The House Of Crows And Wolves

Chapter Forty-six: Talon's change of heart

Talon Nightshade stood at the imposing front door of the Wolves and Crows mansion, his heart pounding. He knew this was the moment he had been working towards, yet he couldn't shake the anxiety gnawing at him. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

Within moments, Seraphina and Lyra Ravenshadow appeared, their expressions wary and guarded. Seraphina's eyes narrowed as she recognized Talon, and Lyra stepped forward, her stance defensive.

"What are you doing here, Talon?" Lyra demanded, her voice icy. "And why should we not consider you a threat?"

Talon raised his hands, showing he meant no harm. "I've come to see my daughter," he began, but Seraphina interrupted, her tone harsh.

"Save it. We know about Asha's death. Did you kill her?"

Talon's eyes widened in shock, his composure faltering. "Asha is dead? How? She helped me purge my avarice and greed. Who could kill such a nice lady?" His voice broke, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Seeing his genuine distress, Lyra hesitated. "If you're telling the truth, you're still not off the hook. You have a lot to answer for."

Talon nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I know, and I'm ready to face the consequences. But please, let me see Eva. I haven't seen my daughter in ages."

Lyra glanced at Seraphina, who nodded reluctantly. "Fine," Lyra said. "But you're not roaming free in this house. We'll keep you in the basement."

Talon accepted this without protest. As they led him to the basement, he said quietly, "Lyra, I have information about your parents."

Lyra stopped abruptly. "What about them?"

"They're alive," Talon revealed. "Imprisoned in a hybrid couples' prison in Ireland."

Lyra's eyes widened, and she quickly fact-checked Talon's claim using her phone. The information checked out, and she felt a mix of relief and anger. Turning to Talon, she said, "If you're lying, you'll regret it."

"I'm not lying," Talon replied, his voice steady. "I want to make things right."

Once Talon was secured in the basement, Lyra and Seraphina returned upstairs. Eva was training with Fenris and Ragnar, unaware of her father's arrival. Lyra approached her, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"Eva, we need to talk," Lyra said gently.

Eva paused, sensing the seriousness in Lyra's tone. "What's going on?"

"There's someone here to see you," Lyra said, leading Eva to the basement.

When they reached the cell, Eva's eyes widened in disbelief. "Dad?"

Talon looked up, his eyes filled with remorse. "Eva... I'm so sorry for everything."

Eva hesitated, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why now? After all this time?"

Talon's voice broke. "I've changed, Eva. I had to. Asha helped me see what I had become. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just want you to know the truth and maybe, one day, we can be a family again."

Eva stood there, torn between anger and longing. Lyra watched, hoping that somehow, they could all find a way to heal. But for now, they had more pressing matters-rescuing Lyra's parents and stopping the looming threat of the dark gods.

As the night wore on, Lyra and her allies began to formulate a plan to free her parents and deal with the fallout from Asha's murder. Talon, confined to his cell, silently vowed to do whatever it took to make things right, starting with protecting the daughter he had wronged for so long.