“They will go on,” I replied. I lifted herinto my arms and turned to speak with the others. “We’ll be usingthe water in the pool, and then retreating to the shadows overthere,” I pointed at the opposite end of the cavern, toward a placethat wasn’t visible from here. “I’ll let you know when we’re donewith the water. Do not bother us unless it’s necessary.”
Turning away from the others, I carriedRiver across the chamber and into the shadows dancing over the backwall. The scent of the water drifted to me, but I already knewwhere it was located without having to see it. I brought her to theplace where the water trickled out of the wall and over rocks madesmooth by millennia of wear from the water.
The pool that had collected in a worn craterbeneath the insignificant waterfall was about eight inches deep. Itwas not enough to completely immerse our bodies in, but it would beenough to clean ourselves while we remained out of sight of theothers.
I gently pulled River’s dress over her headto reveal her full breasts and pert nipples as I dropped the dressbeside her. I also revealed numerous small blue veins runningthroughout her abnormally pale skin. Lifting my finger, I tracedthe veins that had never been visible on her before.
“You’re exhausted,” I said as I pulled herinto my arms.
The fact that she didn’t deny it, or say shewas fine, was more evidence of how beaten down she was. I strippedout of my pants and tossed them aside before lifting her andsettling her in my lap. I knelt before the pool and cupped my righthand to dip it into the water. Ever so carefully, I lifted thewater to her lips and let her drink her fill before using it towash away the blood and dust on her body.
I rinsed her hair the best I could beforesetting her carefully aside and turning my attention to the filthclinging to my skin. River’s hands were tender against my back asshe helped to clean me. “Your back is nearly healed,” she saidwhile her fingers stroked the edges of the fading wound.
My entire body was sore, my muscles bruisedand torn, but it had felt unbelievably good to drive my thumbs intoLucifer’s eyes and pummel his too-perfect face. “It will be healedwithin the hour,” I assured her.
She ran water over my hair before massagingmy scalp as she washed the dirt free. “I’m sorry about thehound.”
“It happens.”
“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”
I turned my head to find her eyes on mine asshe moved closer to me. I squeezed her hand within mine. “The holeis never filled after the loss of one,” I admitted.
She rested her cheek against my shoulder.“How bad was it, to be born from here?”
My gaze slid to the fires in the distanceand the hounds sitting vigil around them. I could never tell herthat it had been like having the skin seared from my bones beforehaving it forged back on again. Never let her know what it had beenlike to be battered, broken, pushed together, pulled apart, andreinvented by the fires molding my being into existence.
I knew that River had been right, that I’dendured far more than any of the varcolacs who had risen before meduring my creation. The fires had forged me to be stronger than myancestors. There were many burdens River had to carry in her life;this would not be one of them, but I could not lie to her.
“Unlike almost all of the other pains I’veever experienced in my life, rising from here is one I will neverforget,” I said simply.
Her arms slid around my chest and shouldersas she pressed closer. She lifted her head, and I nibbled at herbottom lip before taking possession of her mouth. I felt a sparkagainst my thigh when she opened her mouth to mine. My tongue slidin to taste her in a leisurely dance that allowed me to savorher.
Pulling away from her, I rested my foreheadon hers as her shadowed eyes lifted to mine. “You must rest,” Itold her.
She smiled at me as she leaned against myside. Helping her to her feet, I retrieved the dress and slid itover her head once more. Blood splatters and dust clung to thematerial. However, it wasn’t in as bad of condition as my pantswhich I tugged on and buttoned into place.
Turning, I lifted River into my arms oncemore and carried her along the back wall to a place deeper in theshadows, tucked away between some rocks. I hadn’t spent much timein this place over my life. It was a place I associated with greatsuffering and death, as well as power and life, but I knew everyinch of it.
“We are done with the water,” I called tothe others.
“Will Lucifer be waiting for us when weleave here?” River asked.
“No. We’ll leave the way we came in. He hasno idea about that entrance.”
Settling onto the floor, I gathered herwithin my lap and cradled her there. She nestled closer against me;her mouth heated my neck as her breaths danced over my skin. Herbody was limp from the amount of power she’d used today.
I ran my hands over her flesh, looking torevitalize her. Taking hold of her hand, I kissed her palm beforeresting her hand against the crystals behind my back. “Oh,” shewhispered as the cavern gave her an influx of life. Her lashesfluttered open before closing again.
“There is much power here.”
“Yes,” she murmured. “My real father was amonster who was sent to Hell and my mother never intended to loveme. That’s why she named me after him. She always planned to keepherself distanced from me, to hate me.”
My teeth grated together as I clutched hercloser against my chest. “She’s an asshole and so was yourfather.”
“Which father?”
“Both of them.”
