by Jill Myles
I wouldn’t get to keep Zane. I was going to give him up because it was the right thing to do.
God, I hated the right thing to do.
“A shame, isn’t it?” Caleb flicked the ashes from his cigarette, grinning. “That you died trying to get the halo away from me. Another vampire, sacrificed to the noble cause.”
I held my breath.
“It is a shame, isn’t it?” Zane’s gaze remained on Caleb’s smiling face. “And all that was left of me was the slave collar.”
Was that a dare for Caleb to take the collar off of Zane? Better yet, would it work?
Caleb’s expression didn’t change as Zane continued to stare at him, eyes locked. I held my breath, waiting to see whose will would win out.
“A real shame,” Caleb finally agreed. “Nothing left but the slave collar—and my memories are too fractured for the queen to pull anything from them.” He gestured for Zane to lean in, and with a spoken word, the collar unhooked and fell to the ground. Caleb scooped it up. “She’s not going to take it well, you know,” he told Zane. “You always were her favorite. The crown prince.” His mouth twisted into a sneer.
“Favorites change over time,” Zane drawled. He looked over at me and I flushed. Was that a reference to me and Rachael? “She’ll focus her attention on someone new. A far more obedient prince—like yourself, maybe.”
“Maybe,” said Caleb. His shrewd gaze slid over to Zane. “Now we’re even. If I see you again, I’ll have no choice but to destroy you, lest I be proved a liar.”
“We’re even,” Zane agreed. “Nothing more.”
Caleb grinned. “As long as we both understand that.” Caleb turned and walked down the street.
“I should have destroyed him,” Zane said casually, then he gave me a small, heartbreaking smile. “You’ve made me soft, Jackie.”
Warmth coursed through me at his words, and I moved a little closer to him, inhaling his scent. Cigarettes, leather, and cologne. I loved that scent. I was going to miss it so terribly much.
I forced myself to change topics. “Why is Caleb going to lie for you?”
“Because it helps him in the long run,” Zane explained, his gaze caressing me, desire in his eyes. “There’ll be room at the top for another favorite of the queen, and Caleb’s had his eyes on that for a long time. It’s the best situation for him.”
I longed to move into his arms, to cuddle against his warm chest, but there was no sense in torturing myself. “So you’re free of the queen?”
His smile tugged up on one side. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be free. If any of us are ever free of the demands we place on ourselves. But for now, yes. I’m free to be with you. Free to touch you.” He moved to pull me close to him. “If you want me to.”
Though I hated myself for doing so, I pulled away. I couldn’t let him touch me. Not when I was resolved to do what I had to do. I swallowed the knot in my throat and ignored the flash of pain that crossed his face. “Come on,” I said hoarsely. “Let’s go deliver that halo and get on with our lives.”
“Whatever you want, Jackie,” he said, his eyes shining with love and pleading for me to forgive him.
I turned away, heading back for the car.
Remy hopped out of the backseat and handed me the case, which immediately began to rock back and forth. “Man, he hates you,” she said with a grin. “I’m guessing Joachim doesn’t like being a kitty.”
“He won’t be one for much longer,” I said, and slapped the side of the case to give him a jolt. “We’re about to deliver him home.” Case in hand, I slowly approached the church. I glanced over at Remy. “Think this will be safe?”
She shrugged. “Nothing we do is safe anymore, girlfriend. But this is the best option we’ve got.”
She had a point. As I moved to the double doors, I glanced at Zane. He’d lit up another cigarette and hung back from our small group. “Ready to do this?”
He gestured at the door. “I can’t go in, remember? Consecrated ground. You’ll have to go without me.”
I handed the cat carrier to Ethan. “Go inside and I’ll be with you in a moment. I want to talk to Zane first.”
After watching them enter the large double doors, I turned back to Zane and put my hand on his chest. “Will you stay while we get this all figured out?”
His mouth twisted a little. “I can’t go in and protect you from whatever is in there, Jackie. Why should I stay?”
I wanted him to be there when I received my boon from the Archangel Gabriel. He’d then be free to be with his true love instead of her sorry clone.
