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I nodded and slunk lower in the seat. I still couldn’t see any demon, but I watched the man, walking and talking on his cell phone while his guardian angel rushed around him. He clicked the phone shut and stopped walking. He seemed to waver in indecision, looking around to see whether anyone was watching. Then he turned and, with a rush of determination, walked back to a woman standing by a light pole in a black leather dress with a faux-fur wrap. A prostitute. She dropped her cigarette and crushed it underfoot. Her colors went to a nervous light gray when he approached, changing to a soft blue relief when he passed her money in his palm. As they walked away together, a dirty cloud of guilt and apprehension spiked with yellow-orange excitement blazed around the man.
“Father would be satisfied to see the success of one of his whisperers,” Kaidan said with disdain. “I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
I tore my eyes from the people now, and instead watched Kaidan’s hand on the steering wheel, and his long legs on the pedals. This kept me busy until we were out of the city, back on the highway, where I could stare out at the city lights. Kaidan handed me his cell phone, since Patti would be calling soon.
I talked with her while he got us checked in at the hotel.
“You sound sad, honey,” Patti said.
“We just drove down the Hollywood strip. There was a lot of suffering. But I don’t want to think about that. Today was a good day.”
I told her about the Native American reservation and the Mexican restaurant. She loved every detail. I was glad to hear the strain gone from her voice.
“Be strong tomorrow, Anna. Everything will be fine. I just know it.”
“I miss you,” I told her. “I wish I could have one of your hugs right now.”
“I miss you, too, so much. Here’s a hug.” She made a mmnnn sound, like she was squeezing, and I giggled. “We’ll talk at this same time tomorrow?”
“Yes,” I said. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, sweetie.”
We lay on our separate beds, contemplating what to do. We weren’t tired, even though we’d both changed into pajamas. I’d been surprised when Kaidan changed, but I didn’t mention it.
“We could go for a swim,” he suggested.
“Can’t,” I said. “Didn’t bring a bathing suit.” On purpose.
I sat up against the tower of pillows on my bed. I wanted to keep him talking for as long as possible, in case he planned to go out.
“Kaidan, what happened to all of the Nephilim? Why are there so few of us now?”
He came over and sat on my bed, a respectful distance away. He rubbed his face, as if weary, then began.
“All right.” He sighed. “Over a hundred years ago there were thousands of Neph and their descendants on earth. The offspring down the line had full powers, just like us. It started getting difficult for the Dukes to keep track of them and control them. A few Neph were using their abilities to rise to power among humans, taking high places of leadership, starting wars, committing genocides, in general bringing too much attention to themselves. The Dukes want Neph to be like them, influencing humans to cause chaos, but not taking starring roles. So they decided on the Great Purge. All Neph were hunted down and killed, whether they’d defied the Dukes or not. Within several years they were all gone.”
Kaidan’s face was bleak, and I batted away depressing emotions.
“It’s like the Neph are even less than humans in their eyes,” I said.
“Ever since the purge, they’ve taken measures to make certain the Neph don’t overpopulate again. The Duke of Pride, Rahab, tried to insist that the Dukes not reproduce, but he got shot down on that one. Instead they’ve made certain the Neph won’t have children.”
“You mean... ?” I covered my mouth, feeling very sick. “They sterilized them?” He nodded, making a snip-snip gesture with his fingers. I pointed at him, as a question.
“Yes, me, too,” he said, voice soft. “All of us had the procedure.”
“Except me,” I said, and then I felt myself pale, imagining that my father would make me.
“The worst part is how fast the pain meds burn through our system. But it’s better this way. To get someone pregnant is to kill them.”
“I understand that. But it’s their reasoning that makes me mad—it’s the fact that everyone’s choice is taken away!”
“It is what it is.” I had no doubt that had been the Neph motto for thousands of years. Kaidan rested his chin on his forearms, looking down with heavy eyes.
He’d been right to think I’d cry. The thought of such cruelty. The complete lack of love and respect for life. I stood and went to look out of the window, trying to hide my tears from Kaidan.
“I knew it would only upset you,” he said.
“Of course it upsets me! Doesn’t it upset you?” I turned to him now, and he lifted a solemn gaze to me. Yes, it was clear from the blue depths of his eyes that it upset him, too.
“There’s no use wasting time thinking about things that can’t be changed.”
Was there nothing that could be done? Couldn’t we somehow fight back? As much as I wanted to believe we could, the idea of destroying the Dukes felt monumentally hopeless.
I walked back to my bed, where Kaidan lay, and sat against the headboard with my knees pulled up to my chest. I pushed my cold feet under the covers.
Kaidan sat up on the edge of the bed and moved closer to me. Much closer. I was too busy hiding my nervousness to look up at him.