by Susan Illene
“She wanted to redeem herself in her daughter’s eyes.” Bartol took a deep breath. “I think it broke her in some way that she couldn’t be at Rebecca’s graduation. She didn’t want to die, I’m sure, but she was willing to do it if it meant her final act would count for something.” He went on to explain about a vision a nerou in Russia had, and that it was the only way she could protect her daughter and the other students.
“I almost want to be sad for her—almost.” Cori could understand how a child might change even the worst people. She’d never think of Zoe with fondness, but she could respect the woman for doing something good at the end.
“There’s more I must tell you,” Bartol said, voice reluctant.
She stiffened. “What?”
“Tormod didn’t know it, but he was being used by the demons as a spy.” He went on to explain how they found out, and how the situation was resolved.
“How is he now?”
“He woke up about an hour before we returned here.” Bartol stood and took the baby from her, heading for the changing table in their room. A nephilim could smell a dirty diaper even easier than a human. “I believe extracting the essence helped. He’s still not quite the same as before, but it appears a weight has been lifted from him.”
“That’s good to hear.” She’d worried the demon nerou would never get better.
Bartol pulled the dirty diaper off of Sybil, wrinkling his nose, and began to wipe her clean. “He’s horrified that he didn’t realize he was being used by the demons, and I think that’s going to bother him for a while, but we’ve reassured him it’s not his fault. None of us noticed it. With time, he should get past it.”
“It helps he has such a good support network.”
“True.” Bartol finished putting on a clean diaper and took Sybil to cradle her against his chest. A peaceful look came over his eyes, the tiny baby banishing all the darkness inside him.
Cori wanted to cry every time she saw her mate and child together. All the fears she’d had during pregnancy had passed, and she recognized how lucky she was that things had worked out in the end. For a few minutes, she sat quietly and watched as Bartol rocked their daughter to sleep. Once finished, he gently placed Sybil in the bassinet he’d made her. She still couldn’t believe he’d come up with such an amazing gift for their baby. If he’d bought her a rattle, Cori would have been happy. This was so much better.
“There is one more thing I need to tell you,” he said, speaking in a soft tone.
She joined him at the bassinet. “What?”
“I got our daughter’s time reduced to fifty years that she must serve the archangels.”
Cori’s eyes widened. It was all she could do to speak in a soft tone. “What? How?”
He went on to explain about acting as guard for the angel-demon summit. He gave her a hesitant look. “Did I do the right thing?”
“Yes.” She nodded, more thankful than she could ever explain to him. He was turning out to be the father she’d hoped. “Sybil will be fine here. I’ll protect her, and we’ll have plenty of others to help. There’s no way you could pass up that kind of a deal. I would have done the same.”
Relief filled his eyes. “I’m glad to hear that.”
They watched their daughter sleep for a few minutes, standing over her. Then Cori felt a hand creep up her back and stop at her neck where it massaged the tense muscles there. “You mentioned before I left that Paula deemed you fully recovered from pregnancy and childbirth.”
Cori nodded. Unlike when she was human, she didn’t need the full six weeks, and she was already back to her pre-pregnancy form. It was amazing. So many women would kill for that kind of recovery time, but she was glad she wouldn’t be returning to work for a while yet, or else many of her customers would notice. Most didn’t know she’d been changed into something not quite mortal.
She turned and carefully laid her head against Bartol’s chest. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“I am.”
He leaned down and pressed soft kisses across her forehead, then ran them down her face until he captured her mouth. This was what she’d dreamed of for months and wondered if she’d ever get it. Bartol was passionate in a way that took over her completely. His hands ran their way all over her body, and she melted into his touch. Bartol ignited a deep need inside her.
A moment later, Cori found herself lying on her back on the bed. She kept her arms at her side, though she itched to touch the man positioning himself above her. He was sexy and hers, but she knew better than to push him too far.
Bartol stared at her, love shining in his golden eyes. In one swift move, he ripped off his shirt, and in the next he had his pants off. Dear God, he was naked and it was glorious. Cori saw him as nothing short of beautiful with all his carved muscles and restrained strength. She itched to reach for him, dying a little that she couldn’t.
“Touch me,” he whispered, voice raw.
Her eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
He swallowed. “Yes.”
Tentatively, she lifted her right hand and ran her fingers down his chest. He shuddered, but he didn’t jerk away like he would have in the past. She kept exploring, soft and careful, as she watched for any bad reactions. As her fingertips came near his groin, she watched it grow. She was turning him on, rather than repulsing him. It was hard to believe, but she was seeing the evidence for herself.
Cori wrapped her fingers around his manhood, pausing for a moment to check Bartol’s expression. He looked pleased and let out a low groan, which encouraged her. She stroked him a few times, amazed his body stayed relaxed.
“I’m not sure how much more I can take,” he said in a low voice, heavy with passion.
She let him go. “Am I bothering you?”
He met her gaze. “Yes, but not in the way you think. The problem this time is it’s been too long—I need you.”
