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“Wynter isn’t going anywhere,” Cain told him. “And those bastards won’t ever get their hands on her.”
Rafe nodded, satisfied. “Tell her I said to take care of herself, and that I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect her from Esther’s plans.” He allowed Maxim to lead both him and Griff out of the room.
Dantalion dismissed his own aide and then turned back to Cain. “What did Lailah say?”
“Exactly what I thought she’d say,” replied Cain. “She asked that I surrender Wynter to the custody of the Aeons.”
Azazel’s brows snapped together. “Why would she believe you would do that?”
“Apparently, given the destruction that Wynter has caused, I should consider her a danger to all of us and to our land.”
Dantalion rolled his eyes. “Lailah is foolish if she thought that you’d be so easily manipulated. What else did she say?”
Her life-force is not tied to the curse. Her death would therefore not be enough to undo it.
Cain wouldn’t mention that yet. He needed to speak to Wynter about it first. “She offered to give me Eve if we handed over Wynter in return.”
Azazel frowned. “She actually thought you’d trade her for Eve? Seriously?”
“That makes no sense,” said Dantalion. “Nor does her attempt to cajole you into handing over the witch. Why would we give up the only thing that will lure them here?”
“The Aeons apparently have it in their heads that we’ve weakened in power over the centuries—I chose not to correct her on that,” said Cain. “They also believe we wouldn’t want them to come here; that we’d feel we wouldn’t stand a chance against them. In Lailah’s eyes, I am simply being stubborn and spiteful. She has no idea that in threatening war she gave us exactly what we want.”
Dantalion stilled. “So they will come?”
“They will have to,” said Cain. “Their keepers won’t stand a chance against us alone; they need the aid of Aeons if they are to kill us to get to Wynter.”
A look of grim satisfaction came over Azazel’s face. “Who exactly do you think will come? They won’t all lead the army here.”
“At least one of the ruling Aeons will have to lead them, but I doubt it will be Adam,” said Dantalion. “He only gets his hands dirty if he absolutely has to. Abel is much the same, but he will at the very least send Lailah to do the deed for him. If so, Saul will be here even if only to protect her. She is most likely the only person he cares for.”
Cain nodded. “They always did like fighting beside one another.” The siblings were close, much like Abel and Seth had once been—and that was another reason Cain doubted that Abel would come. The Aeon wouldn’t want to have a direct hand in Seth’s death, because it was Cain who Abel held responsible for Seth’s ‘betrayal.’
Dantalion rubbed at his chin. “We need to call a meeting with the other Ancients and inform them what happened here. I’m happy to hold it at my Keep.”
Cain and Azazel both nodded their assent.
When Maxim returned to the room moments later to inform Cain that the witches were being escorted out of town, Cain asked him, “Is Wynter at the Keep?”
Maxim grimaced. “Probably not, though she assured me that she would head there soon.”
Cain stiffened. “Why are you pulling that face?”
The aide cleared his throat. “I found her, like you asked. She and her coven were in the woods near the lake.” Maxim tugged at his collar. “They, um … they were standing over the dead bodies of several keepers from Aeon. Apparently they stumbled upon them.”
Anger spiked through Cain, tightening his muscles and clenching his jaw.
Dantalion growled. “They dared send keepers here?”
“Was she hurt?” asked Cain.
“She had no lethal wounds,” replied Maxim, “though, if the stains on her tee were anything to go by, her left shoulder and chest suffered bad injuries. She swore they would all be healed by Anabel’s potions. Wynter also said she would meet you at the Keep once she’d showered and changed.”
Azazel rubbed at his jaw. “Do you think Rafe and Griff knew that others had been sent?”
Cain shook his head, silently cursing the Aeons to hell and back.
“You’re certain all the keepers are dead?” asked Azazel. “It would have been nice to have one or two to play with.”
