20. ~Orpheus~

20

~Orpheus~

“How long?”

I paced the living room as I awaited my father’s answer.

“Me and Edgar?” he responded. “A couple of years. It happened approximately a year after your mother left me.”

“I thought you were sleeping around?”

“During our parting with him at Electi Academy and me here, we’d entertained an open relationship. But that’s over with now.”

“Fully monogamous, hmm? You?”

“Hard to believe, but yes.”

I spun back to him. “I wasn’t getting at your relationship anyway—that’s your business. I meant how long have you really had black magic sickness? For it to be taking the toll it has at this pace, it means it’s gotten worse, you trying to hold it at bay.”

He blew out a breath. “It’s decaying me from the inside out, son. I had more time, but then I chose to siphon that which Constantine has infected Alena with, so it’s hastened the deterioration.”

“Motherfuck,” I rasped, scrubbing my hand over my face. “No. No. I can’t accept this.”

“It’s imperative that you do.”

I started. “You want me to ascend the throne.”

“I need us to start the process.”

I shoved my hand through my hair. “I need my head to be clear in order to do that, and right now—”

“I know. With Alena in the wind and under that monster’s thumb, your loves struggling, and now finding out that I’m sick, it’s all a great deal.”

“Nothing I can’t handle. But it does mean that my focus is being pulled in several different directions.”

He came to me and laid his hand on my shoulder. “It would be acceptable if you were struggling to handle it, Orpheus. These are dark and troubled times.”

“I am Prince of the Dark Fae. I don’t balk under pressure. No matter how severe.”

The corner of his mouth turned up. “I’ve raised you well.”

“That you have.”

“Yet you still march to the beat of your own drum and that’s what makes you special.”

“You don’t want me to rule the way you do?” Bringing up my independent and sometimes out-there thinking like that was the way it seemed, what he appeared to be getting at. “After all these years of us butting heads about it?”

“Yes, well, recent events have put certain things into a different perspective.”

“I’d be glad to hear it if the events that brought it about weren’t so dire.”

He nodded, then eased back, telling me, “I need you to return to Electi Academy. Ready your army, son. Get them up to par.” He sighed heavily. “If all else fails—namely, Exemplar— you, as the heirs to great beings, will be a second front. A last resort.”

“I don’t intend for them to be a last resort. I intend to lead them into battle to end this.”

“Careful, your hubris is showing. You may have cultivated their powers and abilities, but they are still students, still young.”

“I know what they’re each capable of. It’s not arrogance, it’s confidence. They just need guidance on how to work as one, as a unit. That’s the final stage. Don’t forget, Father, I’ve been working on this for three years.”

“Good answer. However, should you lead them into battle, there will be casualties. No war can be fought without. Are you prepared for that?”

I squared my shoulders as the weight of what he was saying slammed into me. No matter, through it all, through everything, one thing rang true. “I’ll do what’s necessary to defeat the enemy.”

I saw him taking my words in, then he fell into a contemplative silence for several moments, before he then spoke, “Constantine will be on guard against Exemplar and me. Your army won’t even be on his radar. That is a mammoth advantage and the makings of an effective sneak attack.”

I smirked. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“Very well then. I will aid you in this endeavor. Edgar will keep it off the faculty’s radar at the Academy and erect a smokescreen.”

“All that’s left is your part. Cracking the traitor who sold you out to Constantine’s acolytes.”

“Well, now I’ve returned, that won’t take long.”

“Yes, well, your sadism is unmatched against our enemies, Father.”

“Amazing, you actually managed to conceal your disgust this time as that was referenced.”

“I’m in mission-mode. My stance is still the same on those matters, though.” I stared at him. “That won’t change when I ascend the throne.”

“I know.”

“You do? I anticipated that you’d try to get it out of me during our time together as I shadow you soon.”

“Truthfully, it’s not something I ever wanted to get out of you. I just needed you to be aware that it does go on in the Kingdom. But it’s not in your nature and it never will be. It’s something I’m grateful for. You have a big heart and you care a great deal—although you hide both well from outsiders—yet you’re not soft. You’re as hardened, tough and forthright as they come, you always stand your ground against whatever force may come your way.”

“I’ll always do what’s necessary, though. I just won’t make a habit out of it.”

“Not like I have to enforce my rule,” he said, actual regret there.

I veered the subject around a little, telling him, “Regarding Taelorn, he hasn’t revealed anything as yet. Forget more torture. Reach into his mind.”

“It’s protected by black magic.”

“What? Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“Because there was no point. There are other ways to crack him, other than extracting the information from his mind.”

“It’s taking too long.”

“You and I have both ingested enough black magic lately. Hades, I am still receiving it from Alena as she further breaks from Constantine’s hold. No more, Orpheus.”

I slammed my fist into the arm of the wraparound couch. “She’s out there somewhere with him! In his clutches! Knowing we have the key to finding her right here and not using it—it’s not fucking good enough! We could end this, end him! Instead we’re sitting here on our fucking hands!”

“No one is sitting on their hands. You’ve done a lot to bring her back to you. Part of it is on her. Once she’s broken free, she’ll either come back to you, or we’ll break Taelorn and he’ll lead us to Constantine’s location and we’ll retrieve her that way. When I say that, I mean me and you. Not your army.”

“I thought you just agreed—”

“They will be focused on retrieving the Orb.”

Interesting. “Go on.”

“Our rescue of Alena will be brutal and brazen. It will function as a distraction—as well as our opportunity to unleash our ire upon Constantine for what he’s done to us—that will enable the retrieval of the Orb to occur. You and I will draw fire.”

“I can help with the fire element.”

“Talon cannot be a part of this.”

“I can’t cut him out. Not him or Xavier. Promises have been made.”

“The risk is too great with Constantine coveting a phoenix for his plans. If things should take a turn, we put more ammunition in his hands. Worse, the final ingredient he needs for his spell to rob all magic-wielders of their free will and reign supreme over us all.”

Before I could speak to that, the doors flew open and one of the palace guards rushed on in, urgency spilling from him.

My father stepped forward, that familiar menacing air radiating off him. “I am meeting with my son. The Dark Fae Prince. Punishment will befall you for this vulgar interruption.”

That was the Saryan Hart that everybody knew of all too well.

The guard nervously shoved his long, white-blond hair behind his pointy ear and offered his platitudes, “I would never normally commit such an affront, Your Majesty. However, it couldn’t wait. Abigail Rose has just arrived in the kingdom.”

Well, that was as intriguing as it was concerning.

“Very well. I’ll receive her in the library.”

“As you wish, my king,” he said, bowing on his way out, then hurrying to do my father’s bidding.

“Go,” my father told me. “Head back to Electi Academy. Ready your army.”

I nodded. “You need me, you contact me via the IC Watch.”

“I will.”

“No more secrets?”

“It’s a work in progress.”

“At least that’s something.”

With that, we embraced, then I headed on out, searching for Xavier and Talon.

No doubt they were still gossiping like crazy about my father and Marlowe.

Well, Tal was likely gossiping and X was humoring him as per usual.

I hoped they’d enjoyed their time in the DFR, because our trip was coming to an end.

Shortly, anyway.

Not quite yet, as my father had intended.

His secret-keeping was currently a work in progress, but I didn’t need him to tell me that which he hid. I had other sources within the Kingdom.

And, right now, I had something even better.

Xavier Sabre and his vampiric talents.