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She had been a victim of Adam, in truth. He’d punished her often for committing what in the eyes of him and the other Aeons was the ultimate sin. She’d lost pieces of herself, courtesy of his machinations. Lost her voice, her inner strength, her resilience.
“Cain?” said Dantalion.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Cain glanced over his shoulder. Dantalion stood with the other Ancients, all of whom had agreed to wait in the hall so that Cain and Seth could have a few moments alone with Eve.
“Don’t let your guard down,” said Dantalion, his eyes dancing from Cain to Seth. “She is your mother, yes. But like it or not, she or one of her companions could have been sent here to kill you. To kill all of us.”
“I know.” Cain couldn’t deny that she would be the perfect person for an enemy to send his way. Not only because she was his mother, but because she was unassuming, gentle, and regarded herself as a pacifist. No one would expect her to commit any violent acts. As for her companions . . . he couldn’t speak for them, because he had absolutely no clue who they were. He’d find out.
He pushed open the door and strolled inside with Seth close behind him. Cain’s gaze immediately settled on the beautiful woman sitting on the sofa. His gut clenched hard.
So long. It had been so long since he’d last seen her. But he felt no joy at that moment.
Maybe if they’d had a connection of some sort, he’d have missed her all these years. Maybe if she hadn’t given into despair and then mentally checked out when he was a child, effectively abandoning him, he would have grieved the loss of her in his life. But he’d never really had her in his life. Not properly.
He didn’t judge her for that. Not in the slightest. But it did mean that he didn’t feel able to trust her. As such, the only thing Cain felt as he looked upon this woman who’d given birth to him was a grating suspiciousness.
Eve petite’s form gingerly rose from the sofa, her amber eyes welling up. “My boys.”
Cain’s monster bristled, feeling that Cain wasn’t hers at all; that she hadn’t earned the right to emotionally claim him that way.
Seth cleared his throat. “I suppose you’re here to deliver a message.”
She shook her head, making her chin-length dark-blonde hair bounce. “No one sent me. I came of my own accord.” Her eyes slid from Seth to Cain and back again. “You don’t believe me,” she sensed.
Of course not. “Adam would never have let you leave.”
“He didn’t,” she said. “He may not yet know I’m gone.”
“We snuck her out,” cut in the brunette standing behind the sofa, flicking a look at the male at her side.
Cain studied the two. The resemblance between them and Adam was there, so perhaps they were children he’d produced with one of his lovers before losing the ability to procreate, though that would not explain their apparent loyalty to Eve. They certainly couldn’t be her children. The last child she’d been able to give birth to was Seth.
“We had to get her out of there when we overheard what Adam planned to do,” the brunette added.
Cain arched a brow. “Which was?”
“Kill Eve and leave her body on the border of your town,” she replied. “It was to be your punishment for killing Lailah. But also an attempt to enrage you and throw you off your game.”
Cain could well see Adam being prepared to do such a thing. He could be a ruthless prick, and he would think nothing of taking her life.
Eve licked her lips and clasped her hands in front of her. “I have lived a long time. I do not fear death. But I will not be used against my own children that way. You have suffered enough.” Her eyes teared up again. “I should have been stronger. For a time, I was. But my strength began to fizzle away the day Cain was taken from my arms when he was just a baby. It disappeared altogether when Adam took Seth from me a few years later. It broke me.”
Which had been the whole point of Adam doing it. He’d succeeded in his attempt to crush her will. “How was it you were able to slip away? The borders of Aeon were always watched closely, from what I recall.”
It was the brunette who explained, “Not so much now. The environmental erosion continues to infect the place. At least one group of mortals leaves every day. No one pays them any attention. We just seemed like yet more residents abandoning the decaying ship.”
Seth narrowed his eyes as he took in the two strange Aeons. “You want Eve safe? That is why you helped her escape?”
“Yes,” said the brunette while the male beside her dipped his chin.
“Then why bring her here, where there’ll soon be another battle?” Seth challenged.
“I insisted on it,” said Eve. “I can understand why you would be so distrustful. I truly can. I expected it. I also knew there was a chance that you would send us away. But I hope you will not. I want to at least try to make up for my mistakes. I have information that may help you. Let me do that.”
“Then what?” asked Seth.
“I would wish to stay, as would my grandchildren.”
