Into the Fog (Fisher's Bay 1) ✅

Too Little, Too Late

Mara sighed and shook her head, turning her body towards them.

"I didn't. I was young. Naive. All I knew was Fisher's Bay, but I thought I was ready for the big world out there. And then found out really quickly that I wasn't," she said wryly. "I had never met a demon before, but even if I had known what to look for, they're good at hiding themselves in plain sight."

She glanced over at Remy.

"I just thought he was another handsome guy. He was showing me attention. Wanted me. I practically jumped into his arms," she said. "Of course, that's how they work."

"Who?" Remy asked, just now realizing that they still didn't know who Nadia's father truly was.

"Asmodeus' kind."

Remy's eyes widened as he looked over at Tate and Chloe, things falling into place. That night at the bar. They had thought it was her Havsfru side coming through, but it was actually her demonic powers.

Holy shit. That must have been what Cian had picked up on. The bastard likely knew all along that Nadia was half-demon and kept it to himself to bring out at an opportune moment.

"It's rare, you know. For a demon and another supernatural to have children. Something with the way our genetics work. Usually they're incompatible," Mara continued. Remy looked over at her, his brow furrowed. "That's why he wants her. Why I had to keep her hidden."

"But, demons have tons of half children."

"Yes, with humans," Mara said, looking at Chloe. "But not with other supernaturals. Not with us. In fact, before Nadia, it was completely unheard of."

"How did you find all this out?" Chloe asked.

Remy watched as Mara fidgeted slightly, chewing her lower lip.

"I'm not proud of this, but I tried to go back to the club. Find him. I was still... enthralled, I guess. The bouncer wouldn't let me in and said I was no longer necessary," she said. "It was then that I realized it was a demon club. That scared me, but I knew if I was going to live in a city with demons, I needed more information so I could protect myself. That's when I learned that they couldn't procreate with other supernatural beings."

"Who did the binding spell?" Remy asked.

"Another demon. She was from Asmodeus' court," Mara said. "At the time, I thought I had been successful in keeping Nadia's birth a secret. I had done something stupid and got locked up. Mama brought her here. I was thinking about coming back. That maybe we were safe because no one seemed to be looking for us... Then Helena found me..."

Mara took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"She told me the full truth. That Nadia's father had been trying for centuries to father a child with another supernatural. And that he had somehow found out about her birth and wanted her," she said. "Helena offered to help me protect her. She didn't want an innocent child to fall into his hands."

Remy frowned, finding the name familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. He could feel Mara watching him. He looked up at her, seeing a sad smile on her face. His eyes then widened as he realized why he knew the name.

While demons didn't have mates, they did have favorites. And Helena was a favorite.

Holy shit. He knew who Nadia's father was.

Mara nodded slowly, clearly seeing the realization on his face.

"She's his daughter. Asmodeus," he said softly.

"Yes," Mara whispered.

Chloe's mouth dropped open as she looked back and forth between Mara and Remy. Tate seemed stunned as well, his eyes wide.