Besides, if I ran, I’d lose my family. And that was the one thing I refused to lose.
“You will go after the object. You will locate it and then inform me of the location. I’ll handle the retrieval.”
It sounded simple, yet I knew it would be the furthest thing from simple.
“Why don’t you go and find it yourself?” Bren cut in, eyebrow cocked.
“I can’t. Only Diablos can track it. And I need to stay here and protect the remaining objects.”
“How will I find it?” I asked.
“Give me your hand,” King commanded.
I hesitated. Why did he need my hand? But I gave it anyway and placed my palm in his. Why? Because I trusted my father despite everything that he revealed today.
Everything after I placed my palm in his hand was a blur.
There was a rapid flash of something bright. Searing heat exploded across my hand, racing through my body like wildfire, consuming everything in its path. The pain was too much. It was all I could feel, all I could focus on. It stole my breath. A scream tore through my mind. Was it mine? I fell from my chair, crashing to the floor, but the impact barely registered. I couldn't stop the next scream that ripped from me as the pain only intensified.
It felt like hours before the pain began to fade, and then, in a matter of seconds, it was simply gone. Snuffed out, as if it had never been there. Despite that, I could still feel the echo of it – in my blood, my bones, and every cell in me.
I heard voices shouting. Someone was touching my face. I didn't know who, but the contact grounded me. I tried to open my eyes. After several attempts, my body finally cooperated. But my brain was the problem now. It couldn't process what it was seeing.
Our father was on the floor. Dagon was lunging toward him, already having hit him once, judging by King's split lip. Andras, Wilder, and Bren struggled to hold Dagon back, while Luc clung to me in a death grip. Andras and Bren were shoved aside, out of Dagon's way. Only Wilder still stood between Dagon and the man who'd started all of this.
“Wait! Dagon!” I shouted. I couldn’t let this keep going.
Everything stopped, but all my attention was on the man whose eyes burned with a fury I didn't think was humanly possible. Dagon's body trembled with rage. His fists were clenched so tightly they shook. In his storm-gray eyes, I saw fury, but behind it, there was guilt and pain.
What are you doing, Dagon?
“Stop, please.” He stepped away from King, and only then did I notice everyone else. Judging by their faces, they were furious. No, furious was an understatement. I wanted to hide, but knew they weren’t angry at me.
“Why did you do this?” I was still trembling, but I needed to know. "In fact, what did you do?"
“Your bond with the object is now sealed.” King said. “The bond was activated two years ago, but I had to do this to complete it. Now, you can sense when the object is near. You’ll also know when it’s gone.”
“Gone? I don’t feel anything.”
“I mean gone, like if the Starborns find a way to break the bond and use the object for their own purposes.”
“What happens if they succeed?”
“You’ll feel the loss of the connection,” he said, quietly now. “Probably forever.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in. And even then, they didn’t fully make sense. My thoughts were foggy. I shook my head as if that could clear it. My attention drifted to my hand and the cut. The memory of how King had sliced my palm, and the sight of the blood, made bile rise in my throat.
How the fuck has my life come to this?
I staggered to my feet on unsteady legs and fled the room. I needed… I didn’t know what. I just knew I had to get as far away from our father as possible.
Why had I let myself believe I could have the life I wanted?
Stupid. I was so, so fucking stupid.
A broken laugh escaped between my lips. Was there a better way to lose your mind than this?
***
