“It doesn’t sound stupid at all.”
Drakon screeched at the night sky, and a chill rippled over my skin.
“I’m just glad I got my sister back.” At the thought of Hazel, my mind wandered to Kratos. Sure—he was a monster. But monsters surrounded me at this point—and he was a monster who’d returned Hazel to me. Would the Stones of Zahar drive him from the earth? Maybe Adonis wanted to enslave him.
I knew angels didn’t belong on earth—that they had to leave. And yet still, the question prodded at the back of my mind.
“What will happen to Kratos if the Stones of Zahar return him to the heavens?” I asked.
Adonis’s body tensed, and he lowered his head so his breath warmed the side of my face. “Why are you worried about Kratos?”
“I just want to know what will happen to him. He found Hazel for me. I know he’s a horseman, and he’s at risk of falling, and he is forced to kill scores of people…but he did something kind for me. I owe him.”
“Is that right?” Adonis’s velvety voice had a hint of steel in it.
I frowned. “Yes. I mean, he searched for her, and he brought her to me, just because she was important to me. He even made me a dance studio.”
He stared evenly at the night sky in front of us, his enormous wings rhythmically beating the air. “I see.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” My teeth chattered.
Instead of answering my question, he pulled me in closer to his chest. “You’re freezing, aren’t you? I can feel your body shivering.” The sensuous tone of his voice slipped around me like silk.
One of his hands curled around my leg—the gap between my dress and my stockings. Slowly, the tip of his forefinger began a lazy stroke up my inner thigh. At his touch, a liquid heat slowly unfurled in my body, pooling around my belly, my ribs.
He kept his glacial eyes on the night air ahead of us, as if he were only half aware of what he was doing. I, on the other hand, was completely aware of every minute shift of his fingers, and my world narrowed to his light touch.
A slow, lazy stroke up and down my bare inner thigh, eliciting an ache in my belly. Another slow, gentle stroke. Sparks ignited up my spine, and my back began to arch. His plan to warm me up was working, and my body heated with every gentle stroke.
I pulled myself in closer to him, my breasts pressing against him, and he met my gaze. Once more, that carnal look burned in his eyes, and his fingers moved higher up my bare thigh.
I hated myself for it, but I desperately wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him. Stay in control, Ruby. He was born to kill and seduce.
If this went any further, at some point he’d realize that I wasn’t wearing any underwear. And yet—who was I to stop him?
My breath came faster in my throat.
“You interest me, fae.” Then, an unexpected question. “Why a succubus? You hide yourself as a human to blend into their world, but of all the demons, you chose succubus to mask yourself.”
Again, that fingertip moved lazily along my skin, his eyes fixed straight ahead as if he was completely unaware of it. Did he realize that with every slow caress, a dark heat arced through my blood? I let my gaze trail over his full mouth, trying to remember how words worked.
At last, I cleared my throat. “Fae males like to dominate the females. To some degree, the same is true for angels, demons, humans… It’s kind of a male thing.”
Amusement glinted in his eyes. “Is that right?”
“There was one exception. Succubi ruled over men long ago. Shadow demons, human males—they all used to worship the demonesses of the night.”
“Mmmm.” His deep purr licked up my nape. “You envision yourself dominating men. I must admit. The image has a certain appeal.”
“I mean, I don’t dwell on it.” Could he hear how fast my heart was beating right now?
The tip of his forefinger continued to trace lazy, exquisite strokes on my thigh, and warmth pooled in my core. I wanted to feel his lips against mine, his tongue licking my body.
“Do you feel warmer now, Ruby?” The way my name sounded on his tongue—instead of succubus or fae—sent a throbbing ache through my belly.
I liked being up here with him, feeling his arms around me.
I swallowed hard. “Yes. Warmer,” I managed.
He lowered his face to mine. “This is why I didn’t want Kur to take you.” His voice was a purr against my neck, a dangerous invitation.
