26. Twenty-Six

Twenty-Six

Draken

My eyes, maybe my mind, are playing tricks on me.

Must be.

Maybe when Willow's and that cocksucker's power exploded, I hit my head.

"No trick, Draken. She's real," Willow says softly beside me as we take in the sight of Tanith, and she does the same to us.

One second, the golden dragon is standing there alone, observing the large crowd with some apprehension. The next, Keeper, my dad—nope, don't like that yet—is standing in front of her, crying. Is he crying? What's he doing?

She slowly lowers her body and bows her head to him. He gently rubs her muzzle and brings his forehead to her scales. It's deep and emotional. Although I don't understand it, I know this is important.

Although her footsteps shake the ground, she's not as large as Willow's or my forms can grow. She's maybe the size I was when I first shifted. Her golden scales are darker on her underside, black with a dusting of gold glitter, but the scales littering her back are like rolls and rolls of gold coins. She's so shiny.

"Little wanderer, what's going on? I thought you said we were rescuing someone he bonded."

"We did. She just isn't…well, human. I don't know the ins and outs yet, but it's not romantic like we bond. Think of it like me and Gaster. The only difference is she chose him."

She chose him.

"How did…you said we came from her," I stutter, not processing this at all.

"Well, you did for sure. We still don't know how I do what I do, but she's a part of him, and you…you're a part of him. Instead of getting a more vampire, vampirish, I don't know, genes, I guess you got his bonds. I'm sorry, Draken, I know this is all speculation on my part and I'm not answering your question."

My body sways with her words. Today's been a bit overwhelming, and I don't know how to process any of this. I can't tell if I want to puke, faint, or ask Tanith if she wants to fly with me and Willow.

"Wait, why didn't you want me to shift today?"

"I'm not positive about that either. I just had an awful feeling about you shifting in the forest, so I went with my gut. I don't know if it was a secret meant to be kept from Keeper for the time being or something else, but the risk wasn't clear to me. My visions, dream walking, all of it since being rescued, have been choppy compared to normal. I'm no longer getting straightforward answers or guides. CC isn't speaking to me and I'm having to make decisions based on my feelings."

I squeeze her hand in reassurance that I'm not upset with her when I hear and sense the doubt creep across her. I'm not questioning her decisions in a negative way, just trying to put the pieces of what seems to be my new reality together.

I have a parent that's alive and well, given his situation, and apparently, his bonded dragon is the reason I can shift into a dragon. Not to mention everything else that just happened.

What the fuck do I do now?

"Take a breath, dragon. We're here," Caspian says, gripping my shoulder as smoke begins to blow through my nostrils.

"Sorry…I'm just…"

"Overwhelmed?" Tillman finishes for me.

"Yeah. That."

"You're not alone, brother. We got you," Corentin says as he lays his hand on my other shoulder, and I finally feel like I can breathe.

Between my little wanderer and my brothers, I feel grounded enough to function and slow my thoughts down. Fuck, this makes me feel ten times worse for Willow. She deals with shit like this happening to her…like weekly. I couldn't do it. My skin feels tight with the need to shift, and my eyes are crossed from all the thoughts.

Her snort and musical laughter soothe both me and my beast. Her bright silver eyes look so tired, so drained, yet she still has enough in her to take care of this. Lead me, comfort me, and be here for me despite whatever just happened when she used more power than I've ever felt in my entire life.

"We can talk about that later. At home or the debrief, but we still need to help Tanith. It's going to take the two of us to get that chain off her."

My dragon growls in my chest when I look back at the large links hanging from around Tanith's throat. She's been trapped like a feral beast for what I assume to be the same amount of time as Keeper and that's just…fucking disgusting. There's barely any room at the mouth of the cave for her. No doubt inside there's no room for her to spread her wings.

"Let's go then," I declare, clearing my throat nervously.

Why I feel so much more nervous about meeting Tanith than I did when the truth bomb of Keeper was dropped on me, I don't know, but there's an embarrassing tremble in my hands. In my heart, I do know the answer, but I don't want to admit it.

The knowledge we have on dragons from Essemist Keep is minimal, but it's the biggest known factor that they're highly regarded creatures because they're not only fierce but so intelligent. Their minds function on the same scale as ours. Fuck, maybe even more. They're the one and probably only subject outside of Primaries that I truly cared to learn about. I obsessed over everything I could learn about them when Gaster provided me some books. I guess meeting one in real life has me feeling a little self-conscious.

