Page 71 of Demons & Damnation

“I saw them yesterday.” She suddenly remembered Keith’s death and froze. “Oh God, I need to see Azazel actually. He kinda did something for me.”

“The perverted pub owner?” Malcolm asked, smirking.

“How did you—”

“You need to learn to shield your thoughts, Marmalade.”

"And how do I do that? I’m not a witch or a demon.”

Lily raised an eyebrow. “Kyla, you are a witch.”

Kyla snorted. “Sure. Of course I am.”

Two serious faces stared back at her, not a flicker of jest to be seen anywhere in their emotions.

Kyla took a sip of her drink and swallowed it. “You’re not joking.”

Lily shook her head. “Magic abilities run in the blood, dear. It was set in stone the moment you were conceived.”

“Are you telling me that my mother is a witch as well?”

Lily hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding.

“Does she use her powers?”

Lily shook her head. “She never wanted anything to do with it. Especially after your father.”

A twinge of sadness struck Kyla square in the heart. “What do you know of my father?”

“We don’t know much,” Malcolm said. “All we know is that he wasn’t human either.”

Kyla’s heart lurched, skipping a beat. “What was he?”

Malcolm and Lily shared a brief look before Lily leaned over and placed a hand on Kyla’s forearm. “We believe he is a demon.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, Kyla let that word rattle around her mind. She knew demons existed of course, her own grandad was one, and she’d very nearly had sex with one just yesterday, but to associate that word, that creature, with the blood running through her veins? That was a whole other level she didn’t expect.

“Did Mum know? When she met him?”

Malcolm shook his head. “We believe not. Your mother never really said too much about him which leads me to believe he revealed himself to her after she fell pregnant. It was at that point her attitude towards the supernatural and magick in general really turned to something quite hateful. My guess is he tricked her and when she learned of his true nature, she felt angry and humiliated.”

“But she couldn’t get rid of you, dear,” Lily said, squeezing Kyla’s forearm. “She loved you from the minute she found out about you.”

Kyla rolled her eyes. “From what then happened, Gran, she’d have been better off scraping me out.”

“DON’T talk like that,” Malcolm boomed, narrowing his eyes at his granddaughter. “I don’t want to hear those words ever come out of your mouth again, do you understand me?”

Kyla reached down and touched the dog’s head, needing something comforting. The dog nuzzled its nose against her hand in response. “It’s true though, Grandad. I wouldn’t have felt any pain if she’d aborted me. Look what she’s since done to me. I didn’t deserve that. She’s not a mother. She was a womb donor, nothing more.”

“Let’s finish this conversation,” Lily said, glancing at her husband and then at Kyla. “Before we end up saying things we don’t mean. Now, moving swiftly on, let’s teach you some basics of magick. Are you up for that?”

“Did you need to ask?” Kyla said, smiling.

“Not really. It’s in your lineage. You’ll master it easily.”

“We’ll see.”

“You will,” Malcolm said. “You have some power in your veins, Marmalade. Embrace it.” He cleared his throat and then continued. “Basics one-oh-one for any supernatural creature is to shield their thoughts. Not only does it stop rather private things being sent freely to anyone close by, it also stops other supernatural beings from tracking them which means they know nothing about your true identity either.”

---