Logan and I lock eyes, and I can see my own horror in his face. The implication hangs between us like a sword—our children, our beautiful, innocent children, could somehow be dangerous to Celestra itself. It can’t be true.
“My mother is behind all of this wickedness.” My voice comes out tight and strained. “Misty, Eden, Jaxson, Nathan, Barron, and Sage. All wiped out. Not to mention Brielle and Drake’s family. And who knows about Wesley’s children? And my guess is that Melissa doesn’t fare all that well either.”
I fix Demetri with a pointed stare at the mention of a couple of his children, and his grin widens until it threatens to split his face in half.
“Don’t worry about Misty.” His voice drips with satisfaction. “I won’t allow her arrival to be delayed.”
Of course. The one child he truly cares about is the one he’ll conceive with my mother. Poor Wesley always gets the short end of the Edinger stick.
“And Tad’s true future?” I ask. “I’m guessing it’s not as fantastic as living on a cruise ship part-time.”
Demetri’s expression turns positively predatory with his sharp teeth and gleaming eyes. “Suffice it to say that Tad’s retirement plans may be permanently delayed.”
“You’re talking about murder.” Logan’s voice comes out flat and deadly.
“I’m talking about progress.” Demetri waves a dismissive hand. “Much like Candace, I, too, believe that on occasion the universe requires a bit of reorganization.”
Marshall’s face twists with disgust. “Reorganization. Is that what we’re calling genocide now?”
“Such harsh words.” Demetri tsks like a disappointed teacher. “I prefer to think of it as editing. Candace wants to remove certain elements from the timeline that she finds problematic. I happen to believe those elements are what make the story interesting.”
Rage builds inside me until I can barely see straight. “My children aren’t characters in some paranormal fantasy.”
“Paranormal romance,” Marshall corrects, and I shoot him a look. He shrugs. “I’m in this story. It’s a romance.”
“A love triangle,” Demetri points out. “Reverse harem, I believe they’re calling it these days.”
“Romantasy,” Logan interjects, and my mouth falls open as I gape at him. “Sorry.” He winces. “But you read widely, and you leave those books lying all over the house.”
It’s true, it’s my favorite genre.
But I digress. “My children are not characters. They’re people.”
“Indeed, they are. Remarkable people, as it turns out.” Demetri begins to pace, his cape swirling dramatically with each step. “Your Eden has already begun manifesting abilities that rival your own.And the twins... well, let’s just say they’re going to be quite the handful when they come into their full power. One is already showing more potential than the other. And Sage, as you know, is a force to be reckoned with, dead or alive.” They’re triplets, but I get it. “Jaxson can stay, too, for all I care. He brings Lizbeth joy, and me as well. And he, too, has potential, seeing that he’s pure Celestra. For him to turn—well, that would be tragic, wouldn’t it? There’s no telling who it will be. Nonetheless, I offer my protection to your entire brood.”
“You’re protecting them because they’re useful to you,” I say.
“I’m protecting them because I’ve grown fond of them.” For a moment, his forced smile dissipates, revealing something that might actually be genuine affection. “Also, because erasing them would be a tragic waste of wicked potential.”
There it is.
Marshall crosses his arms. “And because it enrages Candace.”
“That’s merely a delightful bonus,” Demetri admits.
Logan’s chest rises and falls. “So let me get this straight. Candace wants to erase our children from existence, and our only ally is the devil we know?”
“I prefer misunderstood antihero,” Demetri says, pressing a hand to his chest in mock offense. “But yes, that’s essentially correct.”
I shake my head, feeling like I’ve stepped into some kind of supernatural fever dream. “Oh wow,” I moan. “This is insane.”
“Welcome to my world.” Demetri spreads his arms wide, encompassing his ridiculous mansion and everything in it. “Though I must say, your mother’s plan is rather elegant in its ruthlessness. Let the faction war play out as originally intended. Erase the children, restore your full power. Perhaps she’ll even allow you to roll the celestial dice again and spawn another crop of chaos agents. And then, of course, monitor the situation closely from there. I suspect a lot of tragedy in their young lives should she sniff another rebellion in the air. Although for the first set, it’s all very tidy. Very final.”
“And very wrong.” Logan’s jaw clenches so hard it threatens to break.
“Oh, absolutely,” Demetri is quick to agree. “Which is why I have no intention of allowing it to succeed.”
Marshall lifts a brow as if he’s amused. “And what exactly do you plan to do about it?”
