Kane yawns. “We could talk all night, if you wanted,” he says, fatigue clear in his voice. “Isn’t that what mortal lovers do?”
My face flushes at the word lovers. I’m not sure that what Kane and I are can even be categorized. “I’ll let you rest,” I say. I open the door and slip out. “You should sleep.”
My thoughts are whirling as I descend the stairs into the Diamond proper. I bump into a woman and mumble an apology, barely shifting my gaze from the floor. It’s almost too much to comprehend, I think numbly. Kane wants to marry me. He wants a future with me; nothing more than a blip in time for him, but a future nonetheless. Me, who is meant to kill him. But more than that, I can't get the memory of the Nephilim dying from my mind. He looked at me, and he died. I was impossibly hot, and my skin tingled. And then there was the strange light. Could it have been me?
No.
I shake my head and laugh nervously. That would be impossible. The angel must have touched me or been directly behind me. Perhaps I’ll contact one of our leading theological scholars and tell him my experience with angels. Then it will be real, I think. It will have had to have been an angel. And I can leave it behind me. I can focus on Kane and building a life together. Or destroying it. I pause beside the wall, just around the corner from where I left Aiden, chewing on my thoughts. I clutch at my head, an ache building in my temples.
“And you’re certain she won’t be a problem?” Willem’s voice echoes around the corner. “She’s a pest.”
“A stupid pest,” Aiden says. “I’ve got her wrapped around my finger. I don’t plan on staying in the Underworld long. I don’t want Kane to be suspicious.”
“That’s wise. I’ll keep you informed. It won’t be long until we find and reach Archech,” Willem says.
Archech? My brows furrow. Am I the stupid pest? I chew on my bottom lip as the conversation changes to something more mundane. I glance up at the stairs, to where Kane is resting above. Should I tell him? I wonder if I’m being paranoid. I don’t trust Willem and Aiden from my own experiences with them. And I already know Aiden wants Kane dead. Fear and apprehension twist in my gut and my heart hammers nervously. All I know is I can’t hide in this corner for long. The last thing I want is for Aiden and Willem to be suspicious of me. Perhaps it’s best they think I’m a pest. It makes me safe. I hope.
“Kane is fine,” I announce, striding around the corner. “His jaw looks fully healed, except for some bruising.”
“That’s great.” Aiden downs his ale. “I can’t wait to get out of this hell hole. I think after this I’ll need a vacation.”
“By all means, don’t let us stop you,” Willem drawls.
I sit gingerly, unable to calm my pounding heart. It will be fine, I tell myself as the two supernatural creatures study me. “I’m looking forward to returning as well,” I say, fingers twisting in my lap. “I’ve missed my old clothes and regular baths.”
Aiden lifts his eyes towards Willem as if to say, ‘I told you so.’ “Don’t worry, Briar, now that Kane has solved the Nephilim business, it will be sunshine and roses for the rest of your life,” Aiden says teasingly.
“If only that were true,” I mumble.
I fall silent as Willem and Aiden debate back and forth about the most attractive women in the room. My father was a planner. He liked to strategize about ways to outsmart his opponents. When I was young, he used to let me sit with him while he talked aloud to himself. Once, he gave me excellent advice. I’ve employed it all my life, even with him. He told me it was best if people have low expectations of me. He said I would never disappoint anyone that way. But more importantly, people are sloppy around those they deem unworthy.
My eyes dart back and forth between Willem and Aiden. They never thought anything of me from the beginning, but I don’t need them to. From now on, my eyes and ears will be open all the time. Information is power, and in a place like the Underworld, where I’m severely outmatched, I need all the power I can get.
Chapter 19
Kane
Behind the Diamond in an empty alley, I wait for Willem to emerge out the back door. My arm is still in the sling, and my jaw aches when I speak or eat, but I'm grateful it's still attached. Briar waits beside me, wrapped tightly in her cloak. Fall is descending on Verstad, and it won't be long until the first frost. I look up at the cloudy gray sky and loose a long breath. I never took myself for a homebody, but perhaps I was wrong. Or perhaps the frustrating experiences of the mortal realm have simply strengthened the sheen of my rosy glasses.
“Will you be alright?” Briar asks quietly.
I glance down at her, studying her in a new light. Her doe-like eyes are filled with concern, long lashes fluttering. She frowns, and I can think of nothing other than the softness of her lips. “I’ll be fine,” I say, warmth filling my chest. I tamp it down with my icy nature, trying to school myself. I need to control myself now that I know I have exactly what I need, and she is so completely tempting. “The weight of the magic shouldn’t be too extreme.”
“We can always stay another night,” she says. “There’s no rush.”
I smile. She may not think there's a rush, and in truth, there isn't. But I'm too eager to carry on my plans now that I have her. "Stop worrying." I wink. "All that frowning will give you
