“I know, but it’s still harsh,” Abram told him. “From me, that’s not an insult. I can appreciate you putting the needs of your entire community first. Sometimes you have to be brutal to be strong. I’m going with Mitchell to the witch settlement. I’ll be bringing Elena, Maddox, and Davin with me and leaving Paul in charge of Treasure Island.”
Abram gestured to each of his vampires as he announced their names. All three stood against the wall near the back of the room with their hands clasped behind their backs.
Elena was only a few inches over five feet with dark skin, short curly brown hair, and hazel eyes. She had a lean, muscular build.
Maddox had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and an almost ghost-like appearance. He stood just shy of six feet tall with hair so light it looked almost white, pale skin, and grayish blue eyes.
Davin was only a few inches taller than Elena with green eyes and brown hair that went to just past his shoulders.
Connor nodded before turning his attention to Cord. “I already heard Winter isn’t traveling to the witch settlement. Are you sending other cougars?”
Cord shook his head. “My daughter will be the only cougar going.”
Before anyone could ask for an explanation, Vexx spoke. “We discussed this a lot of over the last few days. The witches don’t need a reminder of my mixed heritage. I’m approaching them as a witch, not a shapeshifter.”
“That’s a smart move,” Raven agreed. “I don’t have much experience with witches, but I know wood nymphs don’t like reminders of mixed heritage.”
“Some covens banish children with mixed blood,” Vexx explained. “My mother’s coven is more accepting than others. They would never banish me from the coven lands, but they’ve made it clear all my life that my cougar clan is not welcome among them. They like to pretend I’m not part cougar shifter.”
“What do you do when you need to shift around them?” Jase asked. “Isn’t that a constant reminder of your heritage?”
“I remain in human form when I visit them,” Vexx replied. “It’s easier to avoid changing when I’m around witches. I feel more in touch with that side of myself.”
Jase nodded before his attention returned to Connor. “Zane and Lexi are traveling with me.”
“You don’t need to go,” Cord pointed out. “Vexx can take care of herself with the vampires if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“It’s not,” Jase told him but said nothing more.
“When will you be ready to go?” Connor asked Mitchell.
“We’d like to test another portal to a location farther from here,” Mitchell began. “We need to decide on a place at least one of us has been before. I’m certain we can also go to places we’ve seen as we walk through one of the tunnels, but that’s an experiment we should save for another day. I’m not sure where or when we’d end up.”
“Since I’ve traveled more extensively, we’re going to one of the places I’ve been before for our last test,” Winter explained. “I need to think of a place that won’t have changed much since I was last there. It would be best if the portal didn’t open into someone’s home or where a lot of people can see us appear out of thin air.”
Connor nodded. “I’ll have someone from here escort Mitchell to the place where you’re going to do your next experiment. Does tomorrow around noon work?”
“That should work for me,” Vexx agreed.
Winter nodded.
“If all goes well, we’d like to leave the day after that to get Kish and then immediately make our way to the witch coven,” Mitchell explained.
“I have everything arranged to leave as soon as possible,” Jase told them.
“Same here,” Abram replied. “I also don’t mind escorting Mitchell tomorrow. I can bring guards to keep him safe.”
“No,” was Connor’s curt reply. As the leader, he didn’t need to explain himself.
Raven decided to explain, anyway. “It would be best if Ian didn’t see you with Mitchell. This is hard enough for him as it is. He’s behaved more reasonably than any of us expected under the circumstances.”
Abram nodded and said, “Right. I’ll keep my distance until we leave.”
“Unless we run into any unexpected problems, this plan will be put into action the day after tomorrow,” Connor stated.
The others nodded their agreement. Not much was said as the meeting dispersed, something Mitchell was grateful for. He was also glad when Connor let him leave without any private talks. All Connor said was, “Let’s hit the training center. You look like you need a fight as much as I do.”
Chapter 30
“We’ve found the realm she’s in,” Destran announced as he walked into the room.
