by Lia Davis
Studying the demon, Lydia narrowed her eyes and noted that he wasn’t in any hurry to attack. Or, at least, that was what he wanted her to think. “You’re not leaving this house alive.”
“We’ll see.” The arrogant bastard smiled.
Think, Lydia. She stepped back then slid to the side so she could see Logan out of the corner of her eye. A slow, white glow came from his bed. Sparing a quick glance, she gasped and immediately threw up a circle around herself and the demon.
Confusion regarding why and how Logan could possess power at only six months old fueled her fear. The only thought she had was to keep the demon from her son. “What do you want?”
The demon reached out and grabbed her by the throat, then lifted her off the ground. She clawed at his wrist and fought to take deep breaths.
She would not die!
Gazing into his black eyes, she wrapped the fingers of both hands around his forearm. Gathering all her anger and pain, she formed a large, dark ball of power. “You will not leave here alive.” She repeated her earlier words as she forced the power out of her hands and into the demon.
Instead of slowing the demon down, or weakening him as she’d hoped, the energy ball seemed to fuel his strength. What the hell?
He let out the screech-like, wicked laugh again and raised his free hand to poke at her circle. The sheer walls fell like a bubble bursting. No. No!
She was powerless against him. A weak healer. Fear burned her insides.
Logan cooed, and the demon turned his head toward the baby. Lydia kicked her legs and clawed at him, hoping to draw his attention away from her son.
With a flick of his wrist, the demon thrust Lydia into the wall opposite Logan. Pain shot up her back and sliced through her skull. Taking deep breaths, she pushed away the agony and stood.
The demon was standing over Logan’s crib with his head cocked to the side. Lydia screamed, “Don’t touch him!”
When she moved to rush forward, the demon waved a hand in her direction. She froze in place. Gods, no! Her stomach soured as she watched the demon reach into the crib and pick up Logan.
She screamed, hoping someone would hear the panic in her voice. That was if the others weren’t dead…and she was all alone. Helpless to save her son. Just as she was to help her husband and her brother.
What was wrong with her? I am stronger than this.
She focused on the demon holding her son. The bastard had put those doubts in her mind. He was trying to break her down. “Logan, Mommy is here.”
At the sound of her voice, Logan laughed. The first one she’d heard from him. Tears formed and spilled over her lashes. But she also noticed how the demon snarled at the laugh. That gave her a thought. If the creature grew stronger at her rage, then her son’s pure love would be the demon’s downfall.
“Logan, Mommy loves you.” Logan smiled and glanced at her. She smiled back and added in a sweet, cooing sound, “Give the ugly demon a hug. He needs love.”
The baby looked at the demon and reached out with his hands. When the baby’s chubby fingers touched the demon’s face, Logan smiled wide. The demon, however, screamed and jerked Logan away from him, holding the baby at arms’ length.
“Don’t hurt my baby!” Anger boiled in her blood.
The demon screamed again as Logan touched his arms. The power holding her in place slipped as if the demon’s focus were on something else. Then Lydia saw it. The glow from Logan’s hands. Her son was using the demon’s power against him.
Adaptability. But how? Logan was too young, wasn’t he?
A moment later, the bedroom door flew open, and Zach rushed by her before she’d realized what was happening. Khloe was at her side in a heartbeat. “Are you okay?”
A flash went off, drawing Lydia’s attention to where the demon had stood a moment before. Zach’s back was turned to her, but Logan gazed at her from over Zach’s shoulder. Her heart ached while her body sagged in relief that her son was safe.
As she approached, she sensed something was wrong with Zach. Had he been hurt? “Zach?”
He shook his head. Khloe cleared her throat behind them. “It’s time to stop hiding, Zachary.”
A chuckle escaped him, but it wasn’t his normal carefree laugh. He turned, not meeting Lydia’s gaze. A part of her was hurt, the other part shocked at what she saw. Zach had pointed ears, and his skin seemed to shimmer like an elf’s. The fact that he hadn’t shared this part of him with her hurt deeper than she wanted to admit.
