CHAPTER 182

"Mike?" Velvet smiled. "Thank you for loving me."

There was a lot he wanted to say in that moment, but words would never be enough. Instead, he joined in with Cecilia's song. Though the words were in a language he didn't know, they spilled from his lips as easily as secrets that no longer mattered. The air thrummed with power, and he pulled Velvet in for one last embrace.

Other voices joined in behind him. He recognized the husky lilt of Lily's voice, and could tell Zel's soprano from Sofia's alto. Tink's singing voice was devoid of words--she just sang the notes, her voice rising and falling with the waves around them.

Naia, Ratu, and all the others sang out his grief as the star in the sky descended upon them. A beam of light connected Velvet to the sky, and she looked up in wonder.

"Daddy?" A smile crossed Velvet's face, and she no longer seemed afraid.

There was a flash of light, and she was gone. The star in the sky pulsed three times and then disappeared, leaving the night sky as it was.

Cecilia put her arms around him and held him close, but he wasn't interested in the comfort they provided. With great effort, he willed the Dreamscape to crumble away from him, leaving him on the wooden floor of the kitchen.

"Hey, are you okay?" Dana knelt over his chest and was slapping lightly at his cheeks. Emery hovered nervously overhead, wringing his hands together. The bedroom door creaked as Yuki stepped into the living room, concern on her face.

"No." Mike stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, his thoughts waiting to crash down on him like heavy weights. The song lingered in his head, the eerie melody causing tears to slide down his temples and onto the floor.

"Mike." Yuki knelt by him, her eyes wide. "Did something happen? You're so pale."

His breath hitched in his chest and he felt his whole body tense up. He scrunched up his face as his anger boiled over the surface, causing the magic to churn within him.

"Leeds happened." He stood up, his hands trembling. "I need everyone to stay back."

Nobody said a word as Mike stood there, his magic filling the air with a steady hum. The others didn't seem to hear it, but that didn't matter to him. It was like a giant beating heart, just waiting to take on some semblance of life.

"He took something from me," Mike told everyone. "Something I can never get back." He wanted to say more, but was afraid that nobody would believe him. The truth threatened to overwhelm him, and if he spoke the words aloud, it would break him.

Yuki shook her head. "You're not making any sense."

"Doesn't matter." Mike's eyes flicked toward the door and his magic reached across the room and yanked it open. Everyone turned to face the door as he walked outside, stopping just long enough to grab his coat. "Come with me if you want a piece of him."

"Where are you going?" Yuki called from behind him.

He turned to look at her and she took a step back.

"Hunting," he replied. He stepped out into the cold, his feet crunching in the snow. It was still dark and would be for a couple more hours, but that didn't matter. He could feel the forest around him, hear the whisper of its creatures as they watched him approach.

He could hear the others scrambling to follow him, but he was moving at a jog now, his magic radiating out into the forest. When he got to the treeline, he looked up at them and bared his teeth.

"Where is he?" he asked.

The trees rustled as if caught in the wind. He could hear the sound spread away from him, like an arboreal radar. Perhaps a minute passed, and he heard both Dana and Yuki come up behind him.

"Mike, you're scaring me." Yuki's voice was drowned out by the sounds of the forest. Off to his left, he heard the trees creak in an attempt to get his attention.

"This way," he yelled, then bolted forward. They hollered for him to wait up, but the anger had consumed his thoughts. His magic buzzed alongside him, sending out tendrils of light that connected briefly with trees and plants as he passed, ready to assist him with whatever he desired. The sky rumbled above him, and a wicked smile broke across his face as the forest parted to allow him to run freely.

It was time to kill the Devil.

"Abella? Come forward, child."

She walked deeper into the cave, her chin held high in defiance. The elders of the clan, all three of them, sat in a squat, their eyes level with hers. Scattered along the walls of the cave were the heads of the different families, including her own mother. It wasn't her first time before the elders, but this time was different. Getting in trouble was a right of passage for the young, but even she knew that she had overstepped her boundaries.

"Are you aware why you are here?" This came from the elder on her left, Gaia. She was thousands of years old with fearsome horns that curled menacingly around high cheekbones.

"It is about the man from the village."

Gaia nodded. "The blind one who frequents the fishing bridge, yes."

The central figure cleared his throat. Torma was the most human in appearance, but he had long fangs that extended down past his chin. Despite his angry visage, he was considered the kindest of the elders.