Echoes and Embers (Rebel Angels) (19 page)

Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he lifted her skirts to her waist. She glanced over her shoulder but didn’t close the window.

“Oh, you are in a naughty mood.” He chuckled, heat rushing to his groin.

“You make me think naughty thoughts and want naughty things.”

He draped her legs over his shoulders, teasing her inner thighs with
featherlight
kisses. “What naughty thing
are you wanting
right now?”

“I want your mouth on me. I want you to lick me until the pleasure comes.”

“As I said, I’m yours to command.” Parting her folds with his fingers, he breathed against her damp flesh. She leaned back on her elbows and canted her hips, offering herself brazenly. He watched her face as he settled his mouth against her, awed by the beauty of her response. Her lips parted and her tongue darted out, wetting her lips.

His body throbbed in silent demand. They would definitely have to explore
mutual
pleasure once he had her back on a bed.

He traced her feminine slit and flicked his tongue against her swollen nub. Each gasp, each pant assured him of her pleasure. Pulling her hips to the edge of the sill, he pushed two fingers into her slick core. She cried out sharply. Her head dropped back on her shoulders as her inner muscles rippled and pulsed.

Grinning against her damp folds, he whispered, “You like that?”

“You know I do.”

Sliding his fingers in and out, he circled her with his tongue, establishing a new cycle of arousal as her legs trembled against his shoulders. She arched into the thrust of his hand and tangled her fingers in his hair, whimpering softly as her passion escalated.

She was hot, wet, so ready to be taken, but he enjoyed her pleasure too much to stop. Dragging his fingers out, he cupped her butt and lifted her against his mouth. She gasped then groaned, abandoning herself to his carnal kiss.

He caught her against him as her muscles relaxed, lowering her hips but keeping her legs draped over his arms. She braced herself against the sill, her hair wild about her face, her skin passion flushed and rosy.

She had never looked more beautiful to him. He had never wanted her more. Frantically loosening his clothing, he positioned himself against her entrance and sank into her wet heat. She closed around him, squeezing him with firm pressure. Deeper he pushed, not stopping until he filled her completely. He held her close and enjoyed the intimacy of their joining.

Pulling back just a bit, he insinuated his hand between their bodies and rubbed her firmly with his thumb. “Do it again,” he whispered. He stayed deep inside her, filling her, stretching her while his thumb stimulated her mercilessly. She tossed her head and her breasts quivered with her ragged breaths. “Do it now!”

He pressed her nub between his thumb and forefinger. She shattered, her forceful spasms squeezing his cock so hard he nearly lost control.

Finally satisfied that she was well pleasured, he moved within her tight center. His deep, driving thrusts made her gasp and arch. Her tight body caressed him with each forceful lunge. He threw back his head and trembled, desperate to make the pleasure last.

“Do it,” she coaxed. “Do it now!”

She tightened her inner muscles and Sariel was lost.

Thrusting hilt deep into her heat, he shook violently with the force of his release. When his head cleared enough for coherent thought, he found her smiling up at him and his heart lurched within his chest.

“I love you so much it frightens me,” he whispered.

Her smile broadened and her eyes sparkled. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. Keep you safe.”

He laughed and pulled her up off the stone sill. She wrapped her legs around his waist, keeping him deep inside her. They kissed, slow, deep kisses filled with love and laughter. He turned in a slow circle, looking for some other place to set her down. “There is no furniture in this room.”

She tightened her legs around his waist and wiggled enticingly. “We’ll just have to be creative.”

“More challenges?”

“Shock and thrill me until the sun goes down.”

He chuckled deep in his throat. “I will shock and thrill you much longer than that.”

* * * * *

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Alyssa laughed nervously. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to do half of what we’ve done tonight, but you haven’t disappointed me yet.” He grinned with obvious pride and she slapped at him playfully.
“Arrogant beast.”

“You’re the one who held me captive in the tower room, demanding I appease your insatiable appetites.”

“Do you have strength left enough for this lesson or do you need to recuperate? You are much older than I am after all.”

He grasped her waist and lifted her to stand beside him atop the crenellation surrounding the high tower. “I may be ancient, but it takes more than a lusty tumble to wear me out.”

“One?
I remember three.”

Holding tightly to her hand, Sariel spread his wings. “Are we going to fly or find a room with furniture?”

“Both,” she suggested, and unfurled her wings.

“Don’t let go of my hand until you’re sure you remember how to do this.”

She interlaced their fingers, but he shook his head and grasped her wrist. Rotating her arm, she grabbed his wrist as well and stared out into the night.

“Are you frightened?” His voice was deep and caressing.

“Not with you by my side.”

“I won’t let go. I promise.”

Pausing for one long, slow breath, Alyssa bent her knees and launched
herself
into the sky. She flapped her wings with a strong, sure rhythm that was only the faintest of memories. Sariel held tight to her wrist, matching his wing strokes to hers, following her lead.

“It’s so beautiful.” She sighed.

