Tempting Nora

by Evanston, A. M.

  Have faith, Gideon, she thought, staring deep into his eyes.

  "You'll hear her neck crack," Amon said, sounding a bit panicked now.

  Faith, Gideon, faith! she screamed in her mind.

  "You'll never look into her eyes again," Amon persisted.

  Faith!

  Even though it was impossible that he heard her thoughts, Gideon sunk to his knees.

  As Gideon lifted his head heavenward, she heard Amon mutter, "No, how can this be happening?"

  This is happening because God is more powerful that you'll ever be, she answered in her mind.

  "God, I'm sorry for my sins with all of my heart," Gideon said. "I turned my back on you because I lost my faith. I know that I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I'm doing so anyway. Please, God, forgive me."

  Nora wasn't sure what she expected. A choir of angels, maybe, or at least light coming from the ceiling. Instead there was nothing. Still, despite the lack of fireworks, she knew one thing for certain—she'd done her job. Gideon was going to be saved because God always forgave no matter what.

  When she smiled against Amon's palm, the demon hissed in rage.

  "You'll regret this, woman," Amon growled, releasing her mouth and wrapping both hands around her neck again.

  Even as terror shot through her, she had to say one last thing.

  "I won't regret this. You can kill my body, but you can never have the most important part of me—my soul," Nora said. "God is the only one who'll ever have claim to that."

  Amon was so angry he was shaking. She could feel awful pressure on her neck. As she cried in pain, Gideon's eyes widened in horror.

  "God, give me the power to save her," Gideon said.

  Just as she was prepared to hear her own neck snap, she heard something else instead—a loud sigh that echoed throughout the basement. Even Amon, who'd been intent on murdering her, stopped. She looked up, wondering what had caused the strange sound. It was as if the earth had exhaled. Or maybe, just maybe, it was God. Perhaps he'd breathed a sigh so loud that everyone in the room could hear. At that moment, she was willing to believe it.

  "Nora," Gideon cried, taking a step toward her.

  "Don't you dare come closer." Amon backed up, still holding her tight.

  At that moment she heard an ear-splitting groan. The ground trembled at her feet and the walls creaked all around her. It was an earthquake. She thought of Gideon and the woman he'd failed to save. Panicking, she looked deep into his eyes.

  "Gideon," she cried, reaching out to him.

  Unfortunately, the earth shook so hard that the only reason she remained upright was because Amon was holding onto her. Strange cracking sounds came from below. She looked down, her eyes wide, just as thin crevasses appeared on the floor. The fissures became wider and wider, deeper and deeper. Even Amon yelped as the earth split. The demon released her, sending her flying to the floor. Her hip hit the cement, making her cry in pain.

  Still her agonies were the least of her worries. She watched as the fissure widened and Amon, Kali, and the other demons were swallowed by an impossibly deep hole. Yet she experienced no relief as they disappeared. No, the earth was still shaking, terrifying her to her very core. As she panicked, she heard yet another loud cracking sound. A slab of ceiling the size of her head was about to break lose.

  She found the time to glance at Gideon just before the ceiling crumbled. The moment the slab broke free from the ceiling, time slowed down.

  Nora screamed as she covered her face. In that suspended moment in time, she didn't cry out alone. It was as if her voice was joined by another woman's. Unfortunately, impending doom allowed her little time to contemplate such a phenomenon. She expected to feel impact coming from above, but instead something hit her from the side instead. When her eyes snapped open, she realized that the force she'd felt was Gideon scooping her up in his arms. The piece of ceiling landed on the ground exactly where her head had been moments earlier.

  "I've got to get you out of here," Gideon said.

  As she buried her face in his neck, Gideon carried her out of the room and up some steps. He brought her down a foreign hallway and then burst outside. The moment they were safe, he laid her on the grass. She looked up, shielding her eyed from what she believed was the sun, but then realized it was still dark out. The bright light she was seeing was coming from Gideon.

