Chapter 81
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
The room was in complete silence as the mirror glowed red. Xander and Brian had checked every royal throughout the night. It was now early morning, and they were on the very last royal. Instead of feeling relief at completing the check, they now stood there in shock.
“What is this?” Lila asked as she stared into her reflection.
“It’s a special mirror we’re working on. It’s supposed to reflect your mood based on the color. Red means you’re tired,” Reiya answered quickly as she glanced over at Levi. They would need to put Lila in a holding chamber until the glass could be extracted.
Bella wrapped her arm around Brian’s waist and looked up at him.
She could see how visibly upset he was, and Xander didn’t look any better.
That was unnerving too. So many questions were swirling around in her mind.
Who put the glass in Lila’s eye? Was it through a dream?
Or was it someone who could get close to her?
By putting one in Lila’s eye, the next target was most likely Xander or Brian.
“I suppose I am a bit tired. There has been so much going on lately.” Lila smiled and shifted closer to Xander.
“There’s a special room here that will help you rest.” Xander kept his voice easy, the way he would if he were only fussing over her, and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
This was killing him inside. His sweet mate, his confidant, the love of his life, had a controlling piece of glass inside her.
They couldn’t trust her words. They couldn’t believe anything she said right now.
The only thing they could do was place her in a special holding room, a place she couldn’t leave until they removed the glass.
Bella had some training but only through a dream removal.
Grandpa Sage had the ability to do it. They would need to send for him.
“I didn’t sleep well last night without Xander. I’m sure it will be better tonight. You’ve been busy all night messing with a mood mirror?” Lila asked, looking up at Xander.
“We felt it was important. I insist you get some more rest,” Xander said as he watched Lila shrug her shoulders.
“I’m fine. I want to take a walk around Elysia today and visit the baby bears. I’m curious to see the potential guardians of the future,” Lila said with a small smile.
“All of the baby bears are living in homes now. They don’t live at the center.
That’s just active when it’s time to pick a future guardian.
” Reiya watched as disappointment washed over Lila’s face.
She glanced up at Levi. Did Lila really want to see the kids, or was this some sort of ploy by the demons?
Were they after the guardians? And was this for the guardian power or was it about getting the fairy princess?
“Come on,” Xander said, putting pressure on Lila’s back. “You need to get some rest.”
Lila violently shrugged away from Xander. “I said I’m fine!” she snapped, the sharpness in her voice unlike her. Lila had a very sweet and gentle nature. She would never snap at Xander.
Xander looked at her, shocked. He was trying not to feel hurt and told himself it wasn’t her. She wasn’t going to go into the holding room willingly, though, and he wasn’t sure he had it in him to force her. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he glanced up to see Levi’s calm blue eyes.
“Take a walk, Xander,” Levi commanded with a small nod.
“I will handle this part.” Lila began to walk past everyone, heading for the door.
Levi quickly reached out and grabbed her by her wrist. She spun around, her eyes wide as they landed on him.
“I need to speak with you.” Levi had to tighten his grip as she began to tug violently against him.
“What do you want? What are you doing? Xander, make him let go of me,” Lila whimpered.
Xander looked away. He had to fight against his natural instinct to heed his mate’s cries.
It was agony hearing every small whimper or sound Lila made.
What if they couldn’t fix her? What if the nembrant glass bound itself to her permanently?
His lips pursed as his chest heaved with ragged breaths.
He felt like he was stuck. He wanted to stay by his mate’s side, but he also had a job to do.
His hands trembled as a soft hand came to rest on his arm.
“Xander, come take a walk with me.” Reiya squeezed his arm and pulled slightly, coaxing him along.
“XANDER!” Lila screamed as Levi grabbed both of her shoulders.
“You would disobey your deity?” Levi growled lowly as he gripped her tighter.
She thrashed against him, and that was enough evidence that she wasn’t in control.
A dragon’s instincts made them naturally submit to him.
The fact that she was fighting against him meant the nembrant glass was controlling her.
“Go with Reiya, Dad. I’ll stay with Levi and … Mom.” Brian watched as his father looked down, nodding his head without sparing him a glance. He couldn’t imagine how his father was feeling. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to ignore his mate’s cries like that.
