“Oh, like when you took over my body and were going to fuck my boyfriend and move us to an arctic tundra?”

“Yes, that would be a time when I wasn’t thinking clearly. It was confusing for my mind not to have a vessel, and I had Beelzebub in my ear telling me lies.”

“His soul has already been destroyed,” my father says, taking a sip of orange juice. How extremely domestic.

“Why have children at all?” I say, looking at him.

“I know you don’t want to hear this all right now, but I do love you. I would do anything for you and your sister. I thought that by letting you live your life out on earth, I was doing the best thing for you. If people knew I had offspring living in a different dimension, they would see you as my weakness, and I couldn’t allow you to become a target.”

“Why did you come back for every birthday, then?” I ask. Dax’s touch is gentle and keeps me from snapping.

“I needed to make sure your body could hold your demon half. So every birthday I bestowed my favor on you so that you would be safe.”

“But not for Mara?”

Mara looks down, and my dad looks legitimately guilty. “I didn’t know. I would like for you to stay in Hell with me, Mara. So that we can get to know each other better.”

My body tenses and my stomach hurts. He wants her to stay, but not me. Still not wanted. My dad looks over at me. “Blair, I would like you to stay as well. But I would understand if you are not ready for that. Either way, I would like to show you how you can embrace your demon side. I believe there are some things I can do to permanently make your body able to handle both the witch and demon inside of you.”

“I don’t have my magic right now,” I tell him.

“You what?”

“The council,” I say.

“Fucking cunts,” I hear my dad mutter and my eyebrows rise. “I’d like to show you my eagerness to be a better father by getting your magic back.”

My eyes widen, but I nod my head. My father stands from his chair and holds out a hand. Dax squeezes my thigh before he lets go and I stand up. I can understand why most people would find my dad menacing, but I can’t help but to feel hope.

My father’s hand is held out and I take it. His portal is gentler than Dax’s. We land on the cobblestone floor in the center of the room where they took my magic.

All three witches are sitting in their thrones and gasp as they see my father’s face.

“Lucifer, what do we owe the pleasure?” Hadiza says.