  While Gideon kneeled at her side, wings unfurled from his back. Showers of black feathers rained down upon her. Once the black feathers were stolen by the breeze, his white wings glowed gloriously. And it wasn't just his wings that glowed. No, it was all of him. His light was being restored. God had answered her prayers—and his too.

  "Thank you," Nora said, staring heavenward.

  At that moment, the earth sighed again. The world stopped shaking and everything came to a standstill. Nora, her breathing ragged, slowly sat up, even as her head throbbed. She met Gideon's eyes and felt every inch of her body fill with the most all-consuming love she'd ever known.

  "Gideon, you're glowing," she said.

  "What?" Gideon cocked his head.

  "Look at you." She somehow managed to smile, even as tears streamed down her cheeks. "And look at you wings."

  Gideon tilted his head enough to see his white feathers.

  "I look like I did back when I was good," Gideon said.

  "Oh, Gideon." As her bottom lip quivered, she reached out and stroked the side of his face. "You've always been good. God wouldn't have tried to save you otherwise."

  As Gideon gazed into her eyes, his face filled with sadness.

  "I'm sorry that I lied to—"

  Before he could even finish, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.

  "It's okay," she said. "Everything's okay."

  Gideon wrapped his arms around her too. In that moment, she felt as though she was coming home.

  ****

  Nora didn't know how long Gideon held her in his arms. It could have been seconds or it could have been hours. All she knew was that she could no longer see his wings and that her panic was gone, leaving her exhausted instead of jittery. She pulled back, her hand trembling, as she gazed into Gideon's face.

  "I think I owe you an apology for running away from you," she said. "When I saw your wings, I freaked out. I couldn't think clearly."

  Gideon traced her cheek with his finger.

  "I expected you to panic when you learned what I was," Gideon said. "Who would accept something like this without getting upset?"

  "A crazy person," she said.

  "Well, you're pretty crazy, so maybe you should have accepted it," he said.

  "Hey." She punched him in the shoulder, even though she embraced him again seconds later.

  As she laid her head against Gideon's chest, he curled his fingers in her hair.

  "Does this mean we're okay?" Gideon asked.

  Nora pulled back just enough to look him in the eye.

  "We're more than okay," she said.

  "Oh, Nora," he said. "I'm so glad."

  Gideon slowly bent his head to kiss her—she had a feeling he was giving her the opportunity to reject his kiss—and she shut her eyes. He took her mouth gently, his lips moving against her own. As she was overwhelmed by rapture, she melted against him in a way that was sheer perfection. She ran her fingers along the base of his scalp, feeling the tickle of his hair against her fingers.

  I'm kissing an angel, she thought in disbelief.

  Still she didn't care what he was. All that mattered was that Gideon was the one who she loved, the one who loved her in return. As she sighed against him, their lips dancing to the song of Gideon's kiss, she groaned. There were no more secrets forming a barrier between them. No, it was just her and him, loving one another desperately.

  Nora wouldn't have had it any other way.

  As she held him close, Gideon's mouth journeyed from her lips up to her cheek. His kisses were feather light and his breath was soft enough to tickle. W
hile he tenderly stroked her neck, his lips meandered along her jaw, her forehead, and even over her delicate eyelids. He treated her as if she was made from porcelain. Still those tender touches were enough to make her winded. His soft, soothing pecks finally came to a stop as he rested his forehead against hers. With a sigh, she placed her hands on his shoulders, loving how they rose and fell with each breath.

  "I was so scared I was going to lose you," Gideon said. "I thought I knew fear before tonight, but now I know I never really did."

  "I felt the same way," she said. "When I learned what Amon was going to do to you, I wanted to claw his eyes out."

  The words made Gideon still against her.

  "Were you really willing to die for me?" he asked. "When Amon threatened to kill you, you didn't even flinch."

  "I was willing to die as long as I could save you," Nora said. "To be honest, I was barely thinking about myself at all. My mind was only on you."

  Gideon looked awed by her words.

  "You really still love me, don't you?" he asked.

