Page 123 of Taming the Kraken

But it wasn’t just them. A woman with dull, lifeless skin walked toward the pool. Her skin sagged slightly from her body as her soulless eyes peered into the darkness. She turned her head slightly to the side as her lips curled up in a sinister smile.

“Well well well … what do we have here?”

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

Ken and Alexa appeared in the centermost room of the castle in Elysia. Her whole family was already there, including her parents. There was a lot to discuss, but first she needed to put Raine’s mind at ease.

Alexa looked at her cousin, who met her gaze with wide, worried eyes. “We found Ryker, and he’s okay. He has his memories back now, and everything is okay with him. I think it’s more appropriate for him to talk to you about it, but just know he’s fine. Right now, he’s investigating a pool of power he’d discovered back before he lost his memories. The others are with him.” She turned and looked at Lucie and Derrick as she said this, letting them know where Jasper was.

Raine leaned back in her seat and buried her face in her hands. “Thank the gods. I’m going to kill him,” she whimpered as her mother comforted her.

Brody sighed with relief as he knelt beside Chelsie and their daughter. He placed his hand on his daughter’s head and looked up at his mate. They were both so worried that Ryker wouldn’t return to Raine. They feared his new memories had taken him away from her, either to protect her or to pursue his old life. One problem was solved, but now there was more they had to deal with. He glanced over at Alexa as she continued to speak.

“Ryker mentioned that before he lost his memory, he had information that the demons were working on creating a puppet army with the nembrant glass. And this pool of energy is being used to summon some sort of powerful creatures. In my vision …” Alexa looked at her mother, grandmother, and Lucie. They had all seen variations of the same vision. “There were powerful creatures fighting. Monsters I had never seen before.”

“I wonder if there is a way to prevent this future …” Hunter mumbled quietly, his brows furrowed.

Reiya looked up at Lee, but the two kept quiet. They had already decided they would never mention what they’d been told about Mikah. It wasn’t an option, and they never wanted him to find out about it. Instead, they would focus on the things they could do.

We’ll wait for Mikah before we tell his news. Lee mindlinked to Reiya.

Yes, I think it’s fair that he should hear about himself first, Reiya mentally linked back. This was about Mikah, and it didn’t seem right for the whole family to know about him before he himself did.

“How will we know if this is the future we still need to stop or if this future has been changed?” Freja asked, looking at everyone.

“We never know. That’s the problem with time. But there is one thing we can count on. No matter what the outcome is, we will do our best to meet it head-on!” Asher smiled at everyone. He knew there was no way to look into the future to make sure everything would be okay. But he also knew that no matter what, they could only do the best they could.

Lita looked at everyone and smiled. “Our family has sacrificed so much. We have fought hard. Sometimes it’s also best to know when to step back. We can create a safe place for our family. A new home to raise our children in safety.”

“You’re talking about sealing Elysia if that future comes …” Lucie watched her grandmother nod her head. “But if you seal it, that will mean forever, right? It means forming a parallel world away from this one.”

A strange smile rested on Lita’s lips. “Forever is a long time. What might mean forever now might not mean forever then. Or even in a few years from now …” She felt Asher’s arm slide around her waist as he held her close. While some futures would come to pass, there was also another light. She was able to see more of the future and the possibilities. They had come to her in dreams she was certain her mother was sending her. These dreams gave her hope.

“This fight isn’t just about us. Sealing Elysia isn’t just about protecting our family. It’s about creating a safe place for magical creatures. They will all need our protection,” Reiya added.

Hunter snorted, and Reiya turned to see him shaking his head.

“If we stay and fight, we can protect the world that way too.” Hunter frowned. He didn’t like the idea of running away.

“At what price?” Lita asked quietly. “The price of your lineage? You could lose them all. Your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. All the way down the line. Would you risk losing them all? Hunter … it’s our job to protect magic. This must be our number-one priority. If you’re worried about the packs, we’ll take them in too. Some will choose to stay, but anyone seeking refuge will be welcome. All shifters and creatures of magic will have a chance for refuge.”

“How?” Chelsie asked in confusion. She thought when Elysia was sealed it was only for fairies.

“Just how this isn’t the same fairy kingdom when my mother was queen. A fairy queen is now also part werewolf.” Lita looked up at Lucie and Alexa. “A mixture of vampire, witch, dragon, wolf, and deity. Elysia has evolved with its royalty. It isn’t just a home for fairies anymore.”

“But some will have to stay behind. Some need to stay back and fight. Even if it is just a small chance …” Justice whispered.

“And that will be every person’s choice when the time comes.” Lita cleared her throat. “But let’s not dwell on this.”

“Right, we have another threat we need to concentrate on now.” Alexa watched as they all looked up at her. “A cloaked army is moving toward Elysia. We were informed that there is an army of the Unblessed headed this way.”

Grayson snorted. “Idiots. What do they think they can accomplish by marching on Elysia? The guardians alone can handle them.”

“We don’t know the purpose or what else is cloaked. But if Erebus is behind this … we need to think about what he’s trying to do. Is this a diversion for something else? Or is he trying to draw the family outside of Elysia? The idiot doesn’t think things through. I wonder if he even realizes Levi and I will be here.” Ken rubbed the creases on his forehead.

“Grayson, have the defenses ready. Let the guardian at the barrier know to be on alert.” Asher looked over at Ken. “How much time do we have?”

“Two to three days.” Ken watched as Asher nodded his head.