As Tay left the Underworld court, the oppressive atmosphere seemed to grow even heavier around him. He could feel everyone’s eyes boring into his back, a mixture of curiosity, fear, and resentment swirling in the air. Compared to his siblings, Tay was a solitary figure. He had no allies, no one he was close to. His path was one he walked alone, and it had always been that way.
Tay’s mother had been human, a fact that marked him as different from the rest of his demon kin from the very beginning. She had been killed when he was still a young child, an innocent victim in the brutal power plays of the Underworld court. He had learned early on that sentiment and weakness had no place in this world, and for most of his life, he had been considered the weakest link, the runt of the family. His
