Her Fallen Protector

by Nichole Severn

  But that wouldn’t stop them from coming for her.

  “As tempting as that sounds, we need to figure out our next step.” Her skin sizzled where he brushed his lips over her, begging her to go back to bed and fill the void widening in her chest. “They won’t stop searching for me and we’ve already wasted a lot of time.”

  “I wouldn’t call it a waste.” He stepped back, stared down at her as he circled around. He translated her meaning and his vibrant gaze filled with reality, the golden specks darkening. “I see your point. I was just hoping we’d have more time together before you realized it.”

  “Thank you.” She lost herself in him as she had so many times before, the pull of leaning over a cliff tugging on her chest. The darkness had yet to block her off from herself and the slight taste of freedom invigorated her senses. Despite the fear that she was falling for him because her past self wanted her to, she appreciated everything he’d done for her. “For the distraction, and for saving my life. You didn’t have a choice when Damien and Isabel kidnapped me. They drugged you and if you weren’t there, who knows what they would’ve done or where I’d be. You risked your life. You protected me and I’ll never forget that.”

  Swiping his fingertips down her jaw, he seduced her into his arms, exactly where she needed to be. She closed her eyes, just breathing him in. “How about I make sure that doesn’t happen?”

  …

  Her bedroom hadn’t changed, but her entire world had.

  Wrapped in his arms, she settled deeper into his side. His heat warmed her as sunlight reflected off the crystal hanging from her only window, casting small rainbows across the white walls. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d left the blinds open. Couldn’t remember when she’d felt so safe.

  His even breathing synced with hers, but they were far from sleep. Running her nails over the light dusting of hair covering his thigh, she lifted her leg over his, pressing her core against him. From the moment his lips had met hers in the living room, she hadn’t been able to get enough of him. Only the shadows cast by surrounding buildings gave her any idea of how long they’d been tangled around each other. Soon the sky would darken, but the night no longer protected dangers she couldn’t see.

  Not with him by her side.

  “You keep doing that to my leg and we’re going to have to move.” The sensual promise tinting his words revealed he wished she wouldn’t stop. “Not sure my back has stopped spasming from the last round.”

  “I can fix that.” She nibbled his ear lobe and twisted him onto his stomach, fanning the expanse of her hands across his back. Broad muscle resisted against her ministrations, but the moans rumbling deep in his chest reverberated between her legs, the perfect frequency to make her body hum. She leaned over him to get one more taste. Salt and spice exploded across her taste buds as another moan vibrated through her. “How’s that?”

  “Mmm.”

  She laughed, the sound lighter and happier than she’d ever remembered. Warmth blossomed in her chest as she stared down at the man who’d made it possible. Eyes closed, he reflected her smile on his lips. Did she have the same effect on him? Even through all the heartache?

  She brushed her fingers over the raised white scars on his shoulder blades, tracing them delicately as memories of him fighting off Damien and Isabel at the bank flashed behind her eyelids. Her heart sped as other images threatened the peace she’d found in his arms, but she buried it instantly, deep, where she’d never have to think of it again as long as they stayed in this room. “In the visions I had of us, your wings were always white.”

  His bright, intelligent gaze swung up to meet hers and her fingers froze against his skin. “And when I was fighting Damien…”

  “They were black. Like Isabel’s.” The accusation lay silenced.

  He must have heard the unspoken question, as he rolled over so she straddled him.

  “When I fell from Heaven, I essentially turned my back on every oath I’d made, every ounce of allegiance to the Father. And He doesn’t take those kinds of betrayal lightly.” His bright gaze dimmed slightly, and he grimaced. “It takes nine days to reach earth. Every second I fell, I burned. In His eyes, I’m as evil as a servant of the Deceiver, and I lost my purity.”

  She couldn’t imagine the amount of pain he’d gone through to get to her. So much suffering. For something that wouldn’t last. Love made people do crazy things, and she couldn’t fault him for that. Couldn’t fault him for any part of this. “Do you regret falling? Do you regret meeting me?”

