Adon’s eyes widened and the world beyond them faded into darkness. Irael’s name fell from his lips before Adon’s spine arched. Lightning shot through him, through Irael, the true breadth of Adon’s power too strong to hold.
Irael froze as the current fused them together. His eyes widened, his senses failed, leaving him within the surge of power. Collapsing against Adon, Irael convulsed with the immense flood of energy.
Long moments later, the world returned to normal. Adon drew in a sharp breath and held onto Irael’s hands, eyes squeezed shut. “Irael…”
Irael could barely move. All he did was moan softly as he heard his name. Slowly, he moved his hands down Adon’s chest.
“Irael? Talk to me, please, love,” Adon pleaded.
“Who are you?” The overwhelming surge had resembled something Irael had felt within the void. He couldn’t make any sense of the influx burning through him.
Adon sighed and caressed Irael’s back. “My true name is Adonai. I am one of the Creator angels, and one of the three who created the Abyss.”
Sliding off of Adon, Irael sat beside him, trying to take in that particular piece of information. “You’re part of the creation.”
“I’m one of those responsible for the creation.” Adon stared unblinking at Irael. “I created you.”
A gentle rain began to fall on them both, cleansing them, but Irael paid it no heed. No words could convey how he felt at that moment. He stared uncomprehendingly at his own hands. “Is that why I am tied to you?”
“Yes…and no. I wanted something special, someone for me. Call it selfishness on my part, call it greed, call it what you will—but that is why I created you, Irael. I created you for me and for me only.”
“You didn’t tell me. Why?” Blinking rapidly, Irael finally looked at him. “They knew, didn’t they? The whole time they knew.”
“They did. Why do you think they took you away from me? I kept it quiet, kept it from you, for your safety, though in the end, it didn’t matter.” Adon looked…defeated…as he spoke, gaze pleading with Irael to understand.
Irael found himself bereft of words. So much could have been avoided. They were both at fault in that; it wasn’t just him. “Are all the secrets done, Adon?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I hoped to keep you safe, and instead I’ve lost you.”
“I understand. We both made very bad mistakes with each other, and we both need to forgive each other. I’m just not sure if we can forgive ourselves.” Sighing heavily, Irael leaned down to rub his cheek against the angel’s.
“Don’t leave me again,” Adon whispered. “Please, Irael. I need you too much.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Nothing has the right to keep us apart. Not even the Council. They were wrong, and I’m not going to hide from them anymore.”
Adon chuckled, relaxing finally. Slipping his hand around the back of Irael’s neck, he tugged his lover onto the ground, capturing Irael’s mouth in a kiss.
Half-hovering on him, Irael stretched out against Adon. The rhythm of their hearts beat as one, and Irael couldn’t deny the truth of his existence. With Adon’s kiss, he opened completely, returning the gentle pressure. The tenor of the kiss slowly changed, and Irael answered the growing need he sensed.
Adon’s other hand slid down to Irael’s hip, holding him close. Then with one graceful movement, he had Irael on his back on the ground. Moving his mouth over Irael’s neck, Adon settled between Irael’s legs. His wings expanded, fluttered as he kissed his way down Irael’s chest, sucking one nipple into his mouth.
In one moment, Irael completely forgot anything and everything except for the angel pinning him down. He stroked the feathery tips of one wing above them.
Adon’s growl rolled over Irael’s stomach then lower. It deepened seconds before Adon took Irael’s cock into his mouth, swallowing it to the root. Hands on Irael’s hips, he demanded Irael’s pleasure, demanded his release.
Trained too well by Adon, Irael writhed helplessly and his hips thrust upward several times before a tremor shot through him. The demand reached him from Adon’s mind, forcing him to respond. Irael spilled down the angel’s throat as he cried out.
Adon drank every drop greedily, licking Irael clean when he was done. Sliding back up Irael’s body, Adon kissed him hard, sharing the taste. “I will take you far away from here, far away from everything. Then I want you, want to bury myself inside you, hear you screaming my name again.”
