“It should be just ahead,” Serena said, studying her map.
The breeze picked up, bringing with it dust… and the scent of human blood. A lot of blood. Wraith jerked to a stop, slapped hard by a wall of evil. “Serena.”
“What is it?”
“Demons.”
Her head whipped around. “Where?”
“I don’t know. But something felt weird on Philae, and I’m getting that same vibe now. How close are we?” he asked, and she pointed to a house a dozen yards away. “Okay, let’s get out of the open, see if this passes.”
She didn’t argue. She let him take her hand and lead her to the house, but as they drew closer, the coppery odor of blood grew stronger. It was coming from inside the Regent’s place. The hair on his neck stood up, and though his mouth should be watering at the scent, it went dry.
“Serena,” he said, “I need you to stay here on the porch while I check inside.”
“But—”
“This isn’t up for debate. I have a really, really bad feeling, and my gut is always right.”
“Okay.” Her voice was firm, strong, but he picked up the sound of her heart rate doubling. “Okay. I trust you.”
He wished she’d stop saying that. “Just stay here, and yell if you need me.” He kissed her, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to do.
Cursing to himself, he tried the door. Unlocked. It swung open with a creak, and the stench of death hit him so hard he took a step back. Not just death, but misery. Blood. Bowels. His stomach lurched as he moved cautiously inside. His senses didn’t pick up the presence of others, but that didn’t mean he was alone. Many creatures didn’t have heartbeats or physical bodies. And some could conceal their life forces.
He cast a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Serena had stayed put. She had, but the way she shifted her balance and worried her bottom lip told him she wasn’t going to stay there for long.
He found the Regent in the bedroom. And the bathroom. And the kitchen.
He lost his lunch in a garbage can, and as he splashed water on his face and rinsed his mouth in the kitchen sink, he became aware of the fact that he wasn’t alone. He whirled around and found himself face to face with Byzamoth.
“Humans are so… fragile.” Byzamoth smiled and licked the blood from his fingers. “We’ll see how Serena compares. I do hope she’s intact. For both your sakes.”
Wraith smashed his fist into the male’s face. Twice. He followed with a knee to the groin and an elbow to the throat. Byzamoth didn’t have time to be surprised. He went down hard.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about.” Wraith delivered a kick to the demon’s privates. “Oh, yeah—oof!”
Byzamoth had swung his legs out, catching Wraith in the knees. Wraith slammed into a cabinet, barely kept from hitting the floor. The demon hit him with a full-body slam, and Wraith’s skull cracked hard on the wall, putting a dent in the plaster and putting his temper into orbit.
With a roar, he rammed Byzamoth into the counter, sending glasses and dishes crashing. The guy was stronger than most, and it didn’t take long to realize that in his weakened condition, Wraith might, for the first time, not come out on top of this.
Byzamoth’s hand closed around Wraith’s throat and squeezed. A vise grip of pain tore all the way to Wraith’s spine. He fumbled behind him with one hand, seeking the knife block he’d seen on the counter. Byzamoth’s face was a mask of evil, his teeth bared, blood staining them red.
“She’s mine,” he hissed, squeezing so hard Wraith’s vision dimmed. “No more games. It’s time for you to die.”
Not yet, asshole.
Wraith closed his hand around the hilt of a knife and swung. It plunged into the male’s neck, in the soft spot between his neck and shoulder. Blood spurted, and an unholy scream issued from the hellish depths of the demon’s body. He released Wraith, but the knife didn’t slow him down. His eyes glowed crimson, and shit, his entire body began to glow. And grow. And morph.
Fuck a motherfucking fuckduck. Byzamoth wasn’t your average spawn of hell. He was a fallen fucking angel. Time to haul ass.
Wraith charged to the door, just as Serena rushed over the threshold. “What’s happening?”
“Go!” he yelled. “Now!”
