Page 27 of Demon Daddy's Secret Twins

The world tilts sideways. June's arm around my shoulders is the only thing keeping me upright.

"No." The word tears from my throat. "No, I can't..."

But I know it’s true - the subtle changes in my body, the missed cycle. Mazan's child grows inside me, while he's gone without a trace.

"He promised." My voice cracks. "He said he wouldn't leave."

June pulls me close as the tears finally break free. Her fingers card through my hair like she's soothing a wounded animal. Maybe she is.

"I can't do this alone." The words come out between gasping sobs. "I can't..."

"You're not alone," June says fiercely. "I'm right here."

But all I can think about are copper-red eyes and midnight wings, and promises that turned out to be as empty as the sky.

The sobs wrack my body, tearing loose years of carefully constructed walls. My fingers clutch June's shirt as if it's the only thing anchoring me to reality. Each breath burns like swallowing glass.

"He said he'd protect me." The words spill out between gasps. "Said I could trust him. I'm such a fool."

June rocks me gently, but the contact makes my skin crawl. I jerk away, stumbling to my feet. The healer's treehouse suddenly feels too small, too confined.

"Don't touch me." I wrap my arms around myself, backing toward the door. My braids have come completely undone, auburn hair falling in my face. "I can't... I need..."

The walls press in. My old scars burn like they're fresh. Memories of chains and dark elf hands flood back - memories I thought Mazan had helped me bury.

"Lox, breathe." June's voice sounds far away. "You're safe here."

A harsh laugh tears from my throat. "Safe? I let a demon inside me. Inside my body, my heart..." My fist slams into the wall. Pain shoots up my arm but I welcome it. It's better than this hollow ache in my chest.

"He's not like the others," June says softly. I always suspected she knew about Mazan and me. Does she know why he’s abandoned me, too? "You know that."

"Do I?" My voice rises, hysteria edging in. "He's gone, isn't he? He took what he wanted and left mebroken.Just like everyone else." The rest dissolves into another wave of tears.

I slide down the wall, pulling my knees to my chest. My golden-brown eyes burn, vision blurring. Three months of held-back tears finally break free.

"I hate him." The words come out as a broken whisper. "I hate that he made me believe. I hate that I still..."

My hand presses against my stomach before I can stop it. A child. His child. The thought sends fresh panic clawing up my throat.

June kneels beside me, careful not to touch. "You don't have to decide anything right now."

But I can feel it - the tiny spark of life inside me, already changing everything. My chest heaves as another sob builds. "I can't do this. I can't..."

The tears keep coming, years of pain finally breaking through the walls I built to survive. I cry until my throat is raw, until my body shakes with exhaustion. June stays close, a silent guardian as I finally let myself shatter.

20

MAZAN

THREE YEARS LATER…

Blood drips from my split lip, joining the dark stains already marking the stone floor. My wings hang limp and useless, the midnight blue membranes torn and shredded from countless "sessions" with my captors. The chains binding my wrists to the wall bite deep, their blessed metal burning against my skin.

Another day. Another eternity. Time blurs here in this xaphan prison cell, marked only by the changing of guards and the cycle of torture and questioning.

I flex my fingers, watching the gold lines beneath my obsidian skin flicker weakly. They've dampened my magic somehow, leaving me with barely enough strength to heal the worst injuries. My horns ache where they tried sawing them off - a particularly creative form of torment they seemed to enjoy.

But through it all, through every cut and burn and broken bone, I think of her. Loxley. The way her golden-brown eyes sparked when she smiled. How her auburn braids caught the sunlight. The gentle strength in her hands when she touched me that night.

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