Page 97 of Carved
“And Lucifer? What about him?” Iinquired.
“If you succeed in closing the gate, we willworry about him after.”
“And if I fail?”
Walking over, he knelt before me and tookhold of my chin. His thumb rubbed over my lips as he studied me.“It willnotbe failing.”
“Since Bale had her vision, and before weever met, everyone has expected me to be the one to stop this. Thelast hope. If I can’t close the gate, then maybe I could take onLucifer himself. But if I can’t do those things, itisfailing. It’s failing everyone I love and carefor. It’s failing all of humanity.”
He leaned forward to kiss me. “Yet you didn’trun from this,” he murmured against my lips.
“I was never given the chance.”
“You were. You just didn’t take it. After thegargoyle attack you could have fled. When you slipped free of thetruck yesterday, you could have fled and never looked back, but youdidn’t.”
“You would have found me.”
“I would track you to the ends of the earthand back, but I would not force you into this, River. Not anymore.I would find another way to fight him, and if you told me to turnback now, I would, for you. You’ve made this choice. No matter whathappens, you willneverbe afailure, not in this.”
Leaning forward, I let myself drift into thecomfort of the arms he slid around me as I tried to convince myselfhis words were true. “What will you do if this doesn’t work?” Iasked.
“I will continue to fight.”
What a brutal life, but it would also bemine. “Fight no matter what,” I whispered. My fingers slid throughhis thick, silken hair. “My Chosen.”
His arms constricted to the point ofbruising, but I didn’t complain. I needed him more than I neededair right now.
“If we defeat Lucifer, you will become theleader of Hell. You’ll have to go back,” I said.
“No, I won’t. I can allow demons to come andgo between Hell and Earth in order to maintain their immortality,and I could return myself when it became necessary for me to do so.However, I will always come back for you, River.Nothingwill keep me from you.”
Except death, but I didn’t say the words. Mymortality was already a fact we were both aware of. He may be oneof the most powerful creatures on Earth and in Hell, but he couldalso die. It was only tougher for him to do so than me. My handsran over his back, feeling the flex and bunch of his musclesbeneath my palm.
“You’d be willing to do that for me?” Iasked.
“I would do anything for you, and we havebecome accustomed to this world. We enjoy many things about beinghere instead of Hell. We may not care so much for humans, but wewould be willing to share Earth with them.”
I laughed at the teasing gleam in his eyeswhen he pulled back to look at me. “And what if the humans don’twant to share it?”
He shrugged and ran his finger down thebridge of my nose. “They will have about as much say in it as wehad about their tearing our world apart.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Humans hadcreated this mess; if Kobal’s followers decided they were going tostick around after all of this was settled, they should have theright to do so. They were the only reason the human race was stillhere right now.
“We should go.” His voice was hoarse withdesire when he pulled away. “If we continue to stay, I won’tleave.” I gave him a flirtatious smile as I ran my fingers over hisarm. “Temptress.”
“You love it,” I teased.
“I do.”
He kissed my forehead and reluctantly pulledaway from me. Rising to his feet, he walked back over to the treeline. I studied his back for a minute more before tossing aside theblankets and getting up. I’d pulled my pants and shirt back onbefore falling asleep last night, but I had left my weapons lyingnearby. I strapped my guns to my side before sliding my katana overmy back again.
I brushed my hair and teeth, using my waterbottle to rinse and spit before joining him. The others werealready moving about, preparing to leave when we emerged from thewoods and walked out to join them. Resting my hands on the side ofthe pickup, I pulled myself over it to join Hawk, Erin, and Vargasin the bed while Kobal went to speak with Tresden and some of theother humans.
Erin was pulling away the bandages aroundHawk’s chest as he munched on a piece of stale bread. “Does ithurt?” I inquired.
“Surprisingly, no,” Hawk replied and pickedup a crumb from his shirt to eat.
“Good pain meds,” Vargas said.
