Xyra's viewpoint
Carswell and I returned with urgency. There was an attack to the capital in our absence. A bunch of vampires tried to enter the capital and attack. They somehow saw the werewolf barrier and almost got through. It was a good thing Zane and Caesar was around. There was also a simultaneous attack on the elf and vampire barriers. Dark elves attacked the vampires and lycans attacked the elves.
It was starting.
The elders were waiting for us when we returned. It was serious because the vampires almost got into a barrier that have stood for almost three thousand years and they were almost not detected. The barriers were being tampered with and no one knew. We only got to know when I saw it in a vision. Álváró felt his and told Moira so she called Zimri. While Carswell called to inform Caesar, Jerrick, the pretty smart vampire prince, deduce that if a attack was going on at both barriers, then what about theirs?
Athens came with us. Her powers were back and she was oozing with energy like the time I saw her with Asia. The moment we walked into the council room where everyone was waiting, Caesar stood up. His eyes were black and his lycan was oozing of dominance. Athens froze behind me.
Caesar's eyes fell on me. I had to step out of the way to make sure he wasn't looking at me. The moment he saw Athens, he gasped out a "mate". A gasp came from all our mouths as we weren't expecting it. Athens on the other hand was beyond flabbergasted.
Selene, what are you up to?
Caesar made his way towards her, eyes fixed on the woman and the woman alone. Athens took cautious steps back, but not far enough to anger Caesar's lycan.
"Erm, Xyra, why is he looking at me like that?" Athens whispered nervously. "And why do I think he's gorgeous? Guys aren't supposed to be gorgeous to me,"
"You are his erasthasis," I whispered back with a giggle. Her mouth formed in a “O” before she chuckled nervously.
"Er… Hi, lycan sir? Can you not freak me out with your beast state? I might pass out if… Whoa… Okay," she ended up saying as Caesar engulfed her in a hug. I shook my amuse head and turned my attention back to the elders.
"Not letting that disturb us, shall we go straight to business?" Carswell asked professionally. An unusual professionalism but I could feel his joy for his friend. He took my hand and led me to my seat which I knew was his laps. Moira wasn't in as she took Álváró in to rest. I smiled at Zeph who wiggled her brows teasingly.
"Shut up," I mouthed. She responded with a silent laugh.
"We all know why this meeting is being held. The witches are getting out of hand…"
"No, Asia, is getting out of hand," Athens interjected. "Excuse me, sugarbun, one minute," she said, carefully slipping away from Caesar so she could walk closer to us. "Hello, everyone, my name is Athens West, yes, the name is cliche but blame my parents, not me. Moving on from that… I am the original head of covens, before my younger twin, Asia, tried to kill me. Now, she is in sync with a deadly ancestor and is the one controlling the witches and warlocks by force. The witches mean no harm, but Asia do."
"I never knew witches were still much," Francis said in awe.
"We kept ourselves hidden, it was best that way. The problem now isn't the witches or the warlocks, the problem is Asia and the three powerful demons she has resurrected," Athens said seriously, her hands on the table. She was right, those four were the problem.
"Demons!" I went on to explain everything we had been doing so far and what we had discover. The elders were shocked to find out there was a war in the past and even a lycan king they forgot about. Athens went on to plead that we do not hurt her people. But how could we do that without getting killed?
"Asia's army consists of rogue vampires, dark elves, witches, warlocks, goblins, ogres, barbarian, some werecats, werewolves, foxes, and hyenas. Some hyenas, most dark elves and vampires work for her at will, but the rest are under captivity like the book showed me. If we can take away the witches, vampires and canids, the war is as good as over."
"We just have to find a way to hold them down long enough for me and King Maximo to free the vampires and witches. If they can come to our side, then…"
"What about the dark elves and the werecanids? What about the werecats? We still have to fight the other shifters and there is no way it would just end like that!" Elder Swan shouted.
"Moira can't hold so many at once, that'll be too much for her. But she can hold a specific specie down long enough for Athens and the king to free them?" Zephyr suggested unsurely. "And we can get April to help us. With her, we wouldn't even need to use any of our army. She can create her own army of tree demons and summon nature to help fight without killing them. And if it would help, my new power can remove people's soul if I pass through them…"
"That power is dangerous, Zephyr, and you are going to be fighting The Blood King, remember?" Carswell said, "and I won't or might not be there to command the canids back to me…"
"But Her Majesty can," one of the elder said, his eyes on me. I knew what he meant. If the coronation is complete, I could have the full control and force them out of her spell, but I had other plans.
It can work, think it through.
Listening to Majesty's words, I closed my eyes and thought about it. I didn't want my coronation to be in a haste and a hush, I wanted it to be as magnificent as the one I'd been seeing in my dreams. I was Selene's descendant, her last daughter. I had the power to control them with or without the crown.
I opened my eyes to speak my mind only to hear Carswell barking angrily at the elder for suggesting he put his pregnant erasthasis in danger. The elder was telling him that he wasn't seeing a better option since he would be busy with the dragon demon.
"So I'm supposed to endanger her life and that of my unborn pups!" He thundered furiously, his anger coming out with his authoritative aura. The elder whimpered from the pressure of the display of dominance being placed on his head. I gently placed my lips on his and curled my legs up to his chest.
He stubbornly kept fuming even as he kissed me back, Emperor growling that he'll kill anyone that makes that suggestion again. When I felt that he was calm enough, I pulled away and flicked his forehead. "Calm down, Dulcinea," I teased.
"Seriously, don't," he growled, "I beg you,"
"Then calm down. He is right, we don't have a choice and you don't need to worry, our pups would be safe while I do what I am born to do." I used his heavy palm to rub my stomach as I spoke.
‹Maybe we should just tell him,› Majesty chided because she wanted to tell him from the very beginning.
"How! You are literally two months pregnant and maybe even a week or two more. You are carrying my pups, not even a pup. How am I supposed to let you get hurt when I've waited and quietly yearned for you and them for so long? Xyra, can't you see? I can't lose either of you, never!" His voice broke at the end. It was the voice of a broken and helpless man, not a powerful king.
The tone alone broke my reluctant to tell him. I didn't want to tell him because he would know that what I was attempting was utterly dangerous and could kill me before it is completed. But again, I didn't really have a choice.
"Majesty would be at the war, but I won't," I said, looking at the ceiling. Before any of them could throw a question, I answered it. "The elf goddess in the book taught me something that would help. I was never meant to have a wolf but did to stable me. And as a daughter of Selene, I have the power to remove it…"
"What!"
"I am going to separate my wolf from my body, change her to a spirit wolf and send her instead while my human body stay back and carry the pups. That way, neither I nor them would be harmed."