She dove back through the door, and he was right on her heels. An infuriated roar followed them, so powerful Wraith felt a blast of heat scorch his back. He grabbed his bags in one hand and Serena’s wrist in the other and sprinted down the street. Ahead, a man was getting into his car. Wraith shoved the guy out of the way, took his keys, and pushed Serena into the vehicle.
The guy cursed at Wraith in Arabic as Serena scrambled into the passenger seat. Wraith ignored him, leaped into the driver’s seat, and started the car.
In the rearview mirror, he saw the angel coming after them… looking like a massive gargoyle with big fucking teeth and giant-ass wings… scratch that: only one wing. He gunned the engine and peeled out of there, driving like a madman until they reached the train station.
“What was that thing?”
“Byzamoth. He’s a fucking fallen angel.”
“Holy shit.”
“Pretty much.”
“Did it… did he… kill the Regent?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, God.” She fingered her necklace as she twisted around to peer through the rear window. “Josh?”
“What?” Wraith screeched around a corner and slammed the car into a parking space.
“Why would Byzamoth have been there?”
“Because he knew you…” Oh, shit.
“Yeah. He knew I was going to the Regent’s place.”
They locked gazes, because he knew where this was headed. Only a few people in The Aegis would have known her plans. “You weren’t booked for this train, right? So no one knows we’ll be on it?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Only Val. I was supposed to be on tomorrow’s.”
Wraith shouldered the backpacks and got out of the car, but for some reason, he didn’t feel relieved.
Reaver’s blood ran freely from his wrists as he kneeled on Mount Megiddo—Har-megiddo, as he’d always known it. His blood was not the first to be spilled here, nor would it be the last. Battles had been fought at Megiddo since ancient times, and the valley below would, someday—maybe soon—become the gathering place for armies who would engage in the ultimate battle between good and evil
Night was falling, but the sky was already dark with roiling clouds. He’d stirred up the Heavens with his presence—and his request.
He waited, his blood forming twin rivers that snaked along the hard-baked soil and around jagged chunks of stone. Spots formed in front of his eyes and nausea swirled in his stomach. If no one appeared before him, he could die, and this was not the way he wanted to go.
Any fallen angel willingly drained of his blood would know eternal torment at Satan’s side. Worse, all hope for Reaver to return to Heaven would be lost.
“You dare to petition me?” The booming voice resonated through his head, ringing painfully in his ears.
Reaver didn’t look up at the owner of the voice, the angel Gethel. He was no longer allowed to view any who still Served. Instead, he kept his gaze on the ground that grew damp with his blood.
“I deemed this to be worthy of your attention,” he answered carefully.
“I will be the judge of that.”
“Of course.” A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he wondered if she’d let him bleed out. “The Sentinel, Serena, is in danger.”
“We are aware of that.”
“What is being done?”
“We cannot interfere.”
He knew there were restrictions on how much help angels could provide until the situation crossed out of the realm of human free will and into a true crisis of good and evil. But Serena needed help.
“I could go to her—”
Lightning flashed. Thunder ripped through Reaver’s b
rain, shattering his eardrums. Pain screamed through his head and his wrists, as the blood that had been streaming turned to ropes that secured him to the parched earth.
“You will not go near her.”
“Something must be done!” Reaver lifted his head. He was done begging and cowering like a whipped dog.
Gethel stood before him, larger than life, terrible and beautiful as the wind whipped her gray robes and blond hair around her. “You have done more than enough for Serena, Fallen.”
The reminder of what he’d done to cause his Fall became a crushing pressure in his chest. He’d committed a crime by breaking rules and interfering in the humans’ lives, and even though he’d done it to save Serena, arguing his point with Gethel would get him nowhere. Once more, he bowed his head. He closed his eyes, but the memories played on the backs of his eyelids like a movie in high def.
There were only two ways out of the charm—suicide and sex. Patrice had been a treasure hunter, much like Serena. And in her travels and hunts, she’d found an object of major historical and religious significance.
