The little Fire Monastery was next to a potion shop. Mina entered and stopped, only to catch her breath before looking around. Xander was sitting on a bench, his face was white as a ghost, his eyes closed, and his head leaned against the wall. The Fire Mage was nowhere to be seen.
“Xander!” Mina breathed. She was half afraid he had more injuries.
“Mina!” he said in a weak voice as soon as he opened his eyes.
Mina sat next to Xander and grabbed him by his hand. “Where is the Fire Mage?” she asked angrily while her eyes searched the Fire Church.
“I will go look for him!” Ivy said. “He must be around here somewhere,” she said and went outside.
Mina felt like wanting to kill the Fire Mage. She counted to ten before speaking again. “How is your leg?” Xander lifted the leg of his pants, and Mina cringed. “As soon as Ivy returns with the Fire Mage, he will heal you!” Mina promised. “What happened?”
“A bet,” Xander said and smirked. “I won!”
It was not the first time Xander or Shin got hurt because of some stupid bet. Only two months had passed since Shin broke his arm while jumping from one roof to another.
Shin snorted. “You did not.”
“We will talk about this once Xander is healed!” Mina said in a serious tone to the two boys.
Ivy returned with the Fire Mage. The mage was old and a little tipsy. Mina understood why he asked for money when he healed someone.
A few moments passed, and Aksel, the man, entered. He went directly to the Fire Mage and grabbed him by his tunic. “Heal the boy! Now!” Aksel ordered the Fire Mage.
Mina snapped her head in Aksel’s direction. He was wearing clothes that were a little too small for him. But it wasn’t his clothes that bothered her. How did Aksel, the man, know where she was? Or about Xander? She looked around here. Where was the wolf?
Her eyes went back to Aksel. Could it be that Aksel was a shapeshifter and could take the form of a wolf? Oh, Inoss! No wonder the wolf looked smarter than most wolves. If he could change forms, could the other ocxoas do the same?
“A go-gold coin!” the Fire Mage mumbled.
Aksel growled. “Heal the boy, or else the Arch Mage will know that you ask for money so you can get drunk!” he said, barring his canines. The Fire Mage tried to protest. “Now!” Aksel said in an angry tone.
The Fire Mage turned as white as Xander. “O-of co-course!” he stuttered.
Aksel let go of the Fire Mage.
Ivy, sitting next to the Fire Mage, studied Aksel with interest. Her eyebrows went up when she saw the Fire Mage take out his magic rune and started working on Xander’s leg. Even Shin seemed surprised while Mina was still observing Aksel. The wolf and he had the same eyes.
Aksel folded his arms and watched the Fire Mage. When he locked eyes with Mina, he gave her a curt nod.
When Xander was healed, color returned to his cheeks, and as he was walking around, Ivy went to Mina and put her mouth close to Mina’s ear. “Do you know him?”
Mina understood whom Ivy was talking about. “He is one of Jayden’s men. His name is Aksel,” replied Mina.
Ivy bit her lip. “I know it is not the right time to ask this, but is he single?”
Aksel looked at Ivy and narrowed his eyes.
Mina blinked. She remembered Jayden saying he only brought unmated ocxoas with him. “I am not sure. But I can ask him if you want.” Ivy nodded, her eyes fixed on Aksel. She didn’t seem to have listened to what Mina said.
Xander walked a few more steps before the Fire Mage took out a healing potion from his pocket. “All he-healed! C-can you go now?” he asked, looking at Aksel with frightened eyes.
Aksel looked at the Fire Mage with disgust. “You bring shame to your Order!” he said before looking at Mina. “Andarra?”
Ivy tilted her head to the side and frowned. “What or who is Andarra?” she asked, but no one replied.
Mina rose from the bench, took a silver coin from her purse, and shoved it into the Fire Mage’s hand. “Shame on you for refusing to heal a child, especially when the gift of healing is free!” she said before grabbing Shin and Xander and leaving the Fire Church. Ivy and Aksel went after her. When she was close to the magic potions shop, Mina stopped walking and ruffled Xander’s blonde hair. “You and Shin are the biggest troublemakers I have ever met! Wherever you go, trouble seems to follow you!” she said in an affectionate voice. “How are the little ones?”
It was already getting dark, and Mina wondered if she still had time to visit the others and get home in time to prepare the food for Jayden and his men.
Shin nodded. “They went with Old Meg and some other women to the orchards. They will return in two or three days.”
Old Meg was one of the few people living in the sewers that cared for the children. Each year, she took them to the orchards to enjoy a few days away from life in Athea while helping the women collect fruits and earn some coins. The orchards were half a day away from Athea, and the women and the children returned once all the fruits were collected.
“Why didn’t you go with them?” Mina asked.
Shin rubbed the back of his neck. “Xander and I were worried about you. Thought something had happened, and we decided to watch the mansion. We climbed the wall, and that’s when Xander fell and broke his leg.”
Mina shook her head. “You know better than that. And if something happens to me, I will find a way to let you know.” She sighed. “I am sorry for making you worry, but I had a rather complicated week, and I couldn’t come.” She lifted her left hand. “I got married,” she said and smiled.
Shin looked at her hand with narrowed eyes. “Will your husband let you keep visiting us?”
