“My protector?” Bonded? My eyebrows creased. I didn’t like where this headed.
“Yes, someone whose heart is as pure and innocent as yours and will do anything to protect you.”
“You’re welcome,” Dean said, grinning ear-to-ear. He snapped his thumb and middle finger and blue flames framed the tip of his thumb.
Whoa, cool! Or hot. Whatever.
My eyes grazed over Dean. Why was he grinning like an idiot?
Oh! “Dean? Dean’s my protector?” The universe just went to the shithole.
“Why do you make it sound like that’s the worst thing in the world?” he asked, clearly hurt.
“Um… because you’re irresponsible, inconsiderate, arrogant, definitely not innocent, and oh yeah, you’re an asshat.” I pointed out.
“But I never hurt you.”
I raised my eyebrows.
He looked away and mumbled incoherent words.
I rolled my eyes and directed my question at John. “Why him?”
“Infants have the purest of souls,” John said. “Since Dean was only five months older than you, he was the one best fit to become your protector. Have you heard of the saying ‘a child’s love is pure and innocent?’”
I nodded.
“Well it also creates a strong bond where magic is involved. So Nala performed the blood ritual completing the bond between you and Dean, making him your protector.”
“It ties you both emotionally and spiritually,” Sandy added.
“That’s how I was able to find you when the demon attacked and calm you earlier when you found out about being a Dracian,” Dean said.
I gulped. That might explain all of my emotional spikes, the need to be closer to him, and the unnecessary make-out sessions.
“Is that why…?” I looked up to Dean, blushing. Crap, I couldn’t ask him about that now. “So, Dean and I are stuck together, even if we don’t want to be?”
“You aren’t stuck together, Ren,” Joshua said. “You’re bonded.”
My eyes darted to Axel. His posture was rigid. He obviously disagrees. His eyes flickered to mine and he gave me a sad smile. I didn’t understand so I turned my attention to Joshua.
“What does that even mean? It sounds like we should be married.” A shiver ran down my spine as I said that. I couldn’t see myself being tied to anyone but Axel.
“Well, I’m up for it. How do we do this?” Dean jumped off the couch with a spring, earning a growl from Axel, who got in Dean’s face in no time.
Just fan-freaking-tastic. Could my life get more complicated?
“You better watch what comes out of that mouth, rookie.” Axel threatened. “You might be her protector, but I can still send you with your tail tucked between your legs.”
“You’re actually threatened by me?” Dean smirked. “Do you have such little faith in her?”
“That’s enough, Dean!” I barked, interrupting their pissing contest.
Neither of them backed down. John and Joshua placed an invisible shield between the two. The only reason I knew this was because I felt their magic droning against my skin. Boy, this would take some time getting used to. The room fell silent and moments later the shields pulled back.
“Okay. Back to the bond between Dean and Ren,” John said, exasperated. “We never had the chance to ask how to break the bond and didn’t think it was necessary.” John looked to his wife and then to Axel with an apologetic look. “I guess we thought, like Cassie and Joshua, Dean and Ren would fall in love.”
“Not likely,” I said too quickly, feeling embarrassed.
“Obviously,” said Sandy.
“And later on your parents decided to bind your magic,” John added.
I rubbed my hand against my forehead. This was too much information.
“Mom wanted to take every precaution to keep you far away from all of this. As you got older, your magic became stronger, and that was the only way she knew how to protect you. Keep you safe from being found.”
“Then how’s it I’m…? I mean… How can I feel…?” I couldn’t put my thoughts into words.
“Magic?” Joshua asked. I nodded. “Your guess is as good as ours. We think it has to do with the Proxy possession. When you were threatened, your magic pushed forward, trying to protect you.”
Yeah, only it didn’t. It nearly turned me into a sex addict. Heck, I felt the lust drawn into me, fueling me. I shivered.
“There’s more.” Axel’s voice brought me back to reality.
“More?” I asked.
He sat me on the sofa and knelt before me like a sinner asking for forgiveness, his hands holding both of mine. When I looked into his eyes, they turned pale blue. This was terrible. My heart sank.
“You don’t have to tell her.” Joshua spoke softly and sympathetically.
“She needs to know.” His voice was weak and shaky. His voice never shook. “She has the right to know the truth.”
This was worse than I thought. Axel swallowed so hard the tendons in his neck tightened and I could practically taste his fear and disgust.
“I was with your parents when they died.” The words clawed their way out of his throat, scratchy and desperate. He looked into my eyes.
“Okay. So you were the one that found them?”
“No.” He exhaled deeply. Suddenly, I realized everyone’s attention was on the two of us. Even Dean had an apologetic look on his face. I returned my attention to Axel’s troubled eyes.
“Alexander, you’re scaring me.” I didn’t know what to expect, but I wished I could turn back time when the next words slipped from his mouth.
“I am the reason they’re dead.”
My breath hitched on a sharp inhale. Fuzzy bunnies danced before my eyes mockingly. No noise penetrated my eardrums. Something was wrong.
What did he just say? And why the hell is it so damn cold in here?