“And her exact location?” Terigin demanded. He was getting tired of Destran coming to him with small leads and assurances that he’d locate the half-breed soon. It was possible she wouldn’t be useful to him, in which case he’d kill her. If his guess was right, she should be capable of draining demon power. No one knew why that power only manifested itself in rare half-breeds. In general, they didn’t hold enough power to be worthy of anyone’s attention. Those who could drain magic were destroyed before they got too strong. Powerful halflings didn’t often slip through the cracks. That Terigin might have one to use as a weapon soon made his skin tingle with anticipation.
Terigin’s eyes narrowed when Destran took too long in responding. “You have her exact location, right?”
“Not quite,” Destran admitted. “We are closing in on her.”
Terigin’s anger bubbled to the surface. If he didn’t need Destran, he’d tear out his entrails and use them as a noose to hang the useless bastard. He’d had more than enough time to track the power source. Sadly, Terigin didn’t have access to another tracker yet. He had a few leads, but nothing had panned out.
Taking several deep breaths, Terigin got his temper under control. Despite Destran’s inability to locate the demon mutt, he was loyal—something Terigin greatly appreciated. Destran was one of the few he knew would never betray him.
“I suppose, if I want this done right, I’ll have to do it myself,” Terigin muttered. “Take me to the realm she’s in, and I can help you pinpoint the power.” Though not a tracker, he could enhance Destran’s abilities, thus speeding up the process.
“But we don’t know where she is,” Destran argued. “Wait a few days, and I’ll be able to tell you where to find her. It’s foolish to pop in just anywhere in that realm in the hopes of finding her.”
Before Destran could guess his intent, Terigin reached out and caught him by the throat, lifting him from the ground and cutting off his air supply. “So, you suddenly think you have the right to question me?” His voice rumbled through the air as his eyes bled to red. He’d been far too lenient with Destran. No matter how much he needed the demon, Terigin wouldn’t tolerate disrespect.
Destran tried to respond, but Terigin’s grip on his throat prevented him from speaking. “You are nothing. If I decide to end your existence today, no one will care.”
After shaking him once, Terigin dropped him. Destran wheezed and gripped this throat.
“Trouble with your little minion?” Aglinon asked as he stood in the doorway, watching with an annoying smirk.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Terigin snapped before turning to Destran. “I’ll summon you when I’m ready to leave. Go!”
Destran quickly scurried out of the room.
“Who are you looking for, Terigin?” Aglinon asked as he sauntered further into the room and settled onto the sofa as if he owned the place.
Terigin hesitated, not sure how much he wanted to reveal to his brother. While he’d planned to track his brother down and demand answers about his bastard, he’d change his mind. Though Aglinon could offer useful information, Terigin didn’t trust him. Aglinon benefited from Terigin’s close relationship with Satan, but his brother felt no loyalty to anyone other than himself. He doubted his brother would offer any
useful information—none that would make it worth spending time with the asshole, and his brother would insist on being involved.
“This must be good if you’re hesitant to tell me,” Aglinon said with a laugh. “Come on, brother, don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me who you’re looking for. Did someone betray you? I could use a good hunt.”
“I’m looking for your daughter.” Terigin watched his brother’s reaction.
“The last I heard she was with her mother,” Aglinon replied in a bored tone.
“Not that daughter,” Terigin said with a sneer. Aglinon didn’t mind spreading his seed throughout the many dimensions, but he only had two children with his chosen demon mate, a male and a female.
“Why are you looking for one of the half-breeds?” Aglinon asked. “Their mothers can take care of them. They’re all a waste.”
“This daughter was powerful enough to create several pulses of dark energy,” Terigin explained. “I felt them. You must have felt them, too.”
Aglinon shrugged. “I felt them, but there’s no reason to assume it came from one of my bastards. My legitimate children have been known to bend the rules from time to time, so it could have been one of them.”
