Ch.17 Creating Chaos

Chapter 17

"You got some nerve showing up here, Mirza," Heyder snared as he took a step forward and shielded Maya. "Get out!"

He turned to look at Exton over his shoulder, "You too. Both of you, get out of my house!"

"Do not speak to my dad like that!" Maya shoved at his arm as she walked around from behind him.

"Maya, I just want to speak to you," Mirza held up his hands to show he had no ill will.

"I don't want to talk to you," Maya shook her head. "You need to leave."

"He's going to break your heart!" Mirza said. He looked over their shoulders to Exton, "Do you know about the curse?"

"What curse?" Exton asked in alarm.

"Nothing," Maya said quickly. "Mirza, shut up before I really kill you this time."

"This is the tiger guy you had coffee with?" Exton pointed. "He's Heyder's brother?"

"You had coffee with him?" Heyder looked at Maya with annoyance.

"Oh shut up," Maya said. "You have a whole ass wife standing over there."

"That's his wife?" Exton's voice boomed. "What in the world is going on?"

"She's not my wife!" Heyder protested.

"I'm his fiance," Fiza said.

"Maya!" Exton's eyes widened.

"Daddy, please," Maya rushed to her father. "I'll explain everything. It's all very complicated."

"It won't be if you pick me," Mirza said.

"You're still here?" Heyder took a threatening step forward. "Get out!"

"Not until I speak to Maya,"

"I don't want to speak to you," Maya said, turning to face the brothers.

"Maya, please," Mirza flashed forward and grabbed Maya's hand. "Just for a se-"

"Wrong move," Exton said as he shoved Mirza back and blocked his path to his daughter.

Mirza stumbled back a few inches before rage flashed across his eyes. They shifted like Heyder's and started to glow an eerie red. Exton braced himself as Maya put up a shield around her father.

But before Mirza could do anything, Heyder tackled him to the ground. Fiza screamed in fright as she jumped out of the way. Maya stepped around her father to get a better view of that was happening.

Heyder raised his fists and hammered down on Mirza's face. Punch after punch as the Jinn on the ground struggled to push him off. After a few seconds, Mirza pushed off the ground using his magic and sent Heyder flying through the air. Maya caught him with a shield and stopped him from slamming into the stone wall above the fireplace.

While hovering mid-air, Heyder blasted his brother in the chest. Mirza snared as he snapped his fingers and all the knives from the kitchen came flying into the room. Maya barely had time to react as she guided Heyder down and tried to block the knives. With a scattered mind, she was able to stop only the ones aimed directly for Heyder.

"Fiza!" Heyder yelled from the floor as a stray knife grazed against her arm.

Exton pulled Maya out of the way as Mirza tried to grab her while Heyder was distracted. Fiza screamed as she grabbed her injured arm with tears running down her face.

"Get away from her!" Exton said to Mirza as he kicked him in the stomach. Mirza huffed in anger and lunged at the werewolf. Maya put up a shield but the jinn burnt through it. Exton pushed her back a few feet as Mirza collided with him and they started to throw punches at each other.

Maya scurried up from the floor and looked around at the chaos. Heyder grabbed the small towel off the floor and pressed it against Fiza's arm as the girl weeped in pain. Mirza flung Exton through the air causing him to shift and land as his giant black wolf. Fiza screamed upon seeing him and hid her face in Heyder's chest.

Maya rushed forward and blocked Exton with one hand as she picked up the fallen knife from the floor and flung it into Mirza's chest. As the jinn stumbled back in pain, Exton's wolf pounced on him and sunk his teeth into his shoulder. The whole house echoed with the sound of Mirza's bones snapping.

Enraged, Mirza let go of a massive surge of power that radiated off of him like a bomb. The room drowned in a red glow as a heat wave rippled down, sending everyone flying. Heyder shot out his hand and encapsulated Maya into a protective bubble as he pulled Fiza into his arms and shielded her with his body. Maya used all her strength to shield her father who was still latching onto Mirza's shoulder.

