“Lanavours,” I grated from between my teeth.“The third seal has fallen.”
“Nightmares now walk the earth,” Verin said.“Which means the second seal has also been set free.”
“Shit,” Corson muttered. “Not good, this isnotgood.”
No, it most certainly was not good,considering what had been locked behind the second seal. I glancedat the hellhounds on my arm. I still felt no severing in theconnection between myself and any of the hounds, but I had to getto them soon and find out what was going on. Find out how somethingwas getting by them to break the seals I’d left the hounds behindto protect. If River could close the gateway, I’d return to Hellafter to seek out the answers eluding me now.
“Are we in danger here?” River asked.
“No, not if we stay out of sight,” I replied.“Go join the humans and get some food. I must establish a guard.Shax, go with her.”
“You know,” she said quietly, “ordering meabout is not sexy and it’s certainlynotendearing. I also don’t need a bodyguard.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walkedaway. I bit back a groan. Every step I took forward with her seemedto result in two steps back. Shax hesitated as he looked betweenthe two of us.
“Go,” I commanded, knowing she would resentit but unwilling to leave her unprotected.
He nodded before following after her. Riverstrode over to where the humans had gathered to watch the lanavoursmoving through the fading light illuminating the city. Shaxshadowed her.
Turning away, I scowled at Bale and Corsonwhen I found them snickering as they tried to hide theirlaughter.
“Tact,” Corson said to me.
“Fuck tact.”
“Yes, but tact would probably get you laidagain.”
Corson backed up, his grin vanishing when Istepped closer to him. I was more infuriated that he’d talked aboutRiver in such a way than his flippant attitude.
“Easy,” Morax counseled as he stepped inbetween us and rested his hand on my chest. “He doesn’t understandthe bond, Kobal. With luck, he will one day.”
Corson glared at him before his eyes dartedtoward me. Morax nudged Corson back with his shoulder. “This isn’tsomething you screw with, Corson,” I heard Morax whisper to him. “Idon’t know how he’s keeping it together now.”
I had no other choice but to keep ittogether.
I focused on the city again and the creaturesmoving along the far edge of it. We’d have to do everything wecould to keep the humans far from them. I’d seen what these thingscould do to a demon. What they would do to a human was something Icouldn’t think about, not with River so near.
“Should we go another way?” Corsoninquired.
“They’ll probably move on before morning,”Bale said.
“I think they’re moving on now,” Verinreplied. “There are less of them already.”
“There are,” I agreed.
I’d kill them all if they came this way, butthe lanavours could inflict a lot of damage before I was able todestroy them.
CHAPTER 7
River
My eyes fluttered open. I lay completelystill as I stared at the night, trying to recall where I was andwhat had woken me. The trees swaying in the slight July breeze, thesleeping bag around me, and the fresh scent of the summer airreminded me that we’d left the wall behind and I was camped out inthe woods.
Then, I heard a noise. My eyes shot to thewoods. Heat burned across my cheeks when I recognized the muffledmoans of sex coming from the trees to my right. I couldn’t seebeyond the foliage blocking my view to who was out there. Itsounded as if they were fifty feet or so away, but the forestdistorted and reflected sounds so I couldn’t be sure.
Please don’t beKobal. I didn’t think I could take it if I had to listento him having sex with another woman.
The idea of it made my stomach turn as I wasbombarded with the urge to scream or cry. Together or not, I maykill him if he were out there right now with someone else. I didn’tthink he would be so cruel as to have sex with someone else soclose to me, but when it came to our relationship, I barely knew upfrom down anymore.
