Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Alexa could recognize the sound of her father’s angry voice anywhere. She turned and saw her father and Ken standing there. She shuddered for a second since Ken didn’t have anything covering his face. She saw Erebus’ angry face, and her father was fuming beside him.
“This has happened before?!” Levi growled out lowly as Alexa moved Mikah behind her protectively.
“Everything is fine now.” Alexa heard her father snort while Ken stood there quietly. “When did you both come in here? I didn’t hear a thing.” She looked back at the closed door.
“I set up a crystal in here so I would be alerted if something was wrong. The moment your power surged, I came to check on you. And your father tagged along since we were together.” Ken had his gaze set on Mikah, studying him. Alexa was right. He did seem fine now.
“I asked if this happened before.” Levi’s crisp voice was edged with a low growl into it.
Alexa took in a breath and stood there defiantly. She didn’t want to answer her father.
“It has,” Mikah responded.
Alexa turned her head upward and glared at him. “Mikah, shush.”
“Lex, we can’t hide this. Besides, I’ve suspected they both already know.
” Mikah looked between Ken and Levi. He wasn’t na?ve enough to think that something like this would go unnoticed by the deities.
More than likely they already knew about the sprite, but there was something else they knew that he didn’t.
Something else they were keeping secret.
“You knew?” Alexa looked up at her father. How could her father have known and never mentioned it to her? Was it because they were planning to get rid of Mikah? Over her dead body!
Levi gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes on Alexa.
“The question is how long have you known? How long have you been hiding this from us, Alexa?” Levi shook his head.
“I told your mother that once Mikah’s bloodlust started to seep out, he would need to leave.
How long ago?! When did this first happen? !” Levi roared.
Alexa didn’t flinch as she kept her protective stance in front of Mikah. “We’ve known for years.” She watched her father’s eyes bulge open. “But I can suppress it. He won’t lose control because I’ll be there by his side, helping him. Mikah and I are a team.”
“Lex, you can’t suppress this forever. That sprite has been injected with demon blood.
Do you realize that the bloodlust will only get stronger?
This sprite has been conditioned to hunger for death and destruction.
It’s best for Mikah to stay in Elysia for now.
” Levi watched how his daughter looked at him defiantly.
“If Mikah goes to Elysia, then I go with him.” Alexa wasn’t going to be parted from Mikah. How was it for the best for Mikah to be sent away? Somewhere where she wasn’t there to protect him? Nope. Wasn’t going to happen.
“You said so yourself that Mikah won’t hurt Alexa.” Ken turned his head to meet the angry blue orbs. “Mikah can keep Alexa safe. Even if … even if things get out of control, he won’t turn on her, right? This is why we’re looking for Kali. We’re looking for a solution.”
“The problem is that everyone else could be hurt. Can you even imagine how catastrophic his blind rage could be if left unchecked?” Levi snarled and shook his head.
Alexa looked up at Mikah and gave him a soft smile.
She placed her hand on his arm. He was staying quiet, but this conversation had to be hurting his feelings.
“Don’t worry, Mikah. I’m never leaving you, ever.
” She whipped her head back toward her father.
“I’m not going to tolerate you speaking about him like he isn’t in the room. How could you? Mikah is family.”
“Alexa,” Levi said and took a step toward his daughter.
Ken’s hand immediately shot out and landed on his shoulder.
Levi glared at him for a moment before he sighed.
“You don’t have to protect my daughter from me.
” His voice was back to his usual composed tone.
Ken reluctantly let him go, and Levi smiled at him, nodding his head.
Regardless, it was nice to see how protective he was of Alexa.
Levi walked up to Alexa, placed his hand on her head, and bent down slightly. “Alexa, why didn’t you tell us?” he whispered gently.
Alexa sighed and bit her bottom lip. “I was afraid of what you would do. I didn’t know you knew.” She shook her head and looked down. “I talked to a magic weaver and she said that guardians usually handled those who had a dark sprite inside them. They took … care of the problem. I was afraid—”
“Lex.” Levi gave her a sympathetic smile.
“I would never hurt Mikah unless I had to. Unless he was out of control and hurting everyone. I was suggesting removing him from you for his benefit. You are the trigger that makes him get angry. You are the one who triggers his bloodlust. It’s for both your sakes that I suggest he go to Elysia.
