by Sumida, Amy
“Don't look there,” he gently guided my face back to the garden. “It's a necessary evil but evil nonetheless.”
“What is it?” I turned to face him.
“A sort of Hell,” he shrugged. “A place where wicked people are tormented.”
“Ah,” I nodded and looked back to the garden. I hoped Nyavirezi was there.
I didn't want to focus on Hell though, when I could gaze upon Heaven. Oh duh, frickin' Rain. I should have known he was talking about Azrael. Which meant I was right, Azrael was going to be important to me. Rain wouldn't have brought it up if he wasn't.
I peered down, over the railing. The air was full of a combination of scents, the crisp clean of Winter, the freshness of Spring, the sweet scent of fruit and flowers of Summer, and the wet earthiness of Autumn. It was incredible and my inner beasts were loving all this stimulation.
Az came up behind me, maneuvered to the side at the last moment, and took up a spot on the railing next to me. I was a little disappointed that he hadn't put his arms around me but I guess this was our first date and that would have seemed overly familiar.
He smiled at me like he knew what I was thinking. “Do you want me to tell you about Eden?”
“Eden?” I looked back at the garden. “This is the Garden of Eden?”
“Indeed,” he looked over it like he was seeing it anew. “The gold is the Tree of Life; the silver, the Tree of Knowledge.”
“I never pictured the Garden to have seasons,” I mused.
“It didn't at first,” he said. “We moved it here from Earth and changed it a little to remind us of where it had once been.”
“And the rivers?” I gestured out to them. “What are they made of?”
“Oh yes,” he perked up. “The white is milk, the light gold is oil, the dark red is wine, and the dark amber is honey.”
“The land of milk and honey, eh?”
“And oil and wine,” he laughed. “Would you like to go take a closer look?”
“I'm allowed?”
“I'm allowing it,” he laughed. “This is Shehaquim. I rule here.”
“Then, hell yes,” I frowned. “I mean, heavens yes.”
He laughed and took my arm. We went from the balcony, through the room, and out a doorway. From there, we were on a landing circling a central stairway. He escorted me down the stairs, wood paneling surrounding us there as well, and out into a foyer. Azrael opened the double doors for me and led me down the stone steps into the Garden of Eden.
We entered Winter first and I shivered a bit, automatically pulling my arms around myself. I'd worn a simple black dress and heels. I had no idea I'd be tromping through a winter wonderland. Azrael immediately pulled off his leather jacket and put it around my shoulders. It was so sweet and such a normal date thing to do, I just stood and smiled at him a bit. I was standing in the Garden of Eden wearing an angel's leather jacket. If only my Momma could see me now. Or even better, my Christian grandmother.
We crunched through the snow and Azrael's hand reached for mine. I took it happily and trailed my free one out to touch the cold, shimmering barks of the sleeping trees. Soon, we came to the pool, with its river pouring slowly into it. I could smell the milk and I wasn't a big fan of it, so I pulled his hand to lead us to the next season.
“I don't like milk,” I said to his questioning look.
“Really?” He cocked his head. “I don't either, it tastes like dirty water.”
“Exactly!” I laughed. “It kinda smells funny too. I think I'll pass on the Cleopatra bath.”
Then we were in Spring, still a light chill in the air but much warmer than Winter. I stopped to look at the buds sprouting from the trees. Az seemed content to just let me wander but he laughed when I gave the oily pool a wide berth.
How hard would it be to get out of that pool if you accidentally fell in? I can be a little klutzy sometimes and images of me slipping and sliding inside that pool while trying to get a hand hold, filled my head. It would be ridiculous and I hardly wanted to be ridiculous on my first date with an angel. I'll save the silliness for the second.
I was finally right at home in Summer and I took the jacket off eagerly. Azrael took it from me so I could investigate. Now this pool I didn't mind in the least. If I fell in and couldn't get out, I could simply drink until I didn't care anymore. I'd just live there, become a wine mermaid... a winemaid... a wino... whatever.
“Can I pick the fruit?” I looked over a ripe nectarine and then back at him.
“Please,” he waved a hand.
It was the most perfect nectarine I'd ever tasted. So sweet and firm with juices spilling out of my mouth. I laughed as they ran down my chin. Azrael reached a finger out and collected the trail, sticking his finger into his mouth to suck at the juice. It was shockingly erotic, though he'd barely touched me, and I had to stop myself from leaping on him. I was going to take this slow, get to know him, make sure he wasn't some freaky death god who wanted to chain me to his bed. Hmmm, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.
“Very sweet,” he said softly and I was lost.
I dropped the fruit and went to him. His hands came up to hold my face as my arms went around his waist. He paused once, to look at me steadily, his eyes sparking rainbows across his cheeks, before he dropped his lips to mine.
The kiss was absinthe and sugar, a drunken drowning of sweetness with a hint of bite. He poured it into my lips, to meld with the taste of the fruit, and it filled my body. It burned a little on the way down and I realized too late that this was magic, a type of marking. I tried to pull away but it was too late. Once again, I found myself marked by Death.
“It's just a little claiming,” Azrael whispered against my lips. “Don't fret, you're still your own woman.”
