Wyatt
Sapphyra was frozen in place like a deer caught in headlights. I’d only seen her like one time before: the day she gave birth to Barnaby’s little gray body.
“Sapph? Princess, talk to me.”
I walked up behind her, glancing around her body at the tiny rock in my son's bed. I clenched my jaw so tight I nearly chipped a tooth. He did it. That bastard Rupert actually stole our baby’s corpse right from under our noses. I’d already started calculating a plan when she finally found her voice again.
“Wyatt.”
“Yes?” Her voice was small and polite and so very unlike my wife. My stomach dropped in anticipation for what came next.
Sapphyra turned to me, big blue eyes wide and unmoving.
“Why did you kidnap Barbie?”
Now? She wanted to ask about that now of all times? I said I would be honest with her but truthfully, I barely remembered why I did it.
“He did what?!”
Guy roared from outside the tomb. Noa locked his arms around Guy, holding him in place. Of course they were ready to jump me. The goddess must have it out for me to have placed me with these two for headmates.
Sapph was still waiting on an answer.
“You’re holding the reason.” I nodded at the note in her hand. “And before you accuse me of withholding any information about our son, I will tell you that I had no idea they’d stolen him. That’s the goddess-honest truth, I swear.”
My shoulders relaxed when she finally closed her eyes and sighed.
“I’m going to need more than that, Wyatt.”
“I’m fuzzy on the details but I took her because of her connection to Barnaby.” An ache formed in my frontal lobe, my ears started ringing as I tried to recall anything surrounding the event.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, stepping closer. I could smell her, feel her spirit consoling me even with all the turmoil in our marriage.
“I’m trying to think back on what happened but the information seems to be missing. It’s killing me to try.”
“Diet Wyatt strikes again.” Sapphyra mumbled with a half smile. Her eyes then hardened on me.
“It doesn’t excuse you from kidnapping your ex, mind you, but if Barbie had something to do with Barnaby being missing, it had to have happened while I was in Sanctuary and before you dumped your mind.”
“I do not need to be excused for loving my family.” A flicker of something in her eyes made me pause. Was it regret? Longing? Pity? Whatever it was, it vanished as fast as it came.
“Right. That is you, isn’t it…anyway.” She snorts as Guy comes over and picks me up aggressively, slinging me over his shoulder. He hauled me out of the crypt like a sack of potatoes.
Was that my heart fluttering at such rough treatment?
“I have half a mind to dump you into the sewage drains! Kidnapping women—”
“That woman had something to do with our son being missing. You should be happy that kidnapping is…well, all I can remember doing. It wouldn’t surprise me if I did a little torture.”
They all turned to me like I was insane. By their standards I was.
“You really just don’t think you did anything wrong, do you?” Guy asked with a somber tone. Noa snickered.
“He hardly ever thinks that he’s done anything wrong. Trust me. I might not be able to remember what happened with Barbie either but if I know Wyatt, he did what he had to do for our son.” Noa glanced at Sapph with kind eyes, “and his wife’s peace of mind.”
“Peace of mind. Right.” Sapphyra mumbled more to herself that we couldn’t hear. I was worried about her. Beyond the tragedy of learning about Barnaby’s body being moved, she was carrying a secret that she was desperate to hide.
From me.
I’ll admit it was hypocritical of me to think she wouldn’t after what I put her through, but what she’s doing is having obvious effects on her physical and mental health.
“Sapphyra.” I decided to ask the obvious question. “Are you pregnant?”
It was as if I’d shattered a glass vase on the ground. Everyone stopped, eyes widening at her.
“No.” Her voice deepened, her tail coiled around her waist and she refused to look at me. All signs that she was stressed out. She was lying, my sweet princess was lying to me.
“Then have System run a bio diagnostic on you, right now. It will be simple and put my mind to rest.” And will give us a better understanding of the stress she is under.
“No.” Her voice deepened further, putting Barry White to shame. That…was that really her?
“Sapphyra?” Guy asked, putting me down finally. He walked closer to her but the moment he got within arms length, the ground beneath us shook hard enough to rattle my teeth. I could damn near feel my brain bouncing around in my skull.
The water beneath her feet started boiling from intense heat. Pink and black flames surrounded her.But she was fine. No, maybe on the outside she was, but on the inside she must have still been in shock.
And I had the audacity to ask her if she was pregnant!
“Princess, look at me! You’re—-”
“I’m done listening to you. Everything about you is lies and manipulation. And now our son is gone and you knew…you fucking knew he was gone!”
“No,I didn’t know!” I didn’t, otherwise I would have told her.
She roared at me to cut me off, flames spewing from her mouth. If Guy wasn’t there to grab me in time, she would have roasted me alive.
Now I was sure of it. The voice coming from Sapph wasn’t her, it was her dragon seeping through. It shouldn’t be possible if System is still functioning within her.
“System, Admin Override protocol Omega 10!” I yelled.
[Override recognized. Command?]
“Wyatt, what the fuck are you doing now?!” Guy hissed in my ear.
“I’m saving Sapphyra.” I strained against Guy's chest.
“No.” Noa added, watching it all go down. “You’re trying to tie her down again.”
He was right but couldn’t he see that she was a danger to herself and everyone else right now?
Sapphyra’s wings unfurled. The sling on her arm fell off and though her broken arm hung limply at her side, the pain must not have registered.
[Command?]
“Don’t do it Wyatt. Please.” Guy begged. I could see where he was coming from but he didn’t know her like I did and neither did Noa.
Her skin started peeling, pink scales shined beneath her human skin.
Oh god. She was going to let her dragon take over.
“Activate sleep mode!” I yelled before Guy covered my mouth
[Command…Command…Co-Co-Co]
What the hell?
[Class Sy-sy-sy-system Over-Over-Override]
“There can’t be another override goddamn you, I’m the override!" I built the damn thing. This didn’t make sense!
[Class System Override in progress.]
“By who?!” I screamed in frustration.
“I’ll give you one guess.” Noa said, backing up slowly as Sapphyra’s jaw gave way to a monstrous pink maw that roared loud enough to shake the city.
Oh goddess. I’m already too late.
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