“Cher, you’re lucky my knuckles don’t drag across the floor when I walk.” He winked at her.
Jaden scowled. “He is not like the other Malachais, is he?”
Caleb clapped his father on the back. “We blame your screwed-up genes on this, all the way around.” He wrinkled his nose. “Can’t wait to find and meet that next generation of screwed up.”
Xev snorted. “Ain’t that the truth.”
A hurt look passed over Kody’s face. “I know I can’t be the mother. I’m too young.”
Nick bit his lip. “As a Malachai, I have the power to look ahead and see who the mother of the next Malachai is. Right?”
Jaden nodded.
“I wouldn’t advise it.” Caleb met his gaze.
Xev concurred. “I’m going to weigh in with my brother and Acheron. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Yeah, maybe, but for now … “Kaziel, we have a problem. Aeron went missing and we can’t find him.”
His green eyes darkened to the same red they were in his wolf form.
No, that wasn’t spooky or creepy at all. Not even a little.
His breathing intensified. “Was he attacked, like?”
Oh yeah, now there was a thick, almost unintelligible Welsh accent. It made Aeron’s seem bland.
“We don’t know. I sent him to watch Kody and he never made it.”
Reddish-orange flames radiated from his entire body. His tattoos turned red.
“Xev? Is that normal?”
“Yes.”
When Kaziel started to turn around, Xev caught his arm and stopped him. “Where is he?”
“Nether Realm. Rather, he’s being held to lure the Malachai.”
Jaden let out a tired sigh. “I’ll get him and Zavid, and return them.”
The color drained from both Caleb’s and Xev’s faces. “We can’t let you do that.”
“Like you really care. Besides, if any of you go in there, Noir and Azura will know. No one will notice me.”
“Why would you do this?” Caleb searched Jaden’s features with his gaze.
“I’m your father.”
“Now you get paternal?”
Jaden shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve always been a jerk. Take after my sons.”
“Wait!” Xev approached him slowly. “You never told us your price for helping us.”
Tears welled in Jaden’s eyes. “I got to see my boys again.” His gaze went to Nick. “Find out that I have a great-grandson … and you gave me something I haven’t had in countless centuries.”
“What?” Xev breathed.
“Hope. I don’t need anything else.”
“You know what they’re going to do to you when you return?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “What they do to me has never bothered me. What has always pissed me off is that one by one, all three of you threw away the freedom I bought for you with my blood and soul by chaining yourselves to my enemies because you were too damn hardheaded to listen!”
A tic started in his jaw as he hesitantly held his hand out to Xev. “I know sorry can’t even begin to repair the damage I’ve done to either of you. The mistakes I made were never done for spite or out of cruelty. And if I could bring back Myone or Lilliana, I would.”
Pain radiated so deep in Xev’s hazel eyes that it choked Nick as he took Xev’s father’s hand and he pulled him in for a hug. “Thank you for coming.”
Jaden didn’t speak. But Nick wished Xev could see the anguish on his face as he held him and fisted his hand in his hair. Hair that turned completely black beneath his fist. And before he released him, he kissed his brow, turning his eyebrows black as well.
Nick met Caleb’s shocked expression, but neither of them said a word as Jaden turned toward Caleb.
“Stay out of the line of fire.”
“And you.”
Jaden held his hand out to Caleb.
Tears swam in Caleb’s eyes before he took his hand and they embraced.
Then in a bright flash of light, Jaden was gone.
Caleb choked on a sob. “You worthless bastard!” he growled, wiping at his eyes.
Xev cleared his throat. “Kaziel? Could you please go with him and help him free Aeron?”
Kaziel placed a brotherly hand on Xev’s shoulder before he vanished.
“You sure you don’t want me to—”
“No!” they shouted in unison.
“Okay,” Nick said, holding his hands up in surrender. At least that broke their melancholia.
Caleb manifested a small hand mirror for Xev and held it up for him to see. “Thought you’d want to know.”
He gasped as he saw himself whole for the first time in hundreds of thousands of years. “Why would he lift this portion of the curse?”
“No idea. The others will kill him when they find out.”
Smiling, Kody walked over to him. “You look so strange like this. I’ll miss the old you.”
He laughed at her words. “You’re the only one who felt that way.”
“Cherise, too.”
He lowered the mirror. “My two Arelim.” Cupping her cheek in his hand, he kissed her forehead. “Treasure her, Nick. Those who judge only by the heart are far too rare in this world.”
“Believe me, I know.” Nick paused as a bad feeling went through him.
“You okay?”