Nico tapped his staff on the ground, and a blue circle spread around us. “You can’t step foot in here,” he told her.
She picked dirt out from under her nail with the dagger. “Oh, I don’t need to get in there.”
She threw the dagger, and Nico’s smug smile of assurance that his shield would hold, disappeared as the dagger slipped right through, and embedded into his chest.
I screamed his name, and stood, holding Caleb in my arms as I went to Nico. He gasped in pain, blood pooling beneath him from the wound.
“No,” I cried, and Caleb cried too.
Nico was dying. I could feel our bond fading. The bond flickered and dimmed slightly. Dammit! What could I do? I couldn’t let him die, but I couldn’t take the knife out. I couldn’t heal him.
“Nico,” I sobbed.
“You see, you just weren’t meant to ever be happy. You’re worthless and you’re going to die, after I cut all of your bonds again, and kill everyone you love,” Justina said, pulling another dagger from a sheath on her side.
I backed up until I stood just before Sharla, and handed her Caleb.
“Jolie,” she whispered as she took him.
“Protect the children,” I ordered her, my skin shifting into dragon’s scales. I kissed Caleb’s forehead, and he blinked at me. “I love you,” I whispered into his bright blue eyes.
“You think you can win? How cute,” Justina taunted.
I felt Deryn and Rhys tugging on our bonds, and I jerked them hard. I needed them and I needed them now.
“Any last words?” I asked her, shifted my hands into werewolf paws, and then gathered magic to me. I didn’t have much, since I’d drained it all earlier, but I would use what I had.
“Jolie,” Nico gasped.
“Help is coming,” I assured Nico. “I’m going to take care of this once and for all.”
“I’m going to enjoy hearing you cry when he dies,” she said smugly.
“You are mine,” I snarled at Justina.
Justina snarled back, and launched herself at me.
I slammed into her, sending her back into the hallway, and then stabbed her in the chest with my claws.
Chapter 26
Jolie
Justina screamed, and I roared in her face, tossing her down the hallway.
Fox and Silver ran into the foyer, looking up at us on the second floor.
“Heal Nico!” I ordered them.
Fox snarled, unable to disobey my direct order. They both ran past me and into the bathroom.
“Got ’em trained finally, huh?” Justina asked, standing to her feet and wiping blood from her mouth.
“Stop talking, wench,” I ordered her. I lunged forward, grabbed her by the throat, and tossed her out the nearest window. I leapt out of the window after her, landing in a crouch.
To my left, Ezio and the others were battling a large group of ogres and dhampirs. They glanced at me, eyes wide.
“Jolie!” Declan yelled.
“Defeat your enemies. I’m fine,” I called back.
Justina stood and brushed herself off.
“Your death has been a long time coming,” I told her. “I’m really going to fucking enjoy this.”
She pulled out another dagger and flipped it in the air, smiling. “Let’s dance, bitch.”
She tried to cut my arm, but I had dragon scales covering it, which made the dagger just glance off. She snarled, furious.
Could I project my emotions to her? I’d done it with Trident Douche.
She continued to try to stab me, but I blocked with my arms, punched her a few times, and then kicked her in the stomach hard enough to send her sliding back on the grass.
“Fear,” I whispered, thinking of being locked in the cupboard.
Her body trembled and her mouth popped open.
“That is what I felt when my father tortured me as a child,” I told her. “He wasn’t a good person. He was a murderer. A torturer. He deserved to die.”
“You didn’t know him,” she snapped.
“No!” I snapped back. “You didn’t know him. He blinded you with promises so you didn’t see what a monster he truly was. We were friends! I would have never betrayed you. I would have saved you, but you let him use me. You were going to let him kill me! You’re not a friend. You’re pathetic.”
“I’m pathetic? You’re the one who latched onto the first guy who paid her any attention when she got here. Oh wait, make that guys. You’re so terrified of being alone that you couldn’t settle for one guy.”
“They added me to their warrior’s bond. I didn’t add myself,” I reminded her.
