The Kiss of Death

by Auryn Hadley

  "Won't happen," I assured him. "Mine's not nearly as comfortable as the ones at your place."

  Nick dropped his head and laughed as Luke disappeared. "They like you."

  "Is that abnormal?"

  He nodded. "A bit. Now that we don't have to marry a girl to get her naked, it's a lot safer to vanish before the inconsistencies show up."

  "Then why hasn't either of them brought home a girl yet?" So far, the only woman I'd seen around them was the one Sam had at the bar, and I was pretty sure he hadn't taken her home.

  Nick leaned over and kissed my neck. "Because they've been focused on you."

  I groaned, knowing it was true. "Remind me again why they don't hate me?"

  He kissed a little higher. "Because you're charming, beautiful, and willing to help save our world."

  I pushed him away gently, enjoying the attention but wanting to get the moving done. "Ok. That's a fair point, but I still feel bad for cock-blocking them."

  He chuckled. "Pretty sure you're not the only one to blame. A bit of that is on my shoulders too."

  "Well, then I'll just have to make sure my boyfriend doesn't regret it."

  He caught the back of my neck and leaned closer. "It's been four hundred and eighteen years since I was one of those, and that was just to stop a war. I 'accidentally' died before we had to get married. I promise, Sia, I don't regret any of this."

  My guts flipped in excitement, but I tried not to show it. "Over four hundred years, huh?"

  "Yeah."

  "No wonder you're so good in bed. Lots of pent-up frustration." Time to change the subject before I got all mushy. "And what are you moving, since I can't exactly slip through the corridor yet?"

  He released me and backed toward the bathroom. "Girly things. I'm pretty sure there's something embarrassing in these cabinets."

  "Tampons," I called after him. "Razors, maxi-pads, and face cream. All sorts of embarrassing things."

  He pulled open the medicine cabinet. "Birth control?"

  "Nope."

  He paused. "Sia?"

  "They make that in shots now. Don't really keep it in the house."

  I watched his shoulders relax, and he sighed. "You just scared the shit out of me, dove."

  Laughing, I turned to the kitchen. "Consider it payback. You already mentioned you have no interest in kids, and I'm not ready to even think about it yet. You're safe, Nick."

  ∞∞∞

  While the guys worked on carrying stuff through the corridor, I was rummaging in the cabinets, filling a box with things I wanted to keep. A few coffee mugs from art museums, a very large insulated travel mug, and a hand-painted plate that one of my foster sisters had made for my twelfth birthday all went in. The cheap dishes and tarnished silverware stayed. I'd climbed onto the counter, sitting perched precariously on my knees, when I heard someone rap at the front door. A split second later, it creaked loudly as it opened.

  "Sienna?" I recognized the voice but couldn't quite place it. "Are you here?" the guy called out.

  "Who is it?" Annoyed at the intrusion, I hopped down and marched into the hall, pausing when I saw Aaron – my ex-boyfriend – standing in my living room. "What are you doing here?"

  "You moving out?"

  Damn it, why didn't I think to lock the door? "Remind me why you care again? Never mind that. Why did you think it was ok to just walk in?"

  He ran his tongue across his teeth, debating his answer. "You didn't return any of my calls. I came by last night, too, but it was locked. Look, can we talk?"

  "No. I blocked your number. In case you forgot, we broke up!" I stared at him in complete disbelief. "You were messing around with that chick in the bar, then you pushed me, and you think I'd want to talk to you?"

  He sighed, his eyes on the ground. "Look, the guys started drinking early, and well, I had too many –"

  "Not fucking good enough. Get out of my house and don't ever walk in it again."

  "Can we just talk about this?"

  Heavy steps approached behind me. "No," Nick said.

  "Who the fuck are you?" Aaron demanded.

  Nick's voice was cold when he answered. "Your replacement."

  Aaron looked from Nick, to me, then back. "You're the bastard from the parking lot." His hands curled into fists at his side as he turned back to me. "Don't you dare act like I did anything wrong, you little slut. The same guy from the bar is here, and you're fucking him now?"

  "Yeah," I snapped, stepping into his face. "The guy that stood up for me asked for a date. Guess it's a lot better way to get laid than trying to smack your bitch around. Maybe you should try it."