“Xander.” Reiya pulled him gently and guided him out of the room.
She’d always had a connection to Xander.
He was her soul twin. It wasn’t much, but she could provide him some comfort.
As they stepped out, everyone else was standing there in the main room, their gazes focused on the room they had just exited as Lila’s screams echoed through the castle.
“Lila,” Dex breathed out, looking through the doorway.
Reiya swiftly shut the door to contain Lila’s cries. She kept her other hand on Xander and looked up at Dex with a small frown. “Lila has nembrant glass in her eye.”
“Damn it!” Dex growled, turning his head in frustration. Ciana walked up to him and he wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to her neck and breathing in her scent, seeking her comfort. His precious sister was being controlled. “We can remove it, right?”
“We should be able to. We will need to bring Grandpa Sage here.” Lita’s voice was clear and authoritative.
“I will have him show me the technique, and I will work on a quick solution for the future. The nembrant glass is going to be a foe of ours for years to come. We’re going to need both defensive and offensive plans to deal with it.
” She looked over at Xander, who looked like he was ready to crumble.
“Who was close enough to Lila?” Weston looked up at Xander, puzzled.
“If it wasn’t done through a dream, then it was physically done, right?” Mason gripped Ruby’s hand as he looked over at his son, Troy. Nia was his son’s mate, and her father, Reese, was Xander’s right-hand man. Someone who would have been close to Lila.
“Reese.” Levi’s voice rang clear as he stepped into the room, Brian and Bella entering with him. “Reese needs to be checked at once.” He looked at Xander and gave him a small smile. “She’s fine. She’s in the lower level holding chambers. There is a somnus fairy that will keep her asleep.”
“Dad, Mom’s fine. She’s resting peacefully right now. Hopefully when she wakes up, it will all be like a bad dream,” Brian said, trying to offer his dad some reassurance.
“With the high risk of there being others with nembrant glass in the West Dragon Kingdom, Levi will need to go there. At the very least, Reese and his mate need to be checked out. You’ll need the strength of a deity so there isn’t a ruckus.
Maybe take Dex and Weston with you just for an extra set of hands?
And Xander can take Reiya to go see Olga.
Brody, Chelsie, go with them. I want a guardian on Reiya the whole way there and back, and then the both of you return here and stay close.
” Lita could see the scowl on Levi’s face as she spoke those words.
He nodded his head slowly, like he’d already realized this was the course of action they would have to take.
This was a sensitive situation, and they needed to be strategic.
It was best if the enemy wasn’t aware that they knew of their plans yet.
At least until they were better prepared.
“Lila mentioned something that I found concerning. She wanted to see the young bears that were potentials to be future guardians. I’m not sure what the plans are, but I’m glad there are no cubs in the center right now.
” Reiya could see the distress in her mother’s eyes hearing that news.
She understood it because she felt the same way.
“I’m going to get to work immediately on something that will replicate the mirror.
There is too much at risk.” Lita looked up at Asher and Grayson, who were standing at the far edge of the room.
She glanced over all of her family, who were listening quietly.
She noticed Destiny sitting next to Lucie, but her mate was missing. “Destiny, where’s Harley?”
“He went to check on a few things. He’ll be back tonight.” Destiny rubbed her baby bump lightly as she watched her grandmother nod her head.
“Grayson, I want the guards on full alert. I want to know about any movement in and out of Elysia. Chasen, keep the family close at all times. Stay inside the castle, and Brody joins you the moment he’s back.
” Lita nodded her head to Asher. “We’re heading downstairs, and I am going to work on another way to detect nembrant glass.
Let me know when the Great Sage gets here.
” She then walked to the end of the room toward Asher.
Reiya watched as her mother and father swiftly walked down the hall, disappearing from sight. She walked into Lee’s arms, and he pulled her against him tightly.
“I have to part from you again,” Lee groaned in irritation.
If it was just notifying the Great Sage, he could do that instantly and still go with Reiya to see Olga.
But he needed to check the people who could have gotten close to Lila.
And if any of them had the glass in their eye, they would have to be dealt with.