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Mated to the Fairy King
Chapter 34
Chapter 341999words
Update Time2024-10-24 11:58:31
Arlen's POV
After Eva Deveaux's sudden death, I immediately instructed the pilot of my plane to get us out of Baton Rouge. With what she had told us about Brynn's real grandfather, it was only a matter of time before Marshall tracked us down.
Brynn was in the back of the jet lying down with Jade at her side, both understandably shaken by the events that took place. Aiden stayed behind in Baton Rouge to dispose of any evidence that we had met with Eva. When Brynn showed me the picture of her grandmother holding her mother and her aunt, I knew Marshall would be coming as soon as he learned Eva was gone.

I studied the dossier Jason sent me via email about Marshall John Sherman. What I learned about the man had me in a silent rage, debating on whether I should tell Brynn just what a monster her and Jade's grandfather truly is.
Marshall was indeed alive. According to what Jason had sent me, he was in optimal health and lived a life of leisure in the French Quarter of New Orleans. A life that was built on pros****ing women and girls. Anthony and I poured through the paperwork on our flight back home and discovered Marshall had a brothel of hundreds of women over the past forty years. Eva was one of his big moneymakers at one point. In her youth, she was absolutely gorgeous and brought a high price for Marshall's clientele.
But Marshall employed horrific tactics to keep his girls in line. Beating them into submission was par for course. Getting them hooked on d***s and alcohol was only one tactic in his arsenal.
Out of the many women in his employ, only one reported Marshall's abuse to the authorities just a couple of years ago. "Amber Defurre, of Slidell LA, accused Marshall of r**e and attempted murder. States she was forced into relations with men who aren't of this world. The police investigated, if you can even call it that, and closed the case. Marshall was never charged. " I read aloud, not missing Anthony shuddering in disgust.
"They probably thought the woman was just some bloody crackpot!!" Anthony threw his paperwork down and stared out the window. I noticed the change in him since we got Mindi out of prison and brought her to Dreake for questioning.
"Anthony, get it off your chest man. You are tense and right now, I need you at your absolute best." I make sure there is no room for questioning in my voice.

Anthony Starr's resolve finally broke. "Why didn't she tell me what her mother had done to her! Why the f**k didn't I see it!!" He sat back in his chair, his head in his hands.
"Because you were a twenty-year-old man who had just found who he thought was the love of his life. You didn't see because you weren't experienced enough to see. No one will ever know why Mindi didn't tell you besides Mindi. But I know one thing, Anthony. You can't beat yourself up with what-ifs. I did enough of that when I banished you." Anthony looked up and stared at me, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"Anthony, I should have investigated more thoroughly. Like you were back then, I was young and inexperienced. Finn West was the first Fae on Fae murder I had and his wasn't exactly open and shut. I should have looked into Mindi much deeper than I had."
"King Arlen, I told you once before. You don't have to explain. You never have to apologize. The way I was going back then, I'd have killed someone else for sure. My time in the Bahamas, even though I was in a bottle for a good portion of it, well in some ways it saved me. I knew one day, Jade was going to learn the truth, and that's how I held on. Rest assured, there are no hard feelings." Anthony meant what he said.

