Chapter 71
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
“So that’s what happened.” Sitting in her office, Wendy sighed as she looked across her desk at Ryker.
“We can’t act on this yet. We need to find out how deep this goes.
We need to know how many traitors we have.
And I don’t know who I can trust now.” She tapped her fingers on the table.
“I’m going to need your help on this, Ryker. ”
“I’ll have to talk this over with Brian. And I need to see my mate. I need to talk with her and explain everything. I just left without an explanation.”
Wendy smiled. “What’s it like?” she asked quietly. “As you know, I rejected my mate ages ago … but I often wonder what it would have been like.”
“I wish I could tell you that you aren’t missing out and that it isn’t amazing.
But it is, and you are. And to think, if I hadn’t lost my memories, I wouldn’t have claimed her.
” Ryker shook his head. “My life is her life. There is no point without her. I love her so much.” He let out an airy chuckle. “She’s probably so mad at me.”
“I’m happy for you, Ryker. I’m disappointed that you’re leaving our group, but it is also reassuring to have you at our prince’s side.”
“Mates aren’t just a weakness. They’re also a form of strength.” Ryker watched Wendy smile and nod her head.
“But they are an incredible weakness. If I took your mate and held her hostage, you would do anything for her safety. And that is why we don’t allow mates.” Wendy watched as Ryker shrugged.
“You don’t allow traitors either, and yet here we are.”
“A grave error on our part. In the future, we will make dragons bind themselves to the Thunders. We never wanted to do this before, but perhaps we should have all along.” Wendy looked down at the table.
“I’ve been too trusting. I’m sorry, Ryker.
I should have looked for you immediately after you disappeared. ”
“Maybe it’s a good thing I was mistaken for dead at first. If I was brought back here without my memories, I probably would have been poisoned by Fisher, and he would have said I succumbed to my injuries.”
Wendy exhaled angrily. “No wonder he kept insisting we keep you drugged. I bet he was just waiting for his opportunity to poison you.” She shook her head and a low growl rumbled from her throat. “I wish I could scorch him now.”
There was a knock at the door, and Wendy rose to answer it. Her office was soundproof, so telling them to enter wouldn’t do any good. She opened the door and arched her brow. “Yes?”
“The prince has returned.”
“Bring him to me. I’d like to speak with him.” Wendy shut her door and turned to Ryker. “Let’s formulate a plan. Then you can go back to see your mate.”
Alexa panted as she tried to recover from the attack.
When she felt Mikah in pain, she had thrown everything she had into his defense.
It was a method she had used before against Erebus.
She didn’t hold her punches either. It was vicious enough to leave someone severely wounded, if not dead.
But it took a lot out of her, and unlike with Erebus, she kept her connection to Mikah.
A darkness wrapped around her and began to constrict her lungs like a snake around its prey. There was a chill over the shadow that was biting her skin, filling her with thoughts of despair as it tried to seep into her. Then it violently burst around her and dug its invisible hooks into her skin.
She stood there, frozen. She could see Ken and her father’s lips moving but there was no sound.
Behind them, she could see a shadow figure moving toward her.
A wave of repulsion hit her as she felt the malevolent nature of the shadow.
It lunged toward her, zigzagging with inhuman speed.
It went to reach for Alexa, but then an orange light slammed into it, shattering the shadow.
At the same time, the orange glow surrounded her as Ken’s arms encircled her.
A new power awoke inside Ken a moment before the shadow attacked. It was the awakening of his fairy power, gifted to him by Alexa. It allowed him to connect with her and pool into her body. He was suddenly able to see the shadow right as it had lunged for her.
Ken disintegrated the shadow and poured his energy into his mate. She was vulnerable after sending out an attack like that, temporarily drained and left in a state where she couldn’t fight.
“What is going on?” Levi growled, unable to see anything.
“She sent out a mental attack to protect Mikah. Whoever has him sent an attack of her own through that same connection.” Ken kept his energy up as a shield as Alexa squirmed in protest.
“Take it down. I can’t feel Mikah as well.” Alexa’s voice was agitated as she tried to control her breathing and regain her composure.
“No. Not right now,” Ken said firmly. He didn’t care how much she insisted at this moment. Her safety was his number-one priority.
Levi cursed under his breath. “You left yourself wide open for an attack.” He shook his head angrily. “How were you able to stop it?” He looked at Ken.
A crooked smile rose on Ken’s face. “It was fairy magic. Her gift to me. It just … it’s hard to explain.
She needed me, and it knew it before I did.
And then I could see this shadow lunging for her.
It allowed me to connect with her in a way I can’t explain.
