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“Hello, Beastie.”

“Hello, Papa.”

His lips curled as she stepped to the bed and flicked Trevor’s ear.“Did you think my spell wasn’t foolproof, my love?”

She giggled.“No. Buthe’sfighting it.”

“I imagine he is. He’s worried about your aunt.”

“He loves her.”

“That’s the impression I got.”Damian tugged one of Sabrina’s black curls.“Go ahead and tell me what you intend to reveal so we can help Soleil.”

“They want to make Uncle Trevor do things he doesn’t want to.”

“Uncle Trevor, is it?”he asked dryly.“Be careful about throwing the moniker around until it’s time.”

“Yes, Papa.”

He studied her contrite, pixie-like countenance, admiringthe factshe could keep a straight face while lying. Deciding that correcting her for the lie wasn’t a battle he would win, he disregarded it.“Who’s they, and why keep Soleil alive when they tried so desperately to kill her before?”he asked instead.

“They want to make him stay. Be a Death Dealer forever.”

“The‘they’part of this is the Authority, no doubt?”

She nodded, and the grim expression on his child wasn’t a sight he loved.

“I see. Do you have a name for me, Beastie?”

“Councilwoman Vector and Uncle Trevor’s girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?”If he were two-timing Soleil, Damian would fry his ass.

“She looks like Aunt Soleil, Papa, but not as pretty.”

“She means Deni,”Trevor rasped from the bed.

“Ah, the elusive Deni who mysteriously disappeared from your life,”Damian replied, turning to face him.“You revived faster than I expected.”

“Healing abilities, remember?”Trevor grimaced as he sat up and clutched his head.“What did you do to me?”

“The magical equivalent of a sleeping pill. It’ll wear off soon enough.”

“Soon enough to find Soleil, or did you intend to be thesavior of the day?”

“Oh, no. I’m leaving the hero mantle for you to wear.”Damian winked at his daughter.“What do you think, Beastie? Will he look good in tights and a cape?”

She clapped a hand over her mouth to suppress her giggles. Despite the direness of the situation,hetook a few precious moments to absorb the sound and catalog the memory for a future date.When one lived as long as an Aether, it wasimportantto remember the good times.

“You sure Deni’s involved, kid?”Trevor asked, expression forbidding.

Both Damian and Sabrina knew the scowl wasn’t for her. If it had been, Trevor would berueinghis birth.

She nodded and crossed to him.“I’m sorry, Uncle Trevor. She’s not a nice person.”

Although he narrowed his eyes on the“Uncle”bit, he never responded to the name. He nodded as he said,“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll keep it in mind when I confront her.”

“Choose her.”