Far From Center: An Imp World Novel

by Debra Dunbar

  Nyalla gasped, then she spun around and grabbed Gabe, hugging him tight.

  “I love you.” It just came out, spontaneous and ringing with the emotion and truth behind the words. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she was unable to keep herself from lifting her face and kissing him.

  She held back enough to stop a full-out, tongue-against-tongue passionate kiss, but it was far from chaste. And instead of pulling away, revolted that someone who had blood on her mouth was kissing him, Gabe wrapped his arms around her, gently kissing her back. His lips were soft, affectionate, and hinted at a barely restrained passion. He still wanted her. He was becoming more an angel by the hour, but he still wanted her. When she pulled away, his lips clung to hers, his eyes shining silver.

  “I’m sorry. I’m covered in Snip’s blood–”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” His hands caressed her shoulders, skimming down her arms. His silvery gray eyes met hers, and she saw something in their depths that took her breath away. Maybe angels didn’t have the same exact same emotions that humans did, but he clearly continued to care for her, to love her even as his humanity faded away. It was such a relief.

  “Thank you. Thank you for caring enough about Snip, about a Low demon, to heal him.”

  “I wish I could do more,” he said, his eyes intent on her face. “And I didn’t do it for him, I did it for you. I can’t stand to see you cry. Your emotional pain felt like someone stabbing me. I needed you not to cry. I needed you not to be sad. I’ve got no idea how I managed to heal him when I still feel like a human inside, but I’m glad that enough of my angel-self returned to help your friend.”

  “I’m still missing my fingers and toes,” Snip complained.

  “Oh shut up and be grateful, you stupid Low.” Terrelle kicked his foot, the one with all the toes. “It’s better than dead, isn’t it?”

  The Low smiled up at Gabriel. “Yes, it’s better than dead. Let’s go back to the hotel, because now that I’m not dead and I have a tongue, I have things to tell you.”

  Terrelle helped him up and covered the Low’s lower half with her swimsuit wrap. And as they walked down the sand toward the hotel, Nyalla could have sworn she heard Gabriel speak, his words barely there before the wind carried them away.

  She could have sworn he said “I love you, too.”

  Chapter 22

  Terrelle got to work back at Nyalla’s hotel room, mixing up a big batch of margaritas while Snip showered in the bathroom and put on some clothing. By the time he came out, Nyalla was ready for her second drink. Even Gabe had one, although he was nursing his with the occasional tiny sip.

  Snip plopped into a chair, gulping the cold beverage and running a towel over his patchy hair. At least Gabe’s healing had grown the skin back over the Low’s scalp. He probably would not be able to get anyone to have sex with him looking like he did, although perhaps some man or woman would take pity on him and decide to take him to bed. Or maybe she could give him a fifty and he could pay for sex like Terrelle had done, She looked at his clumps of hair and bald spots and decided that more than a fifty might be needed.

  “They’re staying at the Riu,” Snip said in between swallows of the margarita. “The angel is fucking pissed that this whole thing is taking so long. The Gormand keeps trying to give him excuses and placate him, but I got the feeling that if this didn’t happen today, the angel was going to start smiting right and left.”

  “Is it Tura?” Gabe asked?

  Snip shrugged. “Don’t know. I’ve met a sum total of three angels in my life and you’re one of them. He’s an angel. And he’s clearly running the show. At least he thinks he is. I’m not sure if he knows about the Gormand trying to pass of a fake Tear or not. Probably not, because I get the idea that in his mind, the Gormand is completely replaceable.”

  “Is the angel still there?” Terrelle asked.

  Snip nodded. “He’ll probably wait to make sure you all are on the plane home before he leaves. He was really insistent that the Iblis get the Tear. When the Gormand hinted that there might be an issue, the angel flew into a rage. Said no other deal was acceptable. He wanted the collar, and that his reputation would suffer if he broke contract with the Iblis and she didn’t get the Tear.” The Low snorted. “Reputation. The Mistress doesn’t even know what angel she’s dealing with, just the Gormand.”

