I can’t help but frown over at the two of them. Honestly, lately she has just as little sense as he does. I need to start a rescue G initiative. There has to be someone else she can date other than Ellis, but at the moment I can’t seem to think of anyone. Or better yet, stay single. Her brain cells will thank her for it later inlife.
The meeting gets underway, and Skyla assesses the work programs she instilled last year. The strongest and the brightest minds from each Faction have volunteered to do workshops in strengthening and growing powers, and the younger sect is showing up in droves. I, myself, am dead and thus don’t qualify, but Skyla assured me that I would have been a Celestra leader. As it stands, Ivan Watts and his wife Vanessa lead those classes. I’ve yet to catch a master class, as they’re called, but planto.
“Skyla’s so brave.” Giselle leans over Ellis and leers at me as if waiting for a response. A slight titter circles the room, and my full attention returns to the front. Skyla keeps talking into the mic, her body slightly contorted to the left, and it takes a while for me to notice a large bulge rippling under herblouse.
“Crap,” I say it out loud without meaning to, and Barron slaps my lips and laughs. That lump under Skyla’s shirt just so happens to be his brother—Nathan. She’s nursing right here in the open, and my heart starts thumping again—not because the sight of it gets me going. I’ve seen Skyla do what she needs to do on more than one occasion. It’s the fact the masses happen to be witnessing the event as well. A swell of pride heats me up from the inside. Yes, she’s covered, but even if she wasn’t, Skyla is fearless. If anything, this is a shining example of what a great mother sheis.
Skyla leans in. “Let’s move to the topic of volunteer adoptions.” Volunteer adoptions is the program she ran past me that involves the deceased getting placed into homes rather than drawing attention to themselves stuffed to the hilt at the home she’s provided for them. I know for a fact Gage is on the forefront of gunning to get them out. “Worldwide representatives have reached out and taken in a significant number of mercenaries for us.The Nephilim Bureau of Intelligence is working closely to find an appropriate match for everyone involved.” A weak round of applause pours through the room. “The Levatio League had kindly offered their transportation services for the endeavor, and I can’t stress how grateful we are for that. A handful, of course, is still here among us on Paragon. They are desperately needed in order to deflect the heat that the government has steadily turnedup.”
“You mean the Barricade!” someone shouts from theback.
“Precisely that.” Skyla darts a quick glance to Gage as if it were a reflex, and her cheeks darken with color. “The sooner we temper the feds, the sooner everyone can breathe easier. The mercenaries are currently undergoing power stimulus and strategy sessions to help once they initiate their incarcerations. The plan calls for a swift surrendering over a three to six-month period. Once the last volunteer is taken, we will regroup and reassess. No doubt the Barricade will have something else cooked up by then, but we’ll deflect as needed. We don’t fear them or the coward commandeering theeffort.”
A slight round of titters circles theroom.
Her T-shirt flips over the top of Nathan’s head, and the white pad of her breast glows beneath his dark hair. His head moves steadily back and forth as he heartily takes all she has to give him. The room lights up with an audible gasp, followed quickly by a rumble of voices, all eagerly whispering about the wardrobemalfunction.
“Excuse me.” She leans into the mic once again and offers a hard look to the crowd from one end of the room to the other. “But my son needs to eat, and I kindly ask that you get over it.” She straightens her notes, and the room grows quiet with the reprimand. “We’ll have sign-ups down front once we reconvene, and I’m hopeful to place the remaining Paragon mercenaries in a warm home by evening.” Skyla picks up the gavel and pauses while scanning the crowd. “Be careful—be on alert, watch out for one another. We are all we have.” She sounds the gavel, and the baby breaks his hold on her, leaving Skyla’s nipple bare and exposed as the room erupts into a warble of voices. Bodies rise and begin to mingle, and I share a quick glance with Gage. It looks as if the shock value lasted for less than a moment, and I’m glad. I don’t want Skyla to feel embarrassed or bad about having to nurse her children. God gave her those boys and that body for areason.
“Logan?” a tiny female voice calls from behind, and I find Casey with her bright eyes latched onto me. “Will you adopt me?” Her lower lip quivers when she says it, and my heart breaks for her. What the heck is she doing here, volunteering? She’s just akid.
