Page 47 of Magic Flame

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“Sure, Princess. The floor’s all yours,” Tartarus said and vanished in the air.

Yet I still got a pricking feeling between my shoulders blades. I knew he was somewhere watching us with keen interest.

Hyperion rose from the bench and positioned himself an inch from the bars. His long lavender hair flowed around his shoulders. So I got the hair color from him.

“May I?” he asked, his shaking hand poking out of the bars.

He wanted to touch me to make sure I was indeed in flesh, standing right in front of him. I swallowed and held back my tears as the thought of him being locked in this pit alone for eons turned my stomach.

My mates stepped forward in a silent warning, and Hyperion slanted them a curious glance.

“It’s okay,” I told my mates. “He’s my father. He won’t harm me.”

Hyperion smiled, his fingertips traced my cheek.

“You’re truly my daughter,” he said, savoring the moment. Then he withdrew his fingers. “You can’t linger in the realm if you don’t plan to stay, child. If you stay longer, the Void will make you its anchor.”

My parents hadn’t raised me since they couldn’t, yet they had my best interest in their hearts. They hadn’t tried to bind me to them, instead giving me what they thought was best—freedom. And for that, I was grateful.

I nodded. “Mom said the same thing.”

A longing deepened the shade of Hyperion’s green eyes at the mention of my mother, and a tremendous sadness swarmed over me. Being imprisoned for so long, Dad had lost his Titan spirit. He didn’t fight for what he wanted anymore. He just accepted his fate.

As if reading my thoughts, he said, “I won’t endanger your mother or you.”

“We’re okay,” I said.

“That’s all I want,” he said.

“But this is no way for you to live. I’ll find a way to get you out of here.”

“No, child. Don’t worry about me or your mother. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to raise you. I wasn’t able to protect you while you were out there. All I can do is not bring any attention to you. We were meant to hide you and let you have a normal life.”

“How could a hybrid of Titan and demon have a normal life?” I said. My cover had been blown when Axel had taken me to the Academy. But if it weren’t for him, someone else would have found me. If it were Ares or Lucifer who had gotten to me first, I wouldn’t have the life I had today. “That was wishful thinking, Dad. I’m okay and I’m here now with my four mates. They protect me.”

Hyperion scanned my mates again, who nodded at him politely in acknowledgment. It was never easy for all the pure alpha males to be together in the same space. Dad had been the true king of Titans. A tiger would always be a tiger, even caged or wounded.

“Descendants of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—my enemies,” Hyperion announced.

“Father, they don’t regard me as an enemy! Without them, I’d be trapped in Hell, suffering endless torture. They’re my true mates and protectors. They’ve proved themselves to be worthy of me over and over. Even Mom said so. And you didn’t raise me, so you have no say on whom I date and mate. Don’t judge my men!”

“My fierce daughter, just like your mother,” Hyperion said in approval, and there was such sorrow and love in his voice, too. “You’re very protective of your demigods. I wasn’t judging them, even though they’re half-bloods. I just want to make sure they know what they get and treasure you with their lives. And I also want to point it out that they should court and marry you before deflowering you.”

I ran a hand over my face. “Dad, this is a bit embarrassing. We don’t say deflower anymore. The world is a new place now.”

“We’ll marry my Lamb properly when we return to Earth,” Héctor said. “It’ll be the wedding of the century. You don’t need to worry about that, Hyperion. And we’ll even invite you to the wedding if you can break out of here. My Lamb deserves the best and more.”

“And we’ll pluck the stars for my Rosebud, no matter if she wants them or not,” Zak added.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Dad nodded in appreciation. “Make sure the wedding is awe-inspiring, as befits a child of the true Titan king.”

Dad had been locked up in the Eternal Prison for eons, yet when the opportunity called, his vanity trumped it all. The gods, the Titans, and the immortals just couldn’t help themselves. They were vain to the bones. My demigod mates functioned the same way.

“I’m not a completely useless father,” Dad said. “I’ve hoarded a hidden treasure, enough to buy an entire galaxy. That treasure will be my daughter’s dowry.”

The dome was suddenly deathly quiet. My mouth hung open, and my mates looked around.

“Come close, Celeste, my beloved child,” Dad said. “I’ll tell you where it is. It’ll be to your ears only.”


Tags: Meg Xuemei X Half-Blood Academy Fantasy