“You’ve called me that before. What does it mean?” A random question. She was deflecting by asking it, but it gave her a moment to regain her composure.
The Archangel smiled, revealing the tips of his gleaming white fangs. “It means beloved daughter. Which you are, my Lorelei. My beloved and only daughter. Destined for so much greatness.” He cupped her cheeks in his large palms and beamed down at her. “Please listen to what your mother and I have to say. I know you have an incredible sense of betrayal, but you need to heed our words.”
Her shoulders slumped as her eyes dropped. “Why me?”
“Because you’re the only one that can save us all.”
Lorelei
Akakaios’ words penetrated the haze of anger and hurt that had overwhelmed my senses. Seeing them both—together—stirred up memories of my mother’s loss. Of being captured by Kristoff the first time. The collar. Vincent saving me. They had been alive and well the entire time. Watching over me yet had done nothing to save me.
Now my father stood before me telling me that I was the only one that could save us? What the hell was that supposed to mean?
I narrowed my eyes, burying the hurt and focusing on the rage that was bubbling up from within. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Sit down and we’ll explain it to you.” He took a step back and arched an eyebrow expectantly. A long-fingered hand swept out and indicated for me to take a seat at the table.
Letting out a resigned sigh, I threw my hands up in the air in defeat. I moved toward the table, my father placing a hand at the small of my back to guide me. I glanced sideways at him, watching his enormous black tipped wings brush the ground as he walked along side me. The feathers ruffled with every step he took, so silky and majestic, they were a thing of pure beauty.
“Have you let your wings out lately?” he asked curiously, catching me staring at his wings.
What a random question. One I had to think about then realized that other than when I had them out briefly the night of the attack on Drya’s house, I hadn’t even called them forth since that day when they appeared to me.
Sensing my answer, he chuckled. “You need to make sure to exercise them every now and again, Thugater. Otherwise, your feathers will grow brittle and frail. You don’t want that, it’s very painful.” He smiled faintly before pulling out a chair for me to sit down in.
I sank down in the seat, the same one that I had occupied before Vincent had pulled me into his lap. “I’ll make sure to do that,” I replied absently, not really thinking about the words he spoke. They were of little consequence compared to the topic at hand. “Mom, tell me why? Please.”
My mother stared at me with tears swimming in her bright green eyes. Akakaios wrapped his arm and wing around her, providing her with the comfort of his body once again. I still couldn’t think of him as my father yet. It was a strange concept, knowing the man that had sired me was more than likely the most powerful being in existence. That I was descended from two extremely powerful Archangels that shaped and molded my DNA to make me into this hybrid creature that was mated to a Seraphim and possessed powers that could only be seen in the angels themselves.
It made my head ache just thinking about it.
“That is precisely why you’re the only one that can stop Adrianna,” Akakaios said in a deep, husky voice.
“Reading my thoughts is extremely rude.” I bristled and threw up my mental shields to block out his invasion. It was one of the things that I hated about being around such powerful supernatural beings—your mind was bound to be read if you didn’t always have your guard up one hundred percent of the time.
Vincent brushed a hand along my thigh, reminding me of his presence. Solid. Sturdy. Always beside me. Even when I was pissed at him for scolding me in front of everyone. “Theera, we all need to hear what they have to say. Every one of us is burning with curiosity, wanting to know how your mother is still alive when she was very clearly dead nine years ago. I helped Kaniul prepare her body.”
His words, whispered into my mind in his sultry seductive voice, making goosebumps rise along my arms. “I don’t know how to feel about all of this, Vincent. I’m so lost right now.” How could they have done this to me? Been alive the whole time and not have told me? My soul cried out at the injustice. I wanted to kick and scream and act like a child, but I had better control over my emotions.
My mate, sensing my inner turmoil, angled his body closer to mine and pressed a kiss to my temple. “You need to listen to the full story. Then decide what you feel.” His lips lingered on my skin, sending the familiar rush of desire cascading through me. “And you’re never lost, Theera, I’ll always find you and keep you safe.”
His words were a soothing balm on my soul, calming my rage and settling my ire. I relaxed and angled my body so I could lean against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on the top of my head. Peace surrounded me.
“Lorelei, you were never a pawn or a piece that I was moving about on a game board.” Akakaios waived his hand in the air. “You’re one of the most powerful beings in existence. With the powers that you gained from your birthright as well as your mating. It’s a thing of beauty.”
Vincent sucked in a harsh breath at the comment. “Our mating is unique isn’t it? It’s why I can draw on Lorelei’s powers.”
Akakaios nodded. “Just as she can draw on yours. She has in the past without even realizing it. You’re an exceptional being, Thugater. With training, the ability to harness the Astrapi, will be the reason you destroy Adrianna. You’re the only one who can.”
My heart hammered in my chest, pulsed in my ears, and made my vision tunnel. The weight of his words made tendrils of panic rise inside of me just as bile rose in my throat. Distraction. That’s what I needed. Ask another to distract myself. “Damius mentioned that term before, Astrapi, what is it exactly? No one’s ever explained it to me.”
