“Plans are solidifying in the underworld,” Shade said. “There’s been a call to arms.”
Ky’s gut dropped to his feet. “This is bigger than just an incursion, isn’t it?”
E rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, looking exhausted and rougher than Ky had ever seen him. Now he understood why. He was dying. “Armageddon for you, Reclamation for us.”
Shade took a swig of beer. He wasn’t looking so great himself, and Ky had to wonder if Runa, Tayla, and Gem were really buying their “Seminus flu” BS.
“Wraith called,” Shade said. “The guy who attacked Serena is a fallen angel. He’s after her charm and the necklace she’s protecting.”
Kynan was sick of hearing about fallen angels. “What kind of necklace?”
“Wraith didn’t say. But everything happened at the same time—Serena’s appearance on the scene and the underworld havoc. It’s definitely connected.”
“Have you asked Reaver about him?”
“Tried. He’s MIA.”
“Shit. Okay, where are the armies going to strike? I need to notify the Sigil, and the R-XR, if Runa hasn’t.”
Not only did Runa’s brother work for the R-XR, but she’d been employed by them as well, before she hooked up with Shade.
She shot Shade a none-for-you-tonight glare, which was actually a non-threat, seeing how he’d die without sex. “I talked to Arik yesterday, but I’m hearing about all of this for the first time right now.”
Shade shrugged, though he sounded a little sheepish when he said, “I didn’t want to upset you. You’ve had enough on your plate as it is.” He turned to Kynan. “I took a little trip to Sheoul this afternoon. Talked to people who know people… there’s no word on an actual strike. Instead, armies are gathering in Israel.”
Whoa. Kynan put down his fork. “Why would they be gathering aboveground? Couldn’t they use the Harrowgates to get to the places they’re going to strike?”
“There’s fear that humans are going to cripple the Harrowgates,” E said. “Besides, demons can’t move in mass through them. They’ve got to gather near battle sites.”
“Makes sense.” This was good intel. The Aegis and military paranormal units could start putting their resources in place now. He stood. “I’m going to get moving on this. And if Serena or her necklace is part of this, maybe The Aegis or the R-XR could grab her and keep her out of the fallen angel’s hands.”
Shade and E looked troubled by that idea, which would, no doubt, end Wraith’s plans to take her charm, but they didn’t argue. More than their lives were at stake now.
“Tell them,” E said, his voice low and rough. “Reclamation might sound like a good time to a lot of demonkind, but I like the world the way it is.” He gave Tayla and the babies a pointed look. “Safe for my family.”
As Kynan took Gem’s hand in his, he couldn’t help but agree.
Gem had remained completely silent on the walk to her apartment. Kynan would have worried, except that he hadn’t felt like talking much himself. The threat of friends dying and the world ending left him speechless.
Gem dug her apartment keys out of her purse and unlocked her door, but she didn’t open it. Instead, she became very interested in her feet. The platform Mary-Janes added a good five inches to her height and made her long, bare legs into works of art. He’d never been one for Goth fashion, but he couldn’t imagine her in anything else.
Anything but satin sheets, anyway.
He hooked a finger beneath her chin and forced her to look at him. “What’s wrong? Did I do something stupid again?”
A sad smile curved her lips, which were freshly painted with black lipstick. “You didn’t do anything.”
“Then tell me what’s going on.”
“Besides a possible end of the world?”
“Besides that.”
“You… um… you know how I feel about you.”
Well, if that didn’t just freeze the blood in his veins. No one started off a conversation like that unless they were going to say something bad. Like, “I slept with your best friend.” Or, “I slept with that leather-bound, tongue-pierced demon.”
“Gem—”
“Don’t,” she said quickly. “Don’t say anything. I just want you to understand how hard this is for me.”
His heart dropped to his feet. “What’s hard?”
“Breaking up with you.”
After the time they’d spent in the hospital room today, this was the last thing he’d expected, and it took a good ten seconds for his brain to process. Even when it did, he had to repeat what she’d said. “Break up with me?”
Her eyes filled with tears as she brought his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Dammit, Gem.” His voice cracked, and he hated himself for it. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“You want children, don’t you?”
He blinked, completely caught off guard. “What’s this about?”
“Kids. Babies. Little fruits of your loins. Do you want them?”
“Well, yeah… someday.”
Her chin quivered. “That’s what I thought.” She pulled her hand out of his and stepped back, putting a mile of distance in the three feet of space between them. “There’s no point in us dating, then.”
“What? Gem, you’re talking crazy.”
“Oh, come on. Are you telling me you want to see where this goes, if it can get serious? Are you really thinking marriage? Kids? Because, Kynan, you know what I am. Have you considered the fact that if we had kids, they’d be a quarter demon? And not just demon. Soulshredder.”
Kynan’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. He hadn’t thought this far ahead, had been taking things day by day for so long.
“See? You can’t even try to reassure me.” Her voice was soft, resigned, not angry like he thought she had every right to be.
“It’s not that. It’s just… can’t we cross that bridge when we come to it?”
