it’d be okay with both of you?” Tanner hesitated, unsure of revealing Hilly’s true nature. Still, he’d taken the first step toward the precipice. Why not go ahead and jump?
“Ooh, this is interesting.” Bryna clapped her hands in glee. “So she’s not human? Then what is she? A demon? Please tell me she’s a demon. Or at least a ghoul? How about a vampire? A bloodsucker isn’t my first choice, but it’s a vast improvement over a stupid human.”
“Bryna, knock it off. She doesn’t look like any of those things.” His father narrowed his eyes. “She’s not, is she?”
“No, she’s not anything bad. She’s—” Tanner paused, reconsidered his decision, then dove over the cliff, “—a shape-shifter.”
His mother was on her feet and shouting curses at the top of her lungs. Tanner and Setias jumped away, letting her pace back and forth in her tirade.
“Are you insane? A shape-shifter?” She stopped, glared at them, then started pacing again, her arms flailing in the air to accentuate her words. “A changeling is worse than a human. At least a human can be transformed, made into a subdemon. But a changeling—”
“A shape-shifter.” Tanner and Setias answered at once.
“Urgh! A shape-shifter!” She spit onto the carpet.
“Hey! Watch it.” But Tanner knew it was hopeless to stop his mother once she’d gone ballistic.
“For the love of Satan, they’re nothing more than human chameleons. What kind of power is changing your form? Big deal.” She marched in front of Tanner and thrust her finger an inch from his nose. “You’re sinking to a new low, and I will not have it. Get back to your playboy ways, or else.”
“Now, Bryna.” Setias tried to keep the smile from his face and failed. “If she has a kind heart, then why not give it a chance? She could be a good influence on him.”
“Don’t you ‘now, Bryna’ me, you old fart. You’ve made my point for me. A good influence? How despicable. Tanner, you will not get involved with this, this…shape-shifter creature.”
Tanner usually didn’t bother arguing with his mother. What was the use, anyway? She’d do what she wanted whether he liked it or not. But he’d never backed down before, and he wasn’t about to start now. He wouldn’t let what had happened to Mira happen again. Hilly was too interesting, too appealing, too everything.
“Back off, Mom .” He shot her a wicked grin, knowing she hated the term. “I’ll see who I want, whenever I want. Whether you like it or not.” He took a step closer.
“Good for you, son.” His father unfurled his wings, flapping them once as he shot him a thumbs-up.
“Oh, really?” His mother squinted at him. “I’ll bet a week in Alaska that she doesn’t know what you are. I’m right, aren’t I?”
His mother was up to something. He could see it in the gleam in her eyes. “Not yet. But she will. I’ll tell her what I am when the time is right.”
Suddenly, the anger in his mother dissipated, and she stepped away, smoothing her blood-red silk shirt over her long, flowing blood-red skirt. “Unless she finds out before then.”
“Stay away from her.” Tanner gritted his teeth. “Dad, can’t you stop her?”
His father shot him a pointed look. “You know your mother. It would take heaven and earth to stop her.”
“Maybe I should get to know her better. What’s her name?” She peered at the monitor. “Hilly Tristan. Yes, Miss Tristan and I should get acquainted.”
“Mother, don’t even think about it. If you do, I’ll—”
“Really, Tanner, don’t make idle threats. It doesn’t become you.” She blew him a kiss and vanished.
“Holy hell.” Tanner groaned and looked to his father.
“You can say that again, son.”
Chapter Five
A black mist swept over Hilly. She reached out, sensing others in the darkness but felt only the damp air against her palm. Where was she? How had she gotten here?
“Hilly! Help!”
Allie’s scream jerked her to
“Ooh, this is interesting.” Bryna clapped her hands in glee. “So she’s not human? Then what is she? A demon? Please tell me she’s a demon. Or at least a ghoul? How about a vampire? A bloodsucker isn’t my first choice, but it’s a vast improvement over a stupid human.”
“Bryna, knock it off. She doesn’t look like any of those things.” His father narrowed his eyes. “She’s not, is she?”
“No, she’s not anything bad. She’s—” Tanner paused, reconsidered his decision, then dove over the cliff, “—a shape-shifter.”
His mother was on her feet and shouting curses at the top of her lungs. Tanner and Setias jumped away, letting her pace back and forth in her tirade.
“Are you insane? A shape-shifter?” She stopped, glared at them, then started pacing again, her arms flailing in the air to accentuate her words. “A changeling is worse than a human. At least a human can be transformed, made into a subdemon. But a changeling—”
“A shape-shifter.” Tanner and Setias answered at once.
“Urgh! A shape-shifter!” She spit onto the carpet.
“Hey! Watch it.” But Tanner knew it was hopeless to stop his mother once she’d gone ballistic.
“For the love of Satan, they’re nothing more than human chameleons. What kind of power is changing your form? Big deal.” She marched in front of Tanner and thrust her finger an inch from his nose. “You’re sinking to a new low, and I will not have it. Get back to your playboy ways, or else.”
“Now, Bryna.” Setias tried to keep the smile from his face and failed. “If she has a kind heart, then why not give it a chance? She could be a good influence on him.”
“Don’t you ‘now, Bryna’ me, you old fart. You’ve made my point for me. A good influence? How despicable. Tanner, you will not get involved with this, this…shape-shifter creature.”
Tanner usually didn’t bother arguing with his mother. What was the use, anyway? She’d do what she wanted whether he liked it or not. But he’d never backed down before, and he wasn’t about to start now. He wouldn’t let what had happened to Mira happen again. Hilly was too interesting, too appealing, too everything.
“Back off, Mom .” He shot her a wicked grin, knowing she hated the term. “I’ll see who I want, whenever I want. Whether you like it or not.” He took a step closer.
“Good for you, son.” His father unfurled his wings, flapping them once as he shot him a thumbs-up.
“Oh, really?” His mother squinted at him. “I’ll bet a week in Alaska that she doesn’t know what you are. I’m right, aren’t I?”
His mother was up to something. He could see it in the gleam in her eyes. “Not yet. But she will. I’ll tell her what I am when the time is right.”
Suddenly, the anger in his mother dissipated, and she stepped away, smoothing her blood-red silk shirt over her long, flowing blood-red skirt. “Unless she finds out before then.”
“Stay away from her.” Tanner gritted his teeth. “Dad, can’t you stop her?”
His father shot him a pointed look. “You know your mother. It would take heaven and earth to stop her.”
“Maybe I should get to know her better. What’s her name?” She peered at the monitor. “Hilly Tristan. Yes, Miss Tristan and I should get acquainted.”
“Mother, don’t even think about it. If you do, I’ll—”
“Really, Tanner, don’t make idle threats. It doesn’t become you.” She blew him a kiss and vanished.
“Holy hell.” Tanner groaned and looked to his father.
“You can say that again, son.”
Chapter Five
A black mist swept over Hilly. She reached out, sensing others in the darkness but felt only the damp air against her palm. Where was she? How had she gotten here?
“Hilly! Help!”
Allie’s scream jerked her to
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