Midnight Burn: a New Adult Paranormal Romance Novel (Gothic Angels)

by Ashur Rose

  “I told you there is nothing you could do to me that would warrant an apology. And I meant that,” he managed.

  Lilith didn’t respond. She grew even heavier. He didn’t need to glance down to know she was unconscious.

  Finally, he made it through the last of the snaking passages, and his feet slowed to a jog. He entered the portal chamber. On the ceiling, the polluted gyre of the portal was spinning in on itself. The wound in the earthly dimension was healing and nearly closed.

  Iain gazed up, the portal seeming a mile high. He didn’t have it in him to fly Lilith’s dead weight and his own massive stone frame, so high.

  Legs leaden, he quickened to a run, unfurling and expanding the webs of his wings. He pumped them once, twice, feeling no lift. Phyrss damn him, he couldn’t get off the ground.

  Nearing the end of everything, he caught a smoking breath of air from the tunnels and turned, filling his wings, and heaving with so much force, he thought his scapulae and spine would break.

  He was airborne.

  Each pumping beat lifted him only inches. Lungs a bellows, back muscles in fierce knots, he drove upward, an unbidden cry of terror and effort escaping past his lips. Above, the swirling gateway contracted further. He was off target now. Correcting course nearly sent him plunging to the ground.

  With furious, panicked flaps, he continued the climb. The portal hardly looked large enough to allow entry, even as he neared. Not knowing if the closing portal would cut both of them in half, or perhaps forever trap them between the Earthly realm and The Nether, Iain forced his way through. A thunderous sound echoed in his head. He caught the auras of his brothers before crumpling to the floor, Lilith spilling from his arms, screaming until he blacked out.

  A slap rocked his head and Iain awoke to crushing pain.

  “Stay Dryg,” Raze shouted at him before he could morph.

  He managed to get a word past his clenched teeth. “Hurts!”

  “Abrupt change in temperature. You’re in danger of cracking, maybe exploding. But if you change to flesh, your wounds will bleed you dry and the poison will kill you in minutes. Hang on, Iain.”

  “I need to heal Lilith,” he managed, crawling toward her still form.

  Raze stopped him, only his hand motile stone. “There’s no time, and you’re not up to it. Not with sorainese in your system. You need to find a perch. The sun comes up in twenty minutes.”

  Iain shook his brother off. “She could die.”

  “I know a mage,” Cree offered. “An Undine. I met her at the Sanctum last time. It won’t be as thorough as a pure healing, but she’ll be okay until you heal.”

  The slow contracting of his flesh ground on as Iain’s body cooled, steam rising in the air.

  “Get her to Iain’s place,” Steele said. Iain watched as he moved across the warehouse floor, his flesh becoming stone, his body growing with the change.

  “I’ll get this one to a safe perch. No way he can do it on his own. Not with those wounds.” Steele helped Iain to his feet.

  “You okay, brother?” Iain whispered. “The Bromork—“

  “Being cursed by a monster form is like buying a gun. You gotta use it once in a while. Otherwise, it gets rusty. Come on.” Steele led Iain to the broken door and out into the brightening dark.

  Iain gave a final look back, seeing Cree and Bane bundling Lilith in the trench coats they’d abandoned before descending into The Nether.

  “Can you get airborne, brother?”

  Iain shrugged. “I barely got us through the portal.”

  “Take my hand. I’ll fly us tandem.”

  Iain hadn’t flown tandem since he’d matured enough to fly. He reached out. “I thought Lilith wasn’t your bitch, Steele. Why’d you come back for her?”

  “Came back for you. Maybe I got issues, but abandoning my brothers in The Nether? Ain’t one of them.” With that he pulled Iain into a run.

  His legs throbbed, his skin still crackling and condensing. He barely managed to get a breath in his veined wings as Steele hauled him skyward.

  Below, the ground shrank to a grid, Iain disoriented and weak, wings alone unable to keep him aloft. Steele didn’t bother with much altitude. Instead, he thrust his wings against the air, dragging Iain northward.

  Five miles later, they landed, Iain unable to keep his feet under him. He rolled across a rooftop. When he raised his head, he recognized the door to his loft. Steele had brought him home.