  "Sia," Nick warned, "don't touch him."

  "Not gonna. Bastard doesn't deserve it."

  Outside, a man laughed, his voice ringing like chimes. "That isn't what he meant, little girl." He leaned against the open door frame, a beam of sunlight making his hair glisten like white gold, and he smiled. "Here I was hoping you'd be alone."

  "Michael," Nick growled, pulling me back beside him.

  "Is it Nick?" Mike taunted, completely ignoring Aaron. "Is that the one you're using now?"

  "This year," Nick said, lifting his chin.

  "Hmm, gave up on Satan?"

  I could hear Nick's teeth grinding. "You made sure that lost its appeal."

  Mike chuckled, his voice too charming. I wanted to claw his eyes out. "Aaron said his girlfriend fell into the wrong crowd." He looked at me and smiled, but it wasn't kind. "Do you even know what you're playing with? These demons will steal your soul and damn you to Hell."

  I laughed, seeing through his false charm so easily. "There is no Hell, asshole."

  "Hm." He gestured for Aaron to come closer. My ex obeyed like a drugged puppy. "I see what you mean. She's completely brainwashed. What do you think we should do?"

  "Get her away from him," Aaron mumbled, sounding like he was quoting it.

  "Brilliant idea." Mike shifted his gaze back to me. "Such a wonderful plan. I'm afraid it's going to take a few more buddies, though. I doubt they'll go down easily."

  Nick pushed himself before me, the fingers of one hand splayed before his thigh. "There are not enough angels in the world to take her from me, Michael, but I dare you to try. We'll drain all of you back to dust."

  "We?" Mike laughed. "You have a lot of faith in that pet of yours. Is this like the thing with the fairy? I assure you, now that we know there's a Muse, the poor thing doesn't stand a chance. We'll either keep you running, or we'll get her, so you might as well just give up."

  Through the open door, I could see more men walking into my yard, approaching from all sides. I counted six but had a feeling there were more. Even if Luke and Sam returned, we'd still be outnumbered. Aaron just stood there, his blank eyes watching the wall like an empty shell.

  "She's nothing like the fairy," Nick said softly. "I'm not going to let you kill this one."

  "This one?" Mike looked at me, trying to distract us while his friends closed in. "This one? You honestly believe she'll be loyal to you?"

  "Fuck off," I said. "Nick, angels on all sides. We need to go."

  "You can't," Mike purred. "You hit the corridor and you're ours. It took us a bit to break the wards, but you've been a good girl and kept him distracted. I had the Seraphim keep all of them except the protections against us, and Satan's ego meant he never suspected a thing. Go ahead, Satan. Look. He knows it's true. He also knows why Samyaza and Lucifer aren't back yet."

  "There's more," Nick told me. "Probably ten on this plane, and at least that many in the corridor. He's just biding time until more mind-fucked humans show up who can cross the threshold."

  "So you do remember this game." Mike braced an arm on each side of the open door. "Give me the Muse, Satanael, and I'll forget you were ever here."

  "Do it, Nick." I moved to his side, sliding my hand in his.

  Mike shook his head. "Slip, and we'll yank her from your grasp. She'll be lost in the winds between worlds forever, and you don
't want to risk that." He held his hand out to me. "Or you can come willingly. I won't hurt your lover if you give yourself up."

  Nick looked down at me, his eyes sad. "You can't drain them all, Sia, and he knows it. That means they've stored aether, knowing you'll drop a few of them."

  "So you're just going to let me go with him?" I felt his fingers tighten on mine. Any more and he'd bruise the skin. "Everything you said about showing me the mysteries of the universe? Was that just a lie?"

  "I can't fight them all," he whispered.

  I nodded, looking deep into his eyes. "I see how it is. You told me all those things, over and over, and none of it matters."

  I didn't mean any sweet promises like I wanted Mike to think. I meant the stories about other worlds. How he looked as a demon wouldn't bother me, not even if he was hideous. Nothing mattered except getting away from these angels, and I hoped he understood.

  His eyes flicked to my mouth then back to my eyes. "Yeah."

