Void(65)

“See you tonight at dinner,” he muttered before turning and walking away.

I grabbed my dad’s arm and started tugging him down the path to my cabin. I might have been pissed at Quade, but I didn’t want him to get in trouble for not escorting me all the way home. I should get inside before anyone noticed that I wasn’t being escorted by one of my babysitters.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m staying in the feral cabin.”

My dad’s arm tensed under my grip, but he stayed silent. When we made it to the cabin, I stopped at the scene in front of me.

At my side, my dad cocked his head. “Why do you have ravens repairing your roof and a bear chopping wood?”

I watched, mouth gaping open, as rabbits hopped up every second, washing the interior windows with their cottontails while a deer looked like it was using its antlers to sand the splintered door.

I drew a hand down my tired face. “Damn necromancer.”

My dad hummed. “Good corpse work. I’ve always liked necromancers,” Dad replied.

I opened my mouth to try and shoo the animals away, but then I spotted Betty, my beloved Suzuki, parked off to the side, practically gleaming.

I let out a squeal, making my father clasp his hands over his ears. “Oh my gods! You brought her?” I asked.

Rushing over to the bike, I ran my hands along the chrome detailing, patting the leather seat for good measure before spinning around to face my dad again, a huge smile on my face. “Thank you.”

Dad shrugged like it was no biggie, but we both knew it was. “I figured it was the least I could do. If you’re stuck in this hell hole, might as well give you an easy escape,” he said with a conspiring grin as he dug in his pant pocket and tossed me the keys.

Appreciation flooded me, and I rushed forward and gave him a hug. “Escape sounds pretty good right about now.”

“Yeah?” he asked, studying my face and no doubt seeing the stress I was holding in. “When was the last time you did some crazy dangerous shit?”

“Too long,” I said, shaking my head.

He frowned. “Devicka…”

“I know, I know,” I assured him. “I’ll make sure to do dangerous shit soon,” I promised.

He nodded, pleased.

Dad was a risk demon. He spent his life tempting humans with a deadly game of chance. Gambling. Skydiving. Speeding. Whatever got the blood pumping and the thrill of adrenaline lighting up their brains. Most times, the risk was never worth the reward, but I had inherited his love of adrenaline. I liked to test the boundaries. I liked to dance with the peril and menace of my birthright, and then land on my feet. Mother hated it. Maybe that was why I loved it so much.

He’d gotten me Betty on my sixteenth birthday, and we’d been inseparable ever since. I couldn’t even count the time that I’d snuck out of Coxcomb’s to ride her. Even though I hadn’t been gone long, I was itching to ride.

“You know, I could have used an escape about eight years ago,” I said, the bitter words coating my tongue. “Before Mother shipped me off. I begged you to take me, and you refused. That was pretty shitty.”

Dad and I were close, or about as close as we could be. Unlike my mother, he didn’t resent me. He just was like most of the demons out there. Selfish. Mother, on the other hand, had taken a one-night risk on him nine months before I was born, and then failed. She’d had me.

“Bitterness doesn’t look good on you, kid.” He then tsked. “Besides, I’m here now. Threatening your boyfriend and bribing you with gifts so that you’ll like me more than your mother. Isn’t that what all the human dads do?”

I smirked. “Are you hiding another gift in that terrible suit you’re wearing?” I said teasingly, half joking. We both knew he never wore anything but Armani. Dad enjoyed human fashion.

“Yep. Now take back your comment about my suit, and I’ll give it to you,” he replied with a grin, and I found myself smiling back.

I’d always craved my father’s affections. He was the only person that didn’t see me as a weapon. We were bonded by our mutual love of the impossible probabilities of the world. Still, I’d always wished that he wanted me around more. That he wouldn’t just pop in once in a while but actually take a more active role in my life. I was still trying to grow out of my hopeful optimism. It was a stubborn bitch.

“I take it back,” I replied, albeit begrudgingly.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a brand new cellphone before tossing it to me. I grabbed it and hugged it to my chest like a lifeline, thankful to have a piece of technology. “You’re amazing. They didn’t even give me time to grab mine.”

My dad nodded. “I figured, when I didn’t have a million complaining texts from you, that you didn’t have a phone.”

“I need to call Reed; he’s probably worried sick.”

“I always liked Reed.”

“He’s a good one,” I nodded. “One of the few people who doesn’t hate me.”

“Why do you care if anyone hates you? I never understood why you bother with the opinions of others. It’s such a waste of time,” he mused. “Must be from spending all your time with humans.”

I didn’t bother reminding him that the reason I had to spend all my time with humans was that dear old Mom had exiled me in the first place. And he’d let her.