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Her essence and her power cleared my vision and turbo charged both parts of me, the human and the demon. The demon is hungrier and more desperate for bloodshed, but the human now has the power to control it.
Whatever happened to me when I was gone, wherever I was, whatever thoughts tormented me… none of it matters anymore. Her blood has cleansed me, and now I will help her cleanse the world of the evil my parents brought here.
Finally, I’m about to do something worthwhile.
“You’ve already done that. You saved me,” Sam whispered when I told him I was ready to make amends for the lies and deceit of my previous life with The League.
I appreciated the sentiment, but he was wrong. I may have started to atone, but I have a long way to go. And the journey starts here. At The Hollow.
The building looms large in front of me. A huge slash splits the grounds in two. The fountain on one side, the trees and the river on the other. The Split groans and bubbles with heat. I picture the demons below, clamoring for their turn—their chance—to rise and enter the human world. But the sun is about to rise, so whatever is left down there will have to wait until the next sunset.
Rev says it’s the power of the moon that helps them ascend and that—because they are not yet accustomed to the light—the sun burns their flesh. Even though the sky is tainted with blood-red hues, and the sun is obscured behind swollen red clouds, they must stay in the dark. At least, for now.
There are powerful astrologers, Rev’s family, and she knows more about demons than anyone I’ve ever met. Perhaps that’s why she is the easiest to be around; because she doesn’t fear me the way the others do.
I walk beside The Split, its energy bleeding up into my paws and making the hunger for blood beat stronger in my ribs. I see Eve ahead of me on the steps. At the same time, I sense them approaching.
Hellhounds who look just like me slither out of the darkness and press close to my sides. We walk as a pack toward the steps. They accept me as one of them, not sensing that I am anything other than their kin.
Eve opens her arms and coos, “My children, you are returned. Have you had fun?” She stops and frowns. Her eyes scan the pack in front of her. “There is one more,” she says.
The other hounds growl, so I do too.
She stares for another long moment, then claps her hands with glee. “You found your lost brother!” she cries, although she clearly does not know which of us is the new addition to her flock. “Clever babies,” she murmurs, trotting down to stroke and pet and kiss us.
When we have finished licking her hands and face, she stands and claps a second time. “Bedtime,” she says. “Off to the stables. You need your beauty sleep.”
Immediately, the others start running. Jostled along with them, I run too. We run close to the house, across a narrow stretch of ground at the pinched end of The Split. When we reach the stables, the hounds flop down in a large bed of straw and almost instantly fall asleep.
I curl on the outskirts of the group. Their stench catches in my throat and makes me nauseous. They sleep noisily, grunting, gnashing their teeth, scratching their bedding with their large, curled claws. While they sleep, I wait.
42
NOVA
“Little Star, what you’re talking about doing…” Mack smooths his firm hands over my shoulders. My skin is still carrying remnants of my blood, as is Mack’s beard. We should have showered last night, but there was too much talking. Hours and hours of talking, and they are still not convinced of my plan.
Reaching around me, Mack turns on the shower over the bathtub.
“I like it hot,” I tell him, increasing the temperature with a blink that instantly fills the room with steam.
“Nova.” Mack’s voice is stern. He meets my eyes and tucks my hair behind my ear. “I don’t doubt your power. Not for a second. But this is a level of dark magick no one here has ever seen, let alone played with.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I hook my arms around his neck and wriggle closer. “It’s not dark magick. It’s the opposite.”
“Raising the dead? You think that’s—”
Before he can finish speaking, I press my finger to his lips. “I don’t want to talk anymore. We’ve talked all night. I’ve said all there is to say.” I slide my other hand down his front and tease the line of hair that disappears beneath his waistband.
Mack growls and reluctantly takes hold of my waist, the bulge in his pants already straining to be set free.
“I want you to show me how much you missed me, Daddy.”
Roughly, he pulls me closer, so my hips press against his. “You know how much I missed you.”
Stepping away, I peel off my clothes and drop them to the floor. Mack catches my hand and makes me stand in front of him. His eyes roam my body as if he’s trying to memorize every inch, then he takes off his clothes too.
The piece of blue string around his neck looks strange against the salt and pepper hair on his chest. He catches me looking at it and loops it over his head. Removing the ring, he drops to his knees in front of me and slides it back onto my finger.