“Who wouldn’t want a whore they could pass around?” she asked with a sneer.
I tried to punch her, but she dodged and sliced the blade across my cheek.
I screamed in pain, and stumbled back, my hand flying to the bleeding wound.
“You’re nothing but trouble. All you do is bring chaos and destruction wherever you go. You should let me kill you, to save those boys from being brought down by you any further,” she hissed.
“I am trouble,” I agreed. “I was cursed. I brought that on them. But, I chose to remove the curse. I almost died removing that damn curse. So, they would be safe. I’ve trained for hours and hours, bleeding and bruised, so I could learn to protect myself. So I wouldn’t be a burden. They love me, and I love them.”
I couldn’t hold the dragon scales on all of my body, so I just kept them in the vital parts like my throat and abdomen.
“Do they love you? Or did you use your siren powers to make them think they love you?”
“I don’t have that ability,” I told her.
“Just because mommy dearest from the beyond told you that, doesn’t make it true,” she snarled.
I gaped at her. “How did you know about that?”
She threw one of her daggers, and I barely managed to move so it didn’t strike my heart. It did slice open my shoulder as it sailed over my arm, though.
I gasped in pain and growled.
“I can’t believe Brayden was going to mate with you. Look at you! What do you have that these males keep falling for?” she screeched.
“Maybe it’s because I’m not a fucking psycho like you!” I yelled, swinging at her.
She and I danced around each other, landing a few punches, but nothing significant.
I had to hurry and finish this or I would run out of energy. I was already dangerously low. I couldn’t let her win. I had to kill her and get back to Caleb. I’d been away from him for too long as it was.
I stopped chasing her, centered myself, and opened my bond with Rhys. He was close, but not close enough. I drew on his bond, letting my center grow warm.
She charged forward, and I opened my mouth, letting out a stream of flames.
She screamed and fell backwards, her hands covering her now burned face.
“Didn’t know I could do that, did you?” I asked her smugly. I kicked the daggers out of her hands, and knelt by her. “No one fucking hurts my family. Had you killed me, this wouldn’t have happened. If you hadn’t cut my bonds, I would have left you alone. But, you destroyed me that day. You caused pain in my mates, a pain that haunts them to this day. That is something I cannot forgive.”
“Fuck. You.” she gasped.
“No, thanks. You’re not my type,” I replied.
Rhys and Deryn landed and helped attack the others, but when they looked over at me, they roared and headed towards us.
“Goodbye, Justina,” I whispered. I picked up one of her daggers and stabbed her in the chest.
“That’s rather inconvenient,” Brayden said on a sigh behind me.
I spun, eyes wide, but it was too late. He grabbed my face, and darkness crowded my vision.
“No. Not this one, brother,” Klaus said and knocked Brayden away from me.
I fell to my knees, gasping, as my vision returned to normal.
“What are you doing?” Brayden demanded. “You don�
�t pick sides!”
“I pick her. You won’t kill her or her child,” Klaus said.
“Why are you protecting her?” Brayden snarled.
“Because she makes Nico happy,” Klaus said. “And Nico deserves to be happy.”
“What about me? Don’t I deserve to be happy? She ruined my life!” Brayden snapped.
Deryn picked me up and moved away from the two brothers. “Baby, what are you doing out here?”
“How’s Nico?” I asked instead of answering him.
“He’s alive,” Rhys said. “You would have felt it if he died.”
He was right. I just wasn’t thinking properly at the moment. Now that I wasn’t fighting Justina, I was so tired.
“If you aren’t with me, then you are against me,” Brayden said.
“Don’t do this,” Klaus begged. “Please, don’t make me fight you.”
“Step out of the way, then,” Brayden snapped, his bloodshot eyes deranged.
Klaus snapped his fingers and a staff, much like Nico’s, appeared in his hand. “The line has been drawn. If you try to harm her or hers, I will defend them,” Klaus said softly, calmly.
