by Lisa Hughey
Fury, strong and sharp, welled within him. He would not lose her. He could not. His chest was one giant gaping hole devoid of all sensation but a hollow, empty pain. If he let go, she would sink into the open cavity where his heart had once resided, and disappear.
Angelina twitched.
He kissed again fiercely as if he could will her to live. And he felt the flutter of her tongue against his. Rafe froze, unsure if he’d wished movement that wasn’t there or if he really had felt her kiss.
Thank the Universe, she had moved. His heart pounded in triple time, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, like a timpani drum in a marching band. He wrapped his arms around her back and let her head rest in the crook between his neck and shoulder. With every soft, feathering of breath against his bare skin, he gave thanks and kissed her over and over.
“Thank you, thank you,” between kisses he whispered thanks to the Universe for sparing him the torture of her death. He didn’t think he could bear the agony or the guilt.
She lifted her head cautiously like a drunk on the morning after. “Rafe?”
“I’m here, angel.” He suppressed the urge to yell at her. Yelling could wait until she was better.
In response, she pressed her lips against his mouth. Relief rose within him, needing an outlet, needing a repository for the fear and adrenaline still coursing through him. “I feel terrible.” She rested her cheek on his chest.
“I know you do, Carus.” Rafe rubbed his hands up and down her back, and continued to neutralize the her energy. The contact was solely intended for healing her. Until she shifted her hips. Suddenly he became aware of her naked body pressed against his. Her nipples stabbed into his chest, and a living, rippling heat poured from her core.
They needed to move. He needed her to shift from this position but she felt so damn good and he was so damn relieved that he held on to her instead, one large palm sliding down her back to cup her buttocks.
She licked at his lips. “Feels good.” And yet once they stopped kissing, he could feel her start to fade again.
“You left.”
“I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”
With a stifled groan, he opened his mouth and suddenly she was there, invading, conquering as if she were the victor and he the spoils. With her hands, she explored the contours of his biceps and shoulders, the slight shift causing friction between her nipples and his chest.
His cock hardened with a rush of blood, engorging and pressing into the concave valley between her hips. As one they shifted, Angelina inching up slightly and Rafe moving down until his erection aligned with her sex.
He teased her with little intimate brushes along her deliciously slick channel with the lightest of touches but never actual penetration. The head of his shaft teased her bundle of nerves as they dueled with their mouths.
“Why didn’t you call me sooner?” he bit at her mouth as if he could gobble her up in great huge gulps. He had told her he would come any time.
“I tried.” She rubbed her body along his, every cell heating as if she couldn’t bear not to touch him, her soft skin like silk against his larger, rougher body.
Relief was an aphrodisiac of monumental proportions. He slid his hand up to cup her breast. And yet, he could feel her energy receding again.
She moaned into his mouth then lifted slightly onto her knees, pausing as the tip of his cock slid inside her.
Only the tip. They held there on the precipice.
Suddenly Rafe knew what he had to do. The only way that he could push as much energy into her body as possible.
He eased her down onto his shaft as he arched up with his hips. The sudden carnal contact roared through his body. The pleasure, intense and unexpected, overtook him.
He slid his hands to her hips and controlled the rhythm of their frenzied mating. His heart was crazed as he grappled with the reality that he could still lose her. Anchoring her to him with his arms, with every hard stroke, he stabbed her internal bundle of nerve endings, and increased her response. The force of their thrusts caused her breasts to bob tauntingly in his face until he arched up and captured one nipple in his mouth.
He sucked on her breast in time to the rhythm of their thrusts. Angelina’s thighs gripped his hips. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy, her body rosy and flush with desire. The sight of her abandoning all inhibitions and riding him like an ancient pagan goddess catapulted him over the edge.
With a hoarse shout, he emptied himself into her, coming in great bursting jets as her body fisted around him, contracting and milking his cock for every ounce of pleasure.
Breath heaving, she lay limply across his body, still holding him inside her as they both fought to calm their breath, desire still pulsing through his body in little zings of pleasure.
Relief and desire mingled together warming his body and heart. He could feel her energy return. Not full strength but more than she’d had only minutes ago.
There was no warning. No key in the lock, no rustle of clothes, to indicate the presence of another until Nora’s horrified exclamation echoed in the large marble chamber, “What have you done?”
FORTY-THREE
“He saved me.”
Angelina suddenly wore clothes. The transition was abrupt and shocking. One moment she’d been weak and barely hanging on to her life. The next she was naked and twined with Rafe. And the next they were separated by what felt like the length of a football field. Rafe was across the room from her. She looked around at the familiar white marble walls and high ceilings. The faint scent of dried herbs hung in the air. She would focus on anything to avoid looking at the woman in the doorway.
“That’s not what it looked like to me.” Nora scowled, arms crossed over her well-endowed chest.
They were in deep shit. But frankly, she didn’t know where Nora got off yelling at them. However, she had authority and Angelina didn’t.
“Extenuating circumstances,” Angelina said flatly. Her defiance crumbled as lethargy began to steal over her again.
Rafe leaned against a marble column that would do the Parthenon proud. “She was dying.”
