Zerena's P.O.V.
"Listen here as.shole, we're going to ask you some questions and you better damn well answer them, or I'm going to stick shadows in areas you don't want shadows to be. They'll be nice and prickly too." I immediately threatened the ringleader, bypassing the pleasantries of meeting Percy's mate and parents.
I need to look scary and mean at the moment, even with my large ass baby bump making me look soft. I want this guy to tremble before me, so he feels compelled to answer.
"Kiran, my love, watch Auggie for me. I'm taking this one to the basement." I told Kiran, not wanting to defile the nursery with torture. "Topher, let's go."
He whisked her to the basement, all of us for some reason. I was thinkin
"These three employed the ringleader of Ness Carnival show to hire demons for them. They had demons kill each original family, staging it so that it looked like they were killed by other species." I finally told them, pointing an accusing finger at the trio. There were gasps and murmurs."This is all fabricated lies. She has always hated the way we run things here since she learned about us. She wasn't even raised as a shadow weaver. She just got the taste for being a Watts and now wants to be the only one. Her pregnancy hormones must be making her delus
The elders scolded me for calling a meeting like that. They understood it, but warned me to never do it again. They moved a member from the west elders to the North, allowing Sebastian to return to the West. They then had an Elder from the East move up to become the senior Elder of the North.I didn't bud into any of that. We probably have a civil war starting against the elders soon. I don't like how they do things. At least some of them. This place needs changing for sure!I'd brought my parents back to their home along with Zola. We were hugging happily, the second I pulled out of their embrace, Auggie appeared in my arms."Dammit, where'd he go now?" I heard Kiran looking around, almost making me want to laugh.
Alester's P.O.V.This new crew is useless as a unit. I'd been working them hard the last couple of months, but they were worse than the 5 year old versions of my old crew. There is no replicating years worth of teamwork, no matter how many experiments and enhancements I put in them. At least they'll serve as a way to weaken the others before I attack.If I did my math correctly and assuming that shadow weavers have a pregnancy span of about 5-6 months she'll be due around late September or early October. I'll attack around. Halloween, when the demon plane is stronger. I'll need the extra boost to beat the five of them together."I think we'll need to enhance your muscles again." I told the older, larger boy. I haven't bothered remembering their names. They won't be around long enough
Kiran's P.O.V.Auggie was a month old now and Zerena told me it was time for him to make his contract with the shadows. She'd apparently kept that information from me when we discovered the hidden room. Her parents, her, Topher, myself and Auggie were staring at the book in the hidden room. We had closed the hidden entrance, needing it dark for this process.Shay took the book out of the glass case, holding it in front of Auggie. The book flipped pages on its own until it reached one with a crescent shape in the center."That shall be his page. You need to prick his foot and use his blood to draw the same symbol mirrored in front of it. The shadow that chooses will merge the symbol and the blood to seal the contract." Shay explained to us.
Zerena's P.O.V.How could I be so stupid? I couldn't let a dark shadow get to Auggie, but I should have relied on everyone else more. I shouldn't have sped my shadows more, now Ares will be coming a whole month early. My heart was breaking with guilt and worry for him. He's so little right now to be coming out to the world today.I took a deep breath, trying not to scream as another contraction started. I clutched onto Kiran's hand hard, trying to focus on the sparks of his touch, instead of the pain. Topher rubbed my head giving me something else to focus on. The contraction began to die down as quickly as it had started. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding."Hello, Miss Watts. I see Ares still wants to come out early. We're going to try to stop the labor at least for anot
A week had passed by now and Ares was doing well. I spent most of my time at the hospital. I'd take Augie with me to visit Ares. When I wasn't at the hospital, Percy was there. We never left him alone, not for one minute.I only ever left him to see Auggie. Kiran has Auggie anytime I don't, so I know I'm not leaving him without a parent either. I hate not having them together in the same place for long. The doctor is hopeful that I'll be able to take Ares home next week. Time seems to be passing by so slowly right now. Maybe because hospitals are so boring. Perhaps because I just want to be home with him already."He's getting stronger. He's so beautiful, Zerena." Percy told me as he looked into the incubator, like Ares was an angel sent from above. I held the same admiration, so I don't have room to tease.