I could see what she could see. I could put my aura inside her to protect her.
” He looked down at Alexa and tightened his arms around her, making her squirming stop.
“I’m not saying you aren’t strong enough.
But you’re not doing this by yourself. There is no need to.
Your mate is a deity. Your father is a deity.
Take advantage of those facts. We’re doing this together. ”
Ken felt Alexa’s body tighten, and she began to writhe in pain. She dug her nails into his skin as a cry escaped her mouth.
“What’s hurting her?!” Levi growled, stepping closer.
“It’s …” Ken shook his head and growled. “It’s not attacking her. Lex, drop the connection.”
“No,” Alexa cried through clenched teeth.
“ALEXA!” Levi yelled, grabbing her shoulder. “Break the connection.”
“No! What if I can’t … get it back?” Alexa panted and then bit her lip to silence her cries. Droplets of blood rose to the surface as she groaned from the pain, but she wouldn’t break the connection. She needed to hold on so she could find him.
“Alexa …” Ken tried to reason with her. He wanted her to stop.
It was dangerous for her to hold on like this.
He leaned his head down and pressed his lips against hers.
A sparkling sphere of light surrounded her as he poured himself into her.
If she wouldn’t let go, then he was going to do whatever he could to help her.
He tried to follow her connection to Mikah and place himself as a shield to take whatever pain he could from her.
Meryl cackled as she plunged the razor blades of darkness into Mikah.
She watched him squirm as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
The pain was being threaded through him and tugging on his darkness to awaken him.
The light of the fairy princess was like scissors, cutting the dark threads away.
Her light continued to race inside him, keeping the darkness at bay.
Meryl watched the shadowy gnats of her energy burrow into Mikah’s skin.
She sought out his hidden darkness. The power inside her allowed her to tear into his abyss, slowly freeing what was captive.
Little by little, she was trying to drown him in darkness.
She had pushed her aura into him, allowing it to lash at him in the form of cutting blades.
She then spread the blades inside him until they were everywhere.
It was like taking a pitchfork to a body of flesh.
Torturing him was torturing the princess.
The fairy princess didn’t know it, but she’d given Meryl the leverage she needed to get to Mikah.
The invisible razors of darkness found every spot they could. They dug into his skin and attacked every cell in his body. He groaned from the excruciating pain. His body was shaking as he tried to hold in the screams that were struggling to come out.
Mikah couldn’t cast the darkness out because it was embedded inside him.
The pain was excruciating. It was meant to drain him.
It was meant to make him an empty shell.
He could feel it making him crack, breaking down his defenses to make him vulnerable.
The darkness was trying to consume him. He wouldn’t allow it.
He would not allow her to win. Mikah took deep breaths as he tried to stop his body from shaking. He was determined to hold on.
“My my my my … it must be so painful?” Meryl spat out venomously. “Of course, your body is a defensive body. It is made to handle abuse. I wonder how your princess is holding up, though.” She watched Mikah’s eyes bulge open as she planted the deadly seed that would give her Mikah.
Mikah suddenly felt his heart squeeze in pain.
He looked down at his hand as he felt Alexa’s light fighting inside him.
She had a firm grip on him and wasn’t letting go.
It didn’t even occur to him that she was feeling this pain too.
But of course she was. She was connecting to his light.
No … his princess was taking this pain along with him.
She wasn’t going to let go. He already knew that no matter what, she would never let go.
He closed his eyes and envisioned her face.
Her beautiful smile, bright blue eyes, and hair that shined like the sun.
Through his pain, he smiled. His princess.
His sweet, brave, fearless Alexa. “Oh Lex … I can’t let you feel this,” Mikah whispered.
He squeezed his hand into a fist and pursed his lips.
This was killing him … but he had to do it.
In order to protect Alexa … he had to let her go.
No matter what that meant for himself. He caressed her light inside him and breathed in her comfort, one last time.
“I love you, Alexa. Goodbye … my princess.”
Alexa trembled as blood began to trickle from her nose.
The pain was taking a toll on her, and she was just waiting for it to stop.
Mikah was feeling this torture firsthand.
Her poor, sweet guardian. She was going to find him and make whoever had him pay.
If it was Meryl, she would eradicate her soul so there was no coming back. She would pay for this.
She felt Mikah’s light press in on her, almost as if it were giving her a hug, and then …
with a jolt, everything stopped. The pain stopped.
She furrowed her brows as she searched for Mikah’s light.
It was … gone. His light was gone. She couldn’t feel it.
Short, fast breaths heaved from her chest as her lungs struggled for air.
“M-M-M … MIKAAAAAAHHH!”