Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
My father turned back to me, and I saw for the first time how much he’d aged since I’d seen him last. “Kailar, I understand your frustration. My queen—your mother—is a difficult thing for me to even discuss. Imagine, if you can, that someone you loved suddenly turned into something evil. Something monstrous. Our people are immortal and once we find our true loves, it’s forever. I can’t just kill her, don’t you see? Can you understand how hard this is for me?”
His voice was so full of anguish, it gave me a start. I saw how wrecked his face was and for the first time, I thought about what I would do if I had to kill Alyx. I shuddered, as it didn’t even bear thinking about, and I hadn’t even really known my Atlantean that long. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it. But damn it, something had to be done. She wasn’t the woman he knew anymore—that person was long gone, caught up in profound wickedness. She had to be destroyed.
I stepped forward and embraced my father, because I wasn’t sure either if I could really kill my mother when the time came, despite my brave thoughts. Most of that had been nothing but bravado on my part, because I remembered when she was sweet and loving to us. Yet, I knew deep down that she had to die. Immortality didn’t mean that our people couldn’t be killed. It was difficult to do, but it was possible. I was determined to save my brother, though, and between us, we would find a way to do what we had to. I just had to trust that.
My father turned toward Alyx and Keion. “I’m sorely disappointed in both of your soulmates, though, son. Sorely disappointed.” He took a deep breath and kept talking. “I couldn’t reach out to either of you boys for fear that somehow, with her powerful magic, your mother would be able to read my mind. She’s around me often, and I can feel it. I-I think she’d like to kill me too. I feel her rage toward me at times. Then she changes and is more like she used to be.”
I remembered that from not long ago when I’d traveled to see Adan. I thought then and I knew at that moment that she had gone completely insane.
“Your mother never had an…intimate connection with your Atlanteans, and thus she never could get a close enough relationship with them to be able to read their minds or influence them. I truly thought you both were safer away from me.” This time his gaze drifted back between Alyx and Keion, and his eyes turned gold with fury. “I never expected to be betrayed by those who were supposed to be our most loyal allies.”
I stepped to my father, hugged him, and whispered in his ear, “I understand your pain. I feel it too, and I do forgive you Father, if that is worth anything to you. But all of us have made mistakes. One day soon, I’ll ask a favor of you and you must agree. If not, I’ll walk away now, and you never see me again.”
I looked deeply into his eyes, and he slowly nodded his agreement.
I looked over at Alyx and Keion. “You left my twin brother and me in the hands of others and they betrayed us all. They clearly weren’t prepared to protect us the way we should have been.”
Might as well put it out there for everyone to hear. “They both left us to fend on our own.”
“Damn it, Kailar,” Alyx said, reaching for my hand. “I thought we were working on building our relationship.”
“And I thought you were my protector,” I whispered back, a fake smile on my face. “Guess we were both wrong.”
I loved him…always would. That didn’t, under any circumstances, mean he and Keion got a free pass on what he’d cause to happen in the lives of me or my twin.
“I’m here to protect you now,” he retorted, a frustrated look screwing up his handsome features.
“Let’s table this discussion for now. My twin is being held captive in iron bars right now, and I nearly died when my foster father was killed and my other guardian didn’t know enough to ensure I stayed in the ocean the proper amount of time.” I paused to let that bomb drop.
He stepped forward to hug me. “Anything I can do to make it up to you, son. You have only to ask and it shall be granted.”
“In due time,” I answered, then stepped back and finally gave him the smallest of bows. The crowd around us erupted with pleasure. Gods, them and their protocol. I’d forgotten just how annoying it was.
My father beamed. “Tonight, we celebrate the return of one of my sons! We’ve been invited to return with you to Atlantis through the outpost’s portal.” He turned to the group of courtiers huddled closest to him. “Make sure a feast will be prepared.” They nodded. “Tomorrow, we go to the king’s war room and prepare for battle. Beathag will be coming for Kailar soon, and we will not allow him to be taken.” The king swept away, then, expecting us to follow, I supposed.