Page 113 of Fallen Heirs

Holy. Fuck.

Alena materialized in front of me, her wings now away, and wrapped her arms around me, helping me to my feet. “Are you all right? You took the full force of a celestial magic blast.”

I winced as I struggled in my step. “I’ll heal.”

“You need rest for that to occur,” she said, looking me over worriedly. “Let me put her down, then we’ll get you out of here. Saryan said there’s a place in the DFR that can hold her until we can extract my mom’s magic from her.”

She helped me against a tree, then strode over to the crater, calling her magic as she went.

When she reached it, she peered into the hole, then cursed, and spun around, looking every which way. “She’s gone,” she announced after a few moments. “How the hell?”

“She’s the master of the miraculous escape. She’s used that skill on Constantine far too often, saving his ass at the last moment.”

“Constantine… fuck,” she uttered, urgency spilling from her as her gaze darted back over by the gates.

In the next second, she was grabbing hold of me and teleporting us over there.

When we rematerialized, we both breathed a heavy sigh as we found him still there reeling on the ground.

My mom hadn’t saved him this time.

He’d been right to worry that she’d betray him now that she possessed unmatched power.

Well, almost unmatched.

Constantine smirked nastily as he saw Alena. “Darling princess… it’s been… too long.”

“Shut the fuck up,” she seethed. And then she was storming to him. “You’re not getting away this time.” A boot to the face knocked him out easily in his messed-up state. She looked out at me. “We’ll get the location of Elliot’s magic from him and then he’s done for.”

“I had the means to kill him,” I gritted out. “I was so close.”

She came to me and cupped my face, smiling up at me. “This decoy bullshit of his will only buy him a few more days. He’ll meet his fate and we’ll be rid of him. In the meantime, he’ll be locked up and unable to do any more damage. This is a win, baby.”

“You’re right. It’s just—”

“Unfinished?”

“Yeah.”

“I get it. You want it over here and now. I’m right there with you. But we will have our victory. I can taste it now, can’t you?”

I nodded, then staggered and managed to wrap my arm around her, holding her to me. “You’re not going away again. Do you hear me?”

She chuckled. “Absolutely. I’m all yours now. I missed you guys so much.”

“Right back at you, little angel. Right back at you.”

27

~Xavier~

I couldn’t believe it.

It had been two hours since Alena had returned with a barely mobile Orpheusandan unconscious Constantine Vale.

After all this time, after everything he’d done, they’d managed to capture him.

It was surreal.

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