And I was grateful he had, however dubious he might have been at the time. Markel certainly deserved the opportunity to be something other than just another Cazador lost to the berserker bloodlust.
And while neither he nor Stanford might have had as much of a place in the final battle with Hunter as either they or I had hoped, Stanford had, at least, helped steer the high council away from seeking retribution for Hunter’s death. For that, I was grateful.
Movement caught my eye. I glanced around as Quinn and Tao emerged from the thick forest and sauntered down the hill. The rather large tree trunk they were carrying between them might have been a twig for all the effort they were showing.
“There’s something very satisfying about watching men building a house,” Riley murmured, her gaze following Quinn. “Maybe we need to buy some land up this way and build one of our own.”
“Good idea.” I reached for one of the sandwiches. “It means my babysitter is that much closer.”
She grinned. “And you think I’d mind?”
“Not in the least.” I paused, watching as Quinn and Tao positioned the log onto the plane saw. Behind them was the roofed framework of three large pavilions—separate living quarters for me and Azriel, Ilianna and Mirri, as well as Simi, Tao’s new partner, and the woman he’d initially been afraid to go on another date with because of the elemental. She, when it had become obvious he’d had no intentions of taking their relationship any further than the one date, had taken matters into her own hands. She was definitely a woman who knew exactly what she wanted, and she’d fit in rather nicely to our little group. Both Ilianna and Tao would be living here only part-time; Ilianna had recommitted herself to working at the Brindle—which was where the last piece of the key now resided. Tao—in elemental form—was still spending his nights up at the nearby sacred site.
It didn’t matter. I’d once feared, with everything that had happened and our home destroyed, that our relationship could never be the same. And, in some respects, that was true. It wasn’t the same, but it was stronger. And I hadn’t thought that could be possible.
For the moment, everything was good. Hell, even Amaya had stopped grumbling about the lack of action over recent months.
Time yet, she muttered. Demons still there.
Yes, they were, unfortunately. And we still had only the one gate between us and hell. Azriel was very much involved in hunting down the demons who broke through into his world and ours, as would Amaya and I be once my son was born. I was a Mijai in waiting; my job now was to protect this world.
“You know,” I said, watching the two men ready the log for cutting into planks, “I’m really glad the professionals are coming back tomorrow. At the rate these two are working, this child will be going to school before everything is actually finished.”
Riley laughed and bounced up again. “I shall go motivate them.”
Azriel sat down beside me as she ran down the hill. I leaned against him and smiled. As I did, I felt my water break. Excitement and fear stirred within me. “Have I told you lately how glad I am you came into my life?”
“Not recently, no.” He considered me for a moment, a slight frown creasing his features. “Why?”
“Because you need to hear it before I go into full labor and start swearing at you for causing me pain.”
He blinked. “Is it normal for women of this world to swear at their partners at an event as beautiful as the birth of their child?”
“You try squeezing a melon out of your penis and see how it feels.”
“I do not believe that would be at all pleasant, even if it were possible.” He paused again, and this time his excitement surged, just about blowing my senses apart. “Did you just say before you go into full labor?”
I smiled. “I did.”
“Does that mean—” He trailed off, his expression a priceless mix of hope, excitement, uncertainty, and love.
“It does indeed.”
He jumped to his feet. “Shall I let the others know? Should we get you to the hospital?”
I laughed and caught his hand. “We have plenty of time yet.”
And we did. We had all the time in the world to build our family and grow old together.
The fates had assured us both of that.
Don’t miss the first novel in the Souls of Fire
series by Keri Arthur,
FIREBORN
Now available from Signet Select