He’d waited forever, it seemed. He would savor and worship her—never let her go.
“We made it,” she whispered, moving against him and relaxing in his arms.
He kissed the top of her head. He wouldn’t think of the bad stuff.
There would be time for that later.
“We sure as hell did.”
Epilogue
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Bill bustled into the room, full of energy and smiling like a lunatic. It was overdone, of course, an attempt to mask the pain and shock he felt. The news he held close to his heart was grave indeed.
In his hands were two large bags of candy, which he tossed onto the table before grabbing a glass of water. He smiled once more and took a good long, drink. He needed a moment.
The men and women seated were silent, respectful. He held the glass, his stubby fingers absently rubbing the cool moisture that collected along the side. Some of them were meeting for the first time and he saw the nervous stares, the carefully controlled posturing. He’d never gathered them like this, together in confined space.
Natural adversaries, coupled with fierce natures, made for strange bedfellows indeed.
He glanced at Cale and Samael. They were two prime examples, and yet they’d learned to get along.
They were smart. They knew they couldn’t survive without the other. Every soul present had taken a sacred vow to protect the status quo, to make sure neither the upper nor lower realm achieved too much power.
They were in fact the scales of justice by which the human realm was able to exist. Without these creatures, culled from every corner of the otherworld here and beyond, there was no hope. Chaos would rain down upon the heads of man and all would be lost.
His eyebrows furled. He would hold them to it.
He turned quickly and asked for another glass of water. The pitcher was handed to him, and once his glass was filled he looked at the group. Where to start?
His eyes rested upon Declan and Ana. They were happy, and he supposed after all they’d been through, they should be. Declan would continue working on behalf of the Seraphim, but was now part of this secret sect, the League of Guardians. He’d also claimed the jaguar warrior Nico. There had been no other choice—they knew too much.
His gaze moved to Ana. It had always been his plan to include the vampire in the fold.
Funny how things worked out.
Ana looked worried. He’d grown close to the vampire over the last while. She knew his moods.
“The children you recovered have been moved to a safe haven. We can watch over them, guide them, and track down the others before they are found.” He smiled though there was no joy inside him.
“What about the list?” Declan arched a brow. “We never recovered the other names.”
Bill sighed. “I’ve no knowledge of a list and as far as I know, the remaining four marks have not been recovered.”
“What of the necromancer, Francesca?” Samael flashed a smile and removed his aviators.
Bill’s eyes narrowed. “She’s with her sister and the others. I’m not happy she wears a slave collar.”
Samael shrugged. “It was the only way to get her to cooperate . . . initially.”
“You will remove it.”
Samael shook his head. “No, brother, I will not.”
Bill eyed the demon lord closely. There were times when it was prudent to pick his battles. This was one of them. “If the collar remains, you will refrain from engaging it, understood?”
Samael remained silent, but nodded his agreement.