Terigin had considered that possibility. There weren’t too many rules a demon had to follow unless they entered the human realms. Using magic of this level was never permitted. “This was more than bending the rules. Besides, her power isn’t all demon. At first, I couldn’t identify what it was, but we’ve managed to find out this daughter is part jaguar shapeshifter.”
“Kishara,” Aglinon said with a smirk. “I always wondered what happened to her.”
“Yes,” Terigin replied. “I was surprised when I learned you named this bastard. You’ve met her, I assume.”
Aglinon shook his head. “I’ve never seen her. Her mother’s people wanted a half-demon child. I gave them one and told them to name her Kishara.”
Terigin was stunned into silence. It’s not that his brother hadn’t done anything that foolish in the past. Aglinon was known for his impulsiveness, but acting as a sperm donor for some jungle cat in heat seemed beneath his brother.
“I was extremely attracted to her,” Aglinon explained. “If Kishara is creating problems, I suppose we’ll have to destroy her. It’s a pity. I’ll bet she’s also a firebrand in bed just like her mother.”
Incest wasn’t out of the question where Aglinon was concerned, but Terigin didn’t want to discuss his brother’s degenerate ways. “I want to find her and bring her here.”
“Why?” his brother asked before laughing as an idea came to him. “Are you telling me that you want to fuck my bastard daughter? I suppose it’s your right as her uncle, but I still think you should kill her in the human realm. Why bring her back here?”
Terigin paused to see if his brother had more to say before continuing. “I’m no more interested in fucking one of your offspring than I am in fucking one of my own.”
Aglinon shrugged. “Your loss. They’re all quite lovely. I have never fucked an unattractive female.”
“I want to use her power,” Terigin explained impatiently. “She could become a useful weapon.”
Aglinon sat up and placed a hand under his chin as he considered what Terigin had said. “What makes you so sure she’s that powerful? I felt a few energy bursts, but they could have been accidental. I’ve heard of that happening with weak demons. It’s just a fluke of nature.”
“She’s that powerful,” Terigin assured him, having always been able to read dark energy flows better than his brother.
“I still don’t understand why you’d want to bring her here.” Aglinon’s smirk turned taunting. “Won’t that upset your liege?”
“It would if he knew what I have in mind,” Terigin replied.
Aglinon’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Ah, so you’re tired of kissing Satan’s ass, and you want to take over. That’s an interesting idea. Do you think Kishara can help you defeat Satan and his army?”
“Trust me,” Terigin assured him. “Kishara can and will help me take over Hell.”
“How is it, if she’s this powerful, you’re the only one who’s noticed?” Aglinon asked. “There have to be others looking, including Satan.”
“Others are looking,” Terigin agreed. “Satan knows nothing of the dark energy pulses. He rarely knows what’s going on, and some who can trace magic are hoping to find Kishara first. I managed to convince many that it was just a fluke and nothing of interest. We need to find Kishara first. Now that you know what’s going on, are you going to help me?” Terigin asked.
Aglinon sighed. “What if Kishara doesn’t want to help you? Will you turn her over to Satan to be tortured or killed?”
The question proved his brother was an idiot. Turning her over to Satan wasn’t an option.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you care about this girl,” Terigin mused.
In response, Aglinon laughed loud and long before speaking again. “Care about her? She’s nothing to me.”
“You named this one,” Terigin reminded him, still not convinced his brother didn’t have some bond with the half-breed or her mother.
“Her name is one of the reasons I don’t want her in Satan’s custody,” Aglinon explained. “If she refuses to help you, she must be destroyed. It must never get out that I intentionally created a half-breed this powerful. If Satan discovers I named her, he’ll assume I planned to use her in a coup.”
“Don’t worry, brother. Kishara will help us,” he assured Aglinon. “If she refuses, I’ll destroy her and any evidence of her existence.”
