The Light Within Her - Book Nine

Ch. 23- The Announcement

"Handsome as life and poison. Sun-blood handsome. Bleeding sun."

—Sebastian Breevort—

I paced back and forth throughout the meeting room, as my fingers slid into my messy hair. Elora was seated at the wooden table at the far end, her eyes glassy with tears. Both of us wanted so badly to do something–to find this bastard that kidnapped our daughter but there hasn't been any leads on her location. None. It felt like I was failing Soari everyday that I didn't find her. Didn't save her from the monster before he stole her away. She was my youngest and my greatest joy in my life, yet her Father wasn't even there to protect her from this creature. This fucking God.

A door opened suddenly and I stilled, my twin children running in quickly as though they had news. Kalama's golden eyes were widened as she held her cell phone tightly in her hand, while Aeson couldn't stop shaking his head. "What is it?"

Elora looked up at the three of us now, standing up from where she was seated and waited for our oldest daughter to reply. "The blood oath between Sor and the brothers," she said, curling her lips into a grin. "She replied in blood, saying she is okay."

Aeson spoke now, sharing the same grin as his twin. "She also says the God will kneel for her." My mouth opened slightly while my brain tried to assess what he just said. Did he just say that my daughter, Soari Lianna Breevort, is planning on seducing the God of Darkness in order for her to escape? The one who jumps off cliffs and burns a professor's mustache off for fun? I knew from the moment she was born, she was going to cause us a lot of trouble. It was like her own personal promise to us and every second she breathed–she fulfilled it thoroughly.

I could not contain the laugh that escaped me, turning toward my wife now. Her beautiful face was filled with hope again, with pride. So did mine. "Holy shit," I cursed. Soari, always the troublemaker. She was much like me when I was younger, though making a powerful God fall in love with me was not something I would be bold enough to do. Still, this plan worries me. What if Erebus finds out and hurts her for it? Then another thought popped into my mind, something so terrible I didn't let myself think about more. What exactly is he planning for Soari?

It seemed as though my fears were about to come true, because Kalama's cell phone beeped frantically. She opened it quickly and her eyes widened again, silently turning toward the television in the corner and turned it on with a remote. As soon it was on, the rest of us didn't move an inch as total, unbridled fear plagued our bodies. On the screen, Soari stood beside the God of Darkness with her arm wrapped around his upper arm. She stared into the screen as though she could see right through us, as though she could send us a message through her cold, dark eyes. The same look I held for many years. She wore a gown the color of gold, shimmering with sparkles that covered her curly hair, too. Soari was pale from the lack of magic in her veins and I wanted to hug her through the screen, tell her it's going to be okay. That her family is watching and will find a way to kill the damned God that touched her.

Erebus, with his slicked black hair and calculating gray eyes, stared right at her as though she was the only one in the room. But she was not. Behind the two stood two women and a man whom I never recognized on Erebus's side. On the left stood Amias Guinivere and Lyssa de Blaire. Amias, who through the screen, did nothing but gaze at Soari and the God with an expression I could not recognize. You see, I have spent half a millennium being tortured and used for the power I hold in my bones and yet I stood tall and unbroken. But when Elora Meryn died in my arms–every single inch of me broke in half. When Kalama was kidnapped by Eva, I failed to protect her as her Father. Failed to fulfill Aeson's desire to be King someday. And now I failed Soari.

After a moment, Erebus spoke now with an arrogant fucking grin on his face. It made me turn murderous. He dared to kidnap my daughter and hold her hostage for days? Bad fucking move. "Hello, all Kingdoms. We have an announcement to make that I think would shock all of you. Nevertheless, the news is joyous," he turned his attention toward Soari now, as though she was getting under his skin. He was slowly falling in love with her. And as soon as he confesses that fact to her, she is going to rip out his heart. "Go ahead, Lianna,"

"Lianna? Why the fuck does he call her that?" Elora questioned. I thought the same but my wife beat me to it. Her scarlet hair hung down her back as her golden eyes blazed with a murderous rage at the screen. At Erebus.

Soari curled her lips into a believable grin, her eyes brightening through the television. 'I would like to announce our engagement between Erebus and I. The wedding will be in a few months so make sure to save the date. Of course, I would like for my family to be there to celebrate the joyous day." She stole a gaze at Erebus for a second, before turning to the screen again. Her eyes were sharp with focus, with determination. There was no doubt that she was my daughter. Nope, not at all. Those eyes of hers were her mother's and everyone would agree with me on that. "I hope to see you all on the twentieth of June, also known as summer solstice."

The day she is the most powerful.

But Erebus did not know that. Her family did.

Erebus nodded in agreement, turning toward the screen again. "As we prepare for the wedding, I will have to remind you all not to do anything stupid in the process. If you do, there will be nothing stopping me from strengthening my shadows into your precious Gods of Death." he was quiet for a minute, his eyes landing on Soari again. Jesus, is he that obsessed with her?

It all happened in a blur. One second, Soari was standing beside Erebus and the next she was thrashing on the floor as she tried taking out the wooden arrow that protruded from her chest. Her screams rang in my ears, in my blood and every muscle in my body told me to go to her– to save her from this pain. Blood seeped out at a quick pace and my knuckles slammed into the table, not blinking at the scene on the television table. She's hurt–someone tried to assassinate her. But who? "What the fuck happened?" Aeson screamed.

"Someone tried to kill our sister!" Kalama yelled back. "What do we do?"

"There's nothing we can do now," Elora replied in a panic. "We can't locate her." Her eyes were filled with tears as she watched her daughter bleed, unable to heal her. In her mind, she was stricken with grief and fear. I automatically went toward her and placed my hand around her, squeezing gently. She gave me a slight nod before turning her attention on the screen, watching the scene unfold. "Soari is going to be okay. She is not only a Breevort but a Meryn and surviving is in her blood. That fucking God."

"How do you know that?" Aeson argued. "I just watched my baby sister get shot with an arrow and you two are just standing there not knowing what to do. Do something!"

My black eyes gazed into his, pointing at the screen now as my mind was full of torment. The other Gods scrambled to get to her, even Lyssa. But Amias stood near–not moving an inch. A deep growl protruded from my throat at the sight of him just standing there and not protecting Soari at all. "That bastard will never allow Soari to die." I gritted my teeth, my sharp fangs drawing blood in my mouth. "He wants something more from her–wants to marry her because of the power she holds in her veins. Think about it for a minute. He is the God of Darkness and she is the sunlight and monsters like him crave that more than anything else in the world. Did you see how he stared at Soari?"

"Like he loves her," Elora replied and I turned, nodding in agreement.

"Not the first time a God fell in love with her," Kalama said. Then she gazed at all of us with her golden eyes like Elora's, her arms crossed over her chest. "Soari is playing a dangerous game with him. Let's hope he does not find out." Elora and I nodded in agreement, our bodies close together like we were two newlyweds. Even now–we were madly in love. All the years I spent in darkness, it was all worth it in the end I think. To be here with my wife, my Queen. To watch all three of our children grow up into exceptional people that I couldn't be more proud of–even when my youngest is trapped by a monster. She still found a way to outsmart him.

The last thing we heard before the screen went black was Erebus's cries for help. Because Soari passed out from the pain while the others left to find out who tried to kill her. My daughter's blood stained his hands, his gray eyes filled with sorrow, with rage. From the emotion of his voice, it terrified me to my core. After all, he is a monster that knows how to love someone else. But that does not change his nature. I know that all too well.

How much was the God of Darkness willing to do for Soari?

Gazing at Elora, I knew the answer.

It was everything.