There wasn’t a damn thing in existence Irael could deny Adon. Knowing the angel was his creator only tightened the bonds between them. When he could speak, Irael’s voice held the deep-seated need he held for Adon. “Anywhere. I don’t care. As long as you’re there.”
“I will always be there. Always.”
Chapter One
Nichael perched on a tree branch of the old oak and watched the house. The magical energy encasing the house made it difficult for him to see what might be happening behind the closed blinds. He’d already been filled in on the potential danger of the man who lived here. As an angel of the Lower Order of Creation, Nichael had been left the task of deciding the ultimate fate of the mage tinkering with power beyond his understanding.
From across the street, another watched the same house. A black gaze drifted from the house to the oak then back to the house. A slow smile curled the lips holding a cigarette. As he cupped the lighter in front of the cigarette, Nias chuckled low. He took a slow drag and exhaled a moment later, lazily watching the gray smoke drift away in the stiff breeze.
Nichael was already aware of the other presence, and the movement of his wings rustled in faint agitation. Looking toward the street, he unerringly located the demon. Nichael wasn’t surprised, but he didn’t exactly welcome his fallen brother either.
A flash lit one of the front windows of the house, and Nias grinned. Silly fool of a mortal. Nias dropped the cigarette and ground it out on the sidewalk with the toe of his boot. Then he looked up, sensing attention from another. The corner of his mouth lifted in an amused grin and he pushed away from the lamppost, heading toward the house. As he passed beneath the boughs of the oak tree, he spared an upward glance. The angel in the tree was most certainly a nice one. Nias allowed a dark smile to cross his lips before he turned away.
The flash of light drew a disquieted sigh from Nichael. The mage truly was fooling with things that would go rapidly beyond his control. As he glanced back down, his gaze narrowed on Nias as the demon passed beneath him.
“You would be better off returning to where you belong.”
“And miss all the fun?” Nias shot back over his shoulder. When he reached the house, two massive wings spread out behind him. The moonlight flickered over the black feathers, bringing out their bluish hue. He rose into the air and settled onto the rooftop as his wings lowered. He looked back at Nichael, his smile almost taunting.
Nichael knew who Nias was. His own wings unfurled as he dropped from the tree. With a powerful upward surge, he landed a short distance from Nias. “You aren’t here for the fun, so why are you here?”
A deep chuckle resonated in the air between them. “Oh, but tearing a mortal to shreds is fun indeed,” Nias purred as his dark gaze slid over Nichael. “Or you could have the puny man inside, and I will ply my trade on you.”
“You will be doing neither.” Nichael spread his wings to their full length before tucking them against his back. “The man inside is none of your business.”
One dark eyebrow rose at that. “And who is going to stop me, oh ‘light one’? You?” Nias let out a short laugh and edged along the top of the roof, seeming to take his own sweet time in getting to the other side.
“At this point, I don’t think I have to stop you at all,” Nichael said.
When Nias disappeared off the roof, his laughter danced in the air around Nichael. Down below on the ground, Nias crept closer to a darkened window from which the bursts of light emanated. He could see nothing but the faintest outline of a figure
. Then another flash lit up the room and Nias’ eyes widened slightly. He’d expected to see a single man, possibly young, playing with fire, so to speak. What he had not expected was to see a room full of people…and an older-looking mage. He started to rethink his plan of going about this alone.
Paying no more attention to Nias, Nichael created a pocket of energy around himself. Its cell structure began to blend with the energy field of the house as he sank downward. It left no trace of any disturbance to alert the mage of an intruder. He needed to get inside the house to investigate.
Grumbling, Nias dissolved into shadows and seeped into the ground. He emerged inside the house, in a darkened hallway. He could hear the chanting coming from down the hall, but before he could start toward the door, a familiar presence caught hold of his senses.
“Persistent, aren’t you, Nichael?”
An annoyed growl sounded from not too far away before Nichael came into view. He fell silent and stiffened before inching toward the door. A painful sensation began to burn him the closer he got to the door.
