But knowing something and not acting upon it were two entirely different things. He knew that better than anyone.
Summoning a portal, Urian realized he had to be quick or her panic would get the best of her, and if she began fighting him in the portal, it could kill them all.
The moment it opened, the children shrank back in fear.
“It’s all right,” he assured them. “The light won’t hurt you. It’s not sunlight. We’re going to a land where no one will harm you. I swear it on my life and honor.” He held his hand out to Nephele. “Take my hand and hold tight and hold on to your brother.”
She bit her lip in uncertainty.
“It’ll be fine,” Xanthia whispered. “I think we can trust this one.”
How sad that the girl’s tiny hand still trembled as she took his. That was what bothered him most—that a child so young would fear this much. She should only know trust and good things in life. As should all children.
No one should know such betrayal and pain. Least of all a child.
Choking on his rage, Urian made sure the children wouldn’t pull away and harm themselves, and then he walked them through the glowing light.
Their screams echoed in his ears as the portal swept them from the human realm to Kalosis. Not that he blamed them. It was startling the first time through, when you didn’t know what to expect. Though it wasn’t much better even when you did.
Not to mention, it was completely jarring when he landed in the center of the banquet hall, where his father sat on his throne with a stern glower that said he was only waiting there to devour whatever fool came through the shimmering mist to land at his feet.
One made doubly worse because his father had no idea that any of his sons had left their dark domain that night.
“Urian? What the hades is this?” His father’s glower went from him to the beaten, naked woman, then to her children.
Aye, that was the face of a monster from legends that parents used to frighten children. Not even Urian was sure his father wouldn’t kill him.
The children shrank back from that coarse bark with loud screams. Not that Urian blamed them. He’d seen grown men wet themselves before his father’s wrath.
Kneeling, he gathered them to his chest while he kept Xanthia balanced against him. “Shh, children. It’s fine. Stryker is my solren. He won’t harm you.”
Him, on the other hand, his father might beat for such blatant disobedience.
Nephele calmed down first. “Your baba?”
He nodded. “Don’t worry. He always looks fierce. But he only eats humans.” Smiling, he rubbed at Geras’s back. “He has a lot of sons and grandsons. I promise he’s not angry at you. I’m the one he wants to spank.”
That succeeded in making the boy laugh. “B-b-b-but you’re a man. A fierce warrior who saved us!”
“Not to my baba. Trust me. In his eyes, I’m no bigger than you are.”
Nephele leaned over to her mother to whisper loudly. “Mata, his baba’s a Daimon! And he’s humongous!”
“Shh, Neph. That might offend him.”
Urian rose with Xanthia in his arms. “Their village was attacked by humans. I need Tannis to help with them. The lady is severely hurt.”
His father’s simmering glower darkened to a murderous level. “Where are your brothers?”
“Fighting.”
“Trates!”
Urian cringed at the rage in his tone. “Solren—”
“Not one word from you until I get back. See to her and the children. Open the portal for us so that I know where you left your idiot brothers, and don’t you dare return to the fighting or so help me I’ll geld you where you stand to make sure you never stray from home again!”
“Aye, sir.” Urian obeyed without question.
