Page 59 of A Fate of Blood and Magic (Fated #2)

Chapter

Twenty-Six

ELIAS

I couldn’t concentrate. I tried. Guardians help me, I tried.

“Someone killed my dad.”

Those four words were all I heard. Over and over again, they beat against my mind.

“Someone killed my dad.”

Except it wasn’t just someone. It was me. I’d killed his father, and then like some ugly twist of fate, I’d taken his father’s children to raise them. Guardians, I loved them as if they were my own.

It was so sick, so disgusting.

I didn’t even care that Aidas’s empath magic could see the guilt that coiled inside me. Maybe a part of me hoped he’d reveal something to Javier, and then I’d be forced to atone for my sins.

But I wasn’t sure if Javier knowing the truth would hurt him further. He’d come to trust Teddy and me, and while Teddy had been prepared to tell him everything several weeks ago, Javier had asked her not to tell him more.

He wasn’t ready. Was I selfish for hoping he never was ?

“Elias,” Alastor said with a single brow arched.

I ran a tired hand over my face. “I wasn’t paying attention. I . . .”

“Should we do this another time?” Everly asked.

“No, no.” I sighed, doing my best to ignore Aidas’s watchful gaze.

I wondered how much, if any, he’d pieced together.

“I’m sorry.” For so much, I’m sorry. “What were you saying?”

When my leg bounced, Teddy gripped my knee. At some point, I must’ve let go of her hand. I reached for it and held it tightly in mine.

“We were discussing what to do with the prisoners,” Evander said slowly.

George snarled. “We should’ve just killed them instead of imprisoning them.”

“We’re so quick to kill.” I rubbed my chest, knowing killing was as much a part of my nature as flying was to dragons. “I . . .” I stood, staring at the front door and wishing I could run through it. Just run and run without stopping. “I can’t do this.”

Teddy rose with me. I was grateful she didn’t try to hug me or hold my hand. As it was, I felt as if my skin was stretching around bones too large to fit me. This tightness grew in my chest. Just grew and grew without end.

“Why don’t we go outside?” she asked softly.

“No,” George said. “You can’t run from this.”

Easing Teddy to the side, I bared my growing canines at him. Rage boiled in my veins. I wanted this fight. I wanted any fight that wasn’t the one storming in my head.

“When have I ever run from anything?”

“Your people are already questioning your loyalty,” he continued. “These people slaughtered our children, our injured, our Queen Mother, Elias. They murdered innocents.”

“What about you and me?” My voice thundered, bouncing off the walls of our cottage and slamming against my chest. “Have we not killed an innocent?”

George’s pallor grayed as his mouth turned into a deep frown.

“I can’t undo my past mistake.” His voice was low, but I somehow heard him clearly through every ragged breath I pulled.

“We can’t make up for it. We—you and I—killed an innocent male.

That doesn’t mean we look away when someone else does it. These people?—”

“Shouldn’t I pay for it?” I cleaved the words from my bleeding chest. “Shouldn’t there be some justice for what I did?”

George rose slowly, and when he walked to me, he put both hands on my shoulders, and when he leaned his head down, I pressed my forehead to his.

He patted the back of my neck before he looked back up.

“What we did. You gave the order, but I . . . I did it. If you say we die for this sin, then I’ll lay down my life, but first, we must make things right here.

You can’t leave this kingdom for someone else to fix. ”

“Maybe someone else should lead our kingdom,” I said. “Our people aren’t just questioning my loyalty but also my ability to lead. I don’t have magic anymore. I have maybe—what, sixty, seventy years left before I die.”

“What does that mean?” George’s question came out as a hiss.

“When Teddy lost her magic, her life span returned to that of a regular human, so I tied my life to hers.” I squared my shoulders. “When she dies, so do I.”

George pushed me, and caught unaware, I didn’t simply fall on the couch but knocked it over. I rolled off the back, grabbing the small dagger I kept on my ankle. I charged him, barely registering the way Teddy ushered everyone out of our living room.

George’s first punch connected to my stomach. I welcomed the pain. Except he didn’t punch me again but gripped the collar of my shirt to bring me closer to him.

“You tied your life to that of a human’s?” he hissed, his eyes like onyx orbs.

“I tied my life to that of my soul-bound mate’s,” I growled out.

With another snarl, he let go of my collar and shoved me away. Shaking his head, he pointed a finger at me.

