Page 52 of Ignited Spirits
IZZY
“Well, fuck,” I blurt into the silent room.
That’s definitely not the news I was hoping for. I knew the spell wasn’t something mundane, like growing flowers or building orphanages, but I didn’t think it was for killing the Earth and everyone here.
The absolute last thing we need is Lua getting any more power, much less the power of an entire freaking planet.
“You can say that again,” Levi mutters. He shoves his hands into his black hair and tugs at it, looking beyond distraught.
I stand up from my chair and cross over to where he’s standing near the door. Approaching him hesitantly, I hold out my arms, offering comfort if he wants it.
He steps into my arms and desperately clutches me.
Squeezing him as tightly as I can manage, I hold him for a long moment until he reluctantly steps back. I peer up into his black and red gaze. “I know this isn’t what we were hoping for, but the plan remains unchanged, just maybe with a faster timeline. All we do is add ‘Stop Her From Draining the Earth’s Core’ to our to-do list.”
How exactly we stop her remains to be seen, but I don’t mention that in my attempt at a pep talk.
He’s shaking his head before I even finish. “I should’ve stopped her long before this. I should’ve realized she was missing. I shouldn’t have let her steal magic for hundreds of years.”
“How exactly would you have known? None of this is on you, Levi.”
“She’s my mother!” He thumps himself on the chest to emphasize his point. “I’m responsible for keeping her from hurting anyone else.”
“So this is Hades’s fault, too, then?”
“What? Of course not.” Understanding dawns on his face. “That’s different. Hades has an entire realm to run. He doesn’t have time to be keeping tabs on our mother. That’s up to me.”
“It’s not different,” I insist. “You were busy helping him runInfernus. This isn’t on anyone other than Lua. Don’t take her bad actions on your shoulders, screech owl.”
Angerona swivels in her chair to face us. “There was no way you could have stopped her before meeting your mate, Leviathan.”
He looks like he wants to argue but keeps his mouth shut. Levi thinks over what she said before asking, “Are you sure?” When she nods, Levi deflates and hangs his head. He hooks an arm around my waist and pulls me into his chest again. He buries his face in my hair and mumbles, “I’m sorry.”
I huff a laugh into his shirt. “Stop apologizing. It’s not your fault, and we’ll figure it out together.”
He holds me for a moment longer before reluctantly letting me go.
I can tell from his face that he’s still feeling a lot of guilt, but it’s clear he doesn’t want to talk about it with an audience. I’ll make sure to get some time with him alone after we create a plan with Hades.
Facing Angerona once more, I know I have to ask the question, but I really don’t think I want to know the answer. “Anything I should know about stopping Lua, taking down the council, or any of the many battles I’m sure are coming my way?”
She stares at me for a beat before reluctantly shaking her head. “Nothing I can tell you.”
Her clear blue eyes look like she’s trying to convey some hidden meaning, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what it is.
Well, that’s great. There’s something I should know, but she can’t tell me.
Story of my life, honestly.
But I’ve made it this far without having all the answers. I can totally make it through this whole save-the-world gig without blowing everyone and everything up. Maybe if I say it enough, I’ll start to believe it.
When I’m sure Angerona isn’t going to say anything else, I give her a nod. I then glance over at Joseph. “You good here? I should probably get back before my dad loses his shit over my mom.”
He looks at me in alarm. “Is your mom okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. At least I think so. Hades would be in deep shit with his mate—who happens to be my great-grandma—if he let anything happen to her. My dad just needs to see that she’s fine with his own eyes.”
Joseph’s eyes widen in shock. “What? Hades is real? And you’re related to him?”
