He pulled away, seeming to have control of his temper once again. “That old one wasn’t the only one trying to maintain his immortality. We all had brief forays around this dark little mud hole, some having more success than others. Centuries ago, I appeared before your mother in the guise of the man that she was attached to.”

When I managed to get my vision to clear again, I saw that I was once again staring into the face of the man whom I had always called my father. I gritted my teeth and tried to push away from the monster, but he held fast. My father had been a good, kind man, and his memory didn’t deserve to be soiled in such a manner.

“So you’re saying that you seduced my mother while pretending to be my father,” I snapped, wishing I could put some distance between us. However, I lay as still as possible, hoping to give my body some time to heal. I would gather my strength, and as soon as I could, I would set this bastard on fire like a Roman candle.

The creature clucked his tongue at me and shook his head. “But, little one, he was never really your father. I am,” he corrected. “But I am grateful for how he looked after you when you were younger and hadn’t yet learned to defend yourself. Your mother proved to be utterly useless.”

“My mother loved me!” I screamed, jerking forward.

The creature snorted at me as he released my hair. He changed back into the redheaded figure he had appeared as just moments earlier. “Your mother was terrified of you. Red hair, violet eyes, in a world that was filled with brown hair, brown-eyed children. Even worse, she was afraid of bringing another monster into the world. That’s why she killed herself.”

Putting my hands on the ground for a second, I pushed upward and lunged at the stranger, aiming to gouge out his eyeballs with my fingernails. Anger had overtaken my common sense. The creature just laughed as he easily captured both my wrists and slammed me back down onto the ground.

Running his tongue over his upper teeth, he smiled down at me, taking particular glee in revealing his next bit of information. “Yes, when you were but eight years old, she discovered she was with child again. Fearful of bringing another demon spawn into the earth, she walked into the sea, killing herself and the child.”

“No!” I tried to lurch off the ground as fresh tears welled up in my eyes. I knew I shouldn’t believe him, but I did. My mother had simply disappeared early one morning when I was young and never returned. My father wept for her, but we continued on as best as we could. Something in me had always felt responsible for her disappearance, and I’d always known that she was dead. I just never understood why she had left us.

In response to my tears, the creature laughed as he released his hold on my wrists. I lifted my hands and wiped my eyes, sweeping away the blood and the dirt that had been smeared and crusted on my face.

“Who are you? What do you want with me?” I was tired of playing mind games with this monster. I needed to heal. I needed to find Danaus and know that he was safe. I needed to put my world back in order.

“Haven’t you guessed by now?” he inquired, jumping to his feet with an eerie lightness. “I am your real father. The one responsible for your wonderful set of genes, your special gifts, and rather stunning looks.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled, causing his ebullient expression to deflate somewhat. “But who are you? Another bori? We shut Gaizka up. We can do it with you.”

At this, he smiled. He slipped to his knees and crawled across the floor toward me, a smile widening on his sharp face. “In Africa, I’ve been called Ogo and Anansi. In Egypt, I was known as Keku. Among the Norse, I was known as Loki. The Native Americans referred to me as Coyote and Raven.”

“Oh God,” I whispered, trying to shrink away from the creature that was inches away from me. His frame seemed to grow so that his huge bulk hovered over me, blocking out the rest of the room.

A dark chuckle rose up from his chest and slithered over toward me, sending a fresh chill down my spine. “No need to be quite so formal,” he mocked. “You, my dear sweet child, may just call me Nick.”

“Wh-What do you want from me?” My brain failed to get past the sudden log jamb of thoughts that were nearly crippling me. I didn’t want to believe it, but I was left with either the idea that he was actually telling the truth or that I had fallen in with another bori Danaus and I hadn’t been looking for. Either way, I was in serious trouble.

At this, Nick frowned at me as he leapt back to his feet with an easy grace that bespoke of supernatural powers rather than any human finesse. Placing his hands on his hips, he paced away from me while shaking his head. “I knew I should have kept a closer watch on you, but after your initial display of powers, I thought you would be safe on your own for a while. Besides, I had other children to check on.”

“There are others?”

“There were.” He paused, giving a soft sigh. “Anything that failed to be as talented as you was quickly pruned like dead growth.”

“Bastard.” I grunted as I pushed into a sitting position. I was light-headed from the pain and my vision swam before my eyes focused on him again.

“What’s a father to do? Can’t have useless bits of my genes running aimlessly around,” he replied as he slipped his hands in the pockets of his black slacks. “But I turn my back on you for a few short years, and when I look back you’re a damned nightwalker! You soiled yourself, diluting all your wonderful powers and potential with that bori filth!”

I couldn’t understand what he was talking about. “I’m stronger now than I ever was as a human.”

“Stronger?” he snapped. “Unable to go out in daylight, dependent on the blood of humans. How is that stronger?”

“I’m faster and stronger than any human. I have the ability to read their minds and control their thoughts.”

“And who’s to say that you wouldn’t have all of those abilities if you hadn’t allowed yourself to be changed? You didn’t give yourself enough time to develop. Now you’re saddled with all these silly limitations.”

“What the hell should it matter to you what I chose to do with my life?” I pulled my legs underneath me as I prepared to push to my feet. My legs were mostly healed and I felt that I would soon be able to stand. I didn’t like the distinct disadvantage of being trapped on the floor while this creature paced the room like a chain-smoking speed addict looking to score his next fix out of my hide.

“Because I’ve got plans for you, my daughter,” he admitted with an evil grin. “I’ve had to modify them a bit, but my plans for you still stand.”

“I don’t give a damn about your plans,” I replied through clenched teeth. “I just want you to leave.”

“Not yet. And trust me, you will care about my plans before I am through, for you sit at the center of it all.”

I tried to pull to myself up by using a couple intact bookshelves behind me. “What plans?”

“Ahhh . . . no reason to give away my best secrets just yet.” He laughed, wagging one finger at me. “Besides, there’s something that you need to take care of first.”

“I don’t have to do shit for you!” Struggling to stand on my own as pain shot through the bones of my legs like a bolt of lightning looking for a grounding rod, I swallowed a scream.

“This is for the both of us.” Extending one hand toward me, I felt a surge of energy fill my frame. In an instant I jerked to my feet, my arms snapping out to my sides, leaving me hanging in the air as if I were a marionette on a string. Jabari had exhibited the same ability to physically control me against my will. Danaus could force me to use my powers against my will. The bori could control me completely as well. And with no great surprise, so could Nick.

“I have had enough of this nonsense,” he said with a harsh hiss. “No daughter of mine will be controlled by other creatures! Well, you will be controlled by no one but me.”