I ached for him; I wanted him beside me rightnow. I had to know he was okay and that the gargoyles hadn’t hurthim. Deep inside, I believed I’d know if he’d been injured orkilled, and not because of my ability to know and see things, butbecause my soul would recognize the loss of his. We wereinextricably bound together.
My hand instinctively lifted to touch themarks on my neck. My heart raced at the realization they werealready healing. Something primitive stirred within me, and Iimmediately recognized it as a demon instinct, too strong andvolatile to be human, too sexual and possessive to be angel. I hadto have him back soon.
“Back at Angela’s house, when you werelooking out the window, what did you see on the street?” Corsonasked in a low voice when we started back toward the truck.
I stopped walking, my gaze went to the tiny,kneeling porcelain angel figurine I’d stolen from the house and seton the dashboard of the truck. Once I’d cleaned it up, I couldclearly see its cherubic cheeks, green eyes, and wheat-blonde hair.Its head was tilted back, its wings unfurled behind it as it staredat the sky with a look of peace.
I’d unknowingly snatched an angel closelyresembling Angela. I didn’t believe in coincidence in this world.At least not where I was concerned.
I’d also never been one for lucky charms. I’dalways believed that what would be would be and no amount ofrabbit’s feet, clovers, idols, or even prayer could change that,but I couldn’t bring myself to part with the angel right now.
“I thought I saw someone, but I was wrong.”For some reason, I felt I had to keep Angela to myself, fornow.
“I see,” he murmured.
I didn’t know if he completely believed me,but he didn’t press me any further. “How far are we from this placeyou think we’ll probably be safe at?”
“We should make it there tonight.”
“Good.” I walked back to the truck. “Wouldyou like me to keep driving?”
“You might as well learn how, or at least Ihope you can learn.”
That was confidence boosting, but I slidbehind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition to start it. Iremembered to shift into drive before hitting the gas pedal,something I hadn’t done the first time I tried driving this thing.A step in the right direction, I thought and pulled onto theroad.
CHAPTER 15
Kobal
“I think I know where Corson is taking them,”Bale said as the edge of the sun dipped beneath the horizon.
I had a pretty good idea where Corson wasgoing too as I stared at the newest message left behind for us. Itwas a genius idea, but I didn’t know how River was going to reactto what she would discover when they made it to theirdestination.
“Pearl’s,” I said.
“Yes. We must stop, Kobal, at least for alittle bit. The humans haven’t had anything to eat or a bathroombreak in hours.”
Resentment slithered through me. I feltcompletely unstable, but then I’d been unstable ever since I’d putRiver in that truck and told Hawk to drive away. Now I was leaningtoward an escalating rage as I felt the hounds’ hostility buildingwithin me. River was my Chosen and they were as eager to get herback as I was.
I wasn’t used to this vulnerability clawingits way through my insides. I’d led River out here, I’d sworn tokeep her safe, and now she was out there with countless enemieshunting for her. Lucifer had seen her, he knew what she looked likenow and so would his followers.
I wanted to continue onward, I wouldn’t beable to take another easy breath until River was by my side again,but Bale was right. The humans needed a break. It would do all ofus little good if they were too exhausted to continue.
River will have the sameneeds,I reminded myself. They wouldn’t be pushingthemselves as relentlessly as I was pushing these humans. We weregaining on them, and Corson was most likely heading for Pearl’s.They might be able to find safety there for a little bit, or atleast long enough for us to catch up.
Demons steadfastly avoided Pearl’s, and Idoubted any humans would go anywhere near it, if there were anystill alive in the area. Corson was probably dreading every secondthey got closer to the place, but he would do what he had to inorder to keep River safe.
I stared at the red writing on the sign for aminute before thrusting the door of the truck open and steppingout. I strode toward where Captain Tresden sat in the pickup behindme. “We’ll stop for a half an hour,” I said briskly.
He nodded and climbed out of the truck beforebarking the order to the rest of the troops. Verin, Morax, and Shaxstrolled over to join Bale and me by our pickup. “You thinkCorson’s going for Pearl’s?” Shax asked.
“Yes,” I replied as I rested my arms on thebed of the truck. My foot tapped against the ground while thehumans hurried into the woods and gathered food from the supplies.Most of them went to the woods to relieve themselves first, willingto eat on the drive if they had to.
“I hate that place,” Morax muttered.
“Which is why Corson would go there,” Balesaid. “Everyonehates it.”
“True.” Morax shifted to watch the trees aspeople reemerged from their shadowy depths.