Brayden opened his mouth and started singing. I went to plug Deryn’s ears, since he was holding me and couldn’t do it himself, but he already had in the earplugs from Leona.
Klaus sighed, tapped his staff on the ground, and a bubble formed around the entire grounds of the house. He tapped again and a bubble formed around Brayden, locking his sound in with him. He flicked his finger, and Brayden, and the bubble he was in, moved out of the circle that encircled our grounds.
Klaus looked at me and smiled. “I’ll take care of him, sister.”
“Nico was stabbed,” I told him.
His eyes widened and he glared down at Justina. “They planned this. Fine, I’m done playing pacifist.”
“What are—” I didn’t get to finish my question.
His eyes began to glow, the bubbles disappeared, and before Brayden could draw in a breath, Klaus clapped his hands together, and Brayden burst into a pile of ashes.
Deryn’s and my mouths dropped open at the same time. I dropped my hands from Deryn’s shoulders to stare at the ash pile.
Holy shit! That was some serious magic power.
I stared at the pile mutely.
“Is he really dead?” Deryn asked Klaus.
Klaus stopped glowing, and sighed, looking worn. “Yes.”
Fox, Nico, and Silver came out of the house. Silver and Fox were holding Nico up between them.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“Why?” Nico asked Klaus instead of answering me.
Klaus smiled. “Your mate is doing good things for the world. Your baby will do even greater things.” He looked at the pile that used to be Brayden. “And he was too far gone to be saved.”
“He killed Dad,” Nico said.
Klaus nodded, his lips pinched in a tight line. “I know.”
Deryn walked to Nico, and let me hug him.
“How are you?” I asked him.
“Healing,” he said. “How are you?”
“Tired,” I admitted. I looked around. “Where’s Rhys?”
Deryn turned so I could see where the last dhampirs were being killed by our troop.
“I need to see Caleb,” I whispered.
“Caleb?” Deryn asked.
“Our son,” I replied, smiling.
He smiled back. “I like that name. Caleb.” He carried me upstairs, running when he heard Caleb crying, and Sharla immediately handed Caleb over when we entered the bathroom.
“Go feed him,” she ordered me.
I bounced the crying infant in my arms, and Deryn carried us to the bedroom. I lay on my side, and began nursing him.
“He’s beautiful,” Deryn whispered as he stroked Caleb’s dark hair, hair just like his.
“He is,” I agreed.
“Dad’s coming,” he told me.
“My dad is here,” I said.
“I saw him fighting outside.”
“Can you get me some water?” I asked.
“I got it,” Fox said, walked in the room, and handed me a cup with a straw.
I took a few small drinks and then handed the cup back to him.
“How’s our boy doing?” Rhys asked, entering the room.
Caleb finished nursing, so I held him out to Rhys.
Rhys pulled his shirt off, and then took Caleb, cradling him against his chest, and making adorable noises to him.
I closed my eyes, resting now that it was over. It was finally over.
Tears slipped down my face, and Deryn climbed onto the bed behind me, wrapping his arms around me.
“It’s over, baby. It’s all over,” he whispered.
Fox stroked my hair, sitting behind Deryn on the bed.
Rhys lay down beside me, putting Caleb between us.
Nico walked into the room, tugged Rhys off the bed, and took his place. He set his hand on my cheek. “Don’t you ever do that again.”
“You were dying,” I whispered.
“I would never leave you, darling.” He smiled and kissed my lips lightly. He looked down at our sleeping son and smiled. “He’s got Rhys’s eyes.”
“Your nose,” Rhys said to Nico.
“My hair,” Deryn said.
“My jaw,” Fox said.
“He’s perfect,” I sniffled.
Deryn kissed my shoulder, and I realized that I was naked.
“Why didn’t you tell me I was naked?” I asked.
“We thought you knew,” Rhys said with a chuckle.
“Are you telling me that I fought Justina while naked? And that Klaus and Brayden saw me naked?”