“Who’s hiding? I’m right here.” A failed attempt to be sarcastic on his part. His tone held too much of an edge.
Lydia glanced at the spot where the demon had stood earlier. A heavy magical residue floated in the air; otherwise, there was no sign of him. Now she wondered what Zach had done to save Logan. Closing the gap between them, she took Logan from Zach and then left the room without a word.
Emotions ran wild inside her. She wanted to yell at Zach for hiding who he truly was from her. Yet, that wouldn’t be fair considering she had a secret, too. One she wasn’t ready to reveal. One she wouldn’t share until her family was avenged.
A few moments later, she entered the living room and frowned. Melaina, Barbra, and Lydia’s mom were straightening the overturned furniture. Sal flew around the room, muttering “demons” over and over.
Angelica glanced up, sighed in relief, and advanced to Lydia. Her mom pulled her and Logan into a hug. “I’m so glad you are safe.”
“I’m glad no one was hurt.”
Her mom pulled back, her brows drawn together. “The demons down here were a distraction. To keep us busy while you were trapped with the shadow demon.”
Lydia nodded. It was what she had thought, too. “The demon never expected Logan to have the power of adaptability.”
“So young?”
Kalissa stepped out of the master suite connected to the living room. She met Lydia’s gaze and spoke telepathically to Lydia. “Zach’s not the only one with secrets.” Lydia broke the eye contact while Kalissa said out loud, “Ayden told me he’d always been able to use his gift of adaptability. Noah said it isn’t uncommon for some Divinities to be born with their gifts.”
“And since Logan is a Dark Divine, he will develop his powers sooner,” Mel added.
Lydia nodded and sat on the sofa, hugging her son tightly to her chest. The feeling of helplessness still clung to her. She didn’t have a useful gift. At least, it wasn’t helpful when fighting demons unless she could get close enough to touch them. The demons knew it.
Apparently, they’d stop at nothing to get at her son.
“I want Logan’s powers bound.”
Khloe growled as she entered the room. “Don’t think about hiding who he is from him.”
Lydia met her friend’s teal stare. “Not from him, from the demons. Bind his powers and hide his magical signature.” She looked at Mel and asked, “That can be done, right?”
With a short nod, Mel used telekinesis to move the armchair back into its place. “Yes. It may take the power of three. Noah, Vanessa, and I could do it. I believe we could also make it temporary. Noah will know what to do.”
Lydia glanced at the staircase and wondered if Zach had teleported home since he hadn’t come downstairs with Khloe. Pushing away the ache in her heart, she focused back on the group. “Could he stay at Maxville Coven?”
Mel smiled. “I’m sure Noah and Vanessa won’t have it any other way.”
A sense of sadness settled over Lydia. It wasn’t a secret that the priest and priestess of the Maxville Coven were trying to conceive with no luck. It was putting a lot of stress on the couple. Lydia had offered to help, and had even examined Vanessa. But Lydia couldn’t find any reason why she couldn’t get pregnant. It was strange.
As if picking up on her train of thought, Khloe chimed in with, “Besides, Papa and Ma would love the chance to have a baby in the house.”
Mel stood. “I’ll call Vanessa and get everything arranged for the ritual. I
s midnight tonight too soon?”
Not soon enough. “No. That would be perfect.”
Chapter Eight
Zach entered the Daniels’ house in the Maxville Coven just as his younger sister, Annmarie, walked into the foyer. She lifted her head from her tablet to gaze at him and stopped. A smirk formed, and she said, “I guess the cat is out of the bag. No, wait. That would be elf.”
She burst out in laughter, which made Zach smile. Trying to hide his amusement, he advanced to her and snatched her tablet from her. “You think you’re funny, huh?”
“Oh, I’m much funnier than you.” She gripped her tablet, but he didn’t release it. Instead, he hugged her close. “What is it, Z?”
Her concern and love helped to ground him. When he’d walked through the door, his intent had been to head straight to the gym. Toasting the shadow demon in Lydia’s room hadn’t eased his need to protect. And when Lydia had walked out without a word… He didn’t know what to do with all the emotions that were built up inside him.
