“You are the blood of a demon! No midling can truly harm you. You know this! A bloody nose or black eye, you will survive.”
Cadegan lowered his head. “Forgive me, brother. ’Twas a mistake.”
Thorn wanted to believe him. He really did. But he’d been deceived too many times by those he’d put his faith in.
As much as he loved his child, he couldn’t let this pass. He didn’t dare.
Too many stood to suffer.
Tears choked him as he looked into a set of eyes that set him on fire and realized that Cadegan was his downfall. He’d allowed this child to come too close to his heart. That was how evil worked. Never from enemies you saw coming.
Only those closest to you could destroy you. The ones you mistakenly trusted.
The ones you allowed to mislead you because the pain of living without them was greater than the pain of tolerating the lie.
By forsaking his blood oath, Cadegan had taken that first deadly step toward the darkest forces. If he took one more, he’d be so powerful that none of them could stand against him.
None of them.
Thorn’s gaze went to his desk, where the Malachai’s name was carved in the wood as a reminder of how powerful a beast he was.
Should his addanc son merge with the Malachai …
All would be forever lost. This world would be theirs and the only thing Thorn could do was stand back and watch it burn at their united command.
No matter how much Thorn loved Cadegan, he couldn’t allow that to happen. Not after all the horrors he’d witnessed. And especially not after the promise he’d made.
Thorn shook his head. “Nay, the mistake was mine for thinking for one minute that you were something more than the mindless beast you were born to be.”
Cadegan’s entire face changed as the demon in him was ignited even more. Gone was any hint of compassion in his eyes.
Thorn curled his lip. “I can’t believe I put my trust and faith in you.”
Cadegan’s face returned to its human appearance—as others before. A trick for compassion that almost always worked and weakened the fool who loved them. “Please, Leucious?—”
Thorn grabbed his throat to stop those words before they succeeded in changing his mind and allowing him to forget how dangerous Cadegan was.
Not the innocent child he loved.
The monster that innocent child had foolishly unleashed this night. A monster who hadn’t been able to withdraw from those too weak to fight him.
Cadegan had bathed in their blood. He’d unleashed the inner demon at full wrath on those who couldn’t fight back. Of all creatures, Thorn knew that euphoria much better than he wanted to. He couldn’t allow Cadegan to become what Thorn had been.
A tool for his father who was more than willing to shed innocent blood.
No one would be able to reach Cadegan then. One man, even this beloved child, could never be more important than the welfare of the entire world.
Thorn tightened his grip and prayed this was the right decision. That Brigid would finally do what she should have done centuries ago.
Welcome her son to her realm where she could watch him and keep him from Noir’s grasp.
“For crimes against Our Lord, for breach of my trust, I condemn you to the shadowed lands of your mother. No more are you to walk this earth as a living being. You will spend eternity remembering what you’ve done and regretting your actions. You are no longer one of us. For that, you are sentenced and banished from the world of man. Forevermore.”
Cadegan tried to pry off Thorn’s grip. For the merest instant, Thorn almost relented.
Until Cadegan’s hand became a claw. Terrified of unleashing the addanc onto the world, Thorn threw him against the small mirror where Paimon had promised just the night before to devour the world through Cadegan’s blood.
Cadegan went instantly into his mother’s realm. He pounded against the glass, begging for release.
