Page 127 of The Monsters We Are

“Nah, I’m used to it at this point. Plus, you said it didn’t kill you when it might have tried, which I find very reassuring. I wouldn’t have believed it would ever have hesitated to hurt you or anyone else. All I can think is that it recognized you. Recognized that you’re mine. Or something. Maybe.”

“I think it did, but not before Kali all but barreled into it. She might have told it who I am to you. My creature likes that you have something so powerful inside you.” While Cain personally had nothing against the Rephaim, he would prefer—for her sake—that his consort wasn’t a vessel for something that was pure darkness. Leading her into the Keep, he asked, “Does it usually call on other Rephaim like it did tonight?”

Her nose wrinkled. “I don’t think so. But then, I black out when it takes over. I’m a little jealous that you see everything your monster does when you set it free. So, when do I get to meet it?”

He felt his lips quirk at her eagerness. “Soon. It will be more than happy to spend time with you.Andbind with you, which you won’t fight us on.”

“No, I won’t fight the binding.”

He blinked. “You won’t?” He hadn’t expected such easy capitulation, given he hadn’t uncovered the answers to her questions.

“Kali made it clear to me last night that twining my life-force with that of your monster would have no ill-effects on it or you. She was also adamant that your death wouldn’t drain or weaken me as, given I’m undead, death doesn’t really have as much of an impact on me as it does others.”

Both Cain and his creature settled on hearing all that. “Good. Because I won’t be satisfied until the binding is done.” Once they were inside their bedchamber, Cain tugged her close. “Why didn’t you tell me that Kali promised not to drag your soul back to the netherworld if you followed Her orders?”

“Two reasons. One, I knew you’d get all cranky at the whole Her ‘allowing’ me to stay with you thing—you hate that She feels She has more of a claim to me than you do.”

“Because she doesn’t,” he clipped.

Wynter rolled her eyes at his tone. “Easy there, I’m not disputing that. Anyway . . . my second reason was that it would have felt like I could be giving you false hope, since I wasn’t sure I could trust that She’d live up to her promise. Deities are a law unto themselves.”

“That they are,” he conceded. “Ishtar accused me more than once of playing games, using you and others as pawns and positioning you all exactly as I pleased. But in this instance, the chessboard was never mine. It was the deities’ board. They were in charge of the game all along.”

Wynter wrapped her arms around his waist. “But the game is now over. We’re not pawns anymore. Our choices are our own. So . . . what do you want to do next?”

“Honestly?” He slid a hand up her back. “Toss you on the bed and fuck your brains out.”

She chuckled. “Okay, let me rephrase. What do you want to do now that you’re free? Or, more to the point, where do you want to go?”

He pursed his lips. “I haven’t quite decided. As I’ve said before, not all the Ancients can be away from here at one time. I do wish to travel, but I’m not in any rush, so I’m fine with letting some of the others go first.”

“You’re worried about Abaddon,” she guessed. “You don’t want to leave him.”

His consort read him well. “My uncle’s need for vengeance gave him a sense of direction. He no longer has that. Though the relatives he lost have been dead a long time, their loss still feels very fresh to him. All he has left of his family are me and Baal, and heaven only knows when Baal will rise. So, yes, I’d like to keep an eye on Abaddon for a while.”

“Understandable. In truth, I’m a little concerned for the guy myself.”

“I would also prefer to keep watch on Ishtar—I don’t know just how she’ll react while processing her grief. She has been known to fly into irrational rages over small things, after all.”

“Rima’s grief will be just as deep and strong,” said Wynter. “Rima might not blame me for killing him, all things considered, but she’ll still hate me for it. I wouldn’t even be able to judge her for that. Noah was hertwin, and they’ve been alive since almost the beginning of damn time.”

“I’djudge her. You did what you had to do. And it would never have happened if he hadn’t betrayed us.” Cain brushed her bangs away from her face. “You’re fine with waiting for other Ancients to return from their travels before we head off anywhere?”

“Sure. I’m not terribly fond of the outside world. What I saw of it wasn’t very impressive. Plus, I love it here. It’s our home. It’s my coven’s home, and God knows the world is safer when they’re tucked away here. So, no, I’m not hankering to leave.”

“Then we’ll content ourselves with weekend breaks here and there. Couples do that sort of thing, yes?”

“Yes, they do.”

He pulled her closer and brushed her nose with his. “You know something else that they do?”

“Fuck each other’s brains out?”

He blinked.

“You weren’t going to say that? Sorry. You put the thought in my head a minute ago, and itreallyisn’t going anywhere.”

Humor warmed his gut. “Giving you what you want will be my pleasure. Literally.”

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