Salaark had restored Raaz’s body and clothes, but Elina could see from his involuntary spasms that something was wrong with him.
“Thanks for remembering about me.” Senton’s voice was half-gratitude and half-sarcasm.
After Morn had issued the Royal Decree, Senton had been terrified of having lost his wife and children forever. Rena, Leria, and the triplets were all at the Verhen’s house. Senton had run there as fast as he could but by the time he had arrived, they were all gone.
Knowing how little love Lith had for him, Senton had believed to have been left behind.
“You are welcome. You should also thank Solus. She’s the one who looked out for you and Zekell.” Lith said.
“I already did that. Don’t worry about Dad. He doesn’t carry your last name and he can fend for himself. I tried to talk him into following us, but he said that he’d rather die than let anyone seize his life’s work.” Senton replied.
“Lith?” Elina’s voice interrupted them as she gently pushed Senton away to stand in front of her son.
“Yes, Mom?”
“Can you please let Trion out? With everything that happened, we could barely talk. Also, I’m certain that your father would be glad to see him again.” She said.
Lith felt very tired, his body was in dire need of rest.
Yet he conjured his brother’s soul, giving him enough power to form a two-eyed demon body so to not scare his family.
“Mom?” Trion said, his voice slurred from the slumber. “Rena? Senton? Do you have three more children now?”
“Gods, Trion!” Rena started to sob once more, throwing her arms at the neck of her long-lost brother. “I missed you so much. When I heard that you had taken your life, I felt guilty for your death.
“I thought that you did it because you felt abandoned by your family.”
“I didn’t commit suicide and even if I did, you shouldn’t have to feel responsible. Everything I did was my choice. Mostly bad ones and I ended up paying the price.” Since no one seemed to understand his words, Trion used a mind link to show them what had really happened.
Not only back when Night had killed him but also inside the Heavenly Wolf restaurant and during the past year of plotting.
“That Orpal farmer!” Her face flushed in anger at the memories of what her own twin had said about her and of his plans about the women of the family.
“I’m going to murder him!” Senton clenched his teeth and fists in anger. “Lith, I need to protect my family. Can you Awaken me?”
“And to what end?” Lith’s voice was half-rage and half-compassion. “You know nothing about magic and if I were to Awaken you, Meln would have no trouble killing you even if I taught you everything I know.
“Reaching my strength takes time and effort.”
Elina and Tista flushed as well at Trion’s recount of Orpal’s lecherous dreams whereas it just strengthened Lith’s determination to kill him. Also, he tried to anticipate what the next move of the Dead King might be and to plan a countermeasure in advance.
“Thanks, Trion.” Lith said.
Speaking those words cost him a great deal, but he did it for his family. They needed to hear it from Lith and he desperately needed that information.
“You owe me no thanks, little brother. All your life I’ve been a thorn in your side and then I mistreated everyone else out of envy. I’ve just started paying my due.” Trion shook his head in sadness.
“No one resents you, baby.” Elina hugged him, caressing his face gently.
Lith noticed that Trion’s scales escaped Elina’s touch just like his Abomination side did Kamila’s.
“Yet you should, Mom. I treated you like crap all my life. I never returned your letters and the last time we met, I said horrible things just to make you feel as bad as me.” Trion returned the embrace, shedding small flames from his eyes that disappeared into puffs of smoke.
“You are too good for me, Mom. I don’t deserve you nor do I deserve being here. Dad has gone through a lot. He doesn’t need the burden of the return of his ungrateful son as well. He doesn’t need to hear how I died and what Orpal did.
“Believe me, it would break him.” Trion looked straight into her eyes, letting his words sink in. “When Dad recovers and you think he is ready, then call upon me. Until then, please keep my existence a secret.
“There is no rush. We have lots of time ahead of us because I’m not going anywhere.” He let Elina go and turned toward Lith.
“Thanks for protecting Mom, Dad, and the rest of the family during my absence. If anything happened to them, I would have lost my mind and whatever waits for me beyond the veil would have been filled with regret.”
Then he got down on his right knee, like a knight in front of his king.
“For that, you have my loyalty. I promise you that I will serve your cause, whatever it is, and I will not spare any effort in the line of duty. I’m not going to leave until I’m certain that Orpal is dead and our family is safe.
“As long as he draws breath, my soul is yours to command. My vows with the Kingdom broke not upon my death, but when they tried to arrest my family. I’ll tell you everything I know, no matter how small.”
Trion’s fist struck his chest in salute and then returned into the feather.
“Orpal.” At the sound of that name, Raaz started to murmur it at first.
“Orpal. Orpal. Orpal!” Then, his voice grew in volume until he suddenly woke up with an enraged roar.
Raaz jumped off the bed, running to Lith in a frenzy.
“It was Orpal! It was Orpal all along!” He said while shaking the Tiamat with all the strength he had.
“I know, Dad, don’t worry. I kicked his ass and banished him from Lutia. Mom and the others are safe.” Lith replied.
“Safe? They are not safe, you idiot!” Raaz bared his teeth, his eyes spirited with a fury that bordered on madness. “I know because he told me. He was with me while he fought you. He was with me when General Motherfucker read his decree!”
Lith swiftly Hushed the kids’ ears, signaling the others to stay away and not interrupt the stream of consciousness. Whatever Raaz was trying to say, it was eating at him from the inside.
It had kept him vigilant and strong enough to wake up from a procedure that was supposed to knock him out for at least one day.
“Nothing was real. He leaked the position of his Courts to the Council so that they would send you there. It was all part of his plan. Orpal studied you and your abilities, comparing them with his own like the little envious dipshit he has always been!
“He staged the ambush in the restaurant to turn you into his lapdog and when it failed, he used General Motherfucker to take everything from you. But this is not all! Orpal sent the clone to study you even more. To learn and copy from you.”
