Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“So many times he came close to storming Adam’s home. Baal and I would have gone with him, of course. What stopped the three of us from invading the place was the knowledge that Adam hoped we would do exactly that. He wanted an excuse to kill your father, and we knew he would likely also kill you in front of Satan to punish him. We had to trust that you would one day come to us, and you did.”
Cain hadn’t been sure of what reception he’d receive, but all the Leviathans had welcomed him with open arms, regardless of his cherubim blood. It was strange how the dark could sometimes be more accepting than the light.
“Don’t trust her, Cain. Your mother, I mean. I am not saying that she would deviously set out to betray you, but . . .” Abaddon let his sentence trail off, as if taking a moment to choose his words carefully. “Fragility by itself is not something I look down upon. But when fragile people are also cowards, I am wary of them.
“I have known many such characters. They never reach for inner strength when it counts. They are prepared to sacrifice anything in the name of self-preservation—their integrity, their pride, their freedom, even the lives and wellbeing of others. That is not to say that they are bad people, only that they are easily compromised and cannot necessarily be trusted to do the right thing. Eve is like that.”
The sad thing was . . . Cain couldn’t even dispute that. “You don’t need to worry that her being my mother blinds me to the truth of who she is.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “Especially when she very recently demonstrated that she hasn’t changed.”
“Oh?”
“When my consort was teleported out of Devil’s Cradle, Eve repeatedly suggested that Wynter might have abandoned us to escape Adam’s wrath. And I know that that is because Eve would feel such a temptation in Wynter’s shoes.”
Abaddon dipped his chin. “That she would. Your mother might not have ran from Adam until recently, but she still sought an escape—she Rested for many years, even though it meant emotionally abandoning her own children. I would imagine she struggles to understand your consort.”
“Many do. Myself included.”
Abaddon’s lips quirked. “Tell me more about her.”
So Cain did.
Chapter Eighteen
“Dammit, Hattie, stop eating all the Danish.” Delilah scooped up another spoonful of cereal. “The plan is to sell those, remember?”
“I’m hungry,” Hattie defended.
“You’re stoned and have a case of the munchies.”
“So mind your business and let me munch.”
Biting back a smile, Wynter sipped at her tea. It had been a while since she’d eaten breakfast with her coven. She kind of missed it, though she wouldn’t wish to not spend her mornings with Cain.
Delilah’s eyelid twitched as she glared at the old woman. “Eat something that isn’t part of our shop’s stock.”
“Fine.” Hattie snatched a pack of salt and vinegar chips out of a cupboard. “You know how to stomp on an old lady’s buzz.”
A snore fairly erupted out of Anabel, who’d fallen asleep at the table. The blonde could sleep through pretty much anything. Hell, two of their lycan neighbors had once had a full-on dual in the backyard while Anabel napped in the hammock of the coven’s yard—she hadn’t so much as stirred at any point. Well, not until Delilah poured water over her crotch, but that was a whole other story.
Eating what was left of his bagel, Xavier shook his head as he stared down at Anabel. “She needs to stop working on potions until the early hours of the morning. It ain’t good for her.”
“Well, at least she wasn’t using herself as a potion-crash test dummy again,” said Delilah. “That’s something.”
“You’d think she’d be more cautious.” Hattie popped a chip into her mouth as she returned to her seat at the table. “She prattles on and on about how death will come for her, not seeing that she’ll shorten her life span all on her own if she’s not careful.”
Wynter took another sip of her tea. “Her crazy scientist streak overrides her common sense at times and—Oh come on, Xavier, really?” The dude was drawing thick, diagonal eyebrows on Anabel’s face with a black marker.
“I warned her I’d get her back for drawing a dick on my face when I passed out,” he said.
Wynter frowned. “Wasn’t that, like, seven months ago?”
“A Gamble never forgets.”
She could only cross her eyes. Being a highly vengeful creature herself, she wasn’t in a position to judge.
“There are many—and much safer—ways to test potions,” said Delilah a little snottily. “I often used my boyfriends as trial subjects.”
Wynter paused with her cup halfway to her mouth. “Did they know about it?”
Delilah hesitated. “Well, no. But they wouldn’t have minded.”
“Then why did you keep it from them?” Wynter challenged.