The wind caressed her face and streamed through her hair. Starlight lit their path, silvering the earth far below. Sariel’s hand remained steady and strong. Enjoying the tangible connection with her mate, Alyssa didn’t let go. She squeezed his wrist as they soared side by side.

The following morning they gathered in the counting room. Sariel and Alyssa shared a bench facing
Gadrayel
and Rosalind across the wooden table. Alyssa fidgeted. Anticipation and dread tightened her stomach with alternating turns.

“What happened yesterday?” Rosalind asked after a prolonged period of silence.

“We rescued Lailah,” Sariel began, “but not without a cost. Paimon burned Lailah’s eyes before we were able to destroy the demon.”

“Nay!”
Rosalind cried, her hand flew to her mouth and tears filled her eyes. “How badly was she burned? Is she…blind?”

Torn between comforting Rosalind and the guilt still twisting her soul, Alyssa looked away from the girl’s grief-stricken face.

You must be strong for her.
Gabriel had been referring to Lailah, but the same held true for Rosalind. She swallowed with difficulty and turned back to her ward.

“Lailah’s physical eyes were destroyed,” Alyssa explained, her tone carefully controlled, “but her angelic sight is still intact.”

“What does that mean?”

“She will have to learn how to see in a different way.”

“Where is Lailah now?”
Gadrayel
slipped his arm around Rosalind’s shoulders and pulled her close against his side.

“Gabriel has taken over her care until she recovers from this attack,” Sariel told him. “He will teach her how to compensate for her blindness with angelic sight.”

“Gabriel?” Rosalind’s eyes widened and her mouth gaped.
“
The
Gabriel?”

Alyssa nodded. The wonder in Rosalind’s tone was a common reaction when people heard Gabriel’s name. “What happened to Lailah is only a small part of what you need to know.”

“You said Paimon was destroyed,”
Gadrayel
commented. “What about Enos?”

“The situation with Enos is more complicated.” Sariel folded his hands on the tabletop and shifted his weight on the bench. He hid his anxiety well, but Alyssa could sense his reluctance and his pain. “Before Enos Fell he was my brother.”

Gadrayel
didn’t react to the news. Alyssa suspected he already knew. She looked at Rosalind and found her confusion rapidly turning to disgust. Before the emotion could progress any further, Alyssa rushed on. “Every demon was once someone’s brother or sister, Rosalind. Angels and demons are flipsides of the same coin. You must stop thinking like a human.”

Rosalind accepted the reprimand with a stiff nod. “What did they want with me? I still don’t understand why all this happened.”

“For Paimon, you were a means to an end. For Enos it was more personal.” Alyssa braced herself for what she was about to reveal. Reality for Rosalind had shifted and changed continually over the past few days, and the adjustments had only begun. “As I just said, angels are generally created in pairs; they train together, mature together, much like human siblings. Paimon and her sister were created shortly before the Great Rebellion. She lost her sister when a third of Heaven Fell.”

“Is that when Enos Fell?” Rosalind looked to Sariel for the answer.

“Nay.”
He glanced away from her expectant gaze. “His Fall was more recent, but we will return to Enos. Let Alyssa explain.”

Accepting his cue, Alyssa went on. “Paimon longed for the security of her sister. The bond, the connection is important to an angel. No one wants to be alone. So, she set her sights on Lailah.”

“But Lailah is your sister.”

“Aye.
Paimon did everything in her power to lure Lailah away from me, to create conflict between us.” She paused for a deep breath, knowing the tale was about to get much more convoluted. “About this same time Paimon met a cherub named Ambrose.”

Rosalind gasped. “Lucifer’s brother. You spoke of him before. Did Michael give Paimon a challenge like he gave you and Gideon?”

“Nay.
Paimon was not there that day on the hillside. She had to have learned about the Rebel Angels after we were dispersed.” Alyssa licked her lips, wishing she had a cup of water, or better yet, wine. “Lailah was lost to her and Paimon was truly alone.”

“So she
Fell
.”

“Aye.”
An unexpected twinge of pity pierced Alyssa’s heart. How could she feel sorry for that creature for even an instant?

Just as you’re fascinated by the darkness, I sometimes hunger for the light.

Enos’ words echoed back to her, compounding her conflicted emotions.

With a ragged sigh, Alyssa forced back her compassion and focused on the facts. “
Paimon’s
determination to have Lailah didn’t end with her
Fall
. I don’t know when or how she joined forces with Enos, but it was obvious they were helping each other. When I arrived in your form, Paimon was furious. She knew I would never intentionally put you in danger. She counted on my coming to confront her. But instead of me, you appeared, offering yourself in exchange for Lailah.”

Sariel took up the tale. “Paimon tried to tempt Lailah into Falling, and when she refused, Paimon punished her. I couldn’t reach her before she touched Lailah’s eyes.”

“Enos attacked her as well,” Alyssa added. “The combination of his demonic sword and Sariel’s angelic sword destroyed Paimon.”