  “But Terrelle says the Gormand gave us the real thing. So I guess he was more worried about the angel’s threats than re-selling the Tear to another,” Nyalla said.

  Gabe shot her a look. “I think Terrelle should check once more.”

  The information demon stiffened, then picked up the box, slowly taking off the lid. Then she cursed. “That ancient is truly a master. I swear this is a completely different bead than what I saw on the beach. If I hadn’t been carrying it myself, I would have believed that someone switched boxes on me. This–” she turned the box around so they all could see the non-magical Job’s Tear inside, “this is a worse imitation than the ones I put together myself, and I’m no expert at crafting forgeries.”

  “You were right,” Nyalla told Gabe. “The Gormand is trying to double-dip on this artifact. He’s still got it, and is hoping to sell it to someone else and profit from that in addition to the commission from brokering the deal with the angel.”

  “And he needs this fake to remain undetected until we’re off the island. Then he can claim that someone else must have stolen it from us or done a switch mid-transit and keep the angel from going crazy on him,” Terrelle said.

  “Or he’ll be in Hel by then, safely away from Tura’s wrath,” Gabe commented. “No angel is allowed in Hel, and even if they wanted to defy the treaty, it would be suicide to waltz in there and face a hundred thousand demons.”

  Nyalla shuddered, knowing exactly what he meant. She’d spent eighteen years in Hel and although the demons could be amusing and silly at times, there was no mistaking that under it all lay an enormous amount of power and a dangerous amorality. There would be nothing that would bring them as much pleasure as plucking the feathers off an angel one-by-one and torturing them. Even an archangel would be quickly overcome by the sheer number of foes in Hel and subdued. Tura wouldn’t be so foolish.

  “So we’re back to the original plan.” Terrelle commented. “We go to the airport tomorrow like nothing happened, give our watcher the slip, and enact plan Pick-Pocket The Gormand.”

  “Yes. We’ll pack and check out, then meet in the lobby at seven to take a taxi to the airport,” Nyalla said, stifling a yawn. “We can grab a cheap hotel afterward if we need to and take the first plane out tomorrow.”

  “Or a boat tomorrow night,” Gabe added. “I don’t feel comfortable staying on this island once we have Job’s Tear. We could charter something to get us to the Dominican Republic, then fly back to the States from there.”

  Nyalla hid a smile, thinking how far he’d come in the last few days.

  “If that’s settled, then I need to go to bed,” Snip announced. “Being healed by an angel takes a lot out of a demon, even if the angel is walking around as a human right now. I’m going to pack up all my souvenirs, see if I can convince the front desk clerk to give me a blow-job, then get some sleep.”

  Terrelle rolled her eyes. “Go on. I’m going to work a bit more on these fake Job’s Tears and see if I can modify them further.” She looked over toward Gabe and Nyalla, her eyebrows springing upward. “Or maybe I’ll take them all into my room and work there. You guys look like you could use some sleep too.”

  The demon scooped up the beads and put the lid back on the box the Gormand had given them, and with a jerk of her head to Snip, headed for the door. “Finish off those margaritas, pack your bags, and we’ll see you in the morning.”

  Snip looked confused as she grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door.

  Nyalla hid a smirk behind her margarita glass. “I’ll pack. You finish nursing that drink.”

  He pushed the glass over toward her. “Y
ou finish it and I’ll pack. Given your housekeeping skills, I’m seriously concerned about your ability to pack a bag. I shudder to think of the condition your belongings will arrive in when you return. Drink. Relax. I’ll take care of it.”