“I’m actually in need of a home myself. A family is coming to stay at my house for aweek.”
Her features crumble as if she were crestfallen. “I see. I guess I’ll go sign up and hope for the best. I don’t traditionally do well around strangers. This entire endeavor was sort of a big step for me. But the Counts burned my father. He was a Celestra, and I avowed to avenge him.” She picks at her simple pink dress at the hem. “But then I was killed before I ever got out of the vengefulgate.”
Something about Casey makes me want to protect her in a big brother sort ofway.
“I can relate.” I bounce Barron on my hip, and he nuzzles his dark little head into my neck. “My father—the Counts killed both him and my mother in the samemanner.”
“Oh!” She slaps her hand over her mouth. “They’rebarbaric!”
“Full disclosure, I might have a drop or two of that barbaric blood in me, but I’m almost pure Celestra outside of thefact.”
She wrinkles her nose and looks all of twelve. “I won’t hold it against you. Hey, do you know of any nice people that might take mein?”
“What’s this?” Giselle pops up next to me and takes the baby. “Hi, Casey!” She heads over and gives her a hip bump. “You need a good home? My Ellis practically lives in a mansion all by himself. His parents are nearly invisible. Or how about living with me? Daddy Kragger is the best! And he would, love, love,loveto have you with us! We can light a big burning fire and you can tell us all about how you died. Daddy K loves to hear my stories about the afterlife. Now that the real Emerson is home, you’d think he’d kick me out on my tiny pink Oliver ear, but he’s taken a liking to me. Besides, Emerson won’t be around forever. Thankfully. She’s such a snot.” She makes a face while turning my way. “She practically yells at me every day for touching her things. What doesn’t she get about beingreplaced?”
“I’m sure it’s a tough pill to swallow.” I can’t help but look to Gage. I happen to know all about being replaced myself. “And no, I don’t think having Casey stay with you is a good idea. In fact, try not to bring any of this to Arson’sattention.”
“Oh, he knows.” She waves me off as if it’s silly. “Holden told him everything. But Pierce swore him to secrecy. In fact, Pierce and Holden are trying to figure out a way to do more to helpSkyla.”
“That’s interesting, considering I believe she killed them both.” I make a mental note to talk to both Holden and Pierce. Holden once took possession of my body. He once did a lot of really shitty things, not to mention what he tried to do with Skyla against her will. But Skyla has miraculously forgiven him, and we’ve all moved on—that’s about the same time he was shoved into the body of a bird and forced to live out his life in feathers. I need to make sure this temporary human tent hasn’t given the Kraggers any lousyideas.
Ellis pops up and G happily hands him the baby. Poor Barron looks startled and begins to squirm, and Ellis looks equally as startled as he too begins tosquirm.
“I’ll take him.” Casey reaches out and cuddles with Barron as if he were her favorite teddy bear. “I miss this. I miss the entire human experience. I guess at the end of the day that’s why I wanted to come back. Paradise is great, but there’s just something about having abody.”
Giselle wraps her arms around Ellis. “Casey needs a home. Won’t you take her? She’ll be quiet, and hardly eats, and I’ll even stop by and clean up afterher.”
I give a laugh at the thought. Giselle makes Casey sound more like a puppy than aperson.
“I’ll take her.” I give a little wink Casey’s way, and she gasps with delight. “We’ll hang out at the Oliver house. I’m sure Emma won’t mind, and if she does, we’ll stick it out at the old Walsh place together.” A part of me wants to shudder at the thought. Ramshackle comes to mind as a positivedescriptor.
“What’s this about the Walsh house?” Skyla pops up like a ray of sunshine. Her face glows with a smile as she scoops Barron up fromCasey.
“Logan is adopting me!” Casey wraps her arms around my neck a moment. “I’m going to tell the other girls. They’re going to die with jealousy.” A dark laugh bubbles from her. “Get it?Die?” Her cheeks brighten an electric shade of pink. “It would be the best way to go!” She takes off into the crowd, and I’m left with a sheepish grin while glancing atSkyla.
“I concur.” She gives a slywink.
