cunning old bastard, and he’d never let anything slip in front of a stranger. I was surprised he’d agreed to come when Logan called.
The charred scent of magic filled my nostrils only a moment before a swirl of dark smoke caught my eye. The murky fog expanded, covering nearly the entire stone fireplace. A jolt of energy skimmed the surface of my skin, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
A figure coalesced from the darkness, brilliant blue eyes piercing the obscurity. A wry grin tipped Garrix’s lips up as the fog receded. The man in front of me was not my grandfather—or at least not the version of him I knew best. This warlock was young, only a few years older than me with deep mocha skin and buzzed blonde hair. But those eyes… I’d recognize my grandpa anywhere because of them. They were as profound as the Pacific with the glittering turquoise of the Caribbean, and when he caught you in his gaze, there was no escape.
“That’s your grandfather?” Talon strode over to the young warlock, his dark brows twisted.
“Garreth,” he snapped. Looked like he was going with one of his aliases. Like most of my grandparents, he refused to be referred to as grandpa, gramps, grandfather or any of the traditional titles. And he obviously didn’t trust my bunkie with his real name.
“Yup, that’s him, good old Grandpa Garreth.” I smiled nervously. Garrix was the high warlock of the Coven Council, though not many beyond his inner circle would recognize his face, his name was legendary.
Talon loomed over Garrix or Garreth, his broad shoulders taut and his reptilian eyes narrowing.
Gramps didn’t even flinch. No one intimidated the high warlock. “Hello, my darling.” He flitted right past the imposing dragon and pulled me into a hug.
I melted into his embrace, the familiar scent of smoky magic clung to him like Indian curry takeout. Tears filled my eyes, but I quickly blinked them back, burying my face in his silky shirt. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed my family until now.
He pushed me out to arms’ length, and his penetrating gaze ran over me. “Oh, Azara, what in all the realms did you do?”
Logan moved between us, glaring at my grandpa. “How did you get in here? You were supposed to enter through the main gate to be granted entrance.”
A wicked smile curled his full lips, those cerulean eyes twinkling. “Oh, Warden, that’s cute. Like your wards could stop me.”
Talon’s eyes widened as they scrutinized my grandfather. “Who is this guy?” If he was trying to remain incognito, he should’ve been less showy with his powers.
Logan muttered a curse as Garrix sauntered by him and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Now, my dear child, tell me what happened.”
It was kinda weird staring at this young stranger speaking in my gramps’ words, but I pushed the awkwardness aside and focused on his familiar eyes. “I did something bad, GG. Like really bad.”
His thick brow curved up. “How bad?”
My lips pressed together, all the words stuck at the back of my throat. I just couldn’t bring myself to say it.
“She slaughtered thirty-six Fae and an SIA agent that tried to bring her in.” Talon’s voice cut through the dense silence.
A stab of pain jabbed me in the gut as guilt pummeled my insides. One look at my dragon bodyguard, and I knew the sharp pang hadn’t only originated from me. My eyes swept to the ground. When would this damned blood tie dissipate? Feeling my own guilt was bad enough, I didn’t need to feel his burning hatred too. Maybe Garrix could help with that as well.
Fingertips lifted my chin, and I was forced to meet my gramps’s eyes once again. “Azara, look at me. You are a demon, an animas demon that feeds on souls for energy. It’s what you do, who you are. Never be embarrassed of that. It would be like me being sorry for performing spells or borrowing other people’s bodies.”
Talon grunted, mumbling something under his breath.
“But GG, I killed so many innocent people…” Tears burned my eyes, and I couldn’t keep them at bay this time. One trickled over, then another. Before I turned into a complete mess, I swept the tears from my cheeks and pivoted toward the window. Brilliant oranges and reds haloed the towering snowy peaks and jagged crags. After weeks of being stuck indoors, the magnificent sight gave me something else to focus on. Sniffling, I