“Well, that’s the home of Cyrus and Abigail. We will regroup there and I will tell you all you need to know, deal?” I didn’t think that sounded so bad. I was freezing at this point and the thought of warm shelter was very inviting. “Okay,” I responded, following him. I seemed to be doing a lot of that here, following people. I made a mental note to stop that.
It didn’t take long for us to reach the log home. It stood amongst the towering trees, and was almost as tall as they were. It was a simply built home, made of logs, square with a pitched roof. Not so different from the log cabins back home, except this one was enormous. I guessed it would have to be, it was housing Giants after all.
Denali knocked loudly on the massive door. I stood beside him, waiting for an answer. A peep hole near the top of the door slid open, we stepped back, craning our necks to look up. A large set of eyes peered down at us and Denali called, “Hello, Cyrus.” The lock clicked, and the door opened. I walked in beside Denali.
The inside was nothing more than an open room. The windows were near the roof and covered in cloth, leaving the room dim. There was an oversized bed in one corner, and some oversized chairs scattered throughout the room. A large table stood in the center of the room flanked by a bench on either side. I noticed the woman, whom I guessed was Abigail, standing in the kitchen area. The room was scented with the spices of stew, causing my belly to rumble.
The other giant, Cyrus, was leading us deeper into the room. The floor was slightly down sloped, probably unnoticed by giants. My smaller legs had to lean back to steady my walk and keep me from breaking into a run. We reached the table where Cyrus sat on one of the benches, and Denali climbed up a stepstool to the other bench. I followed behind him. Once on the bench, he climbed another few steps up to a smaller bench that was fixed to the side of the table. Obviously the spot was for the smaller guest, which I found very thoughtful of the Giants.
I sat next to Denali, on the smaller bench and gazed around the room. Abigail came to the table bearing stew and sweet bread. Smaller bowls and plates were laid out for us. Abigail poured us some stew and broke off bits of the bread, small enough for us. A mug was filled with a warm liquid for Denali, and mine was filled with a cold milky fluid. It was delicious. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.
I was lost in the delicious food when I heard Denali speak. “What is the word Cyrus? Anything new?” He asked. Cyrus looked across the table at us. His giant blue eyes were slightly glossy, and his wavy brown hair was falling around his soft face. He looked sad. I glanced over at Abigail. She was very pretty with sandy hair and hazel eyes. Her face was soft and welcoming, with faint lines around her eyes and mouth. Both giants were very handsome in their own right, and both looked very sad.
“It appears Jax has changed course Denali. Someone is reporting to him, telling him our secrets. We can’t figure out whom. He got word of Serephina. He found out she was recruiting an army to stand against him. He knew how the people of Neveah trust the elves. He knew we were banding together.” I cut him off, suddenly very worried. His tone did nothing to soothe my fears, nor did the look in his eyes.
“Is my mother alive? What about my father and Shep?” I asked with a sense of urgency.
“Yes, Miss Lilly. Annika, James, and Shep are all well.” I noticed he left out Leah.
“What about Leah, or uh, Akayleah?” I corrected realizing they may not know her by Leah. The giant hung his head and spoke. “In all the years we have been watching him, he has never killed. He has manipulated, frightened, and even tortured some, but never killed. He is much more dangerous than we realized.”
“What are you saying?” Asked Denali. I sat shocked, knowing the answer before it was spoken. “He killed Miss Akayleah. Seems he gave her the choice, herself or their son, she chose herself. That’s not all. He intercepted Serephina. He disguised himself as elf Avery. She trusted him and followed him, telling him of the plans to kill him. When she finished her story he strangled her with his bare hands, leaving her lying on the forest floor.” Denali sat beside me, frozen. Tears were freely flowing from both the giant’s eyes. I felt my heart being ripped out, stomped on, then placed back inside. It was stronger, harder.
“Why is he doing this? Love? Power? I don’t understand.” It was time for answers and these three were going to start confessing.
