Page 3 of Resurrection (Daemons & Lumens #2)

CHAPTER TWO

Devon

T he Great Hall was exactly the same as it was the last time I entered it over a decade ago.

I hated this room. Everything terrible in my life began in this stupid room.

The first time my father and I visited Blackbyrn Mansion, I was only five years old.

We were invited to the mansion by a mutual friend from the Exchange.

My father was somewhat of a genius with numbers.

My parents moved to New York for his new job before I was born.

Sometimes I missed the life I never had growing up in England, where my father was born and he shared a whole other life with my mother.

Everything about their life in New York seemed depressing.

She was responsible for my father’s death.

And they knew she was the culprit. They fucking knew.

But they let her in anyway. Fell for her.

Let me fall for her. The woman who killed my own father.

When Tibby first told me, I refused to believe her.

But she had video evidence of the night he was killed.

The fire Seraphina trapped him in. I went to the Kings shortly after seeing the videos, and Samuel Delano confirmed what I saw.

I shook away the memories threatening to drown me.

They bled together. My father’s screams as he burned in Seraphina’s fire.

Her mother appearing during the ritual and chanting, trying to stop it.

Our father’s chanting louder, and Lailah’s screams of agony as it began to work.

And my brothers and I were trapped within the circle, unable to do anything to stop it.

It was all too much. I wanted out of this shit.

But Laszlo made it perfectly clear I was stuck with my traitorous brothers until his final ritual was completed.

The tattoo connected to my relic burned, and I grimaced.

We couldn’t do anything to stop Laszlo while he had our relics.

Our powers belonged to him. I supposed that was my own doing, since I returned mine to him freely.

But when this was finally over, I would be free of it. Free of them all.

“Welcome, Devon,” Andras called out, his arms crossed and his face furious. “How lovely to see you here. My father’s new errand boy.”

I kept my shoulders back and head held high as I walked toward the center of the room. The dining table had been removed. Servants hurried about, preparing for the party in the coming week, when the moon was full.

“Fuck off, Andras.” I didn’t care what he thought about me, not anymore. Mostly. “I’m doing this for my father.”

Andras narrowed his eyes. “You’re an idiot if you believe anything the Kings told you.”

“It wasn’t just them. I saw what she did with my own eyes. Tibby sent me the video. And you fucking knew about it.”

Andras leaned back and uncrossed his arms, smoothing the creases of his suit jacket. The fancy prick always wore a suit. I knew Laszlo preferred us dressed up, but ripped jeans and a T-shirt was my preferred style and I wasn’t changing it for anyone.

“Yes, Devon, I saw the same video you saw. But I also know Tabitha has exceptional skills with technology. And she is working for my father, for reasons I have not yet discovered. I believed that video was fake. I wasn’t going to create discord in our group over a fake video.

I was going to tell you when I had my proof. ”

“You should have told me before your father did!” I shouted at him, letting him see the betrayal I felt.

Andras sighed. He looked exhausted and afraid. Two things I rarely saw from him. “I am sorry he got to you first. But I am surprised how easily you believed him. I know your feelings for her are strong, just as strong as my own. She didn’t do this, Devon, and on some level, you know that.”

“I don’t know it,” I snapped and turned my back on him, refusing to think about what he was saying. I couldn’t. If he was right… No. I know what I saw. I chose my path and that was that.

The double doors opened at the far side of the Hall, and I sucked in a breath. Several armed guards escorted Seraphina. She was a dirty, bloody mess. Her hair was filthy and plastered to her head. Grime and gore covered her clothes. And she looked absolutely beautiful.

My heart broke as the thought entered my mind unbidden.

Because god dammit, I couldn’t just wish away the feelings I had for her, as much as I tried.

I wanted to tear apart everyone who hurt her, if only to inflict upon them the pain she caused me.

She was a villain. And I refused to think otherwise.