  He refocused on her, trailing his fingertips up her arms. The same features that’d been consumed with sorrow hardened as he sat up. Naked chest to naked chest, he pressed her against him, hot breath tickling her neck and face. “I’d rather live a single moment on Earth as a mortal man with you, than an eternity of never touching you again.”

  Closing the distance between them, she melded her lips to his, teasing, plunging, taking him for herself. Her body heated past the point of ignoring her desire and she rocked her hips forward, eager to find relief.

  He responded in kind. Pressing fully against her, his erection hardened between her legs, but he kept her still. He dug his nails into her back, scratching them along her shoulder blades then over her ribs.

  Laying her head back, she opened her neck and chest for him, trembling when his teeth grazed the sensitive skin there. She gasped, breaking the silence,

  He gently pushed her onto her back, settling his weight on top of her, his stomach growling loudly. His eyes creased around the edges as his smile overtook his features. “Still haven’t gotten used to the fact I actually have to eat now.”

  “There’s a lot of things you’ll have to get used to as a mere mortal man.” Her laugh shook them both, and with it came the realization she could stay here, in this moment, for as long as she lived. Perfect contentment. Waking up to him, laughing, talking, loving. All of it brightened the darkness looming over them.

  “Like what?” he asked, sliding the head of his erection against her folds. “Because where I’m standing, becoming mortal doesn’t look too hard.”

  Electric zings of pleasure contracted every muscle in her body as his tongue swirled over her breast. Digging her fingernails into his shoulders, she struggled for five seconds to clear her head of his distraction, but they’d have this conversation one way or another. Even if she had to stop him from sucking one taut nipple between his lips.

  In a minute.

  “Well, for one thing, you’ll have to get a job to pay for food, transportation, and anything else you want.” Her body tightened as he thrust into her. Hard. The impact took the breath from her lungs, shifting her at least two inches across the bed. “Oh, God.”

  She swallowed hard with the next thrust, wrapping her legs around his back, and lifted her hips to meet him. “I’d need to teach you about being mortal.”

  “You’ll take me under your wing, and in return I’ll give you…?”

  She didn’t miss the humor making his demeanor lighter before the orgasm blindsided her. His name clawed up her throat as stars exploded behind her eyes. Three thrusts. That’s all it had taken to turn her into putty in his hands. Her breath came in shallow gasps, body still tingling and over-sensitized. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

  Pure satisfaction slowed her beating pulse, but the longer he studied her, his attention threatened to amp her up again. Echoes of her orgasm tensed her inner muscles around him, her own body begging him not to move, not to leave. “Maybe you can just feed me. That roast you made was delicious.”

  “I could do that, but you’d need a better stove. Besides, staying in the city wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.” Collapsing onto one arm, he disconnected from her, pulling her flush against him. His chest met her back from shoulder blades to hips as he draped his chin over her shoulder.

  Disappointment, hot and unsteady, slammed into her. He had every reason to get as far from her as possible after everything she’d
put him through, but the realization didn’t soothe the raging rejection threatening to swallow her whole. She’d never depended on another person before. Now, however, the thought of losing him again twisted her insides painfully. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. “Where…where do you think you’ll go?”

  “Greece. It’s changed since I was last able to visit, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. The water there is so blue, you’d swear you were staring at two skies.”

  Distance, as though he’d lost himself in the fantasy, transformed his voice into something dreamlike. What she wouldn’t give to be a part of what he envisioned. But she deserved the ache setting up in her heart. And he deserved to find happiness.

  “There’s one beach in particular I could be happy spending the rest of my life on. You used to love it. I think we could be happy there. We could live out our mere mortal lives in peace. Make some new memories.”

  “You thought about all that? About being together until we die?” Her heart swelled until she felt like her chest might explode. She turned over, met him head on. Staring into those sea-green depths, she saw a future, filled with sandy beaches, cloudless skies, massive oceans, and him. She ached for the fantasy to become reality. Because love did that. Made her ache for him.

