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“Of course.” He turned to Jaxon then, becoming all business as he said, “I’ll contact Ryker and have him erect a ward of his defensive magic around the Guardian Compound as a precaution now that a True Celestial walks the earth. You reach out to Mia and Lucian and tell them what’s happened,butthat we have a plan of action to remedy the situation. I don’t want my daughter panicking. She’s dreaded this coming to pass forso long, I fear she may not react rationally. Fortunately, she is with Lucian currently, so he will be able to assist with that and mitigate it somewhat.”

“And you thinkI’mable to react rationally knowing my baby girl has been kidnapped by a being more powerful than every single one of us?”

“Notevery single one of us,”Kai told them, stepping up to them, as I supported Nyx in my arms. “Ariana’s power eclipses all of ours. And thisCassiuswill be no exception.”

“You can’t begin to understand the complications of this situation, so watch the arrogance,” Jaxon rebutted. Then he had me tensing as he breached Kai’s personal space and growled, “Just because you screwed around with my daughter, doesn’t give you insight into her beyond that.”

Kai hissed. “I’ve hadinsightinto Ari for years.”

“And yet you were tormenting her like a psychopathic shit.”

How did he know that?

“Somebody had to give her the push that she’d been needing. Something every single one of you, her own family, were afraid to do. Because, the truth is, down at the bedrock of it, you’re all afraid of her.I never have been.”

Jaxon’s eyes flashed again.

I eased from Nyx and bolted forward right beside Kai, snarling, and flashingmyeyes, too, letting him see the dragon right at the surface.

“Hmm… dragon,” Jaxon spoke, sizing me up.

“Wolf versus dragon. The outcome is clear. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I’m also an Immortal Descendant, boy.”

“I’m aware. But I’m not standing here alone, am I?”

His eyes flicked back to Kai.

“Jaxon,” Cornelius spoke calmly, laying his hand on his shoulder firmly. “You urged me to save the boy, you obviouslyfeel the connection they have to her. Your emotions are in a dangerous flux because Ariana has been taken, and because we failed to prevent any of this. Keep your focus on what matters most at this juncture—finding her.”

“She’s taken back her full power,” Nyx piped up.

Jaxon and Cornelius jolted, and it had Jaxon taking several steps back from us in his utter surprise.

Nyx had obviously felt their distress so deeply, and the dangerous state it was putting Jaxon in, especially with what he’d scented from us. It had to be a lot to absorb when it came to his own daughter. And that was on top of the kidnapping.

But Nyx revealing this had been an attempt to get them to calm a bit, to know that she was not only far from helpless, but now more than a match for a True Celestial, with her full power back in her grasp.

Jaxon eyed Cornelius. “Ry was supposed to act as stabilization when she was ready to do that.”

“She didn’t need it,” Kai spoke. “She managed it all on her own. That’s what the four of us were doing up here before Cassius attacked, then spirited her away.”

“She may have taken it back, but she won’t be in full command of it. It requires time to settle,” Cornelius informed us. “Why did she do it tonight and without familial assistance?”

“Because she knows about the secret you’ve been keeping from her,” I responded.

Cornelius exchanged a heavy, loaded look with Jaxon.

“Send them back to Maven Academy so we can deal with this,” Jaxon spoke, after several tense moments.

“We’re not sitting this one out,” Kai told them.

Jaxon eyed him. “You need more recovery time after the hit you took. I can feel the weakness from you as a result. Nyx needs rest also.” He looked at me. “And your emotions are barely incheck, a major issue when you possess an animal side. Believe me, I know well. So, yes, you’re all standing down on this.”

“The fuck we are,” I rumbled.

But that was all I got out, before Cornelius’ magic was suddenly swirling all around us.