"She said they needed the power of the Gods to destroy humanity, the race in its entirety. Kyera, you and your brothers are all children of the Shadow Lord. I was stupid, and thought there would be no consequences to bareing him children. No less, I bore 5 demigods into a world where their power would have to be hidden. I never dreamed anyone would come after us, we were just a small family in the forest. I had no idea that Keenan would develop his power so early, and show that girl." Akira tried to explain, cursing the past as she thought of her eldest son. His warm and loving eyes, the brightness as he learned so intelligent and full of light. All she wanted was to protect that light.
"So it's Keenan's fault?" Kyera asked, Akira's words had struck a chord deep in Kyera's body. She remembered laying her brothers into the ground, and the pain of Keenan's last moments. How dare she blame the boys for this…
"No it was mine." Akira replied and Kyera looked at her, shock in her eyes. That cold facade had shattered for a moment, defenseless in the face of her mother's admission. "I should have prepared Keenan. I wanted him to grow up care free and I was so sure he would come to me first when the powers came. When he reached 6 and nothing had happened I figured he was normal. He was 10 when he showed her what he could do. His power was small, but it was enough." She shook her head wiping her eyes as the tears came and poured over her cheeks. "I had to protect you and the boys. I talked them out of using the Shadows, but I had to give them something, Kyera. I became their agent. They sent me here, to warm my way into the palace as a beautiful tiger and eventually i would be used to help destroy the royal family from the inside out." Akira explained as her mind shot back to the night she prayed Kyera would never find out about. Sending Lazren to kill little Raina had been the first step to the plan, but unfortunately that had failed.
"Inside out?" Kyera asked, her eyes flashed with realization as she looked around the room. "The others… the Shifter Kin trapped here, not all of them are trapped are they? Many of them are here for this plot. You… Oh God, what was their plan, Akira. What is your part to play?" Kyera demanded, her heart was cold. There was a really easy way to torture the Emperor and take away everything that he loved… just start with the…
"The children. We were suppose to start taking away the children." Akira replied unable to look Kyera in the eyes.
"What? You were going to help them take the children? They couldn't survive our way of life." Kyera growled anger in her eyes. "NO child should suffer the punishment of the father. You helped write that rule, Akira. Your own blood wrote those words into existence." Kyera reminded her and Akira looked down at the floor. She seemed so defeated and worn out compared to her powerful daughter.
"No, we were supposed to take the children's lives. I did what I did to protect my children. They swore the five of you would be safe." Akira replied and a dark laugh behind Kyera made her glance behind her.
"Yea, well, that's because she set you up. She knew who you were, she knew who the kids were because she knew who fantasy was. It had nothing to do with Keenan. She got you out of the way so she could wipe out your children Akira, and eventually, once you suffered losing all five she would have taken your life too." Kan replied coming to stand beside Kyera, and look at Akira with pity in his eyes.
"No, I've been here for years… she swore she didn't do it." Akira replied her voice trembled as she fought against the truth staring her down.
"Akira, see reason. She banished you using your children, and then set in to kill all of them. If it wasn't for my attempt to save them that night she would have taken Kyera's heart while she slept. Keenan died protecting his little sister, and I was forced to murder my own kin to stay alive and join you in banishment. Akira, my sister is one of the Dark Ones." Kan growled as he explained, the blood of that night seemed to still stained his fur crimson. Akira shook her head turning away but found her hand wrapped in fingers that hadn't reached for her since they were much smaller.
Kyera held her hand and met her eyes. "Stop. I need you to think this through. Is there any way anything he is saying is true? Akira… Mother Please." Kyeara's voice broke through the denial the older woman was trying so hard to cling too. Tears fell down her cheeks as she threw both arms around her daughter and held her close.
"I'm so sorry, Ky Mei. I'm so sorry." Akira whispered and Kyera sighed deeply holding her back, she was struggling against the tears that wanted to fall down her cheeks. "I thought I was doing the right thing."
"Our family has been betrayed so many times that its nothing now. We just… have to be more careful moving forward. Come, we must gather the council and stop this before anyone else falls to this madness." Kyera whispered pulling away and offering her mother a kerchief from her dress.