by Cassie Ryan
She rushed out into the main room and stopped short at the scene in front of her.
Noah stood naked, the thread she’d not bothered to snip still streaming down from the freshly stitched wound in his side. He held another kosher salt-filled balloon in his hand, cocked back and ready to throw while he stared at Uriel with curiosity and determination.
“Stop!” Jez rushed to stand between them and grabbed Noah’s hand that still held the balloon and lowered it. “Noah, this is the Archangel Uriel. Uriel, this is Noah, the man sent to bring me back to Lilith’s lair.”
Uriel brushed kosher salt from his hair and clothes, the white crystals falling around him like solid snow. “I suppose I should’ve announced myself, but I’m not used to humans attacking when Archangels come calling.”
“I’m not used to men jumping out of a bathroom that only held one woman.” Noah shrugged. “Although if you’d looked like Kate Beckinsale, I wouldn’t have panicked.”
Uriel frowned. “The actress?”
Jez huffed out a breath. “Long story.” She turned to look at Noah. “Uriel has a house that will be in Yuma, Arizona, for two more days, and if we can get there, we can use it as a portal.”
“That’s real?” Noah tossed the balloon on the bed before he stepped around Jez. “Your retreat that moves locations every week?”
A flash of annoyance darkened Uriel’s silver eyes until they appeared gunmetal gray. “How do you know about my property?”
“I’m a horror writer. I do a lot of research.”
“What does horror writing and research have to do with a human knowing about my retreat?” Uriel’s voice rose—not the volume, but the intensity—until it shook the walls of the tiny room.
Jez grabbed the front of the Archangel’s white button-down shirt and yanked until he dropped his gaze to hers. “Can you tone down the kick-ass Archangel effects?” She gestured around them and the quaking stopped suddenly. “Thanks.”
Uriel stepped back and ran a hand through his long multicolored hair, mussing it and leaving it in sexy disarray. “I apologize. I had thought that information was better hidden.”
“It’s considered a myth . . . a legend,” Noah supplied. “But there isn’t much known about it beyond that.”
Uriel shook his head. “Then I guess we should all be thankful for small blessings. Hopefully none of the demons chasing you have that same information, Jezebeth.” He caught her gaze and held it until she nodded once, in the manner of the succubi and incubi.
“Do you really have art treasures from the Library of Alexandria and even a few originals from Michelangelo?” Noah’s soft question was filled with curiosity and excitement and after glaring at him with no visible effect, Uriel sighed.
“Yes, I do.”
Noah grinned. “When we make it to the portal, can we see inside the house?”
Uriel’s glare returned, and he finally glanced at Jez in what appeared to be amazement.
“Noah,” Jez warned under her breath.
“What?” He held his hands wide. “I read that information at the same time. I didn’t think it was a big deal, but I’d love to see the place for myself. I could set some amazing stories there—”
Uriel stalked forward to stand toe to toe with Noah, who was still very naked. “What other information did you read about my retreat, human?”
“Noah,” he said simply. “My name is Noah, not human, and other than that there was a mention that Lilith sometimes visits the house.” Noah snapped his fingers. “That’s it. That’s where I read it. I was researching Lilith for one of my novels and a private collector had an open house and allowed people in for two hours to look at his collection. The information was in a small burgundy journal, handwritten in ancient Hebrew. I recognized Lilith’s name. I’m pretty rusty without a translator, but was able to snap a picture of that page with my phone and take it home to translate later.”
Uriel stepped back, but not before Jez had seen a stricken expression flash across his face and then disappear. “Do you still have that picture?”
Noah nodded. “Jez, where are my jeans?”
Jez grabbed his blood-soaked jeans off the chair and handed them over.
Noah reached into the left front pocket and pulled out his phone. After clicking several buttons he showed the phone to Uriel, whose face suddenly drained of all color. “Who is this private collector?”
Noah shrugged. “I don’t know off the top of my head. I have the information at home in my notes though.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Uriel grabbed Noah’s chin and leaned close to lock gazes with him.