The bright light started to cause Maya's eyes to burn. It was almost as if she was starting directly into the sunlight. She kept her hand steady as her eyes shut. The shock of the blast lifted her off the floor, even with Heyder's shield around her and threw her back onto the stairs.

"Fuck!" Heyder yelled as he let go of Fiza and ran over to Maya.

Maya tried to catch herself but the impact left her breathless. She rolled down the stairs and crash landed on the hardwood floor just as Heyder reached her. He fell to his knees and pulled her into his arm.

"Don't move," he said to her urgently as she felt him start to heal her. Maya shook her head and tried to tell him to save his strength. The taste of blood in the back of her throat made her gag as she rolled off of Heyder's lap.

"Damn it, Maya!" Heyder groaned as he tried to pull her back. When Maya protested by flaring her arms, Exton's wolf charged at Heyder like a mad bull. The jinn was knocked to the ground as Maya's father stood over her protectively.

"I'm trying to heal her," Heyder said as he got off the floor. "Get out of the way!"

Don't you dare touch her, Exton said through their link.

Where's Mirza? Maya tried to get off the floor.

He disappeared after the blast, Exton said, not taking his eyes off of Heyder.

"Let me heal her," Heyder said once more. "We can pick up our fighter after."

When Exton didn't move, Heyder growled.

"You want her to die of internal bleeding?"

Exton's wolf turned his head to his daughter behind her and then back to the jinn. He sniffed Maya's hair before he bared his teeth and took a small step aside for Heyder. The jinn wasted no time in rushing forward and gathering Maya into his arms.

Stop, Maya said with her eyes shut. You need your strength. Mirza might come back.

"Stop talking," Heyder snapped, earning a growl from Exton.

Maya closed her link and shut her mouth. She remained as still as possible as Heyder channeled his energy into her. She felt her muscles relax as the taste of blood vanished from her mouth and her back stopped aching. Breathing became much easier as the seconds ticked by. Only when she felt Heyder place a kiss on her forehead did Maya open her eyes again.

Someone wants to tell me what the hell is going on here? Exton asked from behind them.

Maya looked around Heyder's arm and spotted her father's wolf glaring at them. Behind him, Fiza sat shaking on the sofa as she held the towel to her hand.

"Emir," she called to Heyder as her bottom lip trembled.

Heyder looked over his shoulder and then back down to Maya on his lap. Maya gave him a small nod as she moved away and got off the floor. She watched him as he walked over to Fiza and removed the cloth from around her arm. He wrapped his arm around her cut and healed it instantly.

"Come upstairs," Maya said looking at the wolf. "I'll find you some spare clothes."

Maya led Exton upstairs to the room she had woken up in. She searched through the closet and dressers until she found an old band t- shirt and some blue swimming trunks. When she turned to her father, she found the wolf frowning.

"This is the best I can do," Maya shrugged. "Unless you want me to ask Heyder for his clothes."

Exton growled as he moved towards the bathroom. Maya followed him and placed the clothes on the skin before closing the door and walking out. She was about to take a seat at the edge of the bed when she heard shouting coming from down the hall. Curiously, she rushed out and ran into the study.

"Who is she?" Fiza demanded to know as she stood in front of Heyder waving her arm around. "She destroyed our home. She attacked Mirza. She bought a wolf..... A monster into our home. What is she, Heyder!"

"I'm a witch," Maya said from the doorway. "Call my father a monster one more time and I will rip your tongue out."

"Maya," Heyder tried to stop her but she walked into the room and marched right up to Fiza's face.

"I didn't attack Mirza," she said with her eyes locked on the girl. "He attacked first. It was you who invited him into this house. And by the way, this is not your house."

Fiza gasped. Her eyes grew wide open as she looked at Heyder with her mouth hanging wide open.

"You're going to let her talk to me like that?" She asked. "Do something!"

"What do you want me to do?" Heyder asked. "You insulted her father."

Fiza turned to Maya as her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered, "Get out."

"Excuse me?" Maya laughed.

"Get out of my house, you abomination!" Fiza yelled.

