The fragment you'll read next is part of a much longer chapter, which I'm undecided between make it Angel of my Dark Heart's epilogue or a bonus chapter.

I know you would have probably preferred a couple's scene, but Valentine's Day celebrates all kinds of love, even the one between family.

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“Marcus, where the fuck are you?” the voice of his boss and best friend sounded from the living room.

He stiffened, his muscles automatically readying to jump out of bed, but he forced himself to stay where he was. His mind had to be playing tricks with him, or maybe it was a prank of the water horse inside him.

He continued with the caresses to his woman until feet sounded in the hallway, and the door of the bedroom he shared with Tara banged open.

“There you are! Mina’s giving birth, I need Tara’s help.” Vergil exclaimed, short, white hair tousled and dressed in sweatpants and a tank top.

Tara jolted to a sitting position on the bed and her amber irises glowed with otherworldly power. The gust of wind that came out of her hands send the intruder crashing into the hallway, the sound of wood breaking filling the bedroom.

“Babe, stop! That was Vergil!”

Shaking off the last remnants of her sleep, Tara blanched as Marcus’ words sank in. She swiftly got up and summoned workout capris and a tank top to cover her naked body.

April’s night chill wasn’t a bother for her.

On the other hand, Marcus shivered as he got out of bed and began dressing his naked ass in the warmest clothes he could find.

“Guess I deserved that for barging into a witch’s domain without warning.” The demon prince mumbled as he came into the room once again, dusting the wall’s debris off. “But there’s no time for pleasantries. Mina’s water broke and the God Spark went haywire again, just like that day.”

His niece nodded before red painted her cheeks. “I need you to teleport us there since my magic will be a bit unstable for a while.”

Vergil sighed annoyingly and he closed his eyes for a moment before addressing her, “Can you do this, Ashtarae? Can I trust you the lives of my consort and daughter?”

She blushed even harder but there was fire in her ambers when she answered, “Yes, Marcus is my agathion now. I can draw the power to balance myself from him.”

The demon prince nodded, satisfied, and flashed them into Mina’s bedroom without another word. Sprawled over the ruin silk sheets, the princess lay propped against a mountain of pillows with her knees up. Something similar to plum-colored, melting gelatin stained the area between her legs.

“What is that?” Marcus asked with a grimace as he stared at the jelly-like substance.

Vergil glared daggers in his direction, but it was Mina the one who answered between labored breaths. “My water apparently.” She whimpered as another contraction hit her and the grayish skin of her demon form was covered by the golden glow of her heavenly gift.

How the God Spark didn’t hurt her but hurt all other dark beings was still a mystery to everyone.

“That’s normal for a vampire, you idiot!” Lilith’s shout came from the living room. “Just help her deliver my granddaughter so I can enter that room already!”

Tara cringed as she realized who was just a wall away from them. Silently praying to Lucifer that her grandmother didn’t discover her, the witch closed in on the bed as Vergil did the same on the other side.

Another contraction. A stronger one this time.

Purifying light burst from the princess as she screamed and ripped the sheets and mattress apart with her claws. The brilliance pulsed a few times before disappearing along with the pain.

Frantic silver eyes searched in the twilit room. Breathing hard in a corner, Vergil had tried to hide himself between two tall wardrobes. It hadn’t worked. Seeing his state, the pregnant demoness wailed even harder than before and asked her husband to leave. He refused at first but at her continued sobbing pleas, he left, using the walls for support. The God Spark had hurt him badly; even so he hadn’t made a sound as his skin burned.

Black blood ran down Mina’s cheeks as she watched him go. The knowledge that she had hurt her husband once again teared her from the inside.

Tara sympathized with the feeling, but now wasn’t the time to wallow in self-pity. The vampire needed to focus on pushing and nothing else.

“Mina, I need you here with me,” the witch said, snapping her fingers in front of the blood-sucking demoness to get her attention. “Vergil will be as good as new in a few minutes, so don’t worry for him. What you need to focus right now is on delivering this baby to the world. As soon as you feel the next contraction you will push with all your strength. Got it?”

The princess nodded but her eyes kept glancing at the door. Sighing, Tara decided on being the distraction herself. “Your baby … what will you call her?”

Mina’s irises glazed over, and more tears stained her cheeks. “Milaisys.”

“Did you know that means sacred treasure in diavol’eshmir?” Tara mentioned, trying to distract her from whatever memory her question brought forward. If the demoness kept crying, they would end up with a hungry vampire very soon, and that wasn’t good in a middle of a birth.

“I …” Mina winced as another slash of pain began. “Another one is starting.”

“Then push, Mina, push. Milaisys needs her mommy to be strong.” The witch urged while her mind raced trying to find a solution to the unspoken dilemma. If the God Spark hurt a high demon lord so badly, could it kill the baby? More importantly, what could she do to stop the mother from accidentally killing her child?

Demonic children were born in soul form and didn’t take a physical body until one of their parents carry them in their arms, coaxing them to do so by making them feel safe and loved.

What would happen to a newly born dark soul touched by purifying light? Tara didn’t have the slightest idea, but the prudent thing was to prepare for the worst. Because even if the baby was born with a physical body, she was still three quarters demon and one quarter dark Greek god, meaning the God Spark would hurt her either way.

