“Good. Any plan for today?”
“We patrol,” Hunter Chung-ae said. “It's what we normally do, but it's even more important now.”
“Do you patrol on foot?” I asked.
“No. We drive. But we may have to do some walking patrols today, just to make sure we don't miss anything.”
“Maybe we should have brought Desmond with us,” I said.
“For what purpose?” Star asked.
“Tracking. He can follow the scent of the human.”
“He left the shirt he collected here,” Hunter Chung-ae said. “And Ji-woon and I can both track scents.”
“And we could too, in a pinch,” Star added. “We can shift into anything. So can you, Seren.”
“Oh.” I made a soft laugh. “I forgot about that. Yeah. Then you can shift into a tracker too, Sever.”
“I could, but I won't if we already have people who are born to it. They'll be better at it, and I think I should stay in my most powerful form.”
Killian snorted. “Way to be humble.”
“It has nothing to do with humility. This body controls my magic best.”
“Whatever. It sounded like a brag.”
Sever gave Killian a stern look and went to sit down in the living room.
“Well, he's sure got the dad-look down already,” Killian said as he poured himself a coffee.
“He's going to be a wonderful father,” I said. Then I nudged Kill's shoulder. “Although it's hard to top you.”
Killian beamed at me.
Star cleared his throat and sat down.
Internally, I winced. That wasn't the most sensitive thing to say around him. Then I glanced at Star. Were my husbands right? Did he really want to have a child? Hell was still settling under his rule. It wasn't the best time to start a family. But then again, desires like that know nothing of timing.
Star looked up at me and the raw longing in his eyes sent me running. In the opposite direction. I gathered my drink, plate, utensils, and a napkin and headed after Sever. It was just . . . wrong. My attraction for Star couldn't be the Call of Danu. Did Anu have something similar? Was that how I ended up with Sever? Perhaps. But why bring Sever and me together if I was going to take him from Heaven? What did Anu get out of it?
I grimaced at myself. Duh. He strengthened me, got peace between Heaven and Hell, and replaced a monarch filled with ennui. Anu didn't have anyone to take Sever's place, no one for the long haul. So he bred one from two of his chosen ones.
I stopped halfway into the living room and stared at Sever. God's will. That's what the humans say. Was Sever sitting there not because he rebelled but because it was Anu's plan? I mentally shook myself. No. Danu didn't think so. She had claimed Sever as hers and implied it wasn't what Anu wanted. But maybe he wanted this. Maybe he wanted to free Sever and bring a new ruler to Heaven, all at once. It was a complicated plan, but a good one, and a god probably had the time and wisdom to form complicated plans. Plus, I had felt Anu's love. He's not a god who wants anyone to suffer. Yes, he knows thatsuffering has its place, especially in balancing a soul, but it's not what he desires. He's not mean.
So, how did I feel about that? About being manipulated by another god? When Danu had interfered in my life, I'd been furious at first, but eventually, I'd seen that it had benefited me. Looking at Sever, I couldn't be angry at Anu. All I could feel was God's love. The divine love that fueled the LightandDark within me.
Sever looked up from the couch. “Seren?”
I smiled at him. “Just appreciating what I've got, sweetheart.” I sat down beside him, set my things on the coffee table, and leaned in against him.
Sever's grin was instant and brilliant. His wings were gone, but he didn't need them to shine or to hold me. One arm around me was enough. It felt normal and right—sharing a meal with my husband.
“Aw, you're so cute,” Killian said as he sat down on the floor across the coffee table from us.
I glanced to the left at the entrance to the dining room, but Star wasn't joining us. He was seated at the table, speaking to the hunters. Hunter Ji-woon did come out though. He sat down on the floor too, at the end of the table. We had probably broken a Korean rule by eating in the living room when there was space at the table, and he was trying to be a good host.
“Enjoy the food,” Ji-woon said with a nod.
