by Sara Snow
“How dare you speak to me like that?”
Memories of my dark childhood, the time before I’d escaped to the human world, came flooding back. I had been nothing but a skinny demon child, weak and unwanted. I’d only glimpsed my father once, and Lust had no time for a needy child.
I had been abused by my siblings and branded an outcast, and she hadn’t lifted a finger to stop it. For years, I’d put up with her obsession with me, pretending she cared when all I was to her was the son who sprouted red wings and got lucky.
Without my wings, I'd still be dirt under her feet.
“I was nothing to you until I got my father’s wings, and you know it, Mother. I’m tired of your fake smiles and false concern. But to answer your question, I’ll be returning soon. Prepare to relinquish your rights to the legion you command. You won’t be needed it anymore.”
I turned away, but her next words made me pause.
“My smiles were genuine with you!”
I remained frozen but didn’t turn to face her. That wasn’t what I had expected her to say.
“Yes, I only saw you when you sprouted wings, but I was proud. And that was real, even if you hated my guts. For years, I watched how you were treated by the wolves, the way they accepted you, and I hated them for doing something I couldn’t! Do you think I ever received affection as a child? I learned to value power and nothing else!” Her eyes turned black. “Tell me, Cyrus, you’re capable of feeling, even though you’re a demon, right? So then why do you think I am not?”
"Unfortunately, I know you. You pretend you can't feel because emotions are weaknesses to demons. You don’t love, you have loyalty. But that’s where it ends.” I looked at her over my shoulder. “You’ve always tried to control me, to keep me close, like something you owned. I was just something you could show off, not love. If you want me to care about you, learn how to care about me, too.”
Then I walked away, leaving her behind.
Cyrus
The first and last time I was in this castle, there’d been a grand ball in progress. I’d gotten into a fight with one of the crown princes, and the Queen had revealed that I was more like my father than I’d thought.
That had been hard to hear.
Now here I was, back again, and preparing myself to let go of my hatred and ask for help.
At the end of the grand hall, decorated with obsidian and gold, sat my father’s throne, and he was in it. Upon seeing me, the look of boredom on his face faded away.
“You’re back before the time you were given. Why?”
I came to a stop before the steps leading up to the throne, and he sat up. He was an older version of me, with my black hair and gray eyes. But he was twice my size, and I was six feet, two inches tall. He was dressed in a black coat with a golden shirt beneath, and strangely enough, was barefoot.
“There is a war on Earth between the vampires and the supernatural creatures. I’m here to ask for your help.”
He didn’t respond. We stared at each other for a minute before he placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “Do you know how the vampires were created?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“Were you told that I’d taken advantage of a Goddess?”
“Yes,” I answered bluntly once more. I wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but I’d have to endure it before I could leave with what I wanted. “Why?”
“What no one speaks about was the fact that the Goddess had chosen to be with me. The Gods, who found it hard to believe one of their own could feel something for a demon, spread the lie that I defiled her.” He heaved a sigh. “Or maybe the stories are true, and to teach the high and mighty Gods a lesson, I broke one of their own. But I digress. What will you give me in exchange for helping you?”
“What is the price for your help?”
The corner of his mouth arched. “How is the werewolf girl you’re in love with?”
My eyes darkened. “She’s fine,” I answered through clenched teeth, and his gray eyes turned red.
“Hmm, a reaction, finally.” He got up, his smirk turning into a grin as he began making his way down the stairs to me. “I’ve seen the wolf. She’s beautiful.” He stopped and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Her midnight skin reminds me of the Goddess they worship. And the Goddess I broke.”
He walked away but continued to face the throne. I knew he was taunting me, but I didn’t have time for his games.
“What is your price?” I repeated.
"I used to be like you," he said from somewhere behind me. "So very serious-minded. But when you've lived as long as I have, you learn it doesn’t have to be that way. Have you ever imagined yourself as King of the Demon Realm?"
“No, I haven’t. It’s not something I want.”
“Just like you don’t want to take up your mother’s mantle and become the embodiment of the sin Lust?” I didn't reply because he already knew the answer. He returned and stepped onto the stair just above me. “You’ll return to the Demon Realm the second Amythia is defeated.”
I had a feeling that would be his price, though I’d been hoping it wouldn’t be. Still, although returning wasn’t something I wanted to do, I knew I’d have to do it eventually. And coming back to the Demon Realm sooner than planned was no longer a daunting thought . . . because Skye would be coming with me.
“Okay,” I answered, and he clapped his hands.
“A mirror, a mirror of myself, and it’s pissing me off.” He continued laughing as he turned away to return to his throne. I wasn’t enjoying being compared to him, either. “Oh, just one more thing. Your Skye isn’t allowed to set foot in the Demon Realm. The moment she does, she’s mine.”
“What?” I placed a foot on one of the stairs, and his red eyes widened.
“Remove your leg.”
I didn’t move. “I’m not returning without Skye, and she’s not—”
“REMOVE YOUR LEG! NOW!”
