Chapter Seventeen
Anton
I ran as fast as I could and was just able to slip my hands under Jed’s body before he crashed to the ground. The spell had hit him square in the chest, and even though I was farther away, even I’d been hit with some of it.
It was as if the grenade had held a piece of the sun, and even though the sun hadn’t affected me in thousands of years, it was like I was a fledgling again, and the rays were going to burn me to ash.
It hurt. Gods above and below did it hurt. But that didn’t matter. I didn’t care about the burn marks on my body. Not when my son was injured.
When I looked down at Jed’s chest, there was a gaping hole, and everything was burned to a crisp. The spell had burned through his clothes and the Kevlar vest, and it was eating away at his skin, muscles, and bone.
Oh, heaven help us. If we didn’t stop it, it was going to reach his heart. It was so close already. Tears pricked my eyes, but I did my best to keep my emotions at bay.
Jed groaned in agony, and I sucked in a deep breath to keep from crying. The wound was growing before my eyes, as if there were embers burning away, peeling back layer upon layer of Jed’s body and clothes.
“Gods above and below, stay with me, Jed.”
My other children fell to their knees around us, everyone grabbing Jed’s hand or arm.
Phaeron had tears in his eyes as he breathed out, “Jed, please.”
“Stay with us, son,” I whispered, my hand moving over the wound but unable to stop it.
He looked up at me, and I could see the pain in his eyes. I could feel it through our bond. “D-dad.”
“I’m right here. I’m right here.” I pulled a healing tonic out of the small pouch I had attached to my belt, something all of us carried when we wore our gear. “Drink this, my child.”
Jed’s lips opened, and he coughed when I poured it into his mouth, but he swallowed it down, then sent me a pained smile. “Won’t be enough.”
Pain shot through my heart, and I did everything in my power to keep it to myself. He was right. This spell was moving far too fast for a simple healing tonic to work. But I had to keep my emotions to myself. I didn’t want to alert Keryth or any of my other fledglings of how terrified I was.
We had to… we had to do something. We had to save him. This couldn’t be the way it ended. Not again. Never again.
I couldn’t lose Jed. I couldn’t. I refused.
He was my sweet, kind, funny, caring boy. He was my son in every way that counted. We may’ve spent thousands of years together, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
He was meant to find a great love of his own. He was meant to do amazing things because he was such a good and wonderful person.
“You’re not leaving me, my son. You’re never leaving me.”
His smile grew for just a second before he coughed and groaned again.
“Fuck,” Beshiro said, tears running down his face. “Come on, Jed.”
Kat added, “You’re not allowed to leave us, baby brother.”
Jed glanced at them, clearly trying to smile but unable to do more than grimace.
Ailin came crashing down on the other side of Jed, pushing between Phaeron and Kat, his magic already working over him. “I can heal him. Just… gimme a minute to figure out what the hell they did to him.”
I stared at the witch. He was powerful. Very powerful. If anyone could help my fledgling, it’d be him.
“Please,” I begged. “Please save him.”
Ailin looked me in the eye, his expression more serious than I’d ever seen it. “I will.”
I gave him a nod, trying to believe him. Then I pressed my forehead to Jed’s, and a few tears fell. I needed to be brave. I needed to be strong for my fledgling. If I panicked, it would only scare him more, and I knew he was already terrified.
After a few seconds, I could see the pain ease out of Jed’s expression, and he sighed in relief even though the wound hadn’t been healed at all.
Ailin said, “Pain relief. Now let me reverse this thing. Thay, I need your help.”
The other witch dropped down beside his father, pushing Phae out of the way, and I felt Thayer’s magic mix in with Ailin’s. Grass grew on the floor underneath Jed’s body, and I could tell it was helping with the healing. It took a long time, but slowly, so slowly, I finally saw the edges of the wound begin to weave back together. The giant hole in his shirt and vest remained, but the bone, muscle, and skin began to intertwine back together.
I sighed in relief and wiped at my face, pulling my emotions back.
Jed was going to be okay. My sweet son was going to be fine.
I looked at my other children, all of them had tear streaks and looked as haggard and horrified as I felt. I sent them a small smile. “It’s going to be alright.”
Phaeron nodded, but he looked haunted. His expression was a mirror of how I felt. I was just better at hiding it.
Katja let out a small sob, then covered her face with her hands, and Phae reached out to rub her back without looking away from Jed.
And Beshiro dropped down to rest his forehead to Jed’s, whispering as he cried and ran his hand over his brother’s hair with a trembling hand. The two of them were close, so I wasn’t surprised.
Jed blindly reached out toward his other siblings, and Phaeron grabbed his hand, Katja latching onto his wrist. I already had his other hand in mine, and he gave it a squeeze.
It would be alright. Jed was going to be fine.
It was amazing, watching the witches work such huge magic with such ease. They barely looked fazed by it, and I was beyond grateful to have the two of them here with us.
