Kayn pats me before rushing off toward them.
“The dagger,” she says, kneeling down to her Familiar.
With a nod, Mister angles toward her and leaps backward into a flip. A darkness consumes the space he circles, like an inky night sky. Apparently, he’s more than just an unkillable cat.
I give him shit, but it’s only because I’m still slightly bitter about the butt plug comment—and, of course, about him keeping his true self hidden from my little demon.
As he steps up onto the edge of the portal he’s created, half of his body disappears into it. Only a moment passes before he reappears, the hilt of the blade gripped in his mouth.
He turns and drops it into Xera’s outstretched hand.
“I am going to stay out of the way, but I will be here. If her Familiar shows up, Veyrathis, I’ll take care of him. I hate snakes…”he says, looking up at me.“Tali is thousands of years old, but the only advantage that gives her is smarts and the knowledge on how to use the strength she has. I truly believe you two can be stronger than her.”
Xera takes a deep breath, one that is steady, and stands.
“We have the advantage,” she says as I move to her side and place my hand at the small of her back. “Doesn’t mean we let our guard down.”
I cup my opposite hand to her cheek, turning her toward me. “One last kiss before we send this bitch to the Beyond.”
She graces me with a beautiful smile and leans in. Our lips press together, and I pull her into my arms, drawing her deeper into my embrace. I wish in this moment I could snap my fingers and have this battle be over.
When she pulls back, breathlessly, she whispers against my mouth, “She’s here.”
“I know…” I brush my fingers across her cheek.
“I love you, Kairhyse.”
“I love you so much, Xeraphine. For our eternity. Whether that is in this life, or in our next. I promise every version of me will eternally belong to you.”
She nods and presses another kiss to my lips quickly before stepping away, her gaze locking on the street ahead.
I take a breath, and my normally slow-beating heart picks up speed as I spot the singular figure stepping between the stalled vehicles. The darkness of the Crimson Dawn does nothing to obscure her features; she’s like a blacklight in a dark room. Her skin radiates almost an ultravioletglow, and it’s unnerving.
This is the first time I’ve seen Xera’s mother, and while I’ll admit she shares striking features with my little demon, there’s enough differences for me to still tell them apart.
Her slanted, siren eyes are a darker version of Xera’s silver ones. Dark lips, tinged with red at the corners, and a smaller nose mark the distinguishing features between them.
“Ah,” Tali croons, and it’s like shesingsthe singular word. “I finally meet my daughter’s Mark. Here I’d hoped you’d have died before I could get the chance.”
She tilts her head mockingly and smirks. I was instructed by both Xeraphine and Mister to keep my calm, but seeing her—knowing everything she put my girl through—sets every nerve in my body alight. It’s like a fire raging, desperate to break free if not contained.
“Tali.” I spit out her name as though it’s venom on my tongue. “What an absolute displeasure.”
When her smirk grows into a grin, I can see the double-edged fangs on either side of her upper canines. Xera told me they produce a shot of her Amoro, and with it, she doesn’t need to speak words to subdue her victims. Like my venom, but worse.
“Xeraphine.” When she says her name, my body goes rigid. I look at my girl, who appears to be fighting some invisible, external force. “Come here, Daughter.”
I lower my voice. “Fight it.”
Her throat struggles to swallow, and as she takes a single step toward Tali, I release a breath. She continues toward her mother, and I grind my teeth together. I knew this was inevitable, but knowing she’ll be close to her sends a sickening pang deep in my chest.
Each step feels agonizingly slower than the last, and as she and Tali finally stand just a few feet apart, I flex my hands into fists.
Tali reaches out and runs her fingers across Xera’s cheek, and I growl. “Don’t touch her.”
She pays me no mind, and just shakes her head. “What did you think would happen? That I’d justfightyou? I can control you so why wouldn’t I just have you do all of that nonsense for me?”
My pulse rises as Tali tilts her head in my direction and looks at me. “I can’t kill you, but she can without consequence.” Her fucking smile widens into a full blown grin. “This will be such a delight to watch.” Her eyes shift back to my little demon, who hasn’t taken her eyes from her mother. “Kill your Mark, Xeraphine, and then come with me.” Even as she lowers her voice to a whisper, the deadly silence around us allows me tohear her without a single issue. “And I’ll have you all to myself, as it was always meant to be.”