Noah stiffened, his fingers falling open so both the phone and his jeans fell to the floor.
Jez had to look away as a chill ran through her. She rubbed her arms as she pointedly stared at her shoes.
She still vividly remembered when Raphael had unwittingly gazed inside her soul. All the darker places inside herself had been ripped open and left raw and aching. It wasn’t physically painful exactly, but was a sensation she had absolutely no desire to repeat.
Finally Uriel cleared his throat. “Thank you . . . Noah. I have the information I require. And here is your permission to enter my property.” Jez glanced up just as Uriel stepped toe to toe with Noah.
Noah tried to step back, but Uriel’s hand on his chin held him in place. A golden mist spilled from between Uriel’s lips, crossed the several inches separating the men and filtered in through Noah’s nose and open lips.
Noah stumbled back and sat down hard on the bed, his expression dazed.
“Your turn little one.” Uriel turned to Jezebeth, and she closed her eyes just in case the promise not to look inside her soul had only been inside the bathroom. She sensed him step closer and then his warm lips pressed against hers.
Invisible pressure parted her lips and she opened for Uriel as he lingered over their kiss. Something tangible passed between them from him into her—most likely the same golden mist she’d seen enter Noah.
When Uriel stepped back, Jez’s equilibrium swam and she stumbled backward, her calves hitting the bed so she ended up sitting down hard right next to Noah.
When she blinked open her eyes, Uriel was gone.
8
Noah’s insides were raw and aching, and he still wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened.
As his mind cleared, he realized he still sat on the end of the bed next to Jezebeth, totally naked. His body reacted predictably, and he grabbed the edge of the sheet and pulled it over his lap while heat seared up his neck and into his face.
“Wow,” Jezebeth said softly from beside him.
After glancing over to make sure she meant the situation and not his sudden return of shyness, Noah nodded, not sure he trusted himself to speak just yet. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat as he glanced over at Jezebeth, who seemed lost in thought. “What the hell just happened?” His words came out soft and dazed-sounding, which was a pretty accurate indicator of how he felt right now.
“Oh, sorry.” Jezebeth shook her head and sucked in a breath. “I’ve never been kissed by Uriel before—talk about intense.” She turned and touched his arm. “Are you all right? I had no idea Uriel was going to look into your soul.”
“My soul?” Noah stiffened as he shifted experimentally, wincing when his aching insides and not his external wounds protested.
Jezebeth nodded as she studied him critically. “Archangels have the ability to look through someone’s eyes to see inside their soul. There’s nothing you can hide from one of them, and the only beings who are safe are other Archangels and other supernaturals who are at that general level.”
Noah shuddered as he remembered the sensation of meeting Uriel’s liquid-silver gaze. “Is that why I feel like someone took a blowtorch to my insides?”
Jezebeth nodded once. “Yes. It’s not a comfortable experience.”
“What was with that gold mist? And why did he kiss you?” He frowned. “Don’t get me
wrong, I’m glad I didn’t get the same treatment. But I felt that mist go inside me.”
She smirked. “You haven’t done much research on Archangels, have you?”
Noah cleared his throat. “Not much. I haven’t written a lot of Heaven’s minions as characters.” He pinched the bridge of his nose against an oncoming headache. “For some odd reason I’d always pictured them as fluffy cute cherubs who flitted around spreading cheer and healing.”
Jez snorted. “Welcome to another fat slice of reality. I have a feeling during our time together you’re going to get a much bigger dose of it than you want.” She stood and paced across the room before she turned back to face him. “Uriel needed to give us permission to enter his property where the portal is, so he passed it to us with that mist. As for the kiss, he probably knew you wouldn’t be comfortable with that same delivery method.”
“Are you saying if I would’ve been comfortable I would’ve gotten the same ‘delivery method’?” He scrubbed his hands over his face as he raced to find mental footing in a world made entirely of quicksand.