Chapter 31
Vexx looked over at Winter, not sure if she should approach her since she’d already sent Cord away. Winter wasn’t always good at expressing her emotions. When she’d been taken away from her jaguar father to train with her mage mother, she’d learned to suppress her feelings. In the time she’d lived among the cougars, Winter had allowed her emotions to surface more frequently. Vexx saw her loving nature in the way she interacted with the members of their clan, but she could tell there were times when it was still hard for her. Vexx suspected her somber mood had something to do with their planned return to the jaguar territory.
Finally, deciding to go with her instincts, Vexx approached Winter. As if sensing their need through the bond they shared, Mitchell fell into step beside her. Vexx was grateful for his presence. He’d asked Ian to drive him out to the cougar territory to discuss the plans for their next portal. That had been two hours earlier, and they were still waiting for Winter to join them.
“How are you holding up?” Vexx asked Winter.
“Fine,” Winter replied automatically. “I know you’re both worried about me, but I’m not going to lose it over this.”
“We know you won’t lose it,” Mitchell assured her. “That’s what worries us.”
“You’re holding too much in,” Vexx added. “I get that you were trained to hold things in, but it doesn’t seem healthy. We’ll feel it once we allow our magic to flow together, so there’s no reason to hide it from us.”
“It annoys me that we have no privacy,” Winter grumbled. “Every time we try to open a portal or join our magic in any way, you’re in my head. I wouldn’t be surprised if you both knew I was pregnant before I did.”
“The change in your scent is how I knew,” Vexx explained.
“I didn’t know until after you told me,” Mitchell stated, before adding, “Now that I know, I sense the baby.”
That grabbed Winter’s full attention. “You do?”
Mitchell nodded. “The baby’s doing well.”
“Do you know what she’s having?” Vexx asked, but she didn’t give him a chance. “I wonder if I can sense the baby. Maybe I need to concentrate on doing it.”
“Or it could be something only Mitchell can do,” Winter pointed out before her attention shifted to Mitchell. “Do you know what I’m having?”
Mitchell nodded and grinned.
“A girl. That shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how many daughters Cord already has. I’m not sure he’s meant to have boys.”
Winter laughed, her tension easing somewhat. “For all the grumbling he does about it, Cord loves indulging his daughters. He’s the reason they’re all so spoiled.”
“It’s true,” Vexx agreed. “I’m not sure my dad would mind if he only has girls.”
“He wouldn’t,” Winter replied with a smile as her hand went to her belly. “I never thought I’d have this.”
“Life has a way of surprising us,” Mitchell mused. “I never thought I’d end up connected to two powerful women. I’m still reeling from the realization that I’m part demon.”
“Not from the Fae realization?” Vexx asked.
He shook his head. “I’ve suspected that for quite some time. To be honest, I didn’t even know demons existed, so I had no reason to think I might be one.”
Winter sighed and leaned into Mitchell’s side. “You’re both distracting me from my brooding. It’s irritating.”
“As irritating as the lack of privacy?” Vexx asked with a grin.
“More irritating,” Winter replied. “There are times when I feel like I’m cheating on Cord with the two of you. I know it’s not the same bond, but it’s something I can’t share with him.”
“Our bond is far from romantic,” Mitchell pointed out.
“Yeah, we’re not Mitchell’s type. He likes brutal vampires,” Vexx teased, enjoying Mitchell’s blush.
“I need to stop liking him,” Mitchell stated before shaking his head as if to clear it. “Sorry. I don’t want to turn this into a talk about me, and I especially don’t want to discuss Abram.”
Vexx moved to Mitchell’s side and slipped an arm around his waist. His arm immediately went over her shoulders. “I think we should all talk about what’s bothering us, so there isn’t anything interfering with our magic. What we’re about to do is going to require all our focus.”
“You’re right,” Winter agreed. “If we don’t talk about it, our annoying magic will reveal the problems when we need it focused on the portal. Since it was your idea, you go first, Vexx. How is everything going with Jase?”
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