Wicked Heirs (Electi Academy #1)

25. ~Orpheus~

25

~Orpheus~

Four gargoyles sat atop the palace.

As I continued striding along the bridge from the Dark Fae Realm portal, their eyes flashed a vibrant yellow and they lifted their chins slightly, their way of welcoming their Prince home.

Home.

That was up for debate.

It hadn’t been for a few years now.

I hadn’t returned in a long time.

My father hadn’t wanted me back here during the college breaks, wanting to rebuild things without me having to see it while it was still in a state.

While he was still in a state.

His decision to go that route had weakened our relationship somewhat, putting a strain on it.

Talking via the IC Watch wasn’t the same as being together in person, spending time together.

And now, despite the circumstances—his summons—I was actually looking forward to finally being able to do that, to see my father up close.

I’d missed him and I’d missed our relationship that had once been the envy of fathers and sons everywhere.

It was bittersweet walking up to the palace knowing my mom wouldn’t be there, that there was an absence there, a hole that could never be filled again unless she returned by some miraculous turn of fate.

A river of silver—my father’s magic imbuing the Realm—ran either side of the bridge, down below the jagged dark rocks of the canyon.

I continued on my way, giving a chin lift to the armored guards positioned every few feet either side, then did the same with the gargoyles perched atop the turrets of the palace. The palace itself was a mammoth creation of jagged black stone and spikes all over, small windows, and a shimmering silver film of my father’s magic enveloping it.

In the distance were the homes of our people, the muted lights on in their houses and businesses barely cutting through the heavy darkness of night. Black mountains and twisted dark trees encompassed them.

It was strange how familiar, yet foreign the surroundings were to me now.

Once my home, now it was like returning to another life.

I’d built my own at Electi Academy.

Speaking of that life, I was on edge about this summons impacting it, specifically the part regarding Alena. If my father had discovered what was going on there, I couldn’t imagine him taking well to it. In fact, I imagined him reacting with absolute fury and forbidding me to ever see her again.

I reminded myself that the days of him being able to forbid me from doing anything were over.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t still cause a hell of a lot of trouble to our relationship, to her and the boys.

For now, until I knew if that was the reason he’d called me here, I made myself swallow it down and ensure that I didn’t show any anxiousness or distress on the outside.

All the staff and guards, and then my father, would see was calm and stoicism.

There was power in regulating your emotions and projecting precisely what you wanted certain people to see, only what you wanted them to see.

Reaching the main living room, I flicked my hand at the double arched doors, opening them, and then I strode on through prepared to greet my father.

But I was pulled up short as I was greeted instead.

By one hell of a visual.

There my father was lounging back on the wraparound couch while he was having his cock sucked by a dark haired woman on her knees in front of him. He was reaching over to his right and slamming his fingers in and out rapid-fire of a guy’s ass, while he raked the nails of his free hand down his back, drawing blood. The guy’s face was smushed into the couch as he was positioned bent over while he took the erotic abuse, but his unique hair—half silver and half black, straightened and falling all over the place with its length gave him away as one of my father’s chief High Court members, Mikio Farlus. The woman was unknown to me, likely one of his groupies, those who fell all over their king.

I jerked my head away and slapped my hand over my eyes for good measure. “Motherfuck, father.”

I heard a gasp and a startled female cry.

My father, though? A rumble of a chuckle escaped him. “With your penchant for bursting into the rooms of the palace, you should be used to encountering this sort of thing by now.”

“Not making it any better.”

“Well, just think that you can do without the therapy given that it’s me with strangers and not your mother anymore.”

I grimaced at his words. “For the love of Hades.”

Another rumbling chuckle sounded, then I heard him commanding his companions to take their leave immediately.

I felt a couple of flares of magic and then I looked to see they’d both teleported away.

My father snapped his fingers and his silver bath robe that was thrown over a lampshade on the other side of the room was suddenly in his grasp.

“An excellent stress-reliever,” he said, shrugging it on. As he tied it, he told me, “Unfortunately, a necessity at present.”

“Why? What’s happened? Why did you call me here?”

He fixed his just-fucked spiky black hair. “Judging by the tension all over you that you’re trying so hard to hide—something impossible to do with your own father—you believe it to have been about your new girlfriend. Interestingly enough, your only girlfriend.”