Jezebeth laughed, which made Noah stiffen and frown. “You just had an Archangel look inside your soul and you’re worried that he might’ve kissed you if you’d been up for it? No offense, but we have bigger things on our priority list right now.” Jezebeth’s features softened as her smile died away. “Uriel is an Archangel, who was most likely present for your creation, so that’s why you weren’t shy around him—he’s seen it all before, and he isn’t really male, so he doesn’t have the normal human box of safe sexual definitions.”
“He sounded and looked very male.”
“He’s an Archangel, not a human. They can choose whatever form they are most comfortable in to appear to humans. Their true form is pure energy, a ball of beautiful light so bright that humans and even most supernaturals can’t look upon their form without being blinded.”
“How do you know? Have you ever seen it?” His writer curiosity kicked into high gear as he faced Jezebeth.
She opened her mouth to retort when two quick knocks sounded on the door, interrupting what she’d been about to say.
Noah exchanged a quick glance with Jezebeth before he stood and pulled on his jeans, zipping them quickly before he crossed to his backpack and pulled out a small water pistol filled with holy water, and a Ruger loaded with custom-ordered hollow points.
Jez grabbed the kosher salt-filled balloon he’d dropped on the bed earlier and then nodded that she was ready.
Noah cleared his throat. “Who is it?”
“It’s Jim from the front office. I just wanted to bring you two some breakfast.”
Jez glanced back over her shoulder and sighed. “I’ll get rid of him. He’s the guy I agreed to have drinks with sometime.”
Noah blinked and a different woman stood where Jez had been a split second before—a woman who held a passing resemblance to Kate Beckinsale. Noah frowned as the woman tossed a wink in his direction.
“Just a second, Jim.”
The husky, sexy voice complete with a British accent that came from the near-Kate surprised Noah, and he chided himself as he tucked away the Ruger inside the backpack but kept the water pistol in his palm. Of course when Jez changed forms, the voice would have to change too, or it wouldn’t be a very effective disguise. But it was still disconcerting.
His thoughts were cut short when Jez unlocked the door and opened it to reveal a pretty, petite blond girl standing just in front of a tall man wearing boots and a tight black T-shirt. The girl held two plates with napkins draped over them while she raked her gaze over Noah as if he was on the dessert menu. He shifted uncomfortably as he realized he was still shirtless.
Jim cleared his throat and smiled at Jezebeth with definite interest sparking in his eyes. “Morning. How’d you two sleep?”
A male protective instinct rose so quick and fast that Noah had to clench his fists to keep from glaring at the man while stepping forward to warn him away from Jezebeth. Jim thought they were brother and sister, Noah forcefully reminded himself as he stayed in place and tried to keep his expression neutral.
Unaware of Noah’s internal struggles, Jez leaned against the edge of the open door and smiled. “We slept great, thanks. Are those for us?”
The girl nodded, her tongue darting out to moisten her bottom lip. “Yeah. I’m Sadie from the restaurant. Jim thought you two could use some breakfast.” She handed the plates to Jez, who passed them to Noah.
The tantalizing scents of eggs and bacon made Noah’s stomach growl. Jim laughed as Noah set the plates on the tiny end table next to one of the twin beds. “I see your friend is hungry.” He looked between the two of them. “How long before you head out?”
From his hopeful gaze it was obvious he wished it wouldn’t be too quickly.
Jez gave an apologetic smile. “Actually we have to get going. But we appreciate you bringing by breakfast.”
The girl’s bottom lip poked out into a pout as she looked past Jez toward Noah. “Hey, what happened to your side?” She pushed past Jez and into the room before Noah realized what she meant.
Jim followed her inside and Jez softly closed the door and shrugged behind their backs as Noah sent her a “what do we do now?” look.
Cool fingers touched his side and then slid down to trace around the waistband of his jeans before Sadie looked up at him from under her lashes—apparently one of her practiced moves. “Is that real? It looks cool.”
