by Ciana Stone
“He often requested Nyah’s company on his journeys, but not always. She became dissatisfied and suspicious, and over time, this created a rift between them. I do believe he would have remained faithful to her if her accusations and unwarranted suspicions had not become a habitual part of their relationship.
“During all this, she turned to me and convinced me that my brother was taking other women to bed, shunning her, his mate in favor of illicit affairs. I tried to speak with my brother about it, but it angered him that I had come to him with what he called ridiculous accusations.
“Nyah convinced me that he had as little respect for me as he did her, and I came to believe her. My feelings for her had never died, so when she came to me and seduced me, I could not resist.
“How was I to know that I was as much a dupe in her game as he? She flaunted our indiscretion in my brother’s face and when he said he would sever their bonds, she incited a riot and led the mob that killed my brother.”
“No, she said you did that.”
“Yes, I imagine she did. However, that would be the part of the tale that is a lie. I admit to my wrongdoing. I lay with my brother’s wife. And I did not prevent her from killing him.
“It was a horrible death. She knew, as did we all, that our magic could resurrect him as long as his body was intact and so she had him dismembered and each part hidden—on this world and many others in different realms.
“I spent countless centuries searching, but finally managed to assemble all of his body. I took him to our home realm and begged our father to have him resurrected. As payment—for what I had done with Nyah and for not preventing his death, my father decreed that upon Zarad’s resurrection, I and his traitorous wife would be sent into exile here on earth. Nyah and I would be forever adversaries, I as Daemon Guardian of Light and she of Darkness.”
“No, that’s a lie. She’s Light, not you.”
“Is she?”
“Yes.” Grace felt a stab of doubt. The truth was, she didn’t have a clue what either of them really were, but she couldn’t discount how Nyah had treated her and Walker. “She’s good and kind and has never hurt me. And look what she did for Walker? Without her, he would be a cripple of sorts—disfigured and unable to cope with his past.”
Severin smiled. “And therein lies the brilliance of evil, Grace. It appears to us in the guise of what we yearn for most, fools us with our own desires. Don’t you see? That is why I was forced to abduct you, to put my ink to you. You are tainted by her ink, her evil, and subject to her control. But my power is stronger and can help you resist her domination.”
“No. She’s never asked me to do anything wrong. You’re lying. And look at Walker. He saves people all the time—does good and she made that possible.”
“Yes, she gave him his desire—made it possible for him to ignore the guilt he feels for surviving when his friend died. She makes him believe that she is a savior, giving him the power to redeem himself."
Severin stopped and faced her. “But know this, Grace. When she commands that he do something dark and horrible, he will do it. He cannot resist her power. She’s too strong. As strong as the jealousy that will keep him from believing the truth.”
“What does that mean?”
“You know what it means. You were attracted to me the first moment we met. You still are. You may love him, but he will always know that you harbor a secret desire for me and his jealousy of that will tear you apart. He will never turn away from Nyah in favor of me because of you.”
Grace shook her head. “You have to be lying. Nyah is…”
“Someone who claims to be your mother—a mother who would walk away from her child without a second glance. Tell me, Grace, does that feel like the actions of an agent of the Light?”
Grace didn’t know how to answer. Severin had not given her any reason to truly trust him, but neither had Nyah. If she was Grace’s mother, then she had been a really sorry one to abandon Grace and her father the way she had.
“I can’t—I can’t believe either of you."
“Then perhaps this will help.” Severin reached inside his jacket to the inner breast pocket and withdrew a tattoo needle, the type Nyah had used on Grace. It was black with dried ink.
“This ink is deadly to those of my kind—to me and to Nyah. Take it. Stab me with it.”
Grace reached for the needle and once it was in her hand he spoke again. “Go on, Grace. If you believe me to be the agent of Darkness, then end it. Now. One prick will see me weakened and sick within minutes. Stab deep and I will die an agonizingly slow but certain death.”
Grace gripped the needle tighter. Was he telling her the truth? If so, then she could stop all of this now. Just stab him and be done with it. But that nagging voice in her mind stayed her hand. Why would he give her something that would kill him? Then again, what if he was not lying?
In the end, it didn’t matter. She didn’t have it in her to do something that might cold-bloodedly take a life.
“I can’t.”
“Nor should you.” The voice behind her had her turning in surprise.
“Mr. Friendly? What are you doing here? You need to leave. It's not safe.”
“It’s fine, Grace. No one will harm me. Will they…brother?”
Grace yelped as Mr. Friendly’s form began to change. In moments, the transformation was complete.
“Dad? What kind of trick is this? Are you one of Severin’s—”
“No. It’s me, Gracie.”
“It can't be. You're dead. Why would you do such a horrible thing? Why are you posing as my dad?”
“I don’t mean it to be, Gracie. And I promise you it is me. At least it is the form I adopted while you were growing up. But you are correct in that it is not my original form.”
“Zarad.”
Severin’s voice had Grace cutting her eyes at him. He smiled at her father. “I thought never to see you again, brother.”
“Brother? What the hell's going on?”