Tears blurred my eyes as I regarded him. “Will you just trust me and follow my lead on this?”
His expression was grave. “I’d follow you to the ends of the earth, remember?”
I pulled his mouth down to mine, my heart breaking. The taste of him was so overwhelming that the tears I’d been fighting slipped down my cheeks, and I slid my fingers down to his neck, feeling the smooth skin where the collar had been. He was free.
And I was about to lose him of my own will.
“Why are you crying, love?” he said in a husky voice.
I pressed small, urgent kisses to his mouth, tasting his lips and tracing them with my tongue. “No reason,” I whispered between kisses. “Just stay. Please. For me.”
“Always,” he whispered, nearly undoing me.
But I could do this. I could keep Zane safe. I could make him happy again. That was what I wanted.
I pulled away from him and gave him a tremulous smile. Straightening my shoulders, I moved to the church and pulled the door open. Glancing backward, I saw Zane watching me with intense eyes. He gave me an encouraging wave and I moved forward into the church, letting the door shut behind me.
Remy and Ethan still stood just inside the doorway, and Remy had her hands up in the air. I couldn’t see over Ethan’s massive shoulders. “What’s going on?”
The two parted.
The entire Serim council waited in the church.
“Welcome, Jacqueline Brighton,” said Ariel, striding forward with a smile. “I see you’ve brought us a gift.”
The row of Serim stood in line, their shoulders straight and their faces impassive, unforgiving. At the center of the welcoming party stood an imperious figure in white robes and a beautiful pair of white wings: the Archangel Gabriel.
Crap—an ambush.
“Looks like we’re late to the party,” I said cheerily, hiding my dismay. “How did you know we were coming here?”
Ariel reached for my arm, pulling me forward to escort me to the archangel. “We knew you would be in New City. It was just a matter of locating you. Luckily, we are able to track wherever the Nephilim go.”
So they’d known where Ethan was at all times? Gee, thanks for helping us out of all the messes we’d been in. “You tracked us?”
“I did. Bonjour, ma belle,” said a familiar voice. A man stood at the far end of the room, rising from a pew, and I groaned at the sight of my nemesis, Luc.
“Not you again,” I said. “You’re working for them now?”
His gaze flicked to Ariel and he gave me a cynical look. “I do whatever my master commands. I am not at liberty to disobey. Remember?”
Ugh. Ariel was Luc’s master? I suddenly felt sorry for the incubus. A few things slid into place. Luc’s unhappiness, Ariel’s vendetta against me—it all made sense. No wonder I was in such shit with the Serim council. I’d messed with their favorite plaything.
No time for that, though. I gestured at the cat carrier. “I’m here to uphold my part of the bargain.”
Ariel’s eyes narrowed at me. “You wish for me to impregnate you?”
“Hell no,” I blurted, stepping away from him. “I brought the halo.”
The Serim’s mouth curled into a sneer. “I am supposed to believe that you were able to recapture the halo?”
“It’s in the cat carrier,” I said.
As if on cue, the cat yowled loudly.
>
“It’s in … the cat?” Ariel gave me a disbelieving look. “What were you thinking?”
“Once called, the halo must have a vessel,” intoned Gabriel, moving past Ariel toward Ethan and the cat carrier. “You have brought it back.”
“Yes, and it’s mine,” I pointed out, stepping in front of the cage. “Before I give anyone the halo, I have a few conditions.”
“No conditions,” shouted Ariel.
“Then I’ll take it and leave,” I retorted.
“We will take it from you,” Ariel roared, striding forward.
“Really?” I said in a light voice. “Because the last time I checked, stealing was a sin. Remember?”
Silence fell.
“Madness,” muttered someone in the Serim council. But I could have sworn I saw Luc’s mouth twist into a half smile.
Yeah, I was getting the same giddy rush at outmaneuvering Ariel that he was. Of course, that giddy feeling disappeared when the archangel focused his clear-eyed gaze on me, disapproval stamped on his face.
