Xan couldn’t hide her disappointment. Quution was surprisingly well adjusted. Everyone’s past shaped them, and his mother had hidden him, abused him, and neglected him, but she’d also molded a strong demon with a solid sense of self, and Xan didn’t need to be a full-range empath to know that.

His personal horror was not being good enough. And that bothered her. What had she expected? That her well-being would be his top fear? That the two days they’d spent together would endear her so much to him that she displaced fears that had been formed when he was a kid?

Still, a girl could hope. She liked him, liked being with him, but she didn’t mean enough to him to register as more than a mild concern. She couldn’t view herself as a worry to him at all.

And when had she thought he’d be anything more than a demon in matters of the heart? He was leaving the realm, abandoning everyone in here. Which to be honest, she’d do in a blink. But she had Xera and…and Xoda. As long as her family was stuck here, there was no use trying to figure out how she could ride Quution’s coattails on out.

He swept through the corridors ahead of her. The buzz of his energy rippled over her skin and it wasn’t even aimed at her. She was that attuned to him.

And she meant nothing to him. A means to an end? A way to get to Spaeth? Quution was goal oriented, after all.

She shook off her thoughts. They weren’t helping and the focus now was on her sister. And Xoda.

Xan’s heart clenched. She tried to summon her niece’s image, but it was hazy. Xera’s was clear as a bell. Same dark eyes, same smooth scalp. Xera was a little taller, her overall appeal a little more…vicious. Perhaps it was her longer fangs, or the resting bitch face. Xera was stone-cold. For several years, Xan had worried she hadn’t gotten to her in time.

But Xoda. She was everything sweet about their kind. Her laugh was…

Xan frowned. Still, she couldn’t summon the memory. Usually it came to her at random times. Xoda’s giggle, her attempts at summoning candy beetles. But Xan couldn’t clearly recall any of those instances.

It had to be the stress.

She stalled in her tracks. What if something terrible had befallen Xoda? Could her memories of Xoda be foggy because her niece was gone?

A strangled sound escaped her throat.

Quution spun around immediately. “What is it?”

Xan’s mouth worked before she spoke. “Xoda.”

His brows lowered as he figured out what she meant. “You’re upset about her?”

Xan nodded, tears burning the backs of her eyes. She never cried. Never. “You’re following Xera’s energy signature. Do you sense two of them, one for Xoda?”

Quution’s face was grim. “I do not. But that doesn’t mean what you think.” He lurched toward her, his eyes wary, like he was afraid to say what was on his mind. “Do you think, perhaps, Xera is using your love for Xoda to keep you from finding her?”

“What? No.” Xera wouldn’t. That would be deplorable.

“Not even to save their lives? We don’t know how Spaeth’s using them.”

Talking it out with Quution was helping. Her heart rate slowed. Her eyes dried. Xera was crafty. Ruthless, needlessly so at times. “It’s possible.”

Xera could be throwing off Xan’s power to keep her away. Xoda was an obvious and effective target. Yes, that made sense. The lack of memories would fuel her intense fear for her family.

“Are you feeling any effects?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Can she only target one at a time?”

“To be that defined, yes.” Unless, like the demons she’d sent chasing an imaginary food source to keep from eating her, a group shared the same ultimate goal. She and Quution had the same goal, but he hadn’t met Xera, or Xoda either. No one had. They’d kept her a secret.

Quution ducked his head to peer at her, grasping her shoulders. His warm touch was grounding. “Are you ready to continue?”

“Yes.” A glow burned in her belly from his concern. But she had to remind herself that Xera was a way to keep Spaeth from interfering with his wards.

Quution took twists and turns deep into the underworld, far away from where she’d ever searched.

An impending sense of doom dogged her, and Xoda was central in her thoughts. Each time Xan tried to imagine Xoda’s dark eyes, she saw her sister’s. Each time she tried to recall Xoda’s laugh, it was Xera’s husky voice that floated through her mind.

But she pushed through. Quution’s words had made sense.

As soon as the heavy weight of dread lifted from her shoulders, Quution stumbled. He looked around.

Xera was targeting him now.

Dismay snaked through her. Her sister had used her own kid against Xan. That seemed so…low.

But it was to keep them safe. We don’t know how Spaeth is using them. Again, Quution was right.

Xera had gained power. She’d always been exceptional, and thanks to Xan’s redirection, she wasn’t another mindless demon stricken with a cruel streak.

Quution’s steps stuttered again. He snapped his head one way, then another.

“What do you think you hear?” There was no noise in this area. The bugs in the walls were quiet and this area of the underworld had probably been abandoned before Xera was imprisoned here.

“My mother.”

