Endelle’s brow puckered. “The rights of guardianship, which means Alison would have full protection from personal attack. Goddammit, Kerrick, you might actually have something here.” She shoved her hands into her long black hair at the temples. She blew the air from her cheeks and shook her head.

“What does this mean?” Alison asked.

“When COPASS was created at the turn of the twentieth century, one of the rules we put into place and to which Greaves agreed was that all private property held by either party could not be attacked. All the Guardians of Ascension as well as Greaves’s generals have this same right. We don’t attack their estates and they leave ours alone. In addition, the rule extends to personal attack. We stay away from them and except for conflicts at a Borderland or on Mortal Earth they stay the hell away from us. Any attack on a guardian, apart from conflict at a Borderland or on Mortal Earth, must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Even Greaves doesn’t cross this line.”

“So wherever I am, on Second,” she said, “I would be safe?”

“As safe as is possible in this world and a thousand times safer than without the designation.”

Alison drew in a quick breath. She turned to Kerrick and sent, Then I have a chance, our daughter has a chance.

Kerrick nodded. He even smiled. Exactly, he sent.

“Well,” Endelle cried. “I have to say, Warrior Kerrick, that this is a goddamn brilliant strategy. Fucking brilliant. I congratulate you and I will see to this. COPASS owes me because of the attack on the palace and the Commander can just stick his dick in a meat grinder! Hah!”

Kerrick recoiled at the imagery, and more than one warrior hissed. On the other hand, for all the trouble Greaves had caused … well …

* * *

As hope soared, Alison trembled. She saw in Kerrick’s eyes a determination that had not been there before. She wanted to leave the rec room with him right now, and tell him of her change of heart, but there was still one more matter to be settled.

She turned to Her Supremeness. “Madame Endelle. Will you rescind my orders to train as a Militia Warrior?”

“And what would you suggest, ascender? With guardian status you could still serve as a Militia Warrior, since you’d be safe from attacks at the barracks.”

Alison met Endelle’s gaze. She saw the striated brown eyes and she had experienced the woman’s compassion. For nine thousand years, Endelle had carried her burden of authority and command alone. The woman needed a lot of help. She also needed to work on her anger management skills. Mostly, however, she thought it likely Endelle could use a friend.

Though she felt certain that the suggestion she was about to let fly was akin to inviting a scorpion to ride around on her shoulder, she said, “If it would please you, I would serve as your assistant.” Oh, God, had the words really left her mouth? She had a powerful prescience she would regret this most profoundly in the coming days, weeks, months, years, hell, decades … oh, God.

A slow smile spread over Endelle’s face as though she had also read Alison’s thoughts. Of course she had. Endelle said, “I think the punishment in this case fits the crime. I’ll let your CO know she can get back to business as usual while you, my lovely ascender, can show up to my fucking office tomorrow at eight AM sharp.” She glanced past her to Kerrick and looked him up and down, a lascivious light in her eyes. “If you can even walk by then.”

Alison kept the blush from her cheeks, but just barely. She had very much entered a new world, of warriors and vampires, of the ascended and flight-ready, of violence, profanity, and all sorts of sideways references to sex. Time to embrace it all, so she shrugged then said, “When was walking a significant problem on Second anyway?”

At that, the warriors burst out laughing.

Endelle nodded. “Well, well. There might be hope for you yet.” She lifted an arm then vanished.

The Cave remained silent for a long moment after she left.

Finally, Zacharius offered the most pertinent comment. “Was she wearing snakeskin?”

The myth of the breh-hedden

Alive in the hearts of lovers

Behold what is most precious

—Collected Poems, Beatrice of Fourth

Chapter 24

Kerrick took a deep breath and drew his wings back into his wing-locks. He knew one thing as he leveled his gaze on Alison—he’d be taking her to bed and completing the goddamn breh-hedden … tonight.

He was about to suggest they depart when Thorne caught his arm.

The leader of the Warriors of the Blood looked him square in the eye, nodded, and even managed a rough smile. “So this is it, man.”

Kerrick returned the smile. “Yeah.” He doubted his voice could get lower.

Thorne punched him in the arm then laughed. “We won’t be needing you tonight, just so you know.”

