How to Seduce an Angel in 10 Days

by Saranna Dewylde

  “Glad you understand.”

  “I do. More than you know, Ethelred. For all the lessons you’re so quick to hand out, this one is yours. We, humans, witches, all of us with the capacity to love also have the capacity for the pain you’re feeling right now. And we feel it every day. All of those little accidents you like to engineer? People lose the ones they love because of you.”

  “But it makes them great!” His flames licked the bed around him, crawling up the wall.

  “How do you know this isn’t to make you great, Ethelred?”

  He roared, the flames reaching out to her, enveloping her, but she didn’t feel the fire. “Don’t you spew the company line at me, little girl.”

  “Then put away the horns and the tail. We’re working for the same company now.” Tally revealed her crown and her wings.

  “Damn you.”

  “Damn me? No, Ethelred. Damn you. You can take that same objectivity and shine it on yourself. Can’t accept that sharp knife digging into your soft places?”

  “She’s dead, Tally! Do you know what that means?”

  “Yeah, I know what that means. Do you? Do you really? What you’re feeling now is pain. And it’s all yours. You want someone to blame? There’s no one to blame. Just Fate. Just another spoke on The Great Wheel.”

  “I don’t feel this, Drusilla. This is not me. This is not . . . I’m a demon. I was born a demon, not with all of this putrid humanity.”

  “Now you get to roll in shit with the rest of us.” Tally sat down on the bed with him as the flames receded, leaving the room as it had been.

  “It’s not fair.”

  “It rarely is.”

  “I hate Love.”

  “Hate Love if you want, but don’t hate Falcon.”

  “He did this to me!” Ethelred said again as if Tally just didn’t grasp the concept.

  “You did this to you. Remember, we have to take responsibility for ourselves. You told me that. He doesn’t get his Happily Ever After. I’m the Angel of Lust now and I’ve got all the baggage that comes with the title.”

  “Good,” Ethelred growled, still looking at his feet.

  Tally leaned on his shoulder.

  “Stop that.” He was suddenly scandalized instead of raging. “We’re not friends.”

  “Yes, we are. You just don’t know it yet. You changed my life, Ethelred. You did everything that you said Hell is supposed to do. You pushed me. You made me become greater than I was. So now you’re stuck with me.”

  “I could end you,” he said, without conviction.

  “Maybe you could. Maybe you couldn’t.” She sighed. “But if you did, I would forgive you.”

  He shoved her off him. “That burns, Drusilla. Why would you go and say a thing so horrible? Forgiveness? Are you sure you’re a Crown Princess of Hell?”

  “Yeah. You’re the one who told me Hell is relative.”

  “And I regret it. I hate you.”

  “No, you just want to hate me.”

  “Look, I don’t like this teacher becomes the student bullshit. I don’t have time for it. I’m angry. I want someone to pay. I don’t want redemption. I don’t need it. I’m a fucking demon.”

  “Yes, you’re a demon. Why do you feel like you need to keep reminding me of that fact? I’m not a witch anymore.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Okay.”

  “Still talking,” he grumbled.

  “Yep.”

  He sighed. “Might as well make some tea.”

  “Hey, Tally, I thought I heard—” Emilian stood in the doorway. But there was something more on his face than surprise when he saw Ethelred. “You.”

  “Luminista,” Ethelred mumbled in return. “But you’re not you. You’re him. And you. And him,” he said dumbly.

  “One soul instead of two,” Emilian said.

  Tally realized they had a lot to discuss and she backed out of the room quietly toward her own. She didn’t know how they were going to work it out, but it was obvious that when Emilian had been resurrected, the two halves of the twins’ soul had been joined. Ethelred saw Luminista, or some piece of her, looking back at him from Emilian’s eyes.

  What was Tally supposed to do now? Was she supposed to fly around and inspire lust? Was she supposed to make deals and sign contracts for souls? Was she supposed to stay in the mortal world? All of these questions fogged her brain like a sandstorm, little gravelly bits worming into her soft places.