I woke to a loud beeping on Ares machine. I had fallen asleep on the rocking chair beside his incubator. I jumped awake, immediately standing by his side and healing him with my angel magic. The beeping slowed back to normal. I had been doing this the past couple of days. I hadn’t left the hospital once in those two days. Kiran would bring Auggie here to see me, but it wasn’t long enough. I just want to be home with my babies. Ares had taken a turn for the worst, catching some kind of illness. Topher lost his mind when I told him.He opened up to me about what happened to his mother when he was younger, and his father. I told him we would find a way to help his father soon. He told me not to worry about that, because he believes what Ares has is what his mother had. He left me so fast with a promise of finding the cure in time. The fear of losing my child is unbridled by any
Percy’s P.O.V. 6 months later My Ares, I write you this letter in hopes you will one day find it. To answer the question I know you will be asking, yes, I knew it was going to happen. I know you will probably hate me for making this decision. Please know that I had no other choice. I saw the many ways it could have played out. The best way for it to end was for me to die. My death catalyzes your mother’s rise to her true power. It was the only way we were going to beat Alester. It was the only way to keep you safe. If I didn’t sacrifice myself, it would have ended with you and your brother being captured. It would have ended in the death of your Aunt Tally’s unborn child, or with the deaths of Emerson and Kellan. Your mother would have lost her heart that day as well. She would have spiraled out of control trying to get you two back. Eventually, she would have succumbed to her darkness, and joined Alester, just to be by your side. I love you, my son. You are my everything and I
I traveled to the spot in the yard, not believing my eyes from that distance. I approached the figure in the moonlight cautiously. He turned when he heard me step on a twig. That long black hair and dark eyes met mine. He smiled widely at me, swooning my heart the way he use to. “Percy?” I cried. “Hey, Zae.” “You as.shole.” I went to punch him but my hand went right through him. He laughed at me. “I figured you’d try to hit me. Sorry I don’t have a body anymore to hit.” He shook his head at me. “I’m sorry, Zae.” “You should be. You have no idea how much this has hurt. Damit Perc, you should have told me. I would have stopped it!” I yelled at him, tears flowing out of me like a waterfall. “You couldn’t have. Trust me, I didn’t want to leave our Ares, but it was the only way.” He sighed. His transparent hand reached for my face. I could feel him the same way I feel the air across my cheek. “Our Ares could really use a visit from you.” I told him. “I only have one more of
8 years later“Happy birthday Ares!” We all yelled, trying to surprise him, but who were we kidding he already knew.“I knew you wouldn’t forget.” He smiled at us all. “Auggie said everyone had forgotten about my birthday and that’s why no one had said it to me yet.”“Augustus Daimen Barlowe! Did you really tell your brother that?” Kiran scolded him.“I thought if he believed it he would actually be surprised.” Augustus explained.“I’ll talk to him, keep the party going.” Kiran told me, kissing my temple, before pointing to the door to let Augusutus know to walk out.I hugged Ares, holding him tightly for a long moment before he complained.“Mom.”“Sorry
Topher had already finished here. He was wrapping the elders up. We don’t plan on killing them or imprisoning them. They just won’t be in power anymore. I know they won’t like it, but with only a few elders they won’t be able to go against a whole army. We’ll be changing a lot around here, starting with the parties and classist shi.t. Obviously the higher class will hate it, but since they are few, I’m not worried about it. “Everything go well in the North?” Topher asked me, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my temple. “Easy as pie.” I assured him. “Yeah, especially after she went all devil on us.” Isaiah smirked. “You did?” Topher asked, obviously not liking the fact. He didn’t like me using that side of myself much. “Yes, just for a little while. I’m fine, don’t worry.” I assured him. He looked at me for a while, assessing me, before nodding his head. He kissed my forehead now, letting his lips linger there. He let his arm wrap around me further, until his hand
