Chapter 28

Taking a life, even in self-defense, is never a noble act. It's a memory that sticks with you, haunting your dreams and waking moments alike.

I can still hear the guttural cry of the lycan as I plunged my dagger deep into her body. It was a sound filled with desperation, a primal scream from a creature fighting for its last breath.

Her claws scraped against my neck, a futile attempt to draw blood. For a moment, I was certain that this was the end. That she would take me down with her.

But her claws didn't cut deep enough. Before I knew it, Jekia was there, pulling me away from her. I felt the rush of air as his arm swung, and then I was with the boys, both of them on their knees, their hands clutching their heads in terror.

I clung to Jekia’s shoulders, looking back to see Kamelle on the ground, a pool of blood spreading around her. The dagger was still lodged in her body, and her neck was slashed open. There was no way she could survive those injuries. I was certain of that.

“Stay with the children,” Jekia whispered, gently setting me down with the boys. I held them close, trying to comfort them as Jekia approached Kamelle.

His face was unreadable as he looked down at her. “You brought this on yourself. Was this what you wanted all along?”

“You think…no one will…challenge you?” Kamelle gasped out. “You’re a fool… There will always be those who oppose you…”

“Even if they do, I won’t back down. I won’t let anyone harm my family. They’ll meet the same fate as you and Bastial.”

Kamelle let out a chilling laugh. “I may die, but I’ll make sure you suffer. Just wait… I will…destroy everything you care about…”

Her words sent a shiver down my spine. I knew then that she had done something else, something terrible.

Kamelle was determined to leave a lasting scar on Jekia’s heart, even in death.

Jekia realized this too.

“What the hell did you do?!” he demanded.

But it was too late. Kamelle was already gone, her lifeless body lying in the blood-soaked grass.

I held Rin and Rayne close, shielding them from the gruesome sight. They were too young to witness such horrors, even in this world they were born into.

Jekia understood this too. He came back to us, positioning himself to block their view of Kamelle’s body.

“It’s over now. We’re going home, and we’ll be safe,” he promised, wrapping his arms around us.

“Jekia,” I whispered, looking up at him. “Something’s wrong. She did something else.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Jekia admitted. He turned his head. “Emelio, come here!”

Emelio appeared beside us, looking disheveled and out of breath. It was a bad sign. Emelio was never like this.

Jekia was immediately alarmed. He stood up, facing Emelio.

“What happened?! Why do you look like this?!” he demanded.

“I’m sorry, sire. I tried to stop what was happening at the palace, but I was outnumbered. I didn’t expect this,” Emelio confessed, pushing his hair back from his face.

He took in the scene before him. “Oh dear,” he murmured. “And we have a mess here too. Does our lady need immediate medical attention?”

“She’s okay for now, but we can’t wait too long. Tell me what happened at the palace,” Jekia ordered.

Emelio took a deep breath before continuing. “There was an attack at the palace while you were out looking for our lady and your children. It was unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

“Mountain trolls, which aren’t native to our lands, were attacking us. They were fueled by a dark magic I’ve never seen before.

“They were relentless, not even slowing down after fatal blows.

“I had to use all my magic to fight them, and even then, I was lucky to have help from other mages who came to assist me.

“I think the Higher Ones were alerted and asked them to help, given the situation.”

This was bad. I struggled to find my voice.

“What about Edifel and Vishu? Are they alive?” I asked.

“I don’t know. We just stopped the trolls, and the others are looking for them.

“We’re also worried about Master Sage.

“He came to help me during the attack, but I lost sight of him, and I didn’t see him before I was called here,” Emelio confessed.

“Can you take us there?” Jekia asked.

“I think so,” Emelio replied. “But I’m worried about Lady Lana’s condition, and what the children might see.”

“We have no choice. We have to go. We have to help if we can,” I insisted.

“Very well,” Emelio agreed, although he didn’t seem happy about it.

When we arrived, I understood why. Our beautiful home was in ruins.

The palace walls were shattered, and the bodies of giant trolls littered the courtyard.

They reeked of decay, even though they hadn’t been dead for long.

I sat with Rin and Rayne, feeling a sense of devastation as I took in the destruction. This was the warning Kamelle had given us.

In some twisted way, she had orchestrated all of this as her final act of revenge.

Jekia was next to me, his body rigid with shock as he took in the scene. I didn’t know what to say, or if I could even find my voice.