“Enos helped kill Paimon?” Rosalind sounded aghast. “Why would he do that?”

“Because
you
were there, or he thought I was you.”

Rosalind didn’t speak, but her posture stiffened and her eyes filled with dread.

“Enos sought you out at court.” The truth lodged in Alyssa’s throat. There was no easy way to explain the final revelation. “Enos’ search for us led him to you. Lady Catherine, or perhaps your father, concealed the truth from him. Enos didn’t realize you existed until he saw you that day at court. He wanted you to know he didn’t force your grandmother. He seduced her, but he didn’t ravage her.”

“Enos is my grandfather.” There was no question in her tone, just a shaky acceptance of fact. “I am part demon.” She turned her head and looked at
Gadrayel
. “That’s why you couldn’t take me to Heaven. I wanted to see your home, but you insisted we hide in the abbey.”

“We were unable to identify your nature because, to our knowledge, you are unique.”
Gadrayel
stroked the side of her face, his eyes filled with tenderness.

“Am I evil?”

“There is evil in you as there is evil in all mankind,” Sariel said with quiet authority. “But you control your nature; your nature does not control you. Your life will be filled with temptations and choices. Your future is determined by the choices you make.”

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and turned back to Sariel. “What are my choices? Am I immortal?”

Sariel smiled. “I met with the Council of Ancients. I knew you would have many questions. They were able to prepare some answers—others are simply up to you. You are not immortal, but they suspect you will live much longer than an ordinary human, perhaps several hundred years. As you mature, they anticipate your developing angelic abilities, but they were unable to predict which ones.”

Her eyes grew a bit rounder with each fact he revealed. “Will I be able to have children and will my children inherit these abilities?”

“There are different scenarios that produce different outcomes.”

Rosalind chuckled at the obvious evasion. “You were doing so well. I had never heard you provide such specific, detailed information before.” She paused then tried again. “Am I able to bear children?”

“Aye.”

Her gaze narrowed and her cheeks flushed as understanding finally struck. “If a human fathers my children it will dilute my angelic blood. But if an angel…” She looked at
Gadrayel
then back at Sariel. “Can Ray and I have children?”

“There was much debate regarding that possible outcome.
Gadrayel
is capable of producing offspring and so are you.
Gadrayel
is immortal while you will eventually die. The complications that developed with the
Nephilim
stemmed from the incompatibility of angelic and human physiology. Your physiology is not human.”

“Meaning?” she asked impatiently.

“The council could find no justification for forbidding your union with
Gadrayel
. You must each understand there will be great challenges awaiting you, and Rosalind must remain here on Earth.” He took a deep breath and glanced at Alyssa before he said, “I’ve been sanctioned to bless your union if that’s what you desire.”

“Our children would be…”

“A unique race of beings,” Sariel said, as if it were an insignificant detail. “Like you they would not be immortal, but their lifespan would be prolonged. They would likely have various angelic abilities.” He paused again, his expression commanding her full attention. “The council was insistent on one point. With great power comes great responsibility. If this is allowed, you would become a race of guardians, champions, healers and teachers, living among, but separate from mankind.”

Rosalind stared back at him, silent and still.

“You’ve shocked her into silence.” Alyssa smiled. “This has to be a first.”

“The decision need not be made right now. I’m simply explaining your options.”

Gadrayel
inclined his head, his gaze shining. Alyssa could sense the emotional tempest raging beneath his calm exterior. He was thrilled and excited, frightened and confused, but overshadowing all was his overwhelming joy that a future with Rosalind was possible.

“We appreciate your effort on our behalf,”
Gadrayel
said, his voice revealing more than his calm features. “You’ve given us much to think about, much to discuss. I’m sure you and Lady Alyssa have plans to make as well. We’ll leave you to it.”

He escorted Rosalind from the room.

“Will
Gadrayel
give up Heaven for Rosalind?” Alyssa asked after the other couple departed.

“Without hesitation.”
Sariel rolled his shoulders and pivoted on the bench to face her. “He loves her and he has grown weary of the hunt.”

“Is hunting the
Nephilim
all your order does?”

“Nay.
Our missions are widely varied, but
Gadrayel
is one of my best hunters.” He smiled. “Or he was until your ward stole his heart.”

She didn’t know how to begin the next phase of the conversation. Had the Council of Ancients had sage words for them? Or was their future still undecided? “Did you gather information for us or was the meeting regarding Rosalind alone?”

“What do you think?” His smile caressed her, melted the tension gripping her heart. “I must return to my order, but I want my mate at my side.”

She pressed her lips together to conceal their trembling. “They will allow it? I can go with you?”

“As long as you speak only truth you will be welcomed in the fifth level of Heaven.”

“What of Rosalind? If she must remain here and I—”

“There are no prisoners in Heaven. If you return with me, you can visit Rosalind and monitor her progress. You will not be allowed beyond the fifth level of Heaven, but others can join you there.”

“Gideon and Naomi?
I could see them again?”