The door opened, and Luceré stood there, concealed by those swaying vines at the entrance, her silhouette backlit. “I expected you, Warrior. Come.”
She retreated indoors. Týr loped up the steps, shut the front door, and leaned against the wooden panel. He didn’t bother with small talk, just waited.
Luceré stopped near the couch, picked up a book from the seat, and set it on the table.
“Lila and I met over two and a half decades ago when I finally took human form,” she said. “We developed a friendship of sorts. After I became pregnant, I explained my situation to her. She wasn’t surprised. Apparently, she’d suspected I was immortal. Anyway, I asked her for her help. Lila agreed to have some of her heart’s blood used to help conceal Kira so she’d appear mortal. It was the only way I could keep her hidden from extremely powerful forces.”
“Why?” Týr demanded. “Varied immortal species have mated and borne young.”
“Because Kira’s the child of a forbidden mating—especially between Ancients and Sins. Offspring like she can become too dangerous with our combined powers. Kira never would have been allowed to exist as a child. As an adult, they—the prime Ancient and his second—would bind the very essence of who she is and take her into a life of servitude. It’s happened before—”
“Take her?” Týr growled, fury resurging. “They can try.” These beings were so fucked-up in the head with their self-importance. In his impossibly long life, he’d seen unbelievable things, had lived through a nightmarish imprisonment and survived it. But this?
Two primordial beings, parents to his mate, had unintentionally caused her untold pain just to keep her safe. Not that he had any experience with how parents should behave. But he could understand why they—Wrath and Luceré—had done what they had.
Still, he cut the female a hard stare. “Just so we’re clear, anything happens to Kira, I will wreak havoc like none have ever seen. Because Iwillfind this prime’s source of origin and destroy it, along with anyone else who even thinks to harm my mate.”
The Ancient inclined her head at his decree, her shoulders drooping as if in fatigue. “It is your right to do what you must. Just as I did everything in my power to keep my child safe.”
