Page 79 of Another Damned Storm

I dipped my head. “Yes, but it’s not as though you would be alone. Lily and I would be there to ensure your safety.”

He chewed on his bottom lip. “Do you really think it’ll help?”

“It can’t hurt,” Lily shrugged.

That wasn’t entirely true. “There is a chance that she might lose control and turn on you before Lily or I can intervene,” I confessed. “But I believe it is a very small chance.”

“That’s a bold statement coming from the guy she actually did turn on,” he said dryly.

“She saw me as a threat. Or, rather, the demon side of her saw me as a threat. As you are without godly powers, you pose less of a danger to her.” As in none. That was what I was counting on.

His scowl slid between me and Lily. “I have a daughter to think about, and others who need me.”

“But you are the one she will be most driven to protect,” I said. “Keeping you safe is part of who she is, and if she is to learn to control her power quickly, we will need to push her.”

“What is she protecting me from exactly?”

“Lapalme and Thrain. Lapalme was exiled from the Brethren when they found out he fathered your family line, and he will only be welcomed back when his bloodline dies out,” I explained. “He wants Never, you, and your daughter dead, but he can’t do it himself.”

As I spoke, his expression turned fierce. “Now we’re being targeted?”

Lily shook her head. “You were always a target.”

Her simple statement rearranged another puzzle piece that had been niggling at me and dropped it in place. “Possibly as far back as our initial meeting,” I said.

It took a second, but understanding lit up Lily’s face. “That’s diabolical.”

“But it fits.”

Matt’s angry gaze whipped between us. “What?”

“Knowing what we now know, I believe Lapalme may have been the one who summoned Petra back when you were a teenager.” Saying it aloud solidified my thinking. “She was the one who took Wendy’s brothers, after all. Perhaps he believed he could use the demon to take care of you and Never as well.”

He blinked a few times before letting out a sharp exhale. “But he underestimated Never.”

He wasn’t the only one.

“And now the bastard has teamed up with a forgotten god to finish what he started,” Lily said.

Matt unfolded his arms and straightened. “What do I need to do?”

I did try to dissuade Matt from bringing his daughter along when I flashed us to the cabin, but he refused to leave her behind. Not that I could fault him for his protectiveness. Given recent revelations, the girl was likely as safe with us in the woods as she would have been in that guarded compound.

It was still risky, but at least this way we could all keep an eye on her.

Never was awake, dressed, and sitting on a weathered stump outside the cabin when we arrived. I’d left our connection open so she could sense that all was okay, but the look of relief on her face when she saw me told me it hadn’t done as much to allay her worry as I’d hoped.

It was worth it, however, when Lily and I shared our suspicions about Lapalme and Petra.

“So, none of this is my fault?” she asked, clearly wanting to believe but hesitating.

I grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. “If we’re right, yes. We both heard Lapalme. Even if you had stayed in the Alius, they would have continued their assault until your brother and Angie were dead,” I offered, meaning to soothe her with the reminder. It worked to a point, but I could already feel the rage building inside her.

“They won’t stop, will they?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Thrain wants power. Lapalme wants back in the Brethren. I doubt either is willing to walk away after all they’ve risked.”

“That’s what I figured. Next question.” Her expression turned borderline hostile. “Why have you brought my family here when you know what I’m dealing with?”