Page 111 of Wickedly Yours

“Happy?” My father snorted. “You truly think that witch will make you happy? She has you wrapped around her finger, son. You’re one of the most powerful beings on the planet, and you’re acting like her little guard dog.”

“No.” I narrowed my eyes. “You’re wrong. She’s everything, father. I love her.”

“You think you love her?Ha.” He laughed, the booming sound filling the empty throne room. “You don’t even know what love is.”

“Maybe not. Because I didn’t exactly have an excellent role model for it, did I?” I sneered, pacing closer till I was right in front of the throne. “You paraded around a different female every night. You didn’t even care when my mother got sick. When shedied,I was the only one who mourned her. What do you thinkthattaught me?” Shadows surrounded me, licking up my boots, but I didn’t bother trying to brush them off.

We were equally matched now, my father and I—with Luna’s life force running through my veins. His shadows versus ourlight.Luna’s moonlight and my lightning.

My mother had given me the key all along, and Luna had unlocked that part of me, made me whole. Light would vanquish the dark.

And I knew what love was.

I saw it every time Luna spoke with her sister. How she treated everyone with kindness and compassion. It was the way she looked when she sat on that chaise lounge in the library, curled up under a blanket with a book in her hands, lost for hours. The way she smiled when she bit into a fresh cookie. The way she cared for me and my feelings. How angry she’d been when I’d shared my past with her.

I let my wings spread out behind me.

“From the time I was young, I vowed to never be like you. That was your first mistake. Forcing me into a role, beating me into submission. I never asked for this, Father.” Rage filled my body. “But I will not back down now.”

“You and your brother are both too soft. I should have been harder on you. Maybe then you wouldn’t both be such disappointments.”

Lightning crackled around me as I stepped onto the first stair, ignoring his comments. “Your second mistake was assuming you were still in charge around here.” A bolt of lightning hit the floor, cracking the tile behind meand sending it flying. “Because this isn’t your palace anymore, old man. It’s mine.”

“Do you think I fear you?” Fire burned in his eyes, the color reminding me of molten lava. “That I’m scared ofyou?You forget your place. Imade you, son. And I can just as easily destroy you.”

Another step. Thunder rumbled the windows. I didn’t care if I left destruction in my wake. Not now. “Now, your third mistake... that one I can’t tolerate. Not when you threatened my wife.” The electricity covered the blade of my sword, buzzing with energy. I curled my lips up over my teeth. “When you hurt mymate.”

“Tsk.Did you think I didn’t know?”He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “She makes you weak. Foolish.”

“Is that how you felt about my mother? Is that why you forced her to marry you, toloveyou, and then let herdie?She didn’t deserve that. And Luna deserves so much better than me. But that’s where you’re wrong.” I took the last step up, coming directly in front of him. Staring down at the man who’d fathered me but had never been afatherto me. My shadows wrapped over his hands, strapping them to the arm of the chair as I loomed over my father. “She doesn’t make me weak. Luna never could. She makes mestrong. Every single piece of her makes me want to be better.”

My power sparked in my eyes.

“You—” His eyes grew wide. “How can you?—”

Magic circles had formed on the ground. Much like the ones from the wedding ceremony, the bonding. Except these were runes.

Cast by the witch who I’d been cloaking with my magic. Luna appeared by my side, her eyes flaring with white power—pure, unfetteredmoonlight.

“You see, it was never about being strong enough to defeat you. It was always being stronger together.”

White runes formed over his body. The ancient demonic text that I’d taught Luna on our honeymoon provedextremely useful.

“You see, father. She might not be ademon, but she was made for me.”

Luna slid her hand into mine, both of us sharing our endless depths of strength with each other. As she finished the intricate sealing curse, bringing my father completely under her control.

“And she’s going to look damn beautiful with the crown on her head, the queen of the demons.”

“She’ll never—” my father narrowed his eyes.

That was the moment we struck his heart with a concentrated beam of both our magics, lightning, and pure moonlight twining together. The spell Luna had suggested wrapped around him, binding him in ropes of white.

“How?” He asked, his dark eyes wide, looking up at me. Once, we’d shared the golden eyes that denoted demon royalty. That could only be born of a mate match. Now, his were black, just like his soul.

“Her,” was all I said as Luna’s grip tightened on my hand.

His skin wasmelting,which shouldn’t have been possible, but the longer the magic touched him, the more he screamed. His horns caught fire, and I pushed free every bit of magic in my system, knowing my mate was doing the same.

---