She releases me far enough that I can see her face. Her smile is powerful, and my breath catches when her eyes shift into the shape of her wolf’s. They’re shining, green, and dark-rimmed. Her wolf’s growl sounds through her lips as she says, “I love you too, Nova.”
My heart almost jumps out of my chest. I haven’t seen her wolf in…Damn… I don’t know how many years.
“You have fire and strength,” she says to me, her wolf’s voice a compelling rumble that draws out my own wolf. “And a heart that has so much capacity to love and care for the family you’ve gathered around yourself.” Her focus flickers briefly back to Koda and my wolves. And finally, to Roman. “You fought for and protected each other. I’m so proud of you, Nova.”
Tears burn behind my eyes and it’s impossible to stop the hot moisture from spilling over. I breathe deeply to stem the sobs that threaten to overwhelm me. I’ve waited my whole life to feel the power of my mother’s wolf—the alpha she was before she lost her heart—and now I can only feel humbled by her wolf’s presence.
Mom brushes the tears from my cheeks, her wolf fading from her eyes, although she remains just as bright. “Will you come meet your father?”
Technically, I’ve already met him, but I understand what she means. The being now standing a few paces away from me isn’t the caged beast I first met, the monster who threatened to tear out my throat and sharpen his teeth on my bones. This demon has his heart, if not his soul.
Jareth wears his human facade as well as Roman wears his. Seamless. If this was our first introduction, I would never know that a monster lurks beneath the surface.
While Roman is the monster of my dreams, Jareth is firmly imprinted in my nightmares. A creature of fear. Like me.
It occurs to me then that there’s a lot he could teach me about my power—a lot I might need to know for the final battle with Esta.
“Hello, daughter,” he says.
I appreciate that he doesn’t move to close the gap between us. We’re not at the hugging stage yet, that’s for sure.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long,” Mom says, one arm still wrapped around my shoulders. “Having you both here. Feeling my wolf’s strength again.”
I have all of Jareth’s attention, and his scrutiny is suddenly a little too intense. The air chills around me, not so much that Mom seems to notice, but I recognize the drop in temperature. It’s the same icy chill that races through me when I call my power over fear.
For a second, I imagine smoky wisps are growing around my father’s fingertips.
We are two nightmare demons meeting properly for the first time and it doesn’t escape me that we could be adversaries, not allies.
It’s probably a good thing that he hasn’t yet regained his soul—and with it his full power—because I’m not sure how my nightmare power will react to his.
Before I can speak, Roman steps in front of me, drawing the king’s attention away from me. Roman’s hand brushes my arm as he moves, as if to calm me, and I’m suddenly aware that there are, indeed, whirls of power dancing around my own fingertips, which I quickly extinguish.
Side by side, Roman and Jareth both have impressive heights and builds. They also have the attention of all the shifters in the room.
“Hello, old friend,” Jareth says, surprising me when he gives a slight bow of his head, and it reminds me that Roman is older than my father—and clearly has Jareth’s respect. “I’m very happy to see you here.”
Roman returns the nod, but his expression is more closed off. “It’s good to see you, too.” He pauses. “But we should talk. Time is critical and we need to make decisions about the way forward.”
Jareth doesn’t argue. “Agreed. Let’s sit and eat. My daughter needs to build up her strength.”
His referral to me again as his daughter makes my heart leap unexpectedly, but I work on keeping my expression neutral. It’s a new concept to have a father in my life. I don’t hate it, but it will take time to get used to.
Mom remains at my side as she leads us toward one of the dining tables. The shifters all disperse, giving my family space and privacy, but several of them head to the kitchen area first. I didn’t expect them to serve us, but within moments, they’re bringing out bowls of nourishing stew with crispy bread and jugs of water to hydrate.
Real food. Possibly the first I’ve had in days.
I thank them as we take our seats. They give me smiles and leave us to talk.
Roman and I sit together with Mom and Jareth opposite us. Koda chooses a seat farthest from Jareth, and I don’t miss the long look the Demon King sends his way.
I don’t waste time reaching for food and starting to eat. It’s been too long since I had a proper meal. My wolf’s energy is high and my demon power has returned, but I need nourishment. Soon enough, I slow down and focus on the things I need to know.
“How are you feeling?” I ask Jareth.
“I feel like myself again, but without all of my demon power,” he says. “Somehow, I managed to hold on to the smallest spark of my soul, but the remainder of my power will only return once I get back to Mortem’s prison.”
His answer confirms what I read in the angels’ realm—and what I guessed to be true: a demon’s power is connected to their soul. Frustratingly, it only confirms how difficult it will be to end Esta.
