Sweet Reckoning

I swallowed back another bout of tears.

Marna took my hand and we went to the window, watching for Jay. Next to me, Kaidan wound his fingers through mine, and I looked up into his tired blue eyes. I wanted to be happy that we’d made it, and be joyous about our future, but first I needed to mourn.

I looked toward Ginger, also standing by the glass. Blake had his arm around her, holding her close, and she was wiping her eyes.

I went to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Ginger turned, and when she saw it was me, she wrapped her arms around me and we cried together. Every negative thing that had ever been between us slipped away at that moment. She hadn’t known Patti very long, but I knew Ginger saw what I saw—a loving woman who accepted us and believed in us.

“She was the closest thing to a mum I ever had,” Ginger said. “I know that sounds silly. I barely knew her.”

I let her go so I could see her face. “It doesn’t sound silly at all. Patti loved you right away.”

Ginger nodded. Her jaw trembled as she wiped her eyes again.

“Jay!”

We all turned toward Marna’s voice. She ran from the hotel, crashing into Jay on the sidewalk. He lifted her off her feet in a giant hug that went on forever.

“He really does love her,” Ginger whispered.

We all nodded and watched as Jay and Marna pulled apart, talking. His face fell and his demeanor changed, his aura turning dark blue, and I realized he was probably hearing about Patti. Again, my heart ached. I pressed a hand to my chest and wondered if the pain would always be with me.

As Jay and Marna made their way inside, he came straight to me and held me. I wanted to ask what had happened, but I didn’t want to talk about it out in the open. I was just so glad he was okay. We held tight for a long time.

“I’m so sorry, Anna,” he whispered.

I couldn’t answer, and he seemed to understand.

Kopano and Zania joined us. Kope’s shirt had a bloody hole in the middle, a sight that made me shiver as I remembered how we’d almost lost him. Looking around, I saw that everyone was a little worse for wear, bloodied and scraped, with torn clothing but, thankfully, no lasting injuries.

Kaidan and Kope gave each other a man hug, then Blake and Jay, too.

Jay pointed at Kopano’s shirt, his eyes huge. “Dude!”

“Yeah, how you feeling, mate?” Kaidan asked.

Kope rubbed his chest. “It’s tender and feels strange, but I am okay. It looks bad. . . . I need to change this shirt.”

The way Zania watched him was endearing.

“Let’s all go back to the room,” Kaidan suggested, and we all agreed.

As we made our way through the lobby, we stopped to thank other Nephilim who’d fought with us. It was weird to see everyone’s badges turned white. I met Kopano’s brothers and gave them hugs.

I found Marek watching out the window with his hands in his pockets, and I punched him in the arm. He turned, surprised when he saw me standing there with my hands on my hips.

“You scared me!”

Marek laughed. “I was working for your papa!”

Dad had been there all along, playing a hand in the events.

I smiled and put a hand on my hip. “Well, did you have to be such a good actor?”

“My plan was to tell you when we met, but that did not work out.” His eyes lifted to someone behind me and he leaned closer to my ear. “So, you and the son of Pharzuph, eh? Good choice.” He gave his eyebrows a playful lift.

“Um, thanks. . . .” I glanced over my shoulder at Kai, who turned away from us with an amused smile. Yeah, it was too bad Kaidan didn’t have a twin brother to appease the masses, because I wasn’t sharing my man.

“You have my admiration in more ways than one, Daughter of Belial. Enjoy your life with that gorgeous husband. You deserve it.” He winked.

I reached up and hugged Marek now, and he hugged me back.

“Keep in touch,” I told him.

As he walked away, the back of a young girl caught my eye. She was watching out the window, her arms wrapped around herself. Her dark hair hung limp. Just a child. Was she separated from her parents? I had to find out.

“Excuse me,” I said to her.

When she turned, I sucked in a breath. Caterina. Her eyes were bloodshot and distant. Her hair had come out of its neat bun.

“Where is she?” Caterina asked.

“Who? Oh . . . Jezebet?”

Caterina nodded.

I spoke with care. “She’s in heaven.”

The poor girl looked pitiful. Baffled. I actually felt sorry for her. Jezebet had been working for the opposite side for who knew how long, and Caterina had to feel betrayed.

“She couldn’t tell you,” I started to explain, but Caterina cut me off with a curt nod.

“She did not trust me.”

I bit my lip. What could I say to that?

Caterina stared at my badge. “Is mine . . . ?”

“Yours is white now, too,” I said.

“And what does that mean?”

I thought about it. “It means you’re not automatically going to hell when you die. You’re not cursed anymore just because of who your father was. You can choose how you want to live your life now. You’re free.”

She looked more frightened and childlike now. The girl had had no guidance except in evil.

“Caterina . . . where will you go now?”

She looked around, lost.

“You’ll come with me,” I heard, and turned to see Ginger eyeing Caterina.