Noah glanced down at his side to find his skin perfectly healed around the neat black stitches Jez had made in his side. The row of thin black threads disappeared into his jeans after the first few inches of tiny stitches. His skin wasn’t even red where the thread entered. “What—”
Jez cut in. “It’s the new piercing rage in California; he’s just trying it out.”
Sadie dipped a finger under the waistband of Noah’s jeans, and pressed her body against his. “Care to show me the rest of that, handsome?”
Before Noah could figure out a way to turn the girl down without offending her, Jim stepped forward and gently peeled her away from Noah and guided her to the door. He sent an apologetic look toward first Jezebeth and then Noah.
“Enjoy the breakfast. Sadie’s got to get back to the restaurant.” He sent the girl a stern glare before turning back to Jezebeth. “But don’t forget, I’d love to see you on your return trip.”
Jez smiled as if she was genuinely looking forward to drinks with Jim, and Noah ground his teeth. Surely she was just a great actress. Right?
She made some kind of farewell too soft for him to hear and then waved to Jim before gently closing the door. Then she surprised him by muttering, “Damn, talk about persistent.”
Noah wasn’t sure if she referred to Sadie or Jim, but he swallowed that question back and ran his fingers over the stitches in his side. “Any idea how this happened?”
Jez shrugged, the motion looking decidedly Jez-like in her borrowed near-Kate body. “I’m assuming it’s from Uriel. He’s the only thing we’ve come into contact with that could’ve healed you, although that’s not usually his thing.”
“That’s right. He’s something of a warrior for God, isn’t he?”
Jezebeth nodded as she crossed to the first-aid kit that still sat on the chest of drawers. “All of them have some inherent healing abilities just because of who they are, but you’re correct. He’s usually in the thick of the battles and enforcement, not healing the aftermath.” She pulled out a pair of tiny scissors, snapping them open and closed a few times in the air in front of her face. “Why don’t you pull those jeans back off and I’ll get rid of the stitches?”
Noah reached for his fly and then paused. “Can you change back to your other form?” Men from around the globe lusted after Kate Beckinsale, himself included, but he was still getting used to Jezebeth and all her forms, and he longed to look into her own chocolate brown eyes again.
“If I do I’ll have to recharge my energy again bef
ore I leave. And since both Jim and Sadie are expecting me to leave looking like this, I figured I’d retain this form until I can recharge.”
Without realizing what he planned to do, Noah stepped forward and pulled Jezebeth against him, capturing her lips with his.
She opened her mouth to protest, and he delved inside, determined to kiss away all thoughts of Jim. He realized the oddity of the urge since he and Jezebeth were purely traveling companions, but some things were just instinctual, like the heady sensation of kissing the handful of woman in front of him.
Jezebeth started to push him away, but he held her tight, kissing her until tingling power sparked between them and Jez moaned deep inside her throat.
He spun out the kiss, coaxing little sighs from Jezebeth until the urge to do much more rolled through him like a wave. Realization came like a slap of ice water, and he broke the kiss and stepped back suddenly, leaving Jezebeth, now back in her own form, to sway against the sudden change.
Tense silence hung between them until Noah forced out, “Will that be enough energy?”
When Jezebeth flinched he realized she’d taken his clipped words for something other than him fighting off the effects of the arousal she’d ignited inside him. Before he could think of something to say, she glared up at him and pointed at him with the scissors she still held.
“Don’t do that again. Wearing Lilith’s ring doesn’t give you permission to manhandle me any time you want. If I need energy, I know where to get it, and it won’t be from you.”
Her cold words sparked his anger, and he glared down at her. “No problem. I’m sure Jim will be more than happy to be your guinea pig. Just be careful or you’ll leave him passed out like the men back in the truck at the club where I found you.”
As soon as the words left his lips, he wished them back.
Why did this woman drive him so insane? He wasn’t looking for a relationship with her, so he had no reason to be so possessive or territorial. And beyond that, he wasn’t a jerk who yelled at women and found words to hurt them. “Jezebeth . . . I’m sorry.”
