Green Tea and Black Death (The Godhunter, Book 5) (16 page)

   “
So name terms,” Kirill had recovered from his shock in the interim of my musings. He stared hard at Azrael.

   “
Fair enough,” the angel nodded and I had the uncomfortable impression that my life was totally out of my hands. “I would not be a demanding lover. I have a rather full set of responsibilities already,” he chuckled a little under his breath, then shook his head as if the laughter confused him. “I would like the chance to court you, to see you once in awhile and continue our talks. If it leads to more, I think I would be pleased to become more to you. Your arrangement with your other lovers doesn't bother me, as I haven't the time or means to dedicate myself to a full relationship. It seems you would be perfect for me and I would perhaps fit into your world too, being less invasive than another man would be.”

   “
He makes a good argument,” I looked at Kirill and he grunted.

   “
Da,” Kirill said, “and I believe Trevor vould be villing to try it. Is fair, he doesn't simply expect sex.”

   “
Then we are in accord?” The angel held out his hand and I shook it. Yep, just another business deal in the life of Vervain Lavine.

   “
When do we leave?” I pulled my hand back slowly.

   “
I think a good night's rest is in order before going into Hel's domain,” Azrael smiled and my world shifted for just a second. I had a feeling this was one of those pivotal moments in my life.

   “
That bad huh?” I grimaced.

   “
She's a woman,” Az shrugged, “she can be temperamental.”

   “
Hmph,” I snorted. “Alright, so you wanna join us for dinner then? You can sleep in Kirill's room and we can leave in the morning.”

  “
You would allow me into your home?” The angel sounded intrigued.

   “
Should I not?”

   “
I promise to bring no harm to you or yours intentionally,” he said seriously.

   “
Then there's no problem,” I stood and the men followed. “Let's go home.”

  
When I started forward, I nearly bumped into my cousin. “Connie!” I yelled and jumped back.

   “
Vervain,” she smiled sweetly, pushing up her glasses. I truly liked her, she was the only cousin who had come out on her own dime.

   “
What are you doing here,” I looked around for the rest of them.

   “
Just wandering around with James and Jacob,” she shrugged and looked over at Kirill. “Hey, Kirill, how are you?”

   “
Good, Connie,” he nodded, “you?”

   “
I'm good,” she looked away shyly but then saw Azrael. “Who's this?”

   “
This is my friend Az,” I gestured to the angel. “Az, my cousin Connie.”

   “
Nice to meet you,” he shook her hand.

   “
You too,” she smiled but I cut her off.

   “
How long are you planning to be out here?”

   “
Uh, I don't know,” she looked up and focused on something over my shoulder. “Oh, there's Dad.” She started to wave but I caught her hand.

   “
Sorry, I don't have time right now to visit,” I smiled to soften the sting. “But you guys need to leave Chinatown,
now
.”

   “
Why?”

   “
Uh, a friend of mine who works for the city just called me and said there was a sewage line that broke nearby,” I shrugged. “The streets are going to be filled with filth in no time. That's why we're on our way out.”

   “
Oh, no,” she wrinkled her nose, “that's disgusting. I better go tell Mom and Dad.”

   “
Yeah, probably not a good idea to come back anytime soon either,” I shook my head. “It might stink for awhile.”

   “
It's good I ran into you, then,” she gave me a quick hug and ran off.

    “
Yeah,” I grimaced. “You have no idea how lucky you are.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

  
I had an angel in my house and he was eating Korean food at my Chinese table with my Russian lion. There was a joke in there somewhere, I was just too exhausted to look for it. Instead, I bit into my mandoo and studied the new man in my life. I wasn't about to deny that Azrael was going to be a part of my life. I've been a witch too long to ignore my intuition. This man, this angel, was going to be important to me.

   “
I go vith you,” Kirill stated for the thousandth time.

   “
Baby,” I brushed the stray hairs back from his face. “You can't. We've already discussed this. Azrael has to fly me most of the way and he can't carry both of us. I wish you could go but honestly, a part of me is relieved that you'll be safe at home when I confront Hel. Plus, I need you to keep an eye out for Xi Wangmu. I wanted to take care of this thing with her before I went after Trevor but now that we have Azrael to help us, I think we should take him up on his offer as soon as possible. ”             

   “
Da, I agree and I'm glad you're going after Trevor but I'm Ganza,” he growled and stared down into his plate morosely. “It's my job, my
right
, to protect you. I should be zere.”

   “
Yes,” I nodded, “but you won't and that's that. Eat your kalbi.”

  
He sighed and stabbed a tender piece of meat. I winced as he shoved it into his mouth and chewed violently.

   “
Thank you for the meal,” Azrael wiped his mouth and stood. “I have to send word to Hel now and I don't want to do it inside your home. May I use your back yard?”

   “
Of course,” I frowned. “We're going to warn her of our arrival?”

   “
I'm able to pass into her lands undetected,” he pushed in his chair carefully and I heard a strange ruffling sound like wings shifting, even though I couldn't see them. “But to do so would be rude and leave my own lands open to her to be treated similarly. I don't think she'll refuse my request and then we may go into her hall without fear of being molested.”

