“A penny for your thoughts, Damian,” Nathaniel said.
I glared at him. “A favor.”
Nathaniel gave me an inquisitive look.
“You owe me nothing, but I ask one thing of you, brother. Protect her. No matter what happens.”
“Have you learned nothing in your time on Earth?” He smiled. “The angels do not meddle in the affairs of mortals. A canon you should have heeded.”
I bit back my anger, focusing on the pain in my chest, as we approached a large room lit by hanging braziers.
The Assembly.
Memories bombarded me as I stepped into the circular space. The assembly of Watchers sat on the tiered benches that encircled the room.
Nathaniel veered left, and I strode to the podium in the center. I knew the trial protocol. Questions, judgement, and atonement. This would all be over soon if they met my conditions.
“Damian Malek. Once one of us, now a criminal. We are pleased that you have returned to make amends for your crimes,” an archangel to my right said.
Kushiel. Of course.
“I didn’t come here to atone for my sins. I came here as part of a deal.” I cast a cold glance at Nathaniel, who nodded.
“So we have been told.” Kushiel’s long, dark hair draped around his face, and his eyes blazed with wrath. “We have deliberated and come to a decision.”
It had better be the fucking right decision, or I would unleash hellfire on these pompous bastards.
“The Order of Angels agrees to assist in the battle against Matthias and his legion on two conditions,” the archangel said. “First, you will swear an oath of fealty to the Watchers.
An oath of fealty meant they wouldn’t kill me. That was something, at least.
The second condition could mean only one thing—I’d be stripped of everything.
“Secondly, you must accept the punishment that we have decided appropriate for your crimes.” Kushiel circled the room slowly. “You will forfeit your angelic powers. If you agree to both conditions, we will align with you.”
My heart stilled as the air left my lungs. I’d assumed they’d strip all of my magic, but the notion of losing only my angelic half was gut wrenching. Even tainted by my fall and by my rage, it was the better half, after all.
“Can you take my FireSoul magic?” It was worth a shot.
Murmurs echoed through the room, and Kushiel smiled broadly. “That is not the agreement. You have rejected the righteous path of the angels. You must relinquish those powers.”
Could I live without my dark angel magic? My innate healing. My wings. Forever earthbound. My dragon roared in my chest and flames arced around me, eliciting several gasps from the angels.
If it meant that Neve would live a life of freedom, I’d give up everything. “I agree to your conditions. But Matthias is mine, I will deal with him.”
Kushiel leaned forward. “Matthias is ours to judge and to punish. We fought him when you were his ally. He will endure our justice. That is non-negotiable.”
I nodded. Vengeance did not matter. My magic did not matter. My life did not matter.
The only thing that mattered was protecting Neve from him.
I would have accepted any deal they offered.
A parchment and pen materialized on the podium. Gold script outlined the oath of allegiance to the Order of Angels. The irony tore at me as I picked up the pen and paused, recalling the years I’d spent at war, only to align with them with a few strokes of a pen. It was infuriating, and I grimaced at the thought of the gods laughing.
But I had a dead hand, and it was time to fold.
I signed the oath, and both it and the pen vanished in a twist of smoke.
Kushiel spread his arms wide and smiled. “In the years that I’ve known you, Damian, I never thought it would come to this. I must say how delightful it is to be surprised, even if it is once a millennium.”
He gestured to the seated angels around us, and they stood in unison. A silence fell over the room, and Nathaniel appeared at my side. “Brace yourself, brother.”
The djinn had stripped me of my FireSoul magic, if only for a time. The pain had been unbearable.
It didn’t matter.
Stepping away from the podium, I took position in the center of the room, forcing the tension from my body.
Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved a box with the necklace—a golden starburst pendant on a chain. I hadn’t worn it since my fall, but I’d kept it for some reason. Now that I was giving up my dark angel, it seemed silly to keep such a token. “I give up my angel.”
I tossed the box to Nathaniel, who caught it and peered inside. He met my gaze and nodded solemnly.