2 months later.“It’s gotta be simultaneous.” I told them all, through a mass shadow message. I stared down the elder’s building with group 1 at my side. I decided to take down the north elders, while Topher led the west rebellion group. We had a good amount of people with us in each colony.Our civil war begins. Only it won’t be a war, it’ll be one battle, and we will come out victorious.‘We’re ready in the south.’ Felix, the leader of the south, responded with his own shadow message.‘Say the word and we’ll attack.’ Helena from the East sounded ready to b
It’s been a month now since the battle with Alester. Percy’s funeral hit me hard, breaking me further. I almost couldn’t bring myself to go. Kiran and Topher dragged my as.s there, not giving me a choice in the matter. I saw Allie, her beautiful innocent eyes were puffy from all the crying. She admitted to me that she knew what was going to happen. She told me Percy had asked her not to tell anyone, and that he had set things up for Ares. Apparently Electra had been helping him see into the future. She admitted that she would be joining him soon too. It was almost poetic…almost. It’s so damn heart breaking. I am not sure there is a heart left in me. It feels so hollow in my chest, like it’s run away, unable to take the pain anymore. The only times I felt a remnant of it, were when I was with August or Ares, or when I’d look at Jesse’s ultrasound. She’s not shadow kissed like Augustus. She’s like Ares, in my normal womb. Topher and Kiran did their best at trying to cheer me up, or a
Zerena’s P.O.V.No! God No!Percy’s lifeless body laid at Alester’s feet, his eyes open, staring at Ares. I kept waiting to see him heal. Kept waiting to see him move, to get back up and pummel Alester before him. I watched him for a while, completely dumbfounded. This isn’t real, this isn’t happening. I haven’t lost Kiran and Percy just now. Kiran will come back with his Phoenix, and Percy will heal. They have to. They can’t leave me.A thick sadness was beginning to envelope me. I felt the cold seeping into my bones, as the darkness began to over take me, feeding on my depression. I felt it turning all the heartache in me into an unbridled rage. I looked at Alester now, who had Percy’s heart still in his hand, burning it to Ash befo
Percy's P.O.V. Zae had made her announcement to everyone. I thought it was sweet of her to go along with Topher's plan to have an announcement party. This is how it should have gone. A baby with only the person she chose and not because some crazy bastard gave her a sea witch's potion. I watched as everyone congratulated her. She actually accepted the hugs. God, I hope she continues to open up after I'm gone. I wrote her a letter too. I put it where I knew she'd find it after my funeral. I hope she takes the advice I wrote for her. Everyone was having fun. I watched as Zae's people all intermingled. It was like watching the many parts of Zea's life come together beautifully. Eventually, the party had started to whine down. The first to leave was group 1, followed by Zea's parents, and then Tate and Alara with her twin, Alexis, plus Maple left. Kellan had decided to stay a while longer to talk to Dex about water portalling. Rain and her mate, Nate, left as well. The only ones he
Zerena’s P.O.V.“How does this look?” Kiran asked, when he finished the icing on the cake.“Looks great!” I smiled at him, kissing his cheek. “Thank you, Kiran.”I was actually excited for today. I never thought I would be a big announcement kind of gal, but I think that I am. I really like the idea of surprising everyone today. Topher and I have been over the moon about our baby girl. I can’t wait to share the news with everyone. I am so very lucky to have Percy. I don’t think I would have noticed I was pregnant for at least another month. I am also so grateful that he has saved me time with naming all these children. Already knowing their names and their genders has been very convenient.
Percy’s P.O.V.Dearest Ares,I know you’re going through a hard time right now. It’s hard to be in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same way as you. I felt this way about your mother for the longest time. I know it is difficult, especially to watch them be happy with someone else. I promise you, it will get better. You will find your mate soon, and the pain you are feeling will be a distant memory.Stay by her side, fight through the pain, my son. She will need you when your brother inevitably breaks her heart. It will hurt, but you’ll have to help fix them in order to find your own happiness. I know you have a great heart. I can already see how morally grounded you are. You will make the right decision. I have faith in you.&nb