“The lightning that you carry within you. It’s your birthright as my daughter. You can use the ability to strike down your enemies. Or have a bit of fun zapping people.” A smile spread across his lips before he snapped his fingers. A spark of electricity shot out of his extended index finger and struck Vincent in the shoulder.
My mate jolted and hissed in annoyance. “That fucking hurts,” he bit out between clenched teeth. Annoyance had him narrowing his eyes at Akakaios.
My father shrugged, the smile spreading out until it reached his eyes. “You barely felt it, don’t be a baby. Just a slight perk to the ability. It’s annoying, hurts a bit, but doesn’t leave any lingering wounds.”
Did my father, the most powerful Archangel, just tease my mate and call him a baby? Yes. Yes, he did. This day was getting stranger by the second.
“You’re a seriously strange being,” I remarked giving him a cocked expression.
He shrugged again, the grin still tugging at the corner of his lips. My mother smiled for a fraction of a second before her face grew serious. “Lorelei,” she began, drawing out my name. “From the moment that I had my first vision of you, I knew that you were destined for greatness. As Vincent showed you, things could have been so different had you been taken in by the council.” Her sharp eyes cut over to Damius, flashing him a look.
Yet, we all knew that it wouldn’t have been Damius that would have caused my issues if I were raised by the council. It would have been Leo. Who was suspiciously absent from this meeting today. Lingering resentment perhaps?
“You said that you guys met centuries ago. How did this—" I waved my hand between the two of them to indicate their relationship and bond. “—happen?”
My mother smiled and leaned back to look into Akakaios’ eyes. Her green depths radiated her adoration and love for her mate. “We connected in our dreams. It was a random occurrence. I never saw him coming. I only knew of your birth and your capacity for power. Not who your father was. When I saw his true form, everything hit me. The intensity. The power of the bond snapping into place.
It was then that I knew he was my one true mate.”
Entwining their hands together, Akakaios raised her hand to his lips and gave it a lingering kiss. It was nice to see that my parents were so in love, but a small part of me cringed at the blatant display of affection.
“I’d known of our bond but had to suppress my instincts to claim Morgana until the time was right.” Akakaios sighed as he placed their joined hands on his thigh. “For many years, I’ve wanted to bring down The Syndicate. They can’t have the opportunity to awaken Xandrios. That is something that this world can’t survive. But I had to bide my time. Wait for the right moment to make the future I’d seen come to life.”
So, he had been playing a game of some kind. One where he had to wait for the opportune moment before claiming his mate and impregnating her. This was all making my head spin. I didn’t know how much more information overload I could handle. I needed to move this along. If they had bonded before I was born, then how did he stay away from us? Too many questions and not enough answers.
“How did you survive spending so much time apart? After I was born that is.” I couldn’t even imagine not being able to see Vincent for days, much less the years that my parents were separated while we were on the run from The Syndicate.
“Dreams,” Akakaios replied, his bright eyes sparkling with mischief. A blush spread across my mother’s face and I couldn’t suppress the small giggle that escaped me.
“We all know the power of dreams,” I said with a lingering smile on my lips. Vincent’s hand shifted to my thigh and squeezed gently as I recalled some of our more pleasant dream connections. His touch warmed me, making heat rise into my cheeks with just the simplest of caresses.
“That we do, Thugater. That we do.”
18
Lorelei
Burning with curiosity, my anger abated and gave way to the overwhelming desire to know more about my background and heritage. “Why me? Why am I so special?” I asked, the words coming out before I could think better of it.
“Quite simply, you’re my only daughter. One of just five children I’ve ever sired.” Pain flickered across his face before he locked down his emotions. My mother placed a hand on his chest and leaned her head against his shoulder.
“All but one of Akakaios’ other children were slain by The Syndicate and Adrianna. Their powers stolen.” My mother spoke softly, speaking the words that my father couldn’t.
“I’m so sorry,” Layla whispered hoarsely. Nicolae growled and drew her into the shelter of his arms. “I didn’t give her all of their powers. I just couldn’t do it. I’m ashamed of the things that I’ve done, but nothing pains me more than the lives that I’ve helped to take. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Akakaios, but I’ll do everything that I can to help bring Adrianna down.”
“Layla,” Akakaios stepped away from my mother and crouched down beside Nicolae and Layla. Despite Nicolae’s heated warning glance, Akakaios took Layla’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “You poor child. I’m the one who is sorry for the suffering that you have endured over your years. No one should have to experience the things that you have. I know your heart, granddaughter, and it’s pure.”
Silence fell upon the room at his confession. Shock radiating through me as I realized that Layla was descended from Akakaios. That she was my… niece? The thought made my head hurt.
“My father was—” Layla stumbled over her words. Tears lingered in her eyes, several drops streaming down her face.
“My first son, Remus. For all my visions, I never saw the future that he was destined for. To have his mate be such an evil person. It was a cruel twist of fate. No parent should ever wish that upon their child.” He laughed ironically. The fact that Adrianna had treated Layla so poorly, had used her as little more than a tool for her evil intensions, was another cruel twist of fate.
“I wish that I could have met him.” Layla buried her face in Nicolae’s chest, her words barely audible through the fabric of his shirt.