“Ren… Ren… Ren.” Joshua’s hand was on my shoulder, shaking me, while Dean’s hand reached my forehead. Through the blurriness, the pale-blue eyes stared back with resentment, pain, and fear.
I was at a complete loss for words. When I didn’t respond, Axel pulled his hand from my death grip. Where warmth resided a few seconds ago, cold took over. He took two steps back, keeping a distance between us, and turned his back to me.
No! Don’t go.
“Remember my mission, the Echo?” When I didn’t respond, he exhaled, running his hand over his features. “You’re my mission. I came here for you.”
The knife just penetrated the surface of my heart.
“That night when your parents were killed, they were trying to protect me. They gave both of their lives to protect me.” He said the word like it was the most disgusting thing in the world.
That didn’t sound right. Axel wasn’t disgusting. My Alexander was beautiful. Troubled, yes, but nonetheless, beautiful. I didn’t understand. My brain couldn’t comprehend what he was saying.
“I never meant for them to die. I was surrounded by many of them and we didn’t see Remus, the Proxy, until it was too late. He blasted me with fire, which almost took my life. It would have… if your mom hadn’t stepped in. Just when we thought we were free, Rolium, another Proxy, appeared, and…” He stopped, unable to finish the sentence. “It should’ve been me. I failed them too.”
Axel turned on his heels and walked back to me. Joshua and Dean backed away, giving Axel the space he needed. He was on his knees again, holding my hands in his, begging me for forgiveness. His entire person was radiating grief and regret.
“I swear to you, Ren, I didn’t know it was your parents until after I came to your house before the fall dance. I was suspicious when you told me about your parents, but I discarded it as mere coincidence. I swear to you, Meus Aeterus. Please, forgive me.”
Something was off—my lungs burned and I had trouble breathing. Was he asking for my forgiveness because my parents were killed defending him and he hid that information or because I was his mission? Just a m
ission or worse… Was he obligated to care for me out of guilt? Was that why he confessed his love for me? Was this ever real for him? Or an act to make me come back to Dracia?
“I never once lied to you, Amor Mei,” Axel said, shaking his head.
“Excuse me,” I said in a whisper.
I slowly rose to my feet, fighting the abrupt disequilibrium that veiled my vision. Axel’s hands fell to his sides limply as I walked around him, dragging my feet up the stairs with heavy limbs and an impervious heart. I closed the door behind me softly, leaning my head against it, and closed my eyes.
I’m going to be okay. I’m going to be okay.
Then I couldn’t hold back the waterworks that followed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The sun peaked through the mountains stretching above the far corner of the fields. The soft luscious earth chilled the soles of my feet. I walked into the morning light, opening my arms slightly to touch the buds of vivacious flowers of different heights. An old oak tree stood alone in the middle of the field. Light emitted through the branches, giving it the feel of angels descending from heaven.
“My dear Ren.”
I jumped, startled at the greeting.
There stood a beautiful woman with flawless skin and sharp contours. She couldn’t have been older than nineteen or twenty, but her bright blue eyes told me otherwise. She wore a white chiffon dress with one ruffled shoulder gathered with a stream of blue and white flowers. The empire waist hugged her curvy body and the skirt flowed softly to the ground. It moved like a beautiful artic river beneath her as she walked with precision and the grace of a ballet dancer. Her long slender neck was wrapped in sparkling diamonds and sapphires. The sun glistened around her, creating an aura, making her look like an angel. There was something familiar about her.
The cold air passed through me, causing goose flesh to rise.
I gasped as I realized who she was. “Nala.”
She gave me a knowing smile as she saw me connecting the dots. The Nala that prophesized about my destiny was the same one Axel rescued during his mission several nights ago. She was the great seer of Dracia, but she looked so young. How could that be?
Nala extended her hand and I hesitantly took it. She smiled, looking to the surroundings, and I mirrored her action. “Interesting how you are most comfortable here, of all places.”
“What are you talking about? What is this place?”
“Why, we’re in Dracia, of course. Your motherland.”
“How did I get here?”
“You, darling, brought us here… with my help.”
Vibrant colors brightly dispersed in the morning dew. The land’s essence flowed through my body through my bare feet. I raised my hands to find a glow surrounding my skin. I knew I should be freaked out by this, but for some reason I felt connected. I felt calmer. I felt in more control here than anywhere else.
“What does this mean?” I whispered, examining my surroundings.
I knelt beside a flower that looked like a hybrid between a lotus and an orchid. When I reached toward it, the flower stretched itself to meet my touch. The silky texture of the petals against my skin provoked an unfamiliar maternal need to care and protect it.
“It means the time has come for you to embrace your destiny.”
I spun around, scowling. Even in dreams, I didn’t get a break. “Why can’t you people leave me alone? I’m… I’m…” Words were lost to me. I didn’t know if I believed what I was told. It was too preposterous.
Me saving the world? Laughable. Completely, utterly laughable.
“One meets destiny often in the road which you seek to avoid.” She smiled. God, I wanted to stick a fork in it. “Time is nearing and you can’t escape your destiny, only prolong it.” Her eyes darkened and her smile faded. “Don’t make the same mistake again, darling.”