We all love Mikah. Could you imagine Mikah’s pain if he ended up hurting others? We have to protect him from this.”
Alexa gaped at her father and gnawed on her bottom lip. So what he was saying was for Mikah’s benefit. He was worried about Mikah. “I can help calm him down. Oh! And Bella can help calm him down too.”
“I understand what you’re saying, Levi. But I need to be with Alexa.
Her safety is more important.” Mikah couldn’t be away from Alexa at a time like this.
Not when Erebus had gotten to her twice already.
His job was to protect Alexa, and he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way—no matter what.
Ken looked around and saw the stack of paper bags on the bed.
He reached out and grabbed one to put on, suddenly realizing he came in without wearing one.
He didn’t want to make Alexa uncomfortable any longer than he had to.
She hadn’t complained, but she wouldn’t.
He put the bag over his head and looked out through the funny looking holes.
Suddenly he heard a snort and glanced over at Mikah’s red face.
He watched Alexa and Levi turn their heads to look at him as well.
Soon, their faces turned red as they burst into laughter.
“He’s wearing the Squidward face,” Mikah cried out as tears fell from his eyes from laughing so hard.
Levi chuckled and shook his head. “Thanks for the laugh, Ken.”
Behind the mask, Ken’s face was bright red. Luckily it was covered by the obnoxious brown bag he was wearing that he wouldn’t take off for Alexa’s sake.
Alexa moved past her father and walked up to him, wrapping her arms around him and leaning against his chest, her fingers curling into his back as she nuzzled him. He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the sweet tingles between them.
“I love you, Ken.” Alexa breathed in his scent and let the calmness wash over her. His dignity was taking hit after hit for her benefit. “I’m sorry you have to subject yourself to wearing a paper bag.”
Ken smiled and sifted his fingers through her hair. “I’ll do anything for you.”
“Mikah, I know this is hard, son, but whatever you do, you can’t give in to the bloodlust. You can lose yourself forever.
I suspect the dark elves had their reasons.
It’s likely they wanted you to become a portal for darkness.
They messed up, though, not realizing you were a guardian.
The fairy magic fights to protect you, and Alexa is also protecting you with her light.
Subconsciously, her light follows you. Reiya is the one who told me about it.
She said her light also follows Brody. It’s the bond you share.
” Levi sighed. “We think that, because of this connection, you could never purposely hurt Alexa. But in your rage, you could accidentally hurt her. I’m telling you this because you are a guardian, and a very powerful one.
You must suppress the darkness that hungers to get out. ”
Mikah nodded his head. “What else do you know about me? I’m not imagining things, right? There is more than the sprite.”
“Right now, we don’t know anything. But we suspect there is more.
We all have different theories at this point.
We’re looking for answers, though. And this time, I promise, when we have an answer, we will tell you.
” Levi reached out and put his hand on Mikah’s shoulder.
“Mikah, I love you, son. I have watched over you and am proud of the man you have grown up to be. You might not have let us adopt you, but we did anyway, in our hearts. You’re important to me. I want to protect you.”
Mikah’s eyes watered in response as he stood there, too choked up to respond.
Instead, he pursed his lips and nodded his head.
It was true that Mikah had rejected the idea of being adopted.
Levi’s words touched him, though. While he wasn’t Levi and Reiya’s son, they were two people he cared about.
He loved them too. This, however, also frightened him.
What if he ended up becoming a monster and disappointing them?
Or worse … what if he ended up hurting them?
His gaze moved past Levi and met Alexa’s.
She was smiling at him warmly. He felt himself respond to her as she gave him strength.
Mikah was determined to protect Alexa and her family.
If he could sense Erebus, then he could help Ken locate him.
Erebus had to be taken care of so that his family would be safe.
One way or another, he was going to protect them.
He felt his beast stir in agreement as his energy swirled within him.
Even his guardian powers were screaming to answer the call.
All guardians had a lethal power at their disposal, but it was a power that claimed their lives as well as their opponents.
Mikah had a bloodthirsty sprite inside him that could end up hurting others, but it also gave him more power.
Maybe this was the reason he was Alexa’s guardian?
He had the power to protect her. He had the power to take down Erebus in exchange for paying the ultimate price.
A price he would willingly pay …