Nora flung a hand in the air. “So you decided, what the hell, may as well, f--”
“Show some respect,” Rafe barked before Nora could finish.
“You dare chastise me?”
Angelina felt another wave of weakness and tried to blink away a sudden fogginess. She observed the ping-pong of words between Rafe and Nora. Angelina swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “I think what Rafe is trying to say is that he tried anything he could think of to save me.”
Odd, her words sounded slurred.
“There is a law.” Nora held one hand over her eyes, like a little kid pretending not to see. “This must be dealt with.”
The fuzziness increased. And the knitting hole in her wrist over her mark throbbed.
“What happened?” Nora asked softly.
Victor appeared in the room. “Again, you have a human in your room?”
“She was dying,” Rafe snarled.
Angelina was trying not to panic but her vision grayed to black. “Rafe?”
***
Rafe translocated to Angelina’s side. She was unconscious. Again. Her breathing had quickened too, her chest rising and falling in short pants as if she couldn’t pull in enough oxygen.
Her face was pale. His heart was breaking into a thousand pieces. “She sacrificed herself for the good of all the Realms, human, Nephilim and Angel. This is not justice.”
Angelina calmed slightly, her breath evened out, when he put his trembling hand on her hair.
“Why did you do it?” Nora asked.
Why had he made love to Angelina knowing that if he were caught, the Realm would demand punishment? “I had to try to save her. Wrapping her in as much of my healing power as possible had only touched the edge of the death trying to steal her energy. It was the only thing left to do. Love is energy.”
“Even knowing the gesture was likely f
utile?” Victor frowned.
“I would give her my life if I could.”
Nora contemplated Angelina. “You love her very much.”
“Yes.”
“This troubles me. Justice is not balanced.”
“Without balance the order in the Universe will be upset,” Victor said slowly.
“My thoughts exactly.” Nora smiled, her face radiant.
“You don’t need to be so happy about it.” Rafe reached for Angelina’s hand, uncaring of the consequences. She was dying and he refused to let her die alone.
“Two sacrifices.” Nora took one of Angelina’s hands. “Her life for the Nephilim she saved. Your freedom for her life. Balance.”
Rafe stroked her hair away from her face. Could the Universe be so cruel as to take her from him? He didn’t care what they were babbling about. He only wanted to comfort her.
Victor nodded, taking Angelina’s other hand. “This is justice.”
Rafe stared at her hard. Was her skin warming with color? He stroked her hair away from her face again, her breath huffed a little harder. “Angelina?”
Her eyelids fluttered open. “Rafe?”
“Don’t.” He held her still, unable to believe, as her color returned and her hazel eyes brightened. “Don’t move.”
“Am I in your room again?” Angelina smiled, her eyelids drifting closed again. “You brought me here. We’re going to get in trouble.”
Victor snickered. Nora merely smiled.
Rafe looked at Victor and Nora. “How?”
“Now there is balance.” Nora smiled wistfully. “Your love for each other defies the boundaries of all Realms. You were both willing to sacrifice for a cause greater than your own good.”
“The Cosmos is already in jeopardy.” Victor said, “We cannot afford to lose those who will defend the sanctity of all life.”
She was saved. Relief and love poured through him.
“But you do realize you have broken the Law of the Realm. There must be consequences,” Nora said.
“Consequences?” Angelina’s eyes popped open.
“We can address that later,” Rafe said sharply. He didn’t want anything to upset her rapidly improving condition.
“Uh, hello.” Angelina waved her hand in front of Nora’s face. “I’m right here. What do you mean by consequences?”
Neither Nora nor Rafe answered. Their gazes locked in some sort of Angel stare down. “It is not my decision to make, however I can petition for leniency,” Nora finally answered. Then she looked at Angelina. “He broke rules to save your life.”
Angelina’s thoughts began to clear. Looking at Victor and Nora, she could see their acceptance and their sorrow.
“Why?” Angelina looked at Rafe. Why would he do that?
“You were dying.”
Angelina turned her head back to Nora. “He is not guilty of anything more than trying to save me.”
“I’m sorry.” Nora shook her head. Her blond hair brushed the shimmering skin of her bare shoulder. “It is not my decision.”
“Whose decision is it?” Angelina demanded, pushing up into a sitting position. “This is bull.” She squared her shoulders, angling in front of Rafe as if she could block his punishment with her body.
Nora laid her hand over Rafe’s forearm. “I am truly sorry.”
“I knew what I was doing was inadvisable.” Rafe shrugged. “However, Angelina should not be punished for a situation she had no control over.”
Before she could defend him and her, he shot her a dark look. Shut. Up.
Angelina had no intention of listening. She spoke to Nora. She had one last screw she could turn potentially to blackmail the woman. “I have information about the Nephilim and your enemy.”
Rafe and Nora both stopped dead. As one they turned around to stare at her.
No one was going to walk over her anymore. She would protect what was hers.
And Rafe was hers. Whether she could claim him or not was another story but she refused to let him suffer.
“You are trying to bargain?” Nora’s outrage was not a good sign.
