Page 17 of Mantle

Butwhat we wanted and what was ideal, wasn’t our true reality.

And it wasn’t our place any longer to drive that forward.

It was hers.

Mia and I pulled apart as Cornelius strode up to us with Cassius.

“I’ve confirmed with Cassius’ intel that Ketheron was a joint project created by Chimera Circle and the Celestial Plane.”

“It was believed the project was destroyed,” Cassius informed us.

“What a surprise, they lied,” Mia ground out.

“Yes. Indeed,” Cassius murmured, his upset and distress clear. “He is programmed to target me as well, which became clear with his immediate arrival on this plane.”

“So, they sent you down here as some sort of penance to teach Ari, while the real agenda was to put you both in the path of Ketheron?” I put to him.

“I believe so, yes. She and I are marked for death.”

Mia shoved her hand through her hair and turned away.

“It doesn’t matter what they wish for, it won’t become reality,” Cornelius growled.

“Fucking right, it won’t,” Jaxon snarled, joining us with Lucian.

Lucian came to me and slipped his hand into mine, his discreet way of really doing a great deal to steady me. “Beauty,” he called to Mia, then wrapped his free arm around her, tucking her into his side.

Jaxon paced in front of all of us, cursing back and forth to himself.

“I had calmed him, but then he overheard what was just spoken between you,” Lucian told me.

“Jax, like Cornelius said, it doesn’t matter what they wish, it won’t come to pass,” I called over.

“They created that thing to murder our daughter, Ry! I can’t brush that under the carpet with logic.”

“I know. None of us are doing that. But we do need to see the forest through the trees.”

“Ariana is far from helpless,” Cassius spoke, cutting through it all.

“It’s not about that,” Jaxon bit back. “It’s what she’s up against.”

Mia pulled from Lucian. “It will never stop. It won’t end with this. It’s just another battle in an eternal war they are waging.”

Cassius’ eyes shot wide. “You wish to sever the link to the Celestial Plane.”

“Yes,” Mia ground out. She looked between Cassius, Cornelius, and Jaxon, the three beings who had the most understanding of how Celestial-level power worked. “Is there a way?”

“Yes.Sheis the way,” Cassius said, gesturing over at Ariana who was still surrounded by her boyfriends, but with my dad now there with them, too, engaging them in some morale-lifting banter, it seemed. “Ariana is the only Celestial being alive not technically tethered to the Celestial Plane. The intricacies of how to go about actually severing the link will take time to discern.” He bypassed Cornelius and stared at Jaxon. “And your cooperation. You were infused with all of Draco’s knowledge. Combined with mine, we can determine a solution.” He eyed Cornelius. “You’re already working on other vital things, so I don’t want you pulled from that. Besides, Kai requires your mentorshipandsupervision. He is at a critical juncture, which I felt when I allowed him to channel my power.”

“Stay with him. I’ll have my dad monitor him also,” I told Cornelius.

He gave a nod.

And then everything was halted as a cry came from my dad, and we all looked to see Ari collapsing to her knees and vomiting. I couldn’t see what she was vomiting because her boyfriends were blocking my view, but the sound was unmistakable.

All of us were over there with bursts of speeds or teleportation in the very next instant.

Her boyfriends were crouched down with her. Kai was holding her hair out of her face, while Nyx rubbed her backgently, and Vorzyr pressed his hand to her forehead, clearly checking her temperature as dragons could very easily do without the need for any instruments.

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