Page 25

TRINITY

A fragile peace settles over the house in the days that follow.

Vael and I orbit each other like cautious planets, close enough to feel the pull but never quite colliding.

I catch him watching me with the twins sometimes, that strange intensity in his red-gold eyes making my skin prickle with awareness.

I'm singing softly to Liora this afternoon, bouncing her gently as she fusses.

Kaelin sleeps in her crib, having exhausted herself with her morning theatrics.

The house feels different with Vael gone—quieter, emptier somehow.

He left at dawn for what he called "a simple collection," promising to return by nightfall.

"Just you and me today, little one," I murmur against Liora's downy head. She looks up at me with those intelligent gold eyes, a tiny crease between her brows as if she's concerned about something. "Your father will be back soon enough."

The word "father" still feels strange on my tongue. Stranger still is how naturally Vael has taken to the role, his massive demon hands somehow perfectly capable of cradling our daughters with impossible gentleness.

Our daughters. When did I start thinking of them that way?

A sharp knock at the door interrupts my thoughts. Jackie must have gone to the market—she mentioned needing fresh dreelk for dinner. Liora squirms against my shoulder as I make my way downstairs, my bare feet silent against the polished floors.

"Coming," I call, adjusting Liora's position against my hip.

I swing the door open without thinking, without caution—a mistake I would never have made on Galmoleth. The sunlight silhouettes a tall figure, and for a heartbeat, I think it's Vael returning early.

Then the light shifts, and my blood freezes in my veins.

"Well, well, well." Captain Drez'kor's silky voice slides over me like oil on water. "My little runaway."

He stands on the threshold in full regalia—black armor gleaming in the sunlight, a cape of deep crimson cascading from broad shoulders.

His skin is darker than Vael's, a deep charcoal gray that makes his silver eyes even more unnerving.

Unlike Vael's straight horns, the captain's curl like a ram's on either side of his head, inlaid with silver bands that catch the light.

Instinctively, I back away, clutching Liora closer to my chest. She whimpers, sensing my fear.

"What a touching domestic scene." Drez'kor invites himself in, boots echoing against the floor as he circles me like prey.

"I've been looking for you for months, Trinity.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered you'd been spirited away by none other than Vaelrix.

" His silver eyes narrow. "A bounty hunter taking something that doesn't belong to him. How... ironic."

"I don't belong to anyone," I manage, my voice steadier than I feel.

Drez'kor laughs, the sound like shattering glass. "Of course you do. You belonged to Asmodeus, and by extension, to me." His gaze drops to Liora, who's begun to fuss in earnest. "And what's this? A little half-breed abomination?"

My arms tighten around my daughter. "Don't come any closer."

He ignores my warning, stepping forward to flick one finger against Liora's cheek. She wails, the sound piercing through my panic and igniting something fiercer.

"Get your hands off my child." The words emerge in a snarl I barely recognize as my own.

"Your child?" Drez'kor's eyebrows rise, his smile turning cruel. "How sweet. You've gone native." He glances around the house. "Where's the other one? There should be two, according to my sources."

My heart stops. "What sources?"

"Information is a commodity, Trinity. Surely you haven't forgotten that." He studies my face. "You were always clever about collecting it yourself. Used it to improve your position quite effectively."

From upstairs, Kaelin begins to cry, as if sensing her sister's distress. Drez'kor's eyes shift toward the sound, a predatory interest flickering across his features.

"Ah, there she is." He makes a move toward the stairs, and I step in front of him without thinking.

"Don't."

He pauses, amusement dancing in those metallic eyes. "Are you giving me orders, human?"

"I'm asking you to leave." I try to keep my voice steady, but Liora's escalating cries and Kaelin's distant wailing make it hard to focus. "Vael will be back any moment."

"Will he now?" Drez'kor leans closer, his breath hot against my cheek. "My sources indicate he's at least three hours away. Plenty of time for us to... reconnect." His eyes drop to Liora again. "And to handle that pesky problem too."

My blood turns to ice. "What do you mean?"

He shrugs, a casual gesture that somehow conveys more menace than a drawn weapon. "Half-breeds are messy complications. I'd be doing Vaelrix a favor, really. And then you and I can return to Galmoleth, where you belong."

"I'd rather die." The words escape before I can stop them.

Drez'kor laughs again, reaching out to twirl a strand of my hair around his finger.

"So dramatic. You know, I always appreciated your survival instinct, Trinity.

The way you'd do anything—and anyone—to stay alive.

" His hand drops to my throat, not squeezing, just resting there as a reminder of how easily he could.

"Where has that instinct gone? Surely these little monsters haven't made you forget who and what you are? "

Liora's cries have turned to hiccuping sobs against my chest, her tiny body trembling. Upstairs, Kaelin continues to scream, and I'm torn between the child in my arms and the one I can't reach.

"They're my daughters," I say, each word deliberate as I stare directly into those silver eyes. "And you're not going to touch them."

"Your daughters?" The captain's smile widens, revealing teeth too sharp for comfort.

"How quaint. And here I thought you were just playing house until something better came along.

" He gestures around the room. "Though I must say, Vaelrix has better taste than I expected.

This is quite the gilded cage he's built for you. "

I take another step back, calculating the distance to the kitchen, wondering if I can reach the knives there before he catches me. "It's not a cage."