  Below, he saw a cab pull up. Cree and Raze carried Lilith between them into the old warehouse.

  Steele stood with arms folded facing the pink sky reflected on the lake.

  With heavy motions, Iain brought himself to a kneeling perch at the corner of the rooftop. “She tried to leave me, Steele. Maybe I was wrong about her.”

  His brother didn’t turn. “Humans. Fucking fragile as hell. Nothing you can do about that. You just need to get some sun on your stone. Get those sorainese wounds healed. You can deal with the rest of your mess later.”

  With that, Steele spread his veined wings wide and with a few steps caught the last of the night winds and soared toward his perch.

  Iain knelt, becoming still. The sun would soon spread its first rays, locking him into statue stillness for the duration of the day. He thought about Lilith leaving him—despite their bond. Would she run again once she was healed enough? A rogue tear rolled down his cheek at the thought, turning to stone as his shadow appeared on the rooftop.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  LILITH

  LILITH WOKE AND FROZE in place. She’d been hurt, and hurt bad. Moving in her half-doze would send screaming torment through her. When she felt awake enough, she very gently moved her arm to test her limits.

  There was pain—but only a deep soreness, as if she’d worked out for the first time in a while. She lifted her knees, feeling the same. She opened her eyes to a coloring sky. How she had returned to Iain’s loft, she didn’t know.

  “Feeling better?” A female voice rippled, startling her.

  Lilith sat up, pulling the covers over herself. From the bench near a dresser, a very thin woman rose, smiling. Her features were soft with high cheekbones and a slightly hooked nose. Shimmering black hair hung straight down, glossy as if wet. Or was it actually wet? She might have thought the woman was First Nation except for the pale blue of her skin.

  “Who are you?”

  “Alanis. I’m an Undine. Well, technically, I’m a Limnad.” She shrugged. “Lake Michigan, the Mississippi, lots of nymphs around. Cree sent for me to heal you. I couldn’t do the whole job—we’re not the same species—but at least those cuts on your forehead won’t scar.”

  Lilith’s hands went automatically there. She felt nothing but smooth skin. “Thank you.”

  Alanis reached down and took Lilith’s wrist. After a moment, she let go and lay her hand across Lilith’s cheek. “Pulse is good, no fever. I think my work is done here.”

  “How can I repay you?”

  She waved a hand in dismissal. “No need. This is on Cree Bane.”

  “Oh, are you two…?”

  “Fooling around?” Alanis laughed. “Oh, no. An Undine needs a mate to be faithful for life if she wants to be immortal. A mate that’s unfaithful to an Undine?” She drew a finger across her neck, making a grating sound in her throat. “Cree is not the faithful type.”

  Lilith half-smiled. “So I’ve gathered.”

  “Oh, before I go, these came for you.” Alanis grabbed some packages from the dresser top and left them on the bed. “Cree guessed your sizes. He’s got a pretty good eye for that.”

  Lilith opened a package, finding a blouse, skirt, and under garments that were her size exactly. The skirt was definitely on the short side, the top far too low-cut. When she opened a box of fuck-me pumps in her size, she realized this was Cree’s taste, for sure.

  “I’d better get back to the lake before I dry out. Nice meeting you.” With a wave, Alanis splashed to the floor like an emptied bucket of w
ater and vanished. Lilith rose from the bed. Not even a damp spot marked the place where the Undine had stood.

  “Speaking of drying out…” Lilith said out loud, heading for the shower. There wasn’t much time left before sunset. She needed to get ready.

  After toweling off, she finger-combed her dark hair. Lilith didn’t even own her own hairbrush anymore. She had no products or makeup, either, but that was fine for what she was about to do. Freshly dressed in the new clothes, she did a turn in front of the mirror. Lilith thought she looked better than she had a right to.

  Outside, the sky began to purple with the coming night. She didn’t have much time left at all. But she figured she had enough.

  She took the black steel spiral stairs up to the roof, finding a shed-sized structure at the top. Lilith opened the door, taking in the city. Lights were beginning to come on in surrounding buildings. To the east, Lake Michigan darkened to a deep navy blue. To the west, the sun hung, a swollen red circle shining past the glowering clouds.