“No, we can’t. God, Kynan, I feel so strongly about you now. I can’t stand the thought that two years down the road, when I’m even more attached, you’d leave me because you want kids. And don’t say the kid thing wouldn’t be a big deal for you.”
“Gem. Listen to me. You know my stance on demons has changed. Some of my best friends are demons. And Tayla and you… the half-demon thing doesn’t bother me.”
“It doesn’t bother you now. But later?” She studied her shoes again. “Even if you decided you could live without kids in order to be with me, you’d grow to resent me.”
“Thanks for the faith,” he snapped. “While you were tagging me with unfair accusations, did you once sit back and think that maybe I should decide how opposed I am to having kids with demon blood running through them?”
She glared at him. “I’m just trying to save us both a lot of pain.”
“Bullshit. You’re punishing me for all those months you wanted me but I didn’t give you the time of day because you were a demon. I’m over that, Gem. I don’t care. Why don’t you get that?”
Her bitter laughter bounced off the walls in the narrow hallway, echoing darkly. “You’re the one who doesn’t get it. Want proof?” She put her palm on his chest. “I see your scars. It’s what I am. Soulshredder, remember? I can see all your past damage, and I know instantly what it’s about. And you know what? There’s this huge gash running right here, over your heart. It’s about Lori. And kids. And how you wanted them but she kept putting you off, and at some point before she betrayed you, you actually suspected, just for a minute, that maybe she was going to put you off forever. And then you’d be facing the hardest decision of your life. Keep her and not have kids, or leave her to find someone you could knock up. How close am I, Kynan? Because I gotta tell you, my demon half is really wanting to poke that wound and make it hurt.”
He felt the blood drain from his face, because he got it. He finally got it. She hid her inner demon well, but
he needed to face the truth. Deep inside, she was a monster, a species of demon even other demons feared. He’d believed that just because he couldn’t see it, it didn’t matter. Didn’t exist.
But it did. He’d seen her shift into her hybrid form at the hospital, but it had all happened so quickly he’d barely paid attention. But that wasn’t true, was it? He’d shoved the image into the back of his mind, locked it up tight with all the other horrific memories he had. That was the only way a soldier or a medic could operate. If they dwelled on the things they’d seen, they’d end up eating the business end of a pistol.
He could keep that image stowed away, but was that fair to her? To him?
“So you’re finally getting it,” she rasped. Her eyes had begun to glow, little red sparks lighting the green depths. “As long as you don’t see the demon, you can deal. I’m good enough to fuck, but not good enough to marry or bear your children.”
“Stop it!” he barked. “Stop telling me what I think. What I feel. You have no idea.”
“Am I wrong?”
He no longer knew. His thoughts were so jumbled up with his emotions right now that he couldn’t think straight.
“That’s what I thought,” she said when he didn’t answer. The red melted from her eyes, and she sighed. “Look, let’s not make this harder than it is. Let’s end it while we still can. While we can be friends.”
God, his chest hurt. This couldn’t be happening. Just hours ago, they were happy. And now… now it was all ruined.
“It doesn’t have to be like this, Gem.”
“You know it does.” She put her key in the lock, but didn’t turn it. “What’s so funny about this is that a year ago I’d have taken whatever scraps you were willing to throw my way. If you’d only come over once a week for a quickie and then left without a word, I’d have been grateful. But something happened to me while you were gone. I got stronger. And now I want it all. I won’t settle. Not even for you.”
With that, she went up on her toes, brushed her lips across his, and disappeared into her apartment.
Eighteen
For the first time ever, Serena wasn’t sure she could eat, wasn’t sure why she’d decided to even try. She felt strangely vulnerable here in the dining car, sitting by herself at a table. Everyone stared at her, or so it seemed.
Someone had betrayed her. Someone had been feeding Byzamoth information from the day she arrived in Egypt, and now everything made sense. Byzamoth approaching her in the street, finding her in the catacombs, and at Philae, and at the Regent’s house.
God, she wanted to throw up.
She’d tried to call Val once she calmed down, but he hadn’t answered, so now she was stuck waiting, and she kept obsessively checking for a text message or voice mail while she waited for Josh to finish checking the train for demon activity.
Thank God for him. How many times had he saved her life now? He’d given her so much in just a few short days—friendship, protection, out-of-this-world orgasms.
She just wished he’d hurry. She’d never been nervous, had always been supremely confident, thanks to the charm, but suddenly she felt exposed, and the only safe harbor was in Josh’s arms.
The thought almost made her laugh, it sounded so cheesy. But it was true. Growing up, she’d felt secure with her mother despite the fact that for the first seven years of her life, death nipped at her heels. Her mother had kept her close, always, and even after she’d given up the charm to Serena, her protective, loving nature hadn’t changed. Later, after her mother’s death, Serena had been taken to the convent, where she’d felt as if nothing could touch her. The charm had given her an even more enhanced sense of security.
In a matter of days, a lifetime of security had been shattered.
Where was Josh?
She tucked her phone back into her pack and looked up to see him, finally, enter the dining car. Her heart pounded as he approached. He was so big, his presence so commanding that everyone stopped eating to stare. She knew from watching him for the past few days that if he looked at them, the men would avert their gazes. The women, however, admired him as though trying to decide what color bedsheets he’d look best tangled up in.