“She’s dead, Quution.” Xan had to be blunt. Truth was key to thwarting these thoughts and feelings. Manipulation made the fears bloom.

“I know. The only thing I can thank my sire for.”

“How did she die?” If she could get him talking, the emotions inside of him would be forced aside by the truth of his words.

“Slowly and painfully. She survived my sire’s attack enough to birth me. There was little energy around to help her heal. She was weak for years. Feeble, but mean. Eventually, she expired, and…”

His throat worked like he was trying not to throw up.

“And?” she pressed.

He swallowed and shook himself. “I, um, had to live off the bugs that cleaned her bones.” A cough escaped, but he’d masked the sound of a gag.

She sucked in a breath. Her first thought was that Quution had been fortunate the bugs had waited until his mother had passed. The creatures in this realm were cannibals, opportunists, scavengers, whatever worked for survival. To eat the same critters that had… Ick.

“That explains the human food.”

He bobbed his head as if he was afraid to open his mouth or he’d upchuck the sandwiches Stryke had been bringing them.

“Do you hear her anymore?”

He let out a gusty breath. “No.”

She wound her arm through his. His muscles were strung tight, but he shuffled along. Occasionally, his gaze would dart around, but he didn’t stop again.

“We’re getting close,” he said gruffly.

She’d been misled. He was struggling more than she’d thought, but he hid it well.

He was growing tenser by the second until she didn’t know how he was able to move his legs. Veins standing out in his neck, his jaw set, he plowed forward.

“Talk to me—” She snapped her head around.

Xera was nearby. Her sister’s scent was all over this corridor, unusually strong. It was as thick as Xan’s was in the library, but only because she’d been sexing Quution for days.

Her heart climbed into her throat. Had Spaeth—

No. Xan didn’t sense fear or terror of the physical sort.

She put her other hand on Quution’s chest and gave him a look that said let me.

He was so rigid he was vibrating, but he tipped his head toward a dark hole in the wall. It wasn’t even the typical chamber door, just a busted-out opening in the wall.

Xan crept closer. “Xera,” she called in a low voice.

There was no reply.

Her sister was here. She crept closer. “Xera. It’s me, Xan.”

Like anyone else would be coming for her, but she had to try. Xera might be too terrified to move.

“X-Xan?” Xera’s trembling voice drifted out of the dank space.

“Xera!” Xan rushed inside. Spaeth’s stench was absent here.

Xera was huddled in the far corner of the chamber. Her eyes weren’t wide open and afraid, but shrewd and calculating. Her gaze went past Xan to where Quution hovered outside the door.

Xan raced to Xera’s side but scanned the chamber as she did so. It wasn’t as small as she’d initially thought. The room was spacious, clean, and opulent by underworld standards. A briny waterfall trickled down the corner opposite where Xera sat.

But there was one thing missing. “Where’s Xoda?”

Xan spun in a circle. She didn’t sense her niece, and at the moment, she couldn’t even recall Xoda’s scent.

Xera jumped up. Quution stepped inside like he was going to jump in front of Xan if need be, but it was unnecessary. Xan sent him a small glare. She was grateful for all he’d done, but this was her sister. Xera wouldn’t hurt her.

“He has her, Xan.” Xera’s tinny voice hurt Xan’s ears, or perhaps it was the words.

“Where?” Xoda could be anywhere.

“I don’t know. If I knew, I’d have gone after her.” Her gaze strayed to Quution, but she spoke to Xan. “Did you get what Spaeth wanted?”

The affirmation stuck on Xan’s tongue. Xera had been found. They could bring her to safety, but Xoda was in the clutches of the merciless Spaeth.

Though Xera looked hearty.

But demons healed quickly and her kind was adept at mending flesh back together.

Xan glanced at the waterfall again. The chamber wasn’t exactly a place of nightmares.

But if Spaeth had brought Xoda to another place to coerce Xera, then he might not spend as much time here. He could just give his orders and leave Xera in fear for her daughter.

Xera’s dark gaze met hers. Intense trepidation swelled. Xoda, the precious little girl, was in danger. She was the candy beetle of Xan’s eye, the symbol of all that Xan had worked for.

“Yes, I have what Spaeth’s after,” she said.

“Xan,” Quution barked. He inched closer to Xan’s side. Xera shrank from him. Xan turned her body to protect Xera from a strange male.

“He’s helping us, Xera.”

Xera cut a sharp look her way. “Helping? Why?”

Shouldn’t she be frantic about Xoda, demanding they leave now and search? Finding Xera hadn’t been easy, and it’d taken teamwork. But now there was no reason to think they couldn’t track down Xoda’s location too.

“To put a stop to Spaeth,” Xan answered. “Do you know where he’s taken her?”