Grace turned at the sound of Walker’s voice to see him coming up behind her. “I don’t have a clue. But that—” She pointed to Zarad. “Looks like my dad, but it can't be because my dad is dead. And he says he’s Severin’s brother. But when he got here, he was Mr. Friendly. Now he says he's Zarad.”
“And that's as clear as mud. But I know he’s not Mr. Friendly because Mr. Friendly was at the fire. He’s the one who warned me you were in the house. And that’s definitely not him.”
Zarad smiled and in a blink he was Mr. Friendly. By the time Grace gasped, he'd changed again, but this time to a man much younger and with a notable resemblance to Severin.
“Okay, what the hell is going on?” Walker took Grace’s arm and pulled her behind him in a protective gesture.
Before anyone could answer, Nyah was there, pointing atZarad andscreaming at Severin. “Kill him!”
Severin looked from her to Zarad.
“Kill him I said!” She ran at Zarad, but he lifted his hand and she was sent stumbling backwards. She opened her mouth to scream again and he waved his hand. Nyah’s hands went to her throat. Her mouth moved but no sound emerged. She jerked and Grace realized that Nyah was unable to move.
Grace turned her attention to Zarad. “Just who are you. Really?”
“I am Zarad of the Daemon Tribe of Light, heir to the throne, brother to Severin and mate to Nyah.”
“I thought you had abandoned her? Both of them.”
“I did. But I returned, years ago, set upon forgiving her. I wanted to bring them home. But when I arrived, I saw what she had done—what she was doing with the tattoos. I saw that she had coerced Severin into a contest that had dangerous implications.
“I was not certain what her goals were, therefore I did not make my presence known to her or my brother. I discovered that she had indulged in a dalliance with a human. Your father. She seduced him long before your mother died. It was a short-lived affair and your father broke it off. Nyah retaliated at his rejec
tion and set about making friends with your mother.
“She convinced your mother to accept her ink. That was what killed your mother. The ink was poisoned. When your mother died, Nyah told your father what she’d done. She wanted him to know that it was because of him your mother died. Her revenge on him was cruel and long-lasting. He hated himself and that was what led him to the alcohol. That was what killed him.
“I took on the guise of Mr. Friendly when your father was at his worst. You were still a child and with no one to turn to. You needed a friend and I wanted to make up for what my mate had done to your family.
“But Nyah saw through my guise and confronted me. Like a fool, I succumbed to her charms and let her seduce me into her bed. She poisoned me. I could not transform back to my original state and I was very weak.
“It was not until the fire was set to the house you were imprisoned in that I found the antidote to the poison. More accurately, I was given the cure.”
“By who?”
“Severin. He followed you to my house and realized who I was. At first he was enraged and turned his back on me. An effort to subvert and weaken Nyah’s control over you, he took you and applied his ink to you. He placed you in that fire and then came to me. I alerted Ellis Walker and he saved you.”
“And we came here.” Grace put her hand to her forehead. “So, she’s not my mother.”
“No. However, your mother was a member of The Seven. A Fae.”
“A Fae?”
“Well, a half breed—she did not know. Nyah recognized her Fae blood and sought to bind her and use her powers, but instead ended her life.”
Grace raised her hand as if warding off any more from him. “This is—it’s all too much. Walker, what do we do?”
He pulled her to his side, looping his arm around her. “I don’t know. Honestly I don’t know know who to believe.”
“Me either.” She looked around at everyone.
“What does your heart say?” Zarad's question surprised her.
“My heart?”
“Yes. Look inside, Grace. What is your heart telling you?”
She thought about it. “That I love Walker. With all my heart. And that I love who you were for me all these years. Mr. Friendly. You’ve been my only family. But now… now I don’t know. I don’t think I can ever trust Nyah again. And Severin … I—I don’t know. I—what do I do?”
“Prick one or both of them with the needle.”
Grace had forgotten the needle. She pulled it from her pocket and Walker looked down at it. “That looks like her inking needles.”
“Yes.”
Both Walker and Grace looked at Zarad. “Severin would never give you something that could destroy Nyah,” he said. “Despite everything she has done, he loves her. It is his—and perhaps my own—biggest shortcoming. What is coated on the needle will not be fatal to either, but it will strip them of their powers. They will be no stronger than humans.
“Look inside yourself Grace for the truth. Ask yourself which of them sought to give you truth and which sought to hide the truth from you. If it is one, then use the needle on that one. If it is both, then they both feel the sting of pain. Take their power. Once powerless they will have little choice but to flee. Or return to our home. And there they will pay for any crimes they are found guilty of.”
“You wouldn't kill them for what they did to you? You’d let them go?” Grace asked. “Why?”
“Because death does no one honor, Grace. And the poison in that needle will ensure that the guilty party will never have the power to put ink on another human. He or she will instead live out the remainder of their lives powerless.”
Grace looked at Nyah. Rage blazed from her eyes and in that moment Grace realized that she’d allowed herself to be fooled. Nyah had never cared about her. Grace had been nothing more than a tool—another weapon in Nyah’s personal war.