Kerrick started to protest since he could always join up later, but Thorne split his resonance. “No,” he stated in his I’m-the-fucking-boss voice, the one he rarely used, especially with Kerrick. “See you tomorrow.”

For some reason, Kerrick’s throat seized. He was headed down a new path, and Thorne would go to the Blood and Bite for one last drink before Central started burning his ear with death vamp movement. He didn’t know what possessed him, but he grabbed Thorne in a hard embrace and Thorne responded, holding on tight.

“You lucky sonofabitch,” Thorne shot over his ear.

Kerrick’s throat tightened up a little more and his eyes burned.

Christ.

Of course the moment ended about as fast as it began. Kerrick released him. Both men started clearing throats and nodding their heads in quick flurries.

Thorne’s gravel voice rattled the air between them. “You want a lift back to Scottsdale Two?”

Alison drew near, sliding her arm around Kerrick’s waist. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed.

“I’ve got it,” she said.

“Actually,” Kerrick said, looking from one to the other. “I’ve got it.”

They both stared at him. Thorne’s eyes popped. “What the fuck? You can fold?” Of course this brought all the brothers’ attention in his direction, and within two seconds they’d formed a new arc around him.

“You can fold now?” Alison cried.

He nodded. He couldn’t stop grinning. He felt like a kid at a T-ball game who’d scored his first home run.

All the brothers pounded his back, his arms, his shoulders.

“That’s amazing,” Alison cried. “How? When did this happen?”

The warriors stopped to listen but his eyes were for her. “About the time that I decided I wasn’t going to live my life without you.”

He heard her quick intake of breath and saw her eyes shimmer with tears. “No crying,” he said, kissing her forehead. “There’s no crying in ascension.” Would she get the reference?

She chuckled. “A League of Their Own. I love that movie.”

His gaze locked with hers and he could smell a sudden gust of lavender. He breathed in, his nostrils flaring, his eyes closing. Oh. God.

Thorne took the cue without having to be told. He ordered a full-scale assault on the Blood and Bite. The brothers cheered as they folded one after the other, each casting a raised fist of triumph in Kerrick’s direction before vanishing.

The sudden emptiness, the quiet in the room affected him. He loved the Brotherhood, the jibes, the cheers, the solid comfort of male bonding. He felt their presence even when gone. He looked around the beat-up hovel of a rec room, the flat-screen smashed and hanging at an angle, the ragged leather sofas, spit wads on the ceiling, the pool table that looked like roosting chickens would show up any minute, new bottles of Ketel One and Maker’s and all the other preferred drinks of the warriors, now spread out on the bar.

His brothers.

As he glanced down at Alison, he knew all that would change, from this moment forward. He would have two loyalties now, but the greater would be to this woman, to their child, to his family.

“So you can fold now,” Alison said once more.

He nodded. He eased her from his side to gather her into his arms. She rested her hands against his weapons harness and smiled up into his face. He searched her gaze. They were together and his heart was so full. “I want you to know I meant what I said—I won’t live my life without you, without our daughter. But those are my feelings, my wishes, my intentions. What are yours? Because as much as I long to be with you, I won’t force my will on you. I would never do that.”

As she put her hand on his cheek, her eyes glistened. “I want to be with you more than life itself and I refuse to live apart from you. So I have only one question I need to ask you.”

“And that would be?”

“Can you take me with you when you fold?”

He laughed. “I don’t know but I’m sure as hell willing to give it a try.”

“Then do it, Warrior.”

He nodded and with both arms holding Alison tight, he thought the thought.

He materialized a couple of seconds later next to his bed with Alison still in his arms. She sniffed twice then threw her arms around his neck and wept.

He wasn’t sure why she was crying so he waited. He stroked her hair, her shoulders, her back. His neck grew wet. “I just thought,” she said at last, dragging a breath into her lungs, “this would never happen.” She sighed and sniffed a little more. He felt a slight movement of air—oh, she’d folded a tissue—then she blew her nose. “But I didn’t mean to cry. I’m just so happy.”

“I know,” he said, savoring her body pressed up against his. “I love you so much. I didn’t think we’d get to be together, either. It seemed impossible but I’m so glad you’re with me. Here. Now. You feel so damn good in my arms … guardian. My wonderful therapist guardian.”

She chuckled. He slid his arms around her a little more then squeezed. With her arms still wrapped around his neck she hugged him back.