Ruffle My Feathers (The Seven - Book 2) (2 page)

It would have been comical if it had not been for what happened next. Her body was canted back at a fourty-five degree to the water, and Layla was leaning forward in her fall. And they just … froze. Came to a total and complete stop for all of a second and then continued to fall.

Gabriel shook his head, just then realizing he was also frozen in mid-step. "Whoa" he whispered under his breath. "Freaky."

He continued toward Layla and her enticing, albeit clumsy friend, allowing the humor of the situation to rise up to the surface.

Nevaeh hit the water with a smack and a split second later Layla landed on top of her. Nevaeh was pushed in deeper and for a few moments, they floundered in a tangle of limbs.

When Nevaeh surfaced and slung her hair back from her face, she saw two things. First, Layla was hanging onto the edge of the pool with one hand, adjusting the top of her swimsuit with the other. The second thing was a set of feet, attached to muscular calves, standing on the edge of the pool.

Her eyes traveled upward, over equally muscular thighs, an appealing male package and slim hips encased in a red boxer style speedo. As she treaded water her gaze moved higher, over a delectable set of abs, a firm, full chest and up to what had to be one of the most beautiful male faces she'd ever seen.

Full lips parted in a smile to display perfect white teeth and a strong nose. Eyes of a pure blue that rivaled a summer sky were set into a face of harmonious angles and high cheekbones. The face belonged in a dream. A hot and sexy one. And was topped with a full head of blond hair that cascaded down over strong shoulders.

Holy shit.
If the figure of the man were not enough to take her breath, the outspread wings certainly were.
An Angel. An honest to god, Angel. And sexy as holy sin.

The Angel grinned at her. "Nice day for a swim but personally I prefer the water to be a bit cooler."

"That's what I said." Layla hoisted herself up on the edge of the pool to sit.

"I knew you were a woman of exception taste the moment we met." The Angel gave her a smile. "Well, aside from your questionable taste in men, of course."

"Yeah, right. Gabriel, I want you to meet Nevaeh Rockwell. She's an old friend of Ellie's and the best makeup artist ever. She's going to make sure we're all dolled up for Asha's circus."

She looked then at Nevaeh. "Nevaeh, this is Gabriel. Obviously, an Angel and the first member of the Seven I liked at first glance. He's also Augustus' best friend and best man."

Gabriel bent over and extended a hand to Neveah. "Charmed."

She reached for his hand but paused when Layla muttered, "Oh oh".

"What?" She pulled her hand back and looked at Layla.

"Let's just say it might be better if you were on solid ground when you do that."

"Huh?"

"Just trust me on this one."

Nevaeh noticed the chuckle from Gabriel. She swam over to the edge and pulled herself up to sit beside Layla.

"Towels, ladies?"

She looked up as Gabriel turned to walked over to a cabinet where there was a stack of folded towels. Layla nudged her in the side. "It's pretty amazing isn't it?"

"Those are honest to goodness wings." Nevaeh tried to keep her voice low. "Wings."

"Yep."

"And that body. My god."

"Yep."

Nevaeh cut her eyes at Layla. "So it doesn't affect you at all?"

Layla shrugged. "It does, in a way. I mean I acknowledge that he's a hundred kinds of fine, but he affects me in a different way."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when you were a child and some other kid you thought was so cool befriended you and you shared looks and phases that were just between the two of you? How it made you feel special and like you had a connection with them that no one else had?"

"Yeah, I remember that." Nevaeh couldn't take her eyes off Gabriel.

"Well, that's what I have with Gabriel."

"If you weren't hooked up with a Prince I'd say that's a terrible waste. Good god, just look at that ass."

Layla laughed. "Oh I know."

Nevaeh turned to look at Layla. "Why didn't you want me to shake his hand?"

Layla leaned a little closer. "He has this… affect when he touches you. It fills you with this sensation of bliss. That's the best way I can describe it. When I met him he put his hands on my shoulders and I almost passed out."

"Are you serious?"

"Oh yeah."

Layla straightened and then stood as Gabriel reached them with the towels. After accepting one, she wrapped it around her and returned to take a seat on the chaise.

Nevaeh stood and accepted the towel, careful not to let her skin come in contact with his.

"Your name is Nevaeh?"

"Yes." Man did he ever have a sexy voice. And oh wow did he have the sexiest smile. And he even pronounced her name right – Nuh vah ah.

"That's heaven spelled backwards."

Neveah's gaze shot up to meet his. No one ever figured that out. "Yes."

"You were obviously very loved to have been given such a name."

She nodded. Thoughts of her parents brought tears. Her mother had died from breast cancer when she was only six and her father had raised her alone. He'd been so amazing. Now he was in a nursing home in Florida, suffering from the final stages of Alzheimer's. It had taken every cent she could scrape together to get him moved there where she could be close to him.

