Slay My Soul

I watch Lysario slam dishes around, still clearly pissed at me for handing over the letters.

“I get that you are pissed, but the day was already shot to shit. Easier to just get all the crap over with in one day and give them a clear path for the next day,” I say, raising my voice so it can be heard over the banging and crashing in the kitchen. I duck as a frying pan gets thrown my way.

“It wasn’t your call!” Ly snarls. “You all forget that you can’t just keep dropping it all on her. Eventually, something is going to give. What happens if you break her? What do we all do then?” It’s unusual to see him so aggressive. He’s usually the more placid of the bunch, anticipating Eve’s needs, her gentle one. I often forget he is a warrior in his own right and quite capable of holding his own. I really should stop antagonizing him.

“You’re just pissed you aren’t the one helping her through this mess.” I inwardly roll my eyes at myself. Apparently, I can’t help myself. Ly roars and throws a knife at me, which I just manage to avoid before his body collides with mine and his fist connects with my jaw. My body reacts instantly as my own fists start to pummel his body.

“What the fuck is going on!” Garret roars, pulling us apart. Eve and Darius come flying down the stairs, coming to a sudden stop as they take in the bruises and the blood from the hits we have landed on each other. Eve’s eyes narrow at us and then at the knife protruding from the wall.

“Are you two done? Got it out of your systems?” My head nods meekly and I see Lysario nodding from the corner of my eye. “Do I even want to know what it’s about?” We both stay silent, shuffling uncomfortably. Eve sighs. “If you two are ready to play nice, Darius says in his letter from Reece, it spoke of the prophecy a lot. We think we should relook at it and try to narrow down any future surprises.” I flinch, inwardly cringing. Jesus, the theories Reece and I came up with will make her head spin. Ly’s eyes narrow on me, he reads me like a book and knows I’m going to upset Eve again. He growls lowly.

“Eve don’t you think you have taken enough onboard today, maybe tomorrow we can all start fresh and give it the attention it deserves,” he suggests.

“Meh, the day has already been full of crap. I’d rather get it all over with today so tomorrow can hopefully be better,” she shrugs. Lysario glares at me and I grin. Nailed it! “I’ve already called the guys through the link, we just need to find Carino.”

“Present,” Carino calls out, coming in through the back door. “Is it just going to be us or the generals and proxies as well?”

“Since it’s strategies and hopefully shedding light on what’s to come, I suggest we go to the war room and get everyone to weigh in,” Garret suggests. We all nod in agreement. Many minds can look at many angles. We head to the war room, messaging on the phones or summoning through links, the men we need present.

It doesn’t take everyone long to convene, all bar Max, Darius’s Beta, who will arrive late from a recon mission. Just as well. I don't like the way he looks at my daughter. I take out the copy of the prophecy Reece and I had been working on. I clear my throat and read out the first two paragraphs of the poetic prophecy.

"Oh impure from the family tree, a twist of fate does decree, a ruler to rise, many in one, a wolf in disguise, fates game doth begun.

A woman, a warrior, a leader, a royal. A savior to come for those who are loyal. Many faces in one will have they, as souls answer the bonds calls and stay.”

“That’s all about Eve, that’s easy,” the Dark Fae general says with a wave of his hand. There are murmurs of agreement. So I continue.

"One soul with ten will intertwine, every race of fate’s own design. One will rise after two do fall, but another will step up to answer the call.”

“I see it as ten mates,” the witch proxy says. “Made up from each race.”

“But there are not ten races, I don’t understand the extra,” Acassus throws in. “I mean I love that my brother and I got Eve together, but I don’t understand why there are two Dark Fae mates and there were two wolves.” I see Eve flinch at the word ‘were.’

“Maybe because you both share the Kingship. Eve needs both of you to rule the race” Dev offers. I nod. That makes sense.

“Still doesn’t explain the wolves though. And realistically mating the Lycan King would have given her control of the wolves too,” the Light Fae general adds.

“Not the rogues though, only packs bound to the crown,” Dev admits. I raise my brows, I thought he could control them all. “Though I’m not sure why there are, I mean "were" two of them, other than the Fate’s intervening if they thought Eve was taking too long to claim Reece.”

“But if that’s the case why does it say another will rise up to answer the call?” Luka asks hesitantly.

“It does say two will fall, maybe it’s not Reece being replaced,” the Dark general muses.

“But it also says one of them will rise after falling and clearly Reece isn’t rising, so it must be him that’s being replaced,” the witch proxy argues, walking over to the whiteboard and writing;

What was so special about Reece?

Eve’s eyes narrow.

“Everything!” she spits out. “Everything was special about Reece!” The witch proxy shuffles nervously on his feet and inclines his head.

“Of course Eve, I do apologize. I’m just trying to get to the bottom of why it seems that you must have two wolf mates. Maybe we can come back to it later. Sirus would you read the next part?” I glance at my daughter, as she tries to wrestle her emotions back under control. She gives me a tight nod.

“Good versus evil, dark versus light. A legion of death will rise up to fight. Hell on earth, unless they accept their fate, the lowly wolf with many a mate.”

“This is about Asmodeus’s legion,” Carino says leaning forward. “It’s basically saying unless Eve embraces her fate the legion will destroy us, leaving only the enemy alive. Hell on earth.” We all nod in agreement and Eve motions for me to continue.

“When hope sinks beneath a waning moon, the gates of hell will release their typhoon. But the chosen cannot fulfill their fate unless they are empowered by all eight.”

The witch proxy starts scribbling on the whiteboard again.

Wolf, Lycan, Dragon, Light Fae, Dark Fae, Witch, Vampire.

“I suspect the eighth is Demon,” Carino offers. There are grumbles around the table, but the witch proxy adds Demons to the list.

“So realistically the only questions left remaining are - who will be the second to fall? How will they rise again? Why were there two wolves? How do we get Eve to her Demon mate and how do we find Reece’s replacement?”

“How do we get Eve to agree to spread her legs!” Eve snarls. “How do we get Eve to let go of Reece and accept a feeble replacement? You all seem to forget it’s my body, my heart, and my soul. It’s my soulmate who just died and here you are plotting how to get a replacement laid! Fuck you!” She throws her chair at the wall and heads for the door.

Jesus that turned to shit fast.

“Eve, it clearly states we are the ones that will be fucked if you don’t accept them all,” the proxy bellows after her. Garret snarls as his hands form fists and he stomps toward the proxy. Eve throws open the door but falls back onto the floor as she collides with someone. My head pivots and my jaw drops as a voice utters one word.

“Mate!”

Oh, my poor baby girl.