I swallowed hard. “My conditions are simple,” I said quietly. “Do you want to hear them?”
“State them,” ordered the archangel.
“Very well,” I said, rubbing the word burned onto my wrist. It stung like the dickens, probably because I was mere inches away from Gabriel. “For starters, I want to be cleared of all charges set on me by the Serim council. Noah, too.”
“Noahiel has already received his punishment,” Gabriel said in an emotionless voice.
My knees went weak. “What? Is he … all right?”
“He is alive and well, and wholly outside of your concern,” Gabriel said. “He resides under my protection. Are those the only demands you have?”
Blinking at the abrupt change in topics, I struggled to clear my head. “No, I have more,” I said slowly. “I want Ethan to be free of whatever obligation he has to serve the Serim council. He should be free to go where he likes.”
“He has no master to obey, Succubus,” said the archangel. “He has always been free to go where he chooses.”
“Just making sure,” I said, then gestured at my wrist. “I want the cat to be safe, too. It’s just a harmless animal.”
“Done,” intoned the archangel.
“And you gave your word that I can ask anything I wish for in return for the halo.” I raised my wrist and pointed at the marking there.
His gaze became flinty. “I have not forgotten.”
“Then it’s yours.” I took the cat carrier from Ethan. A low murmur started from the Serim council, but I ignored it, crouching low to set the carrier on the ground. I glanced up at the archangel looming over me. “Are you ready?”
His eyes were emotionless. “I am. Release the beast.”
I opened the carrier door.
An orange and black streak flashed out of the cage, yowling. It dove under the pews, scrambling to get away.
Gabriel raised a hand into the air, his eyes lighting with power. The room grew thick with power and the scent of vanilla grew strong. Gabriel seemed to glow from within, and my internal tuning fork went wild in response. As I watched, the cat lifted into the air. The golden shenu around its neck flared brightly and began to pulse. The cat twirled and scrambled midair, trying to escape, and I could feel the power inside the cat struggling against the overwhelming feeling of warmth and purity that seemed to be radiating from the archangel. With a flick of Gabriel’s wrist, it floated over the pews toward him.
He reached for it with both hands, and the moment he touched it the world pulsed, with a shift of power so strong, it knocked me to the ground.
I struggled back onto my feet. My eyes took a moment to refocus, then I saw Gabriel cradling the now-calm cat against his chest. He stroked it with a gentle hand, radiance surrounding his head in a halo of light.
The golden shenu was nowhere to be seen.
“Joachim is at peace now,” Gabriel said calmly. “And safe from harming himself and others. You have done a wise thing, Jackie Brighton.”
“Thanks.” I watched him pet the cat for a moment longer. “Is the cat okay?”
In response, Gabriel handed her back to me. She was purring, and warm in my arms. I cradled her, stroking her soft head. If there was an evil rampaging archangel in her anymore, I didn’t feel it.
Gabriel asked, “Is there anything else you require before I leave?”
I swallowed hard and bent down to put the cat back in the carrier. “Yes. We need to go out on the street.”
“I cannot leave consecrated ground,” Gabriel said. “You know the rules.”
“You can if you’re inhabiting someone.” I turned toward the Nephilim who stood with Remy. “Ethan, would you be his vessel? Just for a few minutes?”
Gabriel stretched out a hand, expressionless. Ethan glanced over at me, and then reached out to take it. There was a flash of brilliant light, and I blinked rapidly to adjust my eyes, then I saw Ethan with a halo of light surrounding him, his eyes completely white.
Well. That was … interesting. I forced myself to smile. “We ready, then?”
The smooth white eyes turned to me and Ethan’s shoulders straightened, his posture more erect than I thought humanly possible. “Lead me to where you wish to go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Sucking in a deep breath, I steeled myself. I could do this. I could. I could. My hands trembled as I pushed the church’s doors open and I stepped into the cool dawn air, half hoping that I wouldn’t see Zane when I emerged.
He was there leaning against the side of the car, trying to look casual. Only the drum of his fingers gave away any anxiety. He stood at the sight of me, coming alert with a wary look at Ethan behind me.
