Page 14 of Mortal Magic (Shadow Shifter)

Steele’s eyes narrowed on his son. “Your attachment is understandable. A fledgling creates a special bond, but the clan is nervous. I don’t want any mistakes.”

“What are they nervous about? If she has no animal, she will simply be part of the reaper clan. That is no longer a death sentence,” Colton said.

Steele glanced towards the trees. A cougar lay on a branch, casually watching them. “They want anything demon related to be eradicated. They are concerned a demon turn will result in our destruction.”

Colton growled. “That is ridiculous and short-sighted.”

Steele’s eyes flashed. “Is it? We are on the brink of war.”

“Yet that has nothing to do with Riley.”

Steele looked Riley over slowly. “I won’t make any rash decisions but we are in unprecedented territory.”

“No, we aren’t. Riley isn’t the first woman to survive the transition. We agreed at the last council meeting to let nature take its course if a female is bitten.”

Steele’s jaw ticked. “Dannika was turned from reaper venom. Riley is both a woman and demon turned. We have no idea why she survived.”

“This is ridiculous. I will talk to Dannika myself. I doubt she will share your hypocrisy,” Colton snapped.

“You would go against my wishes? My orders?” Steele asked incredulously.

“Yes. Riley is my fledgling. My priority,” Colton growled.

Black mist rolled off Steele’s shoulders. “There are no records of a demon turning a human. Shifters bitten by a demon became the infected. A disease thrust on humanity.”

Riley had been so quiet, Colton almost forgot she was there. “What are the infected?”

“The infected shifters had no demon soul and no animal. They were demon bitten, but had nothing to balance the madness. Reapers are capable of cohesive thinking, provided they’re not starving. The infected had no reason. There was only hunger, a gluttonous need to kill and feed,” Colton said.

“And the humans bitten by a demon?” she asked.

Colton rubbed his eyes. “They all died. Steele is right. A human has never survived a demon bite.”

Steele threw his hands in the air. “This isn’t personal, Riley. I hold you no ill will, but your existence is impossible.”

Riley shrugged. “Yet, here I am.”

Steele’s eyes hardened. “Yes, you are, but what guarantees do I have that you won’t turn on my clan?”

Riley arched an eyebrow. “Are you asking me to prove I’m not a monster?”

“Yes,” Steele said.

Riley stepped towards him with her arms on her hips. “You go first.”

CHAPTER10

Riley’s fingernails bit into her hand. A primal fury burned behind her eyes as she met Steele’s accusing stare, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of acting like a monster. The pain as her nails bit through her flesh calmed her.

She couldn’t maintain the angry rush of adrenaline, it seeped from her body, leaving her with a sense of rejection. There was a part of her that recognized that Steele’s approval was important. This leader had welcomed every other shadow warrior to his clan except her. Maybe she was a monster. Color swept through her face as she turned away.

Colton moved to her side. “Riley, you’re not a monster, and if Steele continues with this line of questioning, we will leave.”

Steele’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious.”

Colton met his father’s heart stare. “I am deadly serious. She is mine.”

Steele looked between them as if seeing something for the first time. “We need to investigate her heritage. Dannika had a connection to the shadow shifter world. Riley must be a descendant of the priestess. Just because her current parents were not part of the Haitian community doesn’t mean that an ancestor wasn’t.”

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