Page 42

S imi bit her fingernail as she walked through the temple that had been her home with Thorn since they’d married six months ago.

While this had never been her favorite building in Katateros before, it had become the best one ever. Mostly because it had everything she loved.

And it was where she spent lots of time with Thorny.

At the moment, however, he was angry and yelling on the phone at someone.

He hung up, then glared at her. “You know what I miss most?”

“Newspapers?”

“What?” He snorted at her arbitrary comment, and shook his phone at her. “No. I miss when you used to slam a phone down in anger. Madly pressing a button just doesn’t have the same satisfaction.”

“Well, that’s just a weird thing to miss. You must also hate that you don’t have doors to slam, either.”

“Exactly! That’s half the problem with kids today. No effective way to convey their fury.”

Sure. Why not blame it on that? It made as much sense as anything.

“Well, it’s interesting that you brought that up.”

Thorn scowled. “What? Old phones? Or anger?”

“Kids.”

“Why?”

Pressing her lips together, Simi glanced around sheepishly.

It took Thorn a few heartbeats before he realized what she was trying to say without saying it. His face went pale. “Oh my God! You’re having a baby?”

She nodded.

Shouting out in happiness, he picked her up and swung her around.

Until the joy went out of his eyes. “Oh, dear gods … Ash is going to kill me.”

“No, he won’t. Kat has babies. His sons have babies. He used to this.”

Thorn didn’t really hear those words as his head reeled. Finally, he was going to have a child that he could raise. One he could watch grow up.

He couldn’t believe it. He was going to have a real child. With the woman or demon that he loved.

Unbelievable joy tore through him. His hand trembling, he reached out to touch her stomach that was still flat. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

He couldn’t believe this. After all these centuries, Simi had given him everything. She kept him sane and away from his manipulative father.

Even living here had been much better than he’d ever dreamed. Acheron never really bothered them.

This was the home he’d never had. The one he’d gone to Azmodea seeking and hadn’t found.

Everything would be perfect except for the one thing that worried him.

Noir and Azura had succeeded in breeding a new Malachai and none of them could figure out where the boy was.

He and Simi were bringing a child into an uncertain, terrifying world. One filled with danger and enemies out to end them.

Even so, he was delighted.

“I won’t let you down.”

“You’ve never let me down, Thorn.”

That wasn’t true and they both knew it. But the most beautiful thing about Simi, she never brought up anything from the past. Her focus was always on the future.

And the miracle was that she’d taught him to be the same way. The past was the past. There was no way to change.

Every day was a brand-new chance to make a better future. A clean slate.

Simi had been his tabula rasa.

And no matter what life threw at them, they would meet the challenge. Hand-in-hand. Together.

For all eternity.