Page 68 of Fallen Heirs

“Release Alena and I’ll get right back to it,” he challenged.

“She’s a threat to us, Orpheus. It’s my responsibility and my duty to attend to that.”

He scoffed. “Come on.”

“She has the ability to wipe out the essence of our power. She could destroy us.”

“You mean, just like Elliot Sabre could destroy everyone if he really ever let loose? Just like Constantine still has the power to do with the level of dark magic he wields that’s fueled by his vampire side? Like the Dragon Empire does if they were to losecontrol and raze the entire supernatural world to the ground? Just likeyoudo if you called on the full force of your power and all the magic that fuels the kingdom?”

“This is not the same.”

“Like hell, it isn’t. It’s only different to you now because this could hurtyou.While you’ve had the power to hurt many for centuries on end.” He downed the rest of his drink, then put it down on the bar. “Yet, even in your worst moments, you haven’t.”

“Are you forgetting that Constantine took control of her not long ago? She almost killed you when she was being wielded by him.”

“That can’t happen again now Abigail has rid black magic from the world. She also can’t be controlled by Dark Fae mind meddling, I’ve seen to it.”

“She’s vengeance-bound when it comes to Constantine, it’s quite possible that she could lose control through that.”

“If that happened, it would be relegated to defeating him. That’s an asset. This ability of hers is an asset, quite possibly the best way to take that motherfucker down. So instead of you focusing on the threat, see the opportunity in it.”

“I do see the opportunity, Orpheus. However, it doesn’t negate the threat.”

“Father—”

“There needs to be a failsafe.”

“Let me guess, trapping Alena here in a zone void of magic?”

“That’s part of it, yes. A necessary precaution to keep the Realm safe.”

“I won’t allow you to keep her as your prisoner. She’s already been through the hell of that with Constantine. She willnotsuffer through that again.”

“There’s no suffering to be had in this situation. I’ve ensured it.”

He frowned. “How?”

“I wouldn’t permit your love to be treated poorly. I know what she means to you and I understand it. You know I do. But at the same time, we must be careful. I need more time to ensure the threat that her new ability poses can be mitigated.”

“How the fuck do you plan to do that?” He stared at my hands, which I’d since cleaned of blood. “Drawing her blood? Making her bleed? That sounds like poor treatment to me,suffering.”

“I’m not bleeding her out, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

“How else are you keeping a Nephilim captive then? Without black magic, there is—”

“Dust from the mines in the far north of the Realm.”

“What?”

“We unearthed some of it centuries past, but I closed the mines, concerned that factions of our people who were against my rule and rising up at the time would be able to use it againstme.But things are different now. They have shifted. Our subjects know that they need to look to me for their protection through the threat that is Constantine Vale. So, after the brutal invasion by Constantine and his army wiped out a good portion of the Dark Fae Army and jeopardized so much, I put a precaution in place should anything like that occur again. That precaution was to set to work having our people unearth the dust and my magical scientists to weaponize it. Already many of our soldiers now carry that on their person. Within a few weeks, they all will, and it will be standard procedure to do so. It can stop even the most powerful being in their tracks and temporarily incapacitate them. It will also be able to be released on a mass scale. We are developing weapons now to position at key points around the Realm.”

“Wow, that’s really something, Father. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“You have no role in running things here.”

He noticed the edge in my response, telling me, “As we discussed before I left for myproject,that will be changing soon. Once I get things off the ground, I’ll be able to do both and stand here by your side. And let’s be frank, you never really wanted to give up rule completely. You enjoy the power it offers you.”

The corner of my mouth turned up. “More so the control, but yes. So long as you don’t change your mind. Things will be heavy to bear when you first roll your project out.”

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