I had to stop myself from kissing his neck. What would he do if I pressed my lips against his throat, against that pulsing vein in his neck? I tried to imagine how hard it would be to wrap my legs around him from this angle.
It was a strange sort of torture, flying with him hundreds of feet in the air, desperate now to feel my body pressed against his masculine form. My gaze dipped to his sensuous mouth—the subtle curl of his full lips.
Another slow, lazy swoop up my inner thigh, and I let out a low moan. His body called to me, an inexorable magnetic pull. Tightening my arms around him, I moved my lips closer to his neck, an ache throbbing between my legs. His hand slid higher still. A cold rush of air—
Then, I slammed down the iron door on my desire. “Stop with the hands,” I said.
I wasn’t on this mission to enjoy myself, and definitely not to enjoy the pleasures of a dark angel of seduction.
My body went rigid, and I tugged down my dress. “I mean, I’m warm enough now, thanks.”
A low, nearly imperceptible growl in protest. Maybe he tried to hide it, but Adonis had his own conflicts—his perfect masculine beauty masking a primal side.
The combination was disturbingly tempting.
Chapter 22
As we soared over the English Channel, icy wind bit into my skin. Adonis was no longer using his seduction power to warm me, and I was starting to regret it deeply. Particularly when a light, freezing rain began to fall, drenching my clothes.
Drakon circled around us, igniting the dark air with his fiery breath.
“I told you about myself,” I said. “Now you tell me about yourself, then. You’re Death, supposedly. You can kill with a flick of your wrist, and you have. But you have a problem with the savagery of the fae.”
“Some creatures deserve violent deaths. Others don’t. The fae don’t discriminate in their ecstatic states.”
“Ah. So you’ve got a moral code.”
“Morality,” he said. “Shockingly, it’s quite important to angels. Sacrificing the few to save the many, brutally punishing those who deserve it. And do you know what? The second bit is my favorite part.”
“Of course it is.” I shivered. “I’d hate to be the recipient of one of your morally righteous punishments.”
“I don’t see that happening.”
“Any idea how far we have to go?” I asked.
“Another hour, maybe.”
I glanced down over the dark, churning sea, and it sparkled faintly in the moonlight. If Adonis decided to drop me for any reason, I’d freeze to death quickly. Maybe I should minimize the “Are we there yet?” questions.
“Close your eyes,” he said quietly. “I’ll wake you when we’re over Paris.”
I’d never sleep here, hundreds of feet in the air. Freezing, and with wildly sexual thoughts blazing in my mind.
Still, as I leaned against his powerful chest, the rhythmic beating of his heart lulled me into relaxation, and his soothing magic whispered over me. Slowly, sleep began to claim my mind, and I dreamt of a river carving through a wild garden dappled with red flowers.
A gentle nudging on my side woke me again, and my breath caught in my throat as I stared down at Paris. Or at least, what was left of Paris.
The Eiffel Tower still stood sharply in the dark landscape, silvered in the light of night.
While I’d been sleeping, rain had soaked my body, and I clamped down on my chattering teeth.
As we flew deeper into the city, warm lights burned in the ruins of Paris’s bui
ldings—rookeries, just like the ones that had sheltered me in London. Around us, pale creatures flew through the air on gossamer wings. As one of them swooped close to us, I caught a glimpse of his face. His eyes were milky white, and curly gold hair spilled from his scalp. The creatures looked eerily like children, but with haunted expressions, mouths gaping slightly open.
“What are they?” I asked.
“Cherubs. They’re Aereus’s version of the sentinels. They watch everyone, report to him.”
“So Aereus will know the moment we arrive.”
“Oh, he’ll definitely know.”
Adonis’s wings beat the air rhythmically, then flattened out as he began to take us lower. The night air kissed my damp skin.
At last, we got to the center of Paris, where a vast palace stretched out below us—an expanse of ornate honey-colored buildings, joined together in a rectangular shape. A ruined garden spread out before the palace—all dead plants and broken statues.
