Page 53 of Devotion

“Yeah, Sunshine. We’re hardwired for one thing.”

“And what’s that?” she asked.

“Devotion.”

Chapter

Twenty

CALEB

Iwoke out of a dead slumber, agony searing my chest as I gasped and sat up. My hand instinctively went to soothe the pain, but as my fingers made contact with the raised scars on my pectoral, a sense of foreboding settled over me. I’d felt something akin to this before. When each seal was broken.

“Nice of you to join us, vampire.” The apathetic voice drew my attention to a shadowy figure in the corner.

“Angel, what manner of trickery is this?” I got to my feet and switched on the bedside lamp, bathing the room in a warm glow.

The angel Gabriel stood before me, his usual attire of biker leathers now so familiar I thought if I saw him in anything else, I wouldn’t recognize him.

“It’s no trick, Caleb.”

“No,” I said, holding up a hand like that would be enough to prevent what I could feel was coming. “I’m done. I’ve already played your game and won.”

Gabriel laughed. “It’s not my game. I’m merely the messenger, remember?”

“As if I could forget.”

“You won your battle—that much is true. But the war is still raging, and we’ve lost the upper hand.”

“And that’s my problem how, exactly?”

“Well, I think the world ending is every mortal’s problem, don’t you?”

“Not particularly.”

Gabriel’s eyes flashed molten as a powerful light radiated from him. “You will be called upon, Caleb Gallagher. You and your family. Do not turn your back on destiny. For the sake of your children.”

It was a shite move, bringing up Eden and my unborn child. If anything could sway me to his cause, it was them.

“What happened, Gabriel? I thought the horsewomen had their own pawns. Why are you calling upon us again?”

“It would seem that Death won her round.”

I sucked in a shocked gasp.

“That’s right, Caleb.” Gabriel sighed but didn’t look away. “The end is here.”

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