What is she going to think of me?

Why do I even care?

"Because she's a part of you. A part of your dragon, my dragon. It's okay to think and feel all this, Draken, but she's not going to think less of you. There's nothing to think less of. You're perfect."

"You have to say that. You're my little wanderer."

"I don't have to say it. I choose to because it's the truth. You're perfection. You feed my soul."

Her soul… if only she knew.

Pulling her hand until her body is plastered to mine, I kiss her with everything I've got. Fuck, I love this woman more than anything in this realm and if I could right now, I'd just kidnap her and fly us back home.

"Tanith, this is Caspian, Corentin, Tillman, and behind them is more family whose names I haven't memorized yet, but I will," Keeper says, pointing my brothers out as soon as we come to stand a few feet from them.

Tanith bows her head subtly, and despite everything I just thought, I'm still taken by surprise at her knowing eyes and awareness. She knows everything he said.

"You've met Willow unofficially, but this is her. The Adored of the Keep."

This time, Tanith lowers her body like she did when Keeper first approached her. Willow, without a shred of fear, goes right up to her, beaming a breathtaking smile, and kisses her on the ridge of her snout. It makes my heart flutter, and I don't know if the butterflies are from how fucking epic this is to witness or because my turn is next, and I know what he's going to say.

"And this here…This is Draken. My son," he announces. The pride in his tone causes both warmth and panic to spread throughout my body.

I want to freak out, argue simply because I don't know how to feel right now, but I hold myself back and follow exactly what Willow did. Well, I don't kiss Tanith, but I do lay my forehead to her scales.

"Hello, young lord."

I startle and jump away as an otherworldly, soothing, and soft voice penetrates my mind.

"I did not mean to startle you. I apologize. It's very nice to meet you."

"Little wanderer…"

"It's okay. She can communicate with us and Keeper. Probably anyone else she wanted to as well."

"Your beloved is correct, but I'm selective in who I speak with. You two, though, will always hear me."

"I…I don't know what to say."

"That's quite all right, young lord. I will put your mind and heart at ease first, then allow you to be until you're more comfortable with me. I felt you the day your counterpart shook the ground beneath his claws, and I knew a being of me had been born. The roar you released on the day of your freeing is a melody I've replayed many a times throughout my imprisonment. You are and have always been in my favor. Nothing will ever change that. You are already unknowingly taking after me."

My watery smile grows as my erratic heartbeat levels out. How she knew of my worries or thoughts I've got no clue, but my little wanderer isn't panicking, so I'll just take this in stride and relish the weight Tanith's lifted off me.

"Draken. You can call me just Draken if you want."

"Draken it is then."

The magical hum of her joy radiates through me and the smile on my face is real as I back away from her. It may not seem like it, but I feel like we just took a ginormous leap.

"Little warrior, let's get these chains off and get going. We've got a few injured and Jamie's the only healer with us," Tillman says softly as he approaches closer, observing the material the chains are made of.

"We're safe for now. Send them all back to the academy except for my brother's and Oakly's Nexus, please," she commands sweetly.

"Princess, that's probably not the best idea," Corentin chimes in.

"It'll be fine. I'm sure of it. They took a massive hit today and will need some time to lick their wounds. Plus, Tanith deserves a little privacy for her first moments free. Our three Nexuses are already a crowd. She doesn't need any more spectators."

Corentin's stern face softens like melting chocolate at her care and attention to the needs of a dragon she's only just met. It's fascinating and so fucking sexy how she can go from burning men's faces off to being so caring and loving. I eat that crazy shit up. It's my second favorite personality switch to her possessiveness.

Caspian's and Tillman's laughs distract me, and when I glance at them, they're beaming at Willow. The look I'm getting, though, is not the sweetest, but it's still sexy.

"What?"

"Did you seriously just call me crazy?"

"No, I called your behavior crazy. There's a difference, little wanderer." I tsk. She should know that.

She rolls her eyes playfully before focusing back on Tanith. Her small hands glide over the stone choker and chain, and a displeased rumble stirs in her chest. Her outrage settles in my heart like an extension of me and I'm instantly pissed off again.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"It's like the magical cuffs. They're blocking her power out, but I don't know what power."

"My flight. My wings can only spread but so far until the shock reverberates through me."

Dread seeps through my skin. She can't spread out her wings or flap them or raise herself off the ground even a little. I'll kill them all for this. This is beyond cruelty and torture. This is fucking ridiculous.