“Why?” I pulled back and looked at him, hoping I hadn't been wrong to trust him.
“You know why,” his eyes were so serious. “I know you remember me now. You remember how I came for you and took you, even though you were not mine to take. You remember how Odin asked me to carry you to the well instead of Heaven. What you don't know, what you can't possibly realize, is how those acts affected not only you and Odin but I as well. I changed the rules for you, I plucked a string of magic and it resonated, sending vibrations outward to cause a ripple effect. You have haunted me and it has taken every ounce of willpower I have to not search for you but human lives should not be trifled with. I did not want to bring you any harm. Besides, how does one find a soul in a new body? I had no idea what to even look for.”
“So you held back,” I swallowed hard, “even though you felt something for me?” What a difference between him and Odin, though Odin had loved me for a lifetime and it was probably unfair to compare him to the angel.
“Felt something?” he laughed and it had a bitter edge to it. “You still don't understand. Did you feel anything for me when I placed you into the well? Do you feel anything now?”
“Yes, I did,” I thought about how focused I was on his face and then more came back to me. “I couldn't forget your face. My life, Odin and my sons, I knew they'd be washed away but you, I wouldn't forget you. Yes, I feel something for you, I just don't understand it. How could your memory be stronger than those of the people I loved? Of my own children?”
“This is why there are rules,” he didn't seem so upset that he'd broken them though. “When I carry the souls to Heaven or Hell, I have no physical contact with them. I remove the soul with my scythe and place the scythe into the territory the soul belongs in and the tool does the transfer for me. With you though, I wasn't transporting you to a place the scythe would recognize.”
“So you had to remove me from the scythe yourself,” I whispered.
“Yes,” he was still holding me, his hands running up and down my arms. “I touched your soul, quite literally, and that forbidden touch left its mark on both of us. I've tried to forget you, how bright you felt in my hands, how vibrant, like holding fire without the pain, but I couldn't. Your soul
has been on my mind for centuries and I accepted that ache as penance for what I'd done.”
“But then we met,” I remembered the look on his face, how we just stared at each other. My soul had recognized him.
“And I knew,” he finished for me, “that this union is blessed. Despite my denial, my refusal to look for you, you were placed in my path. You could see me, when others could not, not even other gods. We were meant to find each other and I'll not let you go again.”
“I won't let you,” I whispered.
He pulled back and drew me down, beside the pool of wine. From the air, he pulled a chalice, gold and covered with intricate designs. It reminded me of the one the Grayel poured its magic elixir into. The same kind of markings adorned it. Azrael dunked it into the pool, scooping up some wine and then holding it out for me to drink.
“Will you drink of the sacred wine with me?” His eyes were so intense.
“What does it mean?”
“That we are committed to each other. It's a symbolic sharing of blood. I offer myself to you and you to me.”
“Like a marriage?” Oh shit, Trevor would kill me.
“Yes and no,” he smiled warmly. “It's a vow that you are mine and I am yours but it's not a binding. I don't need you to be bound to me, we obviously have a connection as deep as any magical bond that could be made. This ritual is more for us than anything else. So you know how important you are to me.”
“And you know how important you are to me,” I tried to take the cup from him but he just wrapped his other hand over mine and tilted the cup to my lips. I took a sip and then drank deep. It tasted wonderful.
Sharp but sweet, with hints of apples and strawberries. It was also dark, with a depth of vanilla and cherries. The cup lowered and Az looked at me over the rim. I pushed it in his direction, holding it to his mouth this time and feeling the click of ritual falling into place as he drank.
When the cup was empty, he tossed it aside and pushed me down into the thick grass. My body fit to his perfectly, legs spreading around him and arms pulling him in tight. His face hovered over mine and I traced the angles with my eyes. He was so beautiful, his choppy bangs falling forward a bit to touch my forehead.
He seemed to be waiting for something, so I raised my head, connecting my mouth to his. This kiss was as wild as the first but even more wonderful without the bite of magic and with the added heaviness of his body over mine. My hands traced his upper back, feeling the muscles tightening as I explored and he pushed against me intimately. His slacks barely restrained him, he was hard and long against my center. I ground myself against him and he broke the kiss, groaning.
“Vervain,” he panted. “Are you sure you're ready to take this step?”
“I don't know,” we'd just made a commitment to each other but sex was big for me and he seemed to know that.
“I want more from you than this. We can wait a little longer,” he pushed away and got to his feet, much to my disappointment. “Please, I've prepared a meal for us.”
“Really?” I took the hand he offered and let him pull me up.
With his jacket flung over one shoulder and his other hand holding mine, we wandered into Autumn. There, beside the pool of honey, was a picnic. It was such an absurdly normal thing in this fantastical setting, that I laughed in delight. He smiled back and led me to the striped blanket. I sat down and trailed a finger into the river beside us. I lifted it to my mouth and tasted the most glorious honey I'd ever had. It was almost effervescent on my tongue.
“Delicious,” I said as he started to empty the picnic basket.
His hands stilled as he followed the movement of my lips on my finger. I licked it teasingly and his mouth fell open.