I closed my eyes as a rising cacophony of bells filled the room. The sound wrapped around me, vibrating in my bones and piercing my ears as it grew to excruciating decibels.
And then it stopped.
I opened my eyes. The angels began filing out of the room, one after the other, until it was just Nathaniel and me.
I turned to the angel. “I don’t understand. Why have they left?”
“It is done, Damian. You’ve atoned and are now free to go,” he said.
Confusion pulled at the corners of my mind. I summoned my wings, but nothing happened. Turning inward, I searched for the dark angel that certainly still had to be there because…I’d felt nothing. But it was gone, too. Only a deep, oppressive hollow remained.
Sorrow sunk into my bones. I was a mere mortal now. Bound to the Earth and subject to its laws.
“You were expecting a more dramatic transformation? Often, the greatest changes are subtle. Silent. We do not even notice them. I am sure you have no idea how much you have changed since we last stood, face to face, so long ago.”
I nodded, stunned.
“As to our part of the bargain, we will help you close the gateway to hell in the Realm of Chaos. You have a way in?” Nathaniel asked.
I flexed my fist, the absence of my dark angel magic so strange. “Yes. We have access through a teleportation circle in his tower. We should use small teams and move fast. Take out Matthias. Destroy the gateway.”
“And when can you be ready to strike?”
“Give us till dawn. Chicago time.”
We clasped arms. “Agreed. I’ll pull together a team of angels. You had better get back to your djinn. She is waiting and wracked with worry.”
At the mention of her, the dragon thundered in my chest, louder than ever before, and flames erupted around me. Acid burned my throat. I couldn’t be around her. My cravings were now unchecked, and I might not be able to curb them. “I need you to do something for me, Nathaniel. And don’t fucking tell me you can’t.”
The angel’s eyes glimmered as he pulled back from the flames.
“I beg you now, as an ally of the Watchers. Protect Neve. You’ve taken the only part of me that has kept my cravings for her magic in check. I’m only a FireSoul now. A monster, and I...“ The words stung as they came out because they were the truth. “I will kill her.”
Nathaniel shook his head. “I very much doubt that.”
Flames flicked up my arms as frost formed on my clenched fists. “You have no idea the strength it takes to master the dragon within me. It’s ravenous. Its lust for power cannot be quenched. The things I’ve done… there’s a reason FireSouls are hunted. They are murderers and thieves. Eventually, inevitably, I will succumb to my craving for her magic.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Is power what you crave?”
“Yes. Since the dawn of my life.”
He studied my face, long and hard. “I think not.”
“It’s true. A deafening roar of desire is in my soul. I have killed for it before.”
Nathaniel drew close “And do you desire to kill me and seize my power?”
“No.”
He chuckled. “You are, more than any man I know, a prisoner of your past. And a fool, Damian. You’ve become so accustomed to lying, that I fear you ca
n no longer see the truth, even when it is so glaringly obvious.”
I ground my teeth and growled. “And what truth is that?”
The angel stared at me blankly. “You do not crave power. Fates, you willingly gave up your angel—the most powerful part of you—to protect Nevaeh. You do not crave magic. You crave her. It is as clear as day.”
The candlelit hall slanted, and I careened into the wall as nausea rolled over me. “That can’t be.”
My dragon roared.
“If you only craved her power, then you would have killed her long ago. Yet, you’ve fallen on your knees before your enemies. You’ve given up your magic. You’ve fought for her, every step of the way. Tell me, when have you done that for anyone?”
It wasn’t possible.
I had slain the efreet for its powers.
But only to protect her.
I had ripped the soul from an ice devil.
To protect her.
I dragged a hand through my hair and focused on the woman who left me so conflicted. The dragon surged within, and emotion tore through me. Protectiveness, admiration, desire.
Gods. I had fallen for her.
“Take some time to consider this, but not too long. The girl is waiting.” Nathaniel’s eyes glinted and he turned, leaving me. “We’ll meet you in Magic Side at dawn.”
