"Why do the gods make
kings and queens if not to
protect the ones who
can't protect themselves?"

~~George R. R. Martin

****************

~Nova~

I looked at Nevada, her emerald eyes bright with panic as we watched our father calmly climb the stairs. His parting words echoed in my head and made my blood run cold. Standing quickly, I pointed a finger at Michael who appeared just as stunned as we were.

"Don't go anywhere, I'll be back," I instructed before Nevada and I raced from the room.

"August!" Nevada called at the same time I yelled for Robbie, our voices dripping with anxiety as our feet pounded across the floor.

"What's wrong?" August asked, the two men instantly in front of us in the second floor corridor, nearly making us stumble. 

"Someone has called Dominic out, accusing him of being the one to kill the Braelyn royal family, and Alana too!" Nevada rushed out.

"There's a warrant for his arrest but I don't think it's real," I added, my tongue tripping over the words because I couldn't get the words out fast enough. "It's been over twenty years and now they bring up kidnapping? It's too convenient!"

"Convenient for who?!" Nevada shrieked, flinging her hands around.

"I don't know!" I shot back with a scowl. "Whoever wants us dead maybe? Someone with a grudge against him which could be anyone! The real killer just looking for an easy scapegoat?"

"It doesn't matter," Dominic cut in, standing in his bedroom doorway with a black canvas bag in his hand. "Alana doesn't need to be alone and everyone in the country is looking for me right now. If any of you are caught with me, you'll go down too."

"There's got to be another way," Robbie replied as he stepped behind me, resting his hand on my lower back. "Haven't we already discussed the fact that separation is a bad idea?"

"Maybe so but leaving her out there…," my father dropped his head, pain rolling off him so intensely that I had to strengthen my shields to keep from crumbling to the floor, "… I can't do it. That woman has my soul, is my soul, and everything good about me is her."

"What about us?" Nevada asked, crestfallen as tears sparkled on her lower lashes. "What about your kids?"

Dominic met her broken gaze, our own hurt reflected back at us in his shattered eyes. I refused to let the pain consume me, twisting the ache in my chest into an angry ember. Being abandoned was nothing new to me, something I should have gotten used to after all these years, but I hadn't. Despite the subtle fury flowing into my cells, I still felt the dagger slowly sliding into my heart all over again. 

"We aren't enough baby sister," I answered her quietly before he was able to form a response. 

"That's not true!" Dominic countered instantly with a shake of his head. "But I'm no good to you like this!"

"You're not any good for us dead either!" Nevada cried, the tears finally overflowing and dampening her cheeks. "We need you here!"

"No, baby girl, you don't." Dominic's voice was quiet, sadness tinting the edge of his words but pride swam in the mossy depths of his eyes. "August and Robbie are formally trained and experienced in the art of war, and you both have control of your abilities now along with weapons training. What else could I possibly teach you?"

"Everything…" Nevada's sorrowful whisper filled the silence of the hallway, no one daring to breathe.

Dominic dropped his bag lightly on the floor and stepped towards us until he was close enough to reach out and cup each of our cheeks. For a moment, I debated on whether or not to pull away from his touch, part of me still unwilling to accept what was happening. But I didn't, instead I held perfectly still. The child in me relished in the affection from my father, a long hidden part of me basking in it even as our bitter reality threatened to wash it away. 

Dominic's gaze held Nevada's and then mine, reassuring himself that he had our full attention. 

"You're my children, my beautiful and amazing children, and I wish that times were different." Strength seeped from his hand, warm against my skin as it slowly slipped through my body. "But I am so proud of you both, and how far you've come. I don't want to leave you again, and I hope someday you'll believe that."

The tension in my muscles began to ease, the knots tentatively unwinding as Dominic's hand held firm but gentle against the side of my face. A lump formed in my throat, the tissue in my aching as I tried to swallow and my eyes burned with tears that I denied.

"Neither of you need me, only each other," our father promised, his own voice starting to waver. "Together you are an unstoppable force. In the grand scheme of things, right now my life doesn't matter, just the two of you. You're the future of this world and we are all so blessed to have you. This won't be the end for the three of us."

"You can't promise that," I negated, my voice cracking with emotion.

Dominic met my eyes with a sad smile. "You're right, I can't. But I can promise that I'll do everything in my power to come back to you."

Nevada suddenly twisted around, Dominic's hand falling away, to look up at August who had yet to speak a word.