"He will pay for what he's done to us, Tanith. I swear it on my life," Keeper says sternly, placing his hand on the chain.

He's been awfully quiet since his introductions. He seems to be just as overwhelmed as me, but his method of dealing with it is staying silent or making promises and proclamations. Plus, giving my little wanderer a nickname that I don't know if I like or not.

"We're going to get these off now so we can go. Draken will help me." Willow's eyes soften as she rubs underneath the collar against Tanith's neck and an appreciative purr sounds throughout the small space.

"What do you need me to do, little wanderer?"

"We're going to call on our flames, but instead of it coming through us and out, focus it on embedding itself into the stone. It'll burn through the magic and cause the stone to break."

"I can do that." I nod eagerly, placing my hand on the opposite side of hers.

"On three…One…two…three."

My flame travels through my veins, heating my blood as it goes. The single intention I command it is to embed itself so deeply into the stone that there's not a trace or scrap of this dark magic left when it's done burning it to a crisp.

I know I do and say some psycho-ass shit sometimes, but I'd never hurt anyone, human, creature, animal, fuck, a plant even, with such ill and evil intentions. Those that are evil, scum, get no mercy from me, but I couldn't stomach hurting innocent people. Even if by accident, I don't think I'd ever be able to look at myself in the mirror again.

A shock crawls up my arm as Willow's and my flames unite within the choker. It's an intense moment of mingling as our fire wraps around each other's and spreads throughout every crevice or air bubble in the stone. The sound of the inside splitting open echoes into the depths of the cave and the breath rushing out of Tanith's nostrils fans my hair.

"Stand back, young dragons."

With a squealing laugh, Willow grips my hand and we jog from the mouth of the cave to where the others are standing and turn to watch her.

When she fully emerges from the cave, she tilts her head up and a thunderous roar leaves her throat. My dragon shakes himself out in my chest, wanting badly to respond to her, but I lock him down, explaining that this is her moment and to let her have it. He chuffs but doesn't push, and we stare in amazement as her golden wings stretch out and flap a few times.

Her tail swishes back and forth as she gets her balance, and my eyes follow the four spears on the end. They're fucking badass and I have no doubt she could do some serious damage with those things if she needed to.

"She's ready to fly. Told me not to question her abilities again, so I guess that means she doesn't need any more stretching. We'll need some guidance on where we're heading," Keeper says as he walks over to us, smiling.

"We'll fly with you so we can show you," I say, excitement bubbling in me with the opportunity for me and Willow to take to the sky with a real fucking dragon.

Keeper's smile falls a little as he places a hand on my shoulder. I can't help but look down at it, then back at his face. Normal people usually know better than to touch any of us. "I'm sorry so—Draken, I don't want to tarnish your excitement, but it'll be safer if I fly alone with her this first time. It's been nearly five hundred years after all."

Huh?

"He still doesn't know?"

"No." Both Willow and Tanith chuckle in my mind.

"You didn't tell him?" I ask Tanith directly.

"Oh no. I love surprising the lord. He's quite the know-it-all, so I tend to take advantage of opportunities such as this one to shock him."

Shaking my head and hiding my smirk with my hand, I reach out and grip his shoulder back. "No problem at all."

I do love a good surprise.

Willow's laugh travels through the forest as she skips a few feet from everyone, and I jog over there to meet her. The look of confusion on Keeper's face makes this even more exciting and my brother's sighs are music to my ears because that means they're flying instead of transporting.

"Who's riding me?" Willow asks through our link.

"Fuck yes, me!" Oakly cheers loudly, gripping Nikoli by the hand, dragging him closer to Willow as if we're picking teams. "Aria, you coming with Willow?"

"Absolutely," she agrees, grinning, and Lyker shifts nervously on his feet.

"I'm going with them, I guess. I swear to fuck, fortune teller, no funny business," he grumbles as he stands beside Aria, crossing his arms.

"Ry, you, San, Jamie, Lennox, Zane, and Kyan, head back to the academy, then to the mansion. We'll meet you there in about two hours," Tillman orders. They all seem to breathe a sigh of relief, and I snort.

Pussies.

"What's going on?" Keeper asks.

Ignoring him, I grip my little wanderer by the back of her neck and pull her against me so I can kiss her senselessly before we step away, giving each other room.