  Son of a bitch. She’d fallen in love with him. Against every instinct. Against every chance in hell. Against her better judgment. The last grip of rejection loosened and she breathed without hindrance for the first time since head-butting him in Rio.

  “It’s the only thing I’ve thought of since finding you here in New York.”

  “And you wouldn’t miss anything about the life you have now?”

  “You mean tracking you all over the globe, fighting off demons, losing my powers, and essentially getting myself kidnapped because I was so distracted with the memories of our night in Rio?” His smile, combined with the gentle glide of his hand up her ribcage, elicited a laugh from her lips just before he placed a gentle kiss on them. “No, I’m not going to miss a damn thing. All I’ve ever wanted is you. Or haven’t you been listening?”

  “Well, you make it kind of hard to pay attention with a body like that.” She fought the screaming bubble of relief and settled for closing the distance between their mouths. Every roadblock separating them disintegrated, but God only knew if she’d be able to keep him.

  …

  As she lay in bed, fast asleep, Jacob watched her. The headache she’d complained about had worsened, but her appetite had returned full force. The transformation had started. Her even breathing set his anxiety at ease. Listening to the steady rhythm of her heart, he studied her from the doorway, taking in every inch of beauty. No scars. No imperfections.

  And completely his.

  For now.

  While something significant had changed within her just in the last hour, he couldn’t count on Vdarra overcoming her former self if her father injected her again. He’d try, Jacob had no doubt. Without any idea where to find the Seal, the Deceiver would find it first and raise his daughter’s army himself. She wasn’t strong enough to target the Seal’s resting place on her own. Not yet.

  He closed the bedroom door behind him, found the distance he needed in the living room. His mind cleared, yet his heart urged him to return to her bed. She’d given him everything he’d ever wanted in life: her. But for how long, he couldn’t know. Isabel and the Deceiver would never stop in their determination to resurrect the Heiress of the Underworld, and with his own immortal strength dwindling, he couldn’t stop them, couldn’t protect her.

  He’d lost sight of their safety over the course of rediscovering her body, and he rhythmically checked his protection runes and wards. The runes glowed softly from the closest window seal. They had already started disintegrating from his lack of attention. He didn’t have much time before Isabel or the Deceiver found her. But he’d be ready.

  He’d already lost her once. Never again.

  A tingling sensation at the back of his neck set him on edge.

  The familiar brush of power electrified his senses, and he straightened. His twelve hours were up. The decaying wards had led their stalker straight to them. The atmosphere in the room changed, and he stiffened as though he’d stood outside in a blizzard for over an hour.

  Seconds passed into a silent minute.

  “I know you’re here. Show yourself.” He widened his feet in front of Vdarra’s bedroom door. The runes along her windowsill still had power, so the only way to get to her would be through him. Without weapons or his full power, he had no idea how he’d stand up to the power lingering on the other side of the front door, but he’d die trying to give her a chance to escape.

  The front door burst off its hinges.

  Splintered wood drifted to the hardwood floors, almost in slow motion. Armor, a gleaming broadsword, and bright blue eyes emerged from the debris.

  “Your twelve hours are up, brother. I warned you, and now I have to do what you’ve failed to do. Move aside.”

  Straightening, he eyed the warrior in all his power. He exhaled in hopes of clearing his mind, but Vdarra remained there, his worry for her, his silent plea for her to flee. “Sorren, please, don’t do this. We still have time—”

  “No! The longer she’s alive, the closer the Deceiver comes to getting what he wants, and I would fall from the Father’s graces before I let that happen.” Sorren’s large boots echoed throughout the apartment as he stepped further inside. “I don’t want to kill you. Now move.”

  “No. She’s not who you think she is. You want her? You’ll have to go through me. One of your own.”