His voice shook the room and his face morphed. His mouth was cavernous as he yelled, revealing his teeth, both top and bottom rows, long and sharpened to points. And his eyes turned crimson, covering all the white like Amythia’s.
He gripped the armrests on his throne, crushing them, and I removed my leg.
His power had exploded from him, shattering windows throughout the room, and it had taken everything I had to stand my ground.
As fast as his form had changed, it reverted to normal, and he sat still as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry about that.” He smiled. "The Queen hates it when anyone other than the two of us places a foot on the dais. I know, I don't get it either." He sighed as he watched chunks of his throne roll down the steps. "Even our sons can't come that close. She says it’s something about respect. So let's not anger her today."
An awkward silence filled the room while he brushed the dust from his clothes. When we’d first spoken to each other, I’d gotten the sense that he was fairly levelheaded. Powerful, yes, but levelheaded.
Now I realized he was just as bored and unstable as my mother.
“Are you sure you want to defy me on this, Cyrus? You came here for my help, and that’s my price. You’ll return without the wolf.” He stopped brushing his hands down his pants and looked at me, waiting, while I turned to look out the shattered windows.
My mother had been right about one thing, after all.
“My powers will have to be enough then.” I took a step back and turned to leave. “No deal.”
I wouldn’t be returning after the three years either, not if Skye wasn’t with me. This was all just a game to this man. I was almost at the door when he called out to me.
“I was kidding! God, you have no sense of humor.”
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. I was starting to wonder if he was Theanos’s father instead of mine—he was starting to remind me of my half-brother. When we’d first met, he hadn’t struck me as the kind of demon who liked to joke around.
Back then, he�
�d been composed and cold. Now, the more we talked, the more unbalanced he seemed to me. I turned to face him, and while he wasn’t smiling, his eyes were alight with amusement.
With a being as old and powerful as he was, boredom could be a dangerous problem.
“Learn to lighten up, Cyrus. You’re going to be around for a long time, and you’ll soon learn what living for so long does to creatures like us.” He clasped his fingers loosely on his lap. “You can bring the girl with you . . . but the price is returning immediately after Amythia has been handled. Do we have a deal?”
Before I could answer, a demon entered the room and bowed. “Your Majesty.”
My father called the demon forward, and the demon’s tail swayed across the ground behind him as he walked briskly to my father. He whispered something low enough for only my father to hear, and I narrowed my eyes, waiting.
“Hmm,” my father hummed. Then the demon stepped back before turning and leaving.
My father stood up. “It would seem you’re needed in the Human Realm. Take your mother’s legion for a test run, and see what it means to be a Prince of Hell.” He walked down the steps, kicking at chunks of his throne. “I’ll be waiting for your return. I am anxious to meet my daughter-in-law. The offspring of a werewolf and a Prince of Hell should be something to see.”
He flicked his hand at me, dismissing me before bursting into a cloud of black smoke and vanishing through the broken window.
16
Faelen
My eyes fluttered open, and I nodded to Grayson with confirmation. “The Blood Oak Pack will fight with us.”
We had immediately jumped into action the moment Elinor’s message from the Black Souls Market arrived. The city of Agomond was a peaceful place, and they’d stayed well away from the war since the beginning. But they’d been Amythia’s target all along.
We spread the news to several packs. Some agreed to help, while others decided to stay out of it. But they had all agreed on one thing: no one had foreseen Amythia targeting Agomond.
If we had followed our original plan and attacked her castle, the city would have been left defenseless.
“Have you heard back from the Enchanted inside the city?” Grayson inquired.
I nodded. I’d contacted an Enchanted in Agomond, who’d confirmed that they’d spotted an army of the Resurrected heading towards them. With the army the Queen already had at her disposal, it wouldn't be long before the city was breached. Werewolf Guards had always been stationed there, but there weren’t enough of them to handle what was heading towards them.
“The army is a day's journey from the capital, but there are no vampires,” I told Grayson. “There are hundreds of the Resurrected, but no vampires. Maybe because it’s now daybreak?”
“But Elinor said both vampires and the Resurrected were headed to the city, that Cain was leading them.” Luna Clarice was as puzzled as I was. "That had seemed foolish of them since vampires would burn to death at sunrise. But how could they have all disappeared?”
“I don’t know,” I told her.
“Whatever the vampires have up their sleeves,” Grayson said, “we’ll face them and win.”
At that moment, Darian knocked and entered the room. “High Priestess Circe just arrived. She said she’s already sent several of her people into the city.”
“Good.” Alpha Grayson stood up, wearing an outfit similar to that of a Werewolf Guard, one that would allow him to shift back and forth without ripping his clothes. “Any word from Ichiro?”
Darian shook his head. “Not yet.”
“That’s fine. We can’t wait for the kitsune. If they decide to help, they’ll have to meet us there. We must get to the city now. Tell everyone to get ready.”
Darian bowed and left, leaving Grayson, myself, and Luna Clarice. Clarice looked nervous, and I shared her feeling. I hadn’t been sure about joining the final battle, but now I knew I couldn’t just sit by and not help. Watching the strength Elinor and Skye had, their determination to stand up as women who fought as hard as men was so inspiring, even for someone my age. In all of my thirty-seven years, I’d never seen wolves so young become role models.
