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“How long do you think it will be before the Aeons invade our town again?” Seth asked no one in particular.
Scratching at his light blond stubble, Dantalion said, “They won’t rush. They’ll make us wait as part of some psychological warfare, believing that we will all be on pins waiting for them to appear. But they also won’t take too long. Not when their priority is getting their hands on Wynter so they can force her to stop the environmental erosion from spreading any further.”
“We should consider that they might one day decide to instead kill her, hoping that her death will be enough to cut the head off the rot,” said Seth. “Their land is wasting away. They won’t want to believe that they have no hope of returning their home to its former glory. They won’t wish to face that they may be forced to relocate. But when it reaches a point where the damage is too great and they feel they have little to lose, they might be prepared to try anything to save it.”
“Even obliterating the source of the decay,” added Dantalion, to which Seth nodded.
Such an attempt wouldn’t work. The Aeons wouldn’t get the chance to learn that for themselves, though—Cain would allow them nowhere near Wynter, let alone permit them the opportunity to end her life.
“Who do we think will lead the attack when they come?” asked Inanna. “It would be unwise for either Abel or Adam to show up here when they are quite aware that they need to live if we are to remain imprisoned.”
“But they’re both supremely arrogant,” said Lilith, sweeping aside her red bangs. “Even with reports of how well we performed at the battle, they will consider us weak in comparison to them. And Abel may feel compelled to personally avenge his dead consort even if only for the sake of appearances.”
“I do hope so,” said Dantalion. “I always hated that fucker. He’s exactly like his father, except he’s not as smart or as powerful.” He cut his hazel gaze to Cain. “I recall him advocating strongly for you to be killed rather than caged. The thought of taking your life might be enough to lure him here.”
Cain inclined his head, not at all cut up about it. There was no love lost on either side. “But . . . he won’t want to launch an attack on this place while Seth is here. Abel wouldn’t want a personal hand in his death.”
Seth’s brow puckered. “He considers me a traitor. He dumped me here believing I’d be killed by one of you at some point. I doubt he gives much of a shit what happens to me.”
“You’re wrong,” said Cain. “You two were close once. He cares for you. It will have pained him to leave you here.”
Seth’s frown deepened. “Yeah? Well, he didn’t speak up for me when I was exiled and essentially sent here to die.”
“Of course he didn’t,” said Lilith. “He never contradicts Adam. Few do.” Her upper lip curled in distaste. She’d never been fond of Adam, and with good reason.
“Abel likes to believe that Cain poisoned your mind against him,” Azazel said to Seth.
“Abel did that all on his own when he crossed an unforgivable line,” clipped Seth, his eyes hard.
“I’m aware of that, but he and Adam like to think you’re weak of will and utterly brainwashed,” said Azazel. “I agree with Cain that if Abel can avoid having a personal hand in your death, he will.”
Dantalion looked at Cain. “I suppose we’ll have to see which will win out for Abel—his reluctance to harm Seth, or his thirst for your blood.”
“I am hoping it’s the latter,” said Cain. “Because there’s little chance that Adam will lead the army here. He prefers for others to do his dirty work, he hates to leave Aeon, and he considers himself too important to risk his own life. But if we were to kill the only son he gives a shit about . . .”
A grin slowly curved Azazel’s mouth as he finished, “He’d for sure come here to wipe us out.” The Ancient cut his gaze to Seth. “Are you going to be able to stand firm against your brother and father if they come here?”
“I don’t think of them as family,” Seth stated. “I haven’t thought of them as family in a very long time. Trust me, if they come to Devil’s Cradle with the intention of harming even one single person here, I’ll have no problem killing either of them.”
There was a brisk knock on the door.
“Come in,” Cain called out.
The door opened, and Maxim stepped into the dining room. His expression grave, the aide cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Sire, but you need to be aware of this. You all do.”
Cain felt his brow furrow. “What is it?”
“Three Aeons have arrived,” said Maxim. “One of them is Eve.”
Everything inside Cain went utterly still. Motherfucker.
Standing outside one of the manor’s parlors, Cain exchanged a look with Seth. Their mother was inside that room, and neither knew what to make of it. To their knowledge, she’d never before stepped foot outside of Aeon. Adam wouldn’t have allowed it.
It was possible that he’d sent her to deliver a message to the Ancients, believing that there would be no risk of her being harmed by her own sons, but Adam could have as easily sent an envoy. He certainly wouldn’t have sent her to do any negotiating on his behalf. Adam had always deemed her useless, and he didn’t have a flattering view of the female gender.
Cain’s monster was in no rush to enter the parlor. It felt no attachment to Eve. Never had. In fact, it didn’t feel even the most basic respect for her. The creature had always felt that she should have stood up to Adam for the sake of her children. It had made no allowances for her nature or the delicacies of the situation.
While Cain understood why she’d rarely fought Adam on anything, there was a part of him that had once resented her for it. But that resentment had long since gone, leaving pity in its place.
