Page 4 of April's Fool (Northarbor Coven Book 2)

Broken

Amorandes

The breaking of the hold on my son’s demon powers rippled through me. I felt the moment that he became his true self. From where I was in the demon realm, I couldn’t feel his joy or pain. I could only hope that wherever he was, he wasn’t scared or alone. I hoped, perhaps in vain, that he had found another demon that could detect the block on him. Someone that had helped him without harm.

Regret tugged at my heart. For years, I had wanted to go to him. To find him. My sources had told me that his mother, the one keeping me from him, had abandoned him for more power for herself. Still, I hadn’t gone, too afraid of rejection. I wasn’t ready for that.

“Sir? Are you alright?” Gregoris asked.

“Really? How often do I have to ask you to call me Mori?” I raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him.

“I guess another time, Mori. Honestly, are you okay? You seem paler than normal. Do you need to feed?” His concern was touching. Gregoris was not only my guard, but my closest friend .

I thought about my answer. My reserves of power were lower than usual. I’d been expending a lot of magic helping get the hotel up and running. My parents had summoned me home for a trivial matter when all I had wanted to do was to oversee the renovations myself. They missed me, which was lovely and all, but I just wanted to stew alone.

How long did I wait after my son found his powers before looking for him myself? Should I send someone to him?

“Mori?” Gregoris prompted.

“I need to find my son.”

“Cody? Why?”

“It’s broken. He knows.”

“Mori...”

“What?” my tone turned sharp.

“He could be anywhere, doing anything. You can’t just burst into his life. He might not know a thing about you.”

The thought turned my stomach to lead. My darling son, the boy I’d only ever seen at a distance from my rare trips to the human realm, might not know that I exist. That I loved him so dearly that I cried on his birthday every year as it was another one that we spent separated.

“Should I go to his coven? ”

Gregoris gave me an assessing look. “Sir, please. The witches won’t accept you. As much as it pains me to say, you will have to wait for your son to come to you.”

My mouth fell open. Wait? No! “There must be something that I can do. The thought of waiting makes me itchy, Gregoris! I feel like I might burst out of my skin if I don’t take action. He has to know that I’m waiting for him to find me, at the very least.”

He was silent for a few minutes as I fidgeted under his scrutiny. I admired his strength. He stood tall, holding himself rigid as he studied me. All that ran through my head was my need to get to my son, to help him through this transition, and my fears about his safety. How could I live not knowing if his powers had escaped because he was in danger?

A whimper left my lips. “Gregoris, please! I can’t cope with this. We need to find out if he’s okay!”

With a sigh, his tense posture relaxed. “We need to go find a Seer. With some of your blood, they might be able to check on your boy.”

***

In a realm of demons, it wasn’t all that hard to find a Seer. Getting past my mother and father was my biggest problem. I didn’t want to tell them about Cody getting his powers. They asked after their oldest grandchild regularly, and I truly believed that they loved him as much as I did. They were just waiting for a chance to dote on him. Given that our entire family had been prevented from contacting him, it was clear they would be eager to meet him as soon as possible.

Gregoris made some excuse about meeting a vendor for the newest hotel and got me out of my family’s home with little fuss. “Don’t be long!” Mama yelled. “Dinner is at eight!”

Nodding to show I’d heard, I shuffled out the door and took flight with my friend.

The warm air buffeted my magenta wings, the light turning them more pink than red. The span was massive, lifting me high easily. Below, I saw other demonkin looking at my fine form and smiled for the first time since I’d sensed the binding break.

My guard took us higher into the mountains, to an enormous building carved into the cliff-side. Only those with wings could gain entrance, unless there was another cut deep into the mountain that I couldn’t see.

We landed and waited in a spacious vestibule as an earth elemental with moss colored skin announced our presence to the lady of the house.

“Follow me please,” they said politely when they returned.

They led us into a cavernous room lit by hundreds of candles spread throughout the space .

When the door closed, the candles all winked out. I looked around me, unable to see a thing in the perfect darkness.“Welcome,” a pleasant, female-sounding voice said. “I hear you have come to seek truths.”

The candles all flared to life, illuminating a stunning woman. The Seer had chosen to show us a human form with skin the color of umber and flame red curls falling to her generous waist. She was a perfect specimen of beauty that many incubi, or succubi, would lust after. I felt no such stirring, even with the faint pangs of hunger I felt.

Studying me much like Gregoris had earlier, I saw her smile. “Yes, you’ll do. Come, child, let’s answer your questions in the fires.”

We followed her to a sunken fire pit in the center of the room. With a thought, she ignited it, casting a tiny smile my way. Gracefully, she sat and observed us. “Ask,” she commanded.

