Page 12 of Mantle

“You were experimented on.” I choked on the words as they came out. “I’m sorry.”

He cocked his head. “Sorry? You didn’t perform any of it.”

“No, of course not. But… I’m sorry you had to suffer through that.”

“This is… compassion? It’s a real thing?”

“Yes.”

He released my hand suddenly, then took a step back. “Then I will do that foryou. You didn’t like me holding your hand like that, yes?”

I nodded. “Thank you.” I shifted my weight, and signaled to my family to tone down the aggressive attack they were firing upon the dome.

They didn’t.

Perhaps, Grandfather thought I’d been unduly influenced by Ketheron from the blood ingestion, that my assurance wasn’t real.

I hadn’t been.

I felt a little sick and I was lightheaded, but my mind wasn’t compromised. I wasn’t being coerced or anything along those lines.

Their magic kept hammering at the dome, erratic and furious. Not because they didn’t trust me—but because they loved me too much to wait. To risk it. They were reacting to the image of their daughter covered in blood and seemingly being held captive by something they couldn’t understand.

“Why was this done to you?” I asked Ketheron.

“Why did they make me, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“To kill you.”

I jolted.

Before I could speak more to it, vibrant-green lightning lit up the sky, and then Pops was swooping in, landing in one of his primed crouches, his defensive magic leapfrogging out and tearing into the root of the dome.

I choked when it didn’t impact it at all.

And so did Pops.

As he tried to push harder, Kai and Vorzyr teleported in.

They took in the situation quickly and went on the offensive immediately, each calling their power.

“He’s not hurting me! Stay your hand!” I called out.

They hesitated.

But then Grandfather boomed, “He fed her his blood. He’s part vampire with Celestial power beyond hers.”

Ketheron looked out at all of them. “Cease. I don’t mean her any harm.”

“Then let her go,” Kai demanded. “Drop the ward.”

“Drop it fuckingnow,”Vorzyr seethed, stepping forward threateningly.

“Dragon,” Ketheron uttered, registering the aggression in the move. He stared at him intently. “No… special dragon.”

Vorzyr snarled at him. “Get away from her.”

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