There were only thirty-six surviving Iniskium following the tunnel battle, less than half of their original number. Christina sensed Saint’s profound sadness for the great loss to an already near extinct tribe of unique beings. They had successfully rescued the injured survivors and the dead for burial before the tunnel began to collapse.
“It’s the end of the Scourge revenants, at least in this city,” Fardusk said stonily as they all stood on a delivery platform on lower Wacker Drive. They’d been a bloody, bedraggled group and the solemnity of the moment showed on every surviving Iniskium’s face. Alison seemed equally as sober as she stood with her arms wrapped around Isi’s waist, looking for all the world like she believed she was solely responsible for holding up the brawny warrior.
“Apparently Teslar imparted them with a certain level of strength,” Saint had muttered. “When he was conquered, the Scourge revenants were diminished. Only Javier Ash remained strong, but I’ve thought for a long time that he was no typical revenant. Chances are, he was something unique even before Teslar turned him.”
Christina noticed that Saint never stated the manner in which Teslar had been vanquished, and the Iniskium never pressed as to how he had accomplished what was thought to be an impossibility.
They had all gone to Whitby, where Saint designated a plot of land beneath a small grove of redbud trees as a graveyard. This was where Christina found him standing alone in front of the freshly dug graves two nights after the freight tunnel battle.
They had been together frequently over the past forty-eight hours, checking on the injured and spending time with Aidan. Not just Aidan, but Christina and Saint were learning about Aidan’s new powers. All three of them were slowly assimilating to the idea that Saint was Aidan’s father. Christina knew the process would take time, and Saint seemed to sense this as well.
They’d been together often during the past two days, but rarely had they been alone unless they were making love in the darkness of night, their hunger for one another seemingly only growing stronger, or sleeping in each other’s arms.
Until now.
“It’s a lovely resting place,” Christina murmured from behind Saint, referring to the graves. He didn’t turn at the sound of her voice, but she knew he’d sensed her approach. The wind rustled in the trees and she heard the sound of the waves hitting the shore in the distance. She thought of how she’d always sensed the mystery that cloaked Whitby at night, intuited the enigma of Saint himself.
Now that the mystery had been revealed to her, it seemed no less awesome.
Saint turned toward her and held out his arms.
She pressed her cheek to his chest and he combed his fingers through her hair. For several full moments, neither spoke as they held one another, and the night embraced them both.
“Fardusk is taking the Iniskium away from Whitby later tonight,” Saint said after a while.
She leaned back and gazed at his face in the dim moonlight. His chest felt solid and warm beneath her palms. She could feel his heart beating, steady and strong.
“So soon?” she asked in a hushed tone.
Saint nodded.
“Where will they go?”
“To the crystal chamber. Fardusk has a plan for renovating the tunnels around it, making it a more comfortable place for them to live.”
“What will they do, now that Teslar and the revenants are gone?”
Saint shrugged. “They will continue to protect those in need. They’ve fought against evil for too long now to stop. And the gods know there is enough violence and injustice to combat in this city.”
Christina had to agree with that.
“Alison has decided to go with them.”
Christina started at his words. “Really? With Isi?”
“Yes.” Saint must have noticed her doubtful expression. She hadn’t been pleased when she’d heard about Alison’s betrayal, but she hadn’t been surprised either. The girl had a long history of emotional problems, and no matter what Saint said about her supposed strength, Teslar was nearly impossible to resist.
How well Christina knew.
“She’s a grown woman. You can’t be responsible for every decision one of your charges makes. Don’t you think Isi can keep her safe?”
“I suppose. But Alison is so fragile—”
“She’s about as fragile as I am,” Saint interrupted. Her eyes fixed on his small smile. Saint had to have the sexiest mouth in existence. His lips twitched and she wondered if he’d read her mind.
“Alison insisted on going with Isi to the tunnels the other night. He couldn’t talk her out of it. I don’t know how hard he tried to stop her, considering how angry he was with her for having betrayed you and Aidan. Maybe he figured she had whatever was coming to her if she came up against a revenant.”
“Well he doesn’t feel that way anymore. Not after Alison stepped into the middle of that fight and saved his life. I wonder if they can actually be happy together,” Christina mused.