Aksel took a step forward. “Son of the Air, If Commander Jayden would have known about Lady Mina visiting bastard children, I am sure he would have come to meet you. He was born here, in the port, and like you, he is also a bastard.” He cleared his voice. “I am sure the Commander will find a way to help you find a better home than the sewers.”
Mina locked eyes with Shin. They have often spoken about a home for them, but the children didn’t want to be separated. Perhaps they could come and live with her when the mansion was ready. She would have to talk to Jayden about it.
“The sewers are our home,” Shin said. “Down there, we are free.”
Aksel arched an eyebrow. “A Son of the Air free underground? I have never heard of such things!”
Mina smiled sadly. She knew Shin was lying. He hated living in the sewers. But what was a Son of the Air? “Are you hungry?” she asked Shin and Xander.
“I caught two fat rats in the morning and had a big breakfast before Xander fell and broke his leg,” Shin said and shrugged.
Mina snorted and took out two silver coins. “Don’t spend them all at once,” she said before putting the money in Shin’s palm. “Before we take you to the sewers, let’s stop at a tavern and buy some food. And, Xander? No more wall climbing!”
Mina took the boys, Aksel and Ivy, to a tavern close to the sewers and ate dinner. Before leaving, she purchased meat pies and a roasted chicken, and once Shin and Xander were back in the sewers, Aksel guided Mina and Ivy to a carriage. Mina invited Ivy to Jayden’s home, but Ivy claimed she was tired after her journey and would visit Mina in the morning.
Jayden’s house was closer to the port than Ivy’s family mansion, and once the carriage stopped in front of the house, Mina asked Aksel to accompany Ivy to her home. While Aksel didn’t seem pleased to take Ivy to her home, he did as Mina asked.
“Caesar, I am back!” Mina said once she was inside. “Did Jayden return?” her voice sounded down the hall as she went to the kitchen.
Caesar was sitting at the table, dining, but rose from the chair when Mina entered. She gestured to him to finish his dinner. “He sent a message saying he will be late and you should not wait for him. And an errand boy brought the things you purchased from the market. I already stored the meat, so it would not spoil.”
“Thank you, Caesar,” Mina said. “Part of the meat is for the wolves.” She bit her lip while thinking about Aksel. She needed to find out the truth. “Could you feed them?” When Caesar agreed, Mina added, “Do you need any help around the house?” Caesar shook his head. Between the visits of her uncle, Rosalyn, the market, and Xander, Mina felt tired. “Do you mind if I retire to my room?” she asked.
“Aren’t you hungry? And where is Aksel?”
Mina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I already had dinner with my friend Ivy and Aksel, the man. The wolf disappeared, and Jayden’s man appeared! Is Aksel a shapeshifter?”
Caesar’s eyebrows went up. “You should ask the Commander.”
“I will do that. See you in the morning,” Mina said before going to Jayden’s room. She changed into a nightgown before getting in bed.
Mina woke up sometime later. It was still night, and Jayden was sleeping beside her, wearing only a pair of white cotton pants. His brows furrowed, and he was mumbling strange words before starting to thrash. Hugo did the same when he was having a nightmare. She combed Jayden’s hair and sang a gypsy lullaby.
*“Sleep, sleep, my sweetheart*
*Close your eyes and drift away*
*Sleep, sleep, my sweetheart*
*Your mate is here to stay.”*
She changed the words mother with mate and child with sweetheart for Jayden. When Jayden’s nightmare was gone and his face relaxed, she stopped singing, rested her cheek on his chest, and listened to his heart.
He put his arms around her and whispered a name...Lyn.
“I love you, Lyn,” Jayden said in his sleep.
Tears fell from Mina’s eyes as pain spread through her chest. She and Hugo used to call Rosalyn Lyn when they were children.
Jayden was still in love with Rosalyn.
She got out of bed, put her shawl on, and went into the garden. She knew Jayden said she should not go out alone at night, but she needed a moment to think. As she sat on the bench and looked up at the moon, she wondered if anyone would look at her and see her skin color and love her.
Jayden married her, but his heart still belonged to Rosalyn. That’s why he said he could never love Mina because there was no more place in his heart for her.
Her eyes fell on her hands.
No one would love her because of what she was—a half-breed.
She hated everything about her: her hair, her eyes, and especially her skin. Tears fell down her cheeks, and she covered her face with her palms and sobbed. Just for a day, she wanted to look like Ivy or Rosalyn and not worry about what others would say about her.
And then there was Rosalyn’s curse. Jayden would never be happy with Mina.
Mina was still crying when strong arms lifted her from the bench and found herself sitting on a man’s lap. When she removed her palms from her eyes, she saw it wasn't any man, but Jayden. Their eyes locked.
“Oh, little lamb,” he cooed before kissing her wet cheeks. His chest rumbled softly while his lips moved gently on her skin, and his warm hand rubbed her back.
Mina was too stunned to say anything and let Jayden comfort her.
When she stopped crying, Jayden’s eyes turned golden. Something flashed in his gaze. Something deadly. “Who made my little mate cry?” he asked, his voice sounding lethal.
The night turned even darker, and the temperature dropped.