Revealing the Monster (Playing with Monsters #4) by Amelia Hutchins

“I had to do it to make the demon believe Lucian would suffer because of our plans. Lucian told me how you could be saved, but that he’d need an entire coven to help him. I wanted to be here with you. Now we will always be together, Daughter. Once Kendra is reborn, we will bring her here, too.”

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head as I pulled back to gaze at her. “She will be born mortal. She will live again without us or any immortals interfering with her life. She wished to be human when we were children. She didn’t want to be awakened into her powers. She only did that for you. We will watch over her, but we won’t interfere until she is old enough to make a choice and decide her fate.”

“But she may not choose us,” my grandmother pointed out softly.

“That’s her decision.” I paused as the sound of crying tore through the room.

I stood motionless, listening for the cry. My feet moved on their own, and slowly, I turned to where I’d heard it coming. I heard it again, and my heart hammered, thumping wildly as I stared up a familiar set of stairs.

“It sounds like someone is awake,” Lucian murmured against my ear.

Tears filled my eyes, swimming in them while I listened for the noise again. A soft cry that almost sounded like a whimper echoed through the room. I took another step toward the staircase, noting that both Spyder and Lucian moved beside me, ready to catch me if I fell.

I whispered the spell to displace air and space, appearing at the top of the stairs. Turning, I peered down at the shocked faces. Obviously, they’d forgotten that I had the grimoires of the dead witches within me. I hadn’t. I vanished again, arriving inside a white bedroom with a large four-poster bed and shimmering curtains of silver draped over the iron rods over the bed.

A woman’s voice filled the room. “Can I help you? Unfortunately, this area is off-limits…”

I turned, staring at the woman before my eyes lowered to what sat behind her. My breath caught in my lungs, and I slowly, clumsily walked toward the rune-covered, clear box. Tears dropped from my cheeks unchecked as a sob broke free from my lungs. My knees threatened to give out as I touched it, watching as the cover vanished.

Inside the small incubator was Harbinger, his midnight eyes watching me as I fell apart. My entire body shook with the unchecked emotion rushing through me. My legs were wobbly, but strong arms wrapped around my middle, holding me up.

“Oh, God,” I said on a breath through the tightness of my throat, turning to peer up at Lucian, who smiled down at me.

“Not quite, but he’s gotten me the closest to feeling like there’s something heavenly within this world, Lena. Meet our son. He’s been waiting for you,” he whispered, kissing the back of my head.

“It isn’t him, right? Just his soul?” I murmured, uncaring that I was a mess. I had tears blinding me, and my nose was threatening to run along with them down my face.

“It’s him, Magdalena. I wasn’t about to let them take what we’d created together.”

I reached my trembling hands down, running my fingers over his baby soft skin. My mouth opened, and a sob ripped from me as I scooped him up.

Our son made a cooing noise, and I spoke softly, sweetly to him, unable to make coherent words as I lifted Harbinger into my arms.

Lucian helped me to a chair, where I sat, staring at the child I’d lost to protect as well as the world and the man I loved.

My eyes rose, holding Lucian’s gaze with wonder. “He’s real,” I whispered, afraid if I spoke too loudly, he’d vanish. “Our baby.”

“Our son,” Lucian confirmed. “Our son who is in need of an actual name.”

“He’s pretty perfect, Kitty,” Spyder stated from the doorway. “He must get that from you because we know he didn’t get it from his dad.”

“You both knew and didn’t think to tell me?” I asked, realizing that they’d kept this from me, too.

“I couldn’t chance Lucifer learning about him through your mind. I tried to tell you there was more in jeopardy than I could explain. If I had told you everything I’d planned, shit would have been put into place to prevent it from happening. I wanted you to have a life of your choosing, Lena. I didn’t want you to be locked into one you settled for because it was the only option you had at the time. I wanted you to be yourself again and choose your path.”

“You were planning to change me back this entire time?”

I peered down as Harbinger stretched out, cooing while he watched me with interest. He knew who I was without me saying it. I looked at the ceiling, and the pictures changed, projecting images of Lucian and me throughout the time we’d known each other. It was as if he’d opened a window into my soul, showing our son every perfect image that I’d never even realized we’d made until now.

“Of course, I did,” he stated, watching me adjust the babe in my arms. “You were born a witch, and you chose to come back for the Awakening. You wanted to be one, and family was important to you. I wanted you to be yourself. The same woman who walked in and knocked me on my ass the first time I met you. To me, you were perfect, just as you were created to be. You didn’t choose to become soulless; that decision was made for you because you weren’t ready to give up living. You allowed your soul to leave, which hindered the plans I’d made to ensure you could never be killed.” Lucian moved closer, kneeling beside me to touch Harbinger.