No way was he returning to his villa until he’d been well and truly laid. He might be able to look at Aurora, then, without wanting to shove her against the nearest wall and fuck her senseless.
He’d left his own damn island to get away from her, intending to spend a couple of hours with fellow archangel, Zadkiel. But somehow, he’d ended up telling Zad about the encounter with the Guardians.
Not that Zad had been interested in that. But he’d been way too interested in the fact Gabe had saved a human female.
So he’d brought forward his plan to go visit Eblis. At least with the demon he wouldn’t have the suicidal urge to tell him about Aurora.
“Both.”
“Spill.”
“Heard of any minors from the Andromeda Galaxy being traded recently?”
Their drinks arrived, the sizzling alcohol so potent one sniff of its fumes was enough to send weak-minded mortals comatose. Still not as strong as the brain rot Mephisto had produced earlier, though.
Eblis drained half his tankard before smashing it onto the table.
“None of these Sextans bastards can reach Andromeda, Gabe. They can’t get anywhere without their crazy little spaceships. You know that. They couldn’t even get to the Milky Way and that’s their closest neighbor.”
“You get occasional traders who can cross galaxies.” He paused for effect. “Foreign captives always ratchet up the price.”
Eblis didn’t argue. They both knew that mortals who originated outside the Sextans Galaxy were smuggled in by the unscrupulous who weren’t restricted to spaceship travel. They were descendants of immortals, who had inherited their ancestors’ ability of interstellar teleportation.
“Details?”
Gabe showed him an image of Evalyne.
“She’s a native of Medana.” He placed a small star map globe on the table and opened the holographic image of the Beta Spiral of Andromeda. Medana was an insignificant little planet hidden within an obscure solar system. He didn’t expect the demon to know the place offhand.
Eblis shifted, his feathers ruffling in a nonexistent breeze, and Gabe zoomed in further, suns and moons shooting by until the six-planet solar system of Evalyne’s birth hovered above the table.
“I recognize this system.” Eblis raised an eyebrow and glanced through the planet at Gabe. “Saw some pirates from Namtar in the Fornax Galaxy plotting the chart about three months ago.”
The Fornax Galaxy, where demons had fled to millennia ago, seethed with a dark underbelly of pirates. If they’d expanded their operations into Andromeda, it was more than a single child at risk.
It could lead to intergalactic war.
Chapter 9
Mephisto
Mephisto teleported directly outside Gabe’s villa. Aside from Gabe, he was one of only three archangels who could cross the island’s fucked-up energy field, which was a big advantage right now, when he wanted to see for himself what the hell was going on.
Half an hour ago, Zad had contacted him to let him know that Gabe had rescued a human from the Guardians’ clutches. Meph was under no illusion how furious Gabe would be if he ever discovered Zad had done such a thing, but that was tough.
When it came to the Guardians and Gabe, there were no secrets between Zad and Mephisto.
It was ironic that the reason Mephisto had missed Gabe’s reckless gesture, and therefore been unable to stop him, was because he’d had to attend the centennial meeting with the Guardian elite. It was mind-numbing in the extreme but essential in order to ratify the terms of peace between all sentient beings in the universe—and the Guardians.
It was also off the record. Not even his fellow archangels knew of his diplomatic ties with the Guardians, and that was how he wanted it to stay. The treaty had been hammered out eons before he’d been created, and a lot of the clauses were morally repugnant. But at least they served to muzzle the Guardians’ otherwise insatiable urge to annihilate all forms of existence that didn’t conform to their own.
A small price to pay in the scheme of things.
And Gabe had fucking risked everything.
He peered through the window into the living room. Dawn had broken, and he could easily see Aurora huddled on one of the chairs. She was asleep.
And what the fuck was she wearing? One of Gabe’s shirts?
When he’d taunted Gabe about getting laid by a human from Earth, this was not what he’d had in mind.
He rapped on the window, and for good measure he also unfurled his wings. Nothing wrong in causing her to gibber with fright, considering she was the reason he had yet another mess to clear up.