“No. But this is more important than some consequence. I’m going to give you everything I can and hope it helps. They knew about Uri,” Angelina said baldly. “They knew he was in prison and said their plan was working.”
“So what is their plan?”
Angelina explained what she had learned while being held captive in the barn. This was important. More important than some antiquated and ancient rule about humans and Archangels having sex.
“So the human realm is in danger,” Nora summarized slowly.
“The Nephilim are not the enemy. They only want peace to live without persecution.”
“Then why did they hold you captive?”
“There was one that I couldn’t see. He tricked the Nephilim into using my healing energy.” The presence in the loft. “He felt evil. And he was the one who wanted to unleash a plague on the humans.”
“He was able to ward the barn against my intrusion.” Rafe rubbed his hand over Angelina’s mark. “He used the Nephilim’s need for acceptance against them.”
“Then how did you get in to save her?”
“The ward disappeared when the presence disappeared. But do not worry,” Rafe said, “I sent Uri after the energy trail.”
“What?” Nora cried. “And you are just now sharing this with us?” A frigid wind swirled through the room, as Nora’s blue eyes turned glacial.
“He is the only one who can bind Remiel if captured,” Rafe said calmly.
“We must take everything to the council.”
FORTY-FOUR
The Realm Council was invoked for the second time in two days. Before that there had been only one other time in the last thousand years. And the head of each division of the Angelic Realm was represented during a Realm Council hearing. Since Rafe was one of their own, all of the Archangels, were also present except Uri and...Zach?
“Who are all these people?” Angelina whispered.
“There are three spheres in the Angelic Realm,” Rafe explained calmly. His heart thudded slow and sure in his chest as he rejoiced in her vibrant expression and the flush of life in her face. She was alive. He stared at her so long, she poked him.
“Are you going to continue?”
His mouth curved. “The First Sphere consists of Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones, you’ve met Nora, their head.”
Angelina pursed her lips. That was what she thought of Nora. Rafe focused on the way her mouth puckered into a little moue.
He ignored the physical distraction and gestured to the representatives from the Second Sphere. “The Dominions hold the position of mediator and head of the council. Their task is to regulate the lower angels. To their left is Victor from the Virtues. Obviously, you’ve met.”
Victor and Nora had saved her. He would forever be in their debt.
“What does he do?” Her curiosity was clear.
“The Virtues keep the Cosmos in order.”
Angelina nodded. “You are ascending to the Virtues, right?” Her throat constricted.
“Ah.” Probably not. “I was supposed to.” Rafe didn’t know what the future held at this moment. But he didn’t care. Angelina was safe.
“Next to Victor is head of the Powers who are the keepers of history and official scribes of this meeting.”
“Who’s in the Third Sphere?”
“The Third Sphere consists of the Principalities, whose duty it is to carry out the justice of the Dominions. The Archangels have Michael as leader and protector.”
She assessed the assembled group of heads of the spheres, her gaze narrowing.
“And the Angels round out the Third Sphere.”
Angelina gave a thoughtful stare at each head seated at the large round table. She stood her ground, shoulders back, expression defiant and mutiny clear in every line of her body.
“Where is the representative of the Angels from earth?”
“Uh, Angels are the only members of the sphere who do not live in the Angelic Realm.” Rafe was amused by the annoyance on her face. Basically every single sphere of the Angelic Realm had stomped on her, stolen her freedom, and pissed her off. But they’d also saved her. “They don’t have a representative.”
“That’s not right.”
“Probably not.” He conceded. “But unlikely to change for now.”
“Who do I address?” Angelina held up her hand.
With shock, the heads of the various divisions shut up.
“I want to represent the Angels and the humans.”
Nora tilted her head to the side as if consulting someone. “I’ll allow this.”
With a ripple of energy, the entire council sat.
“Raphael, please tell us what happened.”
He related the story. When he reached the part about Nathan and his abduction of Angelina, a huge gasp went through the crowd.
“Nathan is in prison. But he is refusing to speak,” Nora spoke calmly. “Raphael, please continue.”
Rafe continued the retelling of events until Angelina interrupted. “I made the leader of the Nephilim promise to open a dialogue with you.”
Nora raised an eyebrow. But Angelina was uncowed. “I told them you were reasonable. They just want to live in peace.”
“We will take that under advisement.” Nora turned back to Rafe. And he finally finished by explaining that Uri had left to follow the energy trail of the one in the loft and the room became still and silent.
“At this point, we must assume that Remiel is on the loose.”
“And that his intentions are not good,” Angelina interjected.
Zach shimmered into the room. “My apologies, council.” He bowed with a cocky irreverence.
“What is the news of Uriel?”
Rafe wondered if anyone else in the room heard Nora’s desperation.
“He is gone,” Zach said slowly, his brows curved downward. “I could find no trace of Uri.”
“None?” Michael stood, towering over the others still seated.
“I’m sorry.” Zach didn’t look very sorry. “It’s as if he vanished.”
“Our enemy has some method of blocking energy.” Rafe squeezed Angelina’s hand. “That is why it took so long to find Angelina.”