With that, the angel disappeared, leaving me alone with the dragon, who desired only one thing in the world.
20
Neve
The wind sang through the valley below, and fiery pink hues streaked the sky.
Where the heck was Damian?
I released my breath as I paced outside the church. It had been too claustrophobic inside, and I needed fresh air to get control over my emotions. I’d decided to wait calmly for thirty minutes, but then when the two angels didn’t show, my temper flared, and I’d almost blown the basilica down.
That certainly wouldn’t have put me on good terms with the gods or the angels, I snickered.
Screw them.
It had now been an hour since Damian had left with that smug angel, Nathaniel. Bastard. I should have demanded that they take me with. What if he were in trouble or worse?
My heart sank, and I grasped my chest.
No. Damian knew what he was doing. He wouldn’t be so stupid as to put his life in danger.
I shivered against the cool dawn air. Shit. How long was I supposed to wait, and what if he didn’t return? I could planes-walk back home again, so at least I wasn’t stuck. But I couldn’t leave Damian. I wouldn’t.
A gust tousled my hair, and goosebumps prickled my skin. I swore I detected the faintest traces of pine, sandalwood, and…
My breath hitched, and I ran to the church’s entrance.
Damian stood on the front step, bathed in a brilliant glow I’d never seen around him before. Like he’d been…reborn.
Shaking the thought from my mind, I ran toward him and launched into his arms. He pulled me close, and as I wrapped my legs around him, all the world’s troubles dimmed. “What took you so long?” I whispered.
“Making deals with the angels. They agreed to help.” He brushed his cheek against mine, and my body quaked with need.
Pulling myself back, I looked up into his forest green eyes. Something about him had changed. The shadows were gone, and he seemed at ease. “What’s happened? You’re…different. What did they do to you?”
He traced his thumb along the line of my jaw. “They made me see clearly for the first time in a long while.”
The shield he’d erected against the world was gone. It was like I was seeing the real Damian for the first time. He was radiant, gorgeous.
His fingers wound into my hair as he dragged his gaze to my lips. Heat burned through me, and I pulled his mouth to me. His tongue parted my lips, sweeping across mine.
White hot desire cascaded through me, and more than anything in the world, I needed him, around me, on me, in me.
Squeezing my ankles together, I pushed against him, feeling the heat rise between us. Resting his hand on my jaw, he pulled his lips away. “Not here. Let me take you somewhere.”
My chest heaved as I sucked in air and nodded. Gods, I didn’t care where we were as long as this happened.
The ether swirled around us. Damian was planes-walking us, but where? I pressed my face into his chest as the cosmos spun. Flames washed over me, and then the spinning stopped.
Damian set me down.
We stood on a steep cliff overlooking the sea, surrounded by tall trees that disappeared into the fog. I could taste the salt spray and smell the ancient pines that pressed close. The air was damp, as if rain were about to fall.
The misty forest was silent—except for the gentle crashing of the waves and the soft cry of gulls.
I stepped back from the precipice. “Where are we?”
“My cabin. A retreat from the city.”
Something about this place strangely felt like home. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scents and sounds. “This place is you. It feels like you.”
Damian smiled and brushed the hair from my face. “Funny. Something about it makes me think of you. I’ve been wanting to bring you here for a while. But there’s been no time. The world’s always been—”
I place my fingers to his mouth. “We have time now. For a second, the world doesn’t matter. Don’t spoil the moment.”
He took my hand and pulled me toward a large cabin nestled in the trees. “I wouldn’t dare.”
We slipped through the door into the dark cabin. With a quick wave of his hand, a fireplace and a dozen candles burst to life. I drew my gaze over the white sheepskin rug in front of the fire, settling my eyes on the wooden sleigh bed.
I smiled. “You’re just full of surprises, Mr. Malek.”
“No more surprises, Miss Cross.” He closed the distance between us, his gaze burning into mine. “From now on, you’ll know all my secrets.”