"Do something!" she demanded. "Don't just stand there! Tell your friend he's being stupid and taking unnecessary risks!" Her voice dropped like a stone in water, just above a whisper. "Make him stay."

August looked torn, the obvious conflict thrashing in the silvery violet pools of his eyes as he looked from his pleading mate to the man he had been friends with for over a millenia. Seconds ticked by as he remained silent, struggling to formulate a reply that wouldn't damage the bonds around him. But even I knew it was useless, because the outcome was inevitable regardless of what anyone said. I saw the moment August made up his mind and I knew Nevada did as well, her shoulders slumping and a choked sob fell from her lips.

"I can't, Princess, I'm sorry," August finally answered, his gruff voice etched with regret. "If it were you out there… I would burn the world to find you and not a soul could stop me until I held you in my arms again."

Nevada's small frame began to tremble with the effort to hold in her cries, August's arms wrapping around her as he pulled her into his chest. Dominic nodded in acknowledgement of August's words, a look of silent understanding passing between the two men. Looking back at me, Dominic let his hand fall to his side but the small comfort he had offered remained even if it wasn't enough to dull the sting of the goodbye that would soon come.

"Don't leave without saying goodbye," I told him, unable to stand being in that corridor a moment longer.

"I won't," my father promised before turning away and scooping his forgotten bag from the floor.

Spinning on my heel, I did my best not to flee from the corridor with Robbie right behind me like a silent shadow. Neither of us said a word as we entered our room, nor when I suddenly stopped walking and just stood there, staring yet unseeing as I tried to wrap my head around it all. Robbie's strong arms wound around my waist from behind, his chest pressed tightly against my back as he rested his head on my shoulder. The scabbard of my sword dug into my skin but it barely registered. 

I hated that August was right because any one of us would do the same for our mates. It wasn't even a question about what I was willing to do if I lost Robbie in any fashion. Burning would be the least of the world's issues if he ever vanished like Alana had. The desire to hate my father for leaving me, once again to be with her, was there but the ability to do so wasn't because it wasn't the same. Not this time. 

There was mild comfort in the fact that he believed in Nevada and I, that we would be okay without his constant guidance. But I wanted it because it meant he was still by my side.

"I just got him back," I finally whispered into the quiet room, my voice cracking alongside my heart. "We were finally okay. Everything was so good for a minute that I forgot that life doesn't play fair, it never has."

"No, it doesn't," Robbie agreed, placing a kiss on the side of my neck. "Sometimes I think the gods get bored and decide to shake the ant farm to see what will happen."

"Do you think he'll come back?" I asked, almost dreading his answer.

Robbie didn't answer right away like I had hoped, his warm breath fanning across my cheek as he rolled my question over in his mind. 

"I think he'll be okay," he finally answered although it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. "Dominic is smart. He was able to go over two decades without getting caught by whoever was after them. He'll find her and we'll all be one big happy family again."

I could help but scoff at the ridiculous notion. "Now I think you're stretching a bit far don't you think? The man can barely stand you."

The muscles in Robbie's arms and chest flexed as he shrugged. 

"You're father and I have an understanding of sorts, I guess you could say."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, clearing not believing him as I turned in his arms and wrapped my arms around his back.

"As long as he respects who I am to you, we have no problems." Robbie shrugged again before smirking. "His opinions otherwise don't matter."

I shook my head and rolled my eyes, dropping my forehead on his firm shoulder. In the last few months, it felt like I had aged forty years. Everything was completely different, as if the first twenty-two years of my life was just a distant memory and some parts I would be happy to forget.

"Did you learn anything from the warlock?" Robbie asked, changing the subject after several minutes went by. 

I disentangled myself from his arms, readjusting the straps that decorated my body. The katana on my back was lightweight which I was thankful for because I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle wearing anything heavier than that all day long. The gear was uncomfortable but not unbearably so.

"You'll get used to it," Robbie informed me with a smile.

"Why don't you have to wear all this shit too?" I grumbled as I walked towards the window and looked out into the backyard. 

"Because it's easier to shift without it," he answered, coming to stand behind me but not quite touching. "Besides, I've got razor sharp claws with or without shifting, but I've got knives in my boots if it makes you feel any better."

Scowling at my reflecting in the glass, I didn't bother responding as I brooded silently. 

