“If it were demons protecting him? No. But the Harbinger, who is a Trueborn? Yes.” As we reached his bike, he slid his hand onto my lower back, and feeling the weight of it there was even better than holding hands. “I’ve been trying to come up with different scenarios, but all we know is that Bael is needed alive for whatever this plan is.”

I sighed, staring up at the sky. With all the lights of the nearby buildings, I couldn’t see if there were any stars. “I wonder what made Sulien become like this. We don’t know what he’s planning, other than to help bring about the end of the world, but obviously it’s something insanely evil. He said he’s never loved anyone, so we know it’s not like with the senator.”

Zayne tossed a leg over the bike, seating himself. “We’re working with demons,” he said, looking back at me. The glow from a nearby streetlight glanced off his face, creating shadows under his cheeks. “Not just because we see a different side of some demons, but also because we think what we’re doing is for the greater good.”

I followed where he was heading with that. “And you think he’s working with demons because he thinks whatever he’s planning is for the greater good?”

“It’s possible. Throughout history, people have done messed-up things because they believed in something—because they believed they were right. Wardens are no different. I don’t think there’s any being that hasn’t done bad things while believing it was for the right reason.”

I nodded, thinking that whenever anyone believed what they were doing was right, it was nearly impossible to convince them otherwise.

I climbed onto the bike and wrapped my arms around his waist. He reached down, squeezing my knee in return, and we were off.

The ride back to the apartment was fast, but I used the time to sort of...detach myself from what happened with the senator and everything to do with the Harbinger. I thought perhaps Zayne was doing the same thing. We needed that, to carve out a tiny bit of time that belonged to us, to our lives, and by the time Zayne eased to a stop in the garage, next to his Impala, I was ready to be...normal. For a little while.

“Ready to check out the new place?” he asked as we walked to the elevator doors.

“I actually forgot about that,” I admitted, laughing as we stepped inside.

“Wow.”

“I know.”

He grinned as the elevator rose. “It’s a lot like the other place. Same layout and all. Just two bedrooms.”

I leaned against the opposite wall as I tipped my head back. “Is two bedrooms really necessary now?” I teased.

“I hope not.” He stalked toward me, placing his hands on either side of my head. “But two bathrooms will be amazing.”

“True.”