Page 48 of Mortal Magic (Shadow Shifter)

“What does that mean? Is it good or bad?”

Colton pursed his lips. “I don’t know. It’s going to happen now, but I need you to be prepared.”

Her eyes hardened on his face. “I know his chances aren’t good.”

“I wish it were that simple. He was bitten by a reaper and given demon venom. In the past, the infected were slaughtered before they could do any damage. Since you transformed successfully from a demon bite, we can no longer make that assumption.”

“What assumption? What are you trying to tell me?”

“Your father will transform into something. Either a shadow warrior or an infected.”

“What is an infected, and what do we do if that happens?”

Colton’s eyes flickered. “They are mindless creatures that hunt and kill without remorse. They feed on blood and death. If your father does not transition successfully, he won’t die. We will have to kill him.”

CHAPTER28

Riley put her hands over her ears as the screeching from a nearby reaper stabbed her eardrums, and forced her vision to blur. “What was that?”

Colton put his hand on Daniel’s chest. “Reaper death scream. It looks like Deruthel has brought every demon and every reaper to the fight.”

Riley surveyed the area. She was so focused on her father; she hadn’t realized how many demons and reapers had shown up. While the Demon general had brought his forces to bear, the shadow cougar clan had done the same. The wind howled through the trees as if it were protesting the massacre happening beneath them. The crushed SUV leaked gas and oil, permeating the air with the smell of crushed metal and chemicals, oblivious to the surrounding melee.

“My God. There are so many of them. How are we going to get my father out of here?” she said.

Colton surveyed the sea of warriors surrounding them. “Your father isn’t a shadow shifter. He can’t be taken into the tunnels. We try to move him and we will be attacked.”

They both looked down when Daniel groaned. His limbs locked into a contorted version of a broken pretzel before the spasm eased and he began to pant. His breath came in short gasps, as if he was unable to grab oxygen from the air. Tears leaked from his eyes though they remained firmly shut.

Riley put her hand on her father’s forehead. “He’s burning up.”

Daniel’s eyes snapped open, revealing black pupils. Smoke moved behind his eyes, as the demon venom consumed his human blood and boiled his intestines from the inside out. “Kill me,” he whispered.

Riley’s heart stuttered. “No dad, you can do this. I need you. I have no idea what the future holds, but it will be better with you in it. Please fight for me.”

His eyes cleared, and she realized she was seeing her father for the first time in years. While his body was dying, the dementia had perished first. “I would do anything for you Riley,” Daniel said.

Riley wanted to reassure her father, but his chest arched in the air as his shoulders dug into the damp earth. His jaw locked in an unshed scream as the bones in his back broke. His body locked in a macabre version of a human crab. Black blood trickled from his mouth as his eyes remained open and unseeing.

Her heart stopped when his eyes glazed over. There was a moment where she could see through the distorted creature before her, a misshapen, elusive image with shadow-imbued eyes. She reached out to touch him but her hand passed through the ghostly version of her father. Colton stopped her when she continued to grasp at his inhuman body.

“He has joined with a demon soul. There is nothing more we can do, than wait to see if he survives,” Colton said.

Breck approached them. “I’m surprised the old man isn’t dead yet.”

“You bastard. Why would you do this to him? He had nothing to do with this war.” Riley hissed.

Breck sneered. “You couldn’t be more wrong. He hid you. Whether he realized your importance or not is irrelevant. He kept you in the one place the demons couldn’t track you.”

“What are you talking about? My father didn’t know anything about the shadow clans or your war.”

“We suspect he knew more than he let on, but honestly, it’s irrelevant. His actions almost averted your destiny, and that is unacceptable,” Breck said.

Colton stood. His hands fisted at his sides as his claws extended from his knuckles, but he didn’t shift to the shadows, and remained firmly positioned beside Riley and her fallen father. “You’re a disgrace, Breck. Dannika gave you the opportunity of a lifetime. A future you would’ve been denied in the reaper clan of old. You took a gift and spat it in her face.”

Breck arched an eyebrow. “I’m right here. There’s no one stopping you from attacking me.”

“Do you really think me that stupid? Deruthel is hanging back, waiting for me to leave Riley alone. Besides, I wouldn’t want to be on Ferguson’s bad side. He has made it quite clear he wishes to be the one to speak to you about your actions.”

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