If you wanted to procreate, you needed an approved human from the list, just like Genesis had been brought to us. She’d brought balance back to a world full of chaos, meaning we were already going to be opening up the calling again.
Where we’d call numbers of humans who were, in our opinion, superior to others, and allowing them into our world.
An immortal needed a human in order to create more immortals, possibly the reason that we kept our numbers low was because for so long the humans had died at our hands. But now… now, things were working again.
Thanks to Genesis and Ethan’s love fest.
I rubbed my neck again. If the Demons were already picking off humans we had a much bigger problem than Cassius trying to teach me millennia of self-control.
We’d be faced with war.
And possible annihilation.
The Archangels only let us exist if Cassius ruled with an iron fist, and Cassius was at this moment throwing a temper tantrum upstairs and his fists were anything but iron.
The last time Cassius had shown mercy—immortals had died.
I exhaled and rose to my feet. At least he only had twenty-eight more days—and we’d have good ol’ grumpy Cassius back.
I’d miss the human one—he at least smiled—and in rare times, blushed.
Cassius
Greece 79 AD
“EVA!” I HISSED OUT her name, she reeked of human. “Where have you been?”
“Out.”
“Do not lie to me.” I’d never been so angry before in my existence. “I trust you will tell the truth so I’ll give you another chance. Where have you been?”
Her shoulders slumped. “I can’t stay away!” She shook her head. “I know I’m supposed to wait for a mate, and I will, Cassius, you know I’m patient. I just, the children are so innocent, so different from us. The way their minds work…” Her smile was contagious. “Just this morning, John said an entire sentence and was able to spell his name and—”
“John?” I repeated. “You named them?”
“They had names!” she argued.
“If you want a pet. I’ll buy you one.” I stalked toward her as the air between us filled with an icy haze. “But you are NOT to visit the children anymore. If Sariel discovers my treachery, it will be my head!”
“He won’t!” Eva argued. “I promise, just—at least let me say goodbye.”
“No.” Her entire face fell. “You’ve spent enough time there. Write a letter, but you are not to visit them again.” Cursing, I pressed a fingertip against the inside of her wrist. “Already you smell of human, when was the last time you fed?”
She frowned. “I don’t know, a few days…”
“So, not only have you been with humans you haven’t been taking care of yourself? What if Timber returns, hmm? What if he tries to fight you? And because of your inability to follow the rules, he kills you?”
Eva hung her head. “I’m sorry, Cassius.”
“Stop being sorry and simply be better, Eva.”
“All right. I will Cassius. I swear it.”
Cassius
MY BODY ACHED—what the hell had I done? I flexed my muscles and tried stretching my arms above my head, but nothing alleviated the pain. I slammed two doors trying to gain control of my anger at my crippled state. Did humans have to deal with this on a daily basis? Not only was my body failing me, but my emotions were swirling out of control.
I could taste fear on my tongue, it had a hollow, bitter flavor. And my brain wouldn’t stop conjuring up images of Stephanie killing me.
Or my own father helping her do it.
I wiped my face with my hands and shuddered out a breath. Something wasn’t right. Then again, how would I know? My IQ had dropped since the Angel blood was no longer coursing through my veins.
The only thing I could do was ask Stephanie for some of hers.
But I figured that was the stupidest idea I’d ever conjured up considering I had to win her affection by being human.
I groaned in frustration and lay back against the fluffy mattress, head pounding, I had twenty-eight days left and I was pretty sure I was actually getting worse as time progressed.
“Hey, there.” Stephanie walked into the room. I didn’t get up. Didn’t look at her, just stared at the ceiling above and wondered for the tenth time that evening what the hell I’d been thinking, trying to save us both, trying to love her when I clearly didn’t even understand how.
“Hi,” I grumbled.
“Wow, someone’s happy.”
“It hurts.” I rose up on my elbows and glared. “This ridiculous body hurts.”
“You’re human, aches and pains are part of it, I’m afraid.” She offered a tentative smile. “You could always take a pain killer.”
“Pills.” I spat the word out. “I’ve never needed help!”
“Maybe that’s why.”
“Huh?”
Stephanie moved toward the bed and sat on the edge. “Maybe that’s part of this test. Maybe Sariel did this so you’d learn to rely on others.”
The idea had merit even if it was totally off base. “Maybe.”
“So,” Stephanie tapped her fingers against her thigh. “There’s a slight problem with something.”