Echoes and Embers (Rebel Angels) (13 page)

The thought of having her on her knees before him excited him more than the promise of her kiss. He grabbed her by the hair and urged her to her knees on the wood-planked floor. The act required far less force than he would have liked. She could at least pretend.

She closed her fingers around him and slowly slid her hand from base to tip. “Why are you dallying with a human when you have
work
to do?”

He jerked back on her hair. She gasped and he thrust into her mouth. “First, I work with you, not for you.” He pushed deep, well into her throat. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t struggle. “Second, there have been unforeseen complications.” She sucked hard and he cried out as pleasure spiked through his groin.
Damn it, he would not let her take control!
Pressing her face between his hands, he slowed his pace, ignoring the taunting swirl of her tongue. “Third, I have a surprise for you.”

She paused, trying to pull back so she could speak. He laughed and thrust deeply. She grasped his hips and pushed, but he held her firmly, continuing the steady slide into her mouth.

“You’ll have your answers when I’m finished. You interrupted my pleasure, now satisfy me!” Glaring up at him, she maintained a tight circle with her lips, but no longer caressed him with her tongue or drew upon him.

He pulled out and planted his fists on his hips. “What’s the matter, Paimon? Can you only find pleasure when you’re in control?”

“I find pleasure when and where I choose. You will not dictate to me!”

“Are you sure about that?”

Her dark eyes narrowed, hostile and glistening. It was so seldom that he held the upper hand. He intended to savor every moment.

“What have you learned?” she demanded with her gaze as well as her voice. “I know that smug expression. Tell me.”

He laughed. “I’m going to return this mortal to her bed. I want you naked and ready for me when I return.”

“Forget the mortal. She’s unconscious. Tell me—”

He lifted the human in his arms. “Naked and ready for whatever I command.” Her gaze flared at the last word and Enos laughed again. “Oh, I will command you, Paimon, and you will obey.”

* * * * *

Alyssa held her breath, waiting for Sariel to respond to her semi-playful suggestion. She knew he was tired
of
 
being
alone. Their passions wouldn’t have flared so brightly had they been content with their circumstances. They responded to each other with a need born of loneliness and want.

“I cannot bless my own union,” he mused. “Still there must be someone…”

His words trailed away, but Alyssa was pleased. At least he was considering the concept.

Satisfied for the moment with their progress, she exhaled and digressed. “Who does Rosalind believe
Gadrayel
to be?”

“Her gamekeeper.”
Amusement gleamed in his gaze as the firelight caressed his rugged features. “I have instructed him to only appear to her as such. There is no need to overwhelm her completely.”

Alyssa tucked a stray curl behind her ear and offered a soft smile. “I think it’s too late for that. Rosalind is well and truly overwhelmed.” She thought of all she had learned, all Sariel had assisted her in remembering. “Even I am overwhelmed. I’d like to meet him.”

“
Gadrayel
?”
She nodded. “Why?” His voice snapped with defensiveness. “I told you he will guard her with his life.”

“You also told me he is tempted by her. I would like to meet the
man
Rosalind ran to for refuge. She is my ward after all. If he has an interest in her, I have an interest in him.”

Sariel clasped his hands behind his back, studying her in thoughtful silence for a moment. “He is with her now. Speak to him with your angelic voice and he will appear.”

It was a challenge of sorts, an opportunity to further her spiritual awakening. “Are you coming with me?”

“Nay.
I have another matter to attend.”

Accepting his response with a nod, Alyssa headed for the stairs leading to the upper levels. Rosalind had reluctantly moved into the master’s chambers the year before. Alyssa eased the door open and slipped inside the richly appointed bedchamber.

She’d drawn the bed hangings earlier when Rosalind agreed to lie down. The scene appeared undisturbed. Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the wooden shutters, casting a golden haze across the room. If Sariel had commanded the other angel to stand guard, Alyssa had no doubt he was here. Still she saw nothing, sensed no one.

Speak to him with your angelic voice and he will appear.

That would be simple enough if she remembered
how
to use her angelic voice. She sighed audibly. These things should be natural to her, instinctual, but four hundred years was a long time to wander through the mist.

While she’d struggled with her feelings for Sariel, she’d heard her angelic voice. The memory made her heart flutter and warm tingles danced down her spine. Focusing on the tone, the unique inflection, she reproduced the sound.

“
Gadrayel
.
I would like a word with you.” She watched for a glimmer, a spark indicating his location.

“Do you intentionally change your appearance?” She spun toward the unfamiliar voice. The man—male—stood nearly as tall as Sariel, but his hair was dark, as were his eyes.

“Why do you ask?”

“When I saw you at court your hair was blonde and your eyes were gray.”

Did her appearance change or had he confused her with someone else? “We met at court?” She narrowed her gaze on his handsome face. Sariel said he was pretending to be a gamekeeper. Rosalind wouldn’t accept his role if they had met at court.