She had found the true Spear of Destiny, the Holy Lance of Longinus, used to stab Jesus after his death. Though humans had speculated on the lance’s powers for years, the truth, that it was capable of unspeakable evil in the hands of humans who would wield it for power, was something that must be kept secret until the Final Battle.
Patrice could have made herself rich and famous beyond belief, but she understood the power of the lance, and she returned it to its resting place, to be found again by one who would use it for the side of good in a time of need.
Her sacrifice had made her the perfect choice to be caretaker of the necklace, Heofon, after its previous keeper had killed himself two hundred years into his guardianship.
Patrice had worn Heofon with pride… until Serena was on her deathbed.
At that point, Patrice had begged whoever would listen to save Serena. When her prayers went unanswered, she’d pleaded for the charm to be transferred. It was something that had never before been done—wasn’t allowed to be done.
But Reaver had done it.
And he’d earned himself a boot out of Heaven’s door.
“I would do more for her if I could,” he said to Gethel.
“What you will do is think on your actions until I see fit to release you.”
With that, she was gone, and he was left staked out on the baking earth. He wouldn’t bleed out now, but if he was still here at high noon tomorrow, he’d be transported to Heaven, to face one final judgment.
And he would fail.
Seventeen
New York in the winter could be bone-chillingly cold, but the temperature didn’t bother Gem as she and Kynan walked to Eidolon and Tayla’s high-rise condo. Heck, nothing was bothering her now. Though she and Ky hadn’t been able to make it back to her apartment, she still felt a buzz of promise after the romantic hour they’d spent in the hospital.
Then E had gone and ruined everything by insisting that everyone meet at his place. Whatever he was worked up about sounded bad.
E answered the door. “Tay and Runa are in the living room with the babies. Shade and I are doing our best to not burn steaks in the kitchen.”
Kynan peeled out of his jacket, and Gem took a moment to admire how his black sweater molded to his toned body. “I’ve cooked steaks on Humvee engines before. I’ll help you out.”
“That’s not a ringing endorsement, man,” E said, but he cocked his head toward the kitchen. “Come on.”
Gem frowned. “You said we were meeting to talk.”
“Bad news always seems better on a full stomach,” E said and disappeared down the hall, Kynan on his heels.
Gem hurried to the living room, which looked like a Toys “” Us had exploded in it. Tay and Runa looked up from where they sat on the floor playing with the boys. It was impossible to tell any of them apart, except the newest addition, who was a little smaller than the others, pinker, and snuggled securely in Runa’s arms.
Shade and Runa were thrilled to have the infant, especially now that Wraith’s future was in question. Having a little piece of him seemed to be a comfort to everyone, and the little demon would be given all the love that Wraith had missed out on as a child.
God, Runa looked so happy, so content. Gem felt a tug in her abdomen.
Tayla patted the floor next to her. “Cop a squat and grab a kid.”
“There are more than enough to choose from.” Gem eyed the three babies lying on blankets, their little hands clutching soft, colorful toys.
Tay dug a bottle out of a diaper bag. “I don’t know how you do it, Runa. I’d go crazy with just one.”
Runa smiled down at the infant in her arms. “You’ll change your mind when you’re holding your own.”
“I doubt it,” Tay muttered. She and Eidolon wanted kids, but they were willing to wait. Like, thirty years, if Tayla had her way.
“So Wraith doesn’t know about the baby yet?”
“No.” Runa stroked the infant’s cheek. “He’s got so much to deal with right now. Even when things do calm down, it’s going to be hard to tell him. Shade’s afraid he’ll short-circuit or something, if he thinks he has to be responsible for an innocent life in some way.”
“He doesn’t. You’ll make sure he knows that, right?” Tayla scrounged around in the bag again and pulled out Mickey. The ferret chattered indignantly, stole a pacifier, and scampered under the couch.
