Chapter Thirty-Eight

Sarah

"O h, no," I whispered as Levi ended everything for good.

Levi …

The pain in my heart at seeing him kill his best friend was balanced by hearing him say he considered Jakub his best friend. That in the throes of it all, his son was still first and foremost in his mind.

"Mommy, is Daddy okay?"

"Yes, dear," I said, keeping him close, desperately not allowing myself to think about how I would explain everything to him. Perhaps he would think it was all just an adventure like in a movie. I didn't know.

I inched closer, using as much of my body as possible to block his view of the chambers. It helped that we were crouching in the passageway with the sovereign, the three of us guarded by the man in black who had appeared out of nowhere. Deadly as could be, he'd sliced a path to her side and now refused to leave. Her "Shadow," she'd said, though she called him Damon.

He hovered at the entrance now, making the four remaining traitors leery about coming any closer. They were only opposed by two of the palace guard and Levi now. Equal numbers on both sides, though both guards were hurt and falling back. Levi came with them, much to my relief.

The navy-blue clad attackers glanced at each other, then at their fallen leader. Malakai was on the ground, staring empty-eyed at the ceiling, unmoving. A ripple went through the traitors, and I knew they were about to flee.

"Damon," the sovereign said sadly, sensing it, too.

Her Shadow was already moving. He slithered through the retreating guards just as the traitors broke.

They didn't make it. Damon cut them down with ease. Watching him attack was like witnessing a great dancer, so graceful were his motions. Everything was preplanned, and he flowed smoothly over them.

Just like a shadow.

It was over in seconds.

"Thank you," the sovereign said as Damon returned to her side. She lifted a pale hand, laying it on his shoulder heavily. "I regret asking that of you."

"Don't," he said, though his eyes told a different story. Killing was never easy. "I'm your Shadow. It's my job. I only apologize we didn't see this coming sooner. I had to fight my way through the palace to get here."

"Nor would we," the sovereign said. "But for this one, who came to warn us."

Levi came to the entrance to the passageway. He was limping. I bit my lip, not wanting to intrude, but seeing him in pain, covered in blood, I was losing my mind staying still.

"It was the least I could do," he said, eyes slowly moving from Damon to the sovereign. "Considering I'm partly to blame."

Damon didn't make a sound, nor did he move far, but the sudden stilling of air around him as he shifted his bodyweight was enough to put everyone on high alert.

"No," the sovereign said, addressing her man. "He's not a threat."

A tiny tilt of his head was the only protest from Damon, his posture not relaxing a single iota.

"It's interesting," she said, "the progress you've made, Levi, since last we spoke. Back then, you were a hothead firebrand who did not like me. To that, I take no offense. I wish I could be loved by all, but that is simply impossible. I must walk the middle, which means I will hurt many even as I keep more happy. It's a thankless position, and one I would not wish upon my closest friend."

Levi winced.

"You have my sympathies for what you were forced to do here today," she continued, acknowledging his pain. "And my thank you. To you and the one who has changed you. So interesting, it seems that what turned out to be a mission of punishment has resulted in the saving of my own skin."

"Punishment?" I couldn't keep my mouth shut. "What do you mean, punishment?"

The sovereign looked at me, then Levi. "He never told you why he was at the White House?"

Levi cringed, looking away.

I frowned. "I figured it was because he was important. Although I never reconciled that with how he felt about you until just now. So, you sent him there?"

"Yes," the ruler of all dragons said. "He was in trouble after inciting a riot against my rule. I figured maybe this would help him understand things better. And if he were attacked while there, well, he was …"

"Expendable," Levi said harshly. "That's what I was."

I shook my head. "You made me think you were someone important. You made the president think that! It's the only reason he gave in to your additional demand."

The sovereign perked up, her green eyes landing on me. " Additional demand? I made no allowance for such a thing."

"The one where he said I had to be one of the women who were sent here. Otherwise, the terms were null and void."

As one, our looks turned to Levi, who wilted, though whether it was my or his sovereign's glare that cowed him must, I wasn't sure.

"Well, look at that," he said. "The two of you are bonding already. That's great. Just great. Hey, look at that, I should probably go—"

Damon's hand landed on his shoulder. "No, I don't think you're going anywhere."

"Well, shit," Levi said, hanging his head in defeat.

"Well, shit ," a little voice repeated from at my side.

Four pairs of eyes swiveled to stare at Jakub.

He just smiled from ear to ear, thinking we were proud of him.

"Well, shit!" he repeated louder. "Well, shit. Well, shit. Well, shit!"

I never knew who laughed first. It didn't matter. The tension was broken, and we laughed with relief at the situation.

"Are you sure you're not mad at me?" Levi asked as he inched past his sovereign to come over to Jakub and me. "I didn't mean to keep that from you, I just sort of forgot."

"I mean, you're going to pay," I said. "Foot rubs and massages are in my future. But no, I guess I'm not mad."

"You're sure?"

I smiled at him, meeting his eyes. "It's hard to be mad at the one you love."

I hadn't intended for the words to come out like that. They'd been in my head, but I'd intended to say something else. Instead, they flowed out, filling the air.

"The one you …" Levi licked his lips. "You don't have to say that, Sarah. If you don't mean it. I know I said it, but—"

"Come here," I ordered, wrapping one hand around his neck while I pulled him down to me.

We kissed, with my arm around his neck, his around my waist, and both of us holding Jakub to us. At that moment, we were a family. At that moment, we were one, and everything in the world was okay.

" Well, shit!"

I sighed. "You deal with this. He's your son."