I was going to owe them both for this. Anything they wanted. Everything. Anytime.
“Thank you,” I whispered when they finished. “You have no idea how much this means to me—to us. I… thank you both. I am forever in your debt.”
Ailin shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “You don’t owe us anything. You were only here because you’re doing us a favor in the first place. Sorry it took me a minute to get over here. I ran after the one that got away.” He grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t realize how bad off Jed was. Those assholes are…” He shook his head, cutting himself off.
“You came back, and you saved my son, Ailin. That’s all that matters. Thank you. So, so, so much.”
“No problem. I’m glad I could help.” He offered a twitch of his lips before he grimaced. “We need to stop these bastards before they hurt more people.”
“We’ll get them.” I nodded at the bodies and the still-alive hunter behind him. “You’ll get something out of him, I’m sure.”
He clenched his jaw. “I hope so.” He rested his hand on Jed’s chest, right above where the injury started. I was sure my son was still sore, so I was glad he was careful. “You’re going to be tired for a while, likely a day, maybe two. You’ll need to feed more than usual to make up for the blood loss and the magic use, but you’ll be fine. Just take it easy for a day or two. You’re healed, but it’s possible that things are still a little fragile, and I don’t want you reopening anything.”
Jed gave him a nod and a tired smile. “Got it. Thank you so much, Ailin, Thayer.”
“Anytime, kiddo.” Ailin blinked at his own words, as if surprised by them, then glanced at me and shrugged. Jed was a lot older than Ailin.
I sent him an amused smile and saw Jed with a similar expression on his face. “Thank you, Ailin.”
Kat, Phae, and Shiro all echoed the sentiment, and I knew that all of us would be in Ailin’s debt for the rest of our lives, whether he wanted it or not.
He nodded and stood. “I need to call Alec—the head of the BCA and my brother-in-law. They’re going to want to talk to you. Can you stick around for a bit? You can find a place to rest, and I can set up another healing bed for Jed, just to keep him pain-free and feeling alright until you leave.”
“Sure. We can do that.”
“I think there’s a room near the front that doesn’t have any dead bodies in it.”
I snorted at that and nodded. “My children and I will wait there.”
“Thanks. I’ll go throw a healing bed down.” He headed off to his viramore, and the two of them walked toward the front of the building. Thayer gave me an amused expression.
I said, “Thank you for your help. I’m in your debt.”
“We mean it,” Phaeron said. “Thank you for saving him.”
Beshiro, Kat, and Jed added their own thanks.
Thayer waved us off. “No need for all that. This is what friends are for, right? And it seems like you’re gonna be a part of the family soon anyway.” He grinned and jumped up, walking over to his viramore.
Considering Ailin and Sebastian thought of Keryth as one of their own, I supposed he was right. What a thought.
I looked down at Jed and leaned in to press my lips against his brow. “I love you, my son.”
“I love you too, Daddio.”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head, and couldn’t help but smile. “I’m going to carry you.”
“I can walk.”
“I don’t care. I’m carrying you to the other room where we’ll be out of the way.”
He sighed. “Fine. Carry me like I’m a damsel in distress.”
I snorted, stood, and lifted him into my arms. He wasn’t exactly a small man, but he was smaller than me, and I was a vampire. So I carried him with ease and followed my other fledglings to the front room where no one had died.
We settled on the floor, Jed on a bed of healing grass. We leaned against a wall, all in a row with Beshiro on one side, and Jed on the other, leaning into me. I tried to get him to lie down, but he was stubborn and wanted to sit and talk to the others, even though his eyes kept shutting.
I pressed another kiss to his brow as he leaned his head against my shoulder and stayed that way for a long time.
Once Jed was sitting up and giving Kat grief, I decided to take a couple of minutes to myself. Shiro slid into my place, allowing his younger brother to lean against him.
So I stood, kissed the top of Jed’s head, gave him a shoulder squeeze, and murmured, “I’ll be right back.”
“No problem, Daddio. I promise I’m fine.”
I sent him a smile. “I know, my child.” I gave him one more shoulder squeeze before heading for the door.
As soon as I was outside, I pulled my phone out and walked around to the other side of the building so my children couldn’t easily overhear me. I dialed Keryth’s number before I could second-guess myself. As it rang, I leaned back against the building, planting one booted foot against the wall.
He answered on the second ring, saying, “Hey, Anton!”
“Hey.” My voice sounded controlled. Normal.
“I promise Tray and I are fine. We’re still at work, and Tan’s entertaining Tray while I check on things. We’re all good here. How’s it going there? I felt a moment of panic from you, but then it was gone quickly, and when I texted Sebastian, he said everything was under control.”
Before I could stop it, a small sob came out of my throat. I covered my mouth with my hand, but it was too late. Keryth had heard it.
