Bound Angel (Her Angel: Bound Warriors paranormal romance series Book 4)

by Felicity Heaton

  Bound Angel

  Felicity Heaton

  Bound Angel

  Second in command of the most fearsome legion of fallen angels in Hell, Rook only cares about one thing—seizing control of the First Battalion and moving one step closer to the Devil. But a dark angel of Heaven keeps seeking him out, insisting a witch needs his help, and one glance at an image of the ethereal silver-haired beauty stirs powerful emotions long forgotten and rouses a deep need he cannot deny or understand—one that commands him to risk everything and save her.

  Isadora has been a fool. Millennia alone, enduring an eternal life created by the bond she shares with the angel she lost, has taken its toll on her. Desperate to see a familiar face, she followed rumours to Paris and placed her trust in a group of witches, only to be betrayed once again. Now, they want the spell that has made her immortal and she’s close to breaking… until a formidable warrior with crimson wings comes to her rescue, awakening old feelings never forgotten in her shattered heart.

  With the mounting threat of witches and an enemy of old in danger of tearing them apart, can Rook untangle the truth about the past he can’t remember and can Isadora convince her demonic angel the forever he desires is the one he promised her?

  Discover the passionate, possessive and protective warriors of the Her Angel romance series from NYT best-selling paranormal romance author Felicity Heaton as they fight to shield the women they fall in love with from a dark world of demons, angels and vampires.

  OTHER PARANORMAL ROMANCE BOOKS BY FELICITY HEATON

  Stories in the Her Angel: Bound Warriors romance series

  Book 1: Dark Angel

  Book 2: Fallen Angel

  Book 3: Warrior Angel

  Book 4: Bound Angel

  Stories in the Cougar Creek Mates romance series

  Book 1: Claimed by her Cougar

  Book 2: Captured by her Cougar

  Book 3: Courted by her Cougar

  Book 4: Craved by her Cougar

  Stories in the Eternal Mates romance series

  Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince

  Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King

  Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince

  Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar

  Book 5: Craved by an Alpha

  Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat

  Book 7: Taken by a Dragon

  Book 8: Marked by an Assassin

  Book 9: Possessed by a Dark Warrior

  Book 10: Awakened by a Demoness

  Book 11: Haunted by the King of Death

  Book 12: Turned by a Tiger

  Book 13: Tamed by a Tiger

  Book 14: Treasured by a Tiger

  Book 15: Unchained by a Forbidden Love

  Stories in the Guardians of Hades romance series

  Book 1: Ares

  Book 2: Valen

  Book 3: Esher

  Stories in the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series

  Book 1: Covet

  Book 2: Crave

  Book 3: Seduce

  Book 4: Enslave

  Book 5: Bewitch

  Book 6: Unleash

  Stories in the Vampires Realm romance series

  Book 1: Prophecy: Child of Light

  Book 2: Prophecy: Caelestis & Aurorea

  Book 3: Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising

  Book 3.1: Spellbound

  Book 3.5: Reunion

  Book 4: Seventh Circle

  Book 5: Winter's Kiss

  Book 6: Hunter's Moon

  Book 7: Masquerade

  Book 8: Hunger

  Books 1-3 are also available in one anthology ebook: Prophecy Trilogy

  Stories in the In Heat romance series

  Book 1: In Heat

  Book 2: In Heat: Mating Call

  Discover more available paranormal romance books at: http://www.felicityheaton.com

  Or sign up to Felicity's mailing list to learn about new titles, be eligible for special subscriber-only giveaways, and read exclusive content including free paranormal romance ebooks: http://ml.felicityheaton.com/mailinglist

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  About the Author

  Paranormal Romance Books by Felicity Heaton

  Copyright

  CHAPTER 1

  The angel was back.

  Rook stood on the precipice of a spire of black rock, staring at the shadowy horizon in the direction of the Devil’s fortress, not seeing its spiky towers. Not seeing the cragged lands around him that shimmered in the heat. Not seeing the fiery rivers that forked like lightning across the obsidian earth below him, illuminating the endless cavern of Hell.

  Not seeing anything.

  His gaze was turned inwards, focused on the strange sensation that swirled inside him whenever the angel entered Hell and dared to leave the plateau overlooking the bottomless pit.

  Rook had noticed it during their second encounter, when he had spotted the black-haired and onyx-winged angel scouting lands he had no right surveying.

  It was one thing for Heaven to have a contingent of angels posted on the plateau, where a silvery pool recorded the history of the mortal realm.

  It was another thing entirely for one of his foul breed to leave that place and fly where he didn’t belong, trampling all over the Devil’s territory.

  Three times since then, Rook had dispatched the First Battalion to drive the male back.

  Three times since then, the angel had gone quietly, retreating not just to the plateau but to a portal he could open between Hell and the mortal realm.