Heat returned, chasing away the cold. My legs quaked as he cupped the back of my head and lowered his mouth to mine. Before his lips landed, he paused.
“What changed?” My words were barely audible, as I struggled to stand. “You’re no longer afraid to be close.”
“I finally realized what my dragon was trying to tell me all along. You are my treasure and always have been. The one thing my soul couldn’t live without.”
His voice was like honey, and my heart ached at his words. If I hadn’t been dizzy with desire, I might have worried that it would explode. I licked my lips, and his eyes followed the movement. “What are you waiting for then?”
“I plan on taking my time with you, Miss Cross.” He traced his thumb over my lips and smiled.
My heartbeat thundered in my chest, and my whole body ached to make contact with his. Gods, I didn’t know how much longer I could wait—
And then he pressed his mouth to mine. Our arms wound around each other and our bodies became one as we kissed like this would be our last.
Because it could very well be.
Every movement of his hands, every tug of his mouth was overshadowed by one truth—that there might be no coming back from the battle ahead. That this might be my last moment of freedom.
But none of that mattered, because all that I wanted and all that I needed was Damian. And finally, I had him.
My back crashed into a wall. I pulled my lips from his and yanked my sweater off. He planted his palms behind me, and flames danced in his eyes as he drew his gaze down my body.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
Grabbing the hem of his shirt, I drew it over his head. He was beautiful. I traced the outlines of his muscles, dragging my fingers slowly down to the top of his pants.
His heart pounded beneath my touch, and his pupils flared with desire as he unbuttoned my jeans and dragged them down. He planted light kisses along my neck, and I gasped as his fingers slid down my side, leaving a trail of goosebumps.
Slipping his hand under my pantie
s, we both moaned when his fingers found my center. Pleasure mounted as he worked my heat, and I rocked my hips against his hand, desperate for the release. It wouldn’t take long. He touched me like he knew my every need.
My head tilted back, and my legs gave way as pleasure rippled through me.
I collapsed into Damian’s arms, and he kissed me softly.
I traced his arm with my fingers, wanting to savor the moment—but I had words that needed to be said. Pushing back in his arms, I met his eyes. “After we defeat Matthias, I want you to stay. With me.”
Damian smiled and kissed my neck, burying his face in my hair. He whispered softly, “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be by your side if you want me.”
My heart felt like it was going to climb out of my chest. I pulled him close. “I do want you.”
He kissed me again and lifted me up, his hardness pressing against me. Desire pooled in my center as I wrapped my legs around his waist. Feeling the slickness between my thighs, I ground my hips into him. “I want you Damian, all of you, right now.”
He growled and carried me over to the sheepskin rug beside the fireplace. Gently lowering me onto the soft fur, he kissed my chest, then dragged his mouth down my stomach, grazing my skin with his teeth. Shudders racked my body when his mouth found the apex of my thighs. My back arched, and I panted, trying to draw in air. Desire grew but I wanted—needed—more.
“Damian, please,” I pulled him away before it went too far and fumbled with the button on his pants. “I’m clean and on birth control, and I need all of you.”
His eyes flashed with primal desire, and he quickly removed his pants. I could barely control my breathing. I gave myself one moment to trail my eyes down his gorgeous body, and then I pulled him down on top of me. He slowly buried himself into me, and I screamed at the tightness and pleasure of it.
Pure bliss like I’d never felt before blossomed as we melded into one another, desperate to remove any distance that had once separated us. Before I lost it, I rolled him onto his back and climbed on top. We breathed as one, and it didn’t take long to find the perfect rhythm.
As we moved together, our signatures and souls entwined, and everything around us faded away. Desire grew and before I knew it, he pushed me over the brink of ecstasy. I quaked as pleasure pulsed through me, and after the cascade had left my body, I slid off him and lay at his side.
Broken Skies (Dragon's Gift: The Storm Book 4) Page 13