"Do you know anything about something called a God Stone?" I asked, thinking back to Michael's story.

"The God Stone?" Robbie repeated in confusion. "Yeah, it's a myth, a bedtime story I heard when I was little. My gran used to tell it to me and my brother all the time. Why?"

"Michael said he was tortured for information about it," I answered, brows furrowed in thought. "Why would they want to find something that doesn't exist?"

"Maybe they hope to find some truth in it?"

I hummed in response, my mind racing as I tried to decipher the clues we had been given. There had to be more that Michael hadn't had a chance to tell us yet but I was hesitant to push him further so quickly when he had already been through enough and had yet to recover. But did we have time to wait around?

"I'm going to see if my father knows anything about it before he leaves," I mumbled, placing a lingering kiss on Robbie's lips before I left the room.

Dominic was just exiting his room as I got closer, a sword in its sheath in his hand with his canvas bag thrown over his shoulder. The pommel of the sword was intricate, a snarling dragon with emerald stones embedded in its eyes and fierce wings stretched out on either side. It was a sword fit for a king without a doubt.

His leather jacket hung open, revealing a black leather belt crossing the front of his shirt from his shoulder to just below his ribs. Several wooden stakes with silver tips and multiple glass vials were held to it with small leather strips along with what looked to be throwing stars tucked around the edges. A crossbow was clutched in his other hand, and a quiver of arrows was tucked under his arm. Cocking my head to the side, I studied him curiously. 

"Colloidal silver," Dominic stated as if answering a question I hadn't asked.

"What?"

"That's what these are," he explained, pointing towards the glass vials strapped to his chest. "It works like acid when it comes into contact with a vampire's skin."

"Well, uh, that's useful," I replied slowly, not sure what else I was supposed to say. "See? There are still things you can teach us."

"I would agree if it wasn't something Robbie or August could have told you," he said with a slight smile. "I'm surprised you didn't already know that actually."

Scratching the back of my neck, I shrugged. "I never really associated with vamps honestly. Probably something to do with my blood being like a drug to them, and they tend to be extremely cocky. That gets annoying."

"That's true," Dominic agreed with a nod, "They can be a bit egotistical."

"Speak for yourself, Mr. Heir to the Throne," August drawled as he walked by, Nevada lagging behind a few steps.

Dominic rolled his eyes good naturedly before turning to Nevada and then to me. "Want to join me for one last drink before I go?"

Both of us nodded, following him down the stairs and into the living room which was now empty and the television dark. A wave of guilt washed over me as I remembered the fact that I had left Michael alone and miserable after asking him to recount what had happened to him. I took a moment to mentally search the bottom floor for his energy and relaxed after I felt his subdued presence. Pushing away the gnawing guilt, I chastised myself for being a thoughtless friend and vowed to make it up to him later as I switched my attention back to the moment before me.

"Should you really  be drinking before you throw yourself into the lion's den?" Nevada asked skeptically, eyeing the tumblers that Dominic was currently pouring whiskey into. "That can't be a good idea."

"It's not that much, baby girl," he reassured her, carefully placing the crystal bottle back in its place. "And it takes a lot more than a sip to get me drunk."

Nevada's cheeks turned pink, no doubt remembering the first, and last, time she had drunk alcohol. It was still a bit mind boggling to think about that after her swearing for years that she'd never touch the stuff. I watched as she timidly accepted the mostly empty glass from Dominic's offered hand before I willingly took my own. A small sip from the small tumbler had me wishing for more so I could gulp this down and calm my anxious stomach that was twisted into knots.

"I don't want you guys to worry about me," Dominic said after a moment, slowly swirling the amber colored liquid in his own glass. "I'm not easy to kill and I'm hard to catch. What you need to be focusing on is making sure you're ready for what's coming. Figure out how the pieces fit together and find the bigger picture."

"I wish it were that simple," Nevada replied quietly, her words echoing my own thoughts.

"Maybe it's not," he agreed with a half shrug, "but I've fought and won countless battles in the last thousand years. I can take care of myself, and I'll do the same for your mother. I promise you both that I will find her and I'll keep her safe."

My heart ached at the mention of my mother, especially when I realized it wasn't Edith's face I saw in my mind. Edith was my mother, the woman I had spent most of my life wanting to protect, the woman I had always called 'mom'. But a real mom doesn't make their child kill someone before they even know how to spell the word, do they? A real mom doesn't disappear for hours or days on end without even a note goodbye, do they?

