Destined for Dreams: Book 2 (Dark Destiny Series)
Page 25
“I have faith in you.”
“I appreciate that,” he said. “But your faith may not be enough.”
More than anything, Cori wanted to see Bartol finally find confidence in himself again. She’d slowly been seeing improvement through his phone calls from Europe, but he wasn’t there yet. She suspected if he successfully battled against a demon, it might just jar him out of his reclusive, anti-social funk. Maybe it could even help in his path to healing so that their relationship could grow and become stronger.
“Are there any better options?” she asked, deciding to play devil’s advocate. “Because if there is some way you can stay out of this fight and let someone else handle it, I’d be all for that. I’d rather you come home so you could have your way with me.”
He chuckled. “When you put it like that…”
“Look, Bartol. I can’t make this decision for you, but what I can tell you is that I’m not the only one rooting for you.” She took a deep breath. “You have to ask yourself if you’re the man who can walk away from the most important battle of his life, or are you the man who is going to go out there and save all our asses from a demon intent on destroying the planet?”
“Thank you, Cori. I needed to hear that,” he said, sounding marginally more confident.
“So are you going to do it?”
He cleared his throat. “You are convincing me I should.”
Cori’s chest tightened. She hated this, and yet she knew she was doing the right thing. If their roles were reversed, she’d hope he would support her the same way. But was this how women had felt for thousands of years and countless wars when they sent their husbands off to battle, not knowing if they’d return? Did they just plaster fake smiles in place, show nothing except encouragement and enthusiasm, and stand with confidence until the man had left? Except after he was gone did they allow themselves to shed a tear and pray to God he returned? Now she understood why Melena had joined the military and always fought in the battles—even against supernaturals stronger than her. It was easier to go into battle than to stand on the sidelines and do nothing.
“Whatever you need, I’ll be here for you.”
“Thank you.” He sounded more than a little grateful for her support. “I want you to know that I’m glad that of all the women in the world—present and past—that it was you who became my mate. You’ve come to mean a lot to me.”
Cori swallowed. “Same here, Bartol.”
“Take care, and I’ll call you again soon.”
“You better,” she said.
He laughed and hung up. Cori slowly lowered the phone onto her lap, happy she’d finally talked to her mate and yet numb from everything they’d discussed.
Joy made her way over to her, hiding something behind her back. “That conversation must not have been easy.”
Cori blinked back tears. “No, it wasn’t.”
“If it’s any consolation, I think you did the right thing,” her mother said.
She nodded. “Thanks.”
“But there’s something else you have to worry about now, sweetheart.”
Cori furrowed her brows. “What’s that?”
Joy pulled her arm out from behind her back and revealed a small pink box. “You need to take a pregnancy test.”
“But I can’t be…” her voice broke off. Quick mental math told her she absolutely could be, but still. “Nephilim are cursed and can’t have children.”
“I talked to Melena, honey. You’d be surprised how many people are already suspicious that you’re pregnant, but they wanted you to figure it out on your own when you were ready. I just can’t be that patient anymore.” Her mother sat on one of the dining room chairs closest to her, setting the box to the side to take her hands. “It’s possible you got just enough of your friend’s blood to make you immune to the nephilim curse.”
“You’ve already talked about this with my friends?” Cori asked, horrified.
Joy shook her head. “They came to me. Everyone’s noticed you’ve been sick lately, and Derrick says you smell different. Melena claims that in the last week or so she’s noted your signature—whatever that means—has started to change to reflect a second, different one near your stomach. She says it probably coincided with when the baby’s heart started to beat.”
Cori looked down at her flat stomach, pressing a hand there. “I didn’t think I would ever have any more children.”
“Take the test to be sure,” her mother pleaded.
This was almost scarier than convincing Bartol to go off to battle with a powerful demon.
“Alright,” she said, and with shaking hands, she grabbed the test to bring with her to the downstairs bathroom.
Cori shut the door behind her and stared at herself for a long minute, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. How could she have missed this? True, they could have only conceived less than a month ago, but it wasn’t her first time being pregnant. She’d gotten sick with her daughter as well, so she should have known. Then again, she had been distracted.
She pulled the test from the box, quickly read over the instructions, and made the final leap to find out for certain. The next few minutes were the longest in Cori’s life, but there was no mistaking the answer on the digital readout.
Pregnant.
Her stomach rumbled, and she had to twist around fast to bury her head in the toilet. There wasn’t much in her stomach, but the water she drank and crackers she’d eaten came up. For a few minutes, she kneeled there sweating and fighting the urge to cry.
How was she going to tell Bartol about this? And did she do it before or after he fought the demon? Telling him before could be a distraction, but not telling him meant there was a chance he’d never know he was going to be a father. She’d have to consider her options carefully. First, though, Cori needed time to process the news herself.
