question," he said. He nodded at Anne, and stepped inside the room. The big man glanced down at Emma and then fixed his attention on Ren. "And that's why I'm here. Ithuriel has asked to see you."
"Um, right now?" Ren asked. "Can't this wait until I know my girl is okay? She hasn't even woken up yet."
"Nope, 'fraid not," Kevin said, shaking his head. "I'm not about to go back down there and tell an eight-foot-tall angel that you said no. You want to tell him maybe later? You can tell him yourself."
He motioned towards the open door. "Let's go."
Ren wanted to walk over, stand right in front of Kevin, and tell him hell no. That as soon as Emma came to, they'd be leaving. That he'd rather make his own way, without others dictating what he would do. That his daughter was no fucking demon.
But a part of him wanted to believe that the angel, Ithuriel, might be able to help him. Even if that meant convincing himself of the truth. Something was wrong with his daughter, and Ren couldn't help her.
And besides, Ren couldn't say no. Saying no would give Kevin the excuse he needed. Not because Ren was afraid to say no.
Liar .
He blew out a breath and pushed himself off the bed. "Anne, I'm sorry to ask so much of you, but do you mind staying here with Emma until I get back?"
"Of course," Anne nodded. "I'll keep an eye on her, Ren, don't you worry."
Ren strode to the other bed and leaned over Emma. He ran his fingers through her hair, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. He had to resist the urge to wrap her up in his arms.
He stood and walked towards the door, pausing long enough to put his hand on Anne's shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Anne."
"Anne, I've got Brad stationed outside," Kevin said. "If you need anything at all, you just holler, and he'll be right here."
She smiled, and Ren hurried through the doorway with Kevin a step behind. Let's get this over with , he thought. The door shut behind them with a quiet click.
Another man stood on the platform, to the side of the door. He wore the same desert fatigues as most of the guards Ren had seen here. Though not as towering or muscled as Kevin was, the man was tall and lean. He had curly dark hair, the goatee that framed his mouth streaked with gray. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder, one hand on the grip.
Ren recognized him. He was the one who'd walked beside him when Ren had snapped out of his fevered dreams, after the demons. He'd been the one to tell Ren that his daughter was okay.
He nodded towards the man, who smiled and gave him a quick salute as Ren and Kevin walked down the ramp.
"So, that's Brad?" Ren asked. "I remember him from when you brought me and Emma in here." He kept his focus forward, refusing to look back over his shoulder at the man who'd threatened his daughter. He felt the giant man's bulk behind him, like a shadow that loomed over him.
"Yep, that's Brad. He's a good guy, great scavenger," Kevin said. There was a short pause. "He's Blessed, just like me. Any trouble, he'll be able to handle it."
Ren stopped at the unspoken threat and spun around to face Kevin. He felt his face flush as he pointed into the big man's face. Fear or anger, he didn't know which. Maybe a bit of both. "Listen, I don't know what the hell I did to you, and right now I don't fucking care. But if you're going to keep threatening me and my daughter, you'd best toss me out of this hole you call home right now and get it over with."
Kevin bared his teeth, and took a menacing step forward. "What you did? You know how long it took us to build this place? Know how many hours, and how much blood we spilled? Do you know what we lost pulling you out of the fire?"
Ren opened his mouth. What we lost?
"No, you don't," Kevin continued. "I've lost my family, lost friends, and this place is my home now. I would die to protect any of my own here. And you and your half-demon kid? You're not a part of that."
He pushed Ren backwards, and Ren almost stumbled,
"Um, right now?" Ren asked. "Can't this wait until I know my girl is okay? She hasn't even woken up yet."
"Nope, 'fraid not," Kevin said, shaking his head. "I'm not about to go back down there and tell an eight-foot-tall angel that you said no. You want to tell him maybe later? You can tell him yourself."
He motioned towards the open door. "Let's go."
Ren wanted to walk over, stand right in front of Kevin, and tell him hell no. That as soon as Emma came to, they'd be leaving. That he'd rather make his own way, without others dictating what he would do. That his daughter was no fucking demon.
But a part of him wanted to believe that the angel, Ithuriel, might be able to help him. Even if that meant convincing himself of the truth. Something was wrong with his daughter, and Ren couldn't help her.
And besides, Ren couldn't say no. Saying no would give Kevin the excuse he needed. Not because Ren was afraid to say no.
Liar .
He blew out a breath and pushed himself off the bed. "Anne, I'm sorry to ask so much of you, but do you mind staying here with Emma until I get back?"
"Of course," Anne nodded. "I'll keep an eye on her, Ren, don't you worry."
Ren strode to the other bed and leaned over Emma. He ran his fingers through her hair, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. He had to resist the urge to wrap her up in his arms.
He stood and walked towards the door, pausing long enough to put his hand on Anne's shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Anne."
"Anne, I've got Brad stationed outside," Kevin said. "If you need anything at all, you just holler, and he'll be right here."
She smiled, and Ren hurried through the doorway with Kevin a step behind. Let's get this over with , he thought. The door shut behind them with a quiet click.
Another man stood on the platform, to the side of the door. He wore the same desert fatigues as most of the guards Ren had seen here. Though not as towering or muscled as Kevin was, the man was tall and lean. He had curly dark hair, the goatee that framed his mouth streaked with gray. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder, one hand on the grip.
Ren recognized him. He was the one who'd walked beside him when Ren had snapped out of his fevered dreams, after the demons. He'd been the one to tell Ren that his daughter was okay.
He nodded towards the man, who smiled and gave him a quick salute as Ren and Kevin walked down the ramp.
"So, that's Brad?" Ren asked. "I remember him from when you brought me and Emma in here." He kept his focus forward, refusing to look back over his shoulder at the man who'd threatened his daughter. He felt the giant man's bulk behind him, like a shadow that loomed over him.
"Yep, that's Brad. He's a good guy, great scavenger," Kevin said. There was a short pause. "He's Blessed, just like me. Any trouble, he'll be able to handle it."
Ren stopped at the unspoken threat and spun around to face Kevin. He felt his face flush as he pointed into the big man's face. Fear or anger, he didn't know which. Maybe a bit of both. "Listen, I don't know what the hell I did to you, and right now I don't fucking care. But if you're going to keep threatening me and my daughter, you'd best toss me out of this hole you call home right now and get it over with."
Kevin bared his teeth, and took a menacing step forward. "What you did? You know how long it took us to build this place? Know how many hours, and how much blood we spilled? Do you know what we lost pulling you out of the fire?"
Ren opened his mouth. What we lost?
"No, you don't," Kevin continued. "I've lost my family, lost friends, and this place is my home now. I would die to protect any of my own here. And you and your half-demon kid? You're not a part of that."
He pushed Ren backwards, and Ren almost stumbled,
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