“I knew you’d understand.” Zelek nodded, fixing that damn crown on his head. “You are my daughter, after all.”
Disgust churned my stomach. How could they not realize the gravity of what they were asking? Were they that hellbent on power? What they wanted would tip the balance, and I bet Zelek planned on killing Astral and ruling everything anyway.
“You’re wrong,” Mom spoke up in a shaky voice with Dean and Hunter at her sides. “She’s not your daughter. She’s mine.”
His head whipped toward her, but she didn’t cower. She held her own, glaring at the man who had used her the majority of her human life. He’d even compelled her to continue loving him after he left. How fucking sick could one being be? Playing with a life like that...I was fucking relieved to see all that wore off when she died. Mom was the strongest woman I'd ever known.
“Mia Whitlock.” The corners of his lips quirked up. “It’s been years.”
“It’s Dungan. I should’ve never taken your last name.” Resentment was thick in her voice. “Lilith is my daughter. I’m the one who raised her.”
“I’ve created her twice now,” Zelek gloated. “You're nothing but a means to an end.”
Her eyes welled up with tears, and I snapped. How dare he speak to her like that? “Mom was the one who was there for me. She’s the one who was there with cookies and comfort. She’s a real parent with real love.”
“Love?” Zelek balked, glancing between my mother and I. “I love you.”
“You don’t love me.” I glared at him, burning holes through that gray crown on top of his head. “You love what I can do. I’m nothing but a weapon to you.”
He rubbed his cheek, and stepped on the sand a few times to balance himself. “You should be grateful to me for creating you this powerful.”
“Oh, you want compensation?”
He snapped his fingers with a grin. “Yes! You got it.”
“Go to Hell.”
“Ironic of you to say.” The smile fell from his lips as he groaned. “What we want benefits the realms.”
“No, it benefits you.” I took a deep breath before stepping forward with hellfire covering the outline of my body. The guys didn’t protest, but their stares pierced my back. “Everything you fucking do only benefits you, and you never give a damn about the consequences.”
Astral stepped in front of my father, shielding him from me. “Lilith, dear, stop being defiant before I chain you up like Gabriel.”
A dark chuckle left my lips as the flames grew and deep-seated anger combusted in my chest. “Try me, you bitch.”
Her eyes didn’t give anything away as she snapped her fingers and chains of light began wrapping around me.
“You look so proud of yourself.” I shook my head as I moved my hand forward with my palm out toward her.
Her chains slithered like a snake running from a predator as I moved them from me to her with my telekinesis, but before they could touch her, she hurried to snap her fingers and they dissipated.
Blood drained from her face. “How did you do that?”
I formed an energy ball of fury and blasted at her, watching her neutral expression turn dark as she fought the raw anger being brought to the surface. “Tell me, Astral, why are you working with Zelek? Is it just to gain power or something more?”
Her angry eyes glazed over as they met mine, and her mouth moved without her allowing it. “I do want power, but more than that, I love him.”
She loves him? Psychotic bitch should’ve realized Zelek doesn’t love anything but himself.
“And what do you get out of working with Astral?” I cocked my hip as I focused on pulling the truth from him.
“I get a loyal pawn who will help me gain ultimate power and be able to sit on my throne without getting my hands dirty.” His response was automatic, and he wasn’t fighting the compulsion at all.
“Do you love her?”
“No.” He grunted, trying to keep his mouth shut, but the truth spilled out anyway. “She’s only a means to an end.”
“And what am I to you?” I asked, forcing the words to come out as my shoulders trembled. “Did you ever care about me as an equal or your daughter?”