Mark of Damon by Eva Chase Page 0,36

It was that light that kept my voice steady and my sarcasm in check.

Rose wanted this. Rose wanted it a lot. I’d be damned if I screwed it up for her.

Hell, months ago I’d wanted this. I could remember the stirring of nervous joy when we’d discussed the possibility of starting a larger family after we’d finally been able to return to the estate at peace. I didn’t know what kind of father I’d be, but I’d at least be there, which was more than I could say for my own dad, and any kids we produced would have four other dads to thoroughly cover every aspect of that role.

Now, though, with the burn of the demon’s scar prickling so deep inside my forearm it seemed to be gnawing into the bones, I couldn’t summon any joy, only nerves. The pit of my stomach had hollowed out.

I hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to Rose about the mark. Seth and Jin had jumped in to make their big reveal, and then before I could get her alone, she’d been caught up in the idea of renovating not just the house but our lives there.

If I’d told her then, she’d have felt she needed to inform the interviewers, because that was just how Rose was. Honest. Honorable. And no fucking way were they going to give permission for us to have kids if they found out one of us was crawling with demonic power.

So, I’d have to be dishonest for a little while for her, and we’d deal with it after, when we got back to the estate. I’d survived this long—I could make it a few hours more.

Finally, the one interviewer shuffled her papers and tucked them into a folder, and the other put away the tablet he’d been poking at. We all stood up. The woman shook Rose’s hand. “Everything appears to be in order. You can consider your registration complete. Once you are with child, please pass on word to the Assembly both for our records and so we can ensure you receive all proper care.”

“Of course,” Rose said, with a hint of dryness in her tone that told me she hadn’t loved the interrogation either, as well as she’d handled it. Thank the lord it was finally over.

They’d squeezed us in last minute. We must have been the last appointment of the day. The halls were empty as we headed out, the sun just dropping behind the downtown high rises when we emerged onto the street. The temperature had dipped, making me glad I’d brought my leather jacket. Today more than ever before, it felt like a suit of armor, although this time protecting everyone around me from what lay beneath it.

“We obviously don’t need to jump right into anything,” Rose said as we reached the two cars we’d arrived in. “I’d still need to perform the ritual quickening to release the protective aspect of my spark. There’s lots to talk about. But this way when we decide it’s time, we can go right ahead without worrying about anyone else’s permission.”

“Not that we’ve generally waited for permission in the past,” Jin said with a waggle of his eyebrows. Which was true enough. We’d gotten consorted not only without permission but when the act was technically illegal and could have gotten us all killed as punishment.

But having kids… You didn’t mess around when it came to that. The uneasy twinge returned to my stomach as I hopped into the back of the Buick, letting Gabriel take the front since I had on the way down. I might be here, but what if me being around a kid was worse than me not being present? What if I set a bad example for them, or taught them the wrong things… what if I hurt them? I wouldn’t mean to—I’d never want that to happen—but I’d caused plenty of damage throughout my life without trying.

The prickling in my arm seared so hot I had to clench my jaw against a noise of pain. The twins and Jin got into Jin’s Honda, and Rose pulled the Buick into the street. I pressed my hands against the edge of the seat.

Gabriel started talking about the plans for altering the house, and I kept my mouth shut. The whir of the engine was vaguely soothing. I gripped the seat a little tighter, absorbing that thrum as well as I could.

A second later, the leather surface split beneath my left palm. I flinched, jerking