They were the kind of wolves we needed to push our species forward.
I was terrified at the thought of the coming battle, but I wouldn’t be a coward, wouldn’t sit back while others fought for a future I’d be a part of. I couldn't shift into a wolf, but I still had strength, fangs, and claws.
I excused myself to give Clarice and Grayson the privacy they needed to say goodbye to each other and met Circe on the way out the door.
“Will you be coming with us, Faelen?” We made our way outside together.
“I will be, yes. I can’t sit by.”
“This fight . . .” She looked up at the bright sky, her purple eyes glowing. “It won’t end well.”
“I know,” I answered, glancing around at the trees. The forest was so still, so quiet. It was as if everything around us was preparing itself. “I can feel it.”
“Faelen!”
I waved at Ione, who ran up to me, her blonde hair blowing wildly behind her. “You’re leaving, too? You can’t go.”
Circe excused herself, and I nodded, then turned to the girl. “I have to. They’ll need me there.”
Ione shook her head. “But why? You’re an Enchanted. We can’t fight like the others.”
“Why not?” I smiled down at her. “We’re werewolves, Ione, just like those that can shift. We have strength and skill—ours are just different from the rest.”
She took a deep breath. “I know we do. But I have a bad feeling about this. What if you get hurt?” Ione looked petrified, and it touched me that she cared so much.
I decided to not tell her I felt the same way, that there was a dark feeling in the air, even though the sun burned brightly. Then again, the thought of going to war had never filled any sane person with excitement. Only dread and uncertainty.
“Then I’ll heal and keep fighting. And if I die, I’ll die fighting as werewolves do.” I bent down so we were face-to-face. “Listen to me. Never ever limit yourself. There’s no reason we have to restrict ourselves to doing only what our Enchanted abilities allow.”
Her eyes hardened as she nodded once. “Okay.”
I held her chin. “I’ve spoken to others at the Enchanteds’ temple. Once this is all over, you’ll be taken there to train. You’re strong, Ione. But for those who are strong, the journey is never easy. Remember that.”
“I will,” she answered. “Be careful.”
Alpha Grayson appeared at the door, and all eyes turned to him. By his side stood his Luna, her eyes rimmed red, and his son, Jackson, in front of her.
“I speak now to the Guards who’ll be left behind,” Grayson yelled. “Protect this pack! Protect your family, protect yourselves, and protect the wolf by your side until we return with news of our victory! We will put an end to the Vampire Queen once and for all!”
Howls pierced the silent forest, and Alpha Grayson placed his fist over his heart as he joined in. I wasn't a part of a pack, just a high-ranking Enchanted who worked with the Council. But if there was ever a pack I'd want to be a part of, it would be this one, the Blackmoon Pack.
High Priestess Circe
We stepped out of our portal and found ourselves on a balcony in the palace overlooking the city of Agomond.
Before us, we saw a vast sea of homes, and even from so far above street level, I could hear the panicked rushing of the people. Beyond the city, walls were fortified, and somewhere in the distance, Amythia’s army approached.
Portals kept opening and closing within the city, werewolves, witches, centaurs, and satyrs pouring from them to join the ranks of those already readying themselves for the fight. Among their ranks were a few fae as well.
“Welcome, High Priestess Circe.” King Vernon walked forward and held his hand out.
I shook his hand and he moved onto Grayson and the others, welcoming us all. Despite
his warm welcome, I could hear his fear in the sound of his racing pulse. Considering his city was about to experience carnage it had never seen before, his panic was understandable.
“We’ll forever be in your debt for lending us aid,” he continued to say, a hand on his round belly. His crown slipped a little off his head.
This was our first meeting, but it confirmed that the rumors I’d heard were true. The king was a short, stubby, sixty-eight-year-old man, with a round stomach and face. But his blue eyes were pleasant and his aura bright—all signs of a good man. Agomond was a thriving city because of him.
“Forgive my wife and son’s absence. I had them taken to safety.” He swallowed hard. “This is my general—” He pointed to the man in armor on his left, whose brown eyes and mouth were all that was visible under his helmet. “—General Asen.” Although human, the general was as tall as Grayson and as bulky as Darian. King Vernon looked at me and Grayson. “He’ll follow your directions and assist you. We know this is beyond our capabilities, facing the Vampire Queen and her army. But even though we’re only humans, we want to help.” The king paused. “I’m just too old now to do it myself,” he admitted, chuckling nervously.
Then Faelen walked forward to take his hand.
King Vernon didn’t blink as he stared at her, struck silent by her beauty and her sense of calm. His rapidly beating heart slowed down a little.
“Do not worry,” she told him. “We’ll fight to the end. Because if Agomond falls, we all do.”
King Vernon’s eyes closed with relief. “Thank you.”
A few minutes later, he was escorted away by guards, and we got down to business with General Asen. He led us through the castle to their war room. In the center, there was a small replica of the city made out of clay.
