Page 46 of Demon Daddy's Secret Twins

"Something wrong?" He takes a step forward.

I back away, maintaining distance. Old habits die hard. "My sons - have you seen them? With their father? Tall demon, dark wings?"

Another head shake. Another dead end.

His concern only feeds my panic. If something happened to them... if someone took them... My mind fills with memories of chains and dark caves, of cruel laughs and crueler hands. No. Not my boys. Not them.

I force my feet to move, to keep searching. The sand burns through my shoes, but I barely notice. Every shadow makes me flinch. Every rustle of leaves sends my heart racing. The beach stretches endless before me, each empty patch of sand another reminder that they're gone.

My feet carry me through familiar paths, weaving between the elevated treehouses. June. She'll know what to do. She has to. The wooden stairs creak under my frantic steps as I take them two at a time, racing toward her home.

My fist pounds against her door. "June!"

The door swings open, revealing June's bright red hair and concerned green eyes.

"Loxley? What's wrong?"

I stumble into her home, my words tumbling out in a rush. "They're gone. All of them. The beach was empty and no one's seen them and I can't—I can't—" My breath comes in sharp gasps. The room spins.

"Hey, breathe." June grabs my shoulders, her grip firm but gentle. She guides me to a chair, forcing me to sit. "You're having a panic attack. Deep breaths."

I shake my head. "You don't understand. They're gone. Just like before. Just like when he?—"

"Loxley." June kneels in front of me, her green eyes capturing mine. "Stop. Breathe with me." She takes an exaggerated breath, holding it, then releasing slowly. "Now, start from the beginning. Tell me exactly what happened."

32

MAZAN

Ipace through the dense jungle, my wings twitching with each step. The boys' magic signature lingers in the air - faint, barely traceable. My heart pounds against my ribs as I follow another false trail that dissolves into nothing.

"Anything?" Lamain's deep voice cuts through the humid air.

I shake my head, copper-red eyes scanning the treeline. "The residual energy splits here. They could have landed anywhere within a thousand miles." My fingers curl into fists, golden lines flickering across my obsidian skin as I struggle to contain my magic.

The weight of failure crushes my chest. Three years. Three years I never knew they existed, and now... My wings snap out, membrane stretching as I fight the urge to take flight again.

"We'll find them, Mazan." Lamain's massive form moves through the foliage, his ram horns catching the filtered sunlight.

"They're just children." The words scrape my throat. "They don't know how to control their power yet." I close my eyes, remembering Kaelar's mischievous grin, Sorien's quiet observation. So much like their mother. Like Loxley.

Gods, Loxley. The fierce protectiveness I'd seen in her eyes makes perfect sense now. She'd guarded them alone, never knowing why I'd vanished that day. Never knowing I'd spent three years in chains, my wings bound, my magic suppressed.

My magic pulses, searching for any trace of my sons. Their combined power had been unstable, wild. Just like them. Kaelar always charging ahead, Sorien following with that thoughtful expression that mirrored my own.

"I won't lose them." The words come out in a growl. "Not when I've just found them."

Lamain nods, his indigo eyes reflecting my determination. We press on through the jungle, following another whisper of magic, another ghost of their presence. I understand now, with crushing clarity, why Loxley kept them hidden. The need to protect them burns in my blood, drives every step, every spell, every breath.

They are my sons. And I will tear apart reality itself to bring them home.

A flicker of familiar energy pulses through the air. My head snaps up, wings spreading wide. "There."

I launch into the dense canopy, Lamain close behind. The magical signature grows stronger - wild and untamed, but unmistakably theirs. Breaking through a wall of leaves, I spot them huddled beneath a massive tree root.

"You found us!" Sorien's mismatched eyes light up. He clutches his brother's hand, their small forms trembling.

I drop to my knees, gathering them both against my chest. Their tiny horns press into my skin as they burrow close. "I've got you. You're safe."

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