Syrra

Okay some of you guys really need to pay attention to who is commenting/responding because people keep arguing with me when I answer a question XD

I know a lot of you guys are mad at me and this chapter might make you even more upset but I hope the end of it makes you a little happy at least :)

******

He still hasn't let go of the letter. He keeps staring at. He reads it over and over again then closes his eyes for a few moments. When he opens them again and sees the letter still in his hands his shoulders slump a little more.

"There's no way this is real right?" he whispers, looking up at me.

The pain on his face and the hopeful look in his golden eyes makes my stomach turn. I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I don't know what to say.

"Please tell me this is all just a bad dream," he begs.

I bite my lip hard. It's going to be okay, I want to tell him but I know it's a lie. I bite harder until I taste blood on my tongue. "I'm sorry Kaine," is all I manage.

The last glimmer of hope in his eyes suddenly vanishes. I step closer to him and he wraps his arms around my waist. I suck in a sharp breath as I feel a sudden pressure behind my eyes.

He is on his knees, hugging my waist to hold himself up. I can feel something wet on my stomach and a tear slips down my cheek. I run my fingers through his hair, silently praying for the gods to give me something to say.

I blow out a heavy breath and blink a few times to stop the tears running down my cheeks as my mind wanders back to just an hour ago. I sent Rexall to check on Queen Zari, I was worried she might hurt herself in the mountains in her condition.

By the time Rexall caught up with her she was already in the werewolf territory. He followed her to make sure she didn't do anything reckless. I thought she was going to kill somebody but after she found her mate she just passed out.

I still don't know how to tell Kaine and his brother that their father is gone too. Watching them slowly break down after losing their sister just makes it impossible.

I look over at Ash with envy. He lays on the pile of pillows with Jaxon on top of him, his face buried in the crook of his neck. Ash strokes Jax's hair and holds him tight and whispers in his ear.

He knows exactly how to comfort Jaxon and I have absolutely no clue where to even start with Kaine. I've never lost anyone. There's no ancient text that teaches coping with death. There's no spell to get rid of grief.

I look down at Kaine with a tiny sigh. I put my hand on the side of his face and he looks up at me, pulling away slightly.

His eyes are red and his hair is sticking up in all different directions and he looks absolutely exhausted. "Baby you need to get some rest," I murmur.

He slowly nods and I pull him to his feet. I tug him down the hallways and to his bedroom where he faceplants on his bed. I start to leave but his voice stops me.

"Can you stay please?"

I chew on the inside of my cheek for a few moments then nod with a small smile. "Yeah I'll stay."

******

I can hear shouting outside the palace walls. Through the windows I see dozens of dragons rushing towards the main clearing. "What's going on?" I ask one of the guards.

"The queen has returned."

Kaine and Jaxon immediately barrel past me, roughly shoving the doors open. I jog after them, Ash just behind me.

The main clearing is filled with warriors and guards that surround a massive black dragon. Talon. They immediately move aside for the brothers.

I follow closely, craning my head to see what's going on. I can feel the ground shaking beneath my feet with Talon's rumbling growl. My gaze follows Kaine's and gasp escapes my lips.

In the dragon's razor sharp claws is a young man. His eyes are wide with fear as he looks around him.

The warriors suddenly move away when Talon growls at them. He releases the boy and I watch as the dragon starts to shift. One guard runs forward with a dress as Queen Zari is recognizable again.

Her eyes are still flaming red after she pulls it on.

"Mom what the hell is this douchebag doing here?" Kaine growls.

There is pain and anger written all across her face. "This douchebag was your sister's mate. She rejected him and he responded with a silver knife," she snarls, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"You son of a bitch!" Someone growls and the boy's eyes fly wide. He takes off running, shifting into a brown wolf. The warriors move to stop him, but Queen Zari raises her hand.

"Let him go!" She snaps and they back off. "Kaine bring Peter back here," she growls.

I watch as he shifts and chases after him. His red wolf reaches the boy in seconds and tackles him to the dirt. The brown wolf yelps and whimpers as Kaine drags him back.

He drops the wolf in front of his mother then moves to my side. I wave my hand when Kaine shifts back and he's wearing a pair of shorts. "Who the hell is this?" I ask as the wolf shifts back as well. Queen Zari takes a pair of shorts from a nearby guard and throws them at the boy's feet.

"His name is Peter. He's a sadistic fuck that likes bullying pups and thinks it's funny to beat up people and apparently he also thinks rejection is a valid reason to kill someone's sister!" he snarls and I jump a little when he suddenly smashes his fist into the boy's face.

Queen Zari puts her hand on Kaine's shoulder and pushes him away. She swallows hard. "Boys I need to tell you this now, you deserve to know and if I keep it any longer I'm going to lose my mind," she grits out. "Something else happened at the wolf pack."

I put my face in my hands and clench my jaw. I can't watch this.

"Your father, he uh, well you know how he gets sick when I leave for too long? He was doing better this time but after Maia―" her voice cracks and I feel my gut twist. "He couldn't take it anymore and he shot himself."

I feel wetness on my hands and I take a deep breath as I look up again. Silent horror slowly passes over Kaine's face. His eyes go blank as he stares directly at me.

I move forward and he pulls me against his chest. "This isn't fair," he growls.

"I know it's not, I'm sorry," I mutter.

"This is all your fault Peter you fucking bastard!" he snarls and I quickly dart out of the way when he leaps forward to punch him again.

He continues punching him until his face is bruised and bloody and barely recognizable as a person. My eyes widen as I watch Kaine lift him up off the ground with only a single hand around his throat.

