Carswell's viewpoint
Maximo stood beside me at the balcony of his library, the one overlooking Daphne's garden. Xyra was standing there with Moira, helping Athens ground her magic since it has been a while she used it. Daphne was just being crazy with clapping and cheering them on. She didn't need to wear the cheerleader uniform but she did anyways.
We both smiled as we watched them. I was always envious whenever I watched him watch Daphne and their children play, but I understood the feeling now. Even though Xyra was yet to bear our pups, I could almost see them running around and playing with Álváró, Daria and Edric. Jerrick sat on a bench with legs crossed as he watched them play, ready to spring into action if they should get hurt.
I wondered if our children would be stubborn like Edric or meek like Álváró, or between, like Daria. Xyra shared her memories one time, and her childhood days was quite mischievous. Maybe one of our kids would be mischievous too. And I wasn't exactly the meek type when I was growing up. The memories brought tears to my eyes but I blinked it away.
"I will do anything to keep this the way it is," Max said softly, "to see my family this happy,"
"I know, I feel the same way," my hands on the rail grasp it tighter, "Max, we can't let a hair on their heads get hurt, we have to protect them."
"It won't be that easy, Carswell, it won't. The threat are huge. A demon whose sore purpose is to eat your heart, that's strong. It also means his powers would be equal to yours or even stronger…"
"Never," I shook my head, "and eating my heart would be a waste to him because my heart consist of not just the dragon's, but my lycan's and my powers have been touched by the fox's and the dragon lord. I can't let him eat my heart before he finds out, can I? I have two pups on the line. They can't grow up without their father and with a broken mother."
"The Blood King, that is his name," Max sighed, "the vampire. He is the first thing every prince is taught at the first day of royal training, so we won't end up like him. The only thing we weren't told was that he was still alive and actually waiting for the opportunity to strike. I have to double my training, it has been a while I actually fought. And we can't expect him to just come here without a plan. If the witch is as powerful as we are told, then she'll definitely do something to protect him from silver or anything that would kill him." He reasoned. It's a good thing Xyra already thought of that and asked the book.
"Xyra thought of that. The vampire king can't be killed because he is already dead, more dead than a vampire should. The only way to kill him is through thy who has death within her fingers," he looked at me in confusion, something that made me smirk, "we already have a plan. You'll not be the one to fight The Blood King, you will instead try to free the other vampires…"
"But who would…"
"Zephyr, remember Zane's mate? The one…"
"Who looks like a vampire?" He questioned, I nodded. "She is not a vampire, but Hades daughter by a human mother, though the woman was a necromancer and a psychic." He stared at me with wide eyes while I continued to grin. He slowly lowered his eyes and chuckled.
"Zane is really in for it,"
"Don't worry, she doesn't act on it and is quite something," I shook my head as I remembered the jovial young girl. "She'll take care of the vampire and Zimri would help me handle the lycan, I don't have his time. In case Myrtle does anything to increase his strength, Zimri would be able to counter him. I'll have to take care of the demon myself."
"And the witch? You aren't really expecting your pregnant mate to fight her," I kept my lips pinned because I had nothing to say. I knew it was her duty and mission, but she was pregnant. I still couldn't think of anything and Xyra already declared that she wouldn't be the one fighting the witch. But I knew better. My guts was telling me she was up to something.
"Look, man, I don't know how powerful your mate is, I've only heard stories so far. But, I can't advice you to let her go out there or endanger her life and that of your unborn children. She being pregnant is already a great disadvantage for her. She can easily get killed…"
"She said she won't fight, but I know she is up to something. I just can't get through her walls. I also feel like she's hiding something huge from me, but I don't know what or how to find out…" I paused when her head shot up to look at me. I accidentally let my emotions slip through our bond and she caught enough before I locked it.
Her smoke grey and azure eyes welled with so many emotions as she pouted. She wanted to tell me what she was hiding, but she was afraid of how I would react to it. So to keep me from panicking, she was keeping it away. I got a glimpse of that the moment I looked down into her eyes.
Her wolf nudged my subconscious, making me close my eyes to feel her more and relish in her comfort and assurance. Just like Xyra, she wasn't going to tell us, but she didn't hide the fact that they were keeping something away from us. All I wanted to do was protect the love of my life and our pups, and she knew that but her duty was to the moon and the moon gave her a purpose.
‘I promise you that what we are doing won't harm our pups, I give you my words.’
But is her words enough?
She smiled gently at me before returning her eyes to Athens who was emitting power. I had four mission: don't die; if I don't die, I would be able to achieve mission two to four, protect my family and that family is all in Xyra, destroy darkness and save my people and throne.
And that, I will surely do.