“But he’s touched her now, held her in his arms. There’s no way he’ll be able to resist her again.”
“If she offers herself. She still thinks what they did is to be one time only. She doesn’t understand that they’re meant to come together fully, to complete each other. The key must enter the lock, and Micah must fill her with his essence in order for their mortal bonds to be broken.”
“How could she understand? She doesn’t know anything—neither of them do. You’re making this sound impossible.”
A sigh. “Not impossible, just very, very difficult.”
A thoughtful rustling sound. “They’ll have to be brought around it slowly. We need to plant the seed in their minds in a very roundabout way.”
A sigh and the whisper of wings. “That’s going to be the difficult part. I think Ariel will give Micah almost anything, but she has to know what she needs to give him first.”
“Leave Ariel to me. I’ll see that she gets the idea. Even if she still believes it’s wrong, she’ll want to give herself fully to Micah. She wants it as much as he does, and she feels that he needs it.”
“He does need it. The twain have never gone this long without joining in their entire existence. Micah must be starving for her. He has to be made to give in to his hunger.”
“Well, Micah is your department. Is there anything you can do?”
“Not much.” A sigh. “He’s so obstinate. All I can do is encourage him and try to assuage his guilt. But he’s very sensitive to what he considers to be right and wrong. I think the human taboo has a much stronger hold on his mind than it does on Ariel’s.”
“I think you’re right.”
“So if she can be brought around…”
“She will. Give her time.”
“Time is exactly what we don’t have.”
“I know… We can only hope we’ll see them together in heaven soon, breaking the seal to the throne room and warning the Almighty that hell has breached our defenses.”
“At least there’s no one to interfere—not since I cast that imp into the pit. Hell has no idea what’s going on. Hopefully everything will be back to normal soon, and you and I will go back to singing in the choir.”
“I don’t know. I rather like this guardian-angel business. I think…I think I’ll miss it when this is all over.”
“Yes. When it’s all over. One way or another.”
“What are you talking about, ‘one way or another’? There’s only one way this can end—in victory.”
Another long pause and a doubtful sigh. “I hope you’re right.”
* * *
The imp crawled over the lip of the pit, shaking the charred black framework of what had once been a pair of beautiful black leathery wings. Their delicate membrane had been seared away in the eternal fires of damnation, leaving only the blackened bones clinging to his back. The pain was dreadful, of course—unspeakable. But nothing compared to what Lord Beelzebub would do to him if he found out what had happened.
Blasted guardian angels, always meddling where they aren’t wanted! Next time I see that big one, I’ll be certain to give him a taste of his own medicine. He shook himself again, his wing bones rattling mournfully, and cast a last glance into the lake of fire. The moans and screams of the damned drifted out of it, barely audible over the roar of the hungry flames. Shapes danced in its hellish light, black shadows against the red, contorted in never-ending agony. Demon though he was, he had barely escaped its hungry jaws, and the human souls condemned to burn there for all eternity were not so lucky. He was fortunate to have lost nothing but his wings.
Sighing, he looked upward. He wouldn’t be able to fly until the membranes of his wings grew back, but he couldn’t afford to wait for that. The climb back to earth was certain to be even more arduous than the journey to the lip of the pit. He supposed he could ask for help…but if it got back to Lord Beelzebub that he had been absent from his post for even a single night… “He’ll have my hide,” muttered the imp. “Skin me alive and cast me back down in the fire.” And without his hard, leathery skin to protect him, he would fare no better than the souls of the damned.
The imp shivered and shook his head. No, he would just have to get back to earth on his own. Then, as soon as he had a moment to spare, he would have to report to his lord that Micah and Ariel were together again.
He just hoped they were still keeping each other at an arm’s length, or there would be hell to pay.
Chapter Nine
Leah was still asleep when he opened his eyes, so Owen spent some time just watching her, her beautiful features quiet in repose and her thick hair spread over the pillow like a golden corona. A halo. God, she was lovely and loving too. The way she’d allowed him to touch her the night before, just to prove her love for him, had touched Owen deeply. She had such a giving heart. It made her every bit as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside.
A great surge of love and protectiveness flowed through him as he watched her. He wanted to hold her forever, to defend her against any threat or harm, to protect her and provide for her always. At that moment he knew she was more to him than his sweet little sister—she was the love of his life, and he would kill or die for her if it was necessary to keep her safe.
But I can’t feel that way about her. It’s wrong. And the things we did last night were wrong too. Oh, Leah, I love you so much. Why can’t I keep myself from wanting you?
Then her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up to see him watching her. “Oh, Owen.” She laughed nervously. “Are you okay? Why are you looking at me like that?”
He opened his mouth to tell her how he felt about her, how much he loved her…and closed it again. He couldn’t declare his undying love for her. So instead he just smiled and said, “I was just thinking how beautiful you are when you sleep.”
“Stop it, now. You’re making me blush.” She sat up in bed, and the thin covers fell away, revealing her full, bare breasts and the ripe mound of her pussy. Owen sucked in a breath. God, she was lovely. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her and then suck her tight pink nipples, just as she’d allowed him to do the night before.
“Here,” he said stiffly, finding the T-shirt she’d worn to bed and handing it to her. “Maybe you’d better cover up.”
Leah pulled the shirt on quickly and then looked at him, her big eyes filled with uncertainty. “I’m sorry, Owen. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m not upset,” he lied. Then he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I’m sorry, Leah. I shouldn’t have reacted that way. After all, I saw everything last night.”
“But it was dark last night. You couldn’t have seen many details.”
“I saw enough to know how beautiful you are.” He cupped her cheek. “Beautiful all over, Leah. Inside and out.”
