“They’ve had a rough time of it here,” River murmured.
“They have, but we will work together to make it better,” I replied and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She smiled at me and leaned into my touch as a raven landed on the roof of the truck and ruffled its feathers.
“You may be better off staying in that form, for now. There’s no way to know how the humans will react to you,” River said to Caim, and he cawed in return.
The truck pulled to a stop in front of Mac’s house. My gaze went to the hill above the town and the tents the demons resided in. The canvas sides of the tents rippled in the breeze blowing over the land. Mine remained standing at the front of them all.
River stifled a yawn and rubbed at her eyes when the truck came to a stop. Rising, I lifted her and stepped over the side with her in my arms. “You will rest while I speak with Mac,” I told her.
“No, I am your queen. They all must see me as strong.”
“No one sees you as anything else. Most of the demons and all of the humans will be going to do the same thing as you.”
She opened her mouth to protest before closing it again and gazing at her clothes. “I’dreallylike a shower, some clean clothes, and food. I can shower at Mac’s.”
I glanced at Mac’s house before nodding. “I will have Bale gather some clothes and food for you while you shower, but you will rest after.”
“Okay,” she relented.
I hid my surprise over her agreement, but her capitulation was the true indicator of her exhaustion.
***
Kobal
It was nearing midnight when I finally left Mac’s house with Corson. We walked up the hill toward the tents. The bonfire wasn’t lit, but the faint sounds of music and moans of ecstasy drifted down from the area where the fire had once burned as humans and demons screwed with abandon.
“Do you need me for anything else?” Corson asked as he tugged absently on one of his pointed ears.
I ran a hand through my hair, which was still damp from the shower I’d taken at Mac’s. “No, go,” I said.
He didn’t look back as he broke off to lope up the hill toward the gathering. Bale emerged from the shadows outside my tent when I neared it. Caim strolled out from the other side of the tent. I’d asked Bale to watch over River, but I hadn’t expected Caim to be here too.
“River’s inside,” Bale said before I could ask. “She’s probably sleeping.”
“Hopefully,” I replied. “What are you doing here?” I asked Caim.
“Watching over my niece,” he replied.
I stared at him until he waved a hand at the tent. “I gave up everything I knew for her and all living creatures. I will make sure she is kept safe.”
“We’ll see,” I murmured, but I wouldn’t deny added protection for River, and Caim was powerful. He knew if he tried anything, I’d kill him. I turned my attention to Bale again. “Have Magnus, Raphael, and Shax returned?”
“Not yet.”
“We’ll be leaving at dawn tomorrow to retrieve River’s brothers. I already let Corson know to gather some demons, and you will join us,” I said to Bale. “Mac is assigning humans to come with us as well. We can’t risk leaving the wall vulnerable, but at least a hundred humans and demons will make the journey. If Magnus and Shax arrive before we leave, and you see them, tell them they will be coming with us too.”
“I will,” Bale replied. “How did it go with Mac?”
“He will send out messages to the other groups stationed along the wall to let them know the outcome of the closing of the gateway. Many of those groups will have already heard the result from the demons and humans who were with us and are returning, but there may be some who don’t know yet. I told Mac everything that happened in Hell with the seals and River, and at the gateway afterward. There were too many witnesses to it all to try to keep it a secret.”
“Do you think it will make the humans fear her more?” Bale inquired.
“It hasn’t so far,” I replied. “But large groups of panicked humans, who might be looking to blame someone for everything about to come, are far more lethal than smaller groups who witnessed her dying for them. I made itveryclear to Mac to communicate to everyone that she is to be protected at all costs. If anyone tries to harm her, I will imprisonallhumans from the second they are born until they die.”
“That should keep them away from her,” Caim said.
“It will,” Bale stated.
