Page 28 of Chaos Demons

“You mean… that wasn’t a joke?” Eva whispered.

“Nope.” I met her gaze. “And I think you’re developing some power around violence or fighting or something. As my daughter, you’re also part daemon. I don’t know where your aspect — that’s what these powers are called — is coming from, but that seems the most logical explanation for what you’re feeling. Also… we can feel it too. It’s leaking out of you. You’re making the rest of us restless and agitated as well. You’re going to need to learn to control your powers… soon.”

“So…” I could feel the moment slipping away as Eva’s animosity bubbled up within her. “I’m feeling this way because of you? This is your fault?” Accusation flashed in her eyes.

I couldn’t deny it. “Probably, yes, somehow. I’m sorry, Eva.”

“Fuck sorry. Can’t you… heal me of this shit or something?” she yelled.

“I heal physical wounds. I can’t heal your aspect. You need to learn to control it.”

Her face was slowly flushing with anger.

Reia sighed. “Since we’re up, I’m going to take Kerberos for a walk. I think he’s restless too.”

“Don’t go too far from home this time, okay?” I urged her.

“I’ll stay close, just run up and down the street,” she said with a nod, then left.

Eva was fuming. “Control…? How can I… I just want to… argh!”

“Ah… hey Mom?” Reia’s voice carried back from the front room. “There’s some guy outside.”

Some guy? Reia knew Ramsey, Grey, and Fen. So… who would she call “some guy”?

I hurried to the door.

“Trent?” I asked surprised to see the man I’d spoken to that afternoon, Eva’s ex.

“I… I’ve been thinking about what you said, Ms. Baker, and I couldn’t sleep so I drove over here and was sitting outside, but then I saw lights coming on and… Oh… Eva!” He peered behind me.

I felt it before I heard it, the wave of fury which hit me from behind so hard, it nearly bowled me over.

“You!” Eva roared. “What are you doing here? What do you meanyou’ve been thinking about what my mother said… Mom… did you see this creep! I can’t believe this!”

Well, if our neighbors hadn’t been awake… they were now.

I pulled Trent inside, but even as I did, a beast leap down from the roof of the house across the street. It was half-man, half-wolf, and shimmering with power, radiating a need to consume and destroy.

“Fuck! Fen?”

FEN

A horrid howltore me from my sleep. But I quickly realized I’d been the one making that sound.

I felt it,thepull. My wolf was ready, clambering to get out, sensing the destruction around us. It raged to be set loose, to join in the carnage and end whatever had started this night. It wanted to end the world. Now now now.

“No!” I hissed, trying to contain my beast, falling out of bed in the process. I couldn’t believe this was it, that it was time for Ragnarök. I sensed the rampant destruction nearby but couldn’t believe the end of the world had come.

From everything the seers had said, we should have had at least a few hundred more years or so.

But I couldn’t deny my wolf straining to get out, sensing this impending disaster and needing to be a part of it.

I needed to get myself under control and fast, but the only thing I knew that soothed my beast was Ana.

It was everything I could do just to contain my thrashing beast, which meant I didn’t dress or call, I could barely walk. I knew I’d be unable to concentrate on driving in this condition, so instead, I went to the roof of my building and simply leaped out into the night.

It was a strain, forcing myself away from the destruction toward Ana, but I managed to summon my bestial strength to launch myself over the city in bounds toward the woman I needed.

---