Even though he'd lost his memories of her more than a year ago, she still visited him almost every day, if her myriad jobs didn't prevent it.

"I'm very happy to meet you, Nevaeh."

"Likewise, Gabriel. And my friends call me Nev."

"So, we're friends?"

The tease was out of her mouth before she could stop it and even as the words poured out she felt herself blushing. "A girl can dream."

Gabriel laughed and strangely, she didn't feel that he was laughing at her. "I think we just may be, Heaven-spelled-backwards."

Nevaeh didn’t know if he was just being polite or meant what he said. All she knew was that she'd fallen under his spell at one look.

Chapter Two

What an unusual woman this Nevaeh Rockwell is. According to Layla's friend, Ellie Whitehorse-Marsh, Nevaeh is quite talented and not at merely applying makeup to make people appear lovelier than they actually are. Her real passion is in special effects makeup and prosthetics for film and stage.

She reminds me a bit of Layla, when we first met. She's very curious about my kind. She has yet to voice her questions but I hear them churning in her mind. How do our wings attach to our bodies, and how do we manage to dress? Do we lose feathers in the same manner as a bird and do we have avian genetics in our make-up? Where did we originate? Were we born or hatched? Were we sent here by God?

While Layla is affable and outgoing, Nevaeh is quiet and seems to skirt the perimeter when other people are present, like an outcast watching from beyond the gate. I do wonder what makes her feel that she matters less.

Actually, after only one meeting I find myself wondering many things about her. Perhaps that's just my natural curious nature. Or perhaps it is more. I do feel something – some attraction – something that pulls at me when she dares to meet my eyes.

She is a mystery in many ways. I hear what is on the surface of her mind but not what lies beneath. That's uncommon. We Angels are the most telepathic of all the Seven. Why then can she bar me from all but the mundane thoughts that flit through her mind?

Gabriel turned at the sound of footfall behind him. Augustus walked across the long expanse of the patio surrounding the pool. In his right hand was a six-pack of beer. In his left was what appeared to be a wine bottle. Gabriel knew the bottle did not contain wine. Asha, the Queen of the Vampires, and Augustus' mother, had blood bottled in such a manner.

Augustus walked over to the rail that edged the patio and looked out over the lawn to the beach. Gabriel kept quiet. He knew Augustus was agitated and he understood all too well. Being around Asha and her minions was enough to unhinge even the most imperturbable soul.

"I should have said no."

"Pardon?" Gabriel wasn't sure which of Asha's demands Augustus was referencing.

"This entire spectacle."

Gabriel chuckled. "Ah yes."

Augustus took a seat in the chair beside him, holding out the six-pack. Gabriel plucked a bottle from the pack. "Thanks."

He popped the top from the bottle and took a long drink as Augustus placed the rest of the beer between them and open the wine bottle.

"Vintage 2015?" Gabriel asked.

"Who knows? I just know I need it to continue with this …"

"Circus?"

Augustus snorted. "That about sums it up."

"So why did you and Layla agree to do this? You're already married. Unless that judge in Florida wasn't legit."

"The marriage is legal."

"It was a cool wedding." Gabriel smiled as he remembered. "Eldric's place is something isn't it? I've never experienced anything quite like it."

"How so?"

"The whole thing about not being able to see it unless you're in his or Ellie's company. That's some cool magic and pretty strong."

"Yes, it is. From what the Fae Council person, Lucan, has told me, Eldric's powers are considerable. When he and Ellie link, their powers are increased exponentially. If they had their missing sister join the link they could wield enough power to not only open the doorway to the other realm but establish a permanent passageway for any of our people who wanted to return to that realm."

"Yeah, what's happening with finding their lost sister?"

"Thus far we've had no luck but we will continue to try. I gave Eldric my word and I intend to keep it."

"I'd expect no less. But back to the circus. Is Asha serious about having hair stylists and makeup artists for this thing? I don't know about you, bro, but I like my hair just fine the way it is and makeup is so not my thing."

"Too manly for that, are we?"

"Says the man who growls at a hairbrush."

Augustus smiled and took a long pull from the bottle. "Asha was … let's say she was highly displeased when she discovered we were married in Florida, but true to her nature she saw a way to capitalize on it."

"Oh? Seems to me it put a kink in her plans. The wedding was delayed for almost a month."

"Long enough for Ellie's baby to be born and both of them be fit to travel. At least so Asha thought. Layla spoke with Ellie about it and released her from any obligation."

"So they won't be coming?"

"Not the Marsh family, but Eldric is coming."

"That Alex chick, too?"

"Didn't care for her?"

"No. I mean she's fine, just something peculiar about her."

