Page 28 of Birthright

She bobbed her head. “Well, he is half Demon, born of an Incubus and a human somewhere in England. Your mother found him there. I think she wanted you to have some of his human blood.”

“He IS?”

“Craples,” she said, standing. “I thought you knew!”

“Is?” I asked again, almost whispering.

“I shouldn’t be the one to tell you this. I have a big mouth.” She started pacing the chopping-block table. “Doran may have my hide for this one.” She kept pacing and muttering.

“Abbey, I won’t tell her how I found out. Please, tell me about my father.” I started to grab her to make her face me, but I was afraid I’d accidentally hurt her. “Abbey, if she finds out, I’ll tell her I forced it from you, as your priestess.”

“Of course, you’re the heir, the priestess. I have to tell you what you ask.” She stood with her hands on her hips. The shimmering bubble appeared again.

“You’ll have to give me that spell,” I said as she cast.

“Anytime. So you know how your mother died.” I nodded my head. “Well, the Slaugh have your father. Somewhere on their island.”

“They still have him?” Cold fear and anger fell across my body like a chill.

“Yes. Thule isn’t far. It’s a very dark and disturbing place. The Slaugh are the hosts of the unforgiven and take the souls of the evil in humankind, but they also like to accumulate other things. Collectors, if you please…sometimes of the most hideous things. They fly out at night to go about their collecting and slumber by day.”

It gave me a chill remembering that Bran created Vampires—and that the Vamps and the Slaugh shared that particular nocturnal trait. “Have you been there?”

“Cauldrons, no! I’ve heard of only a few who have ever escaped the island. And they’re none the healthier for it when they return.”

“Why do they have my father?”

“It’s thought that they held both yours and Dema’s fathers to use as bait. To use as leverage after one of you becomes High Priestess. But they also keep things just because they want them. It could be as simple as that. They like keeping secrets and souls, all things morbid.” She shuddered. “Dema’s father died by their hands long ago.”

“So King Bran has my father.” I felt real hate brewing in me for the first time in my life. It smoldered in my stomach, burned through the mark.

She snorted. “The king is more of a figurehead, Keena. The real danger is from Nessum. He’s actually a fallen angel, cast out from heaven. Nessum is the one who created the Vampires, trying to get stronger souls for Bran. The Dark Angel is also probably the one who left the island and captured your mother.”

“Dark Angel… Do you believe in God, Abbey?” I was careful not to offend her.

She fell back onto the sugar bag. “Of course I do. Who doesn’t?” She was very matter of fact. “We are all creatures of the God and Goddess, Keena. Otherwise, we would have no power.”

I was puzzled. “But I thought that the Christians were the reason for the fallout between the Kith and the humans?”

“Yes, but only because a king spread lies about us to one religious group, who steadfastly worshipped only one god. The poor, uneducated folks of that age went off half-cocked. That doesn’t mean we’re not still God’s children. That’s why you have to reunite the Kith with the humans and bring peace to us all.”

“Uh, no pressure or anything…”

“I mean that humans and the Kith are all God’s creatures. If Bran and Nessum keep meddling in human affairs and causing troub—” She stopped short, stomped her little foot and cursed herself under her breath.

“Spit it out, little woman.” I smiled at her.

“In for a penny…” she sighed. “The Slaugh have been trying to start wars for centuries. They stir up political turmoil, cause famine and plagues, whatever they can manage to cause chaos…mostly in third-world countries because they lack much of the modernization of the west. But if one of the plagues spreads…I don’t want to think of the damage they could do.”

“Shit.” I picked up a spoon and began tapping the side of my mug. “Just when I think I can handle all this…” I tapped until Abbey raised an irritated eyebrow. “It’s just one great big pig after another around here, isn’t it? So, I have to best my sister to claim the birthright, then reunite the humans with the Kith and stop the Slaugh from killing off most of the human population?”

“Yes, yes and yes,” she answered.

“That’s all? No biggie. Have it done by lunch tomorrow.”

“You want some whiskey in that coffee?”

I put my face in my hands and felt the amulet dangling around my neck. Tynan.