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“Yeah,” he laughs. “That was your mother’s doing. She had an interesting sense of humor.”

“So, just so I know I have the full picture here, just assume they haven’t told me anything,” I say, and Leli laughs.

“To be fair, she doesn’t know much because we don’t know much,” Daemon says. “We know the very basics.”

“Okay,” Dad sighs. “A succubus feeds off sexual energy. She draws power from that energy and stores it away. Certain things can help her draw more power, like semen. As a witch, you can tap into that power and use it to strengthen your spells. The caveat to that is you have to learn how to tap into that reserve of power that you’ve pooled.”

“So… What types of sexual energy would I draw from?” I ask.

“What do you mean?” Dad asks.

“Would I still draw from that sexual energy if I wasn’t a willing participant?” I ask, and he frowns.

“Yes,” he says. “It’s still sexual energy; it doesn’t matter if it’s consensual or not.”

“So… Would I already be storing that energy?”

“Yes, you just don’t have the ability to access it just yet,” he says, and I laugh. Leli laughs with me, which further confuses Dad.

“What?” he asks.

“So, remember when you and I first talked and I briefly mentioned some of what Zypher did?” I ask.

“Mhmm.”

“Well… Zypher did that… frequently,” I say. “The day after every full moon, any type of celebration, or when he got bored, I was the… center of attention,” I say. “This included every adult male in the pack. Sometimes this included a visiting pack as well.”

Dad’s eyes flash red, but he closes them and takes a deep breath to calm himself. “And this happened for five years?” he asks with a hint of anger beneath his words.

“Yeah,” I say. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this part, but I’m still going to… that’s… messy. So, including what Zypher would do on a regular basis, I have stored far more energy than you realize.”

“Messy is a good word for that,” Leli chuckles. “Although, repulsive works too.”

“Fuck,” Dad sighs and looks at Leli. “And that’s what I sent you into?”

“It wasn’t your fault, Dad. You had no idea where I would end up or if I would even get close to her. You asked if I would consider going because you trusted that I would fight for her in the same way that you would. I was hesitant, yes. I knew what maidens were made to do, but I knew I had to do it. I knew what was going to happen to me when I left this country to find my sister. You didn’t do that to me… Zypher and Morwen did.”

“It just makes me angry that he did that to the both of you,” he says. “It absolutely infuriates me that the same man who raped and killed Ashara also assaulted you two. If he had even a hint that you two were witches, you’d both be dead right now…”

“Dad,” I say, and he turns to me.

“Lilith,” he frowns.

“Listen to me, please. Do I like that I got passed around like an object? No. I hated it, but it was my normal. Yes, my life sucked, and I am only just now realizing how bad it was. At the time, it wasn’t as traumatizing as you think. I have a lot to learn about normal relationships with other people who don’t want to use me, but I’ll get there. The only thing my repeated rapes mean, is that I’ve won, and they don’t know it yet. If my learning how to tap into my reserve of power is what will win this war, we will be fine. Knowing this means that I know that no matter what happens, I have a way out now. I have an advantage that no one else will see coming because no one knows who my father is. No one knows the power that I hold from that abuse and will continue to strengthen,” I explain.

“You could have left the last part off, but I get it,” he says with a heavy sigh.

“Really?” I ask, and Leli laughs. “You literally just told me that come makes me stronger, and you are being weird about me saying I’ll have sex with my mates?”

“I don’t know if I like how similar you and Leli are,” Volis says, laughing. I smile at him and look back at Dad.

“I know it hurts to know how badly we were treated by him, but I promise… he won’t survive this war. Brion Morwen will die for what he did to Mom, Leli, and me. Anyone who contributes to that evil will not survive, and you teaching me how to tap into that power will only solidify their fate.”

“Your mom would be proud of you, Lilith,” he says softly.

“She’d be proud of you too,” I remind him. “You are every part of this prophecy as I am. I draw energy from them, and you teach me how to access it. Together, we will change the world, Dad. Don’t count yourself out when speaking about how proud anyone is or should be of me. I will be the savior I am meant to be because you guided me there… Just like Mom knew you would do.” My words make a wave of emotion come down on him, and he pulls me into a tight hug.

Knowing how much power I actually hold now… None of them stand a chance against me. I have no worries about how I will accomplish this, knowing that Zypher and his abuse fueled his own demise.