"Layla says that according to Ellie, Alex can communicate with the dead."

"Interesting."

"It is. Nevertheless, in answer to your question, yes. Layla and I gave her and Eldric a ride to North Carolina when we left Florida and she invited us to meet her family. Another interesting group of humans."

"How so?"

"Cam Marsh's brother, Colton is half Fae and his wife has mixed blood as well. Both have unique abilities. In addition, Alex's blood sister, Teddy, is an empath and practices pyschometry.

"Alex's adopted sister, Mikayla, is a witch and her husband and his brothers all possess mind control abilities and can communicate with animals."

"Looks like the Seven have been mixing it up with humans more than anyone realized. Those abilities had to come from some of us."

"Indeed. However, the point I was taking a circuitous route to is that Layla invited them all to the wedding."

"That girl makes friends easy, doesn't she?"

"Yes she does. However, the only ones attending will be Colton and Memory. She's actually going to photograph the event."

"Memory?"

"Memory Wells. She's quite well-known."

"Well kudos to Ellie for scoring a good photographer."

"Yes, and speaking of making new friends, I hear you've made one."

"Me?"

"Nevaeh Rockwell."

Gabriel smiled, set down his empty bottle, and pulled a fresh beer from the pack. "She's definitely interesting."

"And definitely mixed."

"Say what?"

"Andre brought it to my attention. No one here has been able to breach her mind. She has uncommonly strong shields. And Andre believes she is has temporal abilities."

"Temporal?"

"The ability to control space and time."

"That sounds impressive."

"It is. If it's true."

"It may be. I saw something strange when we first met. She fell into the pool and pulled Layla with her and from where I stood they seemed to …umm, how to explain it? They seemed to fall and pause and then continue to fall."

"And it didn't affect you?"

"No. Well maybe it did a little. Maybe I was too far away or it doesn't affect Angels in the same way. But Andre thinks she's part Wizard?"

"Actually he thinks she may be Wizard or Daemon or a mix of the two."

"Daemon." Gabriel made a face. "Sorry but that word still just rankles me."

Augustus laughed. "Yes, it does have a negative connotation in human vernacular, doesn't it? The word as is used now first appeared in Middle English around 1350, from the Latin
daemonium
and Greek
daimonion
, which actually mean a thing of divine nature."

"As in deity?"

"Yes."

"And does Severin know that?"

"Oh you know he does."Augustus tilted the bottle up to his lips and drank its contents then set it aside.

"That still kinda grosses me out, man." Gabriel grabbed a beer and handed it to Augustus. "Here. And why doesn't he protest at the connotation given to the word Daemon?"

"Because he cares little for the opinions of others. And seriously, Gabriel? After all the years we've been friends?"

"Well that falls into the no-shit category, Captain Obvious. And yes, it still grosses me out. It's blood, dude. Blood.""

Augustus shook his head. "But not blood taken by force or violence."

"Oh you're a bit touchy."

"Trust me, dealing with Asha and keeping Layla from wanting to hire a hit man to kill her is enough to make anyone irascible." He took a long drink of the beer. "And you've done an excellent job of evading the subject I opened."

"What subject?"

"Nevaeh Rockwell."

"Ah, Nevaeh. Heaven-spelled-backwards."

"Pardon?"

"Her name. It's heaven spelled backwards."

"And you're smitten with her."

"Smitten? Bro, your age is really showing."

"Smitten."

"I'm not smitten. Intrigued."

"Smitten. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Says the Vampire who married a human and is about to have more media on his second wedding to the same human than the super bowl."

"Yes, says
that
Vampire."

Gabriel grinned. "Go find your wife and make sure she isn't carving a stake for Asha's heart."

"I told her that wouldn't work."

They both laughed and Augustus stood. "In case I've neglected to say it, thank you for agreeing to go along with all this and stand beside me as my best man."

Gabriel set aside his beer and rose. "A man could do no less for his brother."

Augustus clasped Gabriel's hand in a firm grip. "A man could not ask for a finer brother. Enjoy your evening. I will see you at the rehearsal tomorrow."

"Wouldn't miss it. Rest well."

Gabriel watched Augustus leave and then took to the air, sailing out over the expanse of lawn and then sand to glide over the ocean, watching the play of light from the moon sparkle on the dark water.

Augustus was right. He was a bit smitten with Nevaeh. What puzzled him was his reluctance to act upon the attraction. When it came to women, he was not shy or hesitant. If he could not attract a woman with his looks or personality, he had only to touch her to have her literally falling into his arms.

The trouble was he didn't want to use his Angelic powers on Nevaeh. He wanted her to be interested in him just because of the man he was.

Or Angel, as was the case.

With much to occupy his thoughts, he ascended, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation of the wind ruffling his feathers and cooling his skin.