nodded. Madness ran in his family, spurred on by the immense amount of power that the Origins possessed. Aidan’s dad had ended up killing two other Alpha Council members. Aidan had had a rough childhood with a murderer for a father.
“But it’s not just that. There’s something more basic to the pursuit of power. At least, the kind I think you’re dealing with. When I first started shifting into a griffin, it was this enormous surge of power. I was the strongest mythical creature—besides dragons, which no one can shift into—and could terrify or kill whatever I wanted. The griffin knew this. When I shifted, I wasn’t entirely myself. The griffin held the reins too. Like your FireSoul. The magic part and the human part trying to live in harmony. It took me a long time to get it under control.”
I shivered, the image of Aidan in his griffin form sharp in my mind. He was terrifying in that form, though beautiful. “So I was right to be afraid of you in your griffin form.”
“Not anymore. The griffin urges are still there, but I’ve banked them so far down that I’m in control now. You will be too.”
“How?”
“Practice.”
“Always practice.”
“Always. But it means the urge to take other supernaturals’ magic isn’t really your fault. It’s the FireSoul in you. Part of you, but not all you.”
“But what if it takes over? Makes me try to steal good people’s powers?” I didn’t say the worst part. That to steal them, I’d have to kill. That was my biggest fear. Killing when I didn’t have to, just to take the power.
He reached an arm around me and squeezed me to his side. “You won’t. You’ll fight it. The power is seductive, but you’ll find your way to the other side.”
I hugged him, breathing in his forest scent. “How’d you get to be so smart?”
“I’ve got a few years on you.”
“Not that many.”
“Then I’m just a genius.”
I grinned up at him, then raised my head to kiss him.
A knock sounded at the door.
“We really need to find a few minutes when we’re not running for our lives or someone else’s,” I muttered. “Because we cannot catch a break.”
“Agreed.” The heat in his gaze burned me.
Reluctantly, I pulled out of Aidan’s arms and stood. “Come on in, Del!”
The door opened, and Del stepped through. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her blue eyes stood out starkly in her pale face. More blood splattered her black leather jacket, visible only by its gleam and my keen eye.
“Thanks for coming so quickly,” I said. “Finish beating up whatever demon you caught?”
“Yeah. That’s what I get for thinking I was on a break. Claire needed help with a particularly iffy job, so I volunteered.”
“Ready to volunteer again?”
“Born ready.” She waggled her eyebrows.
I laughed at the awful joke, punch-drunk from exhaustion. I’d been in how many fights or run-for-my-life situations today? I was going to need to sleep for a week when this was over.
“So what do you need?” Del asked as she sat in the chair by the window.
The memory of our task sent Dr. Garriso’s face into my mind’s eye. Worry followed. I paced in tight little lines as I told her about the investigators and the portal. “So I need you to take me through. Tonight. The Magica are too slow. We can’t leave Dr. Garriso there for another day.”
“Agreed. Shall we get Nix?”
“Yes. More help, the better.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Del stood. “Lead the way.”
“Thanks.” I’d never doubted she would do it. “Now we need a plan to get past the Magica.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Getting past the Magica turned out to be easier than I’d expected. Connor had just enough ingredients left to make invisibility potion for the four of us, and Del transported us straight to the portal entrance. It was a short distance from Factory Row, so it wasn’t a big drain on her transportation magic. She’d still be able to get us through the portal
“But it’s not just that. There’s something more basic to the pursuit of power. At least, the kind I think you’re dealing with. When I first started shifting into a griffin, it was this enormous surge of power. I was the strongest mythical creature—besides dragons, which no one can shift into—and could terrify or kill whatever I wanted. The griffin knew this. When I shifted, I wasn’t entirely myself. The griffin held the reins too. Like your FireSoul. The magic part and the human part trying to live in harmony. It took me a long time to get it under control.”
I shivered, the image of Aidan in his griffin form sharp in my mind. He was terrifying in that form, though beautiful. “So I was right to be afraid of you in your griffin form.”
“Not anymore. The griffin urges are still there, but I’ve banked them so far down that I’m in control now. You will be too.”
“How?”
“Practice.”
“Always practice.”
“Always. But it means the urge to take other supernaturals’ magic isn’t really your fault. It’s the FireSoul in you. Part of you, but not all you.”
“But what if it takes over? Makes me try to steal good people’s powers?” I didn’t say the worst part. That to steal them, I’d have to kill. That was my biggest fear. Killing when I didn’t have to, just to take the power.
He reached an arm around me and squeezed me to his side. “You won’t. You’ll fight it. The power is seductive, but you’ll find your way to the other side.”
I hugged him, breathing in his forest scent. “How’d you get to be so smart?”
“I’ve got a few years on you.”
“Not that many.”
“Then I’m just a genius.”
I grinned up at him, then raised my head to kiss him.
A knock sounded at the door.
“We really need to find a few minutes when we’re not running for our lives or someone else’s,” I muttered. “Because we cannot catch a break.”
“Agreed.” The heat in his gaze burned me.
Reluctantly, I pulled out of Aidan’s arms and stood. “Come on in, Del!”
The door opened, and Del stepped through. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her blue eyes stood out starkly in her pale face. More blood splattered her black leather jacket, visible only by its gleam and my keen eye.
“Thanks for coming so quickly,” I said. “Finish beating up whatever demon you caught?”
“Yeah. That’s what I get for thinking I was on a break. Claire needed help with a particularly iffy job, so I volunteered.”
“Ready to volunteer again?”
“Born ready.” She waggled her eyebrows.
I laughed at the awful joke, punch-drunk from exhaustion. I’d been in how many fights or run-for-my-life situations today? I was going to need to sleep for a week when this was over.
“So what do you need?” Del asked as she sat in the chair by the window.
The memory of our task sent Dr. Garriso’s face into my mind’s eye. Worry followed. I paced in tight little lines as I told her about the investigators and the portal. “So I need you to take me through. Tonight. The Magica are too slow. We can’t leave Dr. Garriso there for another day.”
“Agreed. Shall we get Nix?”
“Yes. More help, the better.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Del stood. “Lead the way.”
“Thanks.” I’d never doubted she would do it. “Now we need a plan to get past the Magica.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Getting past the Magica turned out to be easier than I’d expected. Connor had just enough ingredients left to make invisibility potion for the four of us, and Del transported us straight to the portal entrance. It was a short distance from Factory Row, so it wasn’t a big drain on her transportation magic. She’d still be able to get us through the portal
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