There was almost a sadness in my father’sgaze as he studied me. “You look so much like my mother,” hemurmured.
I was taken aback by his words as I tried tograsp everything that was happening. He’d probably said that togain sympathy from me, but I couldn’t stop the ache spreading in mychest. I’d had a whole family out there that I hadn’t known.
Grandparents, I’d had grandparents.Well, of course I’d had grandparents; he hadn’t been spontaneouslyborn onto the earth, but I’d never really thought of them before.My mother’s parents had passed before I was born; she’d had nosiblings. I think a part of me had assumed it had been the same onmy father’s side too.
“Is your mother… is my grandmother heretoo?” I croaked out.
Was that actually compassion in my father’sgaze? “No, my mother never would have been sent here. She deservedand earned better.”
For some reason, those words made itimpossible for me to hold his gaze. He’d done something horrible toend up here, and he was helping Lucifer, but the love in his eyesfor his mother had been unmistakable. It had been fleeting, but soraw, sohuman. I stared at my battered boots as I inhaledone tremulous breath then another.
Finally, I felt strong enough to look at himagain. “What is your name?”
He looked surprised by my question. “Yourmother never told you?”
“No.”
“My name is Rio.” My heart plummeted into myfeet at his response. “It’s Spanish for…”
“River,” I said the word with my father.
A smug smile curved his mouth once more.Kobal took an abrupt step toward me. He stopped when I shivered andbacked away from them.
“My mother named me for you,” Imurmured.
“Probably because you are very much likeme,” he replied.
“Thefuckshe is!” Kobal roared.
Kobal’s denial didn’t matter though. I knewthat wasn’t the reason my mother had named me for my father. No,she’d had an entirely different reason behind the choosing of myname. Kobal’s hand constricted on my father’s neck, causing him tosquirm and twitch within his hold once more.
“Do whatever has to be done,” I said andforced my wooden feet to turn away from them. I walked back towardthe entrance of the broken seal. I knew this had to be done, but itdidn’t mean I had to watch it. My legs wobbled as I walked. Corsonmoved to help me, but I waved him away.
“I need some space,” I told him.
He hesitated for a minute before steppingaway from me. He remained where he was in the center of the floorwhile I made my way toward the doorway. Leaning against the wall, Istared across the ruined seals spreading out before me in a longtunnel of death as I contemplated my father’s words.
From the second I’d been born, my mother hadbeen looking for a way to distance herself from me, a reminder tokeep herself from loving me. She’d discovered a way to do that whenshe’d named me. Every time she said my name, every time she thoughtit, she was reminded of the man who had left her behind with hischild.
She had not named me after my father as away to hold onto a man she’d loved; I doubted she’d ever lovedanyone. He’d most likely been a fling for her too, one who had lefther knocked up and alone, and she’d resented him for it. Perhapsshe hated him as much as she did me.
When I’d been younger, I’d tried so hard towin her approval and earn her love before finally giving up. Now Irealized I’d never had a shot of succeeding. Inevershouldhave had to try and earn it to begin with. I had no idea why therealization she’d always been determined to hate me rattled me somuch, but I found myself grappling to keep myself together as Istared across the blood-soaked carnage before me.
I’d sworn, after she’d sold me to thegovernment, she’d never be able to do anything to hurt me again. Ihated that I was wrong. I hated that I now realized, no matter howfar I distanced myself from her, she would always have the abilityto slice me deep.
An echoing scream pierced the air behind meat the same time I thought I heard the ringing clash of steelcoming from the beginning of the seals. I tried not to think aboutwho Kobal was feeding from as my father’s cries drowned out allother noise.
The higher the scream went, the warmer theair around me became. The wraith’s strength was draining. Myfather’sstrength was draining, and I was becoming strongeronce more.
“Don’t feel bad for him,” I whispered beforea shadow fell over me.
My head shot up, and I took a step back asmy eyes latched onto the creature flying across the top of theceiling. Panic curdled within me when I spotted the gnarled blackwings stretched out at its sides. I stumbled back and collided withthe wall when it turned its head to look down at me. I barely hadtime to assimilate what it was before I saw another one soaring inbehind it, followed by another.
Turning, I sprinted for the intact seal andthe others. “Angels!” I shouted and pointed to the ceiling.
Kobal’s head shot toward me, and his handtightened around the throat of the emaciated and twisted wraithwithin his grasp. I couldn’t recognize anything about the creaturehe held now, as my father’s visage had vanished to be replaced withhis wraith form once more. Its jaw had extended until it was nearlytwo feet long, and its mouth revealed nothing but gaping emptinesswithin it. The once blue eyes had sunken into its black and twistedface until they’d stopped being visible. It resembled what manyimagined the Grim Reaper would look like.
Before I could make it two more steps,something crashed into my side. Arms wrapped around me as I tumbledacross the ground. A scream rose in my throat and strangled therewhen Corson’s citrine eyes filled my vision from his position ontop of me. I only had a second of relief before he was plucked offme and lifted high into the air.