In the center of a sandstone courtyard between the palace buildings, light blazed from within an enormous, glass pyramid.
“The Louvre,” I said. “We’re going to the Louvre?”
“Aereus always admired it. And when he got the chance, he made it his own.”
“How enterprising.”
“I should warn you that Aereus has his own effect on people.”
“I think I can guess. Johnny, angel of famine, makes people hungry, Kratos the Conqueror makes us want to submit. You make people...” I swallowed hard, wishing I hadn’t begun that sentence. “Yearn for things.” Vague. Good. “And the angel of war will probably bring out my violent side.”
A wry smile. “Not that it appears to take much in your case.” His breath was warm against my ear. “Do you remember the role you’re supposed to play?”
“Submissive succubus lover, her wild side tamed by the sexual prowess of the great and mighty love god Adonis.”
“You’ve actually elaborated a bit there, not that I object to the description. It sounds entirely realistic.”
I didn’t think he could see the roll of my eyes in the darkness. “Just one of these days I’d like a spy scenario where I get to be the all-powerful Empress, and a beautiful man has to cater to my every whim.”
A wicked smile. “Depending on your whims, I’m sure we could arrange something.”
At his words, that heat surged again in my blood.
We seemed to pick up speed as Adonis carried us lower toward the Louvre, and the wind rushed over us. We glided to a smooth landing in the courtyard beyond the pyramid, swooping down gently before a towering set of doors. Drakon screeched to a halt beside us.
A line of milky-eyed cherubs stood before the doors, their bodies glowing like starlight in the dark.
Adonis wrapped his arms around me, his wings surrounding me like a shield.
“Aereus is expecting us,” Adonis said in his commanding voice.
“The Dark Lord,” the cherubs spoke in unison. “Welcome to Sadeckrav Castle.”
A gentle thudding behind us turned my head. Kur and Tanit landed, their leathery wings folding behind them.
Eyes wide and gleaming, the cherubs glided to the side, and the front doors creaked open with a groan into a vast hall with an arched ceiling. Marble columns and alcoves lined the walls.
I’d been to the Louvre before—long ago, on a trip with my parents. And I didn’t remember it quite this way. Aereus had definitely made it his own.
Torches burned in brackets along the stone walls. Statues of a war god—Aereus, presumably—stood over a marble floor.
Without Adonis’s arms around me, a chill had spread through my body, and my teeth chattered. My wet hair felt positively icy on the back of my neck.
From a shadowy hallway, five humans emerged, each with an iron collar around their neck, each dressed in a simple gray tunic.
I bit my lip. Considering they weren’t chained to anything, the iron collar served no practical purpose. Maybe they were chained up when they slept, or maybe Aereus just wanted to give them a harsh reminder of their servitude.
Four cherubs glided around us, their wide eyes peering up at us. “Dark Lord,” they said in unison. “We understand you have arrived to discuss important matters with our master. You must rest now. The human servants will take you and your lover to your room. Please, follow them.”
Eerie little buggers.
The humans stared at Adonis, their eyes wide with terror. Two of them stepped forward—the two largest men, one bearded and over six feet tall, the other a younger man, his body lean. They trembled as they stared at Adonis.
Nervously, they beckoned us down another expansive hallway, lined with stately columns. The other humans beckoned Tanit and Kur in the opposite direction, splitting us up.
My high-heeled boots echoed off the stone walls as we walked, and I summoned more of the charcoal glamour of a succubus to waft off my body in tendrils. Drakon’s claw-tipped feet clicked over the floor behind us.
The path that the cherubs took led us past long, winding marble halls, the walls festooned with paintings of deeply unnerving battle scenes. Swords cutting off heads, blood spattering battlefields—Saturn Devouring His Son, the god’s eyes wide with insane bloodlust. I shivered, maybe from the icy rain, or maybe the decor.
