Chapter 32 – The Child of Power    

Before heading to the meeting, Anastasia made her way through the palace halls, stopping first to check on Rose. The war had taken its toll on all of them, but Rose had suffered more than most. The relief on Anastasia's face was instant when she saw Rose standing, moving around with ease.

"You're up," Anastasia said, crossing her arms with a small smile.

Rose returned it weakly. "Took long enough, didn't it?"

"Billy?" Anastasia asked, knowing that conversation had been inevitable.

Rose's expression darkened. "He was livid when I told him everything. He made sure I was out of the woods, then left. Straight home. Probably to tell his parents everything."

Anastasia nodded. Gabriel had insisted Billy's parents remain on Earth to prevent demons from causing any disturbances, and there had been a few attempts to expose their world to humans. But those had been dealt with swiftly by angels and demon hunters stationed across the globe.

The war above had ended, and the battles below were also coming to an end thanks to Lucifer.

"I don't blame him for needing space," Anastasia admitted. "But you're still here. That counts for something."

"I hope so," Rose murmured, but there was uncertainty in her voice.

With nothing more to say, Anastasia gave her a reassuring nod before heading toward the healer's quarters. Her brothers had been badly injured, but if she knew them at all, they'd be up and pretending they were invincible the second they got the chance.

She wasn't wrong.

"Hey, boys, how're you feeling?"

"Fit as a fiddle," Matt grinned, jumping to his feet like he was ready to start lifting boulders.

Sean, quieter as always, simply nodded. "We're good." His smile was small, but it was there. The loss of their father still weighed on them, but their mother's brief visit had given them a closure they hadn't known they needed.

"We have a meeting with Zadkiel," Anastasia informed them. "See you later."

They both nodded, and she left them to their rest. Right now, all she wanted was to hold her son. During the war, she'd spent every moment she could with him, but time had been limited. Now that it was over, he was hers again.

She hadn't expected to find Bastian already there, cradling their baby in his arms, staring down at him like he was the most precious thing in existence.

"Hey there," Anastasia smiled as she stepped forward, slipping her arms around Bastian's waist as she looked at their sleeping child. "How beautiful he is."

"Incredible," Bastian whispered.

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, but before the moment could last, Anastasia sighed. "We need to go."

Bastian gave her a look of disappointment before reluctantly handing Alex to the nurse who helped care for him. Just as he did, Gabriel entered the room.

"They want you to bring the child."

Bastian and Anastasia exchanged confused glances before following him to the council chamber. Inside, Zadkiel, several other Dominions, and his brother, Seraphim Simikiel, were already waiting. Anastasia tensed at the sight of Simikiel. Their last encounter had been less than pleasant.

"Thank you for coming," Zadkiel greeted. "I'm sure you both know this is a serious matter."

Anastasia's hands curled into fists out of anxiety. "Yes. What is this about Zadkiel?"

Zadkiel's expression didn't change. "We've been trying to understand why this war ended so quickly. The last great battle lasted years. This one lasted weeks."

He took a step forward, eyes sharp. "We discovered something. A presence. An essence clinging to many of our surviving warriors. And the force field surrounding the palace during the battle? It wasn't our doing."

Anastasia's breath slowed. "You think we had something to do with it?"

Zadkiel held her gaze. "We have reason to believe the source is much closer than we anticipated. May Seraphim Simikiel assess you three?"

She looked at Bastian. He nodded.

"Go ahead."

Simikiel approached Bastian first. His hand glowed, pressing lightly against the back of Bastian's head. He did the same to Anastasia. Then, he hesitated, looking to them for permission before touching Alex.

Anastasia exhaled, then gave a single nod.

Simikiel placed his palm over the baby's head. Silence stretched for long moments before his eyes widened, hand jerking away. He turned to Zadkiel and gave a single, firm nod.

Zadkiel, who was usually unreadable, began to smile. Then chuckle. Then outright laugh, clapping his hands together. Gabriel and Simikiel exchanged glances, also smiling.

Anastasia's stomach twisted. "What's going on?"

Zadkiel turned to her. "That essence we mentioned? It resonates most in you both. But we've now found the source."

He gestured to Alex.

"Your child."