Page 9 of Taming the Kraken

This couldn’t work for Ken unless she took on a useful role. Otherwise, it would seem problematic to keep a beautiful young woman near him. She seemed to have already realized this and began trying to be beneficial. She would keep tabs on Alexa for him when he was busy. She was also trying to help him search for traces of Erebus. She was someone who could move around undetected, and this was useful to Ken. Thus, they built a relationship based on trust.

Ken glanced back at the castle, making sure Alexa was safely back inside. It was now time for him to go hunting for Erebus. He did this daily. It was his mission to find the terrible deity and put him down, because it was only a matter of time before he figured out he’d been tricked. Then he would be after Alexa, which was something he could never allow to happen. He could never let him defile his sweet, innocent light.

In a flash, the Kraken disappeared, leaving Terra there alone. She didn’t mind watching Alexa. In fact … she secretly loved it. She’d gotten to know the family from a distance. She’d laughed with them, cried with them, and felt like she was part of them. Even if it was just from a distance, it was nice. She wished one day she could have a family like that. Someone who wouldn’t care that she was … an abomination. She wasn’t a demon, nor was she a vampire.

She was a half-breed. A demonic hybrid cross with a pure-blooded vampire. A dempire … vamon. Vamon was the cruel word she was called as a child. It was a mocking word, like she was vermin. And that is what they began to call her. It was what they would call her kind … though she may be the first of her kind. It was certainly unheard of. And her parents had fought on the side of Mephisto during the demon war. Because of that, there really was no place for her. The fairy queens and princesses might have good hearts, but her parents fought against them. Maybe even killed those they loved.

A family? Who was she kidding? She was lucky the Kraken cared enough to take care of her. He was a man with a lot of weight on his shoulders. Even when she was young, she could tell he carried this weight. But one of his biggest problems was he felt like he could never be good enough. That no matter what, he would never deserve Alexa.

A blind man could see how much he loved the fairy princess. She wished she could help him. She wanted him to have happiness. She could never have a family, but she could see no reason why Ken couldn’t have one. Especially because Alexa wanted him. He wanted her and she wanted him, so what was the problem?

She stared at the castle and quietly sighed. She would just keep doing what was asked of her. As for her, for now, she would continue to dream of being part of the family she so often watched.

CHAPTER SIX

“There is a reason for this strong aura you have and why Brian’s is also so strong. And unfortunately … this is all your parents’ fault.” The Great Sage watched as fire lit in the dragon king’s eyes.

“This is bullshit!” Xander growled as he paced across the floor angrily. How was it his parents’ fault? What was happening to Brian … how was it directly the fault of his mother and father?

“Xander, that’s enough. Let’s just listen to what he found out.” Lila stepped toward Xander, grabbing him by the forearm. “Getting upset isn’t going to solve anything.”

“Xander, we’re here for you through this. We’re going to figure this out. You know Brian is family to me. Just like you are.” Levi looked into the dragon king’s amber eyes. “We’re going to figure this out.”

“Maybe I can do something about this?” Reiya looked over at Grandpa Sage, who only shook his head.

“You can’t. No one can, except for Shiva.” Grandpa Sage looked up at Xander as he took out a book. “It’s all here. This is your parents’ memoir. Your father ordered it sealed away in the vault. All these years …” He shook his head slowly. “He should have given this to me. I could have begun researching years ago.”

“Please, continue. What have you found out so far?” Lila patted Xander’s hand but kept a gentle grip on him. She would make sure she kept his beast calm during this.

“Xander, your father loved you. He never hated you for what happened to your mother. But he couldn’t shoulder the pain of what happened and what would happen. He felt such guilt toward you that he couldn’t look at you. Your father’s words are recorded here … right up to just before he vanished. His memory loss is also calculated. Apparently, he planned to lose his memories because he was no longer able to bear the weight of it all. You see, your burning aura is a calculated punishment. But let me start from before that.” Grandpa Sage rubbed his forehead and let out a long sigh. “Your parents wanted their son to be more powerful than all the other dragon kings. Things were shaky between the kingdoms for a while, and they were preparing for the worst. Just in case. Luckily, things between the four kingdoms have never been better.” He stopped for a moment as he tried to gather his strength for what he was about to say.

“The deity Shiva …” He looked over at Levi, who was already frowning. “She had in her possession a pet called Scorio. This was a rare, ancient creature. As old as magic itself. It was said to have come from the birth of elements. This creature had an intense heat that burned all who came near it. However, Shiva controls the ice, and she adored the warmth of this pet. Xander, your parents decided they would hunt down this creature. They wanted to claim its powers for you.”

Xander’s fist tightened as he shook his head slightly. He pursed his lips but said nothing. He could feel Lila’s soft hand on his arm, and it was the only thing stopping his anger from rising.

“Your parents caught Scorio, and your mother devoured it in order to give you this creature’s strength. Shiva was furious. Your father wrote that she grabbed your mother’s stomach and commanded the creature to give itself to you, knowing exactly what that would mean for your mother. She knew that when you were born, the burning aura would consume her, since she wasn’t powerful enough. But she wanted to wound your father even more than the loss of his mate.” Grandpa Sage’s fingers shook slightly as he gripped the book. “It’s all in here. If you ever want to read it …”

“Sage, what else?” Levi asked pointedly. He could see it was difficult for the old dragon, but they wanted to know what he’d found out.

“She cursed the power to grow tenfold for his firstborn grandchild. And by my calculations, based on how strong Xander's aura is …”

“There isn’t a normal dragon around that will be able to handle that aura.” Lila gasped, raising her hand to her mouth.

“She means to stop the line. He won’t be able to take a mate without burning them.” Xander seethed angrily. He was innocent in all of this. Brian was even more innocent. And this was the price he was being forced to pay.

“But …” Grandpa Sage let out a shaky breath, afraid of the words he was about to speak. “This isn’t true for every female. There is one unmated female who we know can always be near Brian.” He looked up at Reiya and Levi.

“You’re talking about mating Alexa and Brian together,” Reiya said in a whisper.

“The fairy bloodline is resilient. Notice how guardians don’t flinch at Xander's or Brian’s aura. This is because of their strong fairy magic. It is kin to elemental magic. Raine is the descendant of a guardian, but she isn’t one. Nor does she have fairy blood. I do not know if she will be able to be near Brian in the future. I am certain Mikah will be able to be around him. Alexa is not only the fairy princess but the daughter of a dragon deity. She will certainly be strong enough, and she hasn’t been claimed by a mate.” Grandpa Sage kept a timid eye on Levi as his lethal silence claimed the room.

“But Alexa can make a shield around Brian, allowing him to be around others,” Lila added quietly. “Right? You said it worked fine this morning.” She turned and looked at Reiya.

“You want her to use the shield while our son does the deed with another woman?” Xander shook his head and frowned. “Is there no other way? What about if we talk to this Shiva?”

“Useless.” Levi finally spoke, his voice cold. “She is not one that can be reasoned with. Her pain is all she cares about. Not the pain of others.”

“Can you try to talk to her?” Reiya looked up at Lee, who gave her a small smile and shook his head.