Sin & Salvation (Demigod of San Francisco #3)(80)

He smirked at her and continued on. “I bet you wish you believed that.”

His father was standing at the box Kieran had planted, covered in pictures of Kieran’s mother when she was in the hospital. One of Kieran’s mermaid friends had waterproofed it.

Kieran stopped twenty feet away. His father could move fast, and he’d be hopped up on adrenaline. Kieran didn’t want the meeting ending before it had begun.

“Not what you were expecting to find?” Kieran asked, changing the air currents so his voice carried.

His father straightened much too slowly, clearly fighting the rage that no doubt filled every ounce of his being. “Where is it?”

“Buried.”

Valens turned to him slowly. “And the spirit?”

“Released. The magic had to be constantly reapplied. The spell would have completely dissipated after three weeks.” Kieran widened his stance, something he knew would translate to his father as a show of power. “But I didn’t need to wait. The Necromancer’s magic was applied with air. Take away the air…”

Valens didn’t so much as twitch. “Your Necromancer is a clever girl.”

“Yes, she is. But she wasn’t the one who figured it out. It was the woman who holds my mark.”

There it was: tightened shoulders. Emotion had finally slipped into his father’s bearing.

“Alexis freed my mother,” Kieran pushed, anger rising. “Do you feel any remorse for what you did?”

“What I did?” Valens took a purposeful step forward. “And what did I do?”

“Trap her on that island without her skin. Torture her. Leave her to rot.”

His father tsked. “I left her there with you. Is your presence really that torturous?” He took another step forward. His shoulders hadn’t relaxed.

“I ask you again, do you have any remorse?” Kieran ground out, pain cutting through him.

His father smiled, an expression that didn’t reach his eyes. “Remorse? Yes. I have a lot of remorse. Had I known the sniffling weakling you would become, applying a mark to a poor nothing who will only bring shame and ridicule on this family, I would’ve stomped on you as a baby and taken my sweet time making that bitch mother of yours suffer for what she did. Torture? She didn’t know the meaning of the word. She had a cushy life compared to what I wished to do to her. I didn’t get to dole out the punishment she so aptly deserved. Yes, I have remorse. Some of which I’ll ease with your death.”

Kieran couldn’t help his mouth hanging open at the raw vehemence in his father’s tone. At the harsh and brutal words he had for the people he’d once loved and cared about, Kieran included.

“That poor nothing keeps me level,” Kieran forced out through suddenly numb lips. A strange ache formed in his middle, intensifying the pain from moments before. “She keeps me from turning into you.”

His father laughed. “Then she keeps you at a disadvantage.” Another step, closing the distance, fighting to keep his rage in check. The magical energy battering Kieran was almost a palpable thing. “It was a mistake, tampering with that box. I might’ve forgiven you for killing my men and corroding my staff. Your skills are impressive for one so young and inexperienced. I could’ve used you. But this…” He swept his hand to the side, indicating the box. “This is too far.”

“Just think, I could’ve lived my whole life in your shadow.”

Without warning, his father raced forward. The waters fell in behind him, the doddering old Necromancer forgotten.

Kieran barely had time to send out the blast of emotion that would summon his people.

It had begun.





34





Alexis





Kieran’s signal blasted through me. Adrenaline pulsed through my body.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” I slapped the side of the old yellow school bus filled with animated corpses before running to my BMW. We’d set up camp in the parking lot of a thankfully closed swanky restaurant, close to the beach.

“Show time everyone. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!” Bria pulled the lever to close up the bus. Though she’d never driven one before, she’d offered to drive. She’d asked, “How hard could it be?”

I didn’t know, which was why I was taking my car. I wanted to make sure one of us made it there alive.

“Kids, get clear.” I pointed at Mordecai and Daisy, jogging toward my car. I’d told them we’d discuss the plan before piling into the car.

Now they were seeing the real plan, which was for me to leave them behind to make sure they were safe.

“Stay alive.” I sat into the BMW, ripped the door shut, and locked the car. Daisy reached the back door and yanked on the handle. I cracked my window so they could hear me but not reach in. “You have my bank account info.” I started the car as Mordecai reached the other side, his face panicked. He didn’t want me going off to battle without him.

Too bad.

“Raid the house. Kieran’s, too. Sell everything of value. Keep your head down and keep training.” Tears burned my eyes and terror filled my chest. What if this was it? What if I’d never see them again?

At least they’ll be alive.