No… mother's support and encourage you to be who you are, to embrace the path you're meant to walk on and to become the very best version of yourself. They cry when you cry, even if their arms don't shake when they hold you while you weep, their hearts are still breaking because of the pain you feel. They laugh and rejoice when you're happy, and defend you when you can't. A real mom will make the hard choices, love you even when you're angry at them, and do what needs to be done for the sake of their children. 

Edith had done none of those things for me, not a single memory in my mind held her comforting hand or encouraging smiles. I had only ever gotten that from Nevada, my saving grace for so many impossible years… until Alana came into my life… 

"And after that?" Nevada asked, gripping her glass in her hands, her words pulling me back to the conversation. "What will you do after you find her?"

"And then we'll win the war," Dominic said simply, his voice calm and sure as if there was no doubt in his mind that we would. "We'll bring you an army."

Nevada inhaled sharply as if the idea had never occurred to her or was so absurd that it seemed impossible. I, however, wasn't surprised in the least. When you're born to be queen, one way or another you'll end up on a throne. I found myself frowning, the corners of my mouth turning down as a new idea followed, creating an all new question to roll around in my head with the other chaos. 

Did that mean that Nevada and I would someday rule? Did I even want to be a King?

"You're awfully quiet, Nova," Dominic pointed out curiously. "Quiet and jittery… what's going on in that head of your's?"

I searched my mind for an excuse, one that made sense other than random notions of royalty that had yet to ever be mentioned other than in joking titles. A light bulb clicked on in my head and I jumped on the chance to not sound insane even though I was pretty sure I was already losing my mind from all the bullshit.

"Just thinking about something Michael mentioned earlier," I lied even though I had originally intended to ask him after talking to Robbie. "Do you know what the God stone is? Michael was held by wolves that seemed intent on finding it."

Instead of confusion like I expected, Dominic closed his eyes and exhaled slowly in defeat. My stomach twisted into even tighter knots, my anxiety turning to trepidation and leaving a bitter taste in my suddenly dry mouth. Whatever he was about to say raised the hair on the back of my neck and my blood turned to ice in my veins before he ever spoke.

"The God Stone is a relic that dates back to the not long after the beginning of the earth," Dominic explained slowly as if choosing his words carefully. "It was created after a deal was struck with Hades to harness the gods and bring them to their knees. Whoever holds possession of the stone, as long as it's fully intact, will have ultimate power because it can be used to destroy the gods. That's what it was created for, to free us living creatures of their chains on us which also free Hades from his cage in turn."

"Wait… you said 'if it's intact'?" I asked, barely acknowledging the gentle warmth that bloomed on my wrist. 

"It's not really a stone but an amulet," Dominic went on, downing the rest of his whiskey like liquid courage. "There's the main piece, a small gold talisman, which holds the binding gems that connect it to its intended purpose. There are four of them; two Quartz, one Onyx, and a rare stone called Moldavite. The amulet was disassembled soon after its creation when Zeus learned of its existence, the pieces scattered around the world and lost forever."

"But… why not destroy them?" Nevada asked, drawn into the story like a little kid, the two of us riveted by the tale. "Why did he let them linger if they could destroy the gods?"

"Because he couldn't," Dominic answered, eyeing his empty glass with disappointment and I realized he hadn't looked either of us since beginning his story. "Whatever magick was used to bind them, to create the God Stone, also made them indestructible."

"Is this story real?" I asked warily, remember Robbie's comment about a story his gran used to tell him as a child. "Or is it just another bedtime story?"

"I wish it weren't real," he muttered so quietly that I had to lean closer to hear.

Dread coiled in my gut, threatening to burst from my skin and my heart slowed with fear of what I hoped he would deny.

"And… and the pieces?" I asked, clenching my hands into fists to still their trembling. "Where did they go?"

My father finally looked up at me, emerald eyes dark with regret and sorrow, my breath lodging in my throat at the sight.

"The quartz you both wear are two of them," Dominic finally answered after the seconds stretched on. "They're sibling stones that once belonged to my brother and I. And now they're yours."

********************

A/N: Dun dun dun... don't fall off the cliff just yet!

Thoughts or theories? I know I've got a bunch lol so tell me yours!

Thanks for reading and you're amazing support!

Next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it finished.

XOXO🖤❤🖤❤

~SM~