He should have wiped her mind of her obsession two years ago. Mess averted. That knowledge didn’t improve his mood.
Her eyes flew open, and she gripped the arms of the chair as she caught sight of him. For endless seconds their gazes meshed. Why isn’t she writhing on the floor in terror?
He undulated his wings, well aware of the effect the rising sun would have on his magnificent feathers. Aurora didn’t even twitch.
Reluctant fascination raked through him. She’d always interested him, but only because of her intriguing ideas. This was different. He’d never met a mortal who hadn’t fallen to their knees, even if merely metaphorically, at the first sight of him.
He could almost understand why Gabe had brought her here.
Irrelevant. To maintain peace in the universe, she couldn’t stay here, hidden from the Guardians’ view.
Since it appeared she had no intention of opening the door for him, he did it himself with a telekinetic flourish, before strolling into the room.
“Hello, Aurora,” he said and gave her a smile guaranteed to send most primitives into traumatic shock. It didn’t appear to affect her in the slightest. Why not? It was a shame he hadn’t discovered this fascinating aspect about her two years ago. “Driven your lord and master away already, have you?”
She didn’t rise to his bait. Maybe he’d overestimated her, and his appearance had liquified her mind. That wouldn’t go down well with Gabe. Even though he couldn’t keep his pet, there were ways and means of obtaining that outcome that wouldn’t piss Gabe off.
There was only one way to discover if he’d irreversibly damaged her, and he grazed the edge of her mind.
White hot acid speared into his brain, and he mentally reeled. What in the name of the holy fucking goddess was that?
“Get the fuck out of my head.” She accompanied her tirade by practically leaping from the chair and taking a step toward him. He couldn’t figure out whether he was enraged or entranced by her performance. “Who are you? One of Gabe’s minions?”
Her entertainment value nosedived. He relished seeing her reaction when Gabe learned the truth about her.
Zad had told him Gabe was on his way to visit Eblis on Eta Hyperium. There were only two reasons why anyone would willingly go to that shitty little planet, and since Gabe abhorred Eblis’ trade, that left the other option that the demon was an expert in procuring.
Very dirty sex.
Despite breaking one of the fundamental protocols that held the universe together, obviously the sex with Aurora hadn’t been worth it. The thought amused him, and he offered her a soul scorching grin.
“Gabe wants to see you.”
* * *
Aurora
Don’t panic.
Aurora didn’t drop her gaze from the winged stranger, even though his black eyes sent shivers racing along her spine. It was just as well she’d discovered that picture of Gabe. Otherwise those feathers would’ve totally freaked her out.
Concentrate. No way was she going to fall apart. Pretend the wings aren’t there. “You haven’t told me your name.”
“You may address me as Lord Mephisto.”
Wait. Mephisto? Gabe had mentioned that name. At least that meant they knew each other.
It didn’t help settle her nerves.
“And Gabe sent you here to take me to him? Why didn’t he come back himself?” It wasn’t lik
e he had to handle rush hour on the M25, was it?
“I can take you to him,” Mephisto said. “But I’m not discussing it. Yes or no?”
Gabe had told her nothing could breach his island without his permission. Which meant Mephisto must be acting under Gabe’s authority. And although she was still mad he’d vanished mid-conversation, she knew he’d never do anything to put her in danger.
She didn’t trust Mephisto, but she trusted Gabe. “All right, then.”
Mephisto didn’t look impressed by her response, but if he imagined she was going to call him Lord, well. He was going to have a very long wait.
He bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile. “You need to change. You’ll stand out like a virgin sacrifice where we’re going.” And with that, an outfit materialized at her feet.
Aurora eyed her reflection in Gabe’s bathroom mirrors. I’m not wearing this. Mephisto was obviously depraved. She wasn’t even sure why she’d put the outfit on, except she’d had the faint hope it wouldn’t be as terrible as it looked.
It was.
