Lucian
That dinner invitation was stressful all around. But, at least it was fun! I got to poke at Isla and make her sweat a little. I worked her like a fiddle, and once I came back a hundred times stronger, she’d lose that bet she’d so carelessly made. I couldn’t wait to see her face when I dropped those shadow elps with ease!
After dinner, I took a walk alone around the manor. At this point, the guards knew who I was, even though it felt like they had their eyes on me. I wanted to be a step ahead, and see what I’d be getting myself into once I returned to Rasani. There was a lot of ground to cover, but I hadn’t seen anything too alarming. Then again, Isla had mentioned perimeter—the radius could stretch as far as the Rasani manor wanted to. But for now, I didn’t want to get too close without meeting with the mother spirit first.
That night, I went to bed, and fell asleep faster than I could start counting sheep. That delicious meal had given me the itis, and I was planning on being in a food coma until I woke up the next day bright and early.
++++
The next morning seemed promising, but also eerie and looming. Could be because I’d had a nightmare about my last date, Nicole almost having had put me to bed permanently. She’d looked downright monstrous, with a face that was worse than any fictional beast I’d ever seen. With skin as dark as shadows, and blades for arms, ready to send me six feet under. I couldn’t get rid of the picture of malice engraved in her vicious face, coming after me because of my association.
Cai had confirmed there were others, that nightmare leaving me rattled. I rolled on my back on the bed, waking up an hour earlier than scheduled. My fingers strummed along the gem on my chest, trying to figure out if my father had an idea that I could have been a potential target. He must have known those shadow elps were on Earth, right? Did he feel guilty and vanish because of what had happened to mom?
He had given me his spear-head shaped gem at my mother’s funeral. And then, poof. No more dad. Kiran had left me with anger, regret, sorrow, and worry. I’d never gotten any closure, thinking that maybe those killers got to him after they’d gotten to mom. But now I knew that wasn’t the case, because dad wasn’t easy to put down.
Hell, he wasn’t even fucking human…
He’d just left me and Nonna without telling anyone a damn thing.
I didn’t want to catch myself being angry at Kiran, but I was. Now that I thought about it, all of this could have been avoided if he had just been honest with the family, instead of hiding the fact that he was a freakin’ god of another planet. For Christ sake. Though, I guess back then I wouldn’t have been very open minded to the possibility, seeing as I’d only seen a shadow elp recently, and I was still in denial.
At first…
Now, I was just scared that I’d been convinced, treading cautiously, hoping that I’d be ready for when one sprung out to get me.
After all, my survival here was crucial. I needed to avoid being The Void’s next meal.
I got up, got washed, dressed, and headed out with my gear out the door. Down the hallway I didn’t expect to see Cai, who happened to be closing the door to her bedroom as well, all ready to head on out. She gave me a glance to let me know that she acknowledged me, then shyly drew those exotic eyes away before she greeted me. “Good morning, Lucian…”
“Hey Cai!” I beamed. “I actually didn’t expect you to be up so early.”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“W-why?”
“Not sure. Maybe I’m just jittery from the champagne, being underage and all.”
…
Ugh, I couldn’t help it, I broke out bawling!
She had me in near tears with that dry joke! And coming from Cai, it was ten times funnier!
She was always so serious, so I was glad she’d learned to open up with me. Her sarcasm was what I needed this morning, a dose of comedy. I walked up to her and gave her a hug, the top of her ivory hair barely meeting my chin.
“You’re not still sour about what I said last night, are you? I was just messing with you, Cai.”
She didn’t say a word back to me, merely holding me around my waist while her chest pounded at mine.
“I thought you were upset about what happened between us. You were being passive, and I wanted to break you out of it, thinking you’d lash out at me for being crude. You didn’t take my bait, and I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I just wanted you to talk to me again, is all. Truce?”
“Truce…”
I moved back an inch, Cai still hiding her face from me. I took her by the chin, lifting her beautiful eyes my way. “And besides, you look great for two hundred.”
She smiled at me sweetly. “Thank you, Lucian.” She released me, but her face gave way to needing more out of me. I wasn’t sure what, so I waited for her to direct me about it, but when she started to look like she was about to say something, “Lucian, I…” she broke her train of thought, Cai looking at me like I killed her puppy or something.
“What is it, Cai?”
She sighed, dropping her shoulders, and biting her lip at me. “Nothing.”
“Are you sure we are square?”
“Of course.”
“Great! Come on, I smell breakfast downstairs. I want to grab something before we head back out.”
Cecil made us these egg-filled buns, super fresh, and I was super grateful! I tucked away half a dozen for the road, and the kinder of the ladies made sure we were well fed with a breakfast feast that I’d never seen before. We ate at the backyard this time, where Cecil emphasized the importance of being around the sun in Ligera. It’s where all of their light powers came from, that, and the embodiment of the light’s rays, being my father. Cecil also brought up a bit of her history, of how her husband had died two years ago at the war, and how bad Isla had taken it. Isla blamed herself for her father’s death, because she was supposed to have been there by his side during the battle. Cecil said she had refused for good reason, because Isla was still training under her father, and was far from ready to tackle these shadow elps head on.
