Ravengel stood off to the side in the great hall of Garn’s manor. Painted in the center of the hall was a seven-pointed star with two circles, one in the middle and one connecting all seven points. The runes, stained crimson with the blood of the Lord Adjudicator, were those that he didn’t recognize. But he’d know a summoning ritual if he ever saw one, and this was one.

  Lord Adjudicator, along with six of his Inquisitors, stood at the seven points of the star; their low chants echoing through the chamber. Yet the stagnant air muffled their voices, bogging them down to a low hum.

  Their words indiscernible as the remaining five Inquisitors circled the ritual, performing their own rites.

  An icy shiver ran down his spine as the blood-runes ignited in a dark-red glow. A sudden gust picked up as the chanting grew to a roaring crescendo. Dust fluttered down from the ceiling as the entire manor rumbled.

  A rift tore open in the center of the ritual, and a being stepped forth. The clop of their hooves sounded as an Aura that was stronger than Ravengel’s fell upon him. Pale-yellow eyes scanned the chamber, and he instinctively froze, not daring to move a single muscle as they passed over him.

  A seductive, naked, red-skinned woman who towered over even him with hoofed feet stood in the center of the summoning circle. A Kor’valin, a greater Daemon from the Seven Hells. He had heard many stories about them, of how they’d drain their prey of their Essence and Energy through sex.

  The Kor’valin stretched her massive leathery wings out, but they could only go so far as the barrier of the summoning circle prevented her from leaving. She cocked her head to the side as her eyes landed on the Lord Adjudicator. “What is thy purpose for summoning me, little Althori?”

  The Lord Adjudicator stepped from his position on the star and entered the inner circle.

  “Wait, my Lord Adjudicator!” Ravengel shouted, but fell silent when the Kor’valin’s eyes landed on him.

  The Lord Adjudicator ignored him and pulled out a parchment from his storage device and laid it on the floor, pointing to a circled spot on the map. “I need you to go to this building here and find this man.”

  The Lord Adjudicator projected an image of June in his palm. “Enter his mind and find all that you can about this man. I need to know everything about him. His desires and vulnerabilities.”

  The Kor’valin stared at the image of June. “Ah, what is a human doing here on this little world?”

  “A human? You know what he is? Where does he hail from?” The Lord Adjudicator asked, stepping closer to the Kor’valin.

  Even Ravengel got a little closer, intrigued.

  Unfortunately, the Kor’valin only answered the Lord Adjudicator’s questions with a wicked smile.

  “Fine, be on your way and report back to me as soon as possible.”

  The Kor’valin bowed low, her enormous breasts hanging low, before she dissipated in a cloud of violet smoke.

  Only after she had gone did Ravengel approach the Lord Adjudicator. “Can we trust this Daemon?”

  “She’ll do as she’s commanded.”

  “And what was the payment you promised for her work?”

  The Lord Adjudicator glared at him from the corner of his eye.

  He immediately fell to one knee. “Forgive me, my Lord Adjudicator. I did not mean to question your wisdom.”

  The Lord Adjudicator scoffed before making his way to the doors. “We shall learn all we need to know of June on the morrow.”

  June… June, honey, it's time to wake up.

  Sasha’s laugh-filled screams startled June awake as she and Kia came bursting into his and Natalie’s room.

  “Daddy! Daddy! It’s time to wake up!”

  He immediately hopped out of bed, his heart racing like that of a cheetah, his hand outstretched to throw up a barrier of Kinetic Essence. But nothing happened. He just stood there looking like a goof.

  “What are you doing, Mr. Mikkelson?” Kia asked.

  “Yeah, Daddy?” Sasha added, as they both stared at him with confusion on their faces.

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  He scowled, just as confused as they were, as he stared at his hand. “I…”

  “Good. You’re up.”

  He spun to find Natalie coming out of the shower, wrapped only in a towel. “Come on, you need to shower.”

  He stood there, confounded as his gaze swept over the room. He was back in Elias’s cabin.

  “What? Where am I? What’s happening?” he asked, falling back to sit on the bed as he clutched his aching head.

  “June! Are you okay?” Natalie asked, rushing over to his side.

  “What’s wrong, Daddy?” Sasha asked, also coming to his side.

  Natalie’s lilac and vanilla scent smacked him right in the face, throwing him for a loop as he looked at her, really looked at her. She was there, right beside him. She wasn’t dead.