She left the bathroom and handed the test to her mother. “You were right.”
“You don’t look happy,” Joy said, studying Cori closely.
“I’m scared to death.”
Her mother gave her a sage look. “I know I was both times.”
“What did you have to be scared about?” she asked, confused. “You and Dad were happily married.”
“Bringing a new life into this world is never an easy or simple thing, sweetheart—even if we planned for it.”
Cori touched her stomach, this time wishing she could feel the life inside, but it was still too small for her to detect. “I don’t even know what this baby might become. Will it be like the nerou? Will the angels make him or her become an enforcer when it grows up? I don’t…I don’t even know what to think.”
“There will be time to figure out all of that.” Her mother set the test on the nearest table and pulled her into a hug. “For me, I’m just excited to have another grandchild on the way.”
Cori hugged her mother back. “You’re going to start planning the nursery right away, aren’t you?”
The yellow blanket her mother had been knitting now made more sense.
“I’ve already been searching for just the right crib,” Joy said, pulling back with a broad smile on her face. “You’ll have to tell me what you think.”
Cori was no longer sure who the baby would need protection from the most—a conquering demon, the archangels, or her mother. “How about we hold off on that until Bartol is back?”
Joy sighed. “You’re no fun.”
Chapter 24
Bartol
Bartol and Caius flashed to London, arriving on Richmond Road. They stood in front of a semi-detached, double fronted Victorian house. It had a low beige brick wall surrounding the front garden with a wrought iron gate and sidewalk leading up to the front steps. The house itself was several stories tall, built of the same material as the wall. At mid-afternoon, there weren’t many people milling about, but they waited to become visible until they entered the home.
“Is this where you lived with Willa?” Bartol asked.
“We can stay somewhere else if you wish.” Bartol didn’t want his old friend to suffer unnecessarily. They’d wrapped up their investigation in Germany since arriving there two days before and had decided the best course of action was to move on to London. They knew if the demon wasn’t in the city yet, he would be soon.
“This is the best place, and Willa would have wanted us to use the house for something good,” Caius replied. He took a deep breath and collected himself. “I use the ground floor suite, but there are two other guest rooms on this level and five more upstairs you can choose from if you want to get settled. There are two separate kitchens as well that I had fully stocked in anticipation of our arrival if you’re hungry.”
Bartol recognized his friend needed a moment alone. “Thank you. I’ll look into that.”
He found the stairs and headed up to the next level. He found the kitchen, another reception room, and a dining area—all with modern furnishings. The next level up, he located the bedrooms, selecting the one with an en suite bathroom and balcony to the back garden. A part of him wished Cori were there to keep him company. It was a rather large house for only a couple of men, but they had a third person coming soon. The extra space would come in handy while the home acted as their headquarters while on the hunt to search and destroy Haagenti.
Bartol set his bag on the bed, pulling his newest sets of clothes out to put in a nearby wardrobe. They’d done some shopping yesterday after acquiring more funds, so at least he had a few spare changes of clothing to help him get by for the time being.
He’d barely finished unpacking when the doorbell rang downstairs. They were only expecting one person this soon, so he hurried down to meet him. Caius was already there, letting Yerik inside. When the daimoun—a man who was half angel and half demon—had found out they’d be in London, he’d insisted on joining the hunt. It was his son, Tormod, who was missing and since the nerou compound in Ireland where he worked was within the UK and his boundary limits, he was able to meet them without having his mystical ankle bracelet removed. The archangels had approved his temporarily joining the hunt anyway since he could prove particularly useful with his half-demon blood.
“Have you heard anything yet?” Yerik asked, staring hard at them with his vermilion eyes.
This was a man who was old and powerful enough that he’d once managed to kill an archangel—in self-defense. Yerik was usually a light-hearted man with a penchant for mockery and antics much like his son, but today he was all business and his posture dominant to the extreme.
He stood nearly six and a half feet tall, had a large, muscular body, shoulder-length brown hair, and light gold skin. Wild fierceness was one way to describe him, which was aided by the kilt Yerik wore. The man hated shoes and often walked around barefoot. Few dared to question his attire, but his sensor mate was Scottish, so some of his choices likely came from her influence. Word had it, though, that she had tried to push him about wearing boots. The daimoun just didn’t like anything restricting his feet unless a particular occasion called for it.
Caius gave the daimoun a grim look. “We just arrived twenty minutes ago.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Yerik gave them both an incredulous look. “Get off your arses and help me search for my son.”
Bartol couldn’t blame the man for his impatience, though he didn’t care for the reprimand when he wanted to find Tormod as well. “We have a list of potential places where the demon might be hiding out based on his past choices for hotels, but in a city the size of London, there are a lot of options, and it could take a while.”
“Show me the list,” the daimoun growled.
