Page 62 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

The third Furiosity—and demon king of Hel.

My father.

I scrambled to my feet, my body trembling with shock. But he wasn’t looking at me. With an expression of longing and pure, radiant love, he crossed the room in a single fluid movement and knelt beside Sonoma. His touch was gentle as he cupped her face, his gaze softening in a way I’d never imagined possible for a being like him.

“You fought well, my little warrior,” he whispered, his voice deep and reverent.

Sonoma’s lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. “I’ve missed you, darling. Is it time?”

Ire nodded. “At last.”

I stood frozen, my mind spinning, watching helplessly as Ire bent and pressed a kiss to Sonoma’s forehead. Her body relaxed instantly, the tension melting away as she exhaled her last breath in a soft sigh.

“No.” The word broke from my lips before I could stop it, raw and filled with grief.

But Sonoma didn’t stir.

She was gone.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I stared at her still form, my heart aching with the loss of the memories we’d never make together. Time we’d never get back.

Ire turned to me then, his dark gaze locking with mine. “You’ll see her again.”

Hope bloomed painfully in my chest. “When?”

“Time is a hard thing to know from one realm to the next. But have faith.” He studied me, and a lump formed in my throat at the pride reflected in his soft smile. “You have her eyes.”

Did I? I’d never noticed it before. Maybe I hadn’t been looking for it.

“I have your magic,” I blurted.

“And my personality from what I hear,” he added with a smirk. But then his humor vanished as he said, “You are a miracle, Aurelia. Born with the blood of two realms inside you. Blessed by a third. You are the best of me. And I’m sorry—” His voice cracked. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here with you. It was a necessary part of the deal we made with the Fates.”

“What deal?” I asked.

“When your mother became pregnant, the Fates intervened. They tried to dictate terms, but your mother negotiated ruthlessly for her own interests—and yours.” His smile turned wistful. “Don’t bother trying to talk that woman into anything.”

I smiled ruefully through my tears. “Yeah, I learned that the hard way.”

He grinned.

“What did she negotiate?” I asked.

“The Fates wanted Tyrion and Celeste to raise you as their own. To protect your identity—and ours as your parents.”

“But isn’t that what happened?”

“We asked to wait until you were eighteen. To live together as a family first. But in the end, it became necessary to bring you here sooner.”

“I don’t remember,” I said.

He nodded. “You were young. We spent your first two years in the mountains of Concordia. It was the happiest two years of my existence.”

Heliconia’s words came back to me from that day in the woods, and my stomach tightened. “I found your cabin,” she’d told Sonoma. “The scent of your little family is still there, you know.” She’d been taunting her with the truth.

“What changed?” I asked, my voice turning sharp. “Why couldn’t we stay?”

“Heliconia,” he said grimly.

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