“Zane,” I breathed, stretching my hands out to take his. “You’re here. Good.”
“You told me to wait,” he said in an even voice, his gaze locked on Ethan’s towering form. “And Ethan looks like a white blur … so tell me why there’s an archangel following you.”
I’d forgotten—a vampire couldn’t look upon the face of a pure angel.
“It’s Gabriel,” I said, giving his hands a squeeze. “I agreed to turn the halo over to him in exchange for a favor.” The knot in my throat choked me for a moment.
Zane remained silent, watching me. His thumb grazed the soft flesh of my hand, encouraging me to go on.
I drew a deep breath and lifted my head, tears swimming in my eyes. “I’m using my favor for you.”
He shook his head. “I’m not following you.”
“I’m granted anything I ask for, Zane. You can ascend back to Heaven. You can have wings again. Real wings with no strings attached.”
In shock, he stared at me, then back at Ethan, then back at me again. “I don’t understand.”
I swallowed hard, then confessed the next part—the most important part. “You can be with Rachael again.” My voice wobbled at the end.
He stared at me, eyes wide with disbelief.
I couldn’t seem to stop crying. “See, I made a deal that if I got the halo back, I could have anything I wanted. I couldn’t think of anything that I wanted for myself that was important enough.” I began to smooth his jacket, his sleeves, something to keep my mind focused. This might be the last time I saw him. Smooth, smooth, stroke, stroke. My fingers moved along his collar. “And all I could think about was you, and how losing Rachael broke your heart, and how you’re separated from her forever, and cast out here on Earth, and I know that’s not what you wanted.” I swallowed hard. “An eternity in exile without her.”
“Jackie—”
“And I know that the queen won’t forgive you if you leave her again,” I interrupted. I didn’t want to hear his happiness. Even though this was the right thing to do, it was tearing me apart. “Not for good. And I want you to be safe, always. I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you, and in Heaven you’ll be safe forever. And happy. And in love. And—”
“No.”
&nb
sp; “And—I’m sorry?” I said, swiping at my nose. “What did you say?”
His smile was gentle, and his fingertips brushed away my tears. “I said no.”
“I … I don’t understand.”
“Jackie,” he said, his hands sliding to my waist. “I loved Rachael a very, very long time ago. My memories of her are four thousand years faint. Long before I met you. Before I chose to wear dark wings. I’m not the same person I was back then.
“I fell in love with you the first time you hit me with your purse—or the first time you scowled at me in the nightclub. Or the first time you looked at me with something other than hate in your eyes.” His voice grew very soft. “Ascending would be a dream come true for any of the fallen except for me.”
“But why? Why, when it can keep you safe from the queen?”
“Because you won’t be there.” He ran a thumb along my lower lip, his eyes soft with emotion. “Because I’d have to wake up without you at my side. I’ve known that hell for the past six months, and I don’t intend to ever let it happen again.”
“But the queen! She’ll kill you.”
He shook his head. His normally playful smile was gone, replaced by an intensely passionate look. “I would rather spend one more day in your arms than an eternity without you, Jackie Brighton. I love you.” He pulled my hand to his chest and placed it against his heart. “This beats for you, and only for you. Not Rachael. Not the queen. For you. I love you, and I hope that someday you’ll forgive me for turning you.”
I burst into tears, pulling my hand from his grasp to fling my arms around his neck. “Oh Zane,” I sobbed.
He laughed, the sound warm against my neck. “Glad to see I’ve made you so happy.”
Zane loved me for me. He’d picked me over Rachael. He’d picked me over redemption. “Oh Zane, I love you so much.”
He stroked my back as I sobbed. “You do?”
I pulled away, nodding and wiping tears from my face. “I love you and I want us to be together.” I pulled a deep, shuddering breath. “Noah and I are over for now.” I wasn’t sure if the ache in my heart would go away anytime soon, but he’d made his choice and I made mine. I leaned in and began to press kisses on Zane’s jawline with frantic adoration. “I love you and I want us to be together, and I’ll let you take my blood every night—”