The next thing she knew, he was ripping off her clothes. The man had a knack for doing all of this while making as little sound as possible. They were both being careful not to wake Sybil up now that they were finally getting some time together. Cori had no idea where her clothes went after Bartol flung them away, but nothing else mattered when her mate crushed his naked body against hers. He was hot and hard, and all the things she remembered but never got to experience fully.
“Can I touch you again?” she whispered.
“Yes.” He breathed in her ear. “But take it easy at first.”
She understood and just traced her fingertips down his back, enjoying being able to do that much. Bartol licked her neck, suckled her nipples, and then worked his way down to the moist place between her thighs. His tongue moved in ways she’d never experienced before. It was magic, and it was incredible.
In a matter of minutes, they’d worked each other up to a frenzy until they’d nearly lost their minds with need. He entered her in one thrust. Cori had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming with the pleasure of it. She’d been waiting for this for so long, and it was all she could do to keep quiet. Bartol continued moving while also keeping his grunts to a minimum.
They stared into each other’s eyes, and in that moment, they were truly one. She finally understood the bond between mates, and how powerful it could be when both people accepted it. They were uniting the way they were meant to be.
Bartol stiffened above her. “I can’t hold back any longer.”
“Then don’t,” she whispered.
His thrusts came harder and faster until she felt warmth coursing inside of her. His expression was one of raw rapture. Watching him sent her over the edge, and she exploded with pleasure. Cori couldn’t help gripping his back and digging her nails into his skin, but Bartol didn’t seem to care. He was caught up in his own ecstasy, and for once, he was truly enjoying it without holding back.
Afterward, they lay on the bed together, naked and gasping for breath. Cori rolled onto her side and put a light hand on Bartol’s chest. “Were there any ni
ghtmare visions this time?”
“Just one,” he admitted. “But I managed to fight it back the moment it started. Eli has been helping me with that, and his trick is working.”
“What trick?”
He smiled. “I just have to keep my eyes on you and nothing else.”
“That seems easy enough.”
Bartol chuckled. “You would think that.”
A cry rose from the bassinet. They jerked upward to get a better view of their little girl and found Sybil’s eyes wide open. Her face was scrunched with an unhappy expression.
“You laughed too loud,” Cori said, smacking Bartol’s arm.
“I forgot.”
She sighed. “It takes some getting used to.”
Cori started to get up, but Bartol beat her to the bassinet. He lifted Sybil into his arms and started swaying her gently. She lay back on the bed, content to watch. The future was rocky for them, but she had more hope than ever that it would work out in the end.
Chapter 28
Bartol
It was early morning at the nerou compound in Alaska. The debris of the battle had been cleared away, and all the necessary repairs had been made over the last five days until no sign of the damage remained.
Perhaps Bartol should have described it as almost no sign was left. At the far corner of the grounds, they’d constructed a memorial for the fallen nerou of both battles. Each of their gravestones lay in two neat rows, and a bronze statue of a warrior wielding a sword rose over them. At the tip of the blade, an eternal flame quivered in the breeze. It was small but bright enough to see at a hundred paces away. Nothing could blow it out, not even the strongest storm. Until the end of time, it would continue to burn in remembrance of those who died in the battles against the demons. And it would serve as a place for more nerou to be buried in the future should they fall in combat.
Bartol could hardly look at the nerou’s final resting place without feeling his gut wrench in sorrow. For the last hour, he’d stood over their graves and prayed that their souls found peace. He wished he could have saved them and given them more time to live. But now, their terrible fate was marked by graves hidden away in a place where few would ever visit or see them. Humans would never know what the nerou had done to protect them and Earth.
He turned away, and something caught his attention at another corner of the compound where Zoe had also been laid to rest. The fallen nephilim had a simple tombstone marking her grave with only her name inscribed and the year of her death. Rebecca stood before it, holding a white rose. The nerou looked a lot like her mother with her slim form, strawberry blond hair, and high cheekbones.
She kneeled to set the flower on the grave, shoulders shaking.
Bartol hesitated for a moment before joining her. “My condolences.”
“Thank you,” Rebecca said, rising to her feet. Tears streaked down her cheeks. “People probably think I’m stupid for caring, but I feel awful about how she died.”
“Your mother wasn’t a good person, but you can take comfort that her final act was for you.” He gave her shoulder a light squeeze, wanting to offer some sort of support. “And she saved many lives as a result.”
She sniffed. “I know, but now I feel guilty I didn’t let her come to my graduation, and I hardly spoke to her over the last few months. She deserved better than that.”
“Your actions are what helped remind her she had to earn your regard.”
Rebecca sucked in a breath, and the next thing Bartol knew, the nerou woman was in his arms. He stiffened. Bile began to rise up his throat, and he started to panic, but then he heard the woman’s soft cries.
“It’s okay,” he said, patting her back. He could handle this. He could.
“I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
He gently took her shoulders and moved her back to look at her face. “Are you certain your mother would want you to feel guilty? I was there, and her last words were to tell you that she loved you. More than anything, she wished you to live and be happy.”