She didn’t have a problem with the six-inch stilettos or fishnet tights. The crotchless knickers might have been exciting under other circumstances, but at least the lurid red leather micro-mini skirt covered her assets. Just.
It was the scrap of leather that was supposed to pass as a bra, but had strategic slashes that showed off her nipples, that was the deal breaker. There was no way she was leaving the villa in this.
She pulled it off and found her underwear from the previous day. And then put Gabe’s shirt back on.
He was standing in Gabe’s bedroom as she left the bathroom, and the glint in his eyes suggested he knew exactly what she’d done. She resisted the overwhelming urge to cross her arms. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he unnerved her.
“Come here.” He spread open one wing, and it took every shred of courage to walk toward him instead of running back to the bathroom. He wrapped his wing around her, engulfing her in darkness, and she stiffened in shock as softness and strength and unimaginable power thrummed through every feather. Archangel’s wings …
His arm snaked around her in a crushing grip, and then she couldn’t think anymore as her atoms exploded.
Instantaneously, her feet landed on solid ground. It took a second for her stomach to catch up. She kept her eyes screwed shut. I just teleported.
It wasn’t the first time she’d done this. The only difference being, she hadn’t known when she’d teleported with Gabe.
She forced open her eyes and tried to pull back from Mephisto. He didn’t get the hint. His arm was an iron band around her waist and his wing encased her. She couldn’t see anything but his moonlight-streaked, midnight feathers.
Slowly his wing slid down her body, sending shudders over her skin. A horrible realization hit her, and she flattened her hand against her chest, just to confirm her worst fears. “What did you do with the shirt?”
And my necklace. She dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand and took a couple of long, shuddering breaths.
His hand splayed across her naked stomach. Like he owned her. “Be grateful I allowed you to keep the leather on for daring to disobey me.”
“Where’s my necklace?” She hoped he couldn’t hear the rising panic in her voice. It was bad enough he’d made the shirt vanish and the disgusting bra appear, but even that faded beside the possibility he’d lost her beloved necklace.
“Didn’t go with the look, babe.” He sounded both bored and amused, and his wing glided lower, still concealing her breasts but curling around her thighs in blatant possession.
Part of her wanted to shove him away, maybe knee him in the nuts for good measure. Except he was built like a mountain, and she was under no illusion that anything she might do to him would have any effect. And while she hated the way he was holding her, at least he was concealing her nearly naked body from view.
She gritted her teeth and chanced a quick glance at their surroundings. It was dark, and strange incenses prickled her nose. Could be a club.
As Mephisto strolled forward, the crowd parted before him. Nerves spiked low in her stomach as some of the patrons glanced her way.
A human with strange, reptilian eyes and iridescent amphibian skin embraced a luminous haired creature with glowing, red flesh.
Humans? Really? But what else would they be? Anyone who had the kind of wealth that allowed them to go to the same clubs as winged beings, could obviously afford to pay for any kind of body modification they wanted.
She wasn’t going to think it. This club isn’t full of aliens.
And then Mephisto spoke. “Hey, Gabe.”
Relief rushed through her in a torrent. She’d had a terrifying moment when she’d wondered if Mephisto had lied to her. That he hadn’t brought her here to meet Gabe at all.
Thank god she was wrong. And then she saw him, sprawled on a sofa, completely ignoring her predicament as he focused on a couple of near-naked, snake-skinned women who were gyrating on a table in front of him.
Well, that was just great.
Chapter 10
Gabe
What the hell was Mephisto doing here? He and Eblis loathed each other, and it had everything to do with the fact he was the first archangel their goddess had created after rejecting her flawed first children.
The demons.
He glanced at Eblis. Why wasn’t he already shooting fire and brimstone in Meph’s direction? But instead, he appeared enthralled by the archangel’s appearance.
Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen. The brain-rot he’d been drinking must have been stronger than he thought.
Since Mephisto and Eblis appeared to be having a visual stand-off, he returned his attention to the dancers. Eblis had informed him with a smirk that they were both freelancers with their own spacecraft, but even the knowledge they were in control of their own fate did nothing for his disinterested libido.