Options came and went from her mind as Mina pushed with every contraction. It needed to be something that would encapsulate the baby even while still inside the mother, so the light rays wouldn’t hurt her as she came out.

Something malleable yet strong enough to repel heavenly light…

“I’m sorry, Marcus, but you need to lend your body to my familiar for a bit.” The witch said through telepathy to keep Mina calm. “Struan, I need you to bring my mother’s grimoire along with everything needed to cast Day Eater.”

The dark fae nodded, melted into water, and disappeared from the room, pleased to have control of the body.

The spell in question, Day Eater, was an energy shield that acted like a prismatic mirror, reflecting all light elemental attacks back to the caster. Hopefully, Mina could withstand the backlash and come out unharmed. If not, Tara would be in serious trouble with her uncle and grandparents.

As the latest contraction passed, the witch checked the birth’s progress. Blood and a black smokey thing began to show. Tara felt cold ran inside her veins. The baby was coming in soul form and Struan had only just left.

Shit!

Dread pooled on her stomach, causing her insides to twist and churn viciously. “Milaisys is almost here,” Tara announced in the steadiest voice she could muster while her hands trembled. “I need you to do two things, Mina. Push with all your strength and keep the God Spark contained on your skin, don’t let it explode into the room.”

The vampire’s eyes widened before she squeezed them shut. “I … can’t.”

“Yes, you can. You already did a miracle by becoming the only demon who can wield the One God’s purifying power.” Tara gazed into frightened silver orbs and willed her own doubts out of her face. “I have faith in you, Mina. Now push!”

She saw as Mina’s facial features changed from fright to determination before the female began to push with all her might. Light began winking in and out the vampire as more of her daughter’s soul appeared between her legs.

Frantic, Tara reached for the small soul at the same time she screamed, “Contain it, Mina!” Pulling at the babe, she freed her from her mother in the nick of time. Mina’s entire body glowed like a humanoid lightbulb, but somehow, she managed to confine it within the limits of the bed. No purifying rays reached outside the piece of furniture, much less to the far wall where Tara had jumped to with the newborn soul hidden under her shirt.

Smiling and weakened, Mina slumped on the ruined sheets as the God Spark faded away. “Thank you, Tara.”

As if on cue, Vergil and Lilith appeared by the door. The demon prince was still in the process of regenerating half of what his consort had burned but when his eyes landed on the small black energy sphere that Tara carried, he entered the bedroom with the stumbling steps of a man enchanted.

He transformed into his demon appearance halfway to the bed, falling to his knees as he reached it. Mina smiled weakly at him, stretching out a hand that he was quick to envelope in his.

“I’m sorry for hurting you,” she whispered, eyes misting with more onyx tears as her prince shook his head.

“You can burn me all you want, dove. I’m just happy that you and the baby are okay.”

Tara rasped her throat, pink staining her cheeks as she avoided their gazes. “You should feed your wife before doing the blessing of the skin, my prince,” she said, coming closer with their newborn in her arms.

Vergil nodded, looked at the soul of his daughter, eyes misting, and climbed on the bed, beside his consort. He promptly bit his wrist, copper blood spilling instantly, and put it against Mina’s lips. She licked the wound before covering it with her mouth, sucking in complete abandon. Her moans of satisfaction quickly gave a semi to her husband.

Standing in the threshold of the bedroom, Lilith watched the whole exchange with a jaw set. Her left hand opened and closed, possessed by a nervous tick, as the memories of her various births assaulted her. Even when Lucifer couldn’t care less about most of his progeny, he had loved getting her pregnant. Her pregnancies always had the power to change him from the sadistic High King of Hell to the perfect, doting consort. She missed that side from Lucifer, the one where he revered her body like the perfect temple for his sacred seed.

She missed his love.

She missed her position as mother of all demons. But most of all, she missed the cry of a baby of her own in her arms.

Oblivious to the High Queen of Hell’s dilemma, the new mother hadn’t fed for long when she pulled apart from the prince’s wrist and open her arms in Tara’s direction. The moment she held the tiny soul for the first time, her lower lip trembled, and she kissed her daughter, pouring all her love in the gesture. More emotions twisted inside Mina, pushing her mom’s favorite song, “Preciosa”, into the forefront of her mind. The words spilled from her lips and before she knew it, the demon princess was singing Puerto Rico’s unofficial second hymn to her daughter.

Almost like magic, the newborn soul reacted to her mother’s song. Its center swirled faster while its spherical shape lengthened and grew limbs, taking the form of a human baby.

“Agash et emir,” Vergil whispered, caressing his clawed finger over the unsubstantial forehead of his daughter.

Responding to her father, gray skin covered Milaysis in seconds until a tangible baby demon stretched and yawned—showing small, sharp teeth—in the arms of her mother. Tiny black bumps peeked from her snow-white hair as she moved and opened her eyes, revealing pale, silvery irises equal to those of her mother’s demon form.

“Oh, Vergil, she’s beautiful.” Mina’s voice broke with emotion.

“She is.”