Page 53 of Demon Daddy's Little Girl

We circle each other, trading blows of pure energy that shake the foundations of my home. Each strike illuminates the hatred in his golden eyes - so similar to my own, yet twisted with malice.

"Tell me, Captain." He launches another attack, this one forcing me to dive aside. "In your investigation of missing half-breeds, did you never wonder why they vanished so cleanly? Why no traces remained?"

The pieces click into place. The missing children. The lack of evidence. The way each disappearance connected to noble houses. And there is one noble who has a lot of resources and a history of violence when it comes to demon-human pairings. "You're behind the kidnappings."

His laughter echoes off the walls. "Someone must keep our bloodlines pure. These abominations - these half-breeds - they're a plague upon our society. I simply... remove the infection." Pride drips from his words. "Starting with my own grandson's mistake. One of your past guards has been helping me immensely with my endeavor, too."

So Rolfo was right. That is something I will need to remedy after I handle Varyk.

"Those children were innocent." My voice drops to a growl as I channel power through my ritual markings. The silver lines on my forearms blaze with light.

"Innocent?" He spits the word. "They're proof of weakness, of demons forgetting their place above humans. Like my foolish son, thinking he could marry a servant." His magic lashes out like whips. "I should have killed the brat when I killed him."

The confession ignites something primal in me. My next strike sends him crashing through what remains of my dining table.

Lord Varyk pulls himself from the wreckage, brushing splinters from his immaculate robes with casual disdain. Blood trickles from a cut on his cheek, but his posture remains regal, entitled.

"You should have seen him beg." He straightens his cuffs. "On his knees, pleading for that human whore's life. As if she was worth the dirt beneath our feet."

My markings pulse brighter as fury courses through me. Each word feeds the rage building in me.

"A demon noble, groveling for a servant." He clicks his tongue. "I gave him a choice - renounce them both or die with honor. He chose neither." His lips curve into a cruel smile. "The look in his eyes when I ran him through... that's when he finally understood his place."

"Your own son." The words scrape from my throat.

"My greatest disappointment." He examines his nails. "Though watching him bleed out was almost worth the shame he brought to our house. Almost." His golden eyes, so like mine yet hollow of anything but contempt, meet my gaze. "The child is all that remains of his disgrace. Once I've dealt with her, our bloodline will be pure again."

Magic crackles between us, his darkness against my controlled fury. The temperature in the room drops as power builds.

"Tell me, Captain, what makes you protect them? Some misplaced sense of honor?" He scoffs. "Or perhaps you see yourself in my son's weakness. I've heard whispers of your own... indiscretion with a human."

The mention of Raina sends a fresh surge of power through my markings. "The only weakness here is a father who'd murder his own blood."

"Murder?" He laughs, the sound sharp as breaking glass. "I cleansed our line. Just as I'll cleanse it of that half-breed abomination. It's my duty as head of our house."

His magic whips toward me like obsidian shards. I pivot, channeling power through my markings to create a shield that shatters his attack. The fragments dissolve into smoke that curls around our feet.

"You nobles." I launch a counterattack, my own magic manifesting as concentrated force. "Always thinking your bloodline makes you untouchable."

Lord Varyk blocks my strike, but the impact drives him back a step. A flicker of surprise crosses his features before his mask of superiority returns. "And you're nothing but a glorified guard batlaz. Playing at nobility with your Captain's rank."

My next attack catches him in the shoulder. He stumbles, genuine shock replacing his sneer as blood seeps through his expensive robes.

"This guard batlaz has spent years hunting killers." I press forward, each strike precise from countless hours of training. "While you sat in your manor, I learned how monsters think. How they move. How they die."

He snarls, abandoning his calculated style for raw power. Dark energy pulses from him in waves, cracking the stone walls. But his attacks grow wilder, less controlled. The façade of the composed noble slips further with each exchange.

"You're just like the rest." His words come faster, tinged with desperation. "Protecting these half-breeds. Do you know how many I've found? How many noble houses harbor these secrets?" His magic surges erratically. "They're everywhere, contaminating our pure bloodlines with human weakness."

I deflect another blast, understanding blooming like ice in my chest. "The missing children cases. All those families claiming their half-demon kids were sent away..." My markings blaze brighter as fury feeds my power. "You've been systematically hunting them."

"Hunting?" He laughs, high and unhinged. "I'm purifying our race. One mongrel at a time." His eyes gleam with zealous pride. "The nobles thank me, even as they pretend to mourn their little mistakes. They understand the necessity."

The truth of his words hits harder than any physical blow. This isn't just about Rose and Ada. It's about every half-demon child who vanished without a trace. Every grieving parent whocouldn't speak out. Every noble house complicit in this quiet genocide.

I channel that revelation into pure force, my next strike catching him square in the chest. He crashes into the wall, and for the first time, real fear flashes across his face.

Lord Varyk's fear turns to desperate rage. He hurls a final blast of dark magic, but his form is sloppy, unfocused. I sidestep and drive forward, channeling power through my ritual markings until they burn white-hot against my skin. The magic responds to my intent, coalescing into a blade of pure force.

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