The Son of Endurance

Prologue

~Eleven Months After Cole Proposed~

Cole stuffed clothes into Astraea's suitcase. He looked up at her as she grabbed a dagger from off the bedroom counter and put it in.

The two locked eyes and Astraea whipped tears from her face.

"I just got you back and—"

"I know."

Cole walked over and hugged her as she cried. He sat down on their bed, making them the same height.

"I know." He muttered

Astraea pulled away and picked herself together. She finished packing and Cole sat there with his eyes red— and not his maroon irises.

He couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe that he was going to cry.

"You have their stuff right?" He asked looking up.

Astraea nodded before her eyes widened. "I forgot the pass afire's." 

Astraea ran to the bathroom and Cole got up. He walked over to another area of his room and gave a small sigh. He looked at two twin baby's and shook his head, trying to force tears back.

"You two are trouble." He muttered.

His daughter, Evelyn, moved in her sleep and Cole sighed. He opened his hands and a dagger formed. He closed his hands around the dagger as it turned into a small bracelet. He put it around Evelyn's wrist and looked at Cypher.

Cypher was wide awake and was smiling as  drool poured down his cheeks.

Cole whipped the drool off and sighed. "You're lots of trouble. Be the man of the house okay?"

Cypher gabled and kicked his legs around.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Cole felt Astraea small hand on his back as he looked at their kids. 

"I have a safe house for you in Georgia." He said softly. "Plenty of stuff there for you and the twins."

Astraea nodded and looked down. She gave a small shudder. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to run away from The General.

"Cole."

He looked up as Astraea took her engagement and wedding rings off. She took a silver necklace from a counter— which was a gift from Hera that Astraea never wore. Most of the time she thought it was a curse no matter how many times Cole promised it wasn't.

She put the rings on the necklace and put the silver chain around Cole's neck.

Cole gave a shudder and he looked at Astraea. 

"I will always be with you... okay?" She uttered.

Cole nodded and took his wedding ring off. He took Astraea's sun necklace off and slid his ring on. He put the necklace back on her and looked at her.

"And I'm always with you."

Astraea held back tears as she hugged Cole. Cole hugged her back and squeezed her as hard as he could— he had blessed her to never be hurt by him. 

Cole picked up Cypher and Astraea picked up Evelyn. Cole looked at Cypher and gave a sigh.

"Remember when I got claimed?"

"Yeah." She muttered. "Your whole growth thing happened.

"Yeah... that's going to happen to him." Cole said handing Cypher over. "Luckily for him, it'll stop once he's sixteen.

Astraea nodded and held the twins in her arms. Cole looked at her and down at the kids. 

"I gave Evelyn a dagger."

"Oh, so safe."  She muttered, looking at the bracket. "It's a disguise."

Cole smiled and looked down. He pulled out Moderate— his sword disguised as a necklace with the tooth of Cerberus— off his neck and put the necklace around Cypher.

He kissed his kids head and turned to Astraea's stuff. He placed his hand on it as it vanished.

"It's all in Georgia now." He uttered softly. He looked up at her, and took a deep breath. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Cole kissed Astraea one last time as she left with Cypher and Evelyn in her arms.

This was the only way.