“I saw you at court.” His smile was indolent, yet engaging. “
No one
saw me.” A stray sunbeam revealed the true color of his eyes, the rich green of midsummer leaves.

“How long has Rosalind been sneaking away to spend time with you?” She shot right to the heart of the matter.

“I noticed her spying on me several times before I spoke with her.” He paused and looked at the enclosed bed. “I would never harm Lady Rosalind. You understand—”

“I understand you would have destroyed her had you believed her nature corrupt.” He didn’t object, so she continued. “I’m thrilled she’s still alive, but why does the debate continue?”

“What has Sariel told you?”

A manipulative half-truth sprang to mind. The words were on the tip of her tongue before she realized what she was about to do. She bit back the lie and slipped her hands through the slits in her
cotehardie
.
I must speak only truth or reality will change
. She chose her words with the utmost care. “I asked you why you’re still here. Why is this decision taking so long?”

He crossed his arms over his chest. Another smile curved the corners of his mouth. “Some people are more complicated than others.”

His answer didn’t please her, but she understood his evasion. Sariel had used the same strategy. They knew more than they were willing to say, which was probably for the better. Every time she thought about their harming Rosalind, rash and reckless plots to save her ward formed within her mind. “Is Rosalind’s life still at risk or is it now a matter of deciding what to do with her?”

“These are questions for Sariel. Why did he send you to me?”

Gadrayel
lacked the inherent authority that characterized Sariel’s every word and movement, but it was easy to see what attracted Rosalind to this male. His pleasing appearance and quiet confidence would appeal to most females. “I wanted to speak with you. Rosalind is my ward and I care about her deeply. What are her feelings for you?”

“Rosalind is not a child. She is a young woman experiencing the first stirrings of her carnal nature.”

“Carnal nature.
You Grigori are rather fond of that phrase.”

“We Grigori invented the phrase.” His eyes sparkled merrily.

Irritation sparked despite his charm. How could he make light of the topic? “Have you…compromised Rosalind?”

His amusement vanished. “She wanted me to. She did her best to seduce me so I would be compelled to wed with her.”

“Because by wedding you, she frees herself from me.”
Alyssa sighed, defeated by the realization. She had tried so hard to mentor Rosalind, to teach her and guide her—

“She loves you very much, milady. You have taught her more than you realize.”

“Can all Grigori read minds?” She stiffened at the ease with which he analyzed her.

“I read your expression, not your mind. Sariel alone can see into a person’s memories and hear their thoughts. I have…other abilities, but your thoughts are safe with me.”

“Is my ward?”

“Until such time as I can lawfully make her mine, I will not touch her.”

Angels could speak only truth, but the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. There was some hidden meaning to his words.

* * * * *

“Thank you for coming, sir.” Waiting for Michael’s corporeal body to finish absorbing Heaven’s light, Sariel bolted the door to the counting room. When the blinding illumination dimmed, he ventured a glance at the archangel. Strength and authority emanated from him. Even without his flaming sword Michael was impressive. “I know your time is precious.”

“Sir?”
One of Michael’s golden eyebrows arched in challenge.
“Your order outranks mine. By rights I should bow to you.”

“My order is all but abolished and I am imposing on you.”

Bright golden hair, not unlike Sariel’s own, flowed in distinct waves to Michael’s shoulders. His robe was pristine white and elaborately embellished with angelic script. “What can I do for you?”

“Are you aware of Alyssa’s progress?” Sariel moved away from the door. “She has made significant strides toward combating her web of lies.”

Michael nodded, his intense gaze assessing. “Such has been reported to me. What is it you wish to know?”

“How much longer will she be subjected to her malady and what becomes of her once the trial is over?”

“None of the Rebel Angels were given a specific period of time to reform.” Michael turned as Sariel passed him and leaned a hip against the sturdy wooden table. “She is making strides in the right direction, but she has far to go. You have shared her memories. You understand all of this. What is it you really want to know?”

Sariel balked at Michael’s candor. He’d hoped to ease into the subject. “Alyssa and I have developed feelings for each other. Her unique nature and mine naturally draw us together. I am forbidden to mate with the Daughters of Man, but Alyssa is an angel. If I take her as my mate, will I in any way compromise her recovery?”

Michael folded his hands in front of his face and rubbed his lips with his index fingers. It was an odd, yet thoughtful pose. Sariel fidgeted as he waited for the answer.

“I see no reason why developing a relationship with you would compromise her recovery.”

Joy burst within Sariel, making him want to shout. She was not forbidden! They could be together—if he could control the beast.

He cleared his throat and fought for a calm, neutral tone. “Generally I sanction such unions. Are you authorized to…would you consider…”

“Are you asking for my blessing?”