  "Don't try it, Satanael," Mike said, pushing as far into the door as he could stand. "We will find you. It's impossible to hide her."

  Nick tugged, pulling me against his chest as we slipped across the veil. His hands clamped around me before the corridor even came into focus. Dozens of shimmering, winged men immediately moved to surround us. One grabbed for me, but Nick was too fast. He took another step back.

  I nearly cried out at the feeling of falling, but Nick's arms around me assured me I was safe. My eyes squeezed closed. The winds buffeted my body, almost as if it was trying to pull me from his grasp, feeling like hands on my arms. I wondered if it was the angels and hoped Nick knew what he was doing. It didn't take long, but those eight heartbeats felt like an eternity.

  Suddenly, the feeling of the air changed and Nick staggered, leather snapping as he released me. My lids were pressed tight against the glare of the brilliant sun, but I planned to keep them like that. Unfortunately, without Nick's arms around me, I had no balance; we'd moved too quickly. Without looking, I couldn't compensate for the lack of movement, but this wasn't how I was supposed to see the real Nick. This hadn't been planned, and keeping my eyes closed seemed like the best way to prove my trust.

  I still knew I wasn't on Earth. Hot summer sun pounded on my back as I dropped to my knees, hearing the breath of wind in the distance and sounds I couldn't recognize as either animal or insect. Even the smells were different! Something pungent and almost like citrus tainted everything. It smelled more like broken pine needles than fruit, but was pleasant in its purity.

  Hearing Nick move behind me, I slowly opened my eyes, keeping my gaze on the ground. Deep green sand, like crystals of jade, pooled around my legs, soft and cool. A lilac sky framed the edge of my view. It was like a fantasy. Everything was so close to what I knew, but whimsical and amazing. I laughed, shoving my hands deep in the verdant crystals, looking up for a cloud, wondering what color it would be.

  "Sia?" Nick asked, taking a step toward my back. The sand slushed softly. "You ok?"

  "Yeah. Which world is this?"

  "Vesdar." Leather shifted.

  "This is Vesdar?" My voice dripped with awe.

  "Yeah. We've got a bit, but it won't take them long to figure out what world we shifted to." He took another slow step, keeping behind me. "To get you home, I need to touch you again."

  I let the grains slip through my fingers, filling the other hand full. "Nick?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Do you want me to close my eyes again?" I released another handful, entranced with the variations of green and the soft feel of it. "I don't think I'll care, but I know you're worried."

  He stepped closer and crouched down behind me. One strong hand touched my shoulder. I didn't look at it, keeping my eyes on the unnaturally colored sand. His fingers brushed my neck and I heard that strange rustle again. It was impossible to hide my smile.

  "I just found you," he said softly. "I don't want to lose you already."

  "It's going to take a lot more than green beaches and purple skies to scare me off, Nick. Unlike your last girlfriend, I've watched movies."

  A long, muscled tail flicked around me, laying directly in my field of view. The tip was flattened, nearly diamond shaped, and the skin was the color of clear moonlight, so pale it looked like ice. I held out my hand, hoping to touch it, and he moved the end toward me, lifting it into my open palm. The skin was soft and the flared end was supple, nothing like the spike it resembled. As my hand caressed it, his tail curled around my wrist, clasping it as easily as his own fingers would.

  "That's amazing," I breathed. "You're so soft."

  He moved just a bit closer. Slipping his arms around my waist, he pressed his lips next to my ear. "I will never hurt you, Sia. Do you trust me?"

  "I do. Completely." I smiled and lifted his tail to my lips, kissing the gentle bend across the back of my palm.

  He took a quick breath. "Please don't be afraid."

  Leather rustled again and pale wings moved around us. One was held open, the other brushed against my knee. "Are they sensitive?" I asked.

  He chuckled. "Yeah, but not very delicate."

  Reaching up slowly, I felt the bones just under the skin then slid my hand down the flight membrane. It was like buttery leather, nearly as smooth as silk. At the next joint, a claw twitched, drawing my eye, and I tugged the wing back as if it were an arm, wanting to see more. Shifting it exposed a thumb and forefinger. The remaining digits made up the expanse of his wing.