  But the most important one of all was more than uncomfortable sand gravel and it would be a billion years before Tally could make that pain into a pearl.

  How was she supposed to live without Falcon?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Conversations with Kali

  Falcon Cherrywood may have let Tally run, but he was not going to lose his woman.

  He didn’t give a good damn about what she needed to take from him. She could have it. He loved Tally, everything about her. Love meant accepting all of her. He’d admit, knowing that she was no longer a girl of sugar and spice and everything nice was a little intimidating, but Tally had always been more snakes, and snails, and puppy dog tails. So, a Crown Princess of Hell really wasn’t that much of a leap. It scared him at first that she could feed off their sexual energy.

  Living without her scared him more.

  He remembered Kali saying she’d given the gift of the succubus and the lamia to many of her devotees who wished to remain untouched. If she could give the gift, then perhaps she had some advice for Tally on how to live with it.

  Falcon had willed himself to materialize in one of her temples. He made it a point to hide his wings—there would be profound religious implications if an angel appeared in Kali’s temple.

  Thankfully, it was empty, though incense offerings burned, making the air thick and sweet.

  ��Mother Kali, I ask you to bless me with your presence,” Falcon said humbly. He didn’t actually expect her to appear, but he hoped against hope she’d come. Or send him smoke signals, or a pictogram in some chapati—it didn’t matter. He didn’t know what else to do.

  “Ask and you shall receive, Cupid,” a deep, yet still feminine voice responded.

  Falcon looked up to see a woman with dark skin in a dress of crimson rose petals. Her skin had been red in the Hall of Gods; now, it looked like black marble. Power thrummed through the room and Falcon bowed at the waist and presented his own offering of marigolds.

  She accepted them with a smile. “So polite. I see you even took the time to research what I’d like. What is it you want from me? Have you come to ask me to take the lamia out of your little witch?”

  “No. As easy as it would be, I wouldn’t ask that. Tally gave her word.”

  “Interesting. Then what?”

  “How does she get past her hunger?”

  Kali laughed and the bells tinkled with her mirth. “You don’t want it to go away for always, only when you want to have sex.”

  “It doesn’t need to go away. I just want her to believe that she won’t hurt me.”

  She laughed some more.

  “Kali, I’ve told her it doesn’t matter to me. She doesn’t believe me.”

  “I wouldn’t, either,” Kali replied. “What are you going to do if I have no answer for you?”

  He sighed. “I don’t know. Be that guy in her bushes? I can’t let her go.”

  She snorted. “I’m sorry, I know this is serious, but you’re too funny.”

  “Now I know what Tally meant.”

  Kali laughed harder. “Oh, you’re wonderful, Cupid. Really. You’re a good man and I can see you do love her. Are you sure you don’t want me to banish the lamia? I can do that, you know.”

  “No, no. The lamia kept its end of the bargain and Tally made her bargain in good faith. I won’t interfere with that.”

  “Are you afraid to kiss her?”

  “No, why would I be?”

  “That’s the question of the hour, isn’t it?” Kali grinned. “Are
you afraid if she wants to give you oral sex?”

  “No,” he said hesitantly, unsure of where this was going.

  “You’re not afraid she’ll bite you? You don’t fear her mouth? The lamia uses Tally’s body the same way. To take nourishment. If you would let her lick whipped cream off you, then you have nothing to fear from the lamia. Only it eats your life force instead of whipped cream. And with you, I imagine it would be your sexual energy. Of which you have plenty to spare.”

  “Kali, you mistake me. I don’t fear her or what she would take from me. She does. She thinks she’ll hurt me, but I’ve told her Love is eternal.”

  “And so it is.” Kali smiled. “She needs to believe that. Understand it. You must prove it to her.”

  “How do I do that?” Falcon asked, at a loss.

  “Take her home to the people who love her. Women, are at their core, the same. All we want is to be loved. A simple concept, but not so simple in execution.”

  “Thank you, Kali.”