  “Not anymore. Remember? I’ve watched over her for ten years. I know the kind of power she wields even without the Seal, but you’ve blinded yourself with the love you chose over your Father, over your brothers!” The angel’s blue gaze caught fire. Lifting the sword with one hand, Sorren directed the blade straight at his chest. “Every day she’s getting stronger. I can feel it and I won’t let her take the Earth as her trophy. Not when we’re so close to defeating the enemy. You gave me no other choice when you fell for a demon, Israel. She can’t live, and I’ll be the one who makes you realize it.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  She bolted from the bed.

  The crash of splintered wood surged a massive dose of adrenaline throughout her body. The Deceiver had found them. “Jacob.”

  She ran to the other side of the bed. There, next to her nightstand, lay an aluminum bat. She’d never played baseball, but the metal did wonders when it came to self-defense. At least in theory. She’d never defended herself against an immortal with it.

  She wrapped her fingers around the base and lifted it to her side as she steadily made her way toward the bedroom door. Grunts, muddled voices, and breaking glass raised the hairs on the back of her neck. A tingling gathered in the base of her spine, but she couldn’t leave Jacob to fight alone. Wouldn’t. The doorknob felt ice cold as she turned it. She wrenched the door open, ready to confront their enemy.

  Her furniture had been cast aside, thrown and broken around the room. Struggling in a chokehold, Jacob rammed one elbow back into a small space between his attacker’s armor, the kidney, but failed to get free. She didn’t have time to think. She raised the bat shoulder level and left the safety of her bedroom, rushing forward.

  “Vdarra, get out of here!” His normally bright green gaze had darkened nearly black, the gold completely gone, and with the sudden shift of his head, she froze.

  “Sorren?” Her weapon sagged to her elbow. “What are you doing?”

  Startling blue eyes locked on her. For years, she’d found comfort in that gaze, but something had changed. The lines etched between his brows had deepened. The hard set to his features didn’t match a single moment she’d known him over the last ten years. Her fight or flight response moved her foot one step back, but she tightened her grip around the bat. “Who are you? What do you want?”

  Jacob struggled. The chokeho
ld around his neck made it difficult for him to move, but the weight of his attention begged for her to run. No way in hell. “Vdarra, no—”

  The hold around his neck tightened. Blue veins popped at his temple, his face suffusing with red and deepening to purple.

  She exhaled hard. Her blood pressure skyrocketed, heated her veins. The presence at the back of her head slithered forward, took control of her feet as she approached. “Get away from him.”

  “Take another step and I’ll kill him faster than you can swing that toy.” Sorren slipped behind his victim, leaving only his eyes and forehead visible. Leveraging a sword against Jacob’s throat with his other hand, he waited for her to decide the next move. The power behind those eyes skittered down her back, almost like Isabel’s, but the vibration running under her skin felt different. Lighter. Stronger than Jacob’s. “I am the Father’s general, leader of Archangels to defend against the likes of you, and I’ve come to bring you to justice for the thousands of deaths your army is responsible for, and the millions you will be responsible for.”

  “You’re an angel, yet you’re threatening to kill one of your own?” Her attention slid from Sorren to Jacob and back. The protection runes along the windowsills singed her arm hair, but their dying power wouldn’t stop her from throwing the Archangel through the glass.

  Whoa. Her breath hitched. Where the hell had that come from?

  “Sorren.” She took one more step and dropped the bat, raised her hands in surrender. “I’m not Duemos. It’s me. Vdarra. You’ve been my best friend for ten years. You know me. You know I’m not capable of what you’re saying. Please, just let him go. Nobody has to get hurt because of me.”

  “You can’t lie to me, fiend. I’ve felt your power. I know exactly who you are. Even now, your power spikes and recedes. How do you think I found you?” Hiking the sword a bit further up Jacob’s neck, Sorren drew a line of blood. The scent of salt and copper drowned her senses and the presence at the back of her mind surged. “Do what I say or you both die.”