Part 4

I returned at dawn and I wasn’t surprised to find Kiran in the kitchen, sitting at the counter, drinking coffee. He didn’t seem surprised when I slid open the sliding doors and walked inside pulling my T-shirt over my head.

“Morning,” I said as he looked at me.

“You’re not going to school today,” he said.

“I’m not?” I asked him.

“Today you’re stuck with me,” he said and I smiled.

After breakfast, Adara moved to Kiran’s office with her laptop and we headed outside. I followed Kiran to the clearing and he stopped in the middle of it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I looked at all our trees surrounding the open area. Kiran had planted trees as every child was born, keeping our traditions alive.

“Christian,” he said and I turned to look at him, sadness enveloping me.

“What am I supposed to do without you? I’m not an Alpha, I’m not like you. I don’t want you to die,” I said to him.

“This might hurt a little,” he said and I looked up as he grabbed me and turned my back against his chest. The knife in his hand slit across my throat.

I tried to gasp for breath as I felt the blood spill down my neck as Kiran held onto me tightly. His hands were glowing in his blue flames and he started whispering close to my ear.

“Með þinn blóð, ek eigna þinn maníkan, með minn blóð, ek gefa ykkr minn makt, min fjölkyngi, inn orka.”

The blue flames engulfed us and something dribbled into my mouth. It was thick and smelled like blood, it tasted bitter, then sweet and I could feel the skin of my throat closing back up. I could feel it swirling inside of me, covering every inch of my body, my nerves, my muscles, until finally it felt like my soul itself was engulfed in power. I could feel it burning me, everywhere. I wanted to tear my own skin off and if I could I’d be screaming at the intense pain.

The flames burned brightly and I felt it seep into my bones. I closed my eyes as it engulfed us and the force of it threw both of us backwards. I landed on my back next to Kiran as the flames died out and I gasped for breath.

“What the hell was that?” I yelled as I sat upright and looked over at Kiran.

“A gift,” he said as he stood up.

“You slit my throat!” I yelled at him.

“The transfer of magic is never an easy or nice process,” he said to me.

“What?” I asked, looking at him dumbstruck.

“This is my gift to you, Christian, sharing my magic, having my essence, my strength,” he said.

“I don’t understand,” I said to him.

“Money is something that can be made and lost but magic is forever, the strength of an Alpha witch is what you possess now,” he said.

“Kiran!” I said loudly as he coughed up blood and staggered.

I reached his side and placed his arm over my shoulder as I helped him back to the house. I took him upstairs to his bedroom where Adara stood waiting, like she knew what would happen, what he was planning to do.

“Put him on the bed,” she said softly as I helped him to lie down.

I sat down next to him on the bed as Adara flanked his other side. He looked pale, older suddenly, and I felt it in that instant. I could feel Death in the room with us as Kiran opened his eyes and smiled at me with so much love that I started crying.

“Remember who you truly are, no matter what, you are my son, blood doesn’t matter,” he said with some difficulty.

“Your blood flows through my veins now,” I said as I swallowed my grief back and the full realization of what he had done hit me.

“I love you, Christian, you’re destined for greatness all on your own,” he said.

“I love you, Kiran,” I said as I started to cry.

“You are Christian Sin…” His voice faltered as his eyes became lifeless and I looked over at Adara where she lay next to him. My heartbeat was the only sound in the room followed by my cries as I lowered my head against his and grabbed Adara’s hand.

“I love you, Mom and Dad,” I whispered as the emotions took over and I couldn’t control them anymore. They were gone, the house quiet and empty without them. I didn’t want this, I wanted them, I wanted him.

I called Levi first, since he was the closest person to me other than Kiran and Adara. He said exactly three words to me and six minutes later he arrived with Charlotte and I called Kai. Within half an hour the house was filled. Levi had called William and Saga and Kai had called Jericho.

Tala had gone to get Alex and I had fled to Kiran’s study before Kai even got there. Charlotte had just hugged me and cradled me against her as we cried together. Levi’s face didn’t betray anything and he had stared at Kiran for exactly five minutes before swearing under his breath and leaving the room.

I heard more voices in the kitchen and I stood up to leave the study. I couldn’t hide in the study forever. We all lost him and we were all in pain. Kiran had always been the glue of this family, even if nothing else in his life was true, that part was.

“What the fuck happened, Christian?” Kai asked me angrily as he appeared in the kitchen and strode towards me.

“He just said it was his time,” I said as he pushed me.

“His time? His time!” He yelled and his hands started blazing in his blue-gray fire.

I looked at him as his eyes burned into me and I knew that he wasn’t in control now. He was going to hurt me, I just knew it. He needed to lash out and I actually understood it. He was very close with Kiran and I knew what he was feeling.