What does she mean same mistake again? When did I ever make the mistake in the first place?
“The balance is at risk. The cycle was set in motion at your birth. It no longer matters what you believe; it only matters that you do what you must. Soon your strength will be tested when others take your place in the universe, others that hold the most influence in your life. No matter what happens, you must return home. This is where you are strongest.”
Knock. Knock.
“Go away,” I mumbled into the pillow.
The door opened anyways.
I’d been up for almost an hour since that bizarre dream. I tried to decipher the words my subconscious mind tried to communicate. I failed miserably.
“Hey, you.” Pey placed something on my study table and threw herself on my bed. “Axel and Dean called.”
I pulled my head from under the pillow and looked at her patient smile. I threw my arms around her neck and cried.
“Um, I love you like a sister, but don’t get any of that snot on me, okay?”
I laughed weakly. “Sorry.” I wiped my tears.
“What’s wrong?”
Let’s see… I was a witch and was expected to start the biggest war of the freaking world or let life perish to nothingness. Oh, and I was lied to all my life by everyone I trusted, including Axel. But I didn’t say any of that.
Instead, I said, “Everything.”
“How about we eat that extra-large pizza and watch chick flicks where hot guys are throwing themselves at damsels in distress?”
This was what best friends were all about. Pey knew I would tell her when I was ready so she didn’t push me. Instead, she offered the next best thing.
Chick flicks and pizza.
“I’m game. Let me go freshen up.” I sniffled, wiping the flood of tears from my cheeks.
I ran to the bathroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I noticed how morbid I looked. My hair was worse than Medusa’s, my eyes were bloodshot, and my face was caked with dried tears and snot.
“Argh.”
Instead of a quick cleanup, I opted for a warm shower. I put on a white cami and a pair of pink boy shorts with “Delicious” written on the butt.
“I swear my boobs are biggeerrr,” I drawled, looking at Pey and then Axel.
I felt the blood drain from my face. Pey’s hands were halfway in the air, like she was trying to say something to Axel. He looked at me with guilt and a shy smile.
What is he doing here?
“I need to make a call to…” She turned to the left, then to the right. “Oh, hell. Just keep your clothes on.” She said and left the room, closing the door behind her with a loud thud. I heard her feet run down the stairs and stop somewhere around the foyer.
Axel stood in front of me, moving at an ungodly speed. He snaked his arms around my waist and leaned his forehead against mine, cautiously. I relaxed into his familiar masculine grace and let his warmth soothe over me. He relaxed and pulled me to him gently, like I was a delicate flower that needed to be protected.
How could I ever doubt him when something as simple as his touch had the power to turn me into a puddle? All my anxiety evaporated like cold water on a hot summer day, and I leaned into him, closing my eyes. There were so many things I wanted to be angry about, but there was nothing I could do against what my heart and soul wanted.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and he tightened his hold on me. He felt so good, and knowing he was mine, that I could touch him anytime I wanted, sent a rabble of butterflies fluttering about my insides. I tilted my head and stared into his regret-filled eyes. My heart spiked in longing.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered, lowering his lips to my ear. His breath teased against my sensitive skin and a shiver ran up my spine. “You have every right to be angry at me. I wanted to tell you, but I was too afraid to lose you, and now… and now I probably have lost you.”
“I want to be angry with you.”
His grip adjusted, securing me to him. Was he worried I would push him away? I’d thought about his confession since I locked myself in my room. It wasn’t Axel’s fault my parents died, but he’d
kept secrets from me. Things I deserved to know, especially something as important as my parents’ deaths.
But I also understood he only did that because he was afraid of losing me, and he chose to tell me, even when he was advised not to. That earned him some brownie points. As for his other confession, well, that was Dracian business and was his to tell when the time was right.
I was too tired of fighting what was natural. I was tired from being angry. I was tired.
“I need to know one thing,” I whispered. I could feel my throat tightening, afraid to hear his response. “Whatever the truth is, I can handle it. Just tell me the honest to God truth.”
He nodded and swallowed hard.
“Are you with me because I’m this… Echo?” My sight blurred and my heart struggled to stay in one piece.
“No. No.” He shook his head vigorously. “I never lied to you about my feelings. I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you, when I thought you were a human.”
And I believed his every word. My heart relaxed and I let out a deep breath. So I wasn’t just his mission. I could feel my lips almost curve into a smile.
He took my hand and placed it over his heart. “Feel that?” I nodded. “Every time I see you, every time I’m near you, every time I hear your voice, my heart’s racing to be closer to you. It hasn’t changed since and it won’t change, ever.”
Then why did I still feel unsure?
“I promise. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll do everything I can,” he said into my mind.
“Wait did you just…?” I looked into his twinkling eyes. Then I remembered this wasn’t the first time. “You did this before, too, when we first kissed.”
He nodded.
“Do you think I can?”
He smiled at me, finally relaxing. “Try.” He spoke into my mind.
“How?”
“The first time, I had to have skin-to-skin contact like this.” He placed his forehead against mine. “Now think the thought you want me to hear and picture sending that message to me.”
Dracian Legacy Page 20