  Iain perched on the southwest corner. Lilith had never seen him in perch before. He was beautiful, each line of his massive body classically sculpted, wings folded tightly against his back.

  She walked carefully across the roof, stopping near the edge. Lilith looked over the ledge. It was a long way down. Feeling a sense of vertigo, she stepped back.

  Keeping her eyes away from the drop, she edged over to Iain. She ran a hand over his granite skin. It was smooth to the touch and retained the heat of the sunlight.

  It creeped her out seeing him this way—frozen in place until the night fell. Iain looked like a guardian watching the city below. Lilith also thought he looked lonely.

  Well, things had to be the way things had to be.

  Moving as close to the edge as she dared, she looked at him from behind. The protruding brow ridge, the oversized cheek bones only emphasized the natural beauty of the features he wore in human form.

  She placed her hands on his shoulder. Could he sense her presence? Lilith certainly couldn’t feel anything of the living man in the sculpture. No pulse, no motion, the warmth of the day already fleeing.

  “Can you hear me, Iain?” she whispered in his carven ear. “Do you even know I’m here?”

  Between two buildings, she could see the steel river of Interstate 90. People on their way home from work. People on their way to a destination far from Chicago. Lilith sighed.

  “I doubt too many guys would go through hell for a girl,” she said. “Maybe you’re the only one.”

  Iain remained statue-still, inanimate. She gazed at the sculptured muscles, even the veins that crossed the backs of his hands. Perfection in stone, she thought.

  Shivering, she moved out on the cornice where he knelt, keeping a hand on his shoulder for balance. It probably wasn’t dangerous, but she could feel several stories of height tugging at her. From this angle, she could see his face in profile.

  A single teardrop had frozen on his cheek.

  Her vision blurred in sympathetic response, eyes prickling. Lilith blinked the tears away. She gathered herself.

  “Anyway.” She sighed. “I just came up here to say thank you. It couldn’t wait, not for something like this.”

  Birds flew home to roost, headlights gleaming from the iron rush of the interstate, the disc of the sun landing on the horizon. Night winds stirred in the canyons of Chicago. In a few moments, the dark would come.

  Lilith pressed into the stone form. “Thank you, Iain. For everything.”

  She leaned closer, planting a kiss between his shoulder blades. Then, with slow, heavy steps, she made her way back to the roof exit. With a final cast over her shoulder, she closed the door and descended the steps.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  IAIN & LILITH

  AT THE INSTANT THE sun set, Iain rose from his crouch. His shoulder ached, his calf burned. He saw the black, scabbed-over injuries. The sun had done its work in neutralizing the sorainese, but the weapons had cut deeply.

  Iain knew he ought to have transformed to full Dryg form and heal himself. But the warmth of a palm on his skin still lingered. So did the heady scent of black currant. Lilith had been up here.

  Probably for a final goodbye.

  Iain ignored his hurts and hurried toward the roof door. He could sense her nearby. If Lilith had run away again, she hadn’t gotten very far. Thundering down the spiral stairs, he called out, “Lilith?”

  Receiving no response, he hurried to the laundry room and found jeans still in the dryer. He couldn’t remember where his trench coat was. It might still be on the floor of the building that housed the portal. He went to the closet, finding an almost identical one.

  Clothing in hand, he grabbed a pair of boots and got ready to head out. He wondered where she would have gone and in which direction. Didn’t she realize the shades would still be stalking her?

  “Hey, big guy.”

  He dropped his burdens at the sound of her voice. Lilith stood in the sitting area, slowly sidling to the far side of the couch.

  “Lilith—I thought…” Head spinning, he approached her.

  From the far side of the sofa, she cocked her head and one hip. “You thought what? You go to Hell for a girl, and you thought she wouldn’t stick around?” Her eyes softened on his. “I need you to listen to me.”

  Iain moved to the couch, starting around to Lilith’s side. She moved away, step for step, in concert. “I’m listening.”

  “I have some baggage. Relationship issues. Sometimes I need some space and you have to respect that.”

  He nodded. “Not too much, I hope.”