Maya raised her hand but before she could strike the spiteful girl, Exton grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Not how we raised you," he whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arm around her and held her hands down.

"Oh good, you're here too," Fiza snared. "Both of you, get out of my house. You're ruining everything."

"Enough," Heyder's anger made the small chandelier shake above them. His dark eyes zeroed in on Fiza as his jaw flinched. "Maya is not going anywhere."

Fiza's angry glare turned to Maya. If she could, Maya was sure the girl would have caused her to drop dead. Heyder tried to approach her, but she took a step back and huffed out of the room. Everyone was left speechless as she slammed the bedroom door shut down the hall.

Exton let go of Maya and took a step back. Heyder eyed the man in the old band shirt and blue swimming trunks. He turned his gaze to Maya and tried to take a step towards her but Exton stopped him.

"Not until you explain what the hell is going on," he said.

"You don't know?" Heyder tilted his head to one side. "Maya didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Exton asked as he looked over his shoulder to his daughter.

"I see keeping secrets is a family thing," Heyder said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Maya," Exton turned around. "What didn't you tell us?"

"Dad," Maya took a deep breath. "I was waiting for the right time......You have to understand I know I should have said something as soon as I found out but I was scared. And I didn't want to worry you or mom."

"You can tell us anything," Exton frowned.

"I know," Maya said. "I wanted to, but I was looking for the right time. Everything was happening so fast. And I really wanted you and Heyder to see eye to eye on something."

"Maya," Exton sighed. "What is it? Spit it out."

Maya's eyes flickered to Heyder as she hesitated. When she turned back to her father, he was waiting for her to speak. She knew it would crush him. He had to deal with his parents having a death curse over their head. He had lost his birth mother to that curse. The news would devastate him.

"Maya..." Exton narrowed his eyes.

"Dad....I....there's....."

"There's a curse on us," Heyder yanked the band aid right off. "If we kiss, she will die in three months."

Maya's eyes grew wide from his bluntness. She felt her heart start shrink in her chest and rush to find a hiding place as her father looked to the jinn.

"What?" Exton asked, his voice so low it drove anxiety into Maya's heart.

"Mirza, my brother, placed the curse on me many years ago," Heyder said.

Suddenly, Exton jumped forward and grabbed the collar of Heyder's shirt, "You fucker! Tell me you didn't kiss her!"

"Dad!" Maya grabbed her father's hands and pulled him back. She was able to push him back only a foot when he leaped forward again.

"If anything happens to my daughter, I swear to go Heyder, you will be chained to the rock to Tartarus," Exton snared as Maya held him back.

"Dad, stop!" She said. "We didn't kiss. I'm safe."

"Safe?" Exton yelled. "His murderous brother is stalking you and attacking you and you call that safe?"

Maya didn't know what to say. She stood between her father and her mate as the two men glared at each other.

"And who is that woman?" Exton pointed to the door. "Why does she look like you?"

"I can explain everything," Maya held up her hands. "Please calm down and I'll explain."

"Are you sure?" Heyder asked from behind her. "You were pretty tongue tied earlier."

"Not now!" Maya said over her shoulder. "You've done enough Heyder."

"You're the one keeping secrets from your family,"

"What is your problem?" Maya whirled around. "Why are you trying to screw everything up?"

"He obviously doesn't care about you, baby," Exton said.

"Oh shut the fu-" Heyder started but Maya stopped him.

"Get out," she said.

"Excuse me? This is my house."

"Get out of the room, you dense cabbage!" Maya yelled. "Go pacify your Fiza. Go see if the love of your life has more insults to throw my way."

Heyder glared at Maya with his eyes narrowed and mouth set into a tight line. She saw his hands shake as he closed them into a fist and tried to control himself. After a few more seconds, Maya sighed as Heyder stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Start talking, young lady," Exton said as Maya turned to face him.

And so Maya did as she was told for once in her life. She started from the very beginning and told her father about everything. The books, the spells, the traveling, Heyder's prophecy, Mirza's curse, Fiza coming back, looking for the ophiotaurus.....everything.