“Of course. We want to raise this little guy. But can you imagine how hard it’ll be for Wraith to come to family functions and have to see his own son growing up without him? And what about when the baby starts asking questions? What do we tell him? That his father didn’t want him?”
“I don’t think you’re being fair to Wraith,” Gem said quietly, and Tay and Runa stared like she’d just declared that Sheoul, with its dark, icy outer caverns and its molten lava core, was a primo vacation spot. “Come on. We don’t know how he’ll react. He’s always been unpredictable.”
“Yes, and that’s what you want around children,” Tay said dryly.
Gem shrugged. “I just think you need to give him a chance.”
Runa sighed. “I know I’m being hard on him. He’s got a protective streak a mile long, and he’s been kind to me, but I don’t know if any of that makes him good father material.”
“Speaking of father material,” Tay said, sliding Gem a curious look, “how are you and Kynan doing?”
“Father material?” Runa leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Are you and Kynan… expecting?”
Gem nearly choked on her own tongue. “No way. Are you kidding?” She glanced over her shoulder, half afraid he’d walked up behind her.
“But you want kids someday, don’t you?” Runa asked.
“Yes, but…” But what? She did want them, but what kind of world would she be bringing them up in? Demon or human?
A knot formed in her gut, tightening and squeezing until she could barely breathe. She’d grown up a product of two worlds, belonging to both and neither, and she swore she’d never put a child through that.
Heck, it was dangerous to put a child through that. Some demons, like Sensors, her adoptive parents’ species, existed for the sole purpose of hunting down pregnant human women whose babies were of mixed species, and killing the infants. Other demon species made it their mission to destroy half breeds, just for sport.
Gem herself had been marked for death and would have been destroyed had her parents not been desperate for a child when it became obvious that they couldn’t conceive. Tayla had been spared only because Gem’s adoptive parents hadn’t sensed demon in her and had left Tayla with their human mother.
She eyed Tayla and Runa, ashamed of the spike of jealousy she experienced at the knowledge that they didn’t share her problem. Their children were—and would be—purebred Seminus demons.
“What’s wrong?” Tayla asked. “Do you think Kynan wouldn’t want kids with you??
??
“I think it’s too early to even think about.” But no, she didn’t think Kynan would want kids with her. It had taken him forever to have sex with a demon. Having children with one? He’d probably castrate himself before he allowed that to happen.
Runa thrust Wraith’s son into Gem’s arms. “We’ll have to let him see how great you are with them, then.”
Gem’s eyes stung as she looked down into the tiny, scrunched face of the baby snuggled against her. His little fingers grabbed hers, and she felt that tug again, low in her womb. Heavy footsteps announced the arrival of one of the guys, and sure enough, Kynan crouched next to her, a glass of soda in his hand.
“I brought you a drink.” He set the glass on the end table. “So that’s Wraith’s hellspawn, huh? He’s cute—nothing like his father.”
A smile played on his lips, and Gem’s breath caught at the longing in his eyes.
“He’s a really good baby,” Runa said. “So yeah, nothing like Wraith.”
Kynan’s smile turned sad, and Gem knew he was thinking about Wraith’s dire situation. “Can I hold him?”
Gem handed the infant to him, and she choked up—actually choked up, when he cradled the little guy to his chest and began to rock him. He was father material, pure and simple. Someday he’d want them, and what then? What would happen when he realized that Gem couldn’t bear him human children?
Nothing good, and it was time to face the facts.
She and Kynan could never have a future together.
Dinner tasted like sawdust
Kynan mostly pushed his food around his plate as Eidolon listed all the things that had gone wrong with the hospital, including the fact that the patch they’d slapped on the Haven spell was weakening. With the hospital running on minimal staff, E and Shade had decided that, should the Haven spell fail again, they were going to shut down.
But the worst of the news had come earlier, in private, when Shade and E had told him that their lives were also at stake, something they hadn’t told their wives.
And still the bad news kept coming.