“If you don't stop doing that,” he whispered. “I'm going to strip you naked and paint you with that honey, just so I can lick it off.”
Visions of him doing just that, filled my head and my legs clenched in response. This was silly. We were two consenting adults and we knew where this was going. It wasn't like a normal first date where a woman should hold out because no man liked it easy. This was different, Azrael wanted to be with me, we'd already established that, and he knew exactly how he'd fit into my life. There was no reason to prolong this agony. I deliberately dipped my finger into the pool again and slowly, while he watched intently, brought it to my mouth.
He was on me in seconds, eating the honey from my lips, sucking at my finger, and pulling at the hem of my dress. It was off and thrown into the trees in no time and I was lying before him in nothing but black lace. He took a deep breath, looking down my body and trailing a hand over my curves.
“I...” he stammered, “you are so...”
“I know,” I purred, “right back at you.”
He reached behind my back and undid my bra, slowly dragging it over my skin. My whole body reacted, clenching and jerking up toward him. He stroked me, brushing the crest of each breast lightly before trailing his hand over to the pool and dipping his fingers in. He rubbed the honey into first one nipple and then the other, taking his time and massaging them like he wanted my skin to absorb it. It tingled a little, sensitizing my flesh even further. Then he put his finger to my lips and I sucked at him greedily as he lowered his face to my chest.
I moaned around his finger, biting him lightly, as he suckled me with increasing intensity. He licked and bit till he was certain there was no honey left and then moved on to the other. It was sweet torture and my pelvis rocked against him automatically, needing more. My hair was tossed around me, my head rocking in abandon, when he pulled his finger from my mouth and sank lower.
My panties went flying, my legs spread, and he settled himself between them but he paid no attention to the core of my pleasure yet. No, he was intent on exploring me first. More honey dripped across my belly and his mouth followed it, sucking it away with effective ease. He kneaded and rubbed, his hands sending little tingles through me, wherever he touched.
Finally, oh gods, finally, his honey-laden finger touched me there. Splitting me in two, he rubbed it into my folds and then licked his own fingers clean. I watched him avidly as he lowered his head to me and licked me lightly. I threw my head back, the pleasure was unbelievably intense for such a gentle motion. He licked me more, his breath warm on me, the honey sparkling, and then covered me with his mouth and laved me clean.
I came over and over, my legs shaking around him as his arms held them tightly. When I had finally calmed, he quickly removed his clothes and lay back over me. I wanted to repay the favor and cover him in honey too but he held me back and just smiled down at me.
“I can't wait any longer,” he said as his wings rose behind him, spreading out over us like a tent.
“Then come inside me now,” I pulled him down to me and reached between us for the hard length of him, reaching out to me.
I guided him to my opening and held his eyes as he slid against me. He inhaled sharply, body tensing at that first touch, and then his pelvis came forward an agonizing inch and he slid inside. I angled myself up, needing more, but he held out, prolonging the experience. Slowly he moved forward, savoring every centimeter. Finally he was all in, his pelvis flush to mine, and I felt the rapture of being complete.
“Vervain,” he groaned into my ear. His face had fallen to my shoulder. “I feel so much when I'm with you,” he raised his head up and pulled out a little. “So much more than this,” he drove himself home and we both cried out. “But this is wondrous.”
Then his pace quickened and he was driving into me full on. I cried out and wrapped my legs tighter around him as I came again. Suddenly, the ground was falling away and we were rising into the air. I gripped his shoulders in a panic.
“What are you doing?” I watched the garden fall away beneath us.
“I believe I promised you a ride,” he laughed and continued to slide into me as he flew us up higher and higher.
His hands came to my ass, holding me still so he could drive deeper more easil
y. Clouds drifted around us, cooling my bare skin as my angel pleasured me in Heaven's sky. I looked down, the garden spread beneath me like a quilt, vibrant patches of color sewn to the green background of land. My hair drifted back in the breeze, the only cover I had falling away from me. It was one thing to make love in the cover of the garden but quite another to be out in the clear sky on display.
But Azrael felt so good inside me and the thrill of clinging to him as he flew was unbelievable. I leaned back a little so I could see him sliding in and out of me with the backdrop of Heaven beneath us. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. My normal fear of heights was gone, replaced by an intense rush of excitement. Faster and faster, higher and higher, until we both finally crested together in a brilliant burst of passion. He yelled out his release and fell back, dropping us a few feet before he caught the currents again. I screamed and held on tighter, my whole body clenching around him.
“Don't do that,” I yelled at him while he laughed, gently floating us back toward the ground.
“Oh but you tightened so nicely when I did.” He nuzzled my neck.
“Brat,” I slapped him as our feet met the earth and he smiled as he laid me back where we started.
“Never trust an angel,” he kissed me again, with the laughter still on his lips.
I felt him slide gently from me and he rolled to the side, one wing curving down over me protectively. His hand brushed down my face, and then my neck, before swirling over the top of my breasts. I sighed, content to let him touch me, feeling secure in the fold of his wing.
“Are you hungry?” he whispered.
“Starving,” I stared at his mouth and he knew immediately what I hungered for.