~Chapter Twenty Eight~
It wasn’t until he left her that Kelsha realized what was happening. She should have known, felt it, and told him before he left her. She should have told him he was going to have a child of his own. He would have a child who would not be denied to him. One that would love him, follow him, trust in him. She was giving him that child.
She knew Shep would never love or appreciate his father. He would never be grateful for the life his father could allow him to live. Shep had been poisoned by a Levannah girl. He followed that tramp foolishly, blindly. She had no doubt that given the chance, Shep would murder his own father, if that is what Lilly’s little heart desired. Now, she could give Jax an heir. How could he throw her to the side then? She dismissed the thought. She was being naïve and much too hopeful.
Of course, if the baby was being carried by that bitch Annika, he would love the baby. His love of the woman, and his hunger for power, had driven the man insane. Kelsha had known this from the beginning. Her own love, James, had chosen the whore over her all those years ago. She couldn’t really blame James. Annika had a knack for driving men insane. Men were rendered helpless and ignorant where Annika was concerned. James had never known of Kelsha’s feelings for him. Annika never gave her the chance to tell him. Now he was dead. She blamed Annika for this. When Jax murdered James, he was just doing what any reasonable, jilted lover would do. She couldn’t possibly hold him responsible.
She would kill his love, and then they would be even. She had found comfort in Jax’s insanity through the years. She hoped he would understand her need to see Annika dead, just as he had needed to kill James all those years ago.
She sat in her Inn contemplating her choices. She knew Jax would be angry with her. She hoped the news of the baby would soften him. She was fairly certain she was carrying a boy. The powers a baby could possess, being a mix of her and Jax, could be unbelievable. Thinking of the possibilities made her flesh tingle. They could be the most powerful family in all of Neveah. She just had to eliminate the hurdles. She had to eliminate the Levannah family.
She hoped the spell of Annika would be broken as soon as she drew her last breath. Kelsha hoped she could prove her loyalty by standing by him through his tyranny. She would stand by him as he took over Neveah. She didn’t love him, she knew, but she relied on his madness to make her feel sane. For this, she would give her undying loyalty. She also knew what she would do, should he choose not to forgive her. She would kill him before he could kill her.
She made plans to leave that night. She would travel via Lucy to Jax’s compound. She would announce her departure to the good people of Antiope. They trusted her. They would fall in line behind her should she ask them. They would not question the nature of her requests of them. Good or evil they would follow. Kelsha had been informed of her sister’s capture, this made her laugh. Jealousy raced through her veins, knowing her sister had Jax’s offspring. She mocked her stupidity of running with the child. Hadn’t she known the life they could’ve had? She decided she wouldn’t intentionally kill her sister, she was family after all. But if she got in the way, well, things happen.
Kelsha spent time brushing her long black hair, then twisting it on top of her head, just so. Jax always liked when her face was the focus. She traced her eyes with black charcoal and stained her lips red. She stood, naked, in front of the mirror, wondering why she had to fight so hard for affection. She was just as beautiful as Annika and was sexier than the other women. Rubbing her belly, still flat and smooth, she pictured it swollen and stretched with her baby. She would be successful. She had to be. Her baby would not be a bastard.
She p
ulled her velvet gown from the closet. The neckline plunged to her navel, showing off her assets. Remembering the air at Jax’s compound being cold, Kelsha pulled out a black wool cloak and draped it around her shoulders. She left through the back door, where her dragon Lucy was waiting. Within .seconds, she was moving away from Antiope and flying toward her future.
~Chapter Twenty Nine~
Annie had been in the dark silence long enough to be sure he was gone. She could usually feel his presence, and she hadn’t in hours, yet she didn’t quite trust her judgment. Her feelings were too twisted to really trust herself. She willed her mind to pull itself together and figure a way out. She had to figure out exactly what Jax planned to do. She had seen Shep’s mouth gagged, but couldn’t remember if James’ had been as well.
