I had only once witnessed Dad's mortal form and even so I was still stunned. Gone was the red tinted skin, the horns. Like me, he looked human.But more than human. Super human. Like a god made flesh. Everything about him was perfect. His whole being vibrated with power without even trying. His deep blue eyes, so dark they were almost navy, settled on mine and he smiled."Hello, cupcake."His hug was so warm, so real. While I adored seeing him no matter what, feeling his arms around me, there was still a cold and stone-like quality to him when he came through his statue. As if he wasn't able to fully dispel the substance in exchange for his own.This Dad was totally different. Totally mortal.And it terrified me."We need to go." Sunny looked so relieved I was starting to believe her."After you." So he wasn't trusting her either. Good to know. I knew my dad wasn't stupid or anything. After all he was older than dirt. But when it came to Mom, he could be entirely irrational.Mo
The moment the Chosen were gone I lunged through the wards and reached out my mind even as my demon lashed out against the vampires in my yard.Quaid!He didn't answer. He didn't have to. The fury in his mind was all I needed to feel.Demon fire enveloped three of the vamps, sending them scurrying with inhuman squeals of agony. Nicolas spun on me, a vicious smile on his face and lashed out, a flash of white power reaching for me, trying to penetrate my body.I countered with more demon fire, melting his cold magic with a roar of sound.They were all around me, hedging me in. It was stupid, probably the stupidest thing I'd ever done and my mom and dad would kill me when they found out. But seeing Dad being torn away like that was more than I could bear.Now I stood, my demon's power wrapped around me, encircled by vampires. "Don't worry," Nicholas hissed. "I have no intention of killing you. I want your power too badly for that.""Come and get it," I said with more conviction tha
I took two minutes to change my clothes and spin my hair into a ponytail before pounding back down the stairs.To find my grandmother standing next to Quaid in the dark kitchen."How did she escape?" I was about to lead her back to her room all the while thinking I did not have time for this drama right now, when she reached out for me and touched my hand.It was like a light turned on in my body, power flushing through me. The feeling of it was infinitely familiar, a power I'd known my whole life. Not just because she was my grandmother, either. Her magic was connected to me in a way I couldn't begin to understand. I felt a rush of green magic under the blue, the touch of the Sidhe, and wondered as it spread out like a thin shield where it was coming from.Even my demon fed on it. When Gram was done, I felt fantastic.She sagged a little, Quaid catching her before she could fall. But she smiled at me, patting my cheek with her thin fingers."You have something for me," she whisp
The vampires weren't alone. Within moments, the Chosen appeared on the borrowed ride of another group. Nicholas crashed the party with a scowl as the leader let my father settle to the grass, still trapped in his bubble.Dad lunged to the edge, his mouth calling for Mom, but no sound emerged. She turned and saw him. Reached for him. I felt their pain and longing even from where I stood. She sagged with the weight of her understanding, a slow and crippled motion bending her forward like an old woman. I saw it in her face when Mom realized Dad wasn't there to save her, that everything had gone to hell. Her whole being crumbled and she buried her face in her hands to cry.Dad's power lashed out inside the bubble, knocking him to his knees."Yes, excellent," the man in the white robe said. "Using your power will only soften you for us. As you can see, your position is quite hopeless. Please, continue."Dad just glared at him.I couldn't bear to watch. But I didn't have a choice.Nich
Demetrius turned to his white-robed companion as the vampires, with Nicholas among them, retreated to the edge of the circle."Shall we begin?"Annick nodded, motioning for the other three. Two men and a slender woman, all dressed in the same white, came forward. The dark haired woman carried a bundle. She offered it to Demetrius with a bowed head. He took it from her, shook it out. Within a moment he was dressed as they were."Your power is valuable," he said to us. "You are fulfilling a destiny charged to my order over five hundred years ago. The creators of the Chosen of the Light understood the evil of magic. They saw sorcery was the purest form of power, beyond the silly Sidhe and their games, the demons and their distant plane, their overbearing superiority. Far greater than the vampires with their disease. And the masters of witches whose only cares were for their own struggles."The Chosen's mandate is to cleanse the world of your taint. And for five centuries we have labor
I couldn't watch. I turned my eyes away, held Mom as she tried in her weakened physical state to reach Dad. Held her tight and forced myself to block out the howl of pain my father released when Demetrius's crystal started to drain him of his power, glowing brighter as it drew his energy from him.It wasn't long before Demetrius scowled. He shook the crystal as Dad screamed his agony into the night. The Chosen leader snarled and gestured again as my dad fell to his knees. The crystal's light sputtered and went out."What is this!" Demetrius spun on Nicholas. "I demanded you bring me the demon!""I did." The vampire hissed and spit, looking less like his brother by the moment. "Exactly as you ordered.""Something is wrong." Demetrius turned to me, fury in his face and a murderous rage at the ready. More than ever I knew he planned to kill us all."You know," he said, cherub face now showing hints of his evil. "Tell me."I shrugged, reaching for my sarcasm, wrapping it around me l
He barely had time to graze her pale skin when he was hit again. But this hit was much harder, enough to send him sprawling, shuddering from the attack as a blazing ball of white light fell from the sky and drove him face first into the dirt."Enough," Sebastian said, standing over Mom and I, his hands in fists of rage, so stunningly beautiful I had no words. Everything about him was chiseled perfection now, as though he were becoming the statue my father lost. Even Mom looked shocked. But he ignored us, his power humming around him in a welcoming glow. "It's over, Nicholas.""No," the twin snarled, eyes huge, on his feet in a fluid moment. "Sebastian. What have you become?" Even he seemed drawn to his brother while fighting for his hate to survive.The site was suddenly full of people, witches and vampires alike. Nicholas's followers formed a tense bunch near us, hissing at the furious pack of family and friends who closed in around them. I saw a few flutter as if trying to turn to
I huddled with Mom and Dad while the rest of the vampires and witches took care of Nicholas's followers. It was horrible and disgusting and I just wanted to hide from it. Dad hugged me close, feeling so normal it made me cry harder.It was like seeing Sebastian's grief finally opened my own floodgates. I sobbed so hard my head hurt.And yet, we were safe. Mom was fine, Dad was... well. Dad was mortal. But at least he was okay. And I was alive. Barely.I was at the hiccupping stage when Anastasia's quiet voice finally caught my attention and held it."I'm sorry we were late," she said. "We encountered a barrier to the site and tried everything to break through it. It fell at last but I fear there is more to be told here than just Nicholas's meddling."Mom quickly filled her in on everything."When I knew what they were after, I asked Sunny to be host to my power." It still amazed me."But, she betrayed you," Anastasia said."I knew she wasn't to blame and that Nicholas was using