“I have a son. His demon side has been unbound. I need to know if he is safe.”

Her grin grew. “I knew I liked you. It was there, right away. That heart you wear on your sleeve. Careful, prince, that bleeding heart will cause you much pain if you are not careful.” Gregoris made a sound of distress for my safety, which caught her attention. She directed her next words to Gregoris. “The watcher. You’ll be relieved of that duty soon.”

Gregoris startled. “What?”

“Hush!” The Seer turned hard eyes on him. “Only the prince may ask questions. Now, let me concentrate.”

She looked into the fire for a few moments as several emotions flashed across her face too quickly for me to pick up. “Ah! I see him. He’s handsome! Oh! Oh, yes, perfectly safe.” Was she blushing? Her eyes focused on the fire again. “He will come to you soon. Be ready, prince! Much is coming your way.”

Gregoris was a stoic demon by nature. He came from a large family and was the eldest son of a baron. His grandfather had served my mama, and so he had followed him into my family’s service. For all my life, he had been a steadying presence. My closest friend and confidant. Yet his continued silence was unnerving.

“Are you still brooding over what that seer said?” I finally asked the next day over our morning meal. While I was concerned for my dearest friend, I was excited about all that the Seer had said. Cody was healthy and safe! He would come to me soon. It took all of my self restraint to stay in my seat and not go searching for him right away .

“I just find it difficult to believe that I would leave your side. I would never abandon you.”

Pushing down my sigh, I turned to look at him. His mouth was down turned and a frown sat heavy on his brow. “We both know that. But—“ I held up a hand to stop him interrupting. “What if you find a mate? Or I do? Mama gave up her guard when she found father.” My smile was genuine at the thought of the love my parents shared for each other. I’d grown up as a very blessed child.

He scoffed and then colored. “I’m sorry, sir, but that was a decision that neither me nor my grandfather approved of.”

I shrugged, unoffended. “I know. Mama loves your grandfather to this day. Truly she does, yet none of them wanted a triad long term. Probably just as well, or we would be related!” I flashed him a smirk before returning to my breakfast, feeling hungrier than normal.

A smile tugged at the corners of his generous mouth. “True.”

Part of his attitude was that Cody was a permanent reminder of Gregoris failing at his duty. All of this had to be bringing back bad memories for my guard. Along with all of his unresolved guilt. I’d been free for nearly thirty years. Nevertheless, it bothered him greatly to have failed at protecting me .

If it hadn’t been for him calling for me, using my full name, Amorandes, then Cody’s grandfather wouldn’t have learned my true name. While he couldn’t get used to calling me Mori, he used sir, or your highness around humans, shifters and witches.

Not that we went to the human realm often. Though a trip might become necessary if I was going to continue expending so much magic. Usually I had reserves of energy, but I felt so depleted. In the demon realm there was usually enough magic in the air to replenish most demonkin that lived there. I was just using so much to spell my hotel into the vision that I had for it.

When the situation called for it, Gregoris helped me feed. Unfortunately, I’d been sensing growing feelings on his side and while I absolutely adored my friend, there was no love there. He didn’t set my heart alight with joy at seeing his admittedly handsome face each day. Our arrangement was mutually beneficial, as Gregoris had stated when he had suggested it a century ago.

“How about we head topside,” I offered, using the nickname we had for the human realm. “We could head to a strip club and try to sense Cody whilst we’re there.”

Gregoris mulled it over, another frown on his face. He was lucky that demonkin aged slowly and had fast regenerative powers or he’d have wrinkles all over his too pretty face. Like me, he had the familiar deep pink skin, horns, and wings. He stood taller than me, with a wide build that was perfect as a protector. Gregoris had used his superior strength more than once to protect me from someone I’d inadvertently offended, either just by breathing or trying to feed. In human form, he had the human guise with rich umber skin, wavy black hair to his shoulders and eyes so deep brown they almost appeared black. He was so beautiful as a human, but my heart didn’t love him. My soul didn’t yearn for him to be closer.

Eventually, he answered, his words dripping with reluctance. “We can if you need to feed, though I could see to your needs here, sir.”

“Please, Gregoris, I cannot just sit here and wait.”

He relented with a sigh. “Of course, sir. Whatever you wish, I will do.”

Happy in my victory, I cleared my plate and looked over my itinerary for the day. I was going through correspondence when there was a knock at the door. Gregoris answered, his brusque tone reaching my ears. Startled, he shouted in alarm as the visitor pushed by him and entered my spacious suite in my family home. “Prince Amorandes, your highness, your son is here and is looking for you!”