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It was why Isla made it her personal mission to guard her father’s estate. She felt as though that was the best she could do granted the outcome of the war. Cecil admitted that Isla had always been hard to get close to, but after Harold had died, Isla closed herself off even more.
Personally, I understood where she was coming from, and didn’t hold Isla’s attitude against her. I already saw breaking to her as a challenge, but now that I knew what she was about, I could reach out to her better.
A fighter at heart, much like my pops.
She was giving me that warrior vibe, being as tough as nails. I then wondered if she’d be interested in joining Cai and I in our quest to purge this world of shadow elps. I imagined Isla wouldn’t stray too far from her work at home, but it didn’t hurt to ask her mother.
“Hmm, I cannot say I see her traveling outside of Rasani,” Cecil replied, with a teacup along her red painted lips.
“Well, it was just a suggestion, seeing as she loves getting her hands dirty,” I finished.
While my plate was empty, my mind was full, thinking outside of the box here. But, if I did happen to get Isla pregnant, then I’d rather her stay put, outside of the field, and inside of her home.
“If you’d like, I can bring it up to her. She disappeared on me this morning. Probably out in her little playpen,” she giggled.
“Her playpen?”
“Mhmm. That’s what I call her training hut. She trains almost every morning.”
“Heh, gotta love a committed girl.”
“Yes, if there’s one thing that is strong about Isla, it is that she is very disciplined.” She smiled. “She gets that from her father,” Cecil said, before she reached over the round table, taking my hands into hers. “I know she can be a tough little nut to crack, but I assure you, my daughter is devoted to her people, and she will do everything in her power to preserve it. I only ask that you be patient with her, prince.”
“Ha, you can just call me Lucian, Lady Cecil.”
She smiled warmly.
“And don’t worry, I’m not easily offended. I actually like your daughter and her spunky and spicy attitude.”
Her face lit up. “Enough to call her your mate?” She gasped, reeling back into her seat, flattered. “I’d be the happiest mother in all of Ligera! To have my daughter as one of the prince’s brides!”
“Eh, ehm, well, we may be thinking a little ahead of ourselves, here!” I claimed, my collar getting all stuffy.
“I am sorry, Lucian, I just got so excited! No rush, you have time to decide. For now, simply focus on coming back to us, so you can clear our land, and breed my daughter!”
I was glad she was so enthused about both of those things. Cecil later brought up a special light trait that I could get later once awakened. She mentioned that she had a bright smile, bright enough to light up an entire room. I thought she was being modest; her smile could light much more than a room! But Cai told me she was referring to her light beam that she could emit from her mouth, hence that joke about her blindingly white teeth.
Cecil didn’t mention anything about Isla’s special light powers, so I assumed she wasn’t born with any special gifts like Cai and Lady Cecil. Now I was curious to see if this visit to the temple would unlock any special traits within these hybrid bones, because I was tired of being powerless.
“Oh, miss Janei!” Cecil beamed, both Cai and I looking toward the direction she was turning to from the table. One of her house maids walked in with a crying baby in a swaddle, Cecil reaching her arm out ready to take the baby from her. “Is it feeding time already?”
“Yes, my lady,” Janei’s flowery voice begged, crouching over to hand Cecil the infant. She looked like she was a month old; I could be wrong. But when Cecil started to lift up her top, I soon realized what she meant by feeding time.
Her breast was engorged, with skin so revealing that I noticed those blue veins running down them. Her fleshy saucer areola stared at me mesmerizingly, and while I knew it was rude to stare back, I couldn’t help but lock eyes with that tempting nipple poking out of her dress.
“Lady Cecil, I didn’t know you have a baby,” Cai curiously said.
“Oh no, she isn’t mine. Merrick’s wife died three months ago from birth. I offered to help him raise his newborn. Merrick is one of my most trusted guards. I owe it to him to help raise his only daughter.”
“That’s sweet of you, Lady Cecil…” I complimented, my voice coming off as sluggish, my eyes distracted by her huge nursing nipple. “So very sweet…”
“A lot of shadow elps tend to prey on the weak and vulnerable as easy targets. Because of this, he would never leave Yanchi’s side. So I told him if he feels safer within these walls, he is more than welcome to bring his child here. Yanchi and I have grown close ever since.”
Cecil must have caught me staring, because her question jabbed me right at my chest. “Are you excited to have one of your own in nine months?”
“Huh?” I lifted my head up toward her. “Oh-ugh, yeah! Yeah, of course! I’m excited, a bit nervous too, but, mostly honored, really, to father so many kids.”’
“And you’ll make a great father and lover to your mates, Lucian…”
Heh, it was time to pull that collar back again. If I didn’t know any better, it looked like Cecil was flashing me bedroom eyes again. I might have given her a white lie back there—sure, I felt honored, but the excitement was somewhat fabricated. I’d be scared shitless for my offspring. They would be scattered throughout the districts. How was I going to protect all of them at the same time? Part of being a father meant protecting and providing for your family. I had so much ground to cover, and I felt overwhelmed with the concept of ditching as part of Cai and I’s agreement. I wanted to be there for my kids. I didn’t want to abandon my children like my father did…
I had a lot to consider here, but I didn’t want to scare myself by thinking too far ahead.
After a delicious breakfast, Cai and I finally made our way out the front door, waving goodbye to Lady Cecil.