The words sting. I don’t let things get to me, but right now it’s like those words are a blade wedged deep inside me. I failed… I really did try. I’m fucking useless for the second time…
“He tried to call me and Leo! Stop fucking blaming him!” Azura snarls, her aura flaring. If she wasn’t holding me, I know she would have gotten up.
“He is her division leader-”
“And her boyfriend,” Azura cuts in. “He loves her. It’s not like he wanted shit to happen.”
She’s my mate, and she rejected me.
But I can’t bring myself to say those words as they continue arguing.
“I’m fucking sorry, Del, Maria,” Uncle Alejandro says softly as I hear him move over to them. “Fuck…”
“I’ll… I’ll take her,” Raihana whispers. “Come on, Del. And then I’ll perform a location spell and see if I can locate her. If she’s anywhere on earth, I’ll find her.”
“Good plan,” Leo says.
There’s motion before the door opens and shuts.
“Alejandro, calm down. Anything said in anger is never right,” Maria says quietly.
“Jayce, pull yourself together and fucking look at me; we need the full story,” Uncle Alejandro says. This time, his voice is calmer but full of urgency.
I try to pull myself together and sit up. I owe them that much.
I glance at Leo and give him a small nod that I can do this, and I quietly tell them, regarding her dreams, telling Leo what I figured out, how my intuition was somehow blocked, her being distant and how I ended up here tonight. Leo inputs a little as he paces. I heard him send some guards to check the area that I explained about, where the veil was, but I knew before they even returned that they wouldn’t find it. I had seen it disappear.
Dad is quiet as he listens, whilst Uncle Alejandro’s temper is only rising.
I finish with how she refused to listen and paralysed me, leaving out how I begged like a fucking dog but was cast aside.
“If she was so adamant that she didn’t want you to be there, it was foolish of you to fall for that trick,” Uncle Alejandro says, his irritation clear in his voice.
“Enough,” Dad cuts in. I don’t think I’ve heard him speak so coldly before. “I know you’re hurt, and so am I. Losing a child, any child… but you have no right to pin this blame on Jayce.”
“Then who should we blame?” Tatum asks as the door slams open, his eyes fuelled with rage. “You were with her, right?”
The room falls silent, and it feels like I’ve just been stabbed in the gut. Even he’s accusing me? Alessandra and Heaven are right behind him, their eyes wide as they look at me.
“And we know Helios chose her only because of her connection to you. Because you are the Deimos King, which is the bottom line,” Uncle Alejandro mutters, his hand twisting in his hair.
It’s as if I’ve been stabbed in the gut.
“All of you stop this,” Maria says, but no one listens. I can sense the pain, the anger, the confusion, the fear, the regret, all swirling around the room.
Alejandro is full of guilt that he wasn’t here to protect her, and blames himself far more than his words towards me. Leo’s calm façade is anything but; his emotions are in turmoil, and he’s angry. Dad is hurting, Tatum is angry and scared, and Azura is upset but angry. The only one who is in pain but is controlling her emotions is Maria.
“We will take our leave. It’s clear staying for longer is only upsetting you more,” Dad says.
“So, you’re running rather than trying to help find a solution?” Uncle Alejandro asks.
“I’m protecting my son!” Dad snarls, his aura swirlingaround him. “He has been through hell, too! Let’s not forget that. He is still a child!”
“Dad, it’s fine, let’s just go,” I say quietly.
“I’m out, too,” Azura says.
“Azura-” Leo begins, but she shakes her head.