Nias rolled his eyes and shook his head. “It won’t get any better.”
No sooner had the words left Nias’ mouth than another brilliant flash lit up the room behind the door. Inside the house, the walls and doors shook violently and a deep growl echoed from the room.
“That…was not me,” Nias muttered.
Nichael expanded his sight to see beyond the walls and door. He caught the barest glimpse of the light within before he was completely blinded. Staggering back, he clawed at his eyes. He knew the power’s source like no other.
Nias caught Nichael before the angel could fall and alert everyone of their presence. When he realized his arms were wrapped around Nichael’s waist, he pushed the angel away. “Now that didn’t look fucking pleasant. What the hell did you see?”
Nichael didn’t look at Nias or even indicate he could no longer see. He reached out for the wall, and stared at what he hoped was the door. “I had only thought…” Trailing off, he shook his head. “He’s already tapped into the very source of all of our power. He’s twisted it.”
“What?” Nias turned the angel around and was startled to see the once-silver eyes were now milky-white. “No fucking way. We need to rethink our plans.”
Nichael reached out again, trying to grab hold of the demon. Being more sensitive to the power emanating from the room, he winced when its painful effects scorched through his body. “Get out of here now, Nias.”
“Not without you. Gonna need help with this one.” Nias growled and picked Nichael up, keeping a tight hold on him as shadows dissolved them both.
The warm sense of energy soothed over the searing pain, and Nichael closed his eyes. He couldn’t see Nias, but he could feel him. The demon had managed to surprise the hell out of him.
Nias let out an annoyed growl. This mission was already going to Hell, quite literally, it seemed. He stepped out of the shadows still cradling the blind angel and retreated farther into the cave. There he placed Nichael gently on the smooth stone floor.
“Now, what the hell did you see?”
Nichael needed a moment to regain his bearings while his sight returned. “The mage has managed to create a tear in the inner works of creation. The power… He’s accessed it. Just for that short time. That’s what I saw.” Bemused, Nichael tried to think of how to stop the mage. He’d been seriously caught off guard and didn’t plan to be again. “How is it that you were even anywhere near this, Nias?”
Nias’ brow wrinkled. “My master sent me to destroy the mage. Why?”
Nichael knew Nias was too young to be anywhere near this. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it. Why Lucifer would want one of his own creatures destroyed was beyond him. Finally he said, “I had thought you were drawn into this out of curiosity.”
“No. I managed to piss off the Big Guy by questioning an order. Next thing I know, I’m on a special mission.” Nias shrugged. “Guess it keeps me out of his hair for a bit, eh?” he asked, throwing Nichael a wry grin. “Now, how are we going to deal with this mage?”
“Nias, in your case, it might have meant to be permanently out of his hair. How am I going to deal with the mage? Very carefully.”
Nias narrowed his gaze. “Okay, two things. First, what do you mean by ‘permanently’? And second, I do believe you mean ‘we’.”
Nichael really didn’t feel up to spelling it out, but he tried anyway. “The only thing protecting you from what happened in the house was me. I absorbed the waves of power. If you had walked into it by yourself, you would have been destroyed. Very permanently destroyed. Not even your master could handle the power. And that is precisely why I mean I, and not we.”
Nias huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I was sent to destroy this guy,” he said. “I’m not going to back down now. I’ve been trailing him for some time, but never got close enough until now.”
“Did you understand anything I just said?” Nichael shot the demon an annoyed look.
Nias rolled his eyes and stood. “For the most part, yes.” He traced his fingers over faded drawings left by the ancient occupants of the cave. “You’re welcome, by the way,” he said dryly.
“You’re just not understanding the important parts.” Eyeing him with an arched brow, Nichael asked, “Welcome for what?”
“For getting you out of there. I got us both out before anything else could happen. Instead of getting a ‘thank you’, I’m getting a fucking lecture.”
“I’m supposed to thank you for being smart enough to figure you needed my help?”