This was eerily similar to how he had described the demise of his clan. Once again, he was a witness to a massacre, or at least an attempt at one.

As we stood there, I heard the rustling of large wings. I looked up just in time to see Vincent landing nearby.

He wasn’t alone. Merrick was with him, along with a young man who had striking white hair streaked with blue.

His eyes were a golden hue, framed by white lashes. It struck me that he must be Lyric, the new leader of the eastern lands.

“You’ve…come to help me?” Jekia managed to ask, his voice still echoing with shock.

“Yes,” Vincent replied. He stepped forward, placing a hand on Jekia’s shoulder.

“We couldn’t ignore such a desperate call from the Higher Ones, especially when it involves you. If you’ll allow us, we’d like to help you with this.”

“Anything you can do,” Jekia murmured. I could tell he was struggling to keep himself together.

Meanwhile, Merrick had come over to us. He knelt down, draping a blanket over my shoulders and the boys’. His eyes were filled with sympathy as he looked at us.

“Just relax now. Everything is going to be taken care of, and you three are safe,” he reassured me.

“What is all of this?” I asked him. “What happened to cause this?”

“We’re still figuring that out. But you don’t need to worry about it right now. You’re injured, and your children are scared.” Merrick paused and looked at Jekia.

“If it’s okay with you, we could take Lana and the children to one of our homes for now. We can treat her injuries and make sure they’re comfortable until things are sorted out here.”

“It might be safest at my home right now. Nothing can get in or out without me, our mages, or one of you,” Vincent added.

Jekia hesitated, which was unusual for him. But given the circumstances, I understood why he was having a hard time making decisions.

“Very well. If you all will do that for me, then I would appreciate it. I need to know that Lana and the boys are safe for now,” he finally said.

I have to admit, I don’t remember much after that. The stress of everything was finally catching up to me, and my mind couldn’t handle it anymore.

The next thing I knew, I was slowly waking up in a bed. I blinked, staring at the stone ceiling and taking in the silence.

I had hoped that everything that had happened was just a nightmare, but it was clear that it wasn’t.

I wasn’t in any of the beds from the palace I had called home, and my two babies were sleeping curled up next to me.

I slowly sat up, realizing that I was wearing a dark lace nightgown and had bandages on my neck. I touched the left side of my head and felt stitches under my hair.

Someone had taken care of me while I was unconscious. I tried to remember any of it, but I couldn’t.

The door to the room creaked open, and I looked up to see a mage entering. I didn’t recognize him. I thought he might be one of Lyric’s.

He looked at me solemnly as he saw me sitting there.

“Good. You’re awake. I was starting to worry that it might be a while before you woke up,” he said. His voice was steady, but I could hear a hint of relief in it.

“I think so.” I looked around. “Where am I?”

“You’re at Lord Vincent’s home. It was decided that this was the best place for you and your children to rest and recover,” the mage explained.

I looked down at Rin and Rayne. They were both sleeping soundly, but I could see tear stains on their little faces.

My poor babies. They had been through such a terrible ordeal, and so had Jekia when we returned to the palace.

Jekia…

“Um, I’m sorry. I don’t think I know your name, but I need to ask how Jekia is doing. Has he been here?” I asked.

“It’s okay, my lady. We haven’t been formally introduced. My name is Soliel, and I serve under Lord Lyric.

“As for Lord Jekia, he’s been coming and going, checking on you and the children.

“He’s been very worried about all of you, especially with everything that’s happened,” the mage explained.

I was afraid to ask him about it, but I felt like I had to. I needed to know what had happened to my loved ones.

“Did Edifel and Vishu survive, or were they killed?”

Soliel shook his head solemnly. “Sadly, the spider Edifel didn’t make it. But Vishu did, and he’s recovering well.

“There’s something else that Lord Jekia wants to talk to you about himself. He should be here soon, based on his previous visits.”

A knot formed in my stomach as I heard that. I didn’t know why, but I had a feeling it had something to do with Sage.

Emelio had told me that he had been there too and he couldn’t find him. Had Sage also died during the attack?

Soliel checked my bandages and stitches, then excused himself and left the room. I sat there, trying to process everything.

It was clear that something else had happened during the attack, and I was sure it had shaken all of the rulers.

Maybe the Higher Ones would even meet with them to discuss this and their concerns.

I hoped that I would be able to attend such a meeting with Jekia. I wanted to ease my own mind about everything, especially for my children.

