Page 19 of Carved
“Kobal, I’m naked.”
“I know.” My hands slid over her hips towardher thighs.
“We have to get moving.”
“We will.”
She laughed and took a step back. “Now.” Iwent to take hold of her again but she danced beyond my reach.“They’re going to come looking for us soon if we don’t getmoving.”
I groaned in frustration, but she was right.Searching the surrounding forest, I scented for any hint of athreat, but all I detected was the wildlife creeping through theunderbrush and the birds flitting through the trees. Satisfied itwould be safe to leave her here, I lifted her sleeping bag anddraped it around her shoulders before kissing her nose. “I’ll beright back.”
It took only a few minutes to gather herclothes and some breakfast for her before returning to her. Iwatched her dress then handed her the food. She eagerly ate theapple and beef jerky before rising to slide her holster and gunsaround her waist and buckling it there.
Almost everyone else was gathered around thevehicles when we exited the woods. I kept my hand on her elbow as Iled her toward where Sue stood by the passenger door of thetruck.
All of the humans’ eyes followed us, but noneof them spoke or whispered like they had when I’d first claimed heras mine. And there was no denying I’d claimed her again. We bothbore the marks on our necks for them to see.
“I’m going to have you drive, Sue,” I saidwhen we reached him and I handed out the keys.
“Hawk,” he said and took the keys fromme.
I didn’t acknowledge his correction beforeturning to River. “Ride with him.” A muscle in her jaw twitchedwhen her teeth clamped together. I forced myself to add,“Please.”
She relaxed a little. “What about you?” sheinquired.
“I’m going to walk through the city with theothers. There are too many places for something to hide amongstthose buildings. We’ll be ready in case of an attack.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t.”
“I’m stronger than you think,” sheinsisted.
“I know.”
“Then let me walk with you.”
My eyes fell to the marks on her neck, thefour sets of imprints from where my upper and lower fangs had sunkinto her repeatedly.Mine.Myinitial impulse was to tell her no and order her into the truck,but that would only earn me her lethal stare and the cold shoulder.She’d just returned to me; I didn’t want to risk losing her again,but giving in to her went against every instinct I had to protecther.
Pick yourbattles.
I didn’t pick my battles. I was the rightfulking of Hell. I spoke and others obeyed. She was the only one whochallenged my decisions. The only one who had the courage to doso.
“I’ll agree to it if you agree to do what Itell you if something happens,” I said.
A smile lit her face. Apparently,compromisingwasthe better way togo as she fairly bounced on her toes while she squeezed my hand. “Iwill.”
I lifted my head to find Corson biting on hislip, trying not to laugh. My glower caused him to turn away, buthis shoulders shook with laughter as he walked. The new, danglingblue feathers hanging from his ears were begging to be torn free.River hurried to the back of the truck and pulled out the katanashe’d stashed there. She slid it over her shoulder and adjusted itbefore looking toward me expectantly.
“Let’s go!” I barked.
River fell into step beside me as thevehicles began their descent toward the remains of the destroyedcity below. Her arm brushed against mine as we walked next to thepickup and into the city. Her right hand rested on one of thehandguns strapped to her side.
She’d become extremely adept at using theweapons over the past couple of months, but it was the life energyshe could draw on and wield that would be her most lethal weapon.If she learned how to use it better. Bale and Corson had both saidshe’d made some improvement with it, but her ability was nowherenear as developed as I would have liked it to be. I had faith herpowers would grow the more she used them, and I didn’t doubt shewould have to use them a few times before we arrived at theunnatural gateway.
We couldn’t have delayed our timeline forleaving the wall. The longer we waited, the more seals Lucifercould break open and the more disastrous life would become onearth. It had taken him thirteen years to figure out how to breakthe first seal, but now they were falling quickly, and there was noway of knowing if more than the first three seals had already beenbroken.
The humans had weapons that were effectiveagainst us, but they wouldn’t be able to stop the creaturesspilling out of Hell if all those seals fell. Nothing could. Thebalance between Heaven, Earth, and Hell had kept the humans safeand held steady for hundreds of thousands of years. Then, Luciferhad been cast from Heaven six thousand years ago, and instead ofdying as the angels had intended, he’d somehow figured out a way toenter Hell.