  He turned to look at his baby girl, and she stared back at him, her hazel eyes filled with concern. “Pumpkin?”

  “Yes, Daddy?”

  In that instant, he picked her up and pulled her into the biggest hug. There was no amount of words he could say to express how he felt in that moment. But he knew one thing for sure as he freed an arm to pull Natalie into the embrace as well. He had just woken from the worst nightmare imaginable.

  After he had showered and gotten dressed, he left their room to find everyone gathered in the kitchen and dining area. Elias and Zach sat at the dinner table, talking about what Zach planned to do after high school. Sasha and Kia ran around the kitchen, helping Natalie and Christine set up breakfast.

  “About time you woke!” Elias called out when his eyes landed on him.

  “Yup. Seems like my age is catching up with me,” June said as he joined them at the table.

  Sasha and Kia ran over and took their seats as Natalie and Christine brought over the rest of the food.

  Christine set down a plate filled to the brim with pancakes. “Mighty kind of you to join us, June.”

  He grabbed a plate off the stack Zach handed him before passing it to Natalie. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

  They all dug in, filling their plates full of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, and waffles. June grabbed the bottle of syrup and lathered up his tower of pancakes before digging in.

  The hubbub of everyone talking and eating, enjoying breakfast, was all he ever wanted. It was how everything was supposed to go.

  June!

  He craned his neck to look behind him, his eyes searching. “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Natalie asked after finishing a mouthful of bacon and eggs.

  “It… was… Emil—”

  June!

  He stood from his seat, his head on a swivel. “That! Didn’t you hear that?”

  “No, honey. Come, take your seat and finish breakfast.”

  Natalie’s right. What was he thinking? Had he gone crazy? Why would he be hearing Sarah’s voice?

  He then paused.

  Why had he just—

  JUNE!

  June woke from the dream, leaping from the bed. Rage blinded him, but not his Aura Sense. A winged woman retreated into the night sky, fleeing from the inn. He was about to encase it in a cage of Kinetic Essence, but then Sarah suddenly called out to him, stopping him.

  June wait!

  He hesitated for a moment, his mind slightly addled from the dream, as the woman retreated to Garn’s manor.

  Perrim!

  He grunted with anger, turning his attention to Sarah.

  Fuck! What the hell was that, Sarah?

  A Kor’valin.

  He clicked his tongue in frustration. Damned succubus. Why’d you stop me from killing her?

  Because she made me an offer just before you woke up.

  His eyes narrowed. What offer?

  Tarlani’s body burned with desire as she flew through the night sky of this baby world. Oh, how she hungered and lusted for just a taste of June’s True Soul. She could only imagine it as her tail whipped sporadically from side to side.

  She had never had the privilege of bedding the Great Elder Zakenthul, but now that she was here, she’d have sole access to another Progenitor. A shiver ran up her spine as heat flowed between her thighs at the thought.

  She gazed back at the inn where June stayed, and a salacious smile formed across her face. He hadn’t killed her. So it would seem his S.A.R.A. had conveyed her wishes. Her smile widened. She’d have to do all she could to remain here.

  She landed on the balcony that led to the room where her summoner resided. The moment she did, the balcony doors swung open, and her summoner stood there with a smile. “I trust you’ve good news for me?”

  Her smile turned wicked at his question. “Of course. June is a man who hails from Callestra. He is but an adventurer seeking a new home, for his old one was destroyed. He is a powerful and honorable man who values loyalty and family. Despite that, none of his family remains, yet he’d cherish those close to him as if they were. If you seek a weakness, I’d look there.”

  Her summoner summarily drank in all she had to say. A fool who’d believe anything if it fit what he wanted to hear. It also helped that she slipped in a bit of the truth with the lies.

  “Now that I’ve done as you bid, it’s your turn to uphold your end of the pact.”

  Her summoner cleared his throat and straightened his back. “Of course.”

  He pulled a knife from his dimensional item and sliced a cut across his palm, letting the blood drip onto the floor before him. “With this, I hold your end of the pact done. I release you from your bond.”

  She inhaled a deep breath as the invisible chains binding her to him shattered. With an unsteady exhale, her body trembled with anticipation.

  “What will you do now that you’re free?”

  She looked at him with hunger in her eyes. “What I’ve desired for an eternity!”