I can’t respond because my muscles are tensed against the shudder that Satan’s name elicits.

“We’ve got Legionnaires on the hunt for both her and her father. Belial’s been eluding us for a while now, so he’s definitely up to something.”

I nod. “I see you’re keeping several whisperers with you to keep an eye out. That’s good.”

He puffs his chest out and hmphs. “I’m not going to let that girl get in a sneak attack. The other Dukes and I are staying armed and ready. We’ll find her and hold an emergency summit to learn the truth and get rid of her once and for all. Angels be damned.”

And that is when the truth will be made known. Please, let this work.

“What can I do to help?” I ask.

“Search for her. If you find her, she becomes your prisoner, and you’ll notify me immediately. Do whatever is necessary to keep her with you and get her to the location we choose for the summit. And most important, disarm her. Under no circumstances should she be allowed access to the Sword of Righteousness.”

“Of course. I’ll begin immediately. I have a few ideas where she might be.”

“Good.” He steps closer and looks me dead in the eye. “It’s in your best interest not to fail me in this endeavor. Do you understand?”

Another death threat. How original. Thing is, I’m no longer scared for myself. My only concern is Anna. For her sake, I won’t punch old Pharzuph in his new face. Yet.

“I understand,” I answer.

His eyes are bright; he’s probably feeling the glorious weight of his power trip. “I’m going to Marissa’s tonight, and I leave in the morning. My new duty station will be in New York City, so it’s time for me to get settled there. Don’t waste any time getting to work on your task.”

“Yes, sir,” I say absently, still stuck on one tiny detail. “But you’re going to Marissa’s, you say?” Doesn’t she think he’s dead?

He chuckles and flashes that obnoxiously wide grin again. “Marissa is a special human. She knows about our kind. She’s expecting me, and can’t wait to get her claws into my new skin.”

His grin is still huge and I force a nod. Yeah, she’s special all right. An especially evil bitch. “She must be an exceptional woman if you’ve been able to trust her in such a way.”

Father pulls out his mobile and glances at it, then pockets it again. “Exceptional, yes. And I still expect you to be at her service if she calls on you, regardless of whether or not we live here.”

Like hell I will. “Of course, Father. Enjoy your evening. I’ll begin my search for the Neph straightaway.”

“If you need to involve the son of Melchom to help you, then do that. He has a lot of resources at his disposal on the West Coast.”

“Brilliant idea,” I say.

He turns from me, pulling out his mobile again as he walks out. I stand there alone and listen to him ascending the stairs to the upper floor.

Another heartwarming conversation with Father has ended.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Ready or Not

“If love’s a fight, then I shall die,

With my heart on a trigger.”

—“Angel with a Shotgun” by The Cab

The full weight of our situation doesn’t hit me until I’m with Anna again that night. I stare at her brown eyes in the backseat of her car at Lookout Point, where we went after my meeting with Father. Trepidation is heavy on me.

Anna is strong, yes, but she is flesh and bone. She has a tender, sensitive heart. And our grand plan is to set her in front of all the Dukes and Legionnaires in order to play out this prophecy?

Can anyone else see what a bad idea this is? I have a hard time believing this is how it must go down. There has to be another way. She is one being with one sword. There are 666 of them. Granted, we have a handful of Neph allies, but the odds are stacked against us.

Perhaps Anna and her father and the others are okay with handing her over to the Dukes to be slaughtered, but I’m bloody well not. I have to make her see straight.

“We don’t have to do this. You can stay hidden, like Zania.” I could take Anna to the very same convent.

“I can’t hide forever. And what would that mean for you? Your father will expect you to be working. Marissa will be calling you.”

No. None of that matters. “I’ll go into hiding with you.”

“That’s no way to live.”

Isn’t it? We’d be together. Her shoulders are set as she examines my face. I know she can’t understand my selfishness, but damn it, I can’t understand her selflessness either.

“Are you truly not afraid?” I ask. “At all?”

“Of course I am . . . but the chain of events has started, and we can’t stop the prophecy now.”

“We can try.” We can slow it down. We don’t have to rush straight into the burning fire. Why is she in such a rush to do this? I know the Dukes are evil and the whisperers are a bloody nuisance, but this prophecy could kill her. Could kill all of us. I can’t be left on this earth without her. And I can’t stand the thought of Anna suffering.

She shakes her head, and her eyes droop as if she feels sorry for me.

“I finally have you, Anna.” I sound so pathetic.

She touches my hand. “And every second we’ve had together is a blessing I never thought we’d get.”

She takes my shoulder, but I’m so tense I can hardly feel her hands on me. Anna’s hands move up my body and curve around the back of my neck. She holds me hard and kisses me.

This, I feel.

I kiss her back like her mouth offers sustenance. I pull her close and revel in the feel of her hands scratching through my hair. “God, Anna,” I say against her mouth. I hold her so hard, hard enough to keep her here forever. Hard enough that nobody can take her from me.

I tear my mouth from hers and pant for air. “I can’t lose you.”

Her hands pull at me, and her voice is ragged with emotion. “Stop thinking that way. I can’t fight them if you’re not on board, Kai.”

I look at her, and I fucking hate myself. Anna wants to save the world. Not for her own glory, but because she cares about the people who are terrorized by the demons. She cares about the Neph and our way of life. She cares about all the things that I don’t. I can’t give her what she needs from me right now—my support—and I hate myself for it.

I try to pull away, disgusted with myself, but she takes my face in her firm grasp and puts us nose to nose. “You haven’t lost me, Kai. I’m right here with you. Hold me.”

I pull her to my lap and bury my face in her neck. She’s right here. In my arms. She knows I’m a selfish prick, but she’s still here. I breathe and swallow and hold on tight.

I hold her as the stars light the night sky and the crickets send up their cacophony of mating calls. I hold her as the hours pass and our bodies wind down and weariness catches up with us.

All the while I keep an eye out for whisperers, and I scan with my hearing. It’s eerily quiet.

Anna turns against my chest and reaches up to stroke my face. I close my eyes and feel her kind touch. I soak in her love.

“Kaidan, if anything happens to me—”

I jerk, and my eyes snap open, catching hers. “Don’t! Don’t you dare finish that sentence. Nothing is going to happen to you.”

The pit of dread opens up inside of me. I don’t want to talk about this, but she is persistent and unnervingly gentle.

“If we both, you know, end up down there . . . in hell. We can make it through together. We’ll keep each other strong until it’s time for our judgment.”

I’ve never heard anyone talk about hell in this way. As if it’s something that can be faced and endured. I swallow hard at Anna’s vision. To think that even in complete darkness and despair, our souls can cling to each other and still feel this love. I want this dream of hers to be true. I want to cling to this one.