Bound To The Enemy Eternal Flames Maddox 3 Page 5

  “Good. That’s good.”

  “Why, Dain?” Justice asked.

  “I would like to ask Frankie to talk to Kerrick and maybe he could describe the creature and Frankie can draw it, then I will hopefully know what it is as well and know what powers it may have.”

  “That’s a good idea. Pauly, can you go give Frankie a call and ask him and Manny to come here?” Illan asked.

  “Of course,” Pauly replied and stood. He took one step, turning toward the door in the back of the courtroom and froze. He just stood there staring at the blank door.

  “Who are you? And how did you get in here?” Pauly asked, taking another step towards the door.

  Dain looked around at all the others and everyone was looking at Pauly, as he was sure he was. As if the man had lost his mind and was talking to a door.

  “Pauly? What the hell are you doing?” Justice asked.

  Pauly looked at Justice over his shoulder and gave him a look that said, duh. “I’m trying to figure out how this guy got in here. I thought you would all be more concerned about some strange man being here,” Pauly answered as he pointed toward the door.

  “Pauly, have you been working too hard?” Nick asked, also giving Pauly a strange look.

  “What in the hell is wrong with all of you? This guy has found his way into a private council meeting. One that has been heavily guarded with spells, and you’re all acting like I’m crazy.”

  “Pauly, there’s no one there,” Justice replied.

  Pauly’s brows went down into a deep V as he stared at Justice for a moment, then he looked to the door, then back to Justice. “He’s standing right the…oh,” Pauly said as his brows raised high on his forehead and his eyes opened wide.

  “What is it, Pauly?”

  “I can see him and none of you can, which means―”

  “Which means it’s your power that is working and whoever it is, is dead,” Justice whispered.

  CHAPTER 7

  “He can see the dead?” Ezra asked in a whisper out of the side of his mouth.

  Destrain turned and gave Ezra a small smile. “Yes. He can talk with them, too.”

  “But usually they only come to me when passing. Not like this,” Pauly said.

  “Your powers are probably getting stronger, Pauly,” Illan replied.

  “So, who is he and what does he want?” Justice asked.

  “I have no clue,” Pauly answered and turned back to face the little man. “So, you heard the man. Who are you and what do you want? You can hear the others, right?”

  The intense little man gave him a soft smile and nodded. Then his lips began to move, but nothing came out.

  “I can’t hear you.”

  The man sighed, then took a step closer and placed a hand on Pauly’s arm. A cold sensation rushed up his arm and he wanted to pull away, but ignored it. Somehow, he knew this would work.

  “I have come to put my sons guilt and shame to rest. There is so much they do not know. But none of it is their fault.” The man’s voice came out a little breathy and like he was speaking through a can. The sound was almost ethereal.

  “Your sons? Who are your sons?” Pauly asked.

  The man turned his head and Pauly followed his line of sight. The man’s gaze landed on Destrain for a moment, before moving on and finding Dain. Sadness filled his eyes and Pauly could see the longing in his blue globes.

  “Shit. You’ve got to be shitting me,” Pauly said.

  The man looked back to him, his brows low as confusion filled his eyes. “Excuse me? That’s disgusting.”

  “No not…” Pauly sighed. “It means you have got to be kidding me, or joking.”

  “I’m not joking. Why would I joke about something like this?” the man huffed angrily.

  “I don’t think you would. It was just a figure of speech.”

  “A damn bad one if you ask me,” the man huffed.

  “Okay, okay. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

  “I feel like we’re sitting here watching this man lose his damn mind,” Kerrick said.

  He sighed heavily and ignored Kerrick’s remark. “I have a feeling I know exactly who you are, but why don’t you tell me your name,” Pauly asked the man.

  “I am King Soral,” Soral exclaimed proudly.

  “That’s what I thought,” Pauly mumbled.

  “Please, tell my sons it was not their fault. Tell them I did what I had to do to save them and my people. Tell them that what Rune is saying is true.”

