“Thank you, Robert,” Jared said. He grabbed my hand and led me to the Escalade, pulling open the door. He lifted me into his arms and placed me gently in the passenger seat. “Since I don’t have time to carry you across the threshold, I suppose this will have to do.”

I laughed. “It’ll do,” I said, placing each of my hands on his cheeks for a quick kiss.

Providence seemed different. Remnant rain dripped from the trees, the beautiful buildings still loomed over the streets, and the traffic still made walking across the post-storm street a challenge for pedestrians who wished to remain dry. But it was foreign somehow. Providence would always be home, but for now it was a battleground—a place to stand off with those who would harm my child. For the next months until I gave birth, I would walk the streets on guard, in constant suspicion of everyone I came across, and cautious of every dark street. Having no idea when Hell would act, or what they had in store for us, it was important now than ever to be prepared and vigilant. All things considered, I was glad it was on my own turf. My ancestors weren’t just Rhode Islanders. I was Nephilim. We survived King David, the flood, and the yellow fever epidemic of 1797. My husband was half angel. I could stand up to whatever they could throw at me. That was what I would keep telling myself, anyway. No sense in worrying myself to death about it.

“What is that?” Jared said, referring to whatever emotion he was sensing.

I shrugged. “Courage, I think,” I said. “We can do this. I believe in you. I believe in us.”

Jared’s eyes darkened a bit, and he reached over the console to grab my hand. The muscles under his jaws twitched, and his fingers tensed as they intertwined with mine. “I definitely like the new attitude.”

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Answer

Titan’s tall, block-and-mortar façade loomed over Fleet Rink. Summer was just a few weeks away, and the rink had been transformed from its usual icy amusement to a popular hangout for local rollerbladers. Jared parked in his usual spot, kissing my lips before I stepped out onto the sidewalk and to the front entrance of the lobby.

I paused, the first few steps without Jared felt strange. Except for the few hours I spent getting ready for the wedding, Jared and I had been side by side every day for a week. An unsettling feeling came over me, as if I’d forgotten my cell phone or locked my keys inside the car.

I pushed through the front door and walked across the lobby, dismissing my unease. Jared remaining in the car meant that everything was just fine. If he sensed even the slightest bit of danger, he would be next to me.