Children of the Fallen: Bloodlines (BOOK #3)

Chapter 51: Respite

Morgan Sinclair

October 13th, 2029

I saw your gravestone today. 2001- 2029 it says on a stone over an empty fucking grave. I can't believe there's a gravestone. Mom fought that tooth and nail she did not want you to have a gravestone. "Why are we giving her a gravestone when she's not dead," she kept yelling. She didn't come to it with us. She said it's for all of us to feel at peace with you, a way for us to lay you to rest- maybe for Chris and dad but I don't think I'll ever feel at peace with this. It drives me fucking insane that I don't know what happened to you. Dead or not we'll never know what really happened and I hate that so much.

I don't think I've stopped being angry at the police for closing your case and suddenly deciding that you're dead. I was always the short tempered one out of the two of us and it's really showing up these past couple of weeks. Not like I've been screaming or something just very snippy and quick to anger like I feel it go from 0 to 100 so quickly and I have to walk away from whatever I was doing. I keep apologizing to Jason for my attitude as of late but he's been understanding and helping a lot. Avery too, I've made sure I haven't been angry or crying in front of her but maybe my face shows it sometimes. She keeps giving me her cheerios and her plush football to make me feel better, she tells me not to be sad then pets my head.

I miss you, Morgan.

I couldn't sleep and with only a few pages left in Lindsey's journals I wanted to finish them. Before this fight, before I may possibly never get a chance to. That was the last entry. Her last words to me were: I miss you, Morgan. The thought of how she'd think of me now, looking down on me and seeing who and what I am sends a pang of self disappointment dashing through my body. Would she miss me had she known? Would Avery, be named Avery?  I shut the journal and got up from my office's desk, unsure how much more of that sort of discomfort I could handle.

The storm clouds rolling in allowed me the daytime to get things done. Grayson and I went to pick up the weapons from Dante, along with Ryker and two other guards. He came to the meeting spot in Chicago with Ty and a few others. "Another powerful friend?" He asked privately and Grayson flashed his eyes at him with that little smirk on his face. It warmed something inside of me. His presence warmed me, he so eagerly volunteered to come with me. Hung on my every word as I told him how things ran when it came to these connections of mine.

Afterwards I sent the weapons back with Ryker and the others. Just as my nobles were doing, Grayson and I made the rounds with a couple of packs and covens around telling them about the scheduled battle Azrael declared. When we got back to my unnaturally busy palace he pulled me off to a secluded small lounge. Away from the bustling crowds of people- Kellan's two nobles and his guards showed up a few hours ago now getting debriefed by Ryker and Val, joined by Grayson, Victoria, and Aurelia's people. "What?" I ask staring back at his intense gaze.

"I was thinking about after this." He starts and I don't know why my nerves instantly spike. "I want to take you out on a date."

I feel my eyebrows shoot up as surprise lit on my face. "You want to take me out on a date?" I nearly laugh.

His lips upturn, "I do. If you'd let me. When we win, when the craziness of after this dies down just for a few hours of your time, I'd like take you out. I promise you I'm an excellent date."

"I don't think we should be making promises right now."

"I think we should. Gives us extra incentive to fight our hardest."

"And a date with me will make you fight your hardest?"

"If killing every last hunter and celestial means I get a date with you, I will tear through all of them."