  Pauly ran his free hand through his hair and turned part way toward the council and he met Destrain’s gaze. Destrain was looking at him with concern. “Who is it, Paul?”

  Pauly cleared his throat. “Your father. King Soral of Shadowfox.”

  “What?” Dain yelled and took a step closer as Destrain just stared at him.

  “He says he is your father and that you’re not to blame. He did what he had to do, and Rune is telling the truth.”

  “Don’t just blurt it out like that! Use a little decorum, a little tact. Why don’t you just say what I say word for word?” Soral admonished him.

  “Don’t get all bitchy with me. You’re the one who needs me to talk to your sons, so chill the hell out,” Pauly argued.

  “He’s reprimanding your speech, isn’t he?” Dain said with a small chuckle.

  “Yes, and he’s being pushy about it, too,” Pauly grumbled. “He wants me to tell you what he says word for word.”

  “What do you need to tell us, Father?” Destrain asked as he looked to the empty space before Pauly.

  “He’s here,” Pauly replied and pointed to the spot Soral stood.

  “I don’t think it’s important where I am standing, young one, just what I have to say.”

  “Oh, now you’re just pissing me off,” Pauly huffed as he glared at Soral.

  “That better be another one of those figures of speech you spoke of because dead or not, if you try to relieve yourself on me, I will find a way to kick your ass,” Soral replied.

  “Okay, this is getting us nowhere. Just say what you have to say and I will repeat it.”

  “Word for word?” Soral questioned.

  Pauly released a frustrated sigh, then said between clenched teeth, “Yes. Word for word.”

  Soral gave him a bright smile. “Good. Now tell them that Rune did help them escape and has been working very hard since that night trying to figure out exactly what Fallon is up to and to try to change it, as well as save his own ass.”

  Pauly looked to the council and repeated everything Soral said as he kept talking.

  “There is so much you don’t know my sons. So much that I wish I had told you about, but didn’t get the chance. You were both young men when the pixie were taken and after that they would never let us in the same room together. That is because Fallon knew if he did, all three of us would have regained our powers and would have been able to overtake him without resistance. But know that when Rune came to me that night and explained to me what he wanted to do, I could feel the pixie power returning. I knew I had to do what I did to get you and our people out of there. It was time for me to go on to the gods anyway so that I could be with my loves.”

  “We knew that losing mother was hard on you, father. Especially when Fallon refused to let you go see her and help her soul cross over in the pixie way,” Destrain said.

  “I loved Dorthia very much and losing her hurt immensely, but she wasn’t my true love, my mate,” Soral replied sadly.

  “What? But I thought you never found your true mate?” Dain asked.

  “That is what you need to know, my son. What I should have told you so long ago. What you all need to know now to help you understand Fallon, and destroy him.”

  “What does Fallon have to do with your mate? Oh gods, father, do not tell me Fallon was your mate,” Destrain said in disbelief.

  “No, my son. Fallon was not my mate. He was my son. Your brother.” Soral answered with sadness.

 
Pauly hadn’t seen that one coming and damn near shit himself with that revelation. Repeating the bombshell Soral just made, Pauly knew he wasn’t alone, in his shock, from the chorus of gasps that came from the others.

  “What are you talking about, father? That madman is not a pixie,” Dain cried.

  “You’re correct, Dain. Fallon is not a pixie, but he is my son. Before you were born, Destrain, I had found one of my true mates. His name was Florian and he was a good man. He was a fairy and I loved him deeply. We were so in love and so connected that we never spent more than a few moments apart. Then one day another came to us, claiming he was our other mate. At first Florian and I looked at him as if he lost his mind. Neither of us felt any kind of pull to him. Back then, the pixie and fairy felt the pull to their mates like the shifters do. It has only been since we spent time in captivity that our kind can only tell their mate with a kiss. I don’t know why that has changed, but I think it has something to do with Fallon, or Lotan, maybe. Anyway, when this man told us this, suddenly all doubt just disappeared. Just…poof. One minute we were questioning him, and the next we knew he was ours and we were eager to claim him and be claimed by him.