Peter's feet flail and he claws at Kaine's hand trying to free himself. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you do something like that you son of a bitch?" Kaine growls, his face twisted in pain.

Peter tries to speak but it comes out as a strangled noise so Kaine drops him. I wince when he lets out a cry as he lands awkwardly on his leg. He coughs violently for a few moments before struggling to his feet.

"It was bad enough I got your stupid bratty sister as my mate, but then the little bitch actually had the nerve to reject me because she thinks I'm not good enough to be the werewolf king," he snaps and my jaw drops in shock.

"You killed their sister because she hurt your feelings?" I ask, my nose wrinkled in disgust.

He glances at me and smirks. "Well aren't you just a fuckable piece of ass―" his vulgar words are cut off by his own scream.

His body writhes in the dirt and his limbs jerk violently as the high-pitched scream escapes his mouth. I thought Kaine attacked him but he is standing next to me, his eyes wide in shock.

My mind is swirling in confusion, there is no one touching him and not a single person around me is capable of magic. I peer closer at his thrashing form and gasp at the fire literally burning under his skin.

I feel my hands shake as I notice Jaxon's gleaming red gaze and move to the queen's side. She watches the scene before her unfold with cold eyes.

"Dragons can't do that, can they?" I whisper, panic slipping into my voice.

"Azazel is one of the original dragons and she has never taken control before now. No one knows what she can do," she mutters.

The boy suddenly stops moving, staring up at the sky with blank eyes. I think for a moment that he is dead but then I see his chest rise.

Queen Zari starts moving towards him and the brothers step back. She puts her hand around his throat and lifts him up. He claws at her hand as she tightens her grip. Her jaw is clenched and she lets out a low growl as she starts to slowly choke the life from him.

"If only killing him would bring their sister back," I hear Ash mumble beside me.

"Yeah, if only," I murmur. Then my eyes widen in realization. "Wait Queen Zari!" I shout but she ignores me.

"Lyza please don't kill him!" I yell.

"Why? He killed my daughter!" she snarls.

"If you stop I can give you a grandchild!"

She releases him and turns around with her eyes full of confusion. "What?"

"I can't have children. But in exchange for his life I will be able to give you a grandchild," I explain.

"How?" she asks, gritting her teeth.

I can tell she's struggling to control her dragon. "A spell, it'll be excruciatingly painful. I need to rip out his soul and then take its energy."

She clenches her jaw, breathing deeply. Her eyes are a glittering red and I can feel her power pulsing in time with her sons'.

"Do it," she finally snarls.

I pull my dagger out of my boot and slowly step towards the boy. I close my eyes for a moment, desperately searching my mind for the incantation. "Fuck," I mutter as it doesn't come.

I put my finger onto the tip of the blade, pressing until a small bead of blood wells up. I draw a symbol on my other hand and reach out, running my fingers along the bindings. I find the one for dark magic and pull it back.

The book is thick and heavy but with a wave of my hand it floats before me. I flip to the page I need and take a deep breath. I glance at the boy. Fear fills his eyes and I can't help the smirk that crawls onto my lips.

I clench my jaw and drag my blade down each wrist, watching as my blood drips into the dirt. I raise my hands and read the prayer.

"I present my blood to the earth and ask that you grant me a single birth,

A soul is all I ask you spare, so that a child I may bear."

I feel the ground beneath my feet begin to shake and smoke suddenly rises around me in a black cloud. The boy scrambles to escape but he can barely stand.

I wave my hand and the black smoke grabs him. It snakes around his limbs and pins him to the ground. A sigh of relief escapes my lips. They accepted my prayer.

I shift my grip on the dagger, my fist closing tightly around the handle. I take a deep breath and begin reading the spell.

"On this night, let the waters run black and the fires burn bright.

No man shall be protected, excepting those that art respected.

I take this creature's life who hath caused such strife

And collect his soul to make my womb whole."

I stand over the boy, carefully positioning the point of my dagger in the center of his chest. I drag the blade down his sternum and grin as his screams of agony pierce my ears.

I step back, watching as the black tendrils of smoke creep inside the gaping wound. The boy screams and thrashes but the smoke holds him tight. His eyes roll back in his head and his body begins to convulse.

His screams echo and bounce off the walls of smoke, high and shrill. Then they go silent.

A blue light appears in his wound, surrounded by the swirling black smoke. It moves upward, completely weightless and brighter than anything I have ever seen.

The remnants of the spell echo in my mind.

"The soul I need not, the energy it holds is what I sought.

Remove the taint of his mind and what is left shall be kind,

My child will live the life anew no matter what may ensue.

Mayan his name will be. Just and fair gods, hear my decree."

The blue light surrounds me and I gasp at the warmth. It seeps into my pores and fills me with a tingling sensation. I close my eyes, my shoulders slumping and my legs weakening.

Everything starts to fade and I slowly open my eyes when I feel hands on my face. Golden eyes appear in front of me. "Syrra are you okay?" he asks softly.

"Yeah I'm fine, the spell worked," I grin.

"Wait you're pregnant now?"

I laugh. "No, but I have the ability to become pregnant now," I tell him. "The only thing that is a little unfortunate about the spell is you cannot change the gender so no matter what the child will be a boy. And you have to choose a name in order to complete it."

"Oh," he mutters. "So what's his name going to be?"

"Mayan, after your sister Maia," I say with a smile.

His eyes widen and he throws his arms around me, hugging me so tight I can barely breathe. "Thank you."