Page 168 of The Satyr's Guilt
Skyler obeyed. Waited. Followed theircommands again.
Kole’s voice grew louder. “Push,Frisca.”
“Shut the fuck up. I’m doing the best I can.If you want harder, come do it yourself.” Skyler winced as a strongpain rushed through her.
Brushing a damp strand of hair off her face,her demon softened his expression, his eyes warming. “You’re doinggreat.”
Then things happened quickly. She pushed. Ababy squalled. Kole gasped.
He accepted something from the healer, atiny body which he held gently in his palms. Her demon lookednervous as hell with his expression grim. A tear streaked down hisface as he followed the healer’s instructions.
Once he pulled down the top of Skyler’sgown, baring her skin, he placed the tiny being flesh-to-flesh, abreast cushioning its head.
His bundle handed off, he collapsed into achair. From there, he clutched Skyler’s hand. “She’s perfect,Frisca. We made a perfect little female.”
She glanced down at their babe withplatinum-blonde curls. She picked up a tiny hand with perfectfingers, all five with miniature nails. The babe flipped open hereyes. Bright lilac. When the baby squirmed against her, Skylercradled her soft butt, her legs cycling.
“Oh, Kole, look at her. I hope I won’t ruinher. I don’t know what to do. She’s so small.”
“Frisca, if there is one thing I know forcertain, it’s this. Whatever Skyler Maxwell does, she does well.You made me see you, a female who could tame an animus demon, afemale with a heart as big as Scath.”
“I did, didn’t I? Now we have Kae, awitch-demon mixling who’s perfect. A button nose, lilac eyes, andlong lashes. I know she’ll set the world on fire.”
“Is that an animus demon joke?” Kole strokedher hair. “Thank you, Frisca.”
“It took both of us.”
****
On a mesa in Knife’s Edge,Cerberus stared at the valley below, a desolate, flat placeinterrupted by towering red spires of rock. He cloaked a spellaround his form. For today’s meeting, he donned a Spriggan’sform.
His vampire general joined him, red dustswirling at his feet, his upper lip curled and fangs glistening inthe unrelenting sun of the demon region. “Nice disguise,Cerberus.”
The ersatz Spriggan dipped his rack oftwigs, his cruel smile a slash across his lower jaw. “Don’t worryabout my appearance. Concern yourself with the rumors. Lawgiversand the Temple justices are abuzz. It seems a human called Dantekidnapped two vampire youths along with a Firebrand, taking them toEarth where he tortured them. Varik, the scion of Viktor, isdead.”
“I heard the same scuttlebutt.” Lort’slaughter pierced the air like a hyena’s staccatohee-hee-hee. “The same Dante, our human ally, is alsodead.”
“Yes. The Englishman’s betrayal has pushedour schedule earlier than desired, but the shove may be what weneeded.”
“Will money be a problem?”
Dante’s money had been useful, freeingCerberus’s vast wealth to build a garrison, equip it, support anarmy, and grease the palms of the influential, drawing them to thecause. “Your pay is secure, General Lort.”
“I do not worry about myself, but I want tobe certain you have funds for the new garrison and oursoldiers.”
Cerberus fought the urge to toss theinsolent general off the mesa. No one should dare question him, butrash actions achieved nothing. Perhaps he would find a new generalafter he conquered Earth and Scath. One not so arrogant.
With a cold, raised brow and a deep breathto rein in his dark emotions, he smiled at Lort. “Thanks to thedrugs distributed by the shifter pack, Arisen Dawn also has a freshsource of income. And I am not without a sizable fortune.”
At first, creating the network ofdistributors was expensive. Now it paid for itself and then some.Drugged soldiers filled the lower ranks of his army. Of course,true believers formed the core and upper echelons. With Eartharmies lined up at Scath’s portals, fearful and greedy Aeternalswould flock to his cause.
Arisen Dawn was Cerberus’s baby. At first,they had been loud nationalists. But with seeds of ambition plantedhere and there, he had shifted their goals. Now the purist groupsought to dominate the world.
Cerberus as a Spriggan shook his antlers.“Dante moved too soon, but it was a favor. He distracted theFirebrands while we began to amass an army under their noses. Oncewe break the warriors, this realm will be ours. Earth willfollow.”
Of course, to fulfill the prophecy, heneeded the Blood Coven. The final step in his march toward destinyrequired their participation.
But for now, the focus was to gain strengthwhile the Firebrands crumbled.