He sucked in a deep breath, and I knew the emotions I’d been keeping from him were finally coming through the bond. “Anton, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“N-no.”
“Good… good. Is someone else hurt?”
I sucked in a breath. “He’s okay now, but… but Jed…”
“What happened?”
“He’s fine.” Tears were streaming down my face now. “He’s completely fine.”
“Shh. It’s okay to be upset, hun. I’d be upset too. Let it out, sweetheart.” Under his breath, I heard him say, “I wish I was there to hug him.”
Taking a shaky breath, I let out a crying laugh. “This is ridiculous. I don’t even understand why I’m crying.”
“You’re crying because your kid got hurt, and that’s okay. That’s normal. But Jed’s going to be just fine, right?”
“Yes. He’s mostly healed already.”
“Good.”
“It’s just… the Legion of Light… I’ve… they… they killed three of my children about a thousand years ago, and seeing Jed like that… I thought… I thought I’d lost him.” Another sob came out of me, but I did my best to keep it down so my children wouldn’t hear.
“Oh, sweetheart. Fuck. I… that’s horrible. I can’t… I can’t even imagine how scary that was. Of course you’re upset. I’m sure you miss your other children, and seeing Jed get hurt… oh, Anton, dammit, I wish I was there right now to hug you.”
I let out a small laugh. “Me too.”
He sucked in a breath. “ Fuck . Do you want to get one of your kids? Maybe they could—”
“No. No, I don’t want them to see me like this.”
He sighed. “Alright. I understand.”
I sniffled a few times.
“Do you want to tell me about your other children?”
I thought about it for only a few seconds before I shook my head. “No. Not right now. I do—I will. I’ll tell you about them. I just… not right now.”
“That’s completely fine. What do you need from me right now? Do you want more sympathy? Do you want me to be quiet and wait on the phone with you? Or do you want a distraction? Or something else?”
It was nice being asked. Trying to think about it was a small distraction that I appreciated, so I said, “Distraction, as long as you don’t mind me continuing to sniffle at you.”
“I don’t mind at all. Anytime, sweetheart.”
I sniffled again, making us both chuckle. “Thanks.”
He paused for only a second, but I heard him moving around on the other side of the line. “When I got to work tonight, I was surprised that Remi decided to stay, although I guess I shouldn’t have been. He’s super protective, like his dads. Bel ended up coming in too, which was a good thing because Tray knows him. I think having Bel here while I was working with my plants helped break the ice between him and Tan. He knows Tan a little, but I don’t think he’s ever talked to him before tonight.
“Anyway, Bel and Remi brought a board game with them, so the four of them have been sitting at a table on the roof, playing a game while I’ve been working. And Tray’s been giggling. It’s adorable. I took a video to show you later.”
That made me let out a wet laugh. “You did?”
“Yes! It was so cute. I can’t wait to show you. Oh! And Zellya told me she wants to show you her spelling test.”
“She did?” That genuinely surprised me and sent warmth through my chest.
“Yep. She got all twenty words right and is really proud. I told her we could hang it on the fridge. Is that okay?”
“Of course. It’s your fridge too, darling. You don’t need to ask.”
“Awesome.” I could hear the smile in his voice, even as I heard him moving around a lot in the background.
“Thank you for distracting me.”
“Anytime, sweetheart. Feeling any better?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Did I tell you about the time Saranor broke her arm?”
I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “No.”
“Oh, my Mother, it was awful. She was maybe three, and she was trying to fly or something, I don’t even know. But she took a running leap off the back of the couch and crashed into a dining room chair. The chair did not make it out any better than she did. She was screaming and crying, and I felt awful, but I knew if I freaked out, it would make her freak out, right?”
“Mhm.”
“So I stayed calm. I comforted her and stayed in control the entire drive to the hospital and the whole time we were there. I held her hand when they put a cast on it, and then I picked up some ice cream for the whole family on the way home, and we watched a movie together. I kept it together that whole time.
“And when the girls all went to sleep, I finally let myself have the emotional breakdown I’d wanted to have the entire time. I cried… a lot. Even though she was completely fine. Even though all the scary parts were over with.” He was quiet for a few seconds. “I think that’s what’s happening to you. You held it together for your kid, and now you’re letting it out. And that’s okay.”
I sucked in a breath. “I… yeah… you’re right… thank you.”
“Anytime.”
“I can’t even picture Saranor doing that. She’s so well-behaved.”
Keryth snorted. “She’s been on her best behavior when you’re around. But don’t worry, once she’s more comfortable with you, you’ll get to see her wild side.”
I snorted out a laugh that had me sniffling back some tears. “I can’t wait.”
He made a disbelieving noise in the back of his throat. “Trust me. You can.”
I laughed again.
“How long do you think you’ll be there?”
“Probably a few hours. We have to wait for the BCA to come because we ended up killing a few of the hunters and capturing some others.”
