Vaxen and Kezabel didn't flinch. Even with the crushing weight of the demon realm’s magic pressing down on their shoulders and the terrifying sight of their fathers looming over them, they kept their mouths shut. Vaxen clamped his jaw shut so tight that his muscles corded, staring at the floor with a silent, burning hatred. Kezabel mirrored his defiance, her eyes icy and vacant as she retreated into the mental fortress she had built over the years. They were only six, but they had been raised on their mother’s stories of the monsters who lived in the dark, and they knew that giving up her location was the one thing they could never do.
Eryx watched them for a long moment, his gaze traveling between the two children. He didn't see the fear he expected; he saw a reflection of his own stubbo