She reached a leg out, attempting to reach Shep. She was unsure how far away he was from her. She let out a sigh of relief when her toe touched his flesh without having to fully extend her leg. He was close. She nudged him gently and he moved his leg, letting her know he was awake. She spoke in a whisper, “Shep, my hands are tied, but I can reach you with my feet. I am going to try to pull the gag off your mouth okay?” She felt him move again, she took this as consent. Her foot traveled up his body until she found his mouth. Using her toes, she grabbed a hold of the cloth used to gag him, and gently pulled it down. Thankfully Jax had not been very good at tying knots, and this gag was loose. She pulled her foot back, feeling Shep shake the gag down even further. He spoke first, his voice a whisper. “Where is Lilly?” He asked. Annika had hoped he would answer that for her. “I was hoping you would tell me. How did you get here?”
“I don’t know. We had stopped in a clearing to rest. We were all sleeping, next thing I know I wake up here, tied up and gagged. What the hell is he planning?”
“I don’t know Shep, but we have to get out of here.”
“Second that. Is my mom ok?”
“I don’t know Shep. She hasn’t moved since he brought me here. Was she here when he brought you?”
“Yes, but she hasn’t moved or spoken that I’ve seen. Did you know that he was my father?”
“No, honey, I didn’t.”
“Lilly was with me when I figured it out. I saw him take my mother.”
“I am so sorry.”
“Yeah, well, I was worried Lilly might think differently of me, knowing where I come from.”
“Oh Shep, Lilly is not like that. You know that. Besides, it doesn’t matter who your biological father is, it doesn’t make you who you are. You know that right?”
“Yeah, I know. I can’t stay in here, knowing she is out there alone. How are we gonna get out of this?” Shep asked.
“Are you tied with rope, or chained?”
“Rope, and it’s my hands and feet, but the rope is not connected to anything.”
“Can you scoot over to me Shep, maybe turn around?”
“I think so.” He tried. It was difficult to move around with his hands and feet bound. He scooted little by little until his back was facing Annie. He felt her toes move up to the rope. They worked furiously, trying to untangle the knot. Again Jax had either been very inexperienced in knot tying, or was in a hurry because the knot was loose and fairly easy for Annie to undo with her toes.
“I got it,” she exclaimed and Shep shook his hands free. He quickly untied his feet before moving on to Annie.
Once they were both free they moved onto James. They untied his hands from the wall, and Annie pulled the gag from his mouth. His face was the same, beautiful, just tired, dirty and scared. Her heart was ready to burst at the sight of him, but knew this was neither the time nor place for a reunion. There was time for an embrace, she thought and their arms wrapped around each other in elated relief. The heat passed between them as he held her close. Shep interrupted their reunion with pleas for help.
“Annie, Annie, hurry she’s not breathing!” Annie and James rushed to Leah, who was lying in the same position as she had been in when Annie first arrived. Shep looked up at James, knowing his healing ability, pleading for him to heal his mother. James knelt beside the woman, feeling for a heart rate, listening for a breath. He touched her face, her skin was ice. She was gone. He turned his attention to Shep. “I’m sorry son, I can’t heal the dead. I wish I could, but I can’t.” There was sorrow in his voice as he spoke. Annie braced herself for Shep’s meltdown. He only bent to kiss his mother, whispering that he loved her and would make Jax pay. He stood turning to Annie and James. “Let’s get the hell out of here. We have to find Lilly. If we see Jax on the way, well, I don’t have to say it, do I?” He said to no one in particular.
“No Shep, we all know. Let’s go,” Annie replied, feeling a piece of her heart break as she left her best friend in that dungeon.