Plus, not knowing what she thought about his secret ate at him. He’d felt her hurt but couldn’t decipher if it was directed at him or herself.
Taking a deep breath, he released his sister. “Lydia almost lost her son tonight. I was almost too late getting to them.”
Annmarie poked him in the chest. “Don’t you dare take the blame. You did get there, didn’t you? And I take it you outed yourself in the process.”
He just stared at her. She rolled her eyes and continued. “I may only be here on the weekends, but I know what’s up. Besides, Mom and Beth keep me in the loop.” She smiled widely before rising on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Everything happens for a reason. You just have to wade through the shit before finding out what that reason is.”
“When did you grow up?”
She pushed at him playfully. “Way before you did.”
He reached for her, and she darted out of his way. Just then, he felt his mother’s presence. Glancing up, he met her stare from the family room entrance. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in waves. The loving smile she gave him reached her blue eyes.
Zach loved seeing his mom happy. Thinking back to the day his father had died, Zach knew if he had a chance to go back in time, he wouldn’t change a thing. Well, except to tell his younger self that it wasn’t worth hiding who he was.
Annmarie glanced to their mom and then back to Zach. “She’s been waiting for you to get home.”
He nodded, and Ann left the room. Even though their mom wasn’t a Divinity, she was very intuitive. Plus, Lynzee Manus was his mother. They shared a magical bond like all magickin did with their children.
When she turned to go into the family room, he followed. “I don’t like the ears.”
“They are a part of you. However, you can use glamour to hide them in public.” Lynzee sat in an armchair she used for reading or knitting. She grabbed her knitting needles and picked up where she’d left off on the baby blanket she was making for Logan.
After a few moments of silence, Zach stretched out on the sofa. “Lydia didn’t say anything. She stared at me, took Logan, and left the room.”
“She’ll need time.”
“She deserves someone better.”
His mom raised her brows at him. “You would really watch her settle down with someone else?”
Blowing out a breath, he covered his face with his arm. “No. I just…don’t want to hurt her.”
“You won’t. Unless you push her away.”
“What if I turn out to be like him?”
She laid the blanket and needles down and stared at him. “Your father was insane long before I met him. We weren’t magical partners. I was very young, and was blinded by his good looks and charm. A childish crush for the older man with pretty words.”
Anger rolled off her, mixing with a sorrow she hid from everyone until the subject of his father came up. Zach slid off the couch and went to his knees in front of her. Grabbing her hands with his, he locked gazes with her. “I’ve never regretted killing the bastard. The one thing that scares me is how I lost control of the darkness. I let it consume me. And it felt good. I don’t want to become an addict of dark magic.”
A tear rolled from the corner of one eye. She cupped his face and kissed his forehead. “Your heart is too pure, too caring. Use it to guide you.”
Lydia’s presence brushed against his subconscious a moment before the doorbell rang. “Lydia’s here, and she’s not alone.”
After standing, he entered the foyer. That was when he heard Khloe’s and Kalissa’s voices. Opening the door, he frowned. “Are we having a party?”
Khloe laughed and reached out for his ear. He blocked her hand before she could touch it. With a thought, he used glamour to make his ears look human. Khloe gave him a fake pout. “I thought they were cute.”
A low growl sounded right before Jagger appeared behind Khloe, Kalissa, and Lydia. “Who you calling cute?”
Khloe rolled her eyes and stepped inside the house. When Kalissa walked by Zach, she said, “Ayden and Meliana will be here shortly.” Zach nodded and noticed how Lydia hung back, close to the door, holding Logan. A mix of sadness and anxiousness flowed around her.
Just then, Zach’s mom and grandmother came in and greeted everyone. Once they had left, Zach stuck his hands in his pockets. “What’s going on?”
Lydia met his gaze, and he grew hard. Desire ran hot in his veins, and he wanted to touch her. Kiss her. She was so beautiful to him, perfect for him. After a moment, she glanced down at Logan. “I’m binding his powers and hiding his magical signature.”
