Prelude,

He stepped in front of her, the demon had no right to have done this to him. At the floor near her feet lay his apprentice, thrashing about, as he foamed at the mouth. His transformation nearly complete now and his size shrank down to that of a small dog. A just curse for his betrayal. He turned his face to gaze up at his lover, he would not allow her to leave.

With a snarl, he unleashed the trap spell. The black flashes of light laced out and encased the woman, her eyes widened when her attempts to escape proved futile. She still clutched the bundle in her arms, refusing to let go.

“Release me,” She demanded.

“Never, you are mine Slier,” He told her.

“I will kill the child first,” She said, her fingernails grew into long black talons. They encircled the infant's throat in her arms.

“Slier I command you to release her to me,” He ordered.

His hold on the demon waned in the past few weeks. Now the control he held over her was gone. All because his apprentice fell sway to the influence of the creature. He’d little doubt she would follow through with her threat. It mattered not to the creature that the child was also her own, they had no love for anyone save for themselves.

Slier’s hand tightened its hold and the child wailed out in terror. His heart broke, he needed the power Slier possessed, yet he could not bear to see his only child die.

“Leave her with me and I shall set you free!”

“Swear it by her soul name!” Slier grinned as she spat the words out.

“If I do, you will have to swear never to interfere with her.”

“I swear it,” Slier said in haste.

They made the pact, Slier passed him their daughter and then disappeared back to her infernal realm. A princess of the Abyss was a fruitful familiar but also one who cost him a great deal. Staring down at the sweet face of his child, he knew this was far from over. Demons were far from being trustworthy. The black hair was the only thing on her that was like her mother’s. He prayed she would never know her true heritage. From this day forward, he vowed to keep it from her, shelter her from the power he knew she would have. He realized it meant abandoning her. Her fate now out of his hands. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he murmured softly. "I will always love you"