there might be something else between them. But of course, that would be against the laws of our worlds, wouldn’t it?”
The smug bluntness of the statement made my stomach coil, and I suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and wary about every move I made.
“Kieran,” my father said impatiently. “Why don’t you get to the point of your visit and what it has to do with my daughter so we don’t have to take up any more of her valuable time. Her life is not here, after all, and I expect she’d like to get back to the human world as soon as possible.”
“Actually, the point of my visit is your daughter,” Kieran said.
“What about me?” I asked.
“I am a member of the demon council—”
“Demon council?”
He nodded. “Yes, it’s a five-member, specially chosen tribunal that regularly meets in the Underworld and is in charge of passing rules and regulations in the dark worlds. We have been discussing you in great detail over the past couple of days.”
“You’ve been discussing me ?” I glanced at Michael, whose brows were raised with confusion at this statement.
“Yes,” Kieran said. “Your existence wasn’t known to any of us until last week. But now that it is … and for you to be the first half human, half demon born in a thousand years … Well, it has obviously sparked some significant discussion about the problem this creates.”
Before I could speak, my father cut in. “My daughter is not a problem. As you can see, she isn’t anyone the council could possibly consider a threat. She’s a sixteen-year-old girl raised entirely in the human world.”
Kieran took a moment to study me. “Appearances can be deceiving, Your Majesty. The last Darkling was also reported to be fair of face and slight in stature, but she was also highly dangerous, a volatile creature who left a great deal of destruction in her wake.”
“I have looked into this,” my father said, sounding less and less cordial with each passing moment, “and I could find no official record of what specific damage the last Darkling caused. In fact, even her name was impossible to find, as well as where she made her home.”
“Those records are not for everyone’s eyes,” Kieran said. “It’s top secret, highly sensitive information that my mother, the queen, keeps under lock and key.”
“Okay,” I said. “So the last Darkling had a bit of an itchy trigger finger, or whatever. That was a long time ago, and it doesn’t have anything to do with me. Honestly, I don’t want to cause any trouble or hurt anyone, like, ever.”
“Of course you don’t.” My father nodded. “So, as you can see, Kieran, your visit here was a waste of your time and ours. There’s no indication that my daughter is any danger to you or your precious demon council now or any time in the future, and basing your facts on something that allegedly happened a millennium ago is ludicrous. I realize Queen Sephina has always kept a tight rein on her kingdom and her concern is not completely incomprehensible, but I assure you, worrying about Nikki in any way, shape, or form is wholly unnecessary.”
“I would normally agree with you one hundred percent, Your Majesty.” Kieran crossed his arms as he continued to study me. I swear, during this entire conversation, he hadn’t taken his attention away from me for more than a second. I felt as if I was being inspected like a blonde slab of beef.
“Normally?” I said. “So what’s the problem now?”
“The problem now, Princess Nikki, is not that there are rumors or legends about a past Darkling being troublesome—though this is, after all, what brought about the law forbidding humans and demons from procreating. It was in order to avoid creating a hybrid of the two species. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?” He glanced meaningfully at my father.
“Kieran, stop mincing words and tell us what the issue really is,” my father said impatiently, ignoring the jab.
Before Kieran spoke
The smug bluntness of the statement made my stomach coil, and I suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and wary about every move I made.
“Kieran,” my father said impatiently. “Why don’t you get to the point of your visit and what it has to do with my daughter so we don’t have to take up any more of her valuable time. Her life is not here, after all, and I expect she’d like to get back to the human world as soon as possible.”
“Actually, the point of my visit is your daughter,” Kieran said.
“What about me?” I asked.
“I am a member of the demon council—”
“Demon council?”
He nodded. “Yes, it’s a five-member, specially chosen tribunal that regularly meets in the Underworld and is in charge of passing rules and regulations in the dark worlds. We have been discussing you in great detail over the past couple of days.”
“You’ve been discussing me ?” I glanced at Michael, whose brows were raised with confusion at this statement.
“Yes,” Kieran said. “Your existence wasn’t known to any of us until last week. But now that it is … and for you to be the first half human, half demon born in a thousand years … Well, it has obviously sparked some significant discussion about the problem this creates.”
Before I could speak, my father cut in. “My daughter is not a problem. As you can see, she isn’t anyone the council could possibly consider a threat. She’s a sixteen-year-old girl raised entirely in the human world.”
Kieran took a moment to study me. “Appearances can be deceiving, Your Majesty. The last Darkling was also reported to be fair of face and slight in stature, but she was also highly dangerous, a volatile creature who left a great deal of destruction in her wake.”
“I have looked into this,” my father said, sounding less and less cordial with each passing moment, “and I could find no official record of what specific damage the last Darkling caused. In fact, even her name was impossible to find, as well as where she made her home.”
“Those records are not for everyone’s eyes,” Kieran said. “It’s top secret, highly sensitive information that my mother, the queen, keeps under lock and key.”
“Okay,” I said. “So the last Darkling had a bit of an itchy trigger finger, or whatever. That was a long time ago, and it doesn’t have anything to do with me. Honestly, I don’t want to cause any trouble or hurt anyone, like, ever.”
“Of course you don’t.” My father nodded. “So, as you can see, Kieran, your visit here was a waste of your time and ours. There’s no indication that my daughter is any danger to you or your precious demon council now or any time in the future, and basing your facts on something that allegedly happened a millennium ago is ludicrous. I realize Queen Sephina has always kept a tight rein on her kingdom and her concern is not completely incomprehensible, but I assure you, worrying about Nikki in any way, shape, or form is wholly unnecessary.”
“I would normally agree with you one hundred percent, Your Majesty.” Kieran crossed his arms as he continued to study me. I swear, during this entire conversation, he hadn’t taken his attention away from me for more than a second. I felt as if I was being inspected like a blonde slab of beef.
“Normally?” I said. “So what’s the problem now?”
“The problem now, Princess Nikki, is not that there are rumors or legends about a past Darkling being troublesome—though this is, after all, what brought about the law forbidding humans and demons from procreating. It was in order to avoid creating a hybrid of the two species. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?” He glanced meaningfully at my father.
“Kieran, stop mincing words and tell us what the issue really is,” my father said impatiently, ignoring the jab.
Before Kieran spoke
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