With perfect precision, we tilt our heads back and let the shift come over us. So many times in my life, I've absolutely hated shifting in front of other people, letting them gawk at me like some freak, but right now, I won't deny the thrill. I'm eager to show my dragon off to Keeper and Tanith. I want them to see how fucking badass me and Willow are.

The only two of our kind.

Little wanderer decided to go with her twenty-foot size, and I wanted to go full fucking hundred-foot mode but thought better of it. It'd probably be overkill, but I did shift to about thirty feet so the guys have plenty of room and if Tanith or Willow needed me, I'd be big enough to assist.

Peering down, everyone is staring at Keeper, and I swallow the lump in my throat and do the same, prepared for whatever reaction I'm going to get. Bad or good.

His eyes bounce rapidly between the three of us. His mouth opens and closes countless times in the span of a few seconds, and I see the multitude of questions running through his mind. I think he's in shock.

Little wanderer gracefully, well, as gracefully as she can, walks behind me where Tanith has taken a few steps toward us. When she approaches the smaller dragon, the energy in the air shifts as she shrinks down to her size. Together, the two of them lean in and lay their foreheads together.

"This…this is real. No illusions or trickery," Keeper mutters.

Slowly, I lower my body down to the ground in front of him. Unlike Tanith, I won't be bowing to him—little wanderer is the only person I'll bow to—but I will make myself smaller for him to get a better look.

"My son…a dragon," he mumbles as he slowly reaches his hand out before retracting it. "Can you communicate with me like Tanith can?" At the shake of my head, he looks over at his dragon and nods. "She says you can understand me, though. May I touch you?"

I don't answer right away. I give my dragon a moment to gauge how both he and I feel about that. It's a little personal this early on, but I don't want to crush the light in his eyes, so I subtly nod. The moment his hand presses between my snout, something happens. Something tingles and he lets out a bolstering laugh.

"Magnifico. You are perfection, my son. I'm so honored to have this privilege." He steps away from me, beaming. I don't know what that was, but it was obviously something important, and his words cause emotion to rise in me rapidly.

"I'll explain to you what that was when you are ready, but for now, let us fly," Tanith says and she lowers her body, rumbling.

Keeper must know that's her way of telling him to hurry his ass up because he jogs off, looking back at me a few times before he climbs on her.

Willow takes a second to shift back to her larger size and lowers herself as Oakly, Nikoli, Aria, and Lyker climb on. My laugh bursts out of me in a flurry of small roars at his petrified face. If Oakly and Aria weren't joining them, I'd tell Willow to do some crazy shit to really scare him.

Next time.

"Lead the way, dragon," little wanderer commands in my mind and I let out a warning roar that I'm taking off.

Beating my wings, I allow myself to float off the ground and circle the space low. Willow mimics my position as we wait for Tanith to get her bearings back.

All it takes is a couple beats of her wings, a few practice leaps, and her claws retract from the dirt, and she takes off, soaring through the air. Chasing her freedom.

Oakly's and Aria's cheering is loud. It can be heard over the winds as little wanderer races after her. As always, my brothers are stoic on my back and I don't have to have eyes in the back of my head to know that they're just staring at Willow. They'd benefit a lot by letting loose and enjoying the ride and the show.

Either Tanith isn't a risky flyer like me and little wanderer because she levels out with no crazy acrobats, or she just wants to get the feeling of flight back first. So without encouraging any craziness, I glide between the two of them as I catch up. The warm air and the clouds usually calm my racing thoughts, but today's different. Now that we're in the sky where no one can talk to me or distract me, I can't help but think about everything that's happened.

Part of me really wants to just go all in with Keeper. Accept him. Accept the fact I have a father who wants to be a part of my life. I mean, since the moment little wanderer announced it, he was all in. He's been acting like he's known me his whole life. Then the other part of me completely rebels. I know everything he's done has been forced on him, so I don't hold that against him, but it's how everything happened with my mom that throws me.

Did he know she was pregnant? Did he know she was a drug addict or was whatever happened between them what caused her to turn to the illegal elixirs? Why were they so careless? Why wasn't she taking conception tonics? Does he have any idea how bad the first fourteen years of my life were?

So many questions come and they make my mind a war zone. My thoughts jump from being understanding to being angry every few seconds. It's too fucking much and honestly, I can answer some for myself, like no, of course he has no clue what my life's been like, but it's all too overwhelming to process in one day.

"Little wanderer."

"Yeah, dragon," she says softly like she knew I was going to seek her out and I open the line of communication for the guys too.

