Feeling a little more in control of myselfagain, I opened my eyes as Shax approached Verin and Corson. Mostof the women’s eyes turned to follow Shax as he moved. At six footone, he was the most human looking, and the most handsome of thedemons. His blond hair hung in waves about his chiseled face, aface probably better suited to an angel than a demon. Hissunflower-yellow eyes glimmered warmly and the clothes he wore fithis body like a glove.
“They’re filling the last truck full of foodnow,” Shax said to them.
“Good,” Verin replied.
Movement at the front of the row of peopledrew my attention as Colonel Ulrich MacIntyre, or Mac as mostcalled him, poked his head out from the cafeteria. He saidsomething to Bale and Kobal who nodded in return.
Bale’s fire-red hair flashed in the lightwhen she turned to face the people standing behind her. Herred-hued skin made her look as if she were made entirely of fire.She flashed a feral smile at the guy closest to her, who had madethe mistake of getting caught staring at her ample cleavage. Eyesthe color of limes raked over the man as he became riveted on hisboots.
Kobal spun and walked down the row of peopleto stand beside me. My skin pricked at his nearness. His fieryscent filled my nostrils as I deeply inhaled it into me. I resistedthe urge to hug myself in a vain attempt to hold myself togetherwhen he turned to face the others.
“Once you step through that door, you willall be closely monitored. Everything you say will be overheard, sokeep that in mind. If evenoneofyou reveals anything about what is on this side of the wall,everyperson within that room willbe forced to stay here,” Kobal said. “There will be no turning backfor them either.”
Murmurs slid down the line as people tried tofigure out what he was talking about. I stared up at the straightline of his jaw as I puzzled over his words.
“Nothing is to be revealed about what we dohere, absolutelynothing, or youand your families willallbe madeto pay the consequences of your actions,” Kobal continued.
My eyes went to the door as the murmurs inthe crowd died instantly. It couldn’t be;noone who hadn’t volunteered was allowed to cometo the wall. I’d been one of the exceptions, taken unwillingly whenthey’d still been trying to find Lucifer’s descendent. They’dfinally hit the jackpot with me.
Mac held the door open further. Peopleglanced at each other before starting to move forward into theconnecting room. When the first people disappeared and cries of joycould be heard, the line moved faster and faster through the doors.I stood, frozen, as I tried to process what was going on and myheart hammered in my chest.
Were my brothers in there? Were they waitingfor me? I was too frightened to find out the answer, too scared mymother had somehow managed to mess this up and I would go throughthe door only to find no one waiting there for me. As the lastperson filtered through the door, sobs and laughter drifted downthe hall toward me. Mac pushed the door open a little further andlooked at me expectantly.
“River?” Mac inquired.
Kobal’s obsidian eyes were unreadable whenthey met mine. He’d told me he’d try to arrange it so I could seemy brothers again before we left on our mission, but that wasbefore I’d told him to get out of my life. Had my refusal of himchanged his mind about me having a chance to see my brothersagain?
No, he wouldn’t do that. He may have littleregard for human life, but he wasn’t cruel. He wouldn’t havebrought the families of the others here and not my brothers, but Istill found myself unable to move.
Something in his expression changed; therewas an easing to him I hadn’t seen in days. “Go on,” he encouraged,his tone far kinder than it had been earlier.
It took everything I had to make the firststep. Once I did, I didn’t think my feet hit the floor again untilI was on the other side of the door. The cafeteria was a teemingmass of people, crying and laughing as they embraced and spokeeagerly. Rising onto my toes, I frantically searched over the crowdfor Gage and Bailey.
“Pittah!”
I spun to my right, tears filling my eyeswhen I spotted Gage running toward me with Bailey in his arms. Ithad been months since I’d heard him call me by his nickname for meand seen their beloved faces.
A strangled cry escaped me as I took astumbling step forward before running toward them. Bailey liftedhis head from where it laid on Gage’s chest when he caught sight ofme. He removed his thumb from his mouth and cried out my name,“River!”
I flung my arms around them and hugged themclose.
CHAPTER 3
River
“What is going on here, River?” Gage askedwhen we’d settled into a corner behind a table in the far back ofthe room. We had ignored the table and settled onto the floor.While all the other families had a couple of older military men andwomen like Mac hovering around them and monitoring theirconversations, I’d been assigned the only demon in the room, theonly one who could pass entirely as human, Shax.
“I can’t talk about it,” I told him as I tookBailey from his arms and settled him into my lap.
I brushed back strands of Bailey’s fine,blond hair from his chubby face. He curled up against my chest andnestled into my neck. I’d almost forgotten how warm and soft hewas. Almost forgotten the scent of his baby powder and the milk hedrank. He’d grown so much in these past two months and I had missedit. I may miss all the rest of his days too.
I’d tried not to let thoughts of my brothersand the hole that being torn away from them had created in my chestconsume me while I was here. Now all the sorrow and lonelinessbeing away from them had caused flooded me with emotion.
Bailey pulled his thumb from his mouth as hestared at me. “Don’t cry, River.”
I bit back a sob and bent over to kiss hisforehead. “I can’t help it. I’m so happy to see you.”
He closed his eyes and nuzzled closer againstmy chest, his tiny hand fisting in my shirt. I hugged him closerbefore focusing on Gage. “How have you been?”