“And it’s not?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Father,” I pushed, as he was clearly taking too much pleasure in dancing around it.

“From fucking around with Light Fae to a Nephilim now. Talk about moving up in the world, son.”

“That’s not—”

“Always Light beings. Unfortunately, not a coincidence, is it? It’s a result of you fearing your capacity for darkness. You surround yourselves with Light beings in a bid to offset it, to help balance yourself.”

“I don’t need an assist there, I’m in full control.”

“I hope so, because with what’s coming, you’ll need to draw on your dark side, and there will be no room for hesitation.”

Before I could get a word out there, he went on, “She’ll need to as well.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your woman? Alena Rose?”

I frowned. “Why aren’t you reacting to that?”

“Because I understand it.”

“You do? To say you despise her mother is the understatement of the centuries.”

“She’s not her mother. I’ve had my spies ensure that.”

“You’ve had people watching her?” I said. Well, it came at as more of a demand, a surge of protectiveness rising aggressively before I could check it.

His lip curled at my reaction, but he didn’t speak to it, instead continuing on, “I ensure that all key individuals are watched. It’s good sense. In fact, it’s a necessity. Moreover, what I understand is the attraction to her based on what she is. The same for her with you. Many years ago, I experienced the same sexual intrigue toward Abigail. She wasn’t above it either.”

“You and her mother?” That was sickening on many levels.

“Briefly. It’s the allure of the dark to the light, and vice-versa. Those of us with great power go through it at one point in our long lives.”

“Did you… you and she… were you?” Fuck, I couldn’t even speak the words. It was making my stomach churn.

“It didn’t get that far. She put a stop to it—too afraid. I see her daughter has overcome that, though.”

“We’re not enamored with one another because of what we are.”

It was about who we were. Looking at it in the way he was severely cheapened it and I didn’t like it.

“That’s how you feel now. But in time you’ll see. Just like I did.”

“No. As you said yourself, Alena isn’t her mother. And I’m not you.”

He frowned at how agitated I was getting.

So much for not expressing emotion, for maintaining a strong level of stoicism.

All it had taken was him mentioning her in this sort of way and it had been all barriers down.

Concern marred his brow. “The timing of your infatuation is dangerous.”

“What timing?”

He gestured through the windows at the gardens beyond. “Take a walk with me.”

As I followed him through the meandering corridors of the palace, our shoes clacking on the black marble floors, an unsettling sense of foreboding rolled over me. Adrenaline sparked, my body and mind readying themselves.

None of this boded well.

Especially my father getting cryptic and putting forth an ominous air.

I lagged behind a little, my thoughts bouncing between the current worry of whatever situation he’d truly called me here for, and to Alena and my relationship with her that his comments and attitude threatened to infect.

He eyed me over his shoulder. “What’s the sex like?”

I started. “Excuse me?”

“What’s it like with the Nephilim?”

“Is this some sort of living-vicariously-through-me thing? If so, it’s several levels beyond disturbing, Father.”

He rolled his eyes. “No. Just answer the question.”

“It’s a private matter.”

“Interesting. You’ve always shared your exploits with me.”

Fuck. He’d played me and I’d walked right into it.

“Your feelings for her are deep, Orpheus. I’m surprised, given your usual stance on such matters.”

“She’s the exception.”

“Yes, that’s coming through loud and clear,” he said as we stepped out into the gardens. “Do you have to tone yourself down for her? That’s where my sex question was rooted.”

“It’s actually the opposite.”

He pulled up short and spun to face me head-on. “Truly?”

“Truly.”

“You may have met your match then.”

“I have.” I was already certain of it.

“Then it’s a shame with what’s coming.” He laid his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, son.”

“What? Why?”

“This connection you have with her is about to be tested.”

“What’s happened?”

He took a moment, then revealed in a strained voice, “The acolytes are on the move.”

I started, more than just a little taken aback.

“They were run underground by Exemplar three years ago.”

“Well, they’ve resurfaced. I’d heard rumblings so I had my spies watching and waiting and, sure enough, his acolytes made a misstep and I was able to confirm that they’ve returned. Not just that, but they’re searching for something in particular.”

