34. ~Xavier~

34

~Xavier~

I woke up with one hell of a smile on my face.

All thanks to last night.

To reconnecting with Alena again, both physically and emotionally.

It had been a hell of a thing.

I was on the edge of the bed, my arm draped over her breasts as she slept on her back, Talon nuzzled into her other side. Orpheus had been between them when we’d fallen asleep last night, but it was no surprise that he wasn’t here now.

For the last few weeks, long before sunrise, he’d be up and out on the campus grounds working with his army, preparing them for what was coming.

Then he’d be back at it later the same night too.

I stroked Alena’s hair out of her face and breathed in her sweet cotton candy scent.

I didn’t want to leave the warmth of the bed, realizing how challenging it must have been for Orpheus to do so earlier too.

But I had to.

So I forced myself up and I carefully climbed off so as not to disturb Alena or Tal.

My veins were buzzing with the magic running through them that I’d ingested through Orpheus’ blood last night. I’d be able to help him a great deal today out there with his soldiers.

The last time I’d fed from Orpheus, the magic had lasted almost a whole day in my system. I was hoping for the same this time.

The first time I’d done it, at his pushing, I’d been so shocked that I’d felt magic running through my veins after it being stripped from me that I hadn’t properly taken stock of it. Nor had I been in any stable frame of mind to do so.

But now I was on steady ground, I had been. I could analyze it subjectively and objectively, and I’d come to the conclusion that I could live like this. Without my magic, but having these influxes every now and then that were temporary.

It was enough for me. It was a compromise that I could live with.

And ever since Ore had orchestrated that dangerous scene between us that had made me unleash the full force of the demon, I’d figured out how to control it a whole lot better.

I could do this.

I sped across the room with burst after burst, snatching up my clothes that were all over the floor and hurriedly dressing.

I couldn’t wait to call my dad on the way to Orpheus and tell him what I’d realized.

I looked back at Alena and Talon sleeping so soundly, and then I stepped out of the room and made my way down the hallway.

The building was so quiet because of the early hour, but particularly this area because Ore’s chambers were set back from the rest to afford him more privacy. Sometimes it paid to be Prince of the Dark Fae. Although, mostly, especially lately, it was more of a burden than anything else, the perks washed away by all the rest.

Not for long.

With the army in place and growing more ready each and every day and my dad close to finding a way to incapacitate the Hellborn , it wouldn’t be long before we struck against Constantine and wiped his scum from the face of the earth. Nothing less than he deserved.

As much as I hated the idea of taking a life, he had to be the exception. He’d demonstrated in so many irreversible ways lately that it would never be enough to just recapture him. All the while he remained alive, we were all in extreme danger.

My change there was likely also due to my vampire side being more front and center, those demonic instincts taking the wheel. But it didn’t make my determination any less true, or necessary.

I was just making the turn toward the winding staircase that would lead to one of the lobbies downstairs when I was pulled up short by a sudden warmth permeating my chest.

I blinked and tried to shake it off, but then it started spreading.

It flowed down throughout my body.

It wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact it was the exact opposite.

And it was… familiar.

Oh my God.

It took me a few moments to realize that it was my magic, the sensation of my own power rolling through my veins.

What was… what was happening?

My body started trembling then, my legs becoming unsteady, and I was forced to drop to my knees as a pins and needles sensation wracked my body.

I clenched my fists, wanting to cry out, but not wanting to alert anyone and worry them.

Instead, I gritted my teeth through it, until it started to subside.

When it did, I cautiously rose to my feet.

I could feel it there then.

My power.

My magic.

I turned my palms up and my cobalt-blue flames erupted with ease, no need to pull hard or concentrate like I had to when wielding the magic from ingesting Orpheus’ blood.

No, this was mine. It belonged to me, it was a part of me.

I couldn’t believe it.

Constantine had returned my magic to me.

But then something awful occurred to me, cutting through my elation.

Why?

I got my answer in the next moment when a piercing pain shot through my head, and then his voice sounded from within.

“My hybrid heir. How does it feel to be restored to your former glory?”

He was in my mind without my permission, forcing some sort of link to me.

“How are you doing this?”

“Using the sire bond, of course. I made you, remember?”

“Get out.”

“I will. Soon enough.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I’m going to use you as my puppet. If it’s any consolation, what’s about to happen won’t be your fault.”

“What’s about to happen? What despicable thing are you doing now? Haven’t you done enough to us?”

“Plans have changed due to the defiance from all of you. Soon I won’t need any of you, so you may take comfort in that.”

“What do you care about my comfort?”

“I made you. There’s affection there for my sireling.”

“You’ve only proven otherwise.”

“Shh now. Be a good little hybrid for me while I invoke our sire bond to its fullest.”

“No. Stop. Don’t do this. Don’t make me do anything to the people I love.”

“Too late.”

In the next second, he closed the mind link.

Everything was quiet for a few moments and I went to employ my vampire speed to get to Orpheus and warn him that something awful and no doubt twisted, was about to happen.

But then my own limbs refused to carry me.

I was pulled up short, forced to stop against my own designs.

What was—

My mind went blank.

And then I was pushed into the background.

I saw myself walking back to Orpheus’ chambers.

Then I was pushing open the door and hurrying to the bed, shaking Alena and Talon awake.

As they roused, my voice sounded, but they weren’t my words—they were his.

“Hurry, get up! Orpheus is in trouble.”

Talon jumped out of bed and hurriedly pulled his pants on, while Alena dressed with her magic.

I heard them both asking so many questions, so much fear and urgency for Ore coming off them.

“He’s out by the gates with his mom. She’s claiming she’s in trouble, that Constantine had her under his hold. We need to get there before she convinces him to pass through the ward.”

“What? No. He wouldn’t do that,” Alena said.

“Yeah, there’s no way,” Talon agreed.

“Then why did he tell me to take off and let him handle it alone? We’re supposed to be doing things together now, remember?”

Talon cursed.

“Let’s go,” Alena said.

And then they were both following me out.

We ran down the staircase and I watched myself leading them out toward the gates.

I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t do anything.

“I don’t see him,” Alena said, looking all around as we reached the gates.

Talon unfurled his wings and shot up into the sky, scanning the area too.

When he dropped back down and tucked them away, he reported the same, “He’s nowhere to be seen.”

“Alena, look for an illusion. You can see through them, remember?”

As she did just that, I saw myself shoving Talon into her.

He instinctively grabbed hold of her to steady himself and her.

The moment he did, I shoved them through the ward, Alena being able to walk through it because of her blood link to her mom allowing it easily and Talon too with him holding onto her.

And then it all slipped away.

I blinked back to myself, the control over me gone.

“No!” I cried as I saw them outside the ward, scrambling to get to their feet.

I must have pushed them with my vampiric strength.

“He made me do it! Constantine used the sire bond to take control! Get back inside now!”

Alena’s eyes went wide.

“What the—” Talon started.

But a violent rush of wind whipped through the area, a second before I caught a glimpse of Constantine vamp-speeding at them.

He snatched them up before they could draw in their next breaths.

And then they were gone.

“No! No! No!”