As I sat there, Rin started to stir. His ears twitched, and his eyes opened. They widened as he looked up at me.

“Mommy?” he whispered.

I pressed a finger to my lips. “Shh, sweetheart. Let’s keep it down. Rayne’s still asleep.”

Rin nodded, sitting up to cuddle against me. I felt his tears soaking my shirt, his little ears pressed flat against his head.

“Mommy, I think Papa’s dead,” he whispered.

A sharp pain pierced my heart at his words, but I held it together for his sake.

“Why do you think that, Rin? Did someone say something?” I asked.

He shook his head, clinging to me. His voice was choked with tears. “Daddy looked so sad when I asked him. He wouldn’t tell me if they found Papa. I just...I just know.

“He’s gone, Mommy. They killed him and took him away from us.”

Tears streamed down my face. I knew in my heart he was right. If Jekia wouldn’t tell Rin anything, it meant Sage was dead.

I leaned back against the pillows, holding Rin close. His sobs eventually quieted, and he fell back asleep, exhausted from his grief.

I held him tight, stroking his head and ears. I prayed he’d be able to recover from this, knowing Sage had died trying to save us.

Rayne had woken up too, but he stayed quiet, curled up next to me, staring blankly at the wall.

His eyes were filled with sadness, but I knew it was more for his brother than anything else. I kept one arm around Rin and wrapped the other around Rayne, closing my eyes and remembering all the times I’d spent with Sage.

Despite everything, despite his cunning and trickery, Sage had a good heart. I just wished I’d had the chance to say goodbye.

The door creaked open, and I opened my eyes to see Jekia. He looked surprised to see me awake, then relieved.

I tried to smile, but I couldn’t. The pain was too much.

“How are you feeling, my dear?” he asked, sitting on the bed and gently brushing my hair back. He kept his voice low so as not to wake Rin.

“Physically, I’m okay. Mentally...not so much,” I admitted.

“I understand. Soliel told you about Edifel, didn’t he?” Jekia asked.

“He did.” I glanced at Rin. “He also said you wanted to talk to me. About Sage?”

Jekia looked down, taking a moment before answering. “Yes, but it seems you already know.”

“I do. And so does Rin. I don’t know how to help him except to hold him,” I confessed.

“I wish there was more I could do,” Jekia admitted. He looked defeated, his head bowed, his eyes squeezed shut.

“I’ve failed. I stopped the lycans, but they still got to me. They nearly destroyed my family and killed my best friend!”

I’d never seen Jekia like this before. He was always so strong, so stoic. But this...this had broken him.

But I wasn’t surprised. Despite his pride, despite his tough exterior, I knew Jekia had a good heart. It was what made him a great leader. He always put others before himself.

Rayne sat up a bit, reaching out to touch Jekia’s face. “Don’t cry, Daddy. You did everything you could. You saved us.

“They cheated. They’ll pay for that,” he said.

His words were wise beyond his years, and they seemed to surprise both Jekia and me. Rayne’s eyes were filled with conviction as he looked at his father.

Rin stirred against me, opening his eyes to look at Jekia.

“Rayne’s right. You did everything you could. And you’re still here with us. Please, don’t leave us,” he whispered.

“I will never, ever leave you or your mother,” Jekia promised.

I sat up a bit as Rin and Rayne moved to hug Jekia, allowing him to pull me into the embrace as well.

Despite the sadness, there was comfort in this moment. We were alive. We were safe. Their deaths hadn’t been in vain.

“What happens now?” I asked, pulling back to look at Jekia.

“We rebuild,” he said. “We can’t bring back those we’ve lost, but we can move forward for them. That’s what I’ve had to accept, and so have the others.

“The lycans are no longer a threat. We’ll find out how they were able to empower the mountain trolls and attack our home.

“We’ll make sure this never happens again.”

I wiped my eyes. “You’re right. We can’t let this happen again. I want to help in any way I can.”

“I know you will. And I promise, I won’t keep you in the dark anymore.

“I realize some of this is my fault. I won’t make the same mistakes I made when I first claimed you.

“I’ve lost so much. I won’t lose you or our children,” Jekia said, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead.

“You won’t,” I promised. “I’ll always be here. I’ll stand by you no matter what.”

We were both reeling from the tragedy, as anyone would be. But we were also determined. We would survive. We would rise from the ashes.

We wouldn’t heal overnight, and we might never fully heal, but we would make it through.

As long as we had each other.