Heir of Night (The Thorne Hill)
“If they were sent to Hell before, they can be sent again,” Tabatha says, being the voice of reason. “In the meanwhile, we will up our defensive circles and conduct our own research.” She’s rattled and having a hard time not showing it, which is very unlike her. In turn, it makes me rattled, which I should be. “Did Lucifer tell you anything else about them?”
“A little,” I tell her with a nod. “He said they’re not going to ride horses through the streets killing people or waving magic wands to make a new plague break out. It’s more subtle than that. Tempers will flare, droughts will cause crops to die, and the cost of food will shoot up…that sort of thing. And he said the more carnage they bring, the more powerful they become, until they’ll pretty much take over the world and rule whatever dystopian landscape is left.”
Lucas gives my thigh a squeeze, and I lean back in my chair, letting a hand drop onto his.
“He also told me he locked them away in case he needed to use them in some revenge scheme, but Julian thinks it was because he’s unable to kill them. So the odds are stacked against me, but I’ll figure something out. I’m not giving birth in a post-apocalyptic setting.”
“You won’t figure it out alone,” Kristy tells me, face set.
“No, you won’t,” Tabatha quickly agrees.
“Guys,” I start and get a little choked up. Fuck, I’ll be happy when my hormones go back to normal and I can be emotionally unbalanced like I was before. “You know you don’t have get—”
“Don’t even try to tell us not to get involved,” Ruby interrupts. “I have no desire to live in a dystopian society, either. I’ll hit the books tonight. There has to be something in the library about them.” She shifts her gaze to Lucas. “I might need you to translate a few things again. It’s faster than going word by word on Google Translate.”
“I’ll help in any way I can,” he tells her. “I would also like it to be a thing of the past by the time our daughter is born.” He runs his hand down my thigh and then puts it on my stomach. “The first few weeks are very important for bonding. I don’t want anything to get in our way.”
My heart swells like it always does when I hear Lucas talk about our family, but this time it scares me. The closer we get to Elena being here, the more I’m worried something terrible will happen that will keep us from getting everything we ever wanted.
And this time…it did.
“Come on, guys,” I call to my familiars. The sun is down now, and Lucas and I can finally go home. I want nothing more than to crash into bed and sleep for the next ten hours with Lucas by my side. We’re leaving the library, having helped Ruby pull some books from the shelves for Lucas to bring back to the house and read through. He’s holding a stack of seven leatherbound books like they weigh nothing. Three are in Latin, one is in French, one in Italian, and two are handwritten journals in a variety of different languages.
Most of the students are in their dorms by now, and word that Lucas and I are here has spread amongst the students. It’s silly to me how they’re so invested in us, but it’s a welcome distraction since we don’t want anyone knowing there are four werewolves in the infirmary and a demon bound inside a vampire in the basement.
“Oh, I should probably check on Noah before we leave and see how the others are doing. It’s a lot to take in.”
“I wouldn’t get too attached.”
“I’m not getting attached, but I want to check on them before they leave. They came all this way seeking my help. The least I can do is pop in for a minute before they leave.”
“You think it’s wise to let them leave?”
I tip my head, looking at Lucas. “Well, they can’t stay here.”
“I’m aware. They know you’re more than a normal witch, Callie. And the demon was in Noah’s head. He might not be able to remember the demon’s agenda now, but he could. We can’t let him leave.”
“You mean leave alive,” I say, coming to a stop. “What happened to no murder? They’re innocent people, Lucas.”
“They’re werewolves,” he counters. “A few aren’t an issue, but an entire pack is. They’re going back to a pack, and we don’t know what the pack will do.”
“They’ll be thankful I saved the kid.”
“The demon was in his head,” Lucas reiterates. “And it figured out how to get past your wardings.”
The fear I hadn’t let myself feel crashes down on me. I’ve cast elaborate circles around my house to keep anyone who wishes me harm from crossing. The demon meant to harm me but lay dormant inside the werewolf just to get past the first circle.