Page 123 of Cursed Heirs

Thwarted once again by aHellborn.

For all the power I had at my disposal, the celestial object forged in the fires of Hell was one such thing that I could not battle against, no matter how much power I expended.

I hissed as Abi’s fingers brushed the hellfire burn plaguing my right shoulder as I sat in my son’s desk chair in his chambers at Electi Academy.

“That was incredibly risky, putting yourself between Alena and Orpheus and theHellborn,”she chastised me in her usual way that really called to her great care for me.

“Alena was fading and moments away from her magic tapping out. It was the only way.” I groaned as her magic began slowly healing the wound. “I wanted to do a great deal more than merely extract our children, Abi. He was right there. I could have—”

“If you’d tried to do anything more, like apprehending him, you would have been lost to us, likely Alena and Orpheus too. You made the right decision.”

“It doesn’t make it any easier knowing he’s still out there.”

“I understand, believe me.” There was a great deal of anger in her voice that wasn’t usually there, no matter what we faced.

I tilted my head to look at her. “Abi?”

“I’m fine,” she muttered.

I sighed. “I know you touched black magic.”

She frowned. “Xavier?”

It was my turn to frown. “My son knew about it?”

“I’m uncertain. He was in the Dark Fae Realm when Saryan and I were discussing it, so it stood to reason that he may have overheard. I’d just assumed that was how you knew.”

“No. I felt it on you. So, it came from the Light Fae traitor? You entered a mind protected by black magic?”

“Yes,” she admitted.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You would have stopped me. Or tried to talk me out of it and we both know how powerfully persuasive you are when it comes to me. I couldn’t allow it, not with Alena’s wellbeing at stake. It was our only chance to finally find her.”

“I understand wanting to protect your child, believe me. But how are you doing with the cost? I can’t determine whether this rage I’m feeling from you is a direct result of you touching that poison, or if it’s about the state of your daughter when I brought her back here to the Infirmary.”

“In all honesty, it’s a bit of both. Not to worry, I’ll handle it.”

“If you feel a struggle, talk to me. Swear it.”

“I will. Now, let me finish up healing this hellfire.”

I nodded and tried to relax into the chair and keep still as the cooling sensation of her angelic magic on the wound set in, soothing it bit by bit.

The relaxation part went out the window when my son burst on in.

I’d thought we’d have more time for her to heal me before he arrived back in his room after holding vigil at Alena’s bedside downstairs in the Infirmary.

During my teleportation, she’d lost consciousness.

“Hell, Dad! You took a hit from aHellborn?You didn’t mention that when you returned! You didn’t even appear injured in the least. You glamoured the wound, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I didn’t want you worried for me.”

“Well I am! First you, then Orpheus, then Talon, then Alena, Saryan too, now you again! This is too fucking much! The way things are going, none of us are going to make it out of this war alive!”

“Come,” I said, holding out my hand to him.

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