Page 125 of Cursed Heirs

“I don’t want that for you. It could be returned to you corrupted, because of what’s within him. Or he could invoke the sire bond through it. You were able to stave that off because ofyour magic. Now with him having access to it, it stands to reason that he could enforce the opposite.”

“Then I’ll fight it.”

I looked away.

“Ah, I see. You don’t think I’m strong enough. Mentally speaking?”

“I think you’ve endured too much already and that it’s taken a significant toll. You need to focus on your recovery, not taking on more strain.”

“I won’t haveyoucompromised, Dad.”

“It’s not a sacrifice to me if it makes you happy again, Xavier.”

When he went to argue back, Abi cut in, “Allow it to settle first and then you can resume your discussion in a few days. Tensions are already high enough right now.”

“Yeah,” Xavier said, running his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, they are.”

“Done,” she told me then, patting my shoulder.

I looked to see the skin devoid of even a blemish, completely healed. “Thank you.”

She kissed my cheek, then told me, “Why don’t you spend some time with your son that doesn’t involve any heavy subject matter. I need to speak with Orpheus before Alena awakens.”

“That would be nice,” Xavier said, beaming at me.

“It certainly has been too long.”

That was a severe understatement.

His turning had pulled us apart.

He hadn’t wanted me to be close to it, he’d wanted to handle things all on his own.

And as much as it had killed me, I’d allowed it. I’d given him his freedom.

But I’d almost lost him in the process.

This time I wouldn’t make the same mistake. There would be a balance now. And our estrangement would end going forward. I couldn’t be without my son anymore. The last three years had been excruciating. Almost losing him in the absolute sense had served as a brutal wakeup call. I couldn’t operate that way for another moment.

My son was everything to me.

Nothing came above that.

27

~Orpheus~

“Look at her. The damage I’ve done… I’ve ruined her. For you and anyone beyond.”

I couldn’t get the monster’s words out of my head.

His voice taunting me.

Sounding so proud of himself.

That he’d been able to lay hands on her.

That he’d defiled her.

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