Her eyes moved to Severin and, despite her love for Walker, she was taken by his beauty. She looked into his eyes and the world fell away. It was only she and Severin in a sea of light.
“Do what he suggests, Grace. Let your heart guide you.”
“And what if my heart says to put the poisoned needle into you?”
“Then that’s what you must do.”
Grace shook her head. The truth had been revealed the moment she looked into his eyes. There was no evil in Severin. His goals were aligned with someone she’d never met, but someone she saw in his mind. A great and powerful man, a vampire. Augustus. Along with others. A mighty Angel, a powerful Shifter and others. His loyalty was to The Seven and to trying to establish peace with humanity.
She saw something else as well—something that had her heart swelling with sympathy. She saw and felt his pain and heartbreak. He had loved Nyah and still did, but he knew she’d lost herself and he could not be with a child of Darkness. He saw his future as one of loneliness. Always striving to do what he could for his people, but always a life lived alone. Bereft of true love.
That brought tears to her eyes. She held out her hand to him. “I hope you’re wrong. I hope there’s someone else in the world meant for you—meant to bring you happiness.”
“I hope so as well.”
“I’d like to be your friend, if that’s possible.”
“That will depend largely upon your mate.”
“Walker? Well, like you said, he might be jealous, but he’s smart enough to know that I chose him and that should be enough. And everyone needs friends. Friends they can count on. I have a feeling we’re both going to need someone to help us understand what we are and how we can help The Seven, since we’ve sort of been made part of them. I’d like for you to be that someone.”
“I would be honored.”
“Will you make peace with your brother?”
“I already have, if you have chosen to spare me.”
“You know I have.”
He gave her hand a squeeze, and all at once they were back in Nyah’s yard with everyone looking at Grace.
She turned her attention to Zarad. “Severin is innocent. He was duped by Nyah into the affair and never meant to hurt you. He’s tried to stop her, or at least minimize the damage she’s wreaked, and he has only love for you. And, if it matters, he’s my friend.”
“Your friend?” Walked asked in clear surprise.
“Yes. I can see it now. I was afraid of him because she wanted me to be, but all along he was trying to help me.”
“As I suspected.” Zarad said and gave his brother a nod.
“And what about you?” Grace asked of Zarad.
“I will return home.”
“So I'll never see you again?”
“No. It takes great power to make the crossing and, if what I gave gleaned from my brother’s mind is true, there is great danger in allowing the portal to open. Look what happened when Nyah crossed over.”
“So I won’t have family anymore.”
“You already have family, Grace. You have Walker. And the child you carry inside you.”
“The…” Grace looked up at Walker. “I swear I didn't know.”
He squeezed her tighter against him. “A baby. I think I like the sound of that.”
“Me too—but …” She looked at Zarad. “But will the baby be…you know…dragon?”
“I do not know. Perhaps. Does it matter anymore than what color eyes or hair or skin a child has?”
Grace smiled. “No. It doesn’t.”
“Then what will you do, Grace?”
“Before I answer that, what about the others? I mean, the ones like me and Walker? If they serve Nyah or Severin, then what happens when Nyah has no more power? Will they be a threat to regular people?”
“No. They will require a new leader.” He looked at Severin. “Someone with the strength to lead and the compassion to understand weakness.”
“And I will require an honest and compassionate compatriot.” Severin looked at Walker. “Someone who understands what they have gone throu
gh and can help them embrace what they have become. Someone to help me lead them toward peace.”
“Me?” Walker shook his head. “What do I know about leading?”
“More than you realize. And they are, in a sense, your family.”
“But there are apparently some pretty evil ones out there.”
“There is always evil. However, I assure you that they will accept your leadership.”
“He’s right, Walker.” Grace looked up at him. “They’re probably just like us, only they’ve been being controlled. They deserve to be free just as much as we do and if we—if you can help them, then you have to try.”
“I wouldn't even know where to start.”
“I assure you, assistance will be provided,” Severin said and turned his attention to Grace. “So, what will you do, Grace?”
She wiggled out of Walker's embrace and approached Zarad. “I will give you this.” She handed him the needle. “This is your decision. Not mine. I'm not equipped to deliver justice because I don’t know what that would be. She took my mother and my father, and I guess I'll always hate her for that. But because of her, I had Mr. Friendly and I found Walker. And those are blessings. So, it's up to you, and if you’re anything like Mr. Friendly, then you'll do what's right and just.”
“You have grown to be a wise and compassionate woman, Grace.”
“You’ve been a good teacher Mr. Fr—Zarad. So, are you going to leave?”
“Yes, in time. There are things to accomplish before I leave. The people of the Living Ink must all be found and brought into the fold, their minds healed.”
“Can you do that?”
“Yes. With my brother’s help I can.”
“And then they'll be okay? Not evil or wanting to kill people?”
“They never were that way, Grace. It was only the power their creator had over them that forced them down paths of evil. Take away that power and they can be what they were meant to be.”
“But like Walker said, some people are evil, Zarad. You have to know that.”
“I do. But good can balance evil, Grace. It's the nature of the universe to seek balance and with Walker as their leader, I have faith that balance can be maintained.”