Page 11

I had a complicated relationship with my mother, Callum, and his father—complicated in the way volcanic eruptions are merely inconvenient. Centuries of unspoken words, of choices made for kingdoms rather than for family. But I would never wish any harm to come to them. The fact I hadn't heard about the attack on the Fae realm said Callum was keeping it from going public, which meant the situation was dire indeed.

"I—" Fuck. I didn't even know what to say. Words failed me, me, who commanded legions with a whisper. I blinked up at him and blurted out the first question that came into my mind, deflecting from the raw wound of grief. "Why did you use Sierra to contact me? And how did you even know about her?"

The bastard smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, more like the grimace of someone wearing a mask that didn't quite fit. "I've known about her since the beginning. You weren't the only one who found her when she was thirteen. I've been watching you and Archer with her for years. I do commend you for keeping your hands off her for so long. I don't know if I'd be able to do the same." He tunneled his fingers through his dark hair and sighed, the gesture making him look momentarily like theyoung royal I'd grown up alongside. "We all know what this is all leading to."

I narrowed my eyes on him, my tail lashing against my will. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Maybe you don't." His head cocked to the side, reminding me of a predatory bird studying its prey. "Have you consulted the future lately? I suggest you do when we part. It'll show you some very interesting things."

"Why are we here right now, Callum? You could have very easily sent a missive about Mother." I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to rein in my patience, my claws digging into my biceps. These cryptic games were beneath us both in a moment like this. And people thought I talked in riddles. Now I knew how fucking annoying it was to be on the receiving end of such deliberate obscurity.

"Because you need to be prepared for the future, brother. The shit is about to hit the fan and we need to make sure we can work together to protect our Omega." He rose to his feet, power rolling off him like midnight fog. "I'll be in touch soon. Tell Sierra I said goodbye. Archer too." His eyes flashed wickedly before he disappeared with a pop, leaving nothing but the scent of ancient magic and unfinished business hanging in the air.

I was still muttering under my breath when I appeared back in the living room of my estate. "Fucking brother. Telling me to be prepared for the future." The words tasted bitter on my tongue, like ashes and rage.

Striding into the kitchen, I wrenched open the door and grabbed a bottle of beer, the glass cold against my palm. Normally it would be scotch, but I needed something a bit different—something mundane to counter the chaos unfolding around me. "And fuck you Callum she isn't 'ours'. You won't be getting close to her again." My tail lashed against my will, leaving a faint mark on the marble floor.

"It went that well?" Archer asked as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, those ice-blue eyes of his missing nothing, as usual.

"My mother is dead."

No sense in beating around the bush about it. The words hung in the air between us, simple yet devastating. I'd spent centuries being angry at her, and now I'd never have the chance to resolve any of it.

Archer didn't react for a moment as the information sunk in. Truth be told, I hadn't even processed it fully yet. The reality of it sat like a stone in my chest, cold and immovable.

"And Maxiun?" Archer asked, referring to Callum's father.

"Severely wounded, but alive." I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling the weight of centuries pressing down. "Not that he wants to be with his mate dead." I remembered their bond, how it had survived even the turmoil after my father's death. Some connections transcended politics, even for immortals.

"Fuck."

I snorted. "Basically. If the demon lords find out the Fae realm is in chaos it will be open season." Demons were nothing if not opportunistic. I should know, I ruled them.

"And why did he take Sierra? Just to get your attention to tell you about your mom?"

"Yeah. Basically." Well, that wasn't everything but I didn't know how to say the rest. Not that I even believed Callum. At least until I was able to scry and view the future. The thought of Sierra being bound to both of us made my claws lengthen involuntarily.

It wasn't my strongest ability, but I did inherit some of my mother's affinity for it. The irony wasn't lost on me that I'd need to use her gift now that she was gone.

"Where is Sierra?" I asked finally.

Yes. Move my thoughts onto a better subject. Although the subject of Sierra came with its own complications that made ruling the underworld seem straightforward by comparison.

I still didn't know what the fuck I was going to do when I talked to her.

"She'll be sleeping until morning." Archer's lips twitched. "It'll let you gather thoughts, maybe get yourself some protection for your balls because she's probably gonna kick you in them."

"You're a fucking asshole," I snarled, but then sighed because I knew he was right. In all my millennia of existence, few had dared to speak to me with such irreverence. I'd executed demons for less, yet here was Archer, mocking me as if I were an ordinary man.

This was going to be a fun fucking night.

After taking a quick shower, I didn't bother with another beer and went straight to the scotch. I tossed an ice ball in my glass and just kept pouring until the glass was full. It would take a lot more than this to get drunk. The perks of demonic biology, and sometimes its curse.

But I might be tempted to try tonight.

"To you, Mom." I lifted the glass, tipping it toward the sky before I swallowed the contents in one gulp. The liquid burned down my throat, but did nothing to diminish the deeper ache. We'd had our differences—catastrophic ones—but she'd been constant, eternal. The universe felt unbalanced without her in it.

"What are you going to tell her?"