When she finished, Maya held her breath as she watched her father process the information. Exton let out a long breath as he rubbed his jaw and then the back of his neck. His handsome face had aged right before Maya's eyes as he sat in front of her with a worried frown.

"Why won't he tell you why he needs to find the ophiotaurus?" Exton asked.

"It's for my safety," Maya said quietly.

"Finding this half bull half snake creature is the key to the curse?"

"Yes," Maya nodded.

"Do you trust him?"

"With all my heart,"

Exton sighed as he rubbed his face once more, "Maya......sweetheart, you are a strong woman and very smart. I have no doubt you can handle yourself with him. But I worry about your heart."

"Why?" Maya frowned. "I'm trying to take care of my cholesterol, I promise."

"No, no, baby," Exton shook his head. "I mean your heart in regards to Heyder. He has that other girl with him now. How do you know he won't break your heart and pick her."

"What if you had found mom in your timeline and then met her here later?" Maya asked. "Would you leave mom?"

"No," Exton said with a frown. "But that's different."

"You said no with a load of confidence in your heart," Maya pointed out. "I can tell you that Heyder won't break my heart with the same confidence. I don't know how to explain it, I just know."

Exton looked into his daughter's blue eyes. She had so much of his mother in her. He knew he couldn't hold onto his little girl forever. It was like watching her learn to ride a bike. He would be running after her, ready to catch her if she fell. But until she needed him, he would be right behind her, watching her master the art of life.

With a sigh, Exton nodded, "So what are you planning on doing with Fiza?"

"We're going to send her back."

"How?" Exton asked.

"We haven't discussed that part yet,"

"Come home,"

"Dad, you kn-"

"Come home with Heyder and we can figure this out together. You mom and Adam can send Fiza back and close off the timelines. We can help you find this creature. You know we have the manpower."

Maya knew her father was right. At the palace, she could have a whole team help her research the ophiotaurus. This would definitely move a lot faster.

"I'll talk to Heyder," Maya said. "And let you know."

"You know your mother will lose her shit when she finds out about all this."

"Please don't let her come here," Maya dropped her head into her hands. "I'm not ready to deal with everything she did."

"She feels awful," Exton frowned.

"As she should."

"Maya,"

"I'm sorry," Maya sighed. "But what she did was wrong and I have way too much going on to put that on my plate."

"Okay, okay," Exton said. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, daddy," Maya threw her arms around her father.

"I forbid you from using that word," Exton said.

"What?" Maya asked in confusion.

"Never say that word, erase it from your vocabulary," Exton rose from the sofa and turned the gold ring around his finger. "Come home soon."

"I'll try," Maya said.

A few minutes after Exton left, Maya made her way down to the first floor. As she passed Fiza's locked door she wondered if Heyder was in there with her. Her blood boiled at the thought and she was about to barge in when she heard a loud crash coming from downstairs.

From the top of the staircase, Maya watched as Heyder moved all the broken furniture through the air and out the house. He stood in the center of the room with a deep frown as one by one the pile of shattered glass and broken wood got thrown out.

"Watch out," he mumbled as Maya tried to approach him with all the things flying around in the air. She waved her hand and everything froze as she walked up to her mate.

"That was not cool," She said as she stopped in front of him. "I didn't appreciate you dropping the curse on my dad like that."

"He's a big boy, he'll live," Heyder said.

"You can't keep throwing me into situations like that."

"You handled it pretty well," Heyder's jaw flexed.

"Do you ever consider how I feel when you do things like that? Or do you only worry about overwhelming Fiza?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Heyder narrowed his eyes.

"You wouldn't tell her about us because you didn't want to overwhelm her. Yet, in the span of twenty four hours I had to deal with some much shit. Not once did you stop to think about how I'm feeling or how I'm handling everything."

"I am not your therapist,"

"No, but you are my mate," Maya frowned. "And I had so many high expectations of you. But you have your head so far up your ass that you can't even see how you've been dragging me through hell ever since we met."

