“Why did you come back for every birthday, then?” I ask. Dax’s touch is gentle and keeps me from snapping.
“I needed to make sure your body could hold your demon half. So every birthday I bestowed my favor on you so that you would be safe.”
“But not for Mara?”
Mara looks down, and my dad looks legitimately guilty. “I didn’t know. I would like for you to stay in Hell with me, Mara. So that we can get to know each other better.”
My body tenses and my stomach hurts. He wants her to stay, but not me. Still not wanted. My dad looks over at me. “Blair, I would like you to stay as well. But I would understand if you are not ready for that. Either way, I would like to show you how you can embrace your demon side. I believe there are some things I can do to permanently make your body able to handle both the witch and demon inside of you.”
“I don’t have my magic right now,” I tell him.
“You what?”
“The council,” I say.
“Fucking cunts,” I hear my dad mutter and my eyebrows rise. “I’d like to show you my eagerness to be a better father by getting your magic back.”
My eyes widen, but I nod my head. My father stands from his chair and holds out a hand. Dax squeezes my thigh before he lets go and I stand up. I can understand why most people would find my dad menacing, but I can’t help but to feel hope.
My father’s hand is held out and I take it. His portal is gentler than Dax’s. We land on the cobblestone floor in the center of the room where they took my magic.
All three witches are sitting in their thrones and gasp as they see my father’s face.
“Lucifer, what do we owe the pleasure?” Hadiza says.
“It’s been brought to my attention that you removed my daughter’s magic. I would like it reinstated immediately.”
“Daughter?” Elizabeth questions.
“Yes, daughter. As you can see, her demon side sometimes prevails over her witch nature and you cannot hold her liable for that. It is not her fault that her soul differs from yours.”
“There are rules,” Elizabeth says.
“I believe I am above your rules, and as an extension of myself, so is Blair.”
“No, we can’t let this stand,” Elizabeth says, rising. It’s then that she’s levitating in the air and right in front of my father’s face.
“I wasn’t asking, Elizabeth,” he says calmly into her face. I watch as the witch swallows, eyes wide as she looks deep into the devil’s gaze.
“Okay,” Elizabeth says. Hadiza and Nimue walk down from their dais and stand before us. All of their hands touch my arm as they chant. It’s like the caged ball of magic is released like a bomb in my chest. My father holds me steady as my magic returns to me.
Nimue looks at my father hungrily and he smirks at her. “Watch your wandering eye, Nimue, I believe you’ve met Lilith.” She immediately looks away and returns to her chair.
“I’d like it to be known that any infractions brought to the council about my daughter will now be brought directly to me. Do we understand?” he asks. The witches look extremely put out. I had never really thought about nepotism before, but currently I’m a huge fan.
My father holds out his hand and I take it. He portals us—not back to the formal dining room but what looks to be his private library.
“Will I be able to portal?” I ask him.
“I don’t see why not,” he says. He picks a book off the shelf and his palm glides along the front before he opens the text and begins to read. “I think that I can do similarly what I did for Mara, basically making it so that your body is still yours, but corporeal enough to contain the demon inside of you. Once we know it’s safe is really when more of your abilities as a demon will become usable.”
Another question has been weighing on me. “Why my mom?”
“She was powerful. I thought that reproducing with a strong supernatural ability would increase the odds.”
“Why, though?”
“Is it not most creatures’ innate desire to reproduce, to continue their legacy?”
