“The princess.” Eva sighed. “The Demon came for her when you started burning the city.”
“And what did Timber have to say for himself?” I kept my eyes focused on the horizon as smoke filled the air.
“He screamed at me, though he was able to take her as far as the door, Mason took care of the rest.”
“You killed him?” My eyebrows shot up. He was a powerful Demon, just as old as us, he’d been alive since the fall of man.
“He ran.” Mason sighed. “I got two bites in before he disappeared.”
“Damn.” The horizon wasn’t changing. There were no boats. Only blackness.
“So…” Eva’s scent was altogether too intoxicating. I moved away from her so I could think. “What are we going to do with the children?”
“Sariel can never know.” I breathed out an irritated sigh and glanced at Eva out of the corner of my eye. “Understood?”
Blood must always be spilled. And once judgment was passed, mercy did not exist.
Because of my weakness for a woman I could never have—I allowed it.
Eva’s green eyes blazed as she gave me a firm nod. A Vampire’s word meant everything. I knew she would take it with her for eternity.
“And I imagine the children will do what children do…” One last look at the horizon, and I snapped my attention back to Mason and Eva. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find them homes, but Eva?”
She was already hugging one of the boys who’d started to cry for his mother. “Yes?”
“They aren’t your children.” I said it slowly. “The minute they have homes, you are never to see them again. Children notice more than adults do, it would take them mere days to figure out something was different about you. And I’m not sure how Sariel wants to proceed. I imagine we are going to need to be more careful regarding to whom we reveal our true selves.”
“All right.” Her eyes went back to their natural brown color as she started singing to the little boy.
My chest felt like someone had cracked it open, seeing a small boy in her arms, that’s what it would look like.
If she were mine.
But that existence wasn’t for me.
It would never be a part of my future.
Stephanie
THE FRONT DOOR SLAMMED so hard I was afraid it was going to crack right down the middle. Cassius rushed past Ethan like I was chasing him with a gun, and he actually pushed Mason out of the way to reach the upstairs bedrooms.
Another door slammed.
I winced.
“Trouble in paradise?” Alex joked as he waltzed lazily out of the kitchen. His smirk was undeniably irritating. If he wasn’t family I’d probably attack him or at least freeze his ass for being such a pain in mine.
“No,” I lied. “He’s human. They get grumpy when they don’t sleep.”
“Uh-huh.” Ethan nodded. “You sure that’s what you want to go with? He’s tired?”
Genesis walked into the hallway and stifled a yawn. “Who’s slamming doors?”
“Cassius,” Alex said helpfully. “I’m just going to come out and say it, he was uncontrollable when he was actually able to control his emotions and could choose not to feel. Now that he’s human? He’s a danger not only to himself, but the rest of us.”
“How cute.” Mason chuckled. “The Siren’s afraid.” He winked. “Don’t worry, the dog will protect you.”
Alex flipped him off. “When has a Siren ever needed protection?”
I held up my hands. “Guys, like I said, he’s fine, just tired. We were at his house and—”
“Whoa!” Mason froze in place, gaping at me. Then he shook his head as if coming to his senses. “Back up. He has a house?”
I swallowed. “Of course! Where else would he hang out?”
“Funerals, prisons, Antarctica.” Alex sighed and examined his fingernails, “Take your pick.”
“It was nice,” I said defensively.
All movement in the hallway stopped.
Ethan was the first to speak. “Did you… hurt him?”
“Oh, good grief.” I pressed my fingers against my temples. “No, I didn’t hurt him, everything’s fine. I’m fine, Cassius is fine, the whole world is fine.”
“Fine.” Alex grinned.
My temper surged as I thought of freezing one of his fingers off.
“Ouch!” Alex stumbled back against the wall then held up his hand. “What the hell was that? It felt like someone was sawing off my finger!”
I shrugged.
His eyes narrowed. “He’s been teaching you tricks, damn him.”
“Maybe.” I pushed past him. “Maybe not.”
“Stephanie,” Ethan called out. “Wait.”
I paused in the doorway. “What?”
There they went again with the shifty eyes and uncertain posture.
I growled. “Just tell me.”
“The numbers don’t match.”
“What numbers?”
“Demon.” Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets. “According to our reports from last month they’ve added another sixty to their ranks.”