  Which meant he was powerful.

  Was that the reason Rook could sense him?

  His eyes slipped shut and he inhaled slowly, filled his lungs with the sweet air of Hell and exhaled it all again, centring himself at the same time. The sensation grew stronger, swirled more violently inside him. Not in his gut, but behind the breastplate of his scarlet-edged black armour.

  As he focused on it, it grew stronger still, setting him on edge. He shunned the unsettling emotion, refusing to let the angel rattle him again.

  The last time the angel had entered Hell, Rook’s commander had been busy. Rook had led the men in his stead, flying to meet the angel head on, determined to drive the angel out of Hell.

  Determined to prove himself worthy of his position in the First Battalion, both to his commander and to the Devil.

  There were rumours the commander was falling out of favour. Rook was damned if another would take his place as leader of the First Battalion when he had spent centuries working towards seizing control of the elite legion.

  When he had found the intruder, the male had dared to address him directly and calmly despite the threat of facing a hundred of Hell’s most powerful angels.

  He had mentioned a witch and something about helping her.

  It had given Rook pause, and that had left him cold, and furious. He had driven the angel out of Hell, pursuing him right to the plateau to ensure he left, because no creature of Heaven could sway him from his path.

  The fiend had been trying to lure him from Hell. Rook was sure of it.

  He just was
n’t sure why the male wanted him to leave the realm of shadows and fire that was his home, his entire world.

  His left hand fell to the red-edged obsidian vambrace that protected his right forearm and he clutched it as a different feeling rolled through him, one he despised. It always left him off balance, filling him with uncertainty—both about himself and the realm he loved so much.

  He focused to purge the sensation before it took hold. If he let it seize him, questions would flood his mind, slipping through his fingers like smoke, fleeing before they had even fully formed. He needed his mind in the present and sharp as a blade with the angel in his territory. He couldn’t allow the tangled flow of questions and indistinct thoughts to strip him of his awareness today, weakening him.

  The angel was coming.

  To lure him through the portal into the mortal realm? For what purpose?

  To kill him?

  It wouldn’t be the first time that an angel of Heaven had lured one serving the Devil away from this realm to kill them, forcing them to return to Heaven.

  Rook had no interest in dying, so he wasn’t interested in the angel or anything he had to say.

  The bastard was persistent though.

  He had returned quicker this time, and seemed to be heading swiftly in Rook’s direction, as if he knew where he stood.

  Impossible.

  Hell was vast, blurred into shadows as far as the eye could see, no matter how far he flew. It was filled with angels like him too, ones who served the Devil, and countless demons. It shouldn’t be possible for the male to single him out in the web of signatures.

  Yet when Rook opened his eyes, a speck formed on the horizon, a glint of gold in a sea of red and black.

  He rolled his head, stretching his neck, and flexed his fingers as he lowered his hands to his hips. He rested his left hand on the black hilt of the scarlet blade hanging at his waist and extended his crimson wings. His gaze darted to them and he swiftly checked his feathers were lined up perfectly and his wings were ready for when he needed them. He casually furled them against his back as the angel drew closer, so they brushed the pointed slats of armour that protected his hips and the backs of his greaves.

  His heart beat harder, muscles coiling beneath his skin as he waited.

  Waited.

  For a moment, it looked as if the angel would fly straight past him and then he diverted course, banking to his right and descending towards a flat section of the hill that rose to Rook’s left.

  The male landed gracefully, neatened his ponytail with a steady hand, and gave a few more beats of his onyx wings before allowing them to settle against his back. He turned towards Rook, lifted his head and pinned him with bright blue eyes that glowed against the darkness of Hell.

  Rook refused to move from his spire of rock.

  He glared down at the male, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. “Not learned your lesson yet?”

  The male regarded him silently, no trace of emotion crossing his features.

  Rook growled through his fangs at him as all of his teeth sharpened and turned crimson in response to the anger that blazed in his veins.

  The angel was trespassing, should at least have the decency to harbour even the smallest flicker of fear or doubt in his eyes. The way the angel treated Hell as if he was allowed to roam it freely, without consequence, had riled Rook the moment he had met him centuries ago. It had only irritated him more each time he had seen the angel after that.

  Coupled with the fact this angel seemed able to withstand the Devil’s voice, even went as far as challenging his master at times, throwing curses back at him, the male really pissed him off.

  Rook rolled his shoulders and didn’t hold back the rage pouring through his veins. He let it flow over him and carry him away, stoked it as he narrowed his now-crimson eyes on the male. The angel dared to stand before him, to linger in his presence without fear. Worse than that, he dared to do it unarmed.

  The bastard was taunting him.

  Rook wasn’t going to stand for it.

  The male thought himself powerful, believed himself able to handle Rook without a weapon to aid him.

  Rook would show him what a mistake all his beliefs were.