Xera slid her gaze from Quution back to her. “All we have to do is report to Spaeth and he’ll free her.” She whispered, “Tell me and I’ll go free her.”

Staggering anxiety almost dropped Xan. She’d do anything to free her niece. She opened her mouth to spill the story, but Quution broke in. “Regardless, we can’t talk here. We need to get Xera somewhere safe and cover her trail.”

Xera pushed away, shoving Xan back in the process. “He’ll be back and I won’t be here and then he’ll hurt her.”

A tremble ran down Xan’s spine, but Quution was next to her. His presence calmed her.

“He hasn’t summoned Xan yet,” he said. “Her time’s not up. There’s no reason to think he’ll be back before he gets his answer from her. We’ll find a place for you and when he calls for Xan, we’ll be ready for him.”

Xera’s gaze was hard. Xan didn’t expect her to fall into Quution’s arms and sigh my hero, but the animosity was startling. Then again, this was Xera.

Xan held her hand out. “Come on, Xera. He’s right. We can defeat Spaeth and save Xoda. Trust me.”

Xera watched her for a heartbeat before accepting her hand. When Xera’s cold fingers wrapped around hers, a chill invaded her body, a foreboding. She brushed it off. Xera had been trapped here, alone and terrified.

Xera was safe. Quution and Stryke were on their side. There was no reason to be worried.

As they reversed their steps away from Xera’s prison, Quution was worried, and it wasn’t like before. When Xera had attacked him, the anxiety had been blinding, but not impossible to withstand as long as Xan was on his arm as pictures of her horribly mutilated body flashed through his mind.

Her scent had surrounded him and warded off the worst of the attack. The images flashing through his mind had become more haphazard the closer they’d gotten, as if Xera had been randomly amplifying any fear she could dig up in hopes it’d work.

He didn’t like her.

The few minutes they’d been in here, a fretting Xan had soothed Xera while nursing her own terror for the elusive seven- or ten-year-old Xoda. But Xera’s attitude had been that of inconvenienced diva rather than out-of-her-mind mother.

Speaking of diva, this was a nice chamber. Personal showers didn’t happen in many underworld hovels. Finding a water source that wasn’t rank, that wouldn’t leave his skin smelling like rotten eggs, was difficult. Either Spaeth was high-maintenance, extremely lucky, or he’d looked long and hard for this spot. And then given it up for Xera.

Would a demon do that for his prisoner?

And Xoda. He couldn’t grasp her energy pattern. He knew Xan’s individual signature, and now Xera’s, but he couldn’t sense a third. She’d never been in here, but he’d expect to find some of Xoda’s innate energy waves tied to Xera. Nothing.

He walked behind Xan. She had her arm wrapped around her sister. Occasionally, Xera glared over her shoulder at him. Small tendrils of apprehension wound through him, but they were nameless and faceless niggles at his mind that left him antsy and wired.

Xan’s shoulders were relaxed. He listened carefully, but she wasn’t confessing his plans to Xera. He couldn’t afford to leave her alone. He did not trust Xera, and it wasn’t because she was a mom shrugging off any attempt to save her kid. It was her eyes. They were cold. Calculating.

His boots scraped the ground, and Xera’s annoyed mutters reached him. “Why’s he insist on wearing that atrocious clothing? It’s noisy and smells.”

Okay, one, he didn’t smell. He had his own underworld pool to bathe and wash clothing in. Stryke might not say anything about an odor, but Melody wouldn’t hesitate, and she usually sighed with relief when he came knocking. Oh good. You don’t smell like a warm, wet carcass.

And two, how would Xan answer?

“He has his reasons,” Xan said. “Don’t worry. Quution’s not bad.”

“You’re fucking him.” Xera’s snide tone raised the hairs on the back of his neck. “I thought you had better taste. He was a target. Mama said never to fuck a target.”

“Mama said ‘never fuck a target if there’s not something in it for you. Don’t give your bargaining power away.’” Xan patted Xera’s shoulder, and Quution couldn’t help but think Xera didn’t deserve that comfort. “We’ll save Xoda.”

Quution strained to hear Xera’s next words. “I’d feel better if you told me what you discovered.”

“I know, but trust me. It’s better this way. Spaeth can’t torture you for it.”

Xera let out a frustrated growl. “I hate it when you do that. Xoda’s going to be the one to pay, not me.”

Xan looked over her should at him. Fear churned in her eyes. He gave his head one shake. She scowled, but didn’t speak.

He’d have to make sure Xan was never alone with Xera long enough to tell her anything. Because if he let up, she might tell her sister everything. And Xera’s best interests were not those of her sister.