and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be dumb, Mikah.
Anyone could have those types of choices.
Either Aedan dies or Lucie dies, and I have to pick one.
Well, neither one of them is my mate and it would still be a devastating decision.
And when would that type of scenario ever come up? That is a cop-out and you know it.”
“Oh really? Grayson told me Brody was distracted during a battle before because of Chelsie. Then he put himself in a situation where he could no longer fight to protect Reiya. That wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t taken her as a mate.
” Mikah raised his brow at Alexa, who clicked her tongue at him.
“Bullshit, Mikah. Because whether Chelsie was his mate or not, he would have gone to her aid. Just like you would go to Brian’s aid or Raine’s aid.
If they were in danger, you would protect them.
And Uncle Grayson would do the same for their friends.
It doesn’t have to be a mate.” Alexa didn’t like these made-up scenarios that probably would never happen.
Besides, the logic in them wasn’t sound.
“Okay, fine. What about the jealousy thing? You will always be my number-one priority.”
Alexa shook her head. “Quit grasping at straws, Mikah. Chelsie and Jin don’t get jealous.
And because they’re guardians too, they feel the same way.
Uncle Grayson is not you. His decisions don’t have to be yours.
I want you to be happy. All I’m saying is …
just think about it, okay? And know that I support you.
Completely.” Alexa watched his eyes soften in defeat and he chuckled softly.
“Well, as of now, there are no prospects. There is no one that even makes me second-guess my decision. I’m fairly happy but will be better once Erebus is dead.” A darkness clouded over Mikah’s eyes as his mind drifted to the one who touched his princess. And for a second, everything went black.
Alexa watched Mikah’s eyes change. His sweet blue eyes were gone, and she was looking into two obsidian orbs.
A strange, suffocating energy poured out of him as the veins in his arms bulged from his skin, as if dark liquid was flowing through his veins and traveling up his body.
Even dark lines began to appear across his face.
Alexa inhaled sharply. Please, not again.
“Mikah? Mikah, don’t disappear on me. Remember, you are the one in control!
” Alexa reached out and grabbed onto his bulging arm.
“You. Are. In. Control.” Her voice was firm and radiated power.
She glared into the dark orbs and began freezing the darkness traveling through his veins.
“You can’t have him! He is mine!” she growled, her voice icy as she wrapped her energy around Mikah.
Alexa felt her chest stinging in pain for Mikah. All he did was casually mention Erebus’ name and this happened, which meant he’d been struggling and in pain over what had happened to her. She didn’t even notice, and she could kick herself for this. He was always protecting her.
Alexa let her white, warm light embrace Mikah as she froze his body, creating a layer of ice over him to hold him captive.
This was not the first time she’d had to do this.
She’d encountered this side of Mikah a long time ago.
Back then, she was terrified and didn’t know what had happened to her sweet Mikah.
She was accidentally injured by a young dragon during training and Mikah had just snapped.
She’d managed to get him out of sight before anyone saw the change in him and immediately went to work trying to calm him down.
Alexa was relieved back then when his eyes returned to his normal blue color. They talked about what had happened and decided to keep it a secret because Alexa was afraid her parents would make Mikah leave her again. Or worse … make her choose a new guardian.
Alexa and Mikah did some detailed researching, investigating, and experimenting after that.
It took a while, but they were able to come to a very upsetting conclusion—the dark elves had done something to him during the time they had him.
She remembered how he felt. The energy felt evil yet familiar.
There was a darkness that tried to spread across his body, almost like it wanted to take over. They still didn’t know much about it.
But the second time it happened, Alexa was more prepared and really felt the tainted energy, able to recognize it.
Trying to hide the truth from her family, she’d talked to one of the ancient magic weavers, a being that was neither good nor evil.
They were neutral and knew both sides of magic, and they understood the fairy and demon side.
She’d asked her all about fairies and their types of magic.
That way her real question wouldn’t seem suspicious.
Alexa asked the weaver if it was possible for a sprite to exist alive within another being, and if it was possible for it to become tainted.
The answer she received was gut-wrenching.
The weaver explained that sprites have the same energy as a djinn.
They can give something more power, like one did for the Ocean’s Tear, by becoming a living sacrifice.
But if the sprite is evil, it will gradually eat away the purities of whatever it has leeched onto. What was light would become dark.
Alexa had hoped that as fairy royalty, she could command the sprite.
However, this didn’t appear to be the case.
Fairy royalty could keep a sprite suppressed with their magic, but they weren’t able to command their existence.
A corrupt sprite was more like a demon than a fairy at that point.
The weaver told her not to worry about such things happening now.
After the demon war, this sort of thing was extremely rare.
Alexa asked how you could separate a sprite if it ever happened again, just in case.
The magic weaver had shaken her head sadly and told her that it was a dark art.
Only the dark priestess Kali would know if there was a solution.
But when they had encountered such a contaminated creature before, the guardians would put it out of its misery.
After Alexa heard this, there was no way she was telling anyone about Mikah.
This was her deepest secret and greatest fear, one she and Mikah shared.
Because she wouldn’t lose Mikah. She wouldn’t risk what could happen if they found out about him.
She was the strongest fairy princess ever, and she would use her magic to suppress the sprite inside him.
Alexa stared into his dark eyes as she struggled to rein in the darkness inside him.
Her warm light squeezed around Mikah as she pushed it into him.
Her ice solidified over his lower body, holding him in place.
She could see the blue beginning to peek through the darkness in his eyes.
His dark veins had subsided, and he was returning to her Mikah.
All of her focus and concentration was on him as her hands moved to his temples, sending bursts of light and cool into him.
All the while, she gently cooed to him as she brought him back to her.
Mikah closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were blue again.
Alexa let out the breath she was holding and relaxed.
“Mikah, there you are.” She smiled as she retracted her ice from his lower body.
“It was a bit stronger that time. But everything’s okay now.
” She watched Mikah’s eyes widen as he looked behind her.
“What the hell was that?!” an angry voice boomed.