Page 65 of Zar

Chapter Eighteen

Several seconds went by before Queen Lyria responded to his words. “I’m not surprised he’s dead. It’s what he wanted.”

Zar stiffened at Lyria’s quiet statement. “What does that mean?”

He heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. “He was dying, Zar. He’d contracted Zaxeis Sickness.”

The term sent a shaft of fear through him. “That’s not possible. There hasn’t been a single case since our journey to Earth.”

“It’s true,” she answered, her voice filled with sadness. “My healer, Chella, has been trying to find a cure for Naxon for months, but it was futile, as you know. She thinks Naxon contracted it because he went rogue. He’d severed all ties from your community and mine after the death of our mother. You know we can’t survive that kind of isolation. Chella believes the loneliness ate away at him emotionally, then finally it began to attack him physically.”

Zaxeis Sickness attacked the organs first, then moved into the brain. Many had died from it and a cure had never been discovered. “If Naxon suffered from the sickness, then he really was on a suicide mission,” he said as he thought back over the fight they’d had. Naxon had held back and he’d wondered why at the time. The rest of Lyria’s words hit like a sledgehammer. “Have you always known that Naxon and I share the same father?”

A mumbled curse came across the line. “He approached me after our war ended. He told me everything. It was a difficult time for Mordaine’s, Zar. We were outcasts and still looking for a place to call home. I put it out of mind until recently when Naxon began to double his efforts to take you down.”

He let loose a curse of his own. “And you couldn’t have shared that little revelation with me at our last meeting? It could have made a difference, Lyria.”

“It was not my secret to tell, Zar. It was between you and Naxon.” She paused, then added, “And no, it wouldn’t have mattered. Naxon was determined to go out with a bang. It was always going to be you that took him down. He needed that in order to establish his legacy, as he called it. His followers will want revenge. And there are more than you could imagine.”

“Do you have names?”

“No, Naxon was paranoid that way. He refused to share everything with me because he knew I was on good terms with you.”

“What about Larz?”

“You have him? He isn’t dead?”

Zar heard the surprise in Lyria’s tone. “Dyre has been attempting to extract information.”

“Naxon made a mistake then because he was sure you’d kill Larz. Tell Dyre not to give up. Larz has names. I don’t know if he was privy to all of them, but he knows some.”

Zar took a moment to think back over the moment during the festival when Callie had gotten up to go to the bathroom. Larz had escorted her, but it could’ve easily have been someone else. Zar himself had nearly insisted on taking her. “Larz’s plan could’ve fallen apart. There was no guarantee that I’d let him anywhere near Callie.”

“All I know is that Naxon had several others stationed throughout the festival ready to step up and implement a different plan if Larz failed.”

“Other betrayers who were ready to take Callie,” Zar bit out, his anger rising all over again.

“Yes. Be very careful who you trust, Zar.” She hesitated before saying, “I do not want a war and I told Naxon as much many times. I’m sorry for what happened to your ofelia. I honestly didn’t think he ever planned to harm her.”

He snorted. “He drugged her and planted an explosive device near her in that field, Lyria. And my healer said she could’ve easily died from the drugs they gave her.”

“I’m sorry. All I know is that Naxon’s sole purpose was to spread hate. He has his people convinced that he was the rightful king and that you knew all along. That you plotted with your father to keep Naxon a secret.”

“All of this could’ve been prevented if I had known the truth. I would’ve approached Naxon and attempted a truce.”

Lyria let out a bitter sounding laugh. “That was never going to happen. Naxon was filled with hate for the royal family, Zar. No amount of talking could’ve fixed that. It unhinged him, to be honest. The sickness did the rest.”

Zar didn’t want to discuss it anymore. As far as he was concerned, Naxon was dead. His followers would fall, one by one, Zar would see to that personally. “Do you wish to have someone pick up Naxon’s body for a proper burial?”

He heard a shuffling sound and then, “I’ll send Raine,” she replied. “I think Naxon would’ve liked it if his final rest was near our mother.”

Zar heard a noise from behind him and he turned to find Callie standing in the doorway to their bedchamber. She’d pulled on one of his t-shirts and it hit her midthigh. God, she’s was beautiful. “I’ll let Dyre know to expect Raine tomorrow then.” They said their goodbyes and he handed the phone back to Flare. “Set up a meeting for later today with the council. They’ll need to be updated on the situation.”

“I will.” Flare held up his phone. “Also, Dyre has names. Larz didn’t take long to cave.”

Zar let his surprise show. “Is Magnus on that list?”

“No. And I’m forwarding the names to your phone now.”

---