"Then leave!" Heyder raised his voice. "I'm not your father or Owen or your grandfather. I'm not going to hang on your every word or replace the sun with you."

"No, of course not," Maya said. "Fiza already holds that spot."

"Stop being so insecure, Maya," Heyder snapped. "You know she's not staying."

"And neither am I," Maya suddenly said, surprising herself. Heyder's brown eyes snapped up to her.

"I'm going home," Maya said with a deep breath. "Dad said he can help us find information about the ophiotaurus and send Fiza back. Come with me."

"I work best alone," Heyder said stubbornly.

"We can be faster if we have help."

"I don't need help from your family."

"Then how are you planning on sending Fiza back?"

"I have my ways."

"Heyder," Maya took a step closer to him but the jinn moved back and summoned a portal to the palace.

His small action made Maya light up like an angry firework. She took a step back and closed the portal.

"You want me to leave," she said.

"Yes," Heyder replied. "I've been telling you since yesterday."

"You think I would give you up that easy?" Maya smirked. "You think I would leave you all alone in this house with Fiza, the girl you can kiss without a care in the world?"

"You think I would do that?" Heyder frowned.

"You're capable of doing anything, Heyder," Maya said. "I know how your mind works. You will justify it by saying 'well, technically it's not cheating since you are her."

"Think whatever you want," Heyder pushed aside the broken frame hanging in the air and marched off.

Maya glared after him in anger before she stormed up the stairs.

"Fiza!" She called the girl.

Heyder looked over his shoulder, wondering what she was up to. He changed course and followed her upstairs.

"Fiza!" Maya said as she barged into the bedroom. "Who do you think I am?"

Fiza looked up at the girl in confusion. She laid on the bed with an ice pack on her head. Her long olive green dress draped over the edge of the bed as her wavy dark hair fell over her shoulder.

"My great great granddaughter or something," Fiza said as she slowly sat up.

"Nope. Wrong." Maya said.

"Maya," Heyder warned her to stop but Maya ignored him.

"I am Heyder's wife," Maya blurted out. "And I am carrying his child."

Fiza gasped, "You're lying."

"Maya," Heyder grabbed her arm and tried to pull her out of the room.

"Why do you think he rushed to heal me before you," Maya shook Heyder's hand off. "Why do you think he didn't answer your question about us being together?"

"Emir...." Fiza looked to the jinn.

"His name is Heyder!" Maya said. "He is not your Emir. He is my Heyder. You need to leave and go back to wherever you came from. All this stress is not good for our baby."

Heyder wanted to roll his eyes as he watched Maya place a hand over her belly for the added drama.

"I....I didn't know," Fiza was speechless.

"Now you do," Maya said. "Stop batting your eyelashes at my husband and keep your hands to yourself. Just think of what the people in your community will say if they find out you are a home wrecker."

"Okay, that's enough," Heyder said as he picked Maya up and carried her out of the room. He closed the door behind him and then took Maya into the other bedroom.

"Get off of me," Maya pushed him.

"Is that anyway to talk to the father of your child?" Heyder asked as he sat her down.

Maya blew out a breath as she pushed her hair out of her face. Heyder stood frowning at her with his hands on his hips.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"You're not the only one that can create chaos," Maya glared.

"Fantastic work, your highness," Heyder said. "Now go get yourself pregnant and make that belly grow."

"It's really not that hard of a task," Maya shrugged. "I can get knocked up in less than a day. All it takes is that one good swimmer."

"Cut it out," Heyder said.

"I am marking what is mine," Maya narrowed her eyes. "You might be too scared to tell her to stay away, but I'm not."

"And what will you do when she finds out you lied?"

"For a trickster, you're pretty dumb," Maya laughed. "It's called an illusion spell. I can have her seeing whatever the hell I want."

"You're bat shit crazy, just like your family." Heyder shook his head.

"I want her gone by tomorrow morning," Maya took a step forward and jabbed Heyder's chest.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll make you regret ever bringing her into his house."

What would you do if you were Maya?