Suddenly, Marci sensed a shift in the air. The Komodo King's amber eyes now shimmered with a faint red flare, the same unnatural glow she'd seen in Father's hooded gaze — and she could swear he was looking at her.
---
Beyond the Walls
Mother reached Father just outside the palace gates. He stood silent and unmoving, the shadows bending subtly toward him as if drawn by his will.
"I could end them all for what he just did to you, my darling," Father said, his tone carrying an arctic stillness that chilled the space around them.
"My beloved," Mother replied, her voice a melody of warmth, "we agreed to allow them to live as they wish. They know the rules." She wrapped her golden arms around him gently.
"I appreciate that you didn't rush in to destroy him."
"You are no damsel in need of rescue," Father murmured. "You are my other half — equal to me. Had you truly needed me, I would have been there."
Mother laughed softly, the sound like sunlight breaking through fog. She kissed him tenderly before they disappeared into the night sky, returning to their castle.
But what Mother did not know was that the King now craved more than vengeance. He hungered for the divine essence that pulsed in her blood.
---
The King's Command
Two Komodo guards stumbled into the throne room, armor clanking, their halberds trembling in their hands.
"Sir, we heard the sound of a struggle, but the door— it wouldn't open!"
The King's eyes glowed brighter, rage and lust swirling in their depths.
"Summon the Predatory Council," he ordered, his voice a growl of command. "Call every sovereign from across Pangea."
The guards bowed deeply and hurried out. The King turned toward his dying daughter, her scales pale and glistening.
"I will rally them for you, my child," he whispered. "We will wage war against them — and when we prevail, we will be the new gods of this world."
He could still feel the trace of Mother's divine blood burning through his veins. That taste had given him forbidden knowledge — and desire for more.
---
The Gathering Storm
Time surged forward before Marci's eyes — the years unfurling in a blur of motion. When the rush stilled, she found herself inside the radiant palace of Mother and Father. A tiny hummingbird woman hovered before the throne, her wings beating so fast they were a shimmer of light. Her armor was translucent crystal, glowing faintly with magic.
"Your Graces," she said breathlessly, "the Predatory Kings march against you. Their armies blanket the horizon."
Mother's expression dimmed with concern, though her warmth never left. "Thank you, Lady Iris. Father and I will handle this. Take your kin and seek shelter."
As Lady Iris darted away, Mother turned toward the towering window where Father stood watching the horizon. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and Marci swore she saw his posture sink slightly into her embrace.
"Are you worried?" she asked gently.
"Of them? No," he replied, still staring out at the night. "For you — always."
"You worry for me?" she teased softly.
"Yes," he said. "I could end this now. I could turn them to dust before they draw their blades."
"But you won't," she said knowingly.
"No. Because you would never forgive me."
Mother smiled and pressed her forehead to his chest. "We gave them life, my love. They are flawed, but they can still learn."
Father finally turned, the shadow under his hood rippling like smoke. "And that is why I will not destroy them."
He paused, his faceless gaze seeming to fall directly on Marci — a hollow awareness that froze her to her bones.
---
The Lesson of Creation
Marci blinked — and she was suddenly outside. The palace loomed behind her, its towers wreathed in light, while before her stretched a sea of beasts and warriors that blanketed the hills as far as the eye could see. It was an army so vast it swallowed the horizon.
Before she could process the scope of what she saw, the world blurred again — and she was back inside the throne room. Mother stood at the window, radiant even in worry.
"They are more numerous than I realized," she murmured.
Father's reply rolled through the chamber like a distant storm. "Still think they are just children throwing a tantrum?"
Mother's smile was soft but sad. "Yes. And like children, they must be taught — not destroyed."
Father tilted his head. "And what lesson would you give them, my love?"
"The same lesson every parent must teach their children," she replied, taking his pale hand. "Consequences."
Father's hidden face bent toward her, and though Marci couldn't see his expression, she felt the cruel smile form beneath that shadowed hood.
Light exploded outward from them — a pure, blinding wave that rippled across the world. The air cracked like thunder, and the pulse of creation radiated from the palace, blue and gold light mingling in spirals that reshaped existence itself.
Marci fell to her knees, hands shielding her eyes, as she witnessed the impossible — the birth of The Draíochta: fairies, elves, dwarves, and the Moirai — five divine families of magic, radiant and terrible. They rose from light and flame, blessed by Mother's grace and Father's restraint.
"These will be our teachers," Mother whispered as the new beings took form. "Guides to all creation."
Father's low voice followed, the sound vibrating through the earth beneath Marci's feet. "Then let us see if your children can calm the storm you refuse to end."
The blinding glow faded — leaving only the echo of their creation and the faint, trembling pulse of Marci's heart as she realized they had seen her there all along.
---
End Chapter 14