Two weeks later

“Papa!”

Alrik tore across the airfield as we stepped off the plane and I brought my hand to my throat as Daederich rushed forward, lifting his son into his arms. Dropping to his knees, Daederich kissed his son’s cheek, smoothing his mussed up black hair away from his face, looking into his eyes, a huge smile on his lips.

“You’ve grown.”

Giggling, Alrik started telling his father about all the animals he’d seen. Then he wiggled free, pulling a wooden sword from the scabbard strapped to his hip. He pretended to stab Daederich in the heart and Daederich fell back, clutching his chest.

I shook my head, nodding to Vince and Nicole as they joined me at the bottom of the steps. “He really has grown. I didn’t believe it was possible.”

“Neither did I.” Nicole hugged herself and leaned against Vince’s side. “But aside from needing a glass of blood beside his glass of milk, he’s no different than any other child.”

Vince chuckled. “Most children don’t bite their puppies.”

Nicole frowned up at him. “He did that once.”

“Only because the puppy bit him back.”

“Is the puppy okay?” Getting Alrik a pet didn’t seem very smart. He didn’t have the control to avoid hurting the poor thing.

Moving away from Vince, Nicole nodded. “He’s usually very gentle with her, but he was having a bad night. It sounds worse than it was. And he felt horrible about it, so please don’t mention it in front of him.”

I inclined my head, giving her my full attention. She looked stronger than when I’d last seen her, her skin glowing, her auburn hair lightened by the sun. I’d expected Vince to embrace her, to make her immortal like us, but there was some advantage to her ability to go out during the day. To watch over him and Alrik while they slept.

Maybe that would change now that we were here. I wasn’t sure. I’d assumed Daederich would want to take Alrik with us, but he’d refused to discuss it on the flight. I had a feeling he still wasn’t sure what would be best for the boy.

As much as he missed him, Alrik had a life here now. The Australian hunters had provided him with everything he could ever need. They could protect him. Give him a chance to grow and thrive. He wasn’t even the only child at the compound. I’d spoken to Nicole a few days ago and she’d told me about the small classroom she’d set up for the kids. The playground that had been built. The hunters who’d dedicated part of every night to train the children in martial arts to help them control their powers.

It all sounded wonderful, and I had a feeling Nicole wanted to convince me Alrik should stay. But I wasn’t the one who needed to be convinced.

And seeing Daederich with his son, the idea of them being separated again broke my heart.

That morning, as I climbed into bed in the guest bedroom of Vince and Nicole’s beautiful house, I tried to figure out how to bring up the subject without upsetting Daederich. He’d spent the night with Alrik, letting the boy show him all his favorite places and people on the compound. Daederich had managed to hold his smile for his son all day, but something in his eyes told me he’d realized a choice had to be made.

There was only one way to make it easier for him.

“I told you to love me enough to stay with me, but I won’t make you choose between me and your son.” I put my hand over his lips before he could object. “My life is in America, but I’ll come back.”

He smiled under my hand and shook his head. “We both will. I love my son, Lydia. And it’s not a choice between you. The best thing I can give him is what he has now. So long as he knows I’ll always come back to him, I believe he’ll be happy.”

“Won’t you be happier if you’re here with him?”

“Knowing what’s out there? No. Every day I’d wonder if another child could have been saved if I’d kept fighting. Maybe one day that will change, maybe I’ll stop seeing monsters I need to kill everywhere I turn.” He rested his head on the pillow and pulled me close. “But right now all that matters is he won’t have to see them.”

The monsters would never be gone for good, but I understood what he meant. Still, there was no rush. We’d stay for a few weeks, enjoy the peace and quiet, then hunt down the evil until it had nowhere to hide, until it retreated into the shadows afraid to be found.

Neither of us could stop until we created a world where a child like Daederich’s son would have nothing to fear in the dark. Which might only be a dream. A fantasy we’d fight for until the end of time.

But every moment we fought would bring it closer to becoming a reality.

And making the bad guys suffer never got old.

What could I say? A girl needs a hobby.

And for as long as I could remember, mine had been death. The one thing I could thank Cyrus for. After everything he’d done to me.

I’d learned to love it.