“Obviously, them being Constantine’s acolytes, a way to free him.”

“Yes.”

I read his expression, the grave look in his eyes. “And you’ve discovered what that is.”

“I have.”

“So, it’s no longer a hypothetical concern, a worry we both share that the bastard would one day find a way to free himself? It’s a cemented reality now?”

“One that Exemplar was aware of this entire time.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “In tracking the movements of the acolytes through my spy network, which has increased substantially over the last three years, I was able to discern what they were searching for specifically.”

I waited with bated breath.

“ Vitalium,” he revealed.

I frowned. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“Because it was only forged three years ago during the Cataclysm by Abigail Rose and Elliot Sabre. It’s the key to both keeping Constantine in the realm of dead souls— Spiritus— and to breaking him out. Vitalium is a specially forged jar containing the essence of his physical body and his lifeforce as it would exist on this plane. Without it, he cannot leave and return to the land of the living. The jar itself, to hold such a formidable lifeforce like Constantine’s, is under a great deal of pressure and it’s prone to cracking over time. It’s not a permanent solution and Abigail has been reinforcing the protection spell she placed around it. But even her magic can’t keep it from breaking forever.” He shook his head with a grimace. “Exactly what I was worried about, exactly why I wanted to take his life. There is only permanent victory over our enemies in death.”

“So, his acolytes get a hold of Vitalium and they’ll be able to smash it to pieces.”

“No, they’ll need something that can breach the magic of Abigail and Elliot. It’s his that cloaks the vial and his ward that it lies behind.”

“There are Hellborn magical objects that have the ability to break through their magic.”

“Indeed. Well-learned, my boy. It is such an object that I believe they are also searching for, while other members determine the location of the jar. With it cloaked, it can’t be achieved through a locator spell, so they’re targeting, questioning, and torturing anyone who was within close range of Abigail and Elliot back then when they cooked up this pathetic solution of theirs to put down Constantine.”

“ Exemplar obviously isn’t aware of his acolytes resurfacing yet, or it would be all over the supernatural world, word spreading like wildfire.”

“Correct. And I don’t want them to get wind of it. I plan to use this as an opportunity. And I need your help.”

I swallowed hard as the words left him.

Did he know? Did he somehow know about Obsidian , it’s true purpose at least?

No. If he knew, he would have stopped it by now. Hell, he would have likely used a whole lot of force to tear me from Electi Academy to ensure Obsidian died a quick death. He didn’t want me on the frontlines of a war, especially not one involving Constantine.

Sure enough, as he stated this help he wanted from me, it wasn’t involving entering combat or heading for battle in any shape or form.

“I need you to obtain the location of the Vitalium from your girlfriend.”

“What?”

“She’s a direct line to Abigail. She has access we do not and that most never will. Use your allure if your darling angel proves resistant. Nephilim should be immune to the full force of a Dark Fae’s allure, but she’s bonded with you, physically and emotionally from what I’ve gathered from you, so she’s now susceptible. I would suggest Xavier, but he’d never comply and you can’t use magical influence over him.”

“You’re ordering me to mind-rape Alena?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, son. I know your affection for this girl has altered things for you, but you need to keep your head on straight like I’ve taught you. All that can matter is the mission.”

“And what exactly is this mission? What happens if we obtain the location of the Vitalium?”

“I’ll use a Hellborn to break the jar, pull Constantine out and kill him during the transition period while he’s defenseless as his soul reenters his body. There’ll be no stored lifeforce then, no way of returning. It will mean death in the absolute.”

“Fuck,” I choked. “You can’t.”

“Now you suddenly don’t believe that should be his fate?”

“Of course I do, but if you do this, you’ll be hunted to the ends of the earth by Exemplar. They’ll never stand for this.”

“I’m aware.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I have contingency plans in place, of course.”

He was lying.

“Like what?”

“They won’t know it was me.”

“Father—”

He grasped my shoulder, urgency spilling from him. “Son, I need you to do this.”

“This plan is insanity.”

“Desperate times, Orpheus. We cannot allow that monster to break free. Insanity will be the least of it. He will destroy us all.”

“I know. I know,” I admitted. “He already took so much from so many last time.”

“We won’t allow that to come to pass this time.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “This time, we stop it before it even begins.”