RHETT
"Welcome, daughter," the thing said, its voice a horrific parody of her father’s. "You are just in time for the transition. The moon is at its zenith, and the blood is ready to flow."
"Let him go, Malakai!" Nola shouted, the daggers in her hands glowing so brightly they were almost white. "You have no claim on this man! You have no claim on this world!"
"I have a claim on everything that came from my blood," Malakai hissed, the shadows around him rippling. "I am the First. I am the one who saw the potential in the darkness while your Goddess tried to bind us to the dirt. Your father was a weak vessel, but his love for you made him the perfect anchor. He kept the Bridge alive for me, and now, I will take his place as the master of the gate."
"He is more than a vessel!" Nola cried,