  His bones lengthened as hunger to eradicate the angel that had become his nemesis rolled through him, born of a desire to return his focus to claiming command of the First Battalion. A shadow swept over his skin, turning it black, and he growled through his all-sharp teeth. The angel appeared to move further away as Rook continued to grow, shifting into his demonic form.

  As the crimson rolled down Rook’s feathers like blood to drip from their tips, leaving them onyx, the angel reacted at last.

  A flicker of something that looked like remorse danced across his blue eyes as they shifted to Rook’s wings, as he watched the feathers fall away to reveal the dark dragon-like form they concealed.

  Rook spread those wings and bared his teeth at the male as he drew the weapon hanging from his waist. It transformed as he swept his hand over it, going from a short crimson blade to a mighty broadsword, one capable of cleaving the angel in two with a single stroke.

  The angel’s eyes leaped to it as Rook wrapped his other hand around the elongated hilt and brought it down before him, a pounding urge to relieve the angel of his head rushing through him.

  That remorse lingered in their blue depths.

  Rook snarled again.

  Fear should be the only emotion the angel was feeling. Sheer terror that his life was about to end now that Rook stood before him in his demonic guise, a form that granted him more power than he commanded in his angelic one.

  When another emotion joined the remorse in the angel’s eyes, Rook launched from the spire of rock with such force it shattered. A sound like the crack of lightning echoed around Hell as he shot towards the angel, determined to end him.

  Because no one pitied him.

  He was strong. He beat his wings. He had worked his way through the ranks of the Devil’s angels. He beat them harder. He had commanded the Second Battalion, led them in wars against Heaven and in the mortal world. He beat them harder still. He was second in command in the First Battalion, close to his goal of leading the most fearsome legion in Hell.

  He drew his sword back, his gaze focused on his target.

  He would prove it to this angel. Right here and right now.

  The last feelings the male would know were pity and remorse for questioning his strength.

  He swung hard, his aim true, and grinned as his blade closed in on the angel’s throat.

  “Rook.”

  That word, uttered in a calm way that was such a contrast to the maelstrom of emotion whirling inside him, halted him in the air as surely as a sword through his heart might have. He stared down at his chest, sure he would find a blade piercing it as pain rolled outwards from the centre of it, had his hands trembling and broadsword rattling just inches from the angel.

  “What the fuck?” he snarled and beat his wings, shot backwards to regroup and get the sudden flood of feelings that poured through him under control.

  They swirled and collided, all of them birthed by hearing this angel utter his name. He understood none of them, not where they came from or what they meant, couldn’t untangle the web of them no matter how hard he tried.

  Rook swept his blade down by his side and growled as he realised the angel was playing him for a fool. It was all a trick. An elaborate one. The bastard wanted to lure him into a trap. How many others like Rook had this angel killed and returned to Heaven, taking their free will from them?

  He served the Devil because he wanted to serve him.

  This realm was his home, his entire world.

  The hilt of his sword clanked against his armour as he instinctively reached for his forearm in response to that and the niggling sensation that something else had been his entire world once.

  Heaven?

  He shunned that thought. Even if somewhere else had been his en
tire world once, Hell was that place for him now. Nothing would change that.

  “I know you.” The angel took a step towards him, the fires of Hell reflecting off the gold edges of his black armour that moulded to his upper chest, forearms and shins, and the pointed strips that protected his hips. “I know you, Rook. It was long ago, many centuries now. I thought you dead… foolish, I see that now. Or perhaps you did die… a part of you died and it led to you serving this place.”

  Rook spread his wings and beat them again, not to move away from the angel but to hold a position in the air above him. He wouldn’t run from this male, wouldn’t allow his poisonous words to taint his heart and dissolve his strength. They were all lies, designed to weaken him.

  “Any angel could discover my name,” he spat and narrowed his crimson eyes on the male. “Don’t think yourself clever in your approach to attempting to be my downfall.”

  “Downfall?” The male’s lips curled slightly, a rueful edge to his smile. “Your downfall is not me, and it is not now. It happened all those centuries ago… the night you chose to serve this wretched realm.”

  Rook growled at that, flashing his fangs. “You know nothing of me… your realm is the wretched one, and your kind are foul fiends, determined to place my kind in Heaven’s shackles again.”

  “I do not want to kill you, Rook.” The male shook his head, a slight frown furrowing his brow. “It would defeat the purpose of my being here.”

  There was a glimmer of something in the male’s blue eyes that said he had considered killing him at one point though. For what reason? And why hadn’t he gone through with that plan?

  “Why are you here then?” Rook let his demonic form fade away to conserve his strength. It was taxing to use it, wore him out even when he was in Hell, a place that was his home. His entire world. His fingers twitched with a need he suppressed. “If not to taunt me and lure me somewhere you can murder me?”