Nias opened his mouth, but snapped it shut again. “Whatever,” he grumbled. “We still haven’t figured out what we’re going to do. And I’m still not quite clear on the whole ‘permanently destroyed’ bit. Why would my master do that?”
“You weren’t motivated as I was, Nias. But I can say thank you anyway. As for your master, I’m going to hazard a guess and say he seriously disliked being questioned.”
With a dejected sigh, Nias turned and slid down the wall to the cold stone floor. “Well, if Master’s intent was to do away with me completely then I guess I’m essentially stuck here.”
Nichael frowned. He hated to get involved with this one. It wasn’t his place to comfort a demon over losing his position in Hell. The irony was too undeniable. However, he did sense how utterly lost Nias felt. Getting up, he walked toward him and crouched in front of the demon. “You could always prove him wrong, Nias.”
“How? If he wants me gone then I’m gone. It’s obvious I’m not wanted.”
As young as Nias was, Nichael understood the implications of what Lucifer had done. “By helping me. But you have to promise to listen to me. The power the mage is playing with can destroy even me if enough of it is unleashed.”
Nias nodded. “I promise. Just be forewarned that I can be brash at times.”
“You can’t afford it right now because it could get us both destroyed. I could use the help. And I am very thankful you pulled me out of there.”
For a brief moment, a smile settled on Nias’ lips. He nodded. “I know, and I promise I’ll try not to be.”
Before Nichael could think better of it, his smile answered the demon’s. “Now we need a better place to plan out what has to be done.”
The signature of the angel’s power surrounded both of them, and in the blink of an eye they were situated in the small house he’d been using for his time here.
Nias blinked rapidly with the sudden change in scenery. “Shit. Warn me next time, will ya?” He stood and stretched his arms over his head. A few seconds later, his wings unfurled to flex the muscles within them. He took care not to disturb anything.
“I thought you’d be more comfortable here. Sorry.”
The house was small and sparsely furnished since Nichael didn’t require much. Nichael took a moment to study the demon. That Nias was very young was obvious. Twice Nichael had gone out of his way to help him. Yes, it
was in his nature, but that didn’t account for the twinges he reacted to without thought.
“S’okay,” Nias muttered as he looked around. “This your place? Not bad. I never could understand mortals and their need for junk. Give me cigarettes, whiskey and the occasional male body, and I’m happy.” He walked over and fingered the cream-colored drapes over the window. His wings fluttered for a minute then settled. “It’s been a while since I’ve been inside a house,” he said absently. “Well, other than the mage’s.”
“Travel light, do you?” Nichael’s gaze followed him. Without a doubt, Nias was extremely attractive; Nichael just tried to ignore it. The demon’s wavy auburn hair contrasted beautifully with the black feathers of his wings. Apparently Nias preferred modern-day clothing as opposed to the white tunic and pants favored by Nichael. “It serves its purpose while I’m here in this area.”
Nias shrugged. “I usually stay in the cave. I have a few connections who supply me with cigarettes and alcohol in exchange for carnal pleasures.” He turned and flashed a wicked grin at Nichael. “I get the best of the whole deal, wouldn’t you say?”
Raising a brow, Nichael regarded Nias mildly. “I would assume there is more to existence than cigarettes, alcohol and sex. But then I wouldn’t be the one qualified to judge whether you are getting the best or not.”
“Hey, can’t complain when you’re shooting your load up some guy’s ass while swallowing another cock down your throat.” Nias flicked his tongue and licked his lips before he bent over to pick up a book off the top of a nearby stack.
“You must be easily amused. And you mention nothing of emotion. Why is that?”
“Why should I?” Nias mumbled as he flipped through the book. “I’ve never received any gesture of emotion, so why should I bother opening up?”
“Sometimes it takes the risk of opening up to receive, Nias.” While he viewed things dispassionately for the most part, Nichael still understood the give and take required within a meaningful relationship. He approached the demon slowly, looking down at the book in Nias’ hand then at him.
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