Page 47 of The Healing Dragon (The Red Book #2)
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
JANELLE
E ach limp hurts as I walk across the yard. Soldiers are finishing clearing the grounds of those who didn’t make it. Thankfully, the enemies never made it inside the castle, leaving behind only a few injured who were quickly healed by angels.
“Janelle,” Roman gestures to the pile of enemies on the far left side of the yard. “Do you mind doing the honors?”
I nod and order Dexter to do his thing. The pile is in flames in seconds and in a matter of minutes it will be nothing but ashes. I extend my hand, and with a familiar wave, I call Dexter back. He falls into small sparks that return to my palms.
“Janelle!” Jesse rushes to my side and picks me up in a hug.
I hold him tight and breathe him in. The idea of him being here with me settles in. I got to see him again. I really didn’t think I would.
“Are you okay?” Jesse looks me over as he is going to make sure whatever I say matches with his inspection.
“I’m great. Glad that it’s partly over.”
Despite the dismantling of the rebellion, the Red Book is yet to be found. If my father spoke the truth, it’s going to be taken to the king of the Human lands if it’s not there already. Once in his possession, there’s no telling what the future might hold.
May the Fates protect us.
The enemy just got hold of the one weapon that could destroy our world.
“You did what you had to do.” Jesse’s eyes are full of forgiveness.
“I didn’t kill him.” I look down at my hands, trying hard not to judge myself for the lack of will to see it through. “Mel did it. I only disposed of him.”
“Is that so?” Brandon moves to stand between us. “What else did I miss?”
“My father didn’t bring the book,” I say.
Brandon nods as he expected as much. I share everything that was said during the battle.
Including my father’s threat about having someone deliver the book to the human King.
I would like to think whoever was instructed with the mission would see the dangers of following that plan but his followers have always been blind to sense.
The King of Puerto Quinn takes everything in with a pensive expression.
“We got it from here.” He takes my shoulder in hand. “It’s time for you to return to Ignis. I need you to make sure those in the city stay strong in case the Human Lands declare war. I need each city to be ready.”
“Brandon,” Jesse says with furrowed brows.
“I will need someone to help her.” Brandon smiles at his brother. “I would trust no one else more than my most loyal advisor. You’ll be missed here, but you’re needed there more.”
“Thank you,” Jesse whispers so low I almost miss it.
The brothers hug tightly. Roman sees the exchange from across the yard and sprints in their direction. He joins in the embrace, probably completely at a loss for the reason behind it. Roman doesn’t truly need a reason after all, does he?
I feel like an intruder at witnessing such a tender moment. I excuse myself and head back inside to look for one person I wish more than anything could hear the news of my return to Ignis. A big hug from him would cure the ache left in my soul, but I know his absence is the cause of it.
I walk into the clinic and find Pad standing by Oliver’s bed.
His hands aren’t touching Olis, but the slight twitch of his fist tells me he’s debating it.
From my place by the doorway, I take a closer look at Pad.
The similarities between them are now impossible to miss.
I don’t know how I didn’t see them before.
“You are his cousin.” I walk deeper into the room.
“He felt like my brother. We grew up together our whole lives. He never cared to leave until he met her. His wife.”
I nod. “I don’t remember her much. She died when I was a child.”
He smiles fondly. “Timid, quiet woman with a gentle temper. He loved her.”
I wish I would’ve had the chance to meet the woman he loved enough to leave the Black Castle for. I also wish I would become someone worthy of him staying behind for. There is no doubt in my mind that Oli remained behind for me. He even forsake his vow to the King for me.
“Thank you for bringing him home,” Pad says.
Oliver’s home is the Black Castle. He made it home. I was fated to fulfill my promise without knowing. This is not how I wanted things to go, but it’s how they happened.
“It was the least I could do for him. Now, I vow to become someone worthy of all his sacrifices. To keep his memory alive.”
“He was right about you, you know.” Pad clears his throat. “You’re just like Rosa.”
“How so?” I ask, eager to learn anything I can. “Wait, he talked about me?”
I never got an inclination to believe Pad knew me before we met at the kitchens, but his kindness always felt deeper than the time.
“He mentioned you here and there. Rosa was an unstoppable force of nature with a strong will. She was also very caring of only those she deemed hers to protect.”
I look down at my hands then back at Pad. “She sounds more like the person I should become than the person I am.”
“We all have room for improvement.” He pats his stomach in good humor.
I laugh and cross the distance toward Oliver. “I wish things were different.”
“That makes two of us.” Pad takes my hand in his and leads me out of the clinic. “It’s time for some comfort food.”
“I don’t think I can eat right now, Pad.”
“His favorite was stew.”
I laugh and tears fill my eyes. “I know.”
I recall the times Oli would visit my room during the nights my father would send me to bed without dinner. Olis idea of dinner was mostly crackers of different kinds or stew. It didn’t take long for me to realize that he would be the one to make the stew.
One night I refused to eat it and he left it in my room in case I changed my mind. The next morning, my maid commented on the soup. My fear of getting Oli in trouble made it so I would never leave it again.
“Janelle!”
My name comes from the end of the hall. Matias and Santiago sprint to us with a book in their hands and wide smiles on their faces.
“We found him.” Matias pushes the book to my face. “We got him.”
“Who?”
I take the book in hand and look at the already open page. My eyes find the name in a second, as if they already knew where to look. The name we have been searching for is finally spelled out before me and I cannot believe it.
Klause Pazduelo. His last name, at last. Pazduelo.
The connection cannot be coincidence. I no longer believe in those. Everything is a part of something. Nothing is a singular speck in this spiderweb called life.
“Look who his father is,” Santiago says, almost shaking in anticipation.
My eyes climb one person up in the family tree.
“Knox,” I say, the gasp I let out is audible.
My hands tighten on the book. His father is no other but a prince from hell.
All the comments about his magic being ancient and not like ours suddenly make sense.
His magic is demon-like. I look at the woman beside Knox.
The infamous witch that married a prince from hell, Olivia Pazduelo.
It looks like more than one of the Pazduelo sisters produced offspring after all.
“Olivia Pazduelo,” I say, as if everything now makes sense.
Pad looks over our shoulders to the book. “Pazduelo is an old witch’s name. Once known as the most powerful witches in existence.”
Matias gestures down at the page and points at a woman in the same row as Klause. Under a different prince of hell.
“Rory,” he says with a laugh. “We just met her at the gates to the underworld. She works there. ”
“We found his cousins.” Santiago runs his hands through his hair.
The boys and I look at each other like we hit gold. We are a step closer to this person who has been at the center of it all.
Rory has a brother and his picture and name are stated beside her.
The face of Ulysses stares back at me from the page.
The young man I befriended against my will in the forest near my cabin.
No wonder he was so intrigued by me. If his father is also a demon and mother a witch, he must have been able to tell that I’m a magic wielding creature living in hiding. His interest was out of curiosity.
“There are a total of four of them,” Santiago says, pointing at the page. “Klause, Ulysses, Rory and Leo.”
Klause is the only one whose mother appears in name and picture. The story of her arrival in the underworld is legendary. She is known as the only princess of the underworld. None of the others must’ve married their partners and moved to the underworld.
“You think Calaca will find him?” Matias asks me.
She has not returned yet, but I’m not worried.
“Calaca might be the only one who can and I can’t say Klause would be too happy about it,” I say.
After all, he has been in hiding for years now. Long enough to erase his kind from our common knowledge, but by Calaca finding him, his existence will once again come to light.