“Just like his mom,” Kobal said. “He’s extremely strong.”
I’d only seen that look on Kobal’s face when it came to River, but as he gazed at his son, the love and pride he felt for his child were as evident as the markings on his arms. A twinge of longing tugged at my heart. Before becoming a demon, I’d planned to eventually settle down. My family was gone, and I could never replace them, but I wanted to experience that love again.
And now… well, now I couldn’t kiss a woman without enslaving her and ruining her life, and I couldn’t have any children unless I found my Chosen. That was a possibility, but with the angels and horsemen still out there, starting a family wasn’t an option. There was a war to fight, and after…
Who knew what after held? I was trying to stay focused on one day and one battle at a time. I could think about a Chosen and a family when the fight was over.
I stepped closer to Bale so I could see the baby and smiled when he gazed up at me with the same amethyst eyes as his mother. The child didn’t have his mother’s black hair, but he did have his father’s dark brown coloring.
Because the fires of Hell forged Kobal, he couldn’t pass his abilities on to his son, but I sensed a lot of power in the boy as he jerked on Bale’s finger. But then, his mother was a mighty force.
“Come on,” Kobal said. “You must all be exhausted, and River is looking forward to seeing you. We’ve got showers, mjéod, and beds for you.”
“Those all sound fantastic,” Corson said as he wrapped his arm around Wren’s waist.
With the sun filtering over him, Corson’s black hair shone with blue, and his orange eyes sparkled with amusement. The silver bird he wore in the tip of his pointed right ear spun in the faint breeze. Wren gave him the bird earring when she became his Chosen.
Wren wore the matching earring in her left lobe. The bottom of the earring brushed the braid of pale blonde hair she’d draped over her shoulder. When Wren became Corson’s Chosen, he turned her into an adhene demon to save her life and grant her immortality. Like Corson, she now possessed talons that burst from the backs of her hands, but hers were shorter than Corson’s foot-long spikes.
“Let’s go,” Caim said and transformed into a three-foot-tall raven before taking flight.
His shadow passed over me as I trudged to the back of the pickup and climbed into the bed. I plopped down and draped my arms over the sides while I took in the warmth of the sun. I didn’t pay the others any attention as I savored this chance to relax.
It happened so rarely now, and it wouldn’t last long.
Chapter Two
Hawk
“Hawk!” River cried as soon as I stepped into the hall.
I grinned as she rushed toward me with a radiant smile on her pretty face. Her amethyst eyes sparkled when she threw her arms around me, and her black hair tickled my cheek as she hugged me.
“How’s it going, queen bee?” I asked.
She chuckled as she stepped away and brushed a strand of loose hair away from her face. “The little prince rules the roost now. Did you meet Braxas?”
“I did. Congratulations.”
She radiated happiness as she bounced on her toes. I’d seen her use her powers to destroy things, but she looked as threatening as a kitten now.
“Thank you. He’s amazing,” she breathed. “But enough of that.” She looped her arm through mine as she led me through the large hall. “How have you been?”
“I can’t complain.”
“Any sign of the horsemen and fallen angels?”
“There have been sightings, but we haven’t fought them since they broke Vargas’s leg.”
Almost three months ago, we encountered Envy and Famine; they fled the battle, but not before Envy broke Vargas’s leg. After the fight, we brought Vargas back to the wall to heal, and Erin decided to stay with him.
That was the last time we returned to the wall. Now we were supposed to pick up Erin and Vargas along with supplies for the humans, more vehicles, and fresh troops to join us in the search for our elusive enemies.
“I think they may have left the country,” I admitted.
“How?” River asked.
“I don’t know, but it’s like they’ve vanished.”
