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Winking at Margo, Chay lifted his chu-ko-nu into position. “Let’s book. We’ll chat later, Roark.”
“You’re still a sodding prat,” Miller Nash yelled over his shoulder, taking off with Galena.
Dax shot him a grin. “You wouldn’t happen to know a dragon, would ya?”
Rein drew his sword from the sheath on his back while he kissed the top of Braelyn’s hair. “Outta here.” Growling, he pointed the tip of his blade at Roark. The Phoenix brand on his arm ruffled its feathers when his fangs punched from his gums. “We’ll have words.”
Roark tucked a slightly bloody, exhausted Indy tight to his side. “I’ll be in touch, witch. While they chase Arisen Dawn, I must find a way to fix the Whorl and portals.”
And I’ve got a really big apology coming.
He laughed, brushing his lips across her mouth. My Indy.
Chapter Thirty-One
Ohngel dematerialized, re-forming outside the entrance to a cavern which held bittersweet memories. Long ago, he had read Scribe’s accounting of the OneCreator’s words to Gahya. “Hades’s hound will be born to a distant line of Earth’s most powerful mages. This descendant will lead Gahya’s Aeternals to victory against Gabriel’s Homo sapiens.”
Here in Wales, he formed a partnership with the Cambion. By isolating the Aeternals on their own realm and dictating the Blood Coven, along with their offspring, remain on Earth, he hoped to prevent a Cerberus from rising to power. But Niviane already carried the Cambion’s child. She gave birth in secret, afterward sending the infant to Scath with the other Aeternals. Her betrayal forced Ohngel to tweak the plan. After all, the OneCreator had also warned, “The hound can be killed under one unlikely circumstance. By the kiss of blood and kin.”
Each of Ohngel’s interventions had purpose. The Cambion’s impregnating a succubus on Scath. The writing of The Path. The creation of the Firebrands and Custodes Templii. The hunt for Blood’s Kiss.
Walking into the dark cave, Ohngel flicked a wrist to light the torches still affixed to the walls. The soothing sound of the trickle of an underground stream was disturbed as bats flew from their roosts. Moisture dripped in tears down rock draped in layers of calcite. He drew stale air into his nostrils, despite a slight breeze which feathered across his face. Today, the womb-like chamber of the cavern was empty of everything except his memories.
The Cambion died more than a thousand years ago, his weathered hand falling to the ground, his eyes closing for a final rest before Ohngel escorted him to the Evermore.
Since he was here to complete a task, Ohngel shook his head to clear it. Some thoughts, though, were too resilient to die.
Because of the OneCreator’s directive for no immortals to interfere, Ohngel had striven to guide events rather than to lead them. Likely, he failed. Too many moving parts to his stratagems. He grew too involved. But his penance was for the OneCreator to decide.
Most importantly, he had mated with Indigo and had no intention of giving her up. He wasn’t sure how the hell that would work out. He knew of no immortal-Aeternal liaisons.
Fuck it. I ceased following the expected path eons ago. No reason to start now.
He strode to a corner beneath the ledge where he had often perched to observe the Cambion. Digging deep, his fingers struck metal. Pulling the object from the earth, Ohngel grasped it in his hand, blowing off the dust of centuries.
With this chalice, the new Blood Coven would create portals and the Whorl to divide three realms again. But the world would be different. Humans knew of Aeternals. Both would work jointly for the benefit of all, for the safety of all. Of course, neither Gahya nor Gabriel would be happy because they were narcissists. Perhaps Ohngel would find a fresh obsession for them, one which didn’t involve the destruction of a species.
Of course, he may not have an opportunity to do shit. The OneCreator might opt to smite him on the spot.
First things first. Call the new Blood Coven together, give them the spells, provide the chalice, and turn them loose. He wasn’t finished yet. But he had great motivation. Ohngel longed to sit on a couch with Indy snuggled to his chest, their feet kicked up onto a coffee table, two sentient species once again living where they were least likely to kill each other.
****
Miller trailed Galena. They crept toward a harpy who was feasting on the carcass of a cow. Distracted, entrails hanging from her beak and her neck feathers slick with blood, the creature didn’t hear their approach. His Amazon lover drove a spear into the beast’s heart before she even lifted her head.
With the Darque wilding dispatched, the two jumped a fence. They crouched behind a farmhouse. Their mission, like other Firebrands, was to contain the murderous bands of Aeternals and creatures roving Earth to feed off humans.
KOC.
Miller, having seen the carnage, was okay with the kill-on-contact order. No mercy.
They peeked around the corner at a group of Arisen Dawn vampires clustered in front of a barn. At their feet were the drained bodies of a man, woman, and two children. From the looks of them, the kids were under ten.
Using the sleeve of his shirt, the guy speaking to the murderous confab wiped blood from his lips.
Holy shite.
It was Lort. The general himself.