Exhaustion hit me, pulling my shoulders down while any fight I had in me slipped away. I put my dagger away and walked into the kitchen, where everyone watched us with wary caution.

I sighed. “By a show of hands, who believes we should kill the humans responsible for the attacks?”

Everyone’s hands went up except for Javier’s and mine. And truly, it should’ve only been Javier’s hand that stayed down because I did want their death. But I let my vote count for Donnie since he couldn’t be here to speak.

Eyes still black, George scoffed at Javier. “A mighty fine warrior you’ll be if you aren’t prepared to kill.”

A haze of black covered my vision. I didn’t realize I had George pinned against the wall with his blood in my mouth until I felt Teddy’s hand on my shoulder. Not wanting to spit on our floor, I swallowed his blood, noting the way my stomach immediately roiled in protest.

“You will watch the way you speak to him,” I said, my nostrils flaring.

“Of course, My King,” he said dryly. “Or have you already abdicated your throne?”

“That’s enough, George,” Teddy said, her voice firm.

His angry eyes turned to her, and I gripped his throat tighter.

“Elias,” Teddy warned. “Let him go.”

“Mo cora,” Everly said gently, calling George my heart.

His eyes flashed, lightening to their light brown color before he shook his head.

“We’re not done talking about this,” George said, his words terse.

“There is nothing for us to discuss.” I pushed off him before I released him.

“Over one hundred years of friendship means nothing, then?” He let out a dry laugh.

“You saved Donnie’s life and sacrificed your own.

Did you even consider what this would do to Brent?

” Growling, he bared his canines at Teddy.

“Why share a part of your soul with him only to tear him apart?” he sneered. “You’re both selfish.”

I slammed an open palm against the wall next to his face.

“I know you’re angry with us, George.” Teddy’s voice was small, and when I turned to look at her, I found her toying with the tips of her fingers. “Please don’t tell Brent, though. Allow us to do it.”

“Are you just now thinking about him?” George asked, eyes blackening again.

“No.” Guilt washed over her features as she held a hand to her chest. “I realized what we did to him when we came back from the astral realm.”

George glared at us with eyes filled with what looked a lot like hate.

He shook his head in disappointment, and when he walked past me to stand by Everly, he rammed his shoulder against mine.

This time, I held on to my primal instincts—something that was innately mine and not gifted through magic—and forced myself not to react.

Evander cleared his throat. “I think we’ve discussed enough for today.”

I huffed out a laugh I didn’t feel. We’d barely talked about the one thing I’d asked everyone to come to discuss. I forced myself to focus, to attempt to earn the respect of those who’d come today.

“My apologies,” I said, trying to save the downward spiral of this meeting. “You voted to kill the humans responsible. Why?”

“They targeted and murdered children,” Evander said. “I won’t waste any of our resources for a prison to keep them in when they deserve to die as brutally as those children did. Evil like that cannot be rehabilitated.”

I couldn’t argue with him because I agreed with him. Still, I held back.

“Do all the shifters feel this way?” I asked.

Evander gave me a small smile. “I haven’t spoken to each one personally, but this is how we would handle it if it were up to us.”

“Alastor?” I asked the mage who hadn’t spoken since his argument with Teddy.

“As long as people like that exist, no one in any realm is safe,” Alastor said.

“They killed masses without any thought for life. They have harmed your people in irrevocable ways. I believe the real question is, how could you, as their leader and protector, stand for it? How could you not thirst for their blood on your blade?”

Not speaking, I ground the back of my teeth. It was exactly what I wanted. But I knew it wouldn’t bring any of those who died back . Nothing would. The only hope I had for the future was to pave the way for a better one.

“Will your vote change when Donnie is present and can speak for himself?” Alastor asked. “You aren’t doing him any justice by going against what you yourself want. Let him say his piece when he is well enough to do so, but don’t do your people a disservice by going against your own judgment.”

“Donnie said that either each life is precious or none of them are,” I told the group.

“He told me that by killing the soldiers and those who snuck in, I was making enemies of the very people I’d allowed into our realm.

What if he’s right? What if all killing brings us is more killing? When does it end?”

“What if there is no end?” Alastor asked. “What if the only way to protect your people and those you care about is by killing?”

Because there had to be punishment. There had to be justice.

Didn’t that also apply to me?

“I hear you, Alastor. I hear all of you.” I sighed.