I got up and went back to where Brynn lay resting, eyes wide open. "Jade, can you excuse us?"
"She stays." Brynn said flatly.
"Your mate is asking me to leave, Brynn. I don't think I need to be present for this conversation." Jade attempted to leave, but Brynn sat up quickly.
"It concerns our grandfather, doesn't it? Don't omit anything, Arlen!" Brynn's blue eyes pierced right through me.
"Alright." I sat down on the edge of the bed and told Brynn and Jade everything I knew. By the time I was done, they both looked at me in terror and anger.
"That's why Aiden stayed behind, isn't it? To make sure no one knew we were there to visit Eva." Jade confirmed with me.
"Yes. We can't risk it. Though overall, Marshall is resourceful. I firmly believe it's just a matter of time." Jade took a deep breath, processing everything I told her.
"He wouldn't be the first monster I've killed. And he won't be the last!" Jade walked out to her father, leaving me and Brynn alone.
"Arlen, I need to talk to you about something."
"Anything, my love." Brynn took a deep breath and looked at me.
"This madness in my mother's side of the family. It's....I don't know what it is. But I'm terrified of it being passed down to our children. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say." Brynn looked down, tears running down her face.
"I think that kind of trauma just gets passed down generation to generation until it eventually runs out. Being a child of the Depression and the World War, Eva's upbringing couldn't have been a walk in the park. We didn't have the mental health resources then that we do now. You have a traumatized woman raising two girls, an absent criminal for a father, and look what happened. Mindi took her hurt and trauma out on Jade, though I have to give it to her by keeping men away from Jade growing up. Jade didn't meet Anthony until she was an adult, but she did have one stable influence. A stepfather who raised her as his own and looked after her. And your mother Brynn? She had wonderful people who raised her right and she became a loving, amazing mother to you. So you are going to be the kind of mother I always wanted my children to have, Brynn. And I'll wait until you are ready to be one." My mate started to cry, and I took her in my arms.
"How in the world did you get so wise?" She whispered.
"Years of observing." I laughed, cuddling Brynn until she fell asleep. Once she was peacefully out, I went back out to my seat to Anthony and Jade.
"When we land, I want to call Aiden. We have to take care of Marshall before he finds out who the girls are, or the Lombardos figure out who he is." He nodded in understanding, and we spent the rest of the flight in silence.
As soon as I entered my kingdom, the Quads came rushing at me. "I thought I told the four of you to stay on the Lombardos in Boston!!" I growled. It wasn't like them to abandon my directions!
"King Arlen, something happened. But it's something we have to show you. Come to the infirmary." Jason and the Quads urged us towards the infirmary. They led us down the hall to one of the rooms, where we observed an elderly gentleman lying in a bed.
"Who in the hell is this!?" I shouted.
"Arlen, this is Ezra. Your Queen's...." Suddenly the man opened his eyes and I immediately knew who he was. He had the same blue eyes as my mate.
Brynn walked up to him and stood at the head of his bed. "You must be my grandfather." She whispered at him.
The man smiled at her, pride clear in his smile. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Ezra, and you must be Brynlee." His voice was soft, but strong.
"Just Brynn." She smiled back, and took his hand.
"You look like Jordan. You are beautiful like your mother. How I wish I could have met her!" Ezra began to tear up and Brynn held up her hands.
"I know why you did what you did. I saw you and the Fae Goddess meet in my dream earlier, on the plane." We all whipped our heads and stared at Brynn.
"Ezra, is this because she is a quarter Gypsy?" I asked him.
"What else can my granddaughter do?" Ezra asked me.
"She can stop time, that gift came from her mother. Goddess Aine has told me Brynn may also be able to see the future."
"That is a gift from my...well I'm not sure what Sheri is at the moment. Hopefully on her way to divorce court." I couldn't but snicker. This man was the closest person to a father figure Brynn was going to have, and we were going to get along just fine.
"Speaking of the Goddess...I want to speak to her." Brynn told me.
"Queen Brynn, if you ever want to speak to me, you just need to ask me." Suddenly, the Goddess Aine appeared in front of all of us.
"I know what your question is, Queen. You are wondering why I was vague about your mother and the Hennemans. Well, because that's all I could see in the human realm. Even being a Goddess, my powers are limited. I only get flashes of my subjects' pasts once I delve into the inside of it all. If the subject is a human, it's even worse. I was just as shocked as you were to learn your mother and Mindi are sisters. But now, I understand why it happened. And in time, you'll know why." Brynn nodded in understanding.
"Well Ezra, I'm glad to see you are in one piece. I really thought I didn't get to you in time!" Aine smiled at him.
"What are you talking about?" Brynn wanted to know.
"Luca's powers penetrated right through Ezra's gold shield and almost killed him. I didn't anticipate that and had to act fast. Don't be too hard on the Quads, Arlen. I forced their hands."
"Our a**es are more like it! Goddess Aine threatened us on pain of sores if anything happened to this man!!" Emmett grumbled, making us all laugh. It definitely lightened the mood.
"You said Ezra had a gold shield, one that Luca somehow penetrated through?" I remembered the gold dust that came from Brynn's hands the day George helped us with his magic.
"Do not worry, Arlen. By himself, Luca didn't penetrate it. But he's sleeping with Ezra's daughter. And Luca is slowly draining her because her power isn't true witch power."
"Oh God. He's going to kill her, isn't he!" Ezra sat up in pure panic mode.
"Ezra, I'm sorry to tell you this. There is nothing we can do." Aine was never one to mince words. Not surprisingly, Ezra jumped out of bed and got right in Aine's face.
"SHE IS STILL MY CHILD!! YOU HAVE TO STOP HIM!! I CAN'T LOSE TWO CHILDREN, AINE!!" Ezra grabbed at Aine and was pushed back into the bed by Fae magic.
"You can't save her, Ezra! She's beyond all hope!!" Aine told him as Ezra sobbed uncontrollably.
"I'm just a King but with all due respect, show some compassion here Goddess! Give the man a chance to save his only living child!" I couldn't believe how cold Aine was being.
"Arlen, Stefanie didn't just sell her soul to some regular witch. She sold it to a Red Witch!!" Aine stared at me. I knew then that Aine was right and Stefanie was long gone.
"Arlen, what is she talking about?!" Brynn stammered out.
"A witch with demonic ties. Once Luca finishes draining Stefanie, he will have demon power to use with his invisibility."