“He wouldn’t go after them too,” Sahirasaid.
“But he might,” Lexi insisted. “And he coulddestroy them all before they got a chance to fight. He doesn’t killeveryone now because they pay taxes and bow down to him. He lovescontrolling them, but we’re all puppets in his game, and he’d bemore than happy to cut our strings.”
“If this goes badly, he’ll destroy them allanyway,” Orin said.
“But that won’t happen because ofus.If this goes badly, it will behisfault. But if we run now,it will beours.”
“He won’t go after so many,” Brokk said. “Hestill needs followers, even if he’d prefer them all dead. He getsthe most joy from torturing and killing; he can’t do that if allhis followers are dead.”
“There’s the bright side we’ve all beensearching for,” Orin said.
Del rose from where he sat, and his gazefastened on Lexi while he spoke. “When you were a baby, all Iwanted was to keep you safe. As you grew, Sahira and I knew that,no matter what we did in this life, the most important thing waskeeping you alive.”
Lexi’s hands tightened around Cole’s, and herchin rose. Cole recognized the look as the one she got when she wasabout to fight for something, but then Del kept talking.
“Maybe we didn’t always do things the rightway, but I’m very proud of the woman you’ve become. It doesn’tmatter what anybody else says; you know what you have to dotoday.”
Lexi gulped, and tears pooled in her eyesbefore she blinked them away. “We have to go.”
Del gave a brief bow of his head. “You haveto go. You have to know if there are answers in Dragonia for you,and you can’t run away and leave others to suffer. If you ascendthat throne, you can’t sit on it and look into the faces of thoseyou left behind.”
Cole had always admired Del’s insights andsteadfast demeanor. He despised them now.
Lexi released his hands and walked over toembrace her father. They clung to each other before Del pulledaway.
“You’ve grown into such a beautiful youngwoman,” Del said. “And I don’t just mean on the outside. You’remore beautiful on the inside.”
“The inside is all because of you andSahira,” Lexi told him.
This time, Del had to wipe tears from hiseyes. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Lexi rested her palmagainst Del’s cheek and rose to kiss the other one. “Dad.”
Cole had to look away as a pang of longingpierced through his heart. He’d barely had time to grieve hisfather, a man he’d loved deeply. Seeing these two together was ablessing, but it also reminded him of the hole in his life.
When he glanced at his brothers, hediscovered them focused on anything but Del and Lexi. It didn’tmatter that Varo and Orin had stood against their father. They’dalso loved him dearly.
Lexi pulled away from Del and walked over tohug Sahira. The two of them embraced before saying I love you andbreaking apart. When Cole held out his hand to Lexi, she returnedto him.
“Be ready in case something goes wrong,” hetold the others. “You might be better off going to the prison realmnow. It will be safer for you there.”
“You know nothing about that realm,” Brokksaid. “You’ve never been there and wouldn’t be able to findit.”
“You could leave a portal open for us.”
“And if trouble follows you here?” Orininquired. “You could need help.”
“We’ll wait here for you,” Varo said. “Butwe’ll be ready to go if it becomes necessary.”
“Okay,” Cole relented; he couldn’t force themto leave.
“Bye, everyone,” Lexi said and gave a smallwave as Cole opened a portal before them.
“Be safe!” Kaylia called as they stepped intothe portal.
CHAPTER 45
Lexi stepped out of the portal and into anarea closer to the human city. She’d seen the smoke from the ruinedcity from her home, but she’d never ventured close to it until theLord’s men came to take her to Dragonia.