  “Iain,” she chided.

  “Space. Okay.” He took a step toward the back of the couch. Lilith took a step toward the front.

  “Also, I have a real problem with authority. You don’t get to boss me around. If you do, it’s a total turn off. Back to needing space.”

  Iain continued to circle. Lilith continued to circle away. “Fine. You can boss me around.”

  “I need you to take this seriously.”

  “I am, della.” He kept his eyes on her form, dying to feel her skin under his hands. “I hear you.”

  She frowned, keeping the same distance between them. “No more making decisions for me.”

  “I don’t want anything to come between us, Lilith.”

  Lilith nodded. “Good. I’ve been thinking a lot about this covenant deal.”

  “Me too.” Iain reached down and took the arm of the couch in both hands. With a quick motion, he flung the sofa into the middle of the room effortlessly. “That’s why I don’t want anything to come between us.”

  In an instant, he took her in his arms.

  “Anything?” she asked.

  Iain pulled the top over her head and tossed it after the couch. He nuzzled her neck, giving her a gentle nip. His big hands moved to her bra and unhooked it. “Anything at all.”

  Her breasts responded immediately to his caresses, his kisses. Lilith’s breathing deepened. Iain hooked his fingers in the waist of her skirt and yanked it down. Dropping to his knees, he removed her panties as well. With playful licks and kisses over her stomach, he reached up. Fast but gently, he picked her off her feet and lay her on the floor.

  Lilith flung her arms around Iain’s neck, pressing her lips against his. The heat of his mouth against hers intoxicated her. She inhaled his breaths, welcomed his tongue. Her hands roved over his muscular back, lower to his firm ass, gripping the flesh. His cock went stiff against her, and she responded with an instant, craving wetness.

  Iain broke the kiss, his lips roving downward. His kisses were like electric jolts on her nipples, his tongue like fire on the soft skin of her breast. Lower he moved, hands and mouth over her flat stomach.

  Shivering at his touch, she clenched his hair and pulled him up to face her. It was time he started listening to what she had to say.

  “Lay on your back.”

  His hungry eyes devoured her. The sight made her qui
ver even more. Still, she pulled hard on his black hair. “On. Your. Back.”

  Feral eyes narrowed, but Iain relented with a smirk.

  Lilith parted her thighs over his face, while her mouth loomed above his stiff cock. She looked over her shoulder at him. “The first time you went down on me, you made me a wreck.” Sliding forward, she glanced between her legs, she saw Iain bare his teeth, fangs fully descended. “Time to return the favor.”

  Slowly, she lowered herself, spreading her wet folds over his mouth. His hands gripped her, fingers splayed over her outer thighs. At the first touch of his tongue, she sucked in a breath.

  Iain stroked her, and Lilith ground her pussy into his face. Tiny, nonsensical words escaped her throat as he pleasured her. She leaned forward, putting her weight on him, sliding her hands down the length of his body.

  When both hands reached his hips, she leaned close, her tongue moving down the length of his shaft. Pleasure rising from the work of his mouth, Lilith put her own to work. He groaned as she sucked and jacked him, hissed where her teeth gently grazed.

  In a few moments, she felt a tremor in his cock. She withdrew, gripping the base of his shaft tightly, although her hand didn’t fit all the way around. Iain groaned into her, the vibration inspiring the first ripple of her orgasm. She let out a high-pitched sound somewhere between a cry and praying.

  She remained rigid and shaking for a few long moments. Iain moved out from under her and rolled her onto her back.

  He kissed her hard, tasting her juices against his lips. His hard cock pressed against her stomach. As their kiss deepened, he pressed his length against her slit, rocking gently back and forth.

  She broke the kiss, gasping, “I need you inside me.”

  Iain had waited too long for this moment to hesitate any further. He ran his hand over her pussy and brought it to his nose, taking in her scent with shaky breaths. “Fuck, Lilith,” he moan, taking each of his fingers into his mouth and licking her wetness from them. “Can you smell that?” He didn’t have the words to describe it because there were no words. It was only her. “Makes me want to fuck you so hard.” He positioned himself at her entrance and slid his head inside her.