Chapter 10

But Justin’s mother had fallen in love with a human. And out of his fifty-odd aunts, at least three had taken an interest in their nephew’s well-being. That was a form of love too, woven across magical dimensions.

He said, “You said there had been others. Children. Human and demon.”

“It does happen. Not for, oh, about eighty years, as I recall.” She hopped up to sit on the arm of the sofa, petite legs swinging. “Most of them come home. The humans never trust them, and the power always comes out, and they end up running back to us. And they stop being mortal. All that part gets burned out, after long enough in our world. I’d never met any of the half-children, never knew anyone who had, and then Ahla had to go and do what she did…and now we’re in storybook territory.” She touched Justin’s hair again. “Poor pet. He didn’t ask for that.”

“Storybooks,” Kris said. “Do they…have happy endings?”