Personally, Serena thought he’d looked great in the hotel ones, his tanned skin contrasting beautifully with the crisp, white cotton.
His gaze held hers as he approached, his sapphire eyes targeting her like a sniper’s scope. Her breath left her lungs in a rush, because right now, in this moment, for him there was no other woman in the room.
He wore jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt that fit like a second skin and outlined every ropey muscle. His hair fell in a gorgeously messy curtain against his jaw and face, which seemed a little pale, his tattoo more prominent than before, and she wondered if he was feeling ill again.
“Hey,” he said, halting at the table.
“Hey.” She still couldn’t drag her gaze away from his. The sensation was hypnotic, and she was perfectly happy to be in this blissful trance. “Are you okay?”
“Motion sickness.” As he bent and planted a tender kiss on the top of her head, she inhaled, taking in that scent that was uniquely his, an earthy, burgundy musk that made her body bloom. He sank into the chair across from her. “Train makes me queasy.”
He was lying. He’d been sick too often, and she knew more than she wanted to about serious illness. Still, she didn’t think he’d appreciate her pressing the issue. But maybe later. After dinner. After they arrived in Alexandria. After they arrived back in the United States.
Because by now, she’d decided that she didn’t want to let him go. He made her laugh, made her feel safe and cared for. They both loved adventure, and they worked well together. She didn’t know how a relationship with him could possibly work without actual sex, but for the first time in her life, trying truly felt right.
Assuming he wanted the same thing.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Not really,” she admitted. “The idea that someone could be betraying me like that… and to a demon. God, who could do that? And why? It makes me sick.”
Some odd emotion crossed his face, but then it was gone. “Yeah.” He took a drink of the water the waiter had left. “Did you get a hold of Val?”
“No.”
“Serena… is it possible that he’s the one who—”
“No!” She lowered her voice. “Absolutely not. He’s watched over me for years, and my mom before that. He’s been more than our personal guardian. He’s a family friend. Besides, why would he send me to another country to get attacked? It makes no sense.”
“Evil rarely does.”
“He’s not evil.”
Josh shrugged, as if he wasn’t convinced, and her temper rose a notch. “Your mother died under his care, didn’t she?”
“I don’t like what you’re implying,” she bit out, because it was ridiculous to think he’d been responsible for her mother’s death in a car accident. “You don’t know him. If you did, you’d see. I wouldn’t have worked for him for so long if I’d had any doubts.”
“Okay.” Josh signaled the waiter and ordered two double whiskeys. “Is that all you do? Work? You ever do anything for yourself?”
She recognized the manipulation for what it was, an attempt to calm her down, and she was grateful for it.
“Not really,” she said sharply, because she was still a little worked up. “All the things I enjoy happen while I’m working. Looking for treasure, outsmarting traps, traveling… I love it. What about you?”
“You mean, do I do things for myself?” When she nodded, his mouth tightened into a grim slash. “I’ve lived my entire life being a selfish asshole. It’s always been about me. Only me.”
“I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”
He snorted. “Trust me, Serena. Pretty much everything I’ve ever done has been because I thought it would benefit me. Why do you think I haven’t gone to see my nephews yet? I’ll have to see how they took Shade away from me.”
He cursed. “See what a bastard I am? Jealous of three innocent babies.”
“It’s understandable. You love your brothers. They’re all you have.” She totally got that, because Val was all she had, and sometimes she found herself secretly jealous that David had a connection with him that she didn’t.
He went darkly silent as the waiter arrived at their table to take their orders.
“You only ordered bread,” she said, when the waiter left.
“The motion sickness,” he muttered.
“Are you sure that’s all it is?”
“Yeah.” He squeezed her hand, his tone saying he was through talking about it, so she just ran her thumb back and forth over his knuckles, loving how her hand felt so small in his.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” she said, as she reached into her backpack and fished out a toy. “Here. I got it in the hotel gift shop.”
One tawny brow cocked. “It’s a top.”
Smiling, she placed the colorful wooden plaything in his hand. “This is going to sound so stupid… but I just keep thinking about how you grew up, and… well, I can’t imagine that you had many toys, and I kind of wanted you to have one.” She continued in a rush. Buying the toy had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now, the unreadable, flat expression on Josh’s face told her she might have made a huge mistake. “I’m sorry… I just thought maybe you should have something you didn’t get as a child. It’s dumb, I know—”
“You shouldn’t have.” Josh’s voice was a gruff whisper.
Serena took his hand in hers again. “It’s just a stupid toy.”
“Whatever.” Red splotches colored his cheeks, as if he was embarrassed to be pleased by a gift as small and silly as a child’s plaything. “Thanks.”
“Maybe next time I’ll step it up and get you a jack-in-the-box.”
He grimaced, and that fast, the awkwardness vanished. “No, thanks. Those things are creepy. I’ll keep the top.”
His words were nonchalant, but the warmth in his gaze wrapped around her like a hug, and she wished she was sitting beside him instead of across from him so she could return the embrace. “Good. I’d hate to have to call you an ass again.”