Rebecca’s blue eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “You would know if I was lying, would you not?” Many of the nerou had inherited the same lie detector abilities as sensors.
“I would,” she confirmed. “It’s just going to take some time, I guess. Even after what she did in Russia, most people still hate her, and no one came for her burial.”
They didn’t hold a service for Zoe, but Rebecca had stood at the plot the day she was buried and said a prayer for her. Not that it mattered since the nephilim had obliterated her soul with the magic bomb when she died, and their race wasn’t supposed to have an afterlife anyway. Still, it had seemed to make Rebecca feel better to do something.
“Don’t let it bother you what others think. You will be the one to remember your mother, and you must do what you can to honor her sacrifice.” Bartol let the young woman’s shoulders go, relief filling him right away. “You’ve got a long life ahead of you.”
She was a little over three hundred and thirty years old and had many centuries to go serving as an enforcer. The angels were supposed to eventually work out a specific term for the nerou, but as of now, it was indefinite. They were arguing for some sort of retirement plan.
“Thanks, Bartol,” she said, glancing at her mother’s grave and managing a small smile. “You have no idea how much better you made me feel.”
He nodded. “Take care.”
“You, too.”
He watched her go before turning his attention to another important matter. Today wasn’t really about visiting graves or comforting nerou, and not the main reason Bartol had come to the compound. He’d just wanted to pay his respects one more time and attempt to let go of the guilt he felt over the recent deaths—a suggestion from Eli. Deep down, Bartol recognized that he couldn’t save everyone, but it was a good sign that he wanted to try. There was a time when he didn’t care about anything at all, not even himself.
Remiel stepped out of the gymnasium and gestured at him. “Come. It is time.”
Lucas, Jeriel, and Raguel were the only other ones who would stand witness to what was about to happen next. The others were already inside. Bartol entered the building and found it cleared of all the exercise equipment and mats that were once in there. Only a bare wooden floor remained. Except for Rebecca, who was being given time to grieve her mother, the rest of the nerou had already left for their assignments a couple of days before. They wouldn’t need the gym any longer for training.
Kerbasi stood in the middle of the room, pacing like someone who believed they were going to their execution. He stopped and turned toward Remiel. “Are you certain you do not wish to return me to Purgatory instead?”
“That assignment wouldn’t suit you any longer,” the archangel replied.
“Did you know that when you sent me here?”
Remiel smiled. “We knew it was a possibility.”
“I’m certain you did,” he said, crossing his arms. The guardian’s gaze shifted to Raguel. “Will this hurt very much?”
“Worse than anything you’ve ever felt.” Bartol’s father wasn’t one for sugar coating things. “But it will pass…once we’ve finished.”
Kerbasi could occasionally be brave when he chose, and he could inflict pain with the best of them, but he did not do well when faced with his own torture. Bartol found it more than a little ironic. There was no way he’d let the man back out of the deal when not only did he deserve to suffer, but they needed him to do this for the greater good.
He moved to stand before the guardian and stared directly into the man’s liquid silver eyes. “If you want any sort of absolution for your crimes, you will do this.”
Kerbasi worked his jaw. “This would be enough for you to forgive me?”
“Hardly, but it would be a start.”
“But I helped with your…”
Lucas growled. “Stop acting like a weak little fool and just let the archangels get on with it.�
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Kerbasi took a deep breath and straightened his back, his gaze falling on the men in white robes. “What will I become after this?”
“You won’t be a guardian anymore,” Raguel replied, then cocked his head. “I can’t say for certain what you’ll transform into since we’ve never converted one from your caste to a demon slayer. It shall be interesting.”
His eyes rounded. “Interesting? The process won’t kill me, will it?”
“Probably not,” Jeriel said, cocking his head. “But of course no one can say for certain and stranger things have happened.”
“Remove your clothing and lie down,” Raguel commanded.
Kerbasi looked like he was a breath away from running far and fast. Bartol shot him a stern look. The guardian hesitated for a moment before slowly removing the gray robe he’d donned for the occasion. He folded it neatly, handed it over to Lucas, and then lowered himself to the hardwood floor. A person about to undergo open heart surgery couldn’t have looked more nervous, but after allowing himself a brief shiver, the man lay still and folded his hands over his stomach. His expression turned serene.
“Do what you must,” he said, voice calm and even.
They’d given him a few days’ notice to prepare himself. Kerbasi hadn’t been forced into doing this, but he had been strongly encouraged and given good reason. The fallen nerou had meant something to him, though he didn’t say so in many words. They’d found him saying prayers over their graves when Bartol and his father came to make their proposition, and there’d been suspicious moisture in the guardian’s eyes.
It was the temptation of gaining powers which would enable him to fight the demons that initially drew him into agreeing. Now, though, he’d had time to fully consider the implications, and it obviously frightened him. It would Bartol as well. From what he understood, the conversion process often didn’t go smoothly, and it could have unintended side effects. The only guarantee was that Kerbasi would gain the powers he needed to slay demons. Whether he’d be the same man on the inside or out afterward was anyone’s guess.