  "It's beautiful," I breathed, turning to the open wing. "Like stained glass but as soft as silk!" I laughed, brushing my palm against the membrane. "I want to paint this!"

  His tail tensed, pulling me to the right. "You're not scared?"

  "No. You're beautiful. What am I supposed to be scared of?"

  "The Devil." His hand slid down my shoulder, resting on my bicep. "Did you want to see the horns?"

  I nodded. "More than anything."

  "Turn around, Sia."

  Slowly, I did, my eyes trailing across his body. He wore dark pants and tall boots – I still didn't get how that worked – but his arms and chest were bare. His skin was a uniform color, the wards present even in this form. Except for that, Nick looked just as he had before. The same size, the same build, with what almost seemed to be a second set of biceps extending from behind and below his shoulder blades.

  They made the base of wings, giving them the same functionality as his arms. He didn't quite have bat wings, but more like really large, webbed hands. The soft leather started at what I could only describe as his second elbows, leaving room for his wings to tuck tightly to his back. Peeling my eyes from them, I looked up, my eyes trailing up his throat to his full lips, lingering in his dark, star-filled eyes until I saw the horns. Then I smiled, reaching up to caress one.

  Four of them grew from his head. Two were paired above his forehead, curving back just above his skull. The other two began just above his ears and curled like a ram's, the points hanging at the edge of his jaw. Beneath and between them, his long hair was closer to midnight blue, but exactly as thick and lush as I remembered.

  "You're beautiful," I gasped, letting my fingers slide along one of the lower horns. "Holy shit, I expected something atrocious."

  He ducked his head to hide the boyish smile, exposing a long, nearly elf-like ear. Two rings pierced the top, making me wonder what other adornments he wore. I tugged at his horn, turning his head back to me. Even without an iris, I could somehow tell when the stars focused on my face. Nick's gaze looked shocked.

  "You're ok with this?" he asked.

  I could only thing of one way to explain how I felt. Leaning closer, I kissed him, pressing him back into the jewel-toned sand. "I like this better than the other version."

  Chapter 27

  He pulled me across his chest, clinging to me tightly. One taloned hand trailed across my shoulder blade, the other palmed the back of my neck. Then he kissed me. Desperately. I felt long fingers on my lower back, a th
umb hooked into the loop of my jeans and, slowly, his tail caressed the back of my calf. I sucked in a breath, realizing those long fingers were his wings, and pulled back just far enough to look over my shoulder.

  "I'm sorry," he gasped, releasing me.

  I grabbed a horn and pulled his face closer. "Stop that. You're sexy, and I'm not afraid of you, ok?" I grinned. "It's hard to be scared of a guy that flinches every time I dare to look at him."

  He reached for my face, claw-like nails slipping through the hair at my temple. "I'm trying, but we've been terrifying to humans for thousands of years, dove. You're supposed to scream and run from me, not want to kiss me."

  "Or wonder if lying on your wings hurts?" I tilted my head to the side. "Or be surprised they work like hands?"

  His forehead wrinkled and the bright points in his eyes swirled. "How are they supposed to work?"

  I kissed him again, my lips tight with a smile. "I don't know. I've never had any and I'm curious! It's a little strange, but you look like you, just with some amazing special effects, so stop worrying."

  Finally, he laughed. Pushing me onto my back, his body loomed over mine. This time, he was all demon. A massive, splendid, magnificent demon, more perfectly designed than anything I could've imagined.

  Slowly, he spread his wings like a vulture shielding its feast, letting the shade cover us both. "No, it doesn't hurt to lay on them any more than it hurts to lie on your shoulders." He flexed the tips, closing the winged fingers, then opened them again. "Thumb," he wiggled the short, thickly clawed digit. "First finger." That was the longer grasping claw beside it. "And the rest of the fingers." The soft leather folded and expanded again before he shrugged – lifting his winged shoulders, not those of his arms. "They're just like hands but with longer fingers."

  Lying on my back, pinned by a monster from biblical nightmares, I lifted my hand without fear. "And you can grip with them?"

  "Yeah, a bit." His right wing took my hand, moving beneath his natural arm.