“Those are good reasons.”
And there were a lot more reasons not to have children, something I’d have to be more aware of now that I’d found my Chosen. Sex and life were a lot simpler when the guy I was with couldn’t get me pregnant. I rested my chin on my knee and studied Hawk. I bet he’d make a fantastic dad, but if finding my Chosen hadn’t been in my plans, then having children wasn’t even on my radar, especially after yesterday.
I suppressed a shudder as images of the battle and blood-soaked field played through my mind. If the craetons succeeded in getting past us, the children of this world wouldn’t exist. Closing my eyes, I swallowed the lump in my throat. I may not want kids of my own, but I’d kill over and over again to keep them from ever having to witness something like what happened yesterday.
“So, you volunteered so you could travel to the wall?” Hawk asked.
I focused on him to keep from being lost in the screams of yesterday. As I stared into his indigo eyes, the sounds of steel clashing against steel and the flashes of blood dimmed until I could breathe normally again.
“This place isn’t exactly the Great Wall or the pyramids, but it’s not my hometown either. And I’ve done some traveling since coming to the wall, not much, but Massachusetts isn’t Virginia. Not to mention, I’ve met creatures from Hell and become one of them, so things are a lot different than they once were.”
“I see.”
“I volunteered to go into the Wilds,” I said. “I’m one of the troops who is supposed to be returning with you.”
Who knew what would happen now that there were a lot fewer troops to guard the wall.
“The Wilds are dangerous,” he said.
“So is the wall.”
“Not like the Wilds. There are things out there that no one has seen in thousands of years.”
“And I’m going to fight them. After yesterday, I don’t think there are any Hell creatures left that could surprise me.”
He glanced away from me to stare at the window to my right. “Believe me, there are. I’ve been to Hell, I’ve seen a lot of what it had to offer, and I’m still amazed by what we encounter in the Wilds. You’re safer here.”
His words intrigued me far too much for me to acknowledge the last part of his sentence. “You’ve been in Hell?”
“I went in with River.”
They were friends, but it was still weird to hear him use the queen’s name in such a casual way. “What was it like?”
“It’s what you’d imagine Hell to be like—hot, gruesome, full of monsters and spirits, but there was also something beautiful about it.”
“So it was like Earth, except we have seasons.”
A small smile quirked the corners of his mouth, but sadness shone in his beautiful eyes. “I guess so. There was a forest in Hell with these trees that came alive; it was so terrifying and magical. Those trees are some of the deadliest things I’ve ever seen, but they were also gentle and protective of the nymphs and River. They’re amazing, and some of them made it to Earth. Have you seen the calamut trees yet?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You would know.”
I should hear about deadly trees and want to stay far away, but I found myself intrigued. Before I could ask him anything more, a board squeaked in the hall before a knock sounded on the door.
“It’s time to get up, Hawk. We have to meet Kobal in an hour,” Vargas said.
* * *
Aisling
Erin sat at the table with a plate of toast in front of her and a glass of orange juice. I’d seen the woman a few times in town, but she hadn’t joined us when Vargas started training again. I had seen her working with the queen and the queen’s brothers before Vargas returned to training, but it had been a good month or so since I last saw her.
She smiled at us when we entered the kitchen, and I couldn’t help but admire how radiant her soul was. Erin pushed back her chair and rose to hug Hawk. I focused on the toast as I ignored the twinge of jealousy their embrace caused. They were just friends, but I didn’t like anyone touching him. I almost groaned when I realized how much the Chosen bond was messing with my head, but I stopped myself.
My stomach rumbled when Vargas tossed some more bacon on the stove and it sizzled. I could go days without food if I fed on wraiths, but the scents in this kitchen were close to making me drool as I recalled how good food tasted.
I stared at Vargas’s soul as he flipped the bacon. It wasn’t as vibrant as Erin’s, but it was strong and had a streak of red like Hawk’s. Their souls were a good combination; whereas Erin’s came across as warm and open, Vargas’s was more reserved, but they tempered each other nicely.