  “At the time, I had just found out the day before that I was pregnant with you, Destrain. I was just about to tell Florian the good news when Lotan came to us. Then everything I was going to tell Florian was gone and we were both consumed with our new mate. Well…we…um…”

  “You slept with him. We get it,” Pauly said.

  Soral glared at him. “You could use a little lesson in tact, my friend.”

  “So I have been told. Go on.” Pauly rolled his eyes.

  Soral took a deep breath then released it. “So yes, as the uncouth phoenix has just blurted out, we shared our bodies with him. Right after the deed was done, Lotan became angry and jumped from the bed, yelling at us. During our time together, he realized I was pregnant. That is what enraged him. He jumped from our bed and started yelling about how he had seen me weeks earlier and how he wanted me. He wanted to put his seed in me and have me round with his child. But I was already mated and mates don’t cheat.

  “So, he found a spell that would make us believe him when he said he was our other mate, so that he could get me to lay with him. It was a very powerful bewilderment spell. But once he found out I was already with child, he became enraged and took the spell from us, leaving Florian and I with the reality of what we had just done. Lotan laughed as Florian and I were destroyed. Knowing that we had been fooled and had let another take us, going against everything a mating stands for, had broken both our hearts and left a black spot on our souls.”

  “Oh, my gods, father. I can’t believe this,” Destrain whispered.

  “It wasn’t your fault, father. He tricked you. As you said, he used a spell on you. Neither you or Florian was to blame,” Dain insisted.

  Soral looked to Dain, his eyes full of anguish. “Yes, my son. You’re correct. And even though Florian and I felt immense guilt, we also both knew that we weren’t to blame. We were afraid that allowing another into our bed would destroy our mating, but it only brought us closer together. For a little while at least. But then, a few weeks later, my Florian found out that he, too, was pregnant. We waited anxiously to see if the babe would be mine. Then the day came that I had you, Destrain. Florian and I were beyond happy. You were such a beautiful baby. Then the next day, Florian went into labor, and Fallon was born. Right away we knew the truth. Fallon was not of my seed, but of Lotan’s.

  “Even though he was not my seed child, he was still a part of Florian, so he was my child, too. As the months passed our family was very happy and we showered both our boys with love. Then Lotan appeared again and told us he would take Fallon from us and destroy Destrain unless I swore to go to him and be his. He gave us twenty-four hours to decide and left us. Florian and I didn’t know what to do. We didn’t want our Fallon taken away or our Destrain killed, but how was I supposed to walk away from my family and spend the rest of my days by this man’s side, as his sex slave? So, as much as it killed us, Florian and I decided the only way to save both our sons and me, was for us to separate and hide the children. Florian created the fairy realm and took Fallon there, and I created the pixie realm and Destrain and I hid there. With our magic, we hid the realms from all others. Only fairies could enter their world and only pixie could enter ours.”

  “Holy shit. So, Fallon is our brother? I know he is not of our blood, but he is our brother because of your bond with Florian. And Florian is my seed father, which means…” Destrain suddenly stopped as his eyes went wide.

  “Yes, my son. Which means you are part fairy. Which is also the greatest reason of how you were able to get the pixie out of the fairy lands.”

  “Jesus, Mary, and fucking Joseph. Does Fallon know this? Does he know who you were to him?” Rune asked anxiously.

  Pauly watched as Soral’s eyes filled with a deep sadness. “Yes. He was fully aware of who I was. That was the reason he imprisoned all the pixie. Many years after we separated and hid, when Fallon was about fifteen, Florian found our other true mate and this time he was real. His name was Naal. He was elven. He and Florian tried many times to find a way to get word to me, so that together, the three of us joining the three magics, could find a way to be together. The three magics were always meant to be together to strengthen the magical world. With the leaders of each kind joining together as one, all our magic would grow and we would be able to create a utopia together for the whole of paranormal kind.

