Page 125 of Taming the Kraken

“These tracks are fresh,” Levi whispered as Brian knelt next to him.

“Those weren’t here before.” Brian frowned and looked around. There was no sign of Mikah anywhere. The only lead they had was the tracks in front of them. He looked up at Levi and mentally connected with him.

She can’t come with us now. She’s too emotional.

Levi nodded his head. The only way I can keep her from this is if I seal her temporarily. She’ll put up a fight. And I don’t think Ken will allow that. Levi frowned as he looked up at his daughter. Ken had his arms wrapped around her. She wasn’t crying, but her hands were trembling. Suddenly, she stepped away from Ken and looked around. Her face was taunt, and her lips were pursed in a thin line.

“If someone has hurt him … I will make them suffer whatever pain tenfold.” Alexa took a couple of steps toward her father, with Ken at her side. She could feel his concern for her, but she quickly blocked him out. She put up a mental wall, pushing them all out. There was only one thing on her mind right now. Mikah.

“Lex, you should go back to your mother and help Elysia prepare.” Levi turned to face his daughter as she flicked her gaze at him.

“You can do that. You go back to Elysia. I’m going after Mikah.” Alexa squeezed her fingers into a tight ball as the wind began to swirl angrily. “Whoever has taken him … is going to pay.”

CHAPTER SEVENTY

Ken grabbed onto Alexa’s shoulders and spun her around to look at him. He stared into her eyes, and in a firm but gentle tone, he commanded, “Let me in. Please get rid of the mental barrier. You’re blocking me from your thoughts.” His eyes softened as he frowned. “Please, Lex. Don’t shut me out. I’m here with you. I’ll kill or destroy anyone you ask me to, but I need our connection. I know you have a large family filled with people you would die for. But I only have you when it comes to that. If you’re going to plunge into darkness again, take me with you.”

Alexa swallowed as she saw the raw pain in his eyes and heard it in his voice. “I’m sorry. I won’t leave the barrier up. I’m not shutting you out. I’m not turning back into Xi.” She gave him a weak smile. “But your thoughts are overwhelming and loud. And right now, I need to focus on my connection with Mikah.” She leaned into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not leaving you, Ken. I need you with me too. But don’t fool yourself. We both know you would risk your life to save Mikah. You don’t just have me … not anymore.”

Ken pulled her in close and kissed her deeply and urgently. He pulled back a little and whispered against her mouth, “I love you, Lex. We’re going to find him.” He didn’t care that her father was standing right there. He knew what it meant to have a mate.

“I’m coming with you,” Levi said with a sigh. “We still have time before the cloaked army arrives, and I’m going after my son.” He’d watched him grow from the age of five. Reiya had always wanted Mikah to be their son, and he’d felt the same way. Mikah was part of their family. He turned and looked up at Bella and Brian. “Brian, let your father know what’s going on and to be on standby just in case. The fairies should be able to handle this on their own if it is just dark fairies. But we don’t know what else there is.”

“No,” Ken said, looking up at Levi. “If Erebus is behind this, he wouldn’t be expecting the dragons to be there. Send the dragon army to Elysia. That way if we do have to deal with Erebus, there will be another powerful army there to help.”

Levi nodded his head. “That isn’t a bad idea. Yes, Brian, see if Xander will go to Elysia with his army.”

Brian chuckled. “Dad will go. There are no two ways about it.”

“Brian, you go to Ryker, and I will go to your father. We can meet in Elysia.” Bella could see Brian beginning to protest. “Ryker might need your help. You shouldn’t delay getting to him.”

Brian sighed and nodded his head slowly. “I … I wish I could help look for Mikah too. I guess I can’t be everywhere at once.” He’d grown up with Mikah too. He wasn’t just another stranger but more like a brother to him.

“We’re going to find him,” Ken said confidently. “Go do what you need to do.”

Brian walked up to Alexa and hugged her. “He probably just followed whoever came here. Don’t get too worked up. I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a guardian, remember?” He let out an airy chuckle and forced a smile. “I’ll see you soon. When we get back to Elysia, we’ll let everyone there know what’s going on.”

“Be safe,” Alexa said, and Brian winked at her with a cheeky grin.

“You be safe.”

Alexa watched Brian and Bella leave, then closed her eyes and began to feel for Mikah. He was alive. His light was still shining bright inside her. She just needed to track it down. It was something that had never been done before, but for Mikah, she would try. She was going to connect to the light inside her, feel the pull to him, and try to track him with it.

She and Mikah had a special bond, since he was her guardian. But there was more to it than that. He was her friend, confidant, and rock. She often understood his thought process and was drawn to him. Finding him in the castle had always been easy. It was like she was always led right to him. She was hoping she could do that now.

The light and dark swirled simultaneously inside Alexa. At first, she did fear she would lose herself in her darkness and become Xi again. But the light and dark twirled together harmoniously. It was almost like they both accepted their claim on her. Both powers wanted to get their guardian back.

Alexa had to get him back. She couldn’t live without him. Gods, she didn’t even want to think about that. She couldn’t think about it, because she knew something inside her would break without him.

She felt his light spinning inside her, and she pushed her own light into it, entangling her two energies with his. She could feel it … it was faint, but she could feel it. She could feel his heart beating, and his body ached. He was in pain. She blinked her tears away and embraced Mikah’s light. Who the hell dared to hurt her guardian?!

Ken and Levi watched as Alexa closed her eyes. She appeared to be meditating. It was all they could do to remain still and quiet. They knew she needed to focus, and they didn’t want to be a distraction. Alexa was so focused on Mikah that her shield lowered again, and Ken was able to feel her connecting energies. He was quickly trying to analyze the lights to see if he could get a grasp on the location. If they could just find Mikah …

Mikah gasped for air as he surfaced from a dream and back into reality. He was amazed at how vivid the dream had been. Even as he sat up, he could still see images of Alexa on the ground dying, her body covered in blood. The intensity of the dream was so real that a tear ran down his cheek. He let it flow as he tried to let go of the disturbing images. He had no doubt that it was just a dream, even though it felt like a memory. So real. The images of her dying were too vivid and clear. His arms were shaking as he tried to gain his bearings and remember what had happened. Then he remembered …

He glanced up in the darkness and let out a low, terrifying growl. “Quit messing with my mind, you bitch!” He was in some sort of dungeon. There was no light. No windows. He was surrounded by solid stone with just an enchanted iron-bar door in front of him. On the other side of the door, an old woman stood, quietly cackling to herself.

“I’m going to kill you when I get out of here,” Mikah growled as he approached the iron bars. The nycrops had known he was in the swamp. He didn’t know how she knew, but she did. And she was prepared. Some sort of dart was shot into his neck and it was instantly lights out. Whatever it was, it was powerful enough to render him unconscious. Since then, the nycrops had been playing with his mind while he was in and out of consciousness.