“He created me against the natural order as well, Caro,” he pointed out. “Making me, what, good enough to fuck and nothing else?” He shook his head sadly, taking another step away from her. “And here I thought we were getting somewhere.”

“It’s not… that’s not…” God, her stomach hurt. A lot. She held her lower belly as she tried to form the words Sethios needed, but her mind kept splintering with the pain slicing up from her center. “I don’t know any—” She exhaled sharply, her words cutting off before she could finish.

“And because you have not met any, aside from myself and Ezekiel, that makes it okay to exterminate an entire race of immortals? Two, technically, if you consider Hydraians separate from Ichorians.”

She swallowed roughly. “Ezekiel wanted to kill me when we first met.” Not that she could hold that against the entire race. Her daughter shifted to Caro’s bladder, making it impossible to add more to that statement as she fought her body’s innate reaction to that move.

And now I’m slightly wet down there and not in the way I would prefer.

She blinked.

What a completely inappropriate thought.

“Because he thought you were human,” Sethios growled. “So that justifies your hatred of all Ichorians? Ezekiel is a dick and not the best representation.”

“And you are?” she asked, meaning to tease and realizing too late that it had the opposite impact.

His green eyes smoldered with fury. “Destroying Osiris, I understand. Fuck, I want to kill him myself. But his bloodline? It would include her need to kill me, her father. Do you want that on her conscience? Can you live with that on your own conscience?” Quiet questions filled with deep-seated emotions she couldn’t name.

Pain ricocheted up her spine, forcing her to close her eyes. Her tongue hurt from biting it so hard. He wanted an answer, but she couldn’t voice it. Not without screaming.

“I see,” he murmured. “Good to know where we stand.”

“Can I interrupt?” Gabriel asked, his voice bored.

“Is this the part where you try to remove me from the picture so I won’t interfere with the Seraphim plans for my child? Because I think you’ll be in for quite the surprise.” Sethios sounded flippant, almost to the point of cruel. And from the trajectory of his voice, he stood on the opposite side of the room, near the door.

“No,” Gabriel replied. “This is the part where I suggest we help Caro, as she’s going into labor.”

Her eyes flashed open to meet his light green eyes, then widened at the realization that he was correct. “She’s early.”

Gabriel shrugged. “Only by a few days. I’ll go grab some towels.”

Sethios was at her side in the next instant, his touch gentle as he helped her onto the mattress.

“Oh, you don’t want—”

“I’ll replace it,” he replied, following her statement about ruining the bed without her having to finish it. “Just lie down.”

She did as he suggested and winced at the jabbing pain in her side. Still, she had to say something… “Sethios?”