“So your father is actually trying to help us?” She asked.
I nodded. “I trust him, as stupid as that sounds. I know it’s not logical but —”
“No, it is.” She said “I know the story does sound unbelievable but truthfully? Brim Fire’s full of stupidity. They don’t run on logic. They don’t like order, and that leads to chaos within the governing body as well. To be honest, I believe your father, too. I do want to meet him tomorrow, though I’m not looking forward to talking to Vaurice. But I think we may just have figured out what Brim Fire is actually doing, and if the Demonkin can help us prevent it? So much the better.”
And with that, it seemed we had decided on a course of action.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Dante and I pulled up into the parking lot near a private entrance to the Underground. It also served as a parking lot for a tiny strip mall, so we wouldn’t look out of place parking here. Dante drove this time, because I wanted time to think.
“Well, we’re here. What do you think Saturn’s going to say?” Dante asked, turning off the ignition. He stared at the strip mall in front of us. The usual array—coffeeshop, fabric store, exercise studio, and dollar store. “You want coffee before we head down?”
I shook my head. “No, not right now. I juiced myself up on caffeine so much this morning that I’m still wired. I was anxious about how you all would react to my news.”
“I trust your instincts,” he said. “But it sure throws everything we thought we knew off base. When the bad guys turn out to be the antiheroes, well…it takes time to make that turnaround in your head, doesn’t it?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m trying to keep my two worlds separate, but they appear to be drifting closer and closer, and there doesn’t seem anything I can do to prevent it.” I stared out the window. “I can hardly wait for autumn and the rains. The light’s too harsh, too bright.”
“You’re tired, aren’t you?” Dante asked. “You sound…not defeated, but like you need a vacation.”
“Maybe I do. Maybe I’ve had too many changes this year. I love Penn, and I love having her as a roommate, but it’s been an adjustment. Mostly pleasant, though. And then meeting Konstantine and learning more about my mother—I thought that chapter of my life was wrapped up once Jace died. Now, it’s wide open again. And now, meeting my father and brother… Dante, there’s something I didn’t tell anybody else yet. Something I learned from Ezerian.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“There’s a ritual that can strip away my human side and turn me fully into a demon.” I stared at the dashboard, not sure why I told him. I wasn’t going to go through with it, but the fact that it even existed left me speechless. And wondering what it would be like.
Dante closed his door again, turning to face me. “What?”
I told him about the conversation. “What do you think?”
“You can’t be serious. You aren’t considering that, are you?” Dante looked frightened, which surprised me.
“You know me better than that,” I said. “I admit, it would be nice to feel whole, to feel like I only have one heritage, like you do. But I don’t want to lose the ties to my mother. I love having her blood in my veins. She helped make me who I am, and even though she didn’t always make the best decisions, she did what she could.” I shrugged. “So, don’t worry. I have no plans on trading in my mixed blood to become a full demon.”
Dante winced. “I’m sorry. I just panicked. Okay, what I think, is obvious, given my reaction. I think it would be a huge mistake for you to go that route. If your father asks you to do that, it’s time to part ways.”
“He scares me, he’s so strong and so determined. But I don’t think he’d ask me to change who I am. Not unless something huge happens. Okay, let’s go see Saturn, and let’s hope that he listens to reason.” I motioned for Dante to follow me and we headed toward the shaded entrance.
Saturn was waiting for us on the fourth level of the Underground, hidden away in a secret bunker that, so far, my father hadn’t discovered. He welcomed us in, looking as pale as a vampire could. As we settled on the sofa, I dreaded trying to convince him that my father wasn’t out to stake the entire vampire population.
But he surprised me. “I received a message from Lord Ezerian. He’s asked to meet to discuss a truce.”
My father was a fast worker, that was for sure. I hadn’t expected him to reach out already.
“Please hear him out,” I said. “It’s not what you think. I urge you to work with him. You’ll prevent a lot of needless heartache and death. I met with him last night. I’m the last person to trust him but, I do. We can work with him toward a greater threat, or fight him and all go down.”
Saturn stared at me. “You’re serious?”
“I’m deadly serious. And deadly is the operative word. If I tell you everything, will you please keep it under wraps unless I tell you its safe to reveal?”
“I promise.”
“All right, here we go. The demons have nothing against the vampires.” I went on to explain everything we had discussed. “So, they need to use the Underground as a base.”
“Why didn’t they just ask?”
“I guess they thought you wouldn’t believe them,” I said.
