And now that he knew who and what he was, the knowing was so dangerous. Not just for him, but for those he loved and couldn’t protect.

Those like his mother, who were still unaware of the truth. It was bad enough for the Kodys and Calebs, who knew. It was so much more for those who had absolutely no clue.

I have to learn to use and control this power. To master it. Not to use it for harm. To use it to keep his family and friends safe from all the ones who would hurt them to get to him.

He’d tried to hide the powers so that his enemies couldn’t find him and hurt them, and that hadn’t worked.

His only choice was to embrace them. To become what he was born to be.

The Malachai.

There were other creatures born of dark powers who didn’t succumb to them. Creatures who tapped the darkness for good and stayed anchored on the right side without corruption. Acheron. Xev. Caleb. Dagon …

“Aeron?”

The puck light paused. “Aye, lad?”

“Do you think you can show me how to control the Malachai within me? You know, like you were trying to tell me, during the fight? All that stuff about using the pain and not the hate? Was that bullcrap or the truth?”

He laughed lightly before he continued on his path through the woods. “It’s not control you need to learn.”

“How do you mean?”

“The Malachai is never controlled, boyo. He’s unleashed.”

His words only confused Nick more. “But isn’t that what we’re trying to stop?”

Aeron paused before he took his human form so that he could stand even in height with Nick.

Eye to eye, he met his gaze levelly. “Are you willing to trust me, Malachai? Really trust me? Not just with your life? But with the life of all you hold dear? To lay in me hands the hearts and souls of everyone who matters to you? Mother, lover, brother, family, and friend? Think before you answer. Because once you walk this path, there’s no way back for you. You’ll either be saved … or damned for eternity.”

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

“Why do you trust Aeron when you shouldn’t?”

Nick closed his grimoire as Livia came up to him. They were taking a short break to rest and eat before they renewed their journey into the deepest and most dangerous part of the forest. “Why shouldn’t I?”

She scowled at him in disbelief. “You don’t know him. At all.”

“I know him as well as I know you.”

Livia snorted disrespectfully. “I’m your Šarru-Ninim.”

Yeah, right. Like that made her better, how? He was supposed to implicitly trust one of the generals whose sole creation was to lead an army of demons to destroy the world.

Sure. Made sense.

Never.

“As chosen by another Malachai. Not me,” he gently reminded her.