  “Now, go get your woman before the Powers That Be can mobilize. You should know they won’t take what’s happened lying down. They’ll blame Tally as much or maybe even more than Ethelred. You, too. Love gets blamed for everything.” Kali kissed him on the cheek and marigold petals began to drift down from the ceiling in blessing. “Take her some flowers when you go. Try foliage before kidnapping.”

  “I wasn’t—” Falcon started, but the look on Kali’s face told him that she knew exactly what he’d had planned and didn’t care for it. “Okay, I was. I don’t know how else to make her listen to me.”

  “Try listening to what she says first. Really hear it. Don’t just wait for her to be done talking so you can say what you want to say.”

  “She keeps running away.”

  “Well, then maybe you’ll have to kidnap her after all.” Kali winked at him as the marigold petals continued to fall. The petals of her dress began to blow away and with it, the vision of Kali herself.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  They Say You Can Never Go Home

  Falcon gave Tally a day and then decided he could try talking later. After he’d kidnapped her. Although, kidnapping was such a harsh word. He preferred the phrase “borrowing her presence without permission.” After all, it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. He knew that wasn’t very Heavenly of him, but he didn’t care. Because another common saying was that all’s fair in love and war, and Falcon wasn’t sure which this was yet. Either way, he planned on going home with the prize.

  The stupid beach house was still warded against him.

  He crept around to the back of the house, peering inside the kitchen window.

  “Well, if it isn’t King Creepo of Creepstania. What the fuck are you doing here, Falcon?” Tristan hissed in his ear.

  “I could ask you the same, Peeping Tristan. What are you doing in Tally’s bushes?”

  “Making sure she’s okay.” Tristan looked at him, obviously waiting for an answer as to why Falcon was there.

  “She’s going to be a long way from okay for about an hour. Maybe more, maybe less. Depends on how pissed off she is about being kidnapped.”

  “You’ve lost your mind. I’m not going to let—”

  “What you’re going to do, Death, is mind your business,” Falcon interrupted him.

  Tristan laughed so hard he started to snort like a pig. “Why would I do that? You’re getting too big for your leathers, Falcon.”

  “That’s what she said.” Falcon winked.

  “Yeah, your mom.”

  “You know what? If you have the stones, give it a shot.”

  “You’re awfully fucking cheery. I don’t like this plan.”

  “I don’t care if you like it or not. There’s not shit you can do about it.”

  “I’m Death—” Tristan began as if Falcon didn’t know who he was, or his power.

  “Right you are. And throughout all of history, when has Death ever been able to stop the power of Love?”

  Realization crossed Tristan’s face. “Oh, you smug bastard,” Tristan growled.

  Falcon suddenly felt a twinge of pity for him and turned to really look at the Angel of Death. He wore his heart on his sleeve, contrary to his claims that he had no heart. He loved Tally; Falcon could see that. They could have had a good life together, but just like the woman he and Tally had seen on the bench, she could bloom so much brighter and so could Tristan.

  “I’m not going to hurt her, Tristan. I love her.”

  “Are you two going to make out or get a room?” Ethelred demanded, opening the door.

  “Well, the closest rooms would be upstairs and since the house is still warded against me . . .” Falcon shrugged.

  “Well, if it were just me, I’d leave you outside. I’d never want Love to think he was welcome in my house. He’s a sloppy bastard and doesn’t clean up after himself,” Ethelred drawled. “But apparently, the lady of the house would like a word.”

  Tally stood in the living room, her heart in her eyes and her soul on her sleeve. She’d never looked more beautiful.

  Or hot.

  She’d adopted a red uniform like his, but hers was satin. It was a form-hugging dress that revealed her curves and would have shown lots of leg if not for the red leather boots laced up to her knees that left only the tops of her thighs showing like some kind of illicit peepshow. She’d also cut her long, curly blond hair into something short and spiky, focusing attention on her sweet face and bow mouth.

  A diamond angel wing charm hung from a bracelet on her wrist and Falcon couldn’t help hoping that it was for him.

  “What are you doing here, Falcon?” she asked quietly.

  “I like your hair.” He stopped in front of her and reached out a finger to touch the shorn golden locks. “What, no horns?”