   “
Right,” I made a face, “it's going to be leaving in one piece that'll take some finesse.”

   “
As you say,” he smiled gently. “Please don't wait for me, go to bed. I'll see you both in the morning.”

   “
Ok,” I stood and took my plate into the kitchen as Az headed out the back door. “Goodnight,” I called and he closed it with a smile.

Chapter Twenty-Four

  
Cool a/c drifted through the carved walls of my bed, making me snuggle deeper into Kirill's side and sigh contentedly. I needed the cold to sleep as well as the white noise of the unit humming away. I couldn't sleep in complete silence. I needed something to drown out the night noises or I'd be jumping at every little creak. That didn't mean the a/c covered every sound though. For instance, I had clearly heard my bedroom door open more than ten minutes ago and just now my lioness enhanced hearing was picking up the acceleration of a heartbeat.

  
I'd known immediately who was in the room and there was a certain irony to Kirill being in bed with me because the last time someone had come to me in the middle of the night and enticed me away from the arms of my lover, it had been Kirill. Tonight it was an angel.

  
I finally opened my eyes when it became evident that he wasn't going to leave or try to wake me. I searched the shadows through the carved walls of my bed and finally found his eyes glittering in the dark. I lifted my head slowly, so I wouldn't disturb Kirill.

   “
What is it?” I whispered.

   “
I tried to sleep in your lion's den,” he walked slowly to the opening at the foot of the bed, trailing his fingertips along the polished wood of the bed walls. “But it seems the longer I am near you, the more aware of you I become.” He closed his eyes a moment and took a deep breath. “I hear your soft sounds, smell your skin,” he grasped both sides of the bed's opening and leaned in to me. I had come to a kneeling position without realizing it and his movement brought our faces within inches of each other. “I can't sleep when you're so close but yet so completely out of my reach. I needed to at least see you, watch you take breath, see the way you slide your legs when you sleep.”

   “
Who said I'm completely out of your reach?” I touched his cheek gently and he closed his eyes on a sigh. “Here I am, all you have to do is extend your hand.”

   “
Don't I have to help you win back your wolf first?” When he opened his eyes again, they were casting off sparks in the dark.

   “
You and I both know I would have never agreed to this bargain if I didn't want you in the first place,” my gaze flew over his face, so much more beautiful close up. The man didn't even have pores. He was like a porcelain doll. How was that even possible? “Waiting goes against everything I'm feeling right now.”

   “
I thought women like to get to know a man before they allow him to touch them intimately?” He still hadn't touched me but he might as well have, his voice was sinking to levels way more intimate than his hands could reach.

   “
They do and normally, so do I, but with you I feel like, I don't know, like I've known you for years,” I leaned infinitesimally closer and then shook my head and made a self-deprecating sound. “I hate the way that sounds, so cliché, but it's the truth. I feel like I've been with you already, I know how good we'll be together and I just want to get it back. Does that make any sense?”

   “
Probably not to anyone else,” he ran a hand through his short hair, smoothing back an errant lock, “but I understand completely because it's exactly how I feel. I think this connection you have with Death is compounded by an attraction that would have existed between us normally and the result is...”

   “
Irresistible,” I whispered and leaned in closer.

   “
No,” he pulled back, his chest heaving. “If I touch you, I will take you here and that is not fair to your lion.”

   “
Kirill,” I looked over at my sleeping lover and blanched. I had completely forgotten him in my lust haze for Azrael. “You're right, I can't do that to him. What the hell is wrong with me?”

   “
You really love him?” Az was slowly making his way back to me, as if gravity itself was working against him.

   “
I do,” I smiled. “I would never hurt him deliberately.”

   “
Then we must wait,” he smiled back grimly. “I must confess I'd prefer our first time to be alone.”

   “
As would I,” I shifted back in the bed.

   “
Although,” he mused, looking from Kirill to me. “I would like to try an experiment.”

   “
An experiment?”

   “
I haven't had a lover in centuries,” his eyes heated. “I've told you already how precious little time I have to give. So I thought this arrangement would be perfect for me. What I didn't consider was the possibility that I would become jealous.”

   “
Will that be a problem?” I swallowed hard. It was perfectly understandable and I had been exceedingly lucky that all my alpha type males had been able to overcome their need to have monogamy but this man was new to the scene. Was this such a good idea after all?

   “
I'm not sure,” he looked me over again. “I think my desire for you is enough to outweigh any possessiveness but who can predict the ways of the heart?”

   “
So what do you propose?”

   “
Make love to your lion,” His voice dropped an octave and had my lioness perking up in interest. “Let me watch, hidden in the shadows. I'll know then if I can handle sharing you.”

   “
You want us to perform for you?” I was horrified... and just a little thrilled.

   “
Not perform,” his hand reached for my face but just hovered over my skin. “Just be with him, pretend I'm not here. You don't have to tell him. He won't see me, I'll only reveal myself to you.”

   “
And if you can't deal?”

   “
I will still help you rescue your wolf but I will walk away after it's done.”