  Nyalla leaned back in her chair, propping her feet up and watching Gabe as she sipped the drink. This was nice, having someone else take care of the chores while she relaxed. Cleaning, packing, and organizing were her least favorite things in the world, but Gabe seemed to enjoy the whole process, humming to himself as he neatly folded everything and carefully placed it in the suitcase. He was done in record time, with far more room left in her luggage than there would have been had she just balled everything up and crammed it in there. He’d even chosen an outfit for her and put it out across a chair, leaving essential toiletries lined up by the sink. Once the suitcases were situated by the door, he returned to the chair, scooping her feet up and putting them in his lap once he’d sat.

  “Here. Help me finish this. If I drink any more I’ll have a hangover tomorrow,” Nyalla said, handing him a glass with the last of the margaritas in it.

  He drank it down in one gulp, shuddering as he put the empty glass on the table, then he removed her sandals and began to massage her feet. She leaned back, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of his warm hands on her.

  “You’re still tense from everything — Snip’s kidnapping, the exchange with the demons. Get undressed and lay down, and I’ll help you relax.”

  She popped open her eyes, unsure if he meant what that proposal sounded like. “All of my clothes?”

  He tilted his head, regarding her in surprise. “Of course. Why? Is that a problem? I thought you didn’t have the normal human issues regarding your natural state or your unclothed body, and it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. It’s not like I have touched and tasted just about every inch of you. Go. Clothes off. Now.”

  She caught her breath, remembering how very thorough he’d been in exploring her body this morning. A massage would feel really good right now. Sex would feel even better. She carefully pulled her feet from his lap and stood, pulling her shirt over her head and dropping her shorts. Then she unstrapped her bra on the way to the bedroom, kicking off her underwear before climbing onto the bed and glancing back at the angel.

  He was following behind her, picking up each item of discarded clothing and folding it neatly, then stacking it on top of the dresser. Why was it even his crazy neat-freak tendencies turned her on, giving her a warm feeling in her chest every time he organized her sock drawer or changed the toilet paper so it rolled from the top down. He was so adorable, and she was so much in love that his folding her clothes was making her breathless. She grinned and waited for him to finish, for his attention to return to her, then positioned herself face-down on the bed.

  Then his hands were on her shoulders, kneading and soothing the tense muscles. She sighed, relaxing into his touch, letting her mind wander. He was slow and meticulous, starting gentle, then massaging progressively deeper, stretching and rubbing as he made his way down her back. She fell into a near meditative state, floating as all she could think of was the feel of his warm hands on her skin.

  And something more. As he reached her middle back, Nyalla began to feel everything inside herself light up, as if he were massaging more than her muscles, as if he were somehow electrifying her neural pathways. She’d been turned on thousands of times, but this was different. This was as if her entire body and soul were reaching for him, were vibrating with his every touch. She sighed, feeling her back arch as he began to work her buttocks.

  Oh Goddess, he was rubbing her butt. And it felt amazing. It felt a whole lot more amazing when he reached over and kissed her back.

  And now she was wet, her breath coming in shallow pants, her hips rising to meet his palms as he touched the muscles of her upper thighs. This was the best massage ever. Well it would be the best massage ever if it went the way she wanted it to.

  “Do I get a happy ending?” she murmured.

  “Like in a fairy tale? Like in the pirate book?” His thumbs caressed the inside of her thighs, brushing upwards along her folds.

  All she could do was whimper and lean into his fingers. A little further. If only he would stroke her there, push his fingers into her, bend down and run his tongue across her. If only.

  But no. Tease. Horrible, horrible tease of an angel. His hands moved down the back of her thighs along her calves, working the muscles in her feet before moving in long firm strokes back up to her shoulders.

  “Roll over.”

  She wanted to, but she was a weird combination of relaxed and turned-on. The idea of him caressing her breasts and across her belly had her squirming so she did as he told her. “Are you going to want to go to sleep after this, or are you going to get naked and climb into this bed and so we can screw?”

  He ran a hand lightly down her side. “It is late. And I can feel how relaxed you are. Why don’t we just go to sleep?”

  She would have taken him seriously except for the silver glint in his eyes. “I’m far from relaxed. Actually I’m relaxed but I want you more than I want sleep.”

