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“We were dead inside.” Drew looked down at Taylee. “If you felt what I do for this child, how could you have done that to us?”
Hatred glowed in Mom’s eyes when we looked back to her, but it was Zhaine who spoke up. “Your mother has this idea in her head that she can save her mate. However, my own mate prophesied Aaron’s demise and death.”
“So he is dead?” Chris asked for all of us.
Zhaine shook his head. “He’s alive. You’ve met him. The six of you, along with your mates, are also prophesied to kill him.”
I blinked at my uncle. We were going to kill our own father? When had we met him?
Water refused to look at us, so Life took over once more. “Aaron Simmons was a great warrior and an amazing Elemental. He was devoted to Water for so many years. His heart was pure. All of this was until the day he decided he needed more power.
“He created an army from Neutrals who were treated like less by the Light and Dark. They drank the blood of their enemies. Soon, they not only began to lust after blood, it became needful for them to survive. A division rose between them. Some only drank the blood while others feasted on flesh. And thus, the Vampires and Demons were born.”
My head reeled with this information. Our father had been the cause of the creation of the Vampires and Demons? My thoughts kept spinning, but Life went on.
“His creations weren’t enough for him after a while, and no one else would join him. Water tried to talk sense into him, save his soul, but he yearned for more power. When Lightning and his mate had a son, Aaron stole the baby. It is believed that he killed the baby. We do know he drank the child’s blood. The blood he drank from the infant proved to be what he needed to increase his powers exponentially. And so, Aaron Simmons, a humble soldier fighting for the good of his people, became the Mindolin, a creature of death and destruction to all.”
Horror, denial, anger, hurt, disbelief. All those emotions slammed into me one after another. Interestingly enough, I could tell which person they came from. All eleven around me gave off one or multiple of these feelings.
Me, I was too stunned to feel anything. My head was in information overload, and comprehending all I’d learned would take time. However, this last piece of knowledge was the most important for me to know. Not for my sake, but for Adam’s.
My husband, along with his brothers, sat in silence as Life’s words sunk deep into their souls. A couple of them shook their heads. A few of the girls rubbed their hands on their mates’ backs or tried to comfort them in different ways.
I had no idea how to help Adam. Would a hug be enough? Would rubbing his back help? Should I take his hand?
Our time was always so short together that we spent most of it inside a bedroom or a rented cottage. Yes, we talked, but we didn’t experience things like this. In the beginning we knew each other better. His missions became longer and closer together until the day he’d come to me and said there was too much danger and I needed to keep my head down and he couldn’t come home to me until the danger was gone.
What do you need from me?Why couldn’t I just know?
I don’t know. I…I can’t believe this.Adam’s pain reflected in his eyes, and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning over and resting my head on his shoulder.
Looking out over the living room, I’d expected some sarcastic remarks to be pointed at the guys. Earlier the Elementals had been rude and arrogant. I hadn’t expected the same pain flowing to me from the others to be reflected back at me from the Elementals. The man in yellow, Lightning was it, even had tears flowing down his cheeks.
I didn’t know he had a son.Somehow, I knew it was Drew speaking.
Our father is the Mindolin.Chris’ voice was a growl in my head.
Well, at least we know why he wanted us to talk to Mom and why he let us get away.That was Carmon.
Chris scoffed out loud. “If he wants us to work with him, he’s insane. Mom’s treatment of us was one thing, but the Mindolin caused a hit to be put out for Carmon, he severely injured Dalton and me, and he was the cause of so much death and destruction even before he was released.”
“He’s not a bad man.” Lady Water’s words were met by hard glares from her sons.
“I thought you were the one who said we needed to destroy him?” Carmon glared back at her. He appeared to be the only one willing to take her on. Even Jeff had quieted with a rebuke from her. What was I missing?
“Destroy the monster, the creature that took over his body—"
More than one of the Elemental men groaned before the one in yellow spoke again. “Clara, you’re delusional. We should have known. Nothing took over his mind and body. Aaron is the Mindolin by choice. Nothing made him do what he’s done except for his greed and lust.” When he’d finished speaking to his sister, he looked at his nephews with loathing in his eyes. “I’ve hated the lot of you since before you were born. You are the spawn of the man who stole my child from me. Everything I did, I did to punish you for his actions.” With an exhale of a deep breath, Lightning’s body deflated. “I was wrong. My actions could have shoved you to him instead of keeping you far from him. However, you’ve fought with us to stop him even after all we’ve done.”
Confusion came from Adam before he spoke up. “So you imprisoned the Mindolin when, again?”
“Several hundred years ago,” Life replied.
“How are we not several hundred years old, then? If he was in the prison, how did he and Mom…” Adam cringed, obviously not wanting to think about his parents like that.
Life nodded. “Yes, good question. Imprisoning the Mindolin took all our energy, but we are immortal, so we couldn’t die. Instead, we went into a type of stasis. Our bodies slept while we continued to run the world with our intellect. One by one we woke. Twenty-two years ago, give or take some months, Water woke from her sleep. Soon after, she discovered she was pregnant. Lady Onyx prophesied then that the six of you would be the downfall and death of your father, a man Lady Water still loves. Even until the moment we imprisoned him, she loved him.”
“More like the memory of him,” a man in orange, Leo the Fire Lord, said.