  She gave a weak laugh. “Living in this house? Can you imagine all the ‘horny’ jokes? No thanks.”

  “I miss you.”

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Don’t what? Don’t miss you? Don’t need you?” He tugged her against him and the feel of her small palms splayed against his chest, her cheek resting over his heart, it was so right. So perfect. “Don’t love you?” Falcon finished.

  “Yeah,” she sniffed. “Don’t do any of those things. It just makes it harder.”

  “Harder?” he teased.

  Instead of laughing, she started crying.

  “Oh, shit, don’t do that. Come on, baby. I’m taking you home.” He tightened his arms and they teleported to the front porch of his mother’s house.

  Tally looked up at him in horror. “What are you doing?”

  “You asked me the other day to take you home. I took you to the wrong place. Home is where your family is, and this is your family. Your home.”

  “I know what you’re doing, Falcon. And it’s for this very reason that we can’t be together. I love Raven and Hawk, Stardust, Midnight. Dred. You. I love you all too much to—”

  “Falcon!” Stardust popped her dark head through the door. “I’m so happy you’ve brought our Tally home. Hurry up! Your brother and his girlfriend brought homemade fried chicken. That girl does know the way into my heart.”

  But Falcon wasn’t looking at his mother. He was watching Tally and the play of emotion over her face. Watching her pain was like feeling it himself, but he hadn’t brought her here to hurt her.

  “Family, Tally. Yours. Mine. Ours,” he whispered against her ear and dropped a kiss on her head.

  The door flew open behind Stardust and Midnight ran out from behind her mother. Tally found herself lurching forward into Middy’s steady hug.

  “Oh, Goddess, I’ve missed you.” Middy squeezed her.

  Tally squeezed back just as tightly. “Me, too.” Tears threatened and Tally sniffed irritably. Damn, it seemed all she could do was cry these days.

  “Upstairs. Right now.” Midnight grabbed her hand and dragged her past Stardust. “We need a moment before dinner, Mama.”


  “You go on. But don’t be too long or the boys will have eaten all the chicken,” she said.

  Tally turned to look back at Falcon and the smile on his face was nothing short of gold. It lit up his face, even the air around him. It occurred to her that she was the cause of that smile. He’d brought her home, not as the poor little girl who was his sister’s best friend, or as his parolee, or even as his friend. He’d brought her here as his woman, his partner. His. He was looking at her with everything he felt for her shining on his face. Just like she’d always dreamed.

  It occurred to Tally that this moment was perfect. Everything she’d ever let herself want in the darkest and most secret part of the night.

  If only she wasn’t Lust. If only—

  “Oh, hell, Tally. Make googly eyes at my loser brother later. We have approximately ten minutes to catch up before Mama hunts us down and drags us to dinner by our hair.” Midnight jerked her up the stairs to her old bedroom.

  “So, how was the honeymoon?” Tally asked.

  “Perfect. Dred is still disgustingly perfect. Everything about my life is perfect. Except you.” Middy narrowed her eyes at her.

  “I know, and I’m so sorry,” Tally blurted, still fighting tears.

  “Don’t be stupid.” Middy’s words were soft, but her hug was strong and fierce. “It’s not your fault. It’s because you’re not happy. This is my attempt to beat some sense into you the same way you did to me about Dred.”

  “I feel like I failed you,” Tally confessed. It hurt to speak the words, but it had to be done. Middy deserved to know.

  “For what? The lamia? I know you did what you had to do. That’s over. You’ve obviously kicked ass, taken names, got the T-shirt. It’s the rest of the story you’re having trouble with. See, in all the stories what happens after the sacrifice? What happens after you slay the dragon?”

  “Happily Ever After?” Tally mumbled.

  “Right. And you’re throwing it away with both hands. Falcon told me everything that’s happened.” Middy blushed. “Even being a married witch, let me tell you I was heartily sorry for using my magick to check in on you that one time.”

  “Yeah.” Tally swallowed hard. “Sorry about that. You did only give me permission for a one-night stand.”