"What's the matter, brother?" Caspian asks as my silence falls heavy.

"I don't know what to do. I have a million questions. I don't know if I want to acknowledge this relationship yet."

"You don't have to acknowledge anything today, Draken. We all still need to get to know him, and you won't be doing this alone. Ever," Tillman says. Ever the understanding one.

"You can run what you're feeling by us, and we'll dissect it with you. If you need a pros and cons list, I've already started one I'll share with you," Corentin tacks on and we all laugh at his seriousness about his list. I bet it's already a mile long, though, and could answer every one of my questions.

"Give me a pro, brother," I tease.

"He stopped Bryce from getting to Willow when none of us even saw him coming. Then he ripped his head off."

The chuckles in my mind cut off abruptly as the weight of that pro settles in. He did protect my little wanderer. No questions asked, no hesitation. And he finished the job immediately when he heard what he did.

"Yeah, that's a big one," I agree.

"It'll come with time, Draken. It's not a race to discover everything about him today. Just listen to your gut and we'll support you no matter what," Willow whispers.

"Thanks, you guys."

Despite not getting to the bottom of my burning questions, my chest does loosen and for the remainder of the flight, I focus on enjoying my flight with my dragon goddess on one side and the dragon who made this possible on the other.

If nothing else, Tanith will be the reason I keep him around.

Not to toot our horn or anything, but I'm smug as fuck.

Our friends and Gaster stand on the back patio, cheering and clapping their hands as we come into their view and start our descent. It's such a different feeling flying up with a real dragon and my brothers on my back than on my own. The insecurities I usually feel are null right now.

I'm a badass.

"You three probably look fucking heroic sitting on top of me right now."

"Draken." Corentin sighs.

"Like beautiful buff gods descending from the sun. Take your shirts off and stand up with your fists on your hips. Get into character."

"Draken," the three of them yell.

"I'd like to see that," little wanderer purrs. For a minute, I think we have them by their silence, but the three of them abandon ship, jumping off me before my claws even touch down.

Spoilsports.

"Fuck yeah, little wanderer, that was an amazing flight." I swoop in and spin her around, kissing her stupid before I pass her off to Tillman's waiting arms.

Both the other Primaries skip off to their Nexuses with huge smiles and fast words as they ramble on about the fun they had. Willow definitely carried the livelier crew, while I had the sticklers. Nikoli's fucking stoked right alongside them and Oakly's three other serious men look her over from head to toe. Aria's Nexus is much the same, although they aren't as handsy as the Mercie Nexus is. They give her small smiles as she goes on and on, while Lyker stands there with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed as if he didn't have a damn blast.

"If Tanith wants to keep flying, the mansion's property is warded off. She'll just need to stay in the dome," I tell Keeper when he walks up to join the group.

"She's a little sore. I told her she would be, but what do I know?" he says sarcastically. Tanith gives him a shove with her snout, and I can't help the laugh that comes out of me.

Yeah, I like the dragon.

"She'll rest for now. She's exhausted. Not flying in hundreds of years will do that to you. She'll be fine, but she needs to feed." His teasing tone evaporates as his care for his bonded dragon becomes a serious discussion and I find myself respecting the fact he cares so much about her well-being.

"How does she—"

"I'll be happy to assist her if she'll have me." Gaster, the old geezer, startles me as he just pops out from behind me, cutting off my question.

"What does that mean?" Willow's voice rises as she takes a step closer to him.

"No worries, young one. Your bond is safe with me. I do not feed like my lord. Dragons feed on the essence of knowledge. There is still much you must learn, but know, the wise one will come to no harm. He's thrilled to share a conversation with me and we both will fill each other's needs. He's just as eager to learn as me."

"Well, that makes complete sense why you volunteered so fast. You had to beat San or Caspian," Willow says softly, a little awestruck as she bounces her gaze between Gaster and the dragon.

A low purr rumbles from Tanith's throat as she tilts her head and Gaster bows his head to her in acknowledgment before walking and sitting in the grass in front of her. I'm gonna have to question the old man because he's obviously been holding out some information on me. The way she feeds explains perfectly to me how dragons are so intelligent. I've figured it was their age.

"Come on, let's get the girls some food before they get hangry," Tillman says as a way of distraction since we're all just standing here gawking.