  At that moment, she did something she never thought she'd do. She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her chest, wanting him to feel the pounding of her heart.

  "I still love you," she said. "Whatever you are, it doesn't matter to me."

  Gideon searched her face for only a millisecond before capturing her lips once again. This time his kiss was passionate and dripping with love. She could feel his devotion seeping into her skin, mending the broken parts of her that had been shattered. As he kissed her, his fingers dug deeper into the skin over her heart. At that moment she was certain he could feel that her blood pulsed only for him. By the time he pulled away, she was breathless all over again. And she could tell by the hurried rise and fall of his chest that he was in the same boat.

  It was unfortunate that he chose that time to run his hand over the back of her head, making her suck in air and wince. She'd half forgotten about the bump.

  "You're injured," he said, seeing her pain.

  "Kali hit me." She ran her fingers over her skull. "I'll live, though."

  "We should go to the hospital to make sure it isn't anything serious," he said.

  "I think I'm okay." It just hurts like the dickens.

  "We should still go." Gideon stood up and pulled her to her feet too.

  "Wait," she said. "You're an angel, right?"

  Gideon met her eyes and nodded.

  "Don't you have some sort of magic to make the bump go away?" She waved her finger like it was a wand.

  Gideon laughed and gently kissed her on the forehead.

  "Is that a no?" She raised an eyebrow.

  "It's a definite no," he said. "There are some things I can do and some things I can't. Unfortunately, magical healing is beyond my range of capabilities."

  "Bummer." She winced.

  Gideon tugged her forward a step, but she dug her heels into the ground.

  "Wait," she said. "What about Amon and Kali?"

  "What about them?" Even saying their names made Gideon tense.

  "What if they come back?" she asked. "They have wings. Just because they fell down a pit doesn't mean that they can't come flying right back out again."

  "I'm pretty sure that wasn't just any pit they fell into," Gideon said.

  "You mean they fell to…to…hell?" She clapped her hand over her mouth in horror.

  "Yep." Gideon nodded. "God created that earthquake. It wasn't some random natural disaster."

  "Just in case, shouldn't we at least check the basement before we leave?" She wanted to make sure she wasn't going to have to endure something like this ever again.

  "You aren't going to let it go until we do, huh?" Gideon said.

  "Yeah." She nodded.

  Gideon knew her so well.

  "Stick close to me," he warned her.

  "Why?" A tremor of fear ran through her.

  "I'm worried the ceiling might crumble," Gideon said. "That house wasn't in good shape before the earthquake, so it definitely isn't safe now."

  "I wonder who the house belongs to, anyway," she said.

  "Who knows?" Gideon shrugged.

  "Amon," she said.

  Gideon raised an eyebrow.

  "What?" She frowned. "He does know."

  A grin crossed his face. He kissed the back of her hand.

  "Oh, how I missed you," he said.

  "We were apart for less than eight hours," she pointed out.

  "It felt like years," he said. "I'm never going to leave your side again."

  "For once, I don't have any complaints," she said. "I don't want you to go anywhere."

  "Good." Gideon kissed her hand again.

  "Can we go check now?" She frowned at him. "My head really does hurt."

  "Okay, okay." Gideon led her to the house.

  After Nora followed Gideon inside, she trudged down the hall. Even being in the house again made her shiver. Gideon noticed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer. He was protecting her, caring for her. Oh, how she loved him. Her resolved was strengthened as he led her down the stairs.

  The moment she stepped into the basement, she gasped. She'd expected to see a pit in the floor leading deep into the center of the earth. Instead all she saw was a puny crevice. She stared into it, searching for even the tiniest deep fissure. She saw nothing, nothing at all.

  "What happened?" she asked. "The pit is gone."

  Gideon wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, holding her close.

  "God wouldn't leave a gateway to hell open," Gideon said. "He must have sealed it."

  "Wow," she said.

  "I told you we're safe," Gideon said. "Even if Amon manages to leave hell again, God will take care of him. I'm sure of it."