"No?" His head tilts, studying me like an interesting specimen. "Then why haven't you left yet? The infamous survivor, suddenly content with domesticity?" He laughs. "Don't tell me you've developed feelings for your demon captor?"

The accusation hits too close to the confusion swirling inside me. "What I feel doesn't concern you."

"On the contrary, it concerns me greatly." He takes another step forward, forcing me back against the wall. "Because I've come to claim what Asmodeus promised me."

I clutch Liora closer as she whimpers against my chest. " They aren't part of this. At least wait for their father to get home. Then I can go with you." My stomach twists at the thought, but it's the best bet I have right now.

Drez'kor's laugh is like broken glass. "How charming. The human pet thinks she understands her master." He gestures toward the door. "Come back with me now, and I'll be merciful. We had a good arrangement before, didn't we? You were clever, useful."

Liora's cries grow louder, piercing through my racing thoughts. Upstairs, Kaelin continues wailing, the sound tearing at me like physical pain.

"Let me at least check on my other daughter," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Then we can talk."

Something like triumph flashes in his silver eyes. He thinks I'm considering his offer.

"Of course." He steps back with exaggerated courtesy. "Family obligations first."

I move quickly to the small sitting room off the main hall where we've placed a second crib for daytime naps. Liora's tiny body trembles against mine as I lower her into it, brushing a finger along her tear-streaked cheek.

"It's okay, little one," I whisper, though nothing is okay. "Stay quiet for mama."

I turn to find Drez'kor blocking the doorway, watching with cold amusement.

"Touching," he says. "Now, shall we discuss terms? I'm thinking we return to our previous arrangement, with a few... adjustments. You've grown more valuable, knowing Vaelrix's business."

I move past him, deliberately walking toward the kitchen—away from both girls. "There's nothing to discuss. I'm not going anywhere with you."

He follows, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. "Don't be difficult, Trinity. You know how that ends."

In the kitchen, I keep the large center island between us, my eyes tracking his movements. "I'm not who I was on Galmoleth."

"No?" His smile doesn't reach his eyes. "You're not the clever little human who survived by selling herself to the highest bidder? Not the girl who traded information and favors to climb out of the dungeons?"

"I did what I had to do to survive," I say, fingers sliding along the counter's edge, inching toward the knife block. "And to protect the other girls."

"Noble." He spits the word like a curse.

"And now you're protecting what? Half-breed spawn who'll never be accepted anywhere?

" He moves suddenly, rounding the island faster than I can react.

His hand closes around my arm, yanking me against him.

"Stop playing games. Your demon isn't coming home to save you. "

Something in me snaps at his words—a dam breaking loose. I bring my knee up hard between his legs, catching him by surprise.

He grunts, loosening his grip just enough for me to twist away. I grab the first thing my hand finds—a heavy cast iron pan from the drying rack—and swing it with all my strength.

It connects with the side of his head with a satisfying crack. Drez'kor staggers back, momentarily stunned.

"You little bitch," he snarls, a trickle of dark blood running from his temple down his gray skin.

"Get out of my house," I growl, holding the pan like a shield. "You're not taking me anywhere, and you're not touching my children."

He lunges, faster than I expect, knocking the pan from my grip. It clatters to the floor as he slams me against the wall, his forearm pressing against my throat.

"I liked you better when you were compliant," he hisses, his breath hot on my face. "What happened to the pragmatic survivor who knew when to submit?"

I claw at his arm, gasping for air. "She found something worth fighting for."

Using all my strength, I bring my elbow down on his forearm while simultaneously driving my knee up again. His grip loosens just enough for me to duck under his arm. I scramble across the kitchen, grabbing a knife from the block.

"Stay back," I warn, the blade steady in my hand.

Drez'kor touches his bleeding temple, looking at the blood on his fingertips with disbelief that quickly morphs into rage. "You'll regret that." He advances slowly, calculated. "Put that down before you hurt yourself."

"I'm not the one who's going to get hurt." I keep the knife between us, backing toward the door. If I can just get to the twins, barricade us somewhere...

He moves with terrible speed, catching my wrist and twisting until pain shoots up my arm. The knife falls from my numb fingers as he forces me back against the counter, his weight pinning me.

"I've always admired your spirit," he says, one hand wrapping around my throat. "But this is becoming tiresome."

I struggle wildly, clawing, kicking, fighting with a ferocity I never knew I possessed. My nails rake down his face, drawing blood from four parallel scratches.

He curses, tightening his grip. "Enough!"

Spots dance at the edges of my vision as his fingers cut off my air. Panic surges through me, not for myself but for my daughters. Who will protect them if I can't?

"Vael," I choke out, though I know he can't hear me. The realization that he might return to find me gone and our children alone—or worse—sends a fresh wave of desperation through me.

With the last of my strength, I reach behind me, fingers scrabbling against the counter until they close around a small glass jar. I smash it against the side of Drez'kor's head with every ounce of force I can muster.

He roars in pain, loosening his hold just enough for me to gulp in a precious breath. But his recovery is quick, and his expression turns murderous as he pins me more securely, one hand returning to my throat.

"I was going to be reasonable," he growls, "but now I think I'll just take what I want and leave Vaelrix a message he won't forget."

My vision dims as his grip tightens again. Is this how it ends? After everything I've survived, will my daughters grow up never knowing how fiercely I fought for them? Will Vael come home to find me gone—or worse?

The thought of Vael finding my broken body sends a strange, desperate ache through me. He has to make it home in time. He has to.