What was so fucking special about Aurora?
“Mephie,” Eblis said, and even after millennia, the derogatory nickname that no one else would dare utter still made Gabe grin. “Is that female morsel a gift for me?”
Presentiment scraped across his nerves, like rusty nails across a chalkboard. It’s not her. Why couldn’t he get her out of his head? She wasn’t the only damn female in the universe. But the dread refused to diminish, and he turned to the other archangel.
And saw Aurora.
His heart thudded in his head, blocking out every other sound. What the hell was she doing with Mephisto?
He had his wing around her in a blatant gesture of possession. How dare he fucking touch her?
Rage thundered through him. And consuming everything was raw, acidic envy that Meph, the bastard, retained the ability to wrap her in his wings at all.
He shoved the table back with his boot, sending the entertainment sprawling across the floor. Mephisto shot him a demonic grin and slid his cursed wing down Aurora’s body, and his heart jackknifed.
What in the cursed gods’ names was she wearing?
Mesmerized, he stared at her exposed nipples peeking through the slashes in the scarlet leather. They were erect and enticing, and blood surged, arrowing directly to his damn cock.
“Not bad,” Mephisto said. “For a mortal indigenous to Earth.”
“Earth?” Eblis sounded enraptured. “You brought me a human from Earth?”
Ancient muscles flexed and contracted as phantom wings attempted to unfurl with outrage. He’d possessed his wings for only a fraction of his long existence, yet they were a part of him still.
A part of him forever.
And right now, he would give almost anything to possess them once again, to match Mephisto wingspan to wingspan and prove to creation that he was once again whole.
“Take your fucking hands off her.”
The words thundered in his brain and directly into Mephisto’s. For a fleeting second shock flared in Meph’s eyes, as if Gabe’s response ha
d exceeded his expectations.
Then Mephisto drew back his wing with a flourish, exposing Aurora to half the depraved clientele of the club, and pushed her forward. She tottered on the spindly black stilettos, and he grabbed her wrist before she ended up on the floor.
Black fishnet stockings gave her legs an erotic silhouette, and lacy scarlet suspenders decorated her thighs. Primitive lust surged through him, and he forcibly sat her down on the sofa before taking one step toward Mephisto.
He’d pay for bringing her here.
“Jealous, Gabe?” Mephisto’s voice was mocking, and it was all the invitation he needed. He grabbed Meph’s throat and shoved him up against the wall, barely aware when the other archangel slammed a heavy fist into his ribs.
No one made a fool of him. Least of all another archangel.
* * *
Aurora
Her back rigid, arms folded across her exposed breasts, Aurora stared as Gabe and Mephisto knocked lumps of stone from the walls, and no one attempted to stop them. It was obvious Gabe hadn’t expected her. So why had the other one brought her here? Surely not just to start a fight?
Why am I stressing about that? If they wanted to beat the shit out of each other, it was nothing to do with her. Because seven terrifying words kept spinning around her brain.
You brought me a human from Earth.
She was no longer on Earth. She was on an alien planet, and the strange, exotic, and downright weird people in the club weren’t into extreme forms of body modifications.
They’re all real-life aliens.
After discovering teleportation was possible, the existence of other worlds teeming with intelligent life wasn’t that much of a leap.
I’m not losing my grip on reality. Just because she’d left her own world, didn’t make it any less real. And it didn’t mean she’d never find her way back to it, either.
“Relax, babe,” said the stranger sitting beside her, and she shot him a glance. Dear god. He had wings too. Was he another archangel? His dark golden eyes had flecks of amber, and his shoulder length hair was a couple of shades lighter than Gabe’s. “Is this your first time off that primitive shithole of a planet? Don’t worry. I’ll look after you.” His lascivious grin sent icy fingernails along her spine, and she leaped to her feet before she even knew what she was doing.
Redemption: A Realm of Flame and Shadow Novel Page 7
