Sinister Seraphim of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 8) by John Corwin Page B
Authors: John Corwin
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Ivy?"
My sister's forehead wrinkled. Jeremiah had taken her as a baby and she hadn't had the luxury of growing up with our father like I had. She'd seen our mother from time to time until Mom had left me and Dad to go live with Ivy full time. To her, Dad was practically a stranger.
I got up and gave Dad a manly handshake and one-arm hug. "I didn't realize you were in the neighborhood."
His eyes lingered on Ivy a moment, as if hoping she might give him a hug before turning back to me. "Working out the final details for the wedding."
My heart sank. Dad was the first demon spawn—or Daemos, for the politically correct crowd—to walk the earth, and the head of House Slade, the most powerful house of Daemos. Kassallandra Assad controlled the second most powerful house and demanded my father marry her to unite the houses and, not coincidentally, grant her major political power. Otherwise, she threatened to defect to Daelissa's side. I understood the political necessities, as did Mom.
I tried to muster a response, but my throat locked up. Unfortunately, understanding didn't make acceptance any easier.
"I was kind of hoping we could go grab some dinner," he said. "And, um, I also wanted to see Alysea."
A smile stretched my lips. "As luck would have it, she's temporarily back from Australia. I was just looking for her."
"Well, how about I find her, and I'll let you know where she is?"
I knew all too well it might be an hour before he notified me, and I didn't even want to think about the reasons why. "Sure."
"Great." He pulled out a small box. "Hey, Ivy, I got something for you."
She grinned and got up off the couch. "Really? What is it?"
"Candy."
"Ooh!" Her eyes lit up and she snatched the box. "Thanks, um, David."
Disappointment showed in his eyes, but he smiled to cover it up. "Sure thing." He slapped my shoulder. "I'll be back."
After Dad disappeared, Ivy opened the candy box. She shuffled a few pieces into her hand. They were all purple and looked like small antacid pills. She looked at the box. "I've never heard of Burpity-Bits."
I shrugged. "Me neither." I hoped this wasn't a joke. Dad jokes were bad enough with normal human fathers. Our father, the son of a demon lord, had bonded with a human to become a demon spawn, so his jokes usually crossed the line by a mile.
Ivy grabbed a piece and popped it in her mouth. Pushing aside my misgivings, I followed her lead.
"Ooh, fizzy," Ivy said. "Tastes like a bunch of fruits all mixed together."
Mine fizzed in my mouth, but tasted like rotten cabbage.
Ivy's eyes went wide and without warning, she literally burped a ten-foot rainbow of sparkling mist. I was so surprised, I swallowed my nasty candy. Pressure built in my stomach and a monstrous belch ripped from my esophagus. A green cloud formed in the air with the words "cabbage fart!" emblazoned in brown letters.
"Ooh, it stinks!" Ivy said, giggling and jumping back a step while my cabbage fart burp sliced her rainbow in half. "I love this candy!"
I couldn't help but laugh. "Where in the world did he find this stuff?"
We grabbed a couple more. I burped up a grape-flavored unicorn; Ivy belched out an orange fire monster. We burst into laughter and popped more candy in our mouths. I must have lost track of time, because it seemed like only a few minutes later Elyssa appeared in the doorway with a serious expression.
She leveled her gaze at me. "Justin, it's show time."
Chapter 6
I hugged Ivy goodbye and joined Elyssa in the war room. Jeremiah was already there, deep in conversation with Cinder. Cinder had previously been a mindless golem created by a Seraphim named Fjoeruss. Through an accident of magic, Cinder somehow achieved sentience. His favorite thing in the world was learning, which worked out really well for us since we always had tons of questions.
Dad and Mom entered the room a moment later, laughing and talking. Dad's eyes flashed with surprise when he saw Jeremiah. "Well, well. Looks like
My sister's forehead wrinkled. Jeremiah had taken her as a baby and she hadn't had the luxury of growing up with our father like I had. She'd seen our mother from time to time until Mom had left me and Dad to go live with Ivy full time. To her, Dad was practically a stranger.
I got up and gave Dad a manly handshake and one-arm hug. "I didn't realize you were in the neighborhood."
His eyes lingered on Ivy a moment, as if hoping she might give him a hug before turning back to me. "Working out the final details for the wedding."
My heart sank. Dad was the first demon spawn—or Daemos, for the politically correct crowd—to walk the earth, and the head of House Slade, the most powerful house of Daemos. Kassallandra Assad controlled the second most powerful house and demanded my father marry her to unite the houses and, not coincidentally, grant her major political power. Otherwise, she threatened to defect to Daelissa's side. I understood the political necessities, as did Mom.
I tried to muster a response, but my throat locked up. Unfortunately, understanding didn't make acceptance any easier.
"I was kind of hoping we could go grab some dinner," he said. "And, um, I also wanted to see Alysea."
A smile stretched my lips. "As luck would have it, she's temporarily back from Australia. I was just looking for her."
"Well, how about I find her, and I'll let you know where she is?"
I knew all too well it might be an hour before he notified me, and I didn't even want to think about the reasons why. "Sure."
"Great." He pulled out a small box. "Hey, Ivy, I got something for you."
She grinned and got up off the couch. "Really? What is it?"
"Candy."
"Ooh!" Her eyes lit up and she snatched the box. "Thanks, um, David."
Disappointment showed in his eyes, but he smiled to cover it up. "Sure thing." He slapped my shoulder. "I'll be back."
After Dad disappeared, Ivy opened the candy box. She shuffled a few pieces into her hand. They were all purple and looked like small antacid pills. She looked at the box. "I've never heard of Burpity-Bits."
I shrugged. "Me neither." I hoped this wasn't a joke. Dad jokes were bad enough with normal human fathers. Our father, the son of a demon lord, had bonded with a human to become a demon spawn, so his jokes usually crossed the line by a mile.
Ivy grabbed a piece and popped it in her mouth. Pushing aside my misgivings, I followed her lead.
"Ooh, fizzy," Ivy said. "Tastes like a bunch of fruits all mixed together."
Mine fizzed in my mouth, but tasted like rotten cabbage.
Ivy's eyes went wide and without warning, she literally burped a ten-foot rainbow of sparkling mist. I was so surprised, I swallowed my nasty candy. Pressure built in my stomach and a monstrous belch ripped from my esophagus. A green cloud formed in the air with the words "cabbage fart!" emblazoned in brown letters.
"Ooh, it stinks!" Ivy said, giggling and jumping back a step while my cabbage fart burp sliced her rainbow in half. "I love this candy!"
I couldn't help but laugh. "Where in the world did he find this stuff?"
We grabbed a couple more. I burped up a grape-flavored unicorn; Ivy belched out an orange fire monster. We burst into laughter and popped more candy in our mouths. I must have lost track of time, because it seemed like only a few minutes later Elyssa appeared in the doorway with a serious expression.
She leveled her gaze at me. "Justin, it's show time."
Chapter 6
I hugged Ivy goodbye and joined Elyssa in the war room. Jeremiah was already there, deep in conversation with Cinder. Cinder had previously been a mindless golem created by a Seraphim named Fjoeruss. Through an accident of magic, Cinder somehow achieved sentience. His favorite thing in the world was learning, which worked out really well for us since we always had tons of questions.
Dad and Mom entered the room a moment later, laughing and talking. Dad's eyes flashed with surprise when he saw Jeremiah. "Well, well. Looks like
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