“Yeah,” Nico said and chuckled. “As did everyone else who was fighting outside.”
I threw my head back and laughed, then clutched at my stomach and grunted in pain.
“You need to lay here and rest,” Nico ordered me.
“So, do you,” Rhys said. “You’re not completely healed either.”
Caleb started to fuss, and then we all stared in disbelief as he turned into a wolf pup.
“That is not normal,” Deryn informed us.
“I need clothes,” I said. “The kings are going to want to see him, and I don’t want to be naked in front of my fathers.” Well, apparently, I’d already been naked outside, which my dad had seen. Whoops.
Rhys grabbed sweatpants from the dresser, and helped me put them on while still laying down. He then helped me put a nursing tank top on that had convenient snaps to let me pull out a boob to feed Caleb without pulling up my entire shirt.
“Now, rest. We’ll feed everyone, and that should give you enough time to fully recover,” Rhys said. He looked at the wolf pup now in our bed and smiled. “He’s adorable.”
I snuggled closer to Caleb, wrapping myself around him like a human cocoon.
“Yes, he is,” I whispered happily, a huge smile on my face as I closed my eyes.
Nico lay behind me, put one arm beneath my pillow, and one around my stomach.
I was just about to fall asleep, when Sharla came in and pushed on my stomach several times, which hurt.
“Ouch,” I growled at her without opening my eyes.
“Shush. We have to do this to ensure your uterus tightens up correctly. Go back to sleep,” she ordered me, and then left.
Caleb shifted back into human form, so I tugged a blanket up to just below his belly button, wrapped my arm around his side, and cuddled him against the top of my chest, which was bare, so our skin was in contact. He sniffed loudly a few times then settled and went to sleep.
Chapter 27
Foxfire
“She gave me an order,” I whispered to Rhys as we stood outside the bedroom, watching her, Nico, and Caleb sleep.
“What?” he asked. “When?”
“I came in when Justina was fighting her. I was going to kill that wench, but Jolie ordered me to heal Nico. She didn’t ask. She ord
ered me to do it. Then she tossed Justina out the window.”
“Wow,” Rhys whispered.
I nodded. “It was so hot watching her throw the bitch out the window,” I admitted.
He chuckled. “I’m still surprised she gave you an order. She usually tries to avoid doing that.”
I nodded again. “I was really surprised. I was also pissed because I wanted to kill Justina, but it was clear she wanted to do it. I don’t know how the heck she had the energy to do it. She’d just given birth, used all of the crystals to send out the rage power to everyone, and then she fought Justina.”
“Wait, she used all of the crystals?” Rhys asked, eyes wide as he turned to face me fully.
I gently shut the door, and led him away from the room. Those three needed some rest. Soon, our parents would be here and demanding to see them.
“Yes. She used all of them. She grabbed fistfuls of them.”
“I didn’t even know she could send it to everyone,” Rhys whispered. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when even the weakest dragons of our clan were taking warrior forms.”
“If we hadn’t invited her exes here, I don’t know if she would have survived delivery. Caleb was fighting her and Sharla said she had started to panic until they showed up,” I told him.
“I’m glad Silver thought to let us know of the possibility,” Rhys whispered.
“Yeah, I’m going to have to buy him an extra present this year,” I said and then chuckled.
“My scales seem to be working again,” Rhys said. “Not sure what fixed it, but I’m back to normal.”
“Maybe you just needed a child to motivate you to become stronger,” I said with a smirk.
Rhys shrugged. “Whatever it was, I’m glad.”
The front door flew open, and we both raced to the stairs, stepping into Dan’s path.
“Wait,” I ordered him.
He glared down at me. “Where is she?”
“She’s sleeping. She battled Justina after giving birth and sending us that power. She needs to sleep for at least an hour. We’ll get you and the others some food, and then you can meet your grandson,” I explained.
He glared at me, but then gave a slight nod, and stomped down to the dining room.
Royally Enraged: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Her Royal Harem Book 4) Page 18