Chapter 717 [Bonus chapter] Family and the Library
Two years later:
Dmitri was playing chess with Nate while Nikolai, Connor and Tyler watched them in the gardens of the palace.
Sitting under the oak tree, Adrianna was speaking with Ookashi. "You should see how Nikolai defeats his grandfather," she chuckled. In her lap was Yana, Ileus's one-year old baby girl who was sleeping. Adrianna couldn't get enough of her granddaughter. She was beautiful just like her mother except that she had golden eyes. She pressed a kiss on Yana's forehead. Anastasia had given her three beautiful grandchildren who kept her occupied for the whole time. Throughout the pregnancy, the way Ileus took care of his wife, it was if he had grown several years old. And ever since Yana came in his life, she had her father wrapped around her little finger. They had gone to the Elders to get a locket for her as well.
Ookashi chuckled. "I am sure that Dmitri loves to get defeated by Nikolai. I haven't seen a man who could thrash Dmitri in chess!" Ookashi and Nate were visiting their friends along with their Kaizan and Paige, their spouses and children. She was holding Paige's son, Lowell who was yawning while watching Yana.
Paige had given birth to twins, Lowell and Halley. It was difficult to know who belonged to which father because even their fathers were identical twins. It was only because of their scents that her children could be identified. Lowell was Tyler's while Halley was Connor's.
Adrianna laughed. "Dmitri dotes on his grandchildren. These days the boys mostly sleep with us!"
Ookashi shook her head. She rocked Lowell a little more and the boy went off to sleep. Paige soon came and took him from her lap. She smiled at her mother and then took her baby boy to where Anastasia and Olivia were sitting. Olivia's kids Isabella and Tristan were playing with Alexander who seemed to have formed his own tribe to dominate. The toddlers would follow Alexander everywhere. Paige's daughter, Halley was still in a stage where she crawled and she too followed the three older kids everywhere on her knees.
A nanny approached her to take Yana, but she didn't give her. When the nanny left, she said, "How are Flores and Liam? Haven't their vacation ended?"
Ookashi's laughed, tipping her head back. "Don't you know them? Liam must be probably holed up with Flores somewhere!"
"No. No." Adrianna countered. "They are both with Darla and Aiden and their four grandchildren. They are loving it so much out there that the two don't want to come back to the capital!"
"Oh!" Ookashi exclaimed.
Adrianna got up. "Come, let's walk."
The two friends walked together to the edge of the garden from where they could see level three of Draoidh. "Ookashi," she said in a gentle voice, "Why don't you go for immortality? Please."
Ookashi stared at the level beneath, silent at Adrianna's question. After a long time, she said, "You know that I want to stay human. I don't want to, Adri… Just let me be…" She exhaled heavily.
Adrianna's heart cracked. She had coaxed Ookashi so many times when they were alone. Apart from Flores, Ookashi was the only close friend she had had who stayed through her thick and thin. In fact, she was her first close friend. Adrianna's eyes became moist. "I hate to see those age lines appearing on you. They make me insecure…"
Ookashi's lips curled up. She hugged her friend and said, "That's because you only look at me wearing the shoes of an immortal. How about you look at me from the eyes of a human?"
Adrianna giggled through a tear that left her eye. Her friend was really stubborn.
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Ileus kissed Anastasia and then looked at his friend Kaizan who was lying beside Olivia on the soft rug. Kaizan got up immediately. "I will be right back, love," he said to Olivia.
"Where are you going?" she asked, bewildered. "And why don't I see Rolfe? He said he would come back." Rolfe had come to Draoidh for an important monthly meeting that he had started having with Ileus and Kaizan. The meeting was so secretive that no one knew where the three met.
"Will be back soon!" He joined Ileus who was already walking inside the palace.
When Olivia looked at her husband's back, she gave a puzzled expression to Anastasia.
Anastasia shrugged. "I don't know where these men keep disappearing!"
In a certain library somewhere in the palace a meeting was taking place. In the meeting, Rolfe was sitting on the couch with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a magazine on his lap, while Ileus was on the carpet on his belly, flipping pages of a "Demon, you should see the book I am reading," said Kaizan.
magazine. Kaizan was sitting at Ileus's desk and looking at the latest pictures of nude models and obscene porn photos.
"These are explosive!" Rolfe muttered.
"Demon, you should see the book I am reading," said Kaizan.
"Why?" Rolfe looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"This one has various types of bondages!"
Rolfe tossed his magazine down and went to stand behind Kaizan. A few moments later, he rubbed his mouth and said, "How about we open a business to sell this kind of equipment?"
"Not a bad idea!" The General of Silver Vales supported. "It would be extremely popular in the Lore. We could mint gold!"
Suddenly, there was a soft knock. Their attention whipped to the door. No one ever found the way to this library. Who could it be?
"Don't get so jittery," Ileus said as he walked to the door and opened it. Connor and Tyler walked in. The two scanned the library and their eyes shone.
"Gahhh!" Kaizan muttered. "Both of you better stay quiet while you read the books!"
"Welcome to the club," said Ileus, closing the door behind them. He pointed at a pile of books. The two men walked to sit on the couch near the window and then the world faded in the background for them. Ileus had given them a pile of books that catered to three mates. Connor and Tyler were so immersed in it that after reading just five books, they both wanted to go back home.
Ileus looked at his little club with pride in his chest. Rolfe and Kaizan were talking about possible business, one which would never take place. At the same time, he remembered that King Eltanin was asking for some urgent help. A letter had arrived this morning. He was seeking help from the demon king, Rolfe Aramaer. Soon, he would have to have a chat with Rolfe. Ileus was concerned about his going to Araniea. He was going to send a few books with him to Eltanin as a gift.
---- The End
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Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for being a part of this journey called, Ileus: The Dark Prince. It was your motivation that kept me inspired to write this book. It was your wonderful support that encouraged me. I know many of you still want me to continue writing it, and I might come back, but for now I have started a new book, The Alpha's Temptation. See you in the comments section over there:)
A big shoutout to my girls, Sacogun, Nena4ever, Hollygolightly, Astromnia, G_Squared, Shine600 and Riemec. They keep chirping in my Discord server (Mishak #196) and motivating me! I want to thank all those who I haven't mentioned here because the list is amazingly, beautifully long.
Lots of Love,
Misha K
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