Oh, man. He hated binding rituals. Hell, he’d had a few too many performed on him—at his own request. They weren’t painful. Once his powers were bound, he’d just always felt like something was missing. “I don’t like that you have to do that to keep him safe. But I understand why.”
Lydia nodded, and her eyes watered. “I’ll have to leave him here.”
Without thinking, he tugged her into a hug, careful to not squeeze Logan in the process. “He’ll be in good hands, and very well protected.”
Relief flooded him when she leaned into him, accepting his comfort. “I know.”
“After the ritual, can we go for a walk or something?”
She nodded. “Can we go to your condo? I think I need to get away from everyone afterwards.”
“As you wish.”
She let out a soft laugh. The slight smile brightening her features broke something inside of him. Gods, I’m falling in love. It was one thing to feel the pull toward his partner, but a totally different thing to realize that he couldn’t ever let her go.
Lydia was his, and he was going to do whatever it took to keep her and Logan safe.
Angelica zipped the duffle bag filled with the little bits of things she owned. An uneasy feeling whirled inside her. She’d thought the need to run would lessen when she escaped Demetrius’s dungeon. It hadn’t. Even after all those years locked away from her family and friends, she still longed for quiet. It was odd and frightening.
Being in the Divinity House with everyone there made her anxious. Sometimes, she wanted to crawl out of her skin. Sal flew into the room and perched on her headboard. “What you doing?”
She smiled. The small, two-foot-tall dragon had become much more than just her familiar. He’d become her companion in the short time they’d been together. “Well, we are moving to the coven. Noah and Vanessa have a small cottage they said we could stay in.”
“When were you going to tell everyone?”
Kris’s voice rumbled through the room. She closed her eyes briefly before turning to him. He was the number one reason she wanted a place of her own. Feelings she shouldn’t have, rose up and confused her. Maybe she was just lonely and thought she wanted things she couldn’t have. “I just spoke to Vanessa. She offered. I planned to tell Lydia tonight.”
His tiger flashed in his eyes as he prowled closer. Sal hissed and jumped to stand
on her shoulder. Kris grinned. “You’re a little small to be tangling with a tiger, dragon.”
Sal growled but didn’t move. Angelica could feel Sal’s concern for her, and his hesitation, as if he were as curious as she about what Kris was about to do. Deep in her soul, she knew Kris would never harm her. He’d try to intimidate her, but not hurt her.
Kris stopped a few inches from her. “What about me?”
“I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. However, I will only be a fifteen-minute drive or less than a second teleport away.” She narrowed her gaze, studying him. When he raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek with is his fingers, her right forearm tingled.
She didn’t dare look. She couldn’t. It was too soon. Hell, she hadn’t had a chance to mourn her husband’s death. She stepped away from him and grabbed her bag. “We should go. The ritual will be starting soon.”
Chapter Nine
“I’ll be here as much as possible,” Lydia assured Vanessa.
The Elder witch held out her arms. When Lydia placed Logan in them, Vanessa smiled, and a tiny tear rolled from the corner of one eye. “I’ve missed having a baby in the house.”
Cassia, Bethany’s two-year-old daughter, bounced into the family room. “Logan.” She rushed over and gently patted his head. “Hi.”
Lydia nibbled on her bottom lip to keep a laugh in. Cassia was adorable with her long, curly, blonde hair and large, blue eyes. A moment later, Bethany entered the room with Kris and Angelica behind her. Lydia noticed the duffle bag in her mom’s grasp.
Standing, Lydia moved to her mom. “What’s going on?”
Dread rolled in Lydia’s belly as she waited for her mom to answer. Instead, Angelica turned to the foyer. Great, a private conversation. Once alone—well, somewhat alone—her mom took her hand. “I feel overwhelmed in the Divinity House with everyone there.”
“Is it the attack earlier? We can strengthen the wards.” Panic wound around her heart. She couldn’t lose her mom and son.
Angelica cupped her face, forcing her to meet her gaze. “I can tell what you’re thinking by the look in your eyes. You are not losing anyone. I’ll be here at the coven. Vanessa and Noah have offered me a small cottage across from the community center. I’ll be here with Logan while you help the Divinities end this war.”