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“Lizzy, there you are!” Gabe spotted me in the trees and jogged toward us.
He had a rip through the knees of his jeans, but other than that, he looked no worse for wear. My heart thrilled when I saw him.
“Where have you been?” He cupped my cheek and wiped a thumb across my chin. “Why are you all ashy?”
“Granny’s house caught fire in all the violence,” Mona explained. She placed her hands on his hips. “I tried to put it out, but she attacked me.”
His jaw twitched as he stared down at her. “That woman is going to kill you some day, Lizzy, if you don’t watch out. You need to forget her.”
“I will.” She nodded. “Now tell me, what’s the damage?”
He sighed and rubbed a hand through his tousled hair. “All warriors are accounted for, but we’ve got three dead civilians and at least a hundred have been taken by the ferals.”
“So, this was a recruiting effort?” Mona offered innocently.
“Seems so.” His lips curled back into a grimace. “We should’ve seen this coming. Seth will stop at nothing to build his army stronger.”
We watched a couple dozen of the townspeople gather in the middle of the street. They huddled together, some embracing friends, others breaking down in tears. This was all that was left of my hometown. They’d been flayed and beaten to the bone. For most of them, their entire lives were here. They had nowhere else to go.
“Do you think he’ll c
ome after me?” Mona turned her eyes up to Gabe. “Is the Prince going to make me open the gate for him? He’s going to kill me, isn’t he?”
“No,” he answered firmly. Taking her hand tight in his, he turned to face us. “No, he won’t.”
Mona smiled weakly. “How do you know?”
“I just do.” His grip grew almost painful on her hand. “Trust me. I’ll take care of you. I’ll never let you go again. Lizzy, I’d do anything for you. I hope you know that.”
I wasn’t sure why I got an uneasy feeling staring into his brilliant green stare, but something dark stirred in my mind. Mona didn’t seem to share the same feeling. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his stubbly cheek.
“Come,” he said, putting an arm around me. “Let’s get you home and into some proper clothing.”
She looked down at the ruined remains of the tank top and giggled. “Only if you take them off of me.”
And as they strolled toward the manor, I sat in my corner and cried.
Chapter Eighteen
Mona gazed down upon the manor lobby, her eyes drawn to the hustle and bustle of the newcomers. The distraction of this morning’s skirmish in my hometown had already been forgotten it seemed. Now, the Nephilim were all cheers and happiness as they greeted their friends from across the seas.
“It’s great to have backup, isn’t it?” Noah clapped a large hand on our back and leaned against the banister next to me.
His hair was tousled and wet, as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. Wearing a tight athletic shirt and jeans that left little to the imagination, he’d draped his white lab coat over his arm. He flashed a brilliant white smile at me and for the first time, I noticed the dark rings under his eyes. Someone hadn’t been sleeping well.
“Of course it is,” Mona answered, but I knew her well enough by now to hear the hesitation in her voice.
She didn’t like seeing so many Nephilim warriors in one place. Men and women from every continent, gathered together. The board had been begging for relief from the other Hell Gates since Seth first showed up with his armies. I guess they’d sent every able-bodied warrior they could spare. Still, it wasn’t enough to outnumber the ferals in the woods. Especially not if they continued to grow their power with human vessels. But that fact didn’t keep Mona’s heart from racing at the sight.
“You know, we’ve been making some great headway in the lab,” Noah began, a boyish excitement lighting up his face. “We’ve got a new concoction for the exorcism juice. With a few more tweaks, we might just...”
“That sounds great.” Mona waved her hand at him and began to descend the stairs. “But you’ll have to tell me about it later. I’ve got something I need to do.”
She didn’t seemed bothered by his crestfallen face. However, I was pleased to see Ashley slide in beside him before Mona looked away. She had washed up from this morning’s battle and even managed the time to wrestle her hair into those soft waves that I envied so much.
That same boyish excitement returned to his face as he turned to greet her. She had a similar excitement, although slightly more predatory. I had to give it to the girl, when she wanted something, she went for it. I wasn’t sure how Adam would take his replacement, but I was glad for her. At least someone around here might get a happy ending.
Where are you taking us? I asked Mona as she bypassed the greeting party and slipped out a side door.