He ushers us all toward the table with a flick of his hands, laughing while the girls shoot him unsavory looks. They don't complain too much, though, as the three of them park themselves right in the middle of the table together and pick up their elated conversation as if nothing's happened today. The chair beside me gets pulled out and I don't even have to look to know it's Keeper. I can already sense him.

"Is it okay if I sit here?" he asks. Again, so damn respectful. It makes it harder to want to be an illogical ass when he's so nice.

Clearing my throat, I gesture to the chair. "Yeah, sure."

"So is this where you grew up?" he asks, looking behind him at the huge house and across the stretch of green.

It's a paradise, and I wish like hell I could say yeah, my whole life. The last fourteen years have done a pretty great job of wiping away the first half, but the brothel and farm will always stick with me to an extent.

I'm not ready to discuss that with him. Not yet. I don't want to tell him mom was so loving and caring, but she loved her drugs just as much. Or maybe she needed them. Hell, I don't know. I think he'd be proud to hear I ate Rodrick. He seems a little crazy like that, but I don't want to dive into that trauma this early on.

"I've lived with my brothers since I emerged at fourteen. We bounced between the palace and here."

"Where were you—"

"Maybe that's a discussion for another time," Willow says, cutting in and coming to my rescue. "Let's talk about something else while the whole family's here."

"Yeah, like what the hell you did that put us all on our asses and nearly drained you," Oakly says, snarky.

Little wanderer sighs and rolls her eyes. "We'll wait for Gaster, then I'll just show you all so I don't have to repeat it."

Corentin's shoulders relax, and I hide my chuckle 'cause his ass has been burning up with questions. He nods behind me and seconds later, food starts to be placed across the table. A murmuring of thank yous sounds from everyone until a member of the kitchen staff sets a silver chalice down in front of Keeper.

"Ah, thank you very much," he says appreciatively.

"Can I ask a personal question?" Willow asks, and no one holds in their laughs this time. We knew it was coming.

"You may ask me anything, Adored."

"Okay, good, 'cause I actually have a lot of questions, but first, can you eat food? Or only blood?"

"Blood is going to sustain my life force and tame my bloodthirst. It will keep me alive and well, but I like to indulge in food because it tastes wonderful. I don't require it the way you all do."

"Fascinating. Why do you call me Adored? You called me the Adored of the Keep to Bryce?"

"Because that's your title. I'm the heir to the realm. I'm the lord, as is Draken, as is Corentin, Tillman, and Caspian. Brothers of his are sons of mine. You're their beloved. The beloved of an heir is called an Adored," he answers without hesitation, but the entire table freezes.

"Did he just—"

"Recognize us all as heirs of yet another realm. Yes," Caspian answers factually, but he doesn't seem nearly as shocked as everyone else.

"What are we talking about?" Gaster asks cheerily, breaking up the extended silence. He comes up behind Willow and gives her a tender kiss on her head before moving to the empty seat beside Keeper.

"Why Keeper calls me Adored," Little wanderer says after clearing her throat.

Gaster coughs with wide, knowing eyes before extending his hand out. "Keeper, it's nice to officially meet you. I apologize for not showing my respects earlier, but Tanith caught my full attention. I'm Gaster Cato."

"No apologies needed. She tends to do that when she smells knowledge in the air. You must be teeming with it for her to zero in on you so quickly," Keeper says when he shakes Gaster's hand back.

"He's really old but won't tell anyone how old," Willow says sarcastically, making everyone laugh.

"You must excuse my granddaughter. She likes to tease."

"You are family as well?" Keeper asks.

"Yes, but our relationship was born with a bond. I'm Willow's Guardria and I helped raise the boys."

With speed faster than the eye can follow, Keeper is out of his seat, hugging Gaster, taking us all by surprise, even the old man. He's typically very receptive to hugs, at least mine, but it takes him a second before he slowly, softly pats Keeper's back in return.

"Okay, sit down, you two. Willy's about to show us her epic battle with the Summum-Master," Oakly orders before flicking my hand away and stealing the last pastry.

"Her what?" Gaster shouts.

Little wanderer growls before plucking the pastry that was almost in Oakly's mouth and eats it herself while shooting daggers at her sister. "Thanks a lot. You love snitching me out so eloquently."

"Well, someone had to tell him. Might as well be me again." Oakly snickers.

"Let me just show everyone, then you can fuss at me. Keeper, I'm going to have to kinda invade your mind a little bit. Is that okay with you?" Willow asks.

"Of course. What's about to happen?"