They were shocked to find the door unlocked and the hallway empty. This made Annie uncomfortable. Had Jax known they would escape? Was this part of the plan and they were playing into it? It didn’t matter now. There were three of them and one of him. They just had to keep their wits about them and stay together. They made their way up the hallway. After a few minutes, it opened into a large room. There were two doors. One would have to lead them outside. Luckily, the first door opened to cold air. They exited the compound and ran up the hill, heading north. The escape had been too easy Annie thought. She ran anyway, following James, with Shep behind her.
Once they were a safe distance from the compound they stopped, catching their breath. Shep hid behind a tree, puking and crying. The idea of his mother being dead was hitting him like a freight train. Annie went to comfort him. He straightened, telling her he was okay. She didn’t push. She turned her attention to James, who had been standing still, watching her with Shep.
She went to him, reaching out to touch his face. She had to be sure he was real. Things had happened so quickly back at the compound, she wasn’t convinced he was flesh and blood. Thought maybe she was dreaming. Her hand rested on his cheek for a moment before tracing the shape of his face. “Oh my, is it really you?” Tears were welling up in her eyes. She could feel his tears against her skin. “Yeah, Annie, it’s me,” he said, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Annie’s arms snaked around his neck, and James buried his face in her hair. They were both crying. Annie was overcome knowing he was alive and James was emotional because he was finally able to hold her. They held each other for only moments before James insisted they keep moving. She looked at him, questions in her eyes. “I will explain it all later, but now we need to get as far away from Jax as we can.” He held her face, and kissed her lips before calling out to Shep, “You ready son?”
“Yeah, let’s go,” Shep replied hurrying out of the bushes he had just assaulted with his grief.
“Where are we going?” Annie asked.
“Cyrus and Abigail’s,” James answered matter of fact.
“The Giants? Why?” She asked.
“They have been watching Jax for your parents and the council.”
“Yes I know. Cyrus was posted as a guard outside my door. He brought me updates,” Annie informed him.
“That was where we were going before Jax took us. Hopefully Lilly found her way there,” he replied. For the first time she realized he had met their daughter.
“You’ve met Lilly?” She asked as they continued walking.
“He saved her life Annie.” It was Shep who spoke.
“Excuse me?” And the story was told. She listened intently, horrified that she had almost lost her daughter, and happy Lilly’s father had been there to save her.
“James, how did you know where to find her?” She asked. He explained the deal he had made with Jax all those years ago, and that he had been watching them the entire time. He didn’t tell her where he got his information from. That was a detail he would explain later.
“I am sorry I wasn’t there to stop him Annika. I should’ve been there. None of this would be happening.” She could hear regret thick in his voice.
~Chapter Thirty~
The news of Serephina and Leah had strengthened me in a way I couldn’t explain. I was terrified I would be told the same fate came upon the rest of my family. I hopped off the tiny bench, onto the giant one, pacing. My cheeks were tear stained but dry. I was out of tears, out of patience. I was thoroughly pissed now and chilled to the bone. I just paced, as the Giants and my uncle looked down on me. This went on for a few minutes when Abigail spoke.
“Lilly, are you all right? Maybe you would like to lie down?” Her sweet booming voice grated my last nerve. I screamed back at the giant woman, “No, I don’t need to lie down. Why does everyone tell me to lie down? I need to find my mother, my father, my husband. I need to know what the hell I am doing here. Why won’t anyone give me a straight answer? Why did Calista call me the chosen one? What the fuck am I chosen to do? Am I to watch everyone I love die? Huh? Tell me! What am I doing here?” The tears were flowing freely again, and I sank to my knees, nothing but a pile of tears and snot. I was sobbing when I felt a giant hand lift me gently, carrying me to a large chest, nuzzling me in comfort. I felt like an ass for my outburst. I rested on the Giant’s chest long enough to regain my composure before looking up at Abigail.
“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to lash out at you.”
“It’s okay Lilly. You have been through more than anyone in Neveah has ever seen. We are here for you though, please remember that.”
With that she sat me back on the little bench next to my uncle. Denali gently rubbed my shoulder. I pulled myself together.
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