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Cain blinked. “Grandchildren?”
“Abel is their father,” Eve revealed.
Well, now that changed things. Abel would never have consented to his children coming here. Not even in a bid to fool Cain and the other Ancients.
“Noah and Rima were mere babies when you were exiled, but you may remember them,” Eve added. “Please don’t hold their parentage against them.”
“We have no more love for Abel than you do,” said Rima. “He treated our mother terribly. He didn’t even visit her on her death bed.”
If Rima was lying, she was very good at it.
“My offer to give you information isn’t conditional,” Eve said, looking from Cain to Seth. “I will do it whether you allow us to stay or not. But I hope you will consider our request.”
Cain stared at her again, wanting to feel something other than pure distrust, but there was nothing. “I’d like Azazel, Lilith, Dantalion, and the two sisters to also be present while you tell us what you know.”
“Of course,” said Eve.
Cain called the other Ancients into the room. Polite but stiff greetings were exchanged, and Abel’s children were introduced.
“As we’ve explained to Cain and Seth,” began Eve, addressing the newcomers, “my grandchildren helped me escape Aeon—or, more specifically, escape the fate that Adam had in mind for me. I was to be killed and dumped here to punish and distract Cain. I chose to instead come here and give you what information I could to help you with what is to come.”
It was clear on the faces of the Ancients that they were skeptical of her motives, particularly Ishtar and Lilith.
“What is it that you wish to tell us?” asked Dantalion, his voice neutral.
“First of all, you should know that Saul has gone rogue,” said Eve. “He detached himself from the other Aeons. He partially blames Adam and Abel for Lailah’s death, since they were not present for the last battle; he believes she would be alive if they had been there. Saul was furious when they expressed a wish to wait and regroup before retaliating.”
Pausing, Eve cut her gaze to Cain. “Saul wants you and the witch dead. He will likely come here. The other Aeons know that. They do not care, because they do not believe anyone will manage to capture or kill him. More, they do not feel that he will be successful at taking out the witch, since it is probable that she will be well-protected below ground. They feel he will instead make a good distraction.”
“How cut up is Abel over Lailah’s death?” asked Azazel.
“Not much,” replied Eve. “They were never in love. They never had children. Never properly committed to each other. He has several other consorts, and she had a handful of lovers. Abel is angry about her death, though. Mostly because Cain was the one to deliver the killing blow.”
“As if you scored some sort of point in Abel’s mind,” added Rima, looking at Cain.
Yes, Abel would look at it that way. He’d always been good at taking sibling rivalry to the extreme. More, he’d always considered he and Cain to be on different “sides.” Always felt they were in competition. “How does he plan to avenge her?”
“I do not know,” said Eve. “But they do not wish to go to war again.”
“I overheard Adam say that they would ‘if necessary,’” said Noah. “They want to get their hands on the witch who cursed the land so they can make her reverse it. They still don’t understand how she managed to cause a blight so powerful that they’re unable to counter it.”
“Revenants can cast all sorts of curses,” said Azazel.
A look of complete incredulity crossed Rima’s face. “She cannot really be a revenant. She lived at Aeon for years, I saw her a number of times, so I know that she is very much alive just like you and me. And she certainly does not wear Kali’s mark.”
“She does wear it,” Cain told her. “Kali simply keeps it hidden most of the time.”
“Why would She do that?” asked Eve.
Cain shrugged. “We can only speculate.” He often wondered if Kali simply wished for Wynter to fly under the radar. The Favored often received much attention. They were kept close to people who would wish to earn the approval of a deity. Kali’s “purpose” for Wynter might necessitate that she not be watched so closely.
“I don’t see how she could possibly be a revenant,” said Rima.
Cain couldn’t see why she’d think he felt it necessary to prove it. “Believe what you will.” He looked at his mother. His mother. And still felt nothing. “The decay . . . how far has it spread?”
“At first, it only affected the surface,” Eve replied. “But it has begun to taint the city below. It hasn’t gotten far. There’s no more than a small patch of soil erosion at the moment. But that is bound to change.”
Cain didn’t miss the smirk that touched Azazel’s mouth.