  “But because of what Lotan had done, he ruined that plan of the gods. From the things Fallon had told me when he had me enslaved, he spent his life angry with me and seeking revenge for me abandoning him and destroying his father’s heart. He swore he would kill everyone in my bloodline and any other pixie. It is told that if one magic disappears at the hands of another, then the one left standing would gain all the powers of the fallen,” Soral explained.

  “Does that mean that if a fairy were to kill all of the pixie, or all of the elves, that he would gain all the power of that breed for himself or all the fairy?” Kerrick asked.

  “If Fallon succeeded or succeeds in destroying all the pixie, then the fairies would receive all the pixie powers, making the fairies stronger. Then he could use that power to take out the last of the magics, the elves, and gain their power as well, which would make him the ultimate magic, and no other creature besides a god could defeat him.”

  “So, all of this is because Fallon is angry with you for leaving him behind? For giving up your own happiness to keep him safe?” Destrain asked incredulously.

  Soral gave a snort, “Well I would also say that this apple did not fall too far from the tree either. His seed father is an egotistical, self-serving prick, and a very powerful man."

  Soral gave Pauly a chance to repeat his words, then said. "Fallon was also seriously pissed because he feels I chose you over him. He believes that because he wasn’t my seed child and Florian gave birth to a child born of betrayal, that he was not loved or wanted. That I took you and walked away from them without a second thought. But he also blamed Florian. He wouldn’t listen when Florian explained to him what happened. Fallon believes that Florian disgraced our mating by laying with another, and once he was born, Florian’s betrayal was revealed, and that is why I left. As you can tell his mind is all over the place.”

  “So, where do we go from here?” Justice asked.

  “That is why I have come to warn you. Fallon will stop at nothing to kill Destrain, Dain, and all their mates and offspring, in turn making the pixie weak, then he can kill them all.”

  “Which means he will gain their power and then attack my people, killing all elves,” Kerrick said.

  “Yes.”

  “And I have helped him with this sick revenge. A revenge that shouldn’t have been to begin with. I fell for all his lies for many years. I fought beside him during the great Shiite War and helped to almost wipe the dragon and phoenix off the fa
ce of the planet,” Kerrick said in shame.

  Rune wrapped an arm around Kerrick’s waist, then placed a soft kiss on his temple. “You are not to blame, mate. Fallon is very good at deceiving others. He uses that deceit to get others to work for him and do his bidding as they betray their own.”

  “He needs to be stopped. We need to find a way to destroy the fairies,” Kerrick said through clenched teeth.

  “Not all of us, I hope,” Rune whispered as he took a step back, releasing Kerrick, and Pauly could see the hurt in his eyes.

  Kerrick pulled Rune back and cupped his cheek. “No, mate. Not all fairies.”

  “Good, because most fairies are good people and have done their best to stay out of Fallon’s line of sight. They haven’t done anything to stop him because they are afraid and he is so much more powerful than most, but they have also not helped him and have kept to themselves. There are a lot of us that meet in private and talk about what has happened and what we could maybe do to stop it. But once Fallon discovered I had betrayed him, I had to run and have not been able to return to the fairy lands. The other like-minded fairy risked their lives to meet with me over the years,” Rune replied.

  “So, we need to take down Fallon and his followers, but not the other fairies,” Illan said.

  Rune and Kerrick both looked to Illan in surprise. He gave them a droll look in return. “I may be a big dragon and leader of my kind, but that does not mean I am blind. I do know that there is good and bad in all breeds.”

  “So, where do we go from here, father?” Destrain asked.

  “The bond between pixie, elf, and fairy would create a power that even Fallon could not defeat. Which would bind the three magics together forever, and give the white phoenix a chance to gain his strength and come into his full power. He is the only being that can defeat the great evil that seeks to destroy you all.”

  “You mean me, don’t you, father? I am a pixie, Rune a fairy, and Kerrick an elf. But then how did I have a mate already?” Dain asked, his voice cracking with the pain Pauly could see almost crippled him