Riella's swirling green and gold eyes turned back towards me seeing the anger and fear as I prowled closer. Then she raced back toward me, a blur of shadow before she clung to my leg. "I am sorry, faedere. I did something wrong, didn't I?"
Blowing out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding, I pulled her tightly to my side. "You are incredibly fast, my cub. Your shifter strengths are in full effect, I assume you do not smell a threat from the demon?"
She nodded, beaming up at me, happy that I understood she had at least given some thought towards her rash decision making. "Yes!"
I nodded and then bent low to her, nuzzling her nose with mine. "You are smart and you are cunning, but you must exercise caution. Just because you do not scent a threat does not mean it will never be there. Powerful beings are very good at masking their emotions and needs. I know you can sense the demon's power along with having seen it for yourself."
Riella's eyes widened and she peered back at the demon, sniffing. "I can." Turning back to me with a crestfallen expression and slumping shoulders, she added, "I understand now, faedere."
I kissed her forehead softly. "I am proud of you," I whispered, watching her face beam and her shoulders pull back once more before rising and adjusting the pack over my shoulder. I narrowed my gaze on the demon. "What is the toll for helping us?"
He grinned at me, his white teeth flashing brightly against his red skin. "You don't believe I do this out of the goodness of my heart."
I snorted. "You are a demon, I am fae, neither of us assist strangers out of our own free will. So I ask again, what is your price?"
His tail whipped to the side and his grin vanished. "It is not you who owes me, but rather the opposite."
My mind raced, had I fucking made a deal with a demon in my past? "Explain yourself."
The demon grinned. "I made a deal with a fae witch many years ago, and in return for her help, there was a price. An oath that bound me to assist a fae family once the time came—that family is you. And—I am called Zazion, not demon." Waving his hand at me he added blandly, "It is how I know what you are but also who you are, it was foretold by one of your kind that you would come here. You are Emon, king of the shifter fae, she is your daughter, heir to the Faerie throne, and your mate is Remnant, Goddess of the Well of Souls."
The blood drained from my face and my fucking heart stopped again. "What?" I snarled, pulling Riella behind me.
"Faedere?" Riella's small voice quivered—she had heard it too.
Heir to the Faerie throne…
Heir to the Faerie throne…
Heir to the Faerie throne—
Ah fuck.
What was it that Deirdre had said when she possessed Jar?
What I want is what was stolen from me! What I want is what should have been mine! And I will take it back!”
The demon regarded us with confusion before he shrugged, starting to repeat himself. "I am called Zazion—"
"Shut the fuck up demon," I snapped. "Take me to my soulmate now!" I snarled.
Chapter 32
IeyedthecaveIjust left half of my heart in with trepidation but I wasn’t about to bring my daughter into a fucking demon infested camp and that was exactly where I was going. At the very least she had the pookah to stay with her even if I despised the bastard.
Riella was the future queen of Faerie…it had beenforetold. I’d love to hunt down the fucking witch who even dared to utter those words from her mouth because just the thought terrified me and I wasn’t a fae to succumb to fear.
I frowned…Zazion had said it was one of ourown.
My fear continued to brew, bubbling just beneath the surface threatening to spill over and drown me. The last attack of the soulless sleep sent me closer to my goddess damn grave and I didn’t even want to fucking think about the hunger…every kill had me craving more, needing more. A disturbing force that wanted to consume. It was far past self preservation, far past the need tofucking protect, even more hungry than Ethereal’s power, the world destroyer. I had locked it down enough after years of mental shielding against the cat but I could feel it inside of me too, clawing through the deep recesses of my mind.
“You are worried about her. Don’t be, this land is bound to me and my commands. Nothing can get in or out of that cave for now. She will be safe.”
My attention snapped back to the demon named Zazion and I snarled. Moving quickly enough that before he could fucking blink my claws were at his throat and another just seconds away from puncturing his wing. “You don’t get to tell me how I should feel about leaving cub in the middle of goddess damn Hell alone, demon,” I hissed.
Zazion crossed his arms in front of his chest, glancing down at my claws. “Do you really want to go here all for the simple fact of paternal guilt? I’m your fucking way in and way out fae.”
I grinned, my teeth flashing in the night. “I love it when beings underestimate me. Trust me when I say this, your help isconvenientonly and we both know it. You need me more than I need you. Fucking oaths are a pain in the ass aren’t they? You’d think a demon would know how to make a more favorable deal for themselves.”
