weapon that will bring the barrier down, through a sacrifice. We’re not exactly sure what the sacrifice is, but we’re sure The One wouldn’t want to be involved.”
Julia didn’t see anyone in the room but Jacquie. She hung onto every word, and when the Swosen leader finished, Julia felt like she’d been gut-punched. Her head swam, and her hand, in Cayne’s, felt numb.
“We are opposed to this plan,” Jacquie continued. “The last thing we need is demons running wild on earth. Or Methuselah running heaven.”
She clapped her hands together. “So that’s our job. We’re a home for sensible Chosen who want to manage their own destinies. We have harbored Candidates before, and we’ll do it again, if you want to stay here. If you want to visit Spain,” she said to Carlin, “you can visit Spain.” She looked at Meredith. “You can call your family. Even invite your families here.”
Julia felt a jab inside her chest.
“And you,” she said to Cayne, “will be safe as long as you follow our rules. I understand you saved the lives of these four,” she said, waving at Drew, Meredith, Carlin, and Julia.
Cayne nodded.
“The truth is we sometimes work with Nephilim. It’s not often, and but there are a few we trust. Ones we’ve…worked with before in an attempt to get rid of The Three. Still, we’ll need to know that in a fight, you’d take our side. Continue saving Chosen. Our Chosen,” she added.
Cayne’s hand, over Julia’s, curled. “Of course I would. Julia is my life.”
Jacquie grinned, a big romantic grin. “I can hear your sincerity, but let’s shake on it.” At first Julia thought she was joking, but she waved and raised her brows—and Julia was surprised how quickly Cayne released her hand and stepped over to Jacquie.
“I appreciate this Cayne,” she said as they shook. “From now on, you have a haven here.”
He returned to sit by Julia, taking her hand again, and while Jacquie chattered about the other Chosen ‘ex-pats’ at the House, Cayne’s words echoed in her head: Julia is my life.
It made her feel amazing. If only she hadn’t heard the bit about the sacrifice…
She wondered sickly what Jacquie would do if she knew the whole truth. Julia told herself that surely, if she had no desire at all to be The One and fulfill that awful role, they’d help her and protect her, like Jacquie had said.
Then it hit her like a brick wall, what it meant that the House was so old. Surely The Three would know about it. Would they come for her? She had worried about that before, back when Edan first told her about the leash; if she’d been leashed, couldn’t they ‘see’ where she was? But no one had come after them since they’d been at the House. Maybe they never would. But then she’d have to live here forever.
All of a sudden the room seemed to tilt. She put her head in her palm, feeling unable to breathe. She felt Cayne’s hand on her back, heard a shuddering breath from somewhere… Her .
Then Meredith was rubbing her hair, and Cayne was moving onto the floor in front of her. “Are you okay?” His hand was on her shoulder, those long, warm fingers stroking up her neck.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, looking back up, forcing her eyes not to squint and her forehead not to tense. She didn’t want to mark herself—not yet, anyway. “I’m just so…relieved. Can we really stay here?” she asked, turning weakly toward Jacquie.
The woman nodded, and Julia tried her best to keep her face bland—like she wasn’t The One. Out of her peripheral field of vision, she saw that none of her companions were giving her obvious ‘You’re The One’ looks—thank God.
Jacquie looked down at her wrist watch, peeking out from under the sleeve of her jacket. “I have another meeting with my pencils,” she said, then smiled. “That’s what I call my Number Twos. Doesn’t remind you of anything indelicate, you know?” She smiled at Julia. “Donna and Krista are my
Julia didn’t see anyone in the room but Jacquie. She hung onto every word, and when the Swosen leader finished, Julia felt like she’d been gut-punched. Her head swam, and her hand, in Cayne’s, felt numb.
“We are opposed to this plan,” Jacquie continued. “The last thing we need is demons running wild on earth. Or Methuselah running heaven.”
She clapped her hands together. “So that’s our job. We’re a home for sensible Chosen who want to manage their own destinies. We have harbored Candidates before, and we’ll do it again, if you want to stay here. If you want to visit Spain,” she said to Carlin, “you can visit Spain.” She looked at Meredith. “You can call your family. Even invite your families here.”
Julia felt a jab inside her chest.
“And you,” she said to Cayne, “will be safe as long as you follow our rules. I understand you saved the lives of these four,” she said, waving at Drew, Meredith, Carlin, and Julia.
Cayne nodded.
“The truth is we sometimes work with Nephilim. It’s not often, and but there are a few we trust. Ones we’ve…worked with before in an attempt to get rid of The Three. Still, we’ll need to know that in a fight, you’d take our side. Continue saving Chosen. Our Chosen,” she added.
Cayne’s hand, over Julia’s, curled. “Of course I would. Julia is my life.”
Jacquie grinned, a big romantic grin. “I can hear your sincerity, but let’s shake on it.” At first Julia thought she was joking, but she waved and raised her brows—and Julia was surprised how quickly Cayne released her hand and stepped over to Jacquie.
“I appreciate this Cayne,” she said as they shook. “From now on, you have a haven here.”
He returned to sit by Julia, taking her hand again, and while Jacquie chattered about the other Chosen ‘ex-pats’ at the House, Cayne’s words echoed in her head: Julia is my life.
It made her feel amazing. If only she hadn’t heard the bit about the sacrifice…
She wondered sickly what Jacquie would do if she knew the whole truth. Julia told herself that surely, if she had no desire at all to be The One and fulfill that awful role, they’d help her and protect her, like Jacquie had said.
Then it hit her like a brick wall, what it meant that the House was so old. Surely The Three would know about it. Would they come for her? She had worried about that before, back when Edan first told her about the leash; if she’d been leashed, couldn’t they ‘see’ where she was? But no one had come after them since they’d been at the House. Maybe they never would. But then she’d have to live here forever.
All of a sudden the room seemed to tilt. She put her head in her palm, feeling unable to breathe. She felt Cayne’s hand on her back, heard a shuddering breath from somewhere… Her .
Then Meredith was rubbing her hair, and Cayne was moving onto the floor in front of her. “Are you okay?” His hand was on her shoulder, those long, warm fingers stroking up her neck.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, looking back up, forcing her eyes not to squint and her forehead not to tense. She didn’t want to mark herself—not yet, anyway. “I’m just so…relieved. Can we really stay here?” she asked, turning weakly toward Jacquie.
The woman nodded, and Julia tried her best to keep her face bland—like she wasn’t The One. Out of her peripheral field of vision, she saw that none of her companions were giving her obvious ‘You’re The One’ looks—thank God.
Jacquie looked down at her wrist watch, peeking out from under the sleeve of her jacket. “I have another meeting with my pencils,” she said, then smiled. “That’s what I call my Number Twos. Doesn’t remind you of anything indelicate, you know?” She smiled at Julia. “Donna and Krista are my
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