Caius led them to the front reception room where he’d laid out all their research notes on a side table. He grabbed several sheets of printouts and handed them over to Yerik. “These are the top fifty most likely.”
“He tends to like small, quaint places over modern ones,” Bartol explained.
“Demons can be odd creatures,” Yerik said, scanning the sheets. “I’ll take the first twenty, and you two can take the rest.”
He divided the sheets up between them.
Bartol gave the daimoun a stern look. “Save your strength and avoid using too much power during your search. You may need it later. Also, be warned if you get too close, he can drain you of all strength with the Gregorian stones.”
“I’m half demon myself.” Yerik bristled. “They shouldn’t affect me.”
“You’re also half angel, and they most certainly affected your son.”
The daimoun ground his jaw. “Surely you can fight through it if you’re strong enough.”
“No.” Caius shook his head. “Once you’re within fifty feet or so, you’re rendered weaker than a human, and it’s like moving through mud to do anything.”
“Power counts for nothing against the stones,” Bartol added.
“Well, that explains how you two idiots let my son get taken,” Yerik said, and before they could form a reply, he flashed away.
Bartol sighed. “That went well.”
“I’m surprised he wasn’t worse,” Cauis said, shaking his head. “I’d be upset too if my son had been captured by a powerful demon.”
They each studied their lists and started coordinating which places to cover first.
Just as they were about to leave, Remiel flashed into the room. “I saw you had a visitor.”
Caius snorted. “You should have joined us for the flaying.”
“I preferred not to slow him down—he’s more useful as he is now.”
“Any news?” Bartol asked.
“All the signs are strong that the demon is here and active but pinpointing his location is another matter.” The archangel’s lips turned downward. “It appears he has already gained a few followers.”
Caius cursed. “What have they done this time?”
“As of yet, nothing extreme, but the number of suicides in the city has increased in the last few days—all with a familiar symbol carved into their skin somewhere on their bodies.” The archangel moved toward the front window, staring out. “The local authorities are already working with Interpol on the matter due to the similarities with other deaths across Europe. We’ve got someone at Scotland Yard watching closely in case they discover anything useful.”
“That’s not going to make our job any easier with the human authorities involved,” Bartol said.
“Perhaps, but perhaps not.”
He frowned at Remiel. “How do you mean?”
“It could be turned to your advantage, but I will have to get back to you on that.” The archangel gestured toward the lists Bartol and Caius were holding. “For now, follow Yerik’s lead and look into those locations—but take care and do not get captured again.”
“We are taking precautions.” Bartol wasn’t about to let himself get taken a second time if he could help it. “But what news is there about my father?”
“The council finally approved my suggestion this morning. Raguel is in the process of being awakened now, but he’ll need a little time to orient himself and regain a measure of his strength.”
Bartol’s father would have missed a lot in the last eighteen-hundred and six years. He supposed he could understand that, though he was curious to meet the man who’d sired him. Yet he also feared their first meeting. What if his father judged him and found him wanting? Raguel had been the head of a legion, after all, and likely had high standards. There was no telling how seeing him might go and if it could be as unpleasant as what Lucas and Micah faced with their own sire.
Remiel stared at Bartol, a knowing expression in his gaze that said the archangel might have been listening to his thoughts. “
Do not worry. Raguel is mighty and powerful, but he was also born with compassion. It kept him motivated to protect humans and is likely why he felt so strongly toward your mother that he sacrificed his standing for her.”
That only gave Bartol a measure of relief since things could change over the centuries. “Let us know when to expect him.”
The archangel nodded. “I will return soon.”
Chapter 25
Cori
One thing Cori had learned was that there were certain times in life that could be completely surreal, and this evening was most definitely one of them. As she stared at the monitor, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing on the screen. A tiny new life had formed in her belly, all without her even realizing it. She was totally blown away by how big the baby had already gotten.
She’d left work early at six in the evening so she could make her appointment with the local supernatural doctor, Paula Dupree. It had to be late since this particular physician was a vampire, and with all the sups that had moved into the Fairbanks area, she kept a busy night schedule. As it was, Cori had had to wait several days for an opening. Going somewhere else hadn’t been a choice since this was no normal pregnancy.
As she lay on the examination table, Cori felt the pressure of the ultrasound wand against her lower stomach. Paula angled it down near her pelvic bone to catch the best possible picture of the growing embryo. It was wiggling around and wouldn’t stay still.
Cori frowned. “I could have only conceived four weeks ago, how is it that big already?”
“Children of nephilim are different,” Paula said, pressing keys on the computer to take snapshots. “Their growth rate is a little faster than human children.”
“Tormod was the last nerou to be born, and that was over fifty years ago. How do you know?” Cori asked. She could tell by Paula’s aura that she was only about eighty and likely would have still been human back then.