  He hesitated a little smile quirking up one corner of his mouth. When he finally spoke, his voice was husky and full of longing. “Then perhaps we can continue the massage another time.”

  Yes! She grinned up at him. “Perhaps we can continue the massage with you naked and in bed with me.”

  He swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving hers. “Nyalla…I feel myself becoming more of an angel. Terrelle thinks that I’ll probably be back to full strength in a week or two. What then? Will you even want this with an angel? The Iblis and I can’t be in a room together without fighting, and she’s the closest thing you have to a mother. This won’t be like a happy family sort of ending. It won’t be like the small-town cop and hippy herbalist romance where both families bond over holiday dinners.”

  “I don’t need holiday dinners, and Sam…well she’ll get over it. Eventually. When we finally get around to telling her. Gabe, I want you. I want to be with you forever. Now get your clothes off and make love to me.”

  “You’ll age while I’ll appear exactly the same. Things will change so fast for you and you’ll be committed to an archangel who measures time on a galactic scale.”

  There was a note of fear in his voice, and she realized that as much as she didn’t care about any of this, he did. He’d have to watch her grow old and die. And he’d continue to live for millions, possibly billions, of years without her. The thought made her chest ache, but that was a fact no one could change.

  “Gabe, I realize that I have a ridiculously short life span compared to you. For me, what happens in the moment is sometimes good enough. When I see a gorgeous sunset, I don’t spend my time lamenting that in a few minutes it will be gone. I immerse myself in the beauty, and enjoy the moment. I know you would love to have me with you, physically or otherwise, for the rest of your life. But don’t walk away from experiencing the most beautiful sunset of your life because you know that it will end all too soon.”

  There was a glimmer of pain in his eyes, quickly hidden. “But when I need to take care of Ruling Council matters… I’m an archangel, Nyalla. I have responsibilities that may take me away for weeks or months at a time. That will seem like brief moments to me, but an eternity to you. I don’t want–”

  She sat up and put her finger to his lips. “Your brother and Sam manage. We will, too. Don’t underestimate me, Gabe. Never underestimate me.”

  “I never would.” His eyes shifted to a dark blue gray. “And I would be honored to spend all of your life next to you Nyalla, if you’re completely sure.”

  She smiled. “I’m more than sure. All I want right now is to be in your arms, and for you to make love to me. Promise that you won’t second guess this thing between us or worry about hurting me, because I love you and nothing is going to change that.”

  “I love you too, Nyalla.” He crossed
his arms, grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. “And I promise.”

  Chapter 23

  There was a small problem at the airport that Gabriel had not ever considered — he didn’t have a passport. In fact, he had no ID at all. Nyalla had put in a frantic call to her brother, Wyatt, to try to procure counterfeit documents for the angel to use, but they wouldn’t arrive for another two days at least. In the meantime, they made a big show of him kissing Nyalla goodbye, then waving her off through security.

  He wanted to wait until the plane took off and they all doubled back, but it would seem suspicious for him to loiter around the airport for an hour, and he’d already caught sight of skinny demon hanging around the duty-free shops before security. He now had a cell phone with Nyalla’s number saved in the Favorites section. He’d see her in a few hours. His job right now was to act like a human boyfriend who wasn’t heading out until a later flight, and had some time to kill in Aruba, so he left the airport and hailed a cab, telling the driver to take him to the downtown shopping area.

  As they made their way through the crowded streets, full of tourists shopping at the street vendors and people off the huge cruise ship docked in the harbor, Gabe saw someone he never in a million years thought he’d see on this island.

  It was an angel. And it wasn’t Tura, it was someone who’d once been a member of the Ruling Council. It was an angel he’d believed to be locked away in punishment for his betrayal and part in the revolution. But they’d all been banished from Aaru with a sweep of the Iblis’ sword, and he’d not paused to think what that meant for the angels who had been in forced seclusion.