I can’t remember how many times I’ve dived straight into action without worrying about anyone or anything, but now that I have so much to lose, the mere thought of something going wrong ispetrifying.
My train of thought halts abruptly when Angel stops, making me crash into his back. Turning to me, he lifts my face to kiss me until I’m breathless. “Something is troubling you and we can’t have you distracted today. Lean on me, sweetheart.”
The way he looks at me with so much love and concern melts my defenses, and before I know it, my verbal diarrhea makes an appearance.
“What if something goes wrong? What ifeverythinggoes wrong and I never see you again? If we lose, what then? What if they go after August next? He’s akid, Angel; he can’t fight, and if we all die here, who will protect him? He doesn’t have anyone else. What if—”
Soft lips press to mine, effectively cutting off my nervous rant. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I grip the back of his shirt to ground myself.
“Everything will be fine.” He kisses me again when I open my mouth to object. “Tomorrow, August will be home, and we’ll be hosting an enormous victory celebration. After we win this—because we will—we’ll start a new chapter in our lives. A chapter filled with family vacations that we desperately need, getting married, my gorgeous mate giving me dozens of babies to run behind and love on.”
I laugh at his mention of a dozen kids. Not happening. Maybe three or four, but that’s it.
“I want that too. All of it. But now that I have everything I ever wanted, I’m terrified of losing it all.” Pressing my forehead to his, I hope some of his optimism transfers to me.
“You won’t. We’re The Horsemen of the Apocalypse for Fates sake, no one can defeat us. Now… I need you to summon that devil inside and wreckeverything. This kingdom is counting on your crazy today.”
Angel chuckles, and I smile back automatically, watching his dimples pop out. Giving myself a moment to admire my pretty Angel, I take in the way his eyes crinkle at the ends when he smiles.Gorgeous.
His smile is my favorite thing about him. My heart skips when I’m the reason behind it, and my soul sings like that’s the sole purpose of my existence.To make him happy.
“There’s that smile I live for. Now give me a kiss before I die without it.” Angel moves in for his kiss but misses when I throw my head back and laugh my heart out. Grabbing the back of my neck, he brings me back, his warm hand covering my entire side profile.
“Sunshine!”
And once again, Seiji interrupts us at the precise moment things are about to get good. He’s lucky I love him, or he would’ve died the fourth time he did this.
“I’m starting to think he does this on purpose,” Angel mutters. “It’s Seiji.Of course, he does this on purpose.”
As much as I want to swat him, when I see Seiji bouncing on his feet, waiting for me, I run straight into his awaiting arms. As soon as we collide, he sighs in relief. After a thorough pat down to make sure I’m as unscathed as the last time he saw me, he finally lets his tears get the best of him.
“I was gone for two weeks, and you turn into a teary marshmallow?”
“I missed you too much.” Seiji mumbles, squeezing me once more before tugging me to walk inside the castle.
“Where’s my hug?” Angel butts in.
“I had to tolerate your mopey ass fortwo weeks,and now you want me to hug you too?”
“I wasn’t mopey,” Angel grumbles under his breath.
Seiji snorts at the false claim. Diverting us from the subject of him being miserable without me, Angel gets into Horsemen mode. As we walk, he takes inventory of what happened while he was away.
“Noncombatants?”
“The last batch left for Hell ten minutes ago. Our best warriors are guarding the portal to Hell.”
Seiji answers question after question with precise
details. Harvey, Grace, and Hazel are already stationed at our north border, where most of our portals are located, because the plan is to contain the damage to the north side.
It’s an advantage that every castle has a waterfall in the backyard, it’s one less side to worry about. The most skilled group of were-dragons are positioned atop every tower to assist the archers.
“Heaven?”
“Didn’t show up.”
I have never seen a smugger smirk before. Angel is more than pleased that Heaven didn’t take his warning lightly. It’s not the first time Horsemen have directly challenged heaven, but last time Papa was here, and just his name was enough to make them reconsider.
