“So what do I have to do in all of this?” Xander asked.
“Nothing. Just stay here and stay safe. Reiya will be able to seek out your energy to find her way back.” Selene smiled. “She will be drawn to both yours and Ken’s energy, so it’s best if you two stay together to make the connection stronger. Don’t worry, I’ll speak to him about it briefly after this. You boys don’t need to hold hands or anything, but just stay in the general area near one another.” Selene’s face grew serious. She held out her hand and looked at Reiya and Hunter.
“Touch my hand and you will be sent into the hole,” Selene ordered softly. “We’ll see you both soon.”
Lita and Asher looked at their two children. “Trust in yourselves, and be safe.” Lita’s voice was unusually quiet for her.
“Don’t worry, Mom. We’ll be back before you know it.” Hunter turned and kissed Freja gently. “I’ll be right back.”
“You better,” Freja said as she felt his warmth walk away from her.
“I love you, Lee.” Reiya reached up as he planted his lips onto hers.
“Come back to me soon,” Lee whispered against her mouth. Reiya smiled up at him and walked next to Hunter. She grabbed his hand, and they both nodded, ready to go. At the same time, they reached their free hands forward, touching Selene’soutstretched hand. Instantly, they both vanished, leaving everyone else there to wait around helplessly for their return.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE
“Don’t worry. They can do this.” Selene spoke softly as she looked at Levi. He scowled, folding his arms over his chest, and Selene giggled. “You male deities are such spoiled children sometimes. Speaking of that, I’d better go talk to Ken before he gets too far away.” She smiled at Levi. “I’ll send him back.” She then turned to Lita and Asher. “I’m very proud of you two. You both have come so far since your journey together began. Don’t worry, they will succeed.” With that, she vanished just as quickly as she’d appeared.
Levi sighed, then walked over to Xander, motioning away from everyone. “We need to talk. You can bring Lila as well, if you’d like.”
They walked a short distance from the group to get some privacy. Levi set his serious gaze on Xander and Lila.
“Is this about the black dragon that appeared during the battle?” Xander asked.
Lee nodded. “Yes it is.”
“Is she your daughter? She was incredibly powerful. Stronger than our kings. She has to be part god,” Lila said quietly, looking up at Levi.
He smiled and shook his head. “No no no. She’s not mine. But she is a demigod. Her mother was a tier-one deity.” Lee moved his gaze to Xander. “And her father … was a dragon king.”
Xander’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me she’s my sister? Younger? Or older?” He growled the last words.
“Sorry, Xander. I’ve kept this from you for too long. But it’s time for the truth to come out. The night your mother died, your father left, filled with grief. He visited a pub in the Mystique Forest, where he drowned his sorrows with heavy drinking. In his drunken state, he started flirting with a woman who sat alone. What he didn’t realize was that she had an aura not unlike yours, Xander. Most people … most men couldn’t touch her. So when the goddess Astrape found a man that was able to bear her touch, even in his drunken state, she didn’t hesitate.”
Levi stopped for a moment. “Your father never knew. Astrape kept it a secret. She even handed the child off to Selene. And that is as far as my knowledge of her goes. Selene kept her hidden. Astrape thought to tell your father once, but it was after he’d moved on. He no longer had his memories of the past and had found a new mate. Not that Astrape was interested in keeping your father, but she figured, why stir up the past?”
“Why didn’t you tell me before? Why am I only finding out about this now?” Xander asked, almost annoyed. Levi and Grandpa Sage were the only family he had until recently. It would have been nice to have a sister, too.
Levi smiled and nodded. “I thought about it. A lot, actually. But she was a secret. And this was her choice, to introduce herself to you or not.” He looked over at the two people walking toward the other dragon kings, and he gestured in that direction. “I think your sister Jade was afraid she wouldn’t be welcomed, being the illegitimate daughter of the former Dragon King of the West. Who would have thought Weston would end up being her mate, though?”
Lila chuckled. “Serves him right, with his haughty attitude. He always boasted about his strength. But his mate is stronger than him, isn’t she?”
Levi chuckled. “Yes, she is.” He saw Jade glance in their direction. “Should I call her over?”
Xander smiled and nodded. “Yes. I want to meet her.” He turned and watched as Weston brought her over. She had her arm linked with Weston’s but trailed slightly behind him, becoming more and more nervous the closer she got to Xander. As they approached, he noticed her amber eyes, eyes that matched his own. He reached out, and she slowly placed her hand in his.
He squeezed her hand and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. He patted the top of her head, and she leaned into his embrace, relaxing. No words needed to be said. They were family. There was a lot they would need to catch up on about each other, but what was important was that this was something they both wanted. And even more … his sister Jade had come to their aid. She didn’t have to fight, but she did. That told him everything he needed to know about who she was.
“So what is it with us dragon kings just swapping sisters around? The only one who got someone different was Dex.” Weston chuckled and winked at Xander.
Xander smiled and looked down at Jade. “I’d like to introduce you to our adopted family. I know they’ll love you, too.” He looked over at the Chain family, who were still standing in the same place.
“Great, that means they’re adopting me too.” Weston grinned widely and plucked Jade away from Xander, pulling her gently back into his side. His fingers trailed over his fresh mark on her neck.
“Man, I can’t believe I somehow ended up getting Weston as my other brother-in-law.” Xander playfully scowled.
“Jade, I’m Lila. Xander’s mate. It’s nice to meet you. We’re going to be great friends,” Lila said sweetly.
