Magnus laughed, drawing lethal looks fromeveryone in the room. “Canagh blood, how perfect,” he said as hesteadily crept backward. “Don’t kiss him, dear, you’ll be followinghim around like a puppy dog after,” he said to me.
I scowled at him. The color drained fromHawk’s face, and he swayed on his feet.
“You are still changing,” Kobal said, “butyou are no longer human.”
“What does this mean?” Hawk asked. “Am Igoing to start feeding on people like Lilitu and her followersdid?”
“Lilitu was a leech who enjoyed feasting onothers in such a way. Your sexual appetites will begin to grow. Youwill feed on the energy generated during sex as well as on wraiths,but there are canaghs who refrain from enslaving their lovers. Youwill have to learn how to do so too, unless you decide that’s thekind of life you want to live,” Bale replied.
Hawk looked as if he couldn’t decide if heshould sit, punch the wall, or tear the throat out of everyone inthis room. I couldn’t blame him; I was contemplating doing all ofthose things myself. He leaned against the wall and ran a handthrough his close-cropped, brown hair as he slid down until he wasnearly sitting on the rock floor.
“You should have said something,” I said.Placing my palms on Kobal’s chest, I pushed against him andmaneuvered my feet to the floor until he reluctantly released me. Iglared at Magnus as I walked to Hawk’s side. I knelt and rested myhand on his arm. “It will be okay. We’ll figure it out,” Ipromised.
His eyes were haunted when he lifted them tome. “Will we?” he inquired. “Look at what I did to Sarah. I thoughtshe was crazy, but I ruined her. I took her life from her andturned her into a stalker.”
“You will be able to control that,” Baleinsisted. “It will take time. You will have to feed on a regularbasis though. If you don’t, or you try to hold off from feeding,your hunger will only build until you can’t control it. Being newto what you are, that won’t take long.”
“Just don’t kiss them while you’re screwingthem,” Magnus said. “Which is easy enough to avoid.”
“Shut up!” I snapped at him. Maybe thisdemon of illusions could be a powerful ally, but I was tempted tokill him.
Hawk glanced down at my hand on his armbefore moving away from me. Sorrow swelled within my chest.“Hawk—”
“Stay back for now,” he said.
My hand fell limply to my side. A hollowfeeling filled me as I watched him move further away and rise oncemore. Distress and confusion radiated from him as he tugged at hishair while he paced around the walls, staring at the vast chambersurrounding us.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” hedemanded.
“When the time for it came, yes,” Kobalreplied flatly.
“And what if there had been other women,like Sarah?”
“We were keeping watch to make sure thatdidn’t happen again.”
I leaned against the wall as I tried tounderstand why he’d kept something this important from Hawk. “Whydidn’t you say something, just in case?” I asked.
Kobal stared at me, but he didn’t say aword.
“Demons don’t exactly want it getting outthat our blood can grant immortality to some of you mortal folk,”Magnus said as he lifted another goblet and pulled a jug from ashelf. “A lot of humans wouldn’t care that the change also comeswith abilities they may not be able to control, or that there is achance they might not survive it at all. They’d only see theopportunity for eternal life and they’d go for it no matter whatthe consequences were.”
“Immortality?” Hawk asked at the same time Isputtered, “Wait,what?”
Magnus stared back and forth between usbefore he slid a wary gaze toward Kobal. He lowered the goblet he’dbeen about to drink from. Realization dawned in Magnus’s eyes as Iknelt staring at him in horror. A cold chill slid down my spine; Icouldn’t tear my gaze away from the striking demon as my mind spunwith the implication of his words.
“Enough, Magnus!” Kobal barked.
“It’s too late now,” Corson said, “and Hawkhas to know.”
Kobal’s emotionless gaze fell on me, and thechill became a full-blown ice storm within my body before he turnedto look at Hawk. “Yes, you are now immortal,” Kobal said briskly toHawk. “Or at least close to completing the process of changing froma human into an immortal demon.”
I couldn’t look at Kobal anymore as I triedto gather my scattered wits and suppress the anguish buildingwithin my chest. Finally, my eyes slid to him. He met my gazeunflinchingly, but I saw the truth in his eyes. He’d kept thisinformation from meonpurpose. He’d known there wasa way we could be together forever, and he’d chosen not to revealit.
Tearing my eyes from Kobal, I watched Magnusuntil he’d succeeded in putting the entire length of the tablebetween himself and Kobal. I wasn’t sure it would be enoughdistance as Kobal watched every one of his steps like a wolf on thehunt.
Corson and Bale also edged away from Kobaland toward where Magnus stood. Kobal’s temper was something tofear, yet he had to know that keeping this from me had been his ownchoice and no one else’s. He could not blame Magnus because thetruth had finally come out.
A sob stuck in my throat, but tears didn’tburn my eyes when I focused on Kobal again. I was too pissed fortears. Kobal’s golden gaze met mine; he thrust his shoulders backas if preparing for a blow.
