Page 57 of Nazab

“Some people prefer to be alone,” he figured. “She never found someone she wanted to marry and she didn’t have children of her own. I imagine she saw taking on her sister’s youngling as a burden.”

“That’s what she made me feel like,” Monica said. “I wish I’d gotten to know my mom before she was murdered. I’ll never know if she loved me or if I was just a burden to her, too.”

Nazab held his cambion as she sobbed on his chest. “She loved you, female,” he said soothingly. “If she didn’t, she would have given you up for adoption, or left you at a hospital after you were born.”

“You really think so?” she asked, taking the tissue he handed to her. He’d placed a box of tissues on the nightstand since she’d been so emotional during her cramps.

“I know so,” he said. “Everyone with a gray soul we’ve met so far has liked you. Only people with dark hearts wouldn’t find you charming.”

She blew her nose and he tossed the tissue into the wastebasket near the bed. “You always make me feel better,” she said as she snuggled against him. Her hand came to rest on the tattoo on his chest as her breathing evened out.

“It’s my job to keep you safe and happy,” Nazab said, stroking her hair. She’d fallen asleep and didn’t hear him, but he didn’t need her to hear his words. He would prove how much she meant to him through his actions and make sure she would never doubt his motives.

He lay awake for a long time, holding his slumbering mate as he worried about their future. They’d driven hundreds of miles by now, crisscrossing the state in search of his brothers. Nazab knew he would find them eventually. He just hoped Monica wouldn’t feel ostracized for being the only cambion.

“My brothers’ mates won’t have the same lifespan as we do,” he said beneath his breath so he didn’t wake Monica up. “They’ll grow old and pass away a few decades after we return to the Void. How long will my mate have to exist without me at her side once I’m gone?”

The thought of her living all alone for eons haunted him when he finally drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Forty-One

––––––––

INSTEAD OF JUST TAKING three days off from their task so Monica could recover, they took a full week off. Nazab found boardgames in a closet and they’d played while talking. Monica couldn’t believe how kind and patient her knight was while he’d been taking care of her.

“I guess we should hit the road today,” the cambion said after she ate breakfast. She wasn’t going to miss the musty old house, but she would miss their cozy chats and squabbles while playing Monopoly.

“Duty calls,” Nazab said, but she could tell he was also reluctant to leave.

Packing their gear, they climbed into the truck and headed northward. Nazab had searched the nearby sites he’d circled on the map on his own while she’d been sleeping. They’d all been a bust, but at least he hadn’t run into any danger.

The warrior was behind the wheel and Monica navigated. She directed him to the area he’d chosen this time. “We’re pretty close to the Adirondack Mountains,” Monica said as she peered at the mountain range through the windshield. “I bet it snowed heavily up there during the past few winters.”

“Perhaps the weather will settle down now that the apocalypse is in full swing,” Nazab mused. “The houses are few and far between here. Choose whichever one appeals to you.”

Monica gazed around, then glanced at the map. “There’s a small town a few miles away. We probably shouldn’t get too close to it, just in case it’s infested with bad guys.” She looked out her window and pointed at a distant house. “Let’s check that one out,” she decided.

Nazab parked on the side of the road and went closer on foot to inspect it. He waved that it was safe after checking out the house, so she moved to the driver’s seat and drove to meet him. “There’s no power or running water,” he reported, to her disappointment.

“I’m glad we decided to bring a generator with us,” she said when she exited from the vehicle. They had spare fuel for the truck and the generator that was in the bed of the truck. An eerie feeling stole over her and she shivered. “I feel like we’re being watched,” she whispered as she studied the area. The house was surrounded by barren fields, but the woods were just a short distance to the right.

“So do I,” Nazab agreed. They’d both scanned the area already and hadn’t detected anyone.

“Is that a bear?” Monica asked when she saw something big and shaggy with black fur lumbering into the trees.

“It’s a black bear,” her knight confirmed. “It should leave us alone as long as we don’t antagonize it.”

They stashed their gear inside, then returned to the truck. Monica guided Nazab to the first site he wanted to search, then waited in the truck for him as usual.

“There’s a lot more places for us to search in this area this time,” the cambion said when her gorgeous companion returned.

“I was thinking of staying here for a couple of nights,” Nazab said, switching on the ignition and taking off. “I have a feeling we’re getting close to my brothers.”

“I hope we find them soon,” Monica said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting kind of sick of this never-ending road trip.”

He nodded in agreement with a rueful smile.

Despite her complaints about being on the road so often, Monica enjoyed the scenery most of the time. Coming across traffic accidents that had been caused by the Rapture ruined the serenity. So did the skeletons they always saw whenever they passed through deserted towns.