"Only one of them?"I said teasingly, but I knew he could hear the catch in my tone, the way he could make my heart weep and soar at the same time.
"Yes, my love. One of…there are two others. The second greatest is our daughter."
I swallowed."And the third?"
His voice was a soft caress in my mind, endearing, devotional, burning."The third is knowing that I have yet to let a single day pass without making sure you both know you are loved so wholly and irrevocably, forever and ever by me."
A single tear fell down my cheek and wiped it away with shadow."I love you too. Emon."
Slowly, the howls of the demons around us grew more silent, the fires were pinpricks in the distance and nothing but a dark maroon night surrounded us within a shadowy landscape.
Zazion grunted and unfurled his wings, setting us down gently.
I staggered when sharp needle-like pain stabbed into my legs, having gone numb while the demon carried us like babes to safety. A large, black tipped hand steadied me.
"The caves are up ahead," he said low, his black eyes even darker in the dim light as he released me. "Your daughter is hidden within, under my own power, but it will end the minute you step inside. Follow the caves and you will find passage through the rest of these lands into Wrath’s territory."
I nodded, letting go of his hand, my legs already healed. "If we are headed into the territory of Wrath, what is this territory called?"
Black eyes gleamed as they turned down towards me. "Greed. These are the lands of greed and she does not give up what is hers so easily. Remember that, Goddess of The Well."
Snapping out his wings, he hesitated. "Be sure to tell your fierce little fae queen goodbye for me, she is brave to face down a full grown demon prince of Hell, and for that she will always be welcomed here."
Then he launched himself powerfully into the night, disappearing in its deep red canopy.
Chapter 36
"Maedere!"Riellacalledoutfrom a small lit fire deep in the heart of the cave we entered.
I didn't hesitate, dropping to my knees much like my heart did at hearing her call me mother in ancient fae and when her tiny body came crashing into me, I held her in reverence. Gripping her tightly to my chest, my hand cradled her head, kissing the top of it where her starry crown still perched.
Behind her the pookah watched on from its curled position. It nodded at me once before closing its eyes, unmoved by our heartfelt greeting.
Looking away from the strange spirit guide, I held Riella's away from me, assessing every part of her from her clean face and smoothly plaited braid, down to her fresh clothing and tidied appearance. Out of place, I plucked thick black needles sticking out from her raven locks and straightened the slight tilt in herglowing crown before pulling her back into me again, sighing with relief.
Riella was a polished jewel in the middle of Hell’s inferno and I knew exactly who was responsible for that.
"You did good, shifter,"I sent him through our bond, goddess damn him for making me fall even more in love with him. Surely my heart would break from all the ways he filled me so completely with his own.
His chest puffed and strained the fabric of his shirt, unable to call it dirty anymore, while his eyes glittered with pride. “We took care of each other, just as you would have wished for us, little umbra but please don’t make a habit of leaving us again. Neither of us relished the time apart.”
I sent him a tight smile. Wishing I could vow such a thing would never happen, but knowing I could not. Emon’s eyes narrowed, realizing this too.
Peering over my side, Riella searched the cave’s entrance. "Where is Zaz?"
I arched a brow at her. "Zaz? The demon?"
Her eyes swirled and she nodded. "Yes. I like him. He is good. In here." She touched her small hand to her chest just above the thick dragon scale.
Smiling at her, I nodded. "I believe you are right about that, my chickadee." Shaking my head, I added. "He cannot come with us, little one. He is a leader among his kind but he did tell me to say goodbye to you, that you are very brave, and you are always welcome in his territory."
Riella nodded, her eyes flashing bright gold before the emerald green swirled back into them. "The beasts in the woods told me that he is called the Prince of Greed."
I glanced up at Emon, who simply shrugged, setting our pack down and rummaging through its contents.
"What else did the beasts tell you?" I asked.
Mimicking her father, she shrugged. "Just that they are going to keep me here. They like me."
