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“So…?”
The angel she loved more than anything or anyone else in the world looked around one last time, as if he were searching for words. Or a different reality.
Then he spoke with firm authority. “The Lessening Society has found the place where the King meets with his civilians. How? They don’t know for sure—but it’s down the street from the parents whose son died during that lesser attack. Maybe there’s a connection, who knows. It’s just a really shitty coincidence otherwise.” He shook his head. “Add to that lessers back on the streets? And how many inductions we don’t know about? There’s this bad momentum coming to Caldwell, you know? And I’m worried—everyone’s worried—that we’re heading for a culmination nobody’s going to like… that maybe, nobody’s going to survive.”
Rahvyn thought of the portraits the Book had shown her, especially the image of the King, those symbols swamping in and consuming the features of his face.
“Yes,” she whispered. “It is a very dangerous time.”
“And then there’s the fact that the Creator called me home three years ago, and Eddie and Adrian have been in Caldwell, looking for me, all that time—but surprise! They just found me. It’s a helluva convergence.”
The thought of him leaving filled her with fresh dread. “The Scribe Virgin made you her successor, however. Surely that responsibility cannot be usurped.”
“No one is above the Creator. And somebody else can do the job.” He paced around again, making a circle in the grass. Then he stared off to the forest boundary. “Right now Eddie and Adrian are joining the fight—and I am so psyched about that. It’s the best fucking news. But like everything in existence, there is a higher power who is going to do what He will.”
“So they are not turning you over to the Creator.”
“Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Who knows in the future—and in any event, it doesn’t really matter. I’m on borrowed time for other reasons.” Lassiter looked up at the milky sky. “The thing is, the vampires need me. The demon and the Omega’s son together? Fucking hell, what if they have kids. And because of… certain circumstances, I’m in a unique position to help keep them apart. I can make sure that the pair of them don’t collude and turn what is a dangerous situation into an untenable one.”
“So they are…”
“I’m not sure demons and the seat of all evil can be called a ‘happy’ couple, but yes.”
“Oh.” Abruptly, she clasped both his hands. “Then you must stay. You must do whatever it takes.”
After a moment, he leveled his head and looked at her with a strange detachment. “I agree. Whatever it takes.”
* * *
As Lassiter spoke the words, he knew his female understood the gravity of the situation, even if she didn’t have all the details or the backstory. And he thought of the Book and its spells. Who’d have thought his life would change for the better because of something that demon did.
But here he was.
Slowly, he sank down on one knee.
“Are you unwell?” Rahvyn asked with alarm.
Staring up at his female, he saw her silhouetted against the sacred, milky sky of the Sanctuary, the diffused illumination like a halo all around her. And God, with her platinum hair falling forward and her body strung like a bow, she was impossibly beautiful. Except for the anxiety on her face.
He would have changed that if he could. Then again, he would have created for them all a different reality. If he could.
“Rahvyn… this was also not how I’d planned.”
“I beg your pardon?” With impatience, she pushed a wave of her hair out of her face. “Planned what.”
“You know I love you.”
“Yes, and I love—”
“Will you take me as your hellren?” he blurted.
When she just stood there, stunned, he wondered what exactly it was about him that made everybody freeze like that when the whole mating thing came out of his mouth.
“I talked to Sahvage earlier,” he rambled. “It’s your decision, but I wanted to do things right. Well, some of them, at any rate. I wanted to ask you on top of one of the bridges that span the Hudson. The city at night looks like diamonds that fell from the sky, and with the stars overhead—I wanted you to feel like you were my universe, you know? Cheesy, I get it. But I stayed up all day thinking of a place that was special. I even thought up a poem—but I can’t remember the words. I was going have a little music playing—except I forgot my phone in the cave. I just… I wanted this to be perfect for you because I was hoping if I had the right combination of elements, you were more likely to say—”
“Yes.” She closed the distance between their mouths. “Yes!”
Now he was still as a statue as she kissed him—and he wondered if he’d heard her right.