“Is that going to be a problem? You guys killing them, I mean?”
“No. They attacked us and would’ve killed us if we didn’t fight back. Plus, we have some Ellwoods with us, so I think we’ll be alright.”
“Good.”
Leaning my head back, I let my eyes close and just listened to him breathing and moving around for a little while. He could obviously sense that this was exactly what I needed. Finally, I said, “Thank you for talking to me and making me feel better.”
“I didn’t really do anything, but you’re welcome. I’m glad you called me.” I felt a wave of affection come through the bond, so I knew he meant it.
“Me too.”
He paused. “Are you alright now?”
I sighed, long and loud. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright. But I need to go back in there.”
“Okay. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need me.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll see you soon, Anton.”
“See you soon, my darling.” I hung up and took a calming breath. Speaking to him was exactly what I’d needed.
Once I composed myself, I headed back inside, unsurprised to see that the BCA was all over the scene—I’d heard them pull up. I didn’t hesitate to jump in and give them an interview about tonight’s events.
About forty minutes later, I was sitting against the wall again with Jed’s head on my shoulder while he slept—a healing was very draining, not to mention the injury itself—when Beshiro, who sat on my other side, smacked my leg and gestured toward the door. “Dad, look.”
I glanced over, and my eyes widened in shock.
Keryth was standing there, speaking to a BCA agent and looking like an angry green angel ready to smite someone as he tried to push his way inside.
“What’s he doing here?” I murmured as I gently lifted Jed off me. “Help your brother.” Beshiro didn’t hesitate to scoot over and let Jed use his shoulder as a pillow.
After kissing both my boys on their hair, I headed for the door, saying, “He’s with me.”
The BCA agent looked pissed at that, and I could tell he was about to protest, but I sent him a glare and let my power flash out of my body and through my eyes. I was older and far more powerful than he could imagine. He cleared his throat and stepped back, allowing Keryth entrance. Good.
Keryth took one look at me—at the holes in my shirt—and I could tell he was upset, so I said, “I’m completely healed already, promise.” A healing tonic and some of Ailin’s magic saw to that.
He stared at me for a moment, ensuring I was being truthful, and gave me a nod.
Then my little fae walked right up to me, threw his arms around me, and tugged me down so I’d rest my head on his shoulder and hug him back. I didn’t hesitate, tucking my face against the side of his neck and taking my first real breath since Jed had been injured.
Keryth rubbed my back and my hair for a few minutes, not saying a word.
But eventually, I knew I needed to let him go, especially because we were in the way. So I loosened my hold and gently pulled him over to the side, but I didn’t let him go fully.
“What are you doing here?”
He stared at me and shrugged. “You needed me.”
Heaven above and below, how was he so damn perfect? So damn sweet and caring? “You… you came just because…”
“You needed me, so I’m here. Simple as that. How’s Jed?”
I blinked, taking a second to switch gears. Simple as that? No. Not simple as that. I was halfway across the world, for crying out loud. “He’s fine. Just tired from the healing.”
“What happened?”
I led him over to where the others were sitting so we’d be out of the way but still where the agents could get to us to ask questions, and I told my viramore exactly what’d happened.
I sat against the wall, and when I tugged Keryth between my legs, he didn’t protest. He leaned his back against my chest, and I wrapped my arms around him, letting him ground me. Keryth reached over and gently touched Jed’s arm—he was still sleeping—as if he needed to see for himself that my fledgling was still alive and well.
When he rested back against me, I gave him a squeeze and buried my nose in his hair. “I can’t believe you came here.”
He shrugged.
“Where’s Trayben?”
“He’s at the Ellwood’s house. That’s actually what took me so long. I didn’t want to leave Tray at home, just in case that was too far for our bond. So I had to call and get someone to add him to the Ellwoods’ wards, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to come through. Luckily, Jorah was able to do it since Ailin’s still here. Tray’s gonna call me if he starts to feel off at all, but he thought we’d be okay.”
I shook my head in wonder. He’d done all of that just to, what? Give me a hug?
He was so perfect.
He snorted and gently smacked my arm. “I’m not perfect, you sap.”
I froze. He’d… he’d read my mind. I hid my smile in his hair. That meant we were getting closer, building a stronger connection, and that warmed my heart. After what happened tonight, feeling that warmth was like a balm on my soul.
Burying my face against his neck again, I kissed the skin there, making him stop mid-sentence as he spoke to Kat. He gave the arms I had around him a squeeze and continued talking to my children.
So I kissed his neck again, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
We stayed that way until the BCA finally dismissed us, and then Emrys drove us back to the Ellwood coven land.
Keryth stuck by my side the entire time, even lacing his fingers with mine, not letting me think for even a second that he didn’t care about me.
Despite everything that’d happened, it was wonderful feeling that cared for. That… loved.