Magnus clamped his jaw shut. He turned awayfrom us and walked over to stand by Corson, who smirked at him.
Kobal tore his gaze away from Magnus tofocus on Hawk. “We will be going through the Forest of Prurience.It’s where the nymphs and canagh demons originate from.”
The color drained from Hawk’s face as hetook an abrupt step forward. “Canaghs?”
“Not all of them are bad,” Bale remindedhim.
“And most went above. Only the tree nymphsremain in the forest,” Magnus said.
“It may be difficult for you,” Kobal said toHawk.
Hawk’s full lips compressed. “I’ll befine.”
Kobal’s hands constricted on my shoulders.“I’m sure you will.”
Turning, I looked at Kobal over my shoulder.“Have you tried to attack Lucifer with so many troops before?” Iinquired as a way to distract Kobal and Hawk from where thisjourney would take us.
“When I was still foolish enough to believestrength alone would take someone down, I went at him a few timeswith a large number of demons. I spent weeks trying to heal from myinjuries after one attack, and Crux was nearly captured. Sincethen, our battles have been more strategic, but no ground has everbeen gained one way or the other. We’ve both lost followers.”
“What do you believe is enough to takesomeone down now?” I inquired.
“Brains, brawn, and beauty,” he replied witha grin.
“Kobal—”
“A secret weapon then,” he said and kissedmy forehead before releasing me.
“Yes,” I said, having decided that trying tobrazen my way through this was better than being a walking,talking, self-doubting mess. “What happens if you lose one of thehounds?” I asked as I fell into step beside him.
“The hounds within me can be wounded sobadly they have to return to me to heal, or they can be captured,but the only way they can die is if I die. However, I am weakenedwithout the both of them.”
I was determined to make sure he wasneverwithout them. “How old were you when you were hurt sobadly?”
“I was a child then, barely over threehundred years old.”
“Is that all?” I said with a laugh. “You’reright, you were only a child.”
The look he shot me warmed my soul as hesurveyed me from under his thick lashes. “I’ve learned and grownmuch since then.”
CHAPTER 29
Kobal
I didn’t tell her that a month after thatbattle I’d been foolish enough to mess around with Lilitu, with thedetermination to conquer something. The queen of her branch of thecanaghs had been a temptation difficult to resist. Three hundredwas old to River, yet I’d still been foolish back then, recklesswith my power, drunk with the knowledge of what I was and what Iwas meant to rule. The mark of Ziwa I bore hadn’t helped as it mademe more volatile than any varcolac before me, but it also made mestronger.
It had taken me centuries to gain control ofmyself. However, it was still easy enough for me to be pushed overthe edge when angered. My hand slid to the small of River’s back asMagnus opened the doorway to exit his little corner of Hell.
Stopping beside Magnus, I halted River whilethe others moved past us. “I understand your reasons for retreatinginto this corner of Hell and your need to better grasp what you’recapable of, but if you mess up once, or do anything that puts herin danger, there won’t be a second chance.”
“I understand,” Magnus said, “and I willprove my loyalty once more.”
I stared at him for a minute more beforemoving River out the door and stepping behind the others into thetunnel. Corson, Bale, and Hawk moved to the end where they turnedto wait for us. Before them, a few of the skelleins walked aroundthe corner and vanished from sight.
River kept her hand in mine as I strodeforward to join the others. “This way,” Magnus said and jerked hishead to the right.
The skelleins led the way down a narrowtrail winding deeper and deeper toward the fires below us. River’spalm grew damp within my hand as sweat beaded across her brow andstuck her hair to her face, but she didn’t complain as we walked.She pulled a canteen of water from her side and uncapped it to takea drink when we stopped for a break after an hour.
“Aren’t there supposed to be fires orsomething?” Hawk asked.