Akakaios’ face softened as he regarded his granddaughter. “He would have loved you and been extremely proud of the woman that you have become.” He squeezed her hand in his, providing her with additional comfort.
“This isn’t your fault, Layla,” Nicolae whispered against her hair.
“No,” Akakaios shook his head. “It isn’t little Layla. You were nothing more than a pawn in Adrianna’s game. She has no humanity, no conscious to treat someone of her own blood as she did you. You did what you had to do to survive. There’s nothing for me to forgive. You need to learn to forgive yourself.”
Nicolae nodded, appreciation and a newfound respect showing on his face as he looked at the Archangel. “Akakaios is right, love. You were manipulated and abused. You can’t blame yourself.” He titled her chin up to look him in the eye. “You did everything you could to stay safe and sane amid such an awful situation. You saved so many lives, Layla.”
“Your mate is right, little one. Be proud of the people who didn’t suffer because of you. We will have our chance for vengeance soon,” Akakaios rose to his feet and pulled out a chair for my mother. He swept out a hand, indicating for her to sit down at the table. She did and he took the seat directly to her right.
Why hadn’t they sat down before now? Why did I just now notice something like that? Right. Because my mind was just trying to process everything that it was being bombarded with today.
Layla sniffled, but quickly wiped her eyes before taking a deep breath and straightening her spine. “This is quite a day for bombshells, isn’t it? Anything else that needs airing out today while we are in a perpetual state of shock already?” She joked and the room rolled with laughter.
“I have another question.” I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to know the answer. “Are any of your other children—my brothers—still alive?” I asked tentatively.
Akakaios cleared his throat and my mother stiffened against him. “Yes, little one. You have one brother that still lives. Marius.” His words were clipped, short, and offered no room for additional questions.
Why did I have a feeling that there was an underlying story there? I desperately wanted to know more about my family. About who and what I was. I was lost in a sea of unknowns. I went from being an orphan with no family and now I suddenly had my parents, a brother, and a niece. It was enough to make anyone’s head spin.
“What does this all mean?” I breathed out, leaning back against Vincent.
Vincent placed a kiss on the crown of my head, flexing his arms around me. He lent me his support, subtly reminding me that he was there for me. Always, as my mate to protect and cherish me. I knew he would be by my side as long as his heart still beat. For now, and forever.
“It means, Lorelei, that you’re in for a fierce battle. This war has only just begun, and it won’t be something that will be finished in a matter of days or even weeks. Adrianna knows how to play the long game. We must band together and fight as one cohesive unit if we are to prevail.”
Damius snorted. “You’ve never saw fit to meddle in the affairs of our realm before. Are things so different now that you see the need to step in and suddenly fight alongside us?”
“Damius, the issues that you and I had are in the past. They have no bearing on this battle or the future.” Akakaios let out an exacerbated sigh. “You must let go of the past and move forward if you’re to survive.”
A wry laugh echoed in the room. “Do you really believe that I can just let the past go? Just like that because you said so? Fuck that, Akakaios.”
“This isn’t the time nor the place to discuss those issues,” Akakaios boomed, fury making his words reverberate in the large hall. “Calm the fuck down. You can hate me all you want, but your hatred is better directed at Adrianna and the remains of The Syndicate. They are the ones to blame for Antiphony and you know it. So, wake up and see we need to strike while they are reeling from the loss of Kristoff.”
“But we all know that Adrianna has been the mastermind behi
nd the curtain this whole time. Why would they be in shambles with the loss of Kristoff?” I asked, genuinely confused by his logic, ignoring the outburst and exchange between him and Damius.
He ran his fingers through his thick dark hair and leaned back in his chair. “That may be so, but only a select few actually knew about her. Most of the soldiers and low-ranking members only know Kristoff as their leader. Things will be chaotic while they try to reorganize.”
I let the weight of his words settle into my bones. We had only been out of their clutches for one night. Kristoff had been dead for less than twenty-four hours. Now, we already needed to gather our forces and mount an attack? When would it end?
“Don’t you think if we are discussing a strategy that Leo needs to be here?” Damius growled. “After all, that brilliant power was the reason why you had me turn him in the first place.”
Well, that was an interesting turn of events. Akakaios had want Leo turned?
“Damius.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “I’ve told you time and time again that those were suggestions to grow and make your ranks strong. Besides, we aren’t discussing strategy. I’m simply stating the facts. We can discuss next steps at another time. Morgana and I came here to talk with Lorelei. The conversation involved into something further.”
“That’s the understatement of the century,” I muttered under my breath while I rubbed my hand over my forehead. With many surprises dropped on me today, my head was spinning. “I need some time to process this. You both said you can’t be here for that long. Don’t you need to go back to your Mount Olympus or wherever it is that you live?”
Akakaios threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, you are so my daughter. We aren’t Greek gods, there is no Mount Olympus in that sense. Although a lot of mythology is based on the Archangels. No, our home is an alternate realm. Much like when your mate takes you along on his flights through the shadows. Yet, this is just a bit nicer.” He winked. “But yes, we do need to return to our plane. I feel Morgana’s strength dissipating and she needs to rest and recover.” When he looked at my mother, his face softened.
Embrace The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 3) Page 13