She explains she's about to do the same thing again that she did in the forest to him when she slapped him on his forehead but swears it won't be as invasive as it was then. He easily agrees with another apology for putting her in the situation he had her in when she did that. Not gonna lie, a little growl does slip out, but he smiles at me proudly, so I obviously don't offend him with my protectiveness.

At everyone's repeated ready, Willow's magic flows across my mind and we begin watching from the moment she fucking seared that behemoth's face off. Fuck, I hope he died. We were a little distracted to keep up with his worthless ass and I was trying not to get turned on in the middle of a battle when she beat the shit out of her rapist fucking scumbag. Rewatching it now, we should've stepped in and snatched his ass up to make sure he didn't get away, but his time's coming. I won't rest until his ass is crushed between my teeth.

The collective tension is strong amongst us all the moment the Summum-Master traps her in an air bubble with him, but she's so strong. She stands there like the fucking dragon goddess she is and tells his ass right off.

Even in my physical skin, I jump a little when their power collides. I didn't have to be in there with her to get a feel for his evil nature. It's potent. Obvious. He's literally the most ruthless, dangerous, hate-filled creature to walk this realm.

When we catch her in our arms, she slowly begins to pull out of our minds and the sounds of our exhales echo across the patio. That was rough to watch. Not the roughest thing we've seen, but that was the first taste of what we're truly up against and it's fucking petrifying. Even to me.

"You handled him far better than any other before you. You're truly a force to be reckoned with, Adored," Keeper says into the silence.

"Can…do you know why he's so obsessed with my blood? My bloodline?" she asks him softly.

His shoulders straighten as he looks at her a little bewildered. The cock of his head alludes that he does, in fact, know that answer but is surprised by something.

"You really don't know?" he asks.

"No, I don't. We know there's something special about my blood, but we haven't figured it out yet. My brother has my blood as well, so now I don't know if it's only me or both of us."

Keeper follows her gaze over to Lyker and his eyes shift to their reddest form as he inhales deeply. Lyker and his Nexus tense, waiting for whatever's about to happen. We all do, but as Keeper exhales, his eyes shift back to normal.

"You share blood, yes, but his does not have the component yours does," he says before scanning all of us, gauging our postures. "I thought in the forest you were trying to lie to me about not knowing how to get me back to my realm, but I see that's not the case at all. What I'm about to say is going to upset all of you. I can tell by your closeness to one another, you all are protective over each other, so please bear in mind my situation before you pass judgment."

"If what you have to tell us will help answer Willow's questions or was something you had to do against your will, we won't hold it against you," Corentin swears.

"I've drunk the blood of yours and the generations passed. Multiple times over."

"W-What?"

"Not in the way you're assuming, never from the vein obviously, but I've always had a cup of it before I've performed the ritual to lay the rune. Your bloodline is the most powerful blood I've ever consumed. It fuels me enough that I could go weeks without feeding and still be fine."

"I…Why did you drink it?" she asks quietly, looking a little unnerved, as are the rest of us, and Tillman's quick to lift her and sit her in his lap.

"Because he made me. He knew that it would increase my power, make the rune more potent. The stronger I am, the stronger it is. He has a supply of your grandmother's, your mother's, and your blood. Where, I don't know, but it's his most protected stock of any weapon."

"That's why…" she trails off, tears filling her eyes.

"Why the three of you were drained for years? Yes. I'm sorry, Adored, but that's not all. I just needed you to be aware because the taste of your bloodline has been on my tongue for many years and I've pieced much together between that and the Summum-Master's actions. My drinking your blood is not the most important part."

"What else could there be?" she asks, outraged.

"The red pendant he wears clasped on his robe. You know the one I speak of?" She nods, and he presses on. "That is your blood inside. It's a Reservoir gem shaped into a M. A drop of your blood is needed to open the portal to the nonmagical realm."

A flurry of questions spews from everyone, but all I can do is stare at my little wanderer. Her confusion, repulsion, disbelief are flowing through my chest like a wildfire, and I just want to snatch her from Tillman. Wrap her in my arms and chase away the pain creeping into her eyes. I fucking swear I feel like I spoke this shit into existence. She just can't catch a break.

"I don't understand," she whispers.

"Your bloodline was the guardians of the portals. It's only by their blood the portals will open. Aside from the dwindling supply he has of your blood, you're the last living being who can open what your creator has closed."

You've got to be fucking kidding me.