My steps faltered.
Slowly I turned to stare at my mate. I always knew she had strength that was superior to any other and her strength ran deep. It never wavered, and I thought—I thought I understood it but what was clearer now more than ever was that I had just scratched the surface in understanding its depths.
The empty ache I felt now, with its hopelessness and fury—Remnant had felt this for fucking years. Her friends, her family, her love, her life, everything that she had known was stripped from her within seconds. She had been left shattered, she still was when I finally found her and still—she followed me out of that cabin to live again.
And here I was, fretting like a goddess damn faeling when I had everything I would ever need.
My daughter and soulmate.
I lived them.
I breathed them.
My heart beat, my power flowed, my soul ascended,for them.
The quiet flutter of soft wings had my head jerking up, the sound easy to detect for my shifter ears and the culprit knew it. Prowling towards it, I stepped outside our lavish rooms and into the corridor. A long spiral staircase descended down to the ground floor of the tower we slept in and I searched its shadowy alcove. When the wings ruffled again, I narrowed my eyes on the fluttering sound seeing a small chickadee hop up on a step below.
Chirping once, it took flight, flapping its wings to disappear downward into the darkness.
It wanted me to follow.
Running my hand through my hair, I glanced back. My daughter and soulmate still rested peacefully in their slumber. It was likely my absence would still keep it that way since there was no chance I’d be sleeping tonight, my frustrated prowling only risked waking them up.
Sighing heavily, I stepped down on the onyx glass steps and despite my light footfalls, I felt heavy. An ominous feeling weighing me down with each passing step I took. Every instinct told me to go no further but still the soft chirps and light wings taunted me to follow.
When my feet finally hit the landing, shadows swirled in the dim light to reveal Remnant’s mother. Dressed in fitted leathers, hair unbound…she looked too goddess damn much like my soulmate.
Raising my brows, I addressed her with a short nod, "Lady Eve."
A soft smile fell on her face, "King Daemon."
I crossed my arms in front of my chest with disappointment. I had expected someone else entirely, someone who would appreciate my half nakedness as much as he would appreciate scat on his boots.
Where had that damn chickadee gone?
"Where is your lesser half, the death god?"
Eve's smile widened and she tilted her head towards the doorway, "Walk with me, Emon."
I glanced back up the long glass staircase, still able to hear Riella's soft snores and Remnant's slow breathing. Looking back at her I shook my head. "No. Say what you need to here."
"What needs to be said, what needs to be done, cannot be done here, shifter king." Her blue green eyes bore into me, her hand raised at my attempt to protest, "I know that you do not trust him, Emon, but Shea watches over your heart without any selfish intent or intrigue tonight. Although you have made that task difficult with your most recent choice of activities."
I smirked. "A little exercise never hurt anyone."
Her eyes narrowed but still glittered with amusement, "Indeed, an interesting choice of exercise…on the balcony, a display for the entire realm to see."
My smile widened. "Balconies have always held a wonderful array of possibilities…I was inspired by the stunning view. Be sure to convey my thanks to the death god for creating not one but two exquisite views for me to indulge upon."
Eve threw her head back with laughter. "Have care, shifter king, one of them ismydaughter too. Do I not get credit for at least half of the view?" shaking her head, she waved me forward, her hand extended in invitation.
Sighing, I relented. The heavy feeling returning the moment I took her hand, tucking her arm into me as she led us out of the tower.
"I will not deceive you Emon, son of Asher. Tonight, I am bending the universal laws." Eve's voice carried through the silence of Sheol's night. "I shall accept the repercussions of this decision for I no longer wish to see my daughter suffer.”
I frowned. “I am not entirely sure Remnant would want you to do this then.”
She shook her head sadly while we continued to walk. “Yes, you are correct with your assumption but my daughter has sacrificed enough for me, it is high time I do the same. Now listen closely, Daemon.” She waved her hand out before her, “I have had a vision of you and my daughter, one that I cannot ignore. As you stated tonight, visions can often be interpreted in many ways, and mine even more so. Rarely are my glimpses of the future concrete. They are more like timelines, feelings—so fleeting that I had learned to not invest too much time worrying over them, usually allowing the fates to play out the future as it should be. But with Remnant…" she looked away, her voice wavering, "Ihave made so many mistakes—mistakes that caused her to suffer greatly in my arrogant understanding of my secondary powers and my stubborness in adhering to the rules of the sight."