At the end of a long hall, the cherubs paused at a door that swung open, revealing a small room with a simple bed in the center of a stone floor. White sheets, a few pillows—literally no other furniture in the whole room apart from a claw-foot bathtub. The place didn’t have windows, just a few iron sconces protruding from the sandstone walls.
After all that grandeur, I’d been expecting something more luxurious than this. Aereus, clearly, was trying to make a point.
Adonis turned to the cherubs, his eyes darkening, and the candles wavered in their sconces, nearly snuffing out.
“This,” he hissed, “is the room Aereus wants me to stay in?”
The bearded man shrank away from Adonis. “He thought you might be comfortable here. With your friend.”
An eerie, animal stillness had overtaken Adonis’s body, only faint whispers of his magic moving in the air around him. Nothing, I was coming to realize, was more dangerous or terrifying than the quiet stillness of an angel.
Chapter 23
“Aereus has done this on purpose, to prove a point,” said Adonis. His lip curled in a snarl, then with a lightning-fast movement, he had the bearded man pinned up against the wall.
Drakon spread his wings and hissed, a stream of fire pouring from his mouth in the direction of the humans.
Sweet earthly gods, all this over a room?
“Relax, Adonis,” I snapped, before changing my tone to be sweetly seductive. “This will be perfect for us. No distractions, just a bed and a bath to keep us occupied.”
Adonis didn’t appear to be listening to me, his hands wrapped around his victim’s collar. Instead, he leaned in closer to the man. “I want you to go back to Aereus and tell him that this is perfect for me, and that I love it.” Despite the gentleness of his words, icy rage poisoned his tone.
He dropped the man in a heap on the floor. The other servant seemed to have slunk into the shadows, probably hoping Adonis would forget he existed.
Within a moment, both humans had scrambled off, their footsteps scuttling over the floor as they ran. Adonis slammed the door.
When he turned back to me, his expression was one of complete serenity, his body entirely at ease.
I cocked my hip, trying to calm the chattering of my teeth. The flight’s rainstorm still chilled me to the bone. “Did you really just violently assault someone over the furniture?”
Surprise flickered in Adonis’s eyes. “He’s fine, isn’t he? And I don’t care about the furniture, but the other horsemen expect me to act in a certain way. I’m supposed to be the Lord of Death, and all that.” His movements smooth and easy, he prowled closer to me. “Surely you understand playing a role, Ruby.”
“Plenty of room for both of us.”
I swallowed hard, then lowered my voice to a whisper. “We’re not really lovers, Adonis. We’re just going to play the part.”
Behind him, his wings shimmered away—the first time in days I saw him without them.
He pulled off his shirt, giving me a view of his chiseled chest. The network of scars over his heart interrupted the sharp lines of his tattoos. Already, he was sliding between the bedsheets. He leaned back on his hands, eyeing me as I stood there hugging myself.
“Can you turn around?” I asked, shivering. “I want to change out of my ice-cold dress.”
“I have seen you naked before. In fact, the image is seared deeply into my fondest memories.”
“Close your eyes,” I barked.
He did as he was told, and I pulled off my drenched dress, my skin frigid and puckered in the cold air. I rifled through the leather bag until I found one of Tanit’s dry dresses, and I slipped it on over my naked body. Then, I snatched the sheathed knife from the bag.
I hugged myself, my teeth still chattering. “So where am I supposed to sleep, now?”
Adonis opened his eyes again, and his gaze roamed over me as if imagining what he’d missed. “If you don’t want to sleep next to a godlike being, that’s your choice. There’s always the floor, or the bathtub.”
I shivered, and the warmth of the bed called to me.
Adonis cocked his head. “But I can see that you’re freezing. You’ll need me to warm you.”
I tightened my fingers into fists until the nails pierced my skin. “Fine. I hope you’re okay with sleeping with the torches lit,” I added. “Because I’m still not into the whole darkness thing.” I shoved the knife under the pillow. “And if you do anything I don’t want you to, I have a poison-tipped blade under my pillow.”
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