  She was silent as she remembered all that had happened. God had not only saved Gideon, but he'd saved her too. All of her unease dissolved in an instant. With God looking out for her, why should she fear Amon? God was far stronger than any demon.

  "You're right," she said. "We're safe."

  "Mmm-hmmm." Gideon kissed the top of her ear.

  "But Gideon…" She frowned into the pit.

  "Yeah?" Gideon said.

  "Do you remember anything odd happening during the earthquake?" she asked.

  "You mean besides the fact that God created an entrance to hell?" Gideon raised an eyebrow.

  "Yeah, besides that," she said.

  "I guess that depends on what you mean by odd." Gideon rested his chin on her shoulder.

  "When the ceiling was falling, I thought I heard another woman screaming," Nora said.

  Gideon stiffened and forced her to face him.

  "You heard it?" he asked.

  "Yeah." She nodded. "You heard it too?"

  "I did." Gideon nodded. "I saw something as well."

  "Really?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

  "Do you remember that woman who died in the earthquake?" Gideon asked.

  "Of course." How could she forget?

  "Well, for a moment I swore she was with you, waiting to be rescued," Gideon said. "I know she wasn't really there, but…"

  Gideon frowned, his eyes darkening.

  "But what?" She didn't like seeing such darkness in his eyes.

  "Part of the reason I turned bad was because I felt guilty about letting that woman die," Gideon said. "I didn't particularly like helping Amon, but I did it because I wanted to make myself miserable."

  "Oh," Nora said.

  "When the earthquake started, I rushed to save you. The thing is, though, I felt like I was also saving her, just like I should have done as her guardian angel," Gideon said. "It was as though I was redeeming myself."

  "That explains everything," she said. "God must have known about your guilt. He wanted to ease your suffering."

  "Indeed." Gideon shrugged. "A giant weight was lifted off of my shoulders because of that. It's as though I finally did my job, so now I have the right to be happy again."

  Sh
e placed her hands on his shoulders and stared into his face.

  "And are you happy?" she asked.

  "As long as you're by my side, I am," he said, holding her close.

  Ditto, Nora thought, shutting her eyes.

  Chapter Twenty

  The next day, Nora awoke in bed next to Gideon. As she glanced at the bedside clock, she thought, I was asleep for sixteen hours. That's the longest I've ever slept. Since she'd barely rested over the last couple of days, she wasn't surprised. She'd needed the sleep.

  As she let out a sigh, Gideon shifted beside her.

  "Are you finally awake?" Gideon asked.

  She met his eyes and was zapped with electricity. Holy Toledo, staring into his face right after waking up was enough to make her speechless. After she recovered, she managed a nod and propped herself up on her elbow. Gideon tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. After he gave a small smile, he leaned closer. He let his hand linger on the nape of her neck as he took her lips, giving her a kiss delicious enough to make her melt.

  When he pulled away, she was speechless.

  "How's your head?" Gideon asked, his lips still only a centimeter away from hers.

  "It's okay." She wasn't sure if her brain was swimming due to her injury or because Gideon was so close to her.

  "Do you want me to get the pain killers the doctor prescribed you?" Gideon asked.

  "No, it doesn't hurt that much." Her head only throbbed a little now, though she had no idea when the bump was going to disappear.

  "I'm glad to hear that." Gideon smiled at her mischievously. "Or else I would feel guilty."

  "Why would you feel guilty—"

  Before she could finish the sentence, Gideon rolled on top of her. As he nestled between her legs, he claimed her mouth. His hands explored every inch of her, making her squirm beneath him. In that moment, she felt as if she was being submerged under water. She was drowning in Gideon. His kiss was stealing her breath, her thoughts, her everything.

  His embrace was possessive and devoted, fierce and yet loving. He pressed her harder against the bed, making her heart pound frantically as she curled her fingers in his shirt. A strange, desperate ache attacked her insides. As she whimpered against his mouth, he grunted in response and tangled his fingers in her hair, being careful not to touch her injury.