Leah’s eyes went soft, and for a moment he thought she was going to lean in for a kiss. But that would have started everything all over again. Reluctantly he drew his hand away. “I love you, little sister,” he said softly, deliberately reminding both of them of what their relationship really was—of the way it had to stay.
“And I love you, big brother,” she whispered back without a trace of irony.
That’s how she thinks of me. As her big brother—and that’s all. She doesn’t need from me what I need from her. She was just giving herself to help me last night because she cares for me. Not because she loves me the way I love her.
The realization cemented his decision not to let anything else happen between them, no matter how much he wanted it. Leah seemed to see the determination in his eyes, because she frowned.
“What is it, Owen? You look so serious all of a sudden.”
“It’s nothing.” He looked away. “I was just…thinking about something that happened a long time ago. Do you remember that time we went swimming down at the lake when we went to visit Grandma Forester?”
“Of course I do. That was a great summer. We h
ad so much fun.”
“Not the time I’m thinking of,” Owen said darkly. “It was the second time we went. Don’t you remember? You said you were bored of the lake because it was so calm, and there was a river that ran right beside it, down in the woods a few yards. You decided to swim there instead.”
“Oh yes, I do remember.” Leah looked thoughtful. “It seemed small, but it was really deep.”
“And the current was strong—extremely strong,” Owen reminded her. “But you jumped right in without thinking and started to get carried away downstream.”
“But you jumped in after me and saved me.” Leah smiled. “You grabbed me with one hand and that tree root with the other and pulled us both out. I remember thinking I’d never realized how strong you were before.”
“Leah,” he said softly. “I never told you this, but I almost wasn’t strong enough.”
“What…what do you mean?” Her face was suddenly serious.
Owen frowned. “I mean, I could feel myself losing my hold on the root. And I knew I might have to make a choice—I could have let you go and held on to the root with both hands…or gone down the river with you, all the way to those sharp rocks I knew were just around the bend.”
“Oh, Owen.” She put a hand on his arm. “You never said anything about that. How terrible for you! Did…did you really consider just letting me go?”
“Never,” he said fiercely. “It was no choice at all, Leah. If it had come to that, I would have gone with you downriver, even if it meant we both ended up on those rocks. But…do you see what I’m saying here?”
Leah bit her lip. “You think I’ve jumped in without thinking again. That I initiated what happened between us last night as carelessly as I jumped in that river when I was twelve. But, Owen”—she shook her head—“you couldn’t be more wrong.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” He sighed and took her hand gently off his arm before placing it back on her knee. “It doesn’t matter if you thought it through or not. I’m afraid the result is going to be the same. And this river is so wide and so deep and so damn dangerous that I don’t think I can get us out of it this time. To be honest, I don’t know if I even want to.”
“You’re saying you still want me,” she whispered. “That you still need me.”
Owen looked away, unable to meet her gaze. “I’m saying there are rocks ahead—sharp ones. We need to be careful.”
His grim tone obviously made Leah worried. She touched his cheek lightly. “Are you all right, big brother?” she asked softly. “Are…are you mad at me?”
“Of course not.” Owen pulled her close and gave her a tender and very brotherly hug, being sure to keep their lower bodies from touching. “I love you, Leah. I just…I need to go back to loving you the right way—like a brother.”
“Oh, Owen, you couldn’t love me the wrong way.” She nuzzled closer and kissed his neck. “We just have to find a different way to express it. That’s all.”
“You’re right,” he murmured into her hair. “I’m sure we can do that if we try.”
“Of course we can.” She looked up at him. “I mean, you can…can show me you love me without…without doing what we did last night, right?”
He nodded stiffly. “I’d better get ready for work. You want the first shower?”
“You go ahead. I don’t have to meet with Professor Dobrev until this afternoon. But before you go, tell me what you want for supper tonight.”
“You don’t have to cook for me every night,” Owen objected. But she shook her head.
“As long as I’m under your roof, I’m going to take care of you in every way I possibly can. And that includes cooking, so what do you want?”
“Hmm. Can you do lemon chicken?”
“That always was one of your favorites.” She grinned. “Sure, no problem. What time should I have it ready?”
“I probably won’t get home until around nine,” Owen said apologetically. “Sorry, it’s a doctor thing. Long hours go with the job.”
“I understand.” She rubbed his shoulder. “You do what you have to do, and I’ll see you tonight.”
* * *
An hour later, Owen sighed as he walked down the hospital corridor, past bustling nurses, milling visitors, and a tech pushing a bulky portable X-ray machine noisily across the industrial green linoleum floor. He might have a long day ahead of him at the hospital, but Leah was going to be waiting for him when he got back home. Leah, with her big eyes and beautiful smile and loving heart. Leah, whom he had to resist at all cost.
“Well, well, well. Looks like someone’s in a mood today.” Jael’s deep voice broke his train of thought, and Owen looked up.
“Morning. Yeah, I had a, uh, restless night last night.”
“Sorry to hear it. Problems at home?”
Owen lifted his chin. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“That’s good, man.” Jael clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad to hear it. But if you don’t mind my saying so, you look like shit.”
“Yeah, well…” Owen shrugged. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Work getting to you?” Jael sounded sympathetic. “God knows I love it, but this profession can run you ragged.”
“Yeah, the long hours…” Owen ran a hand through his hair. “And now having my sister to deal with—it’s rough.”
“You know what I think? You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Just take it easy and don’t stress. Things will turn out the way they should in the end.”
For some reason the other man’s words made him feel better. He coughed. “I guess, uh, I guess we’d better get to morning rounds.”
“Right behind you every step of the way.” Jael grinned.
“Good to know I have backup,” Owen said drily.
“That’s me, man. Just think of me as your guardian angel.” Jael laughed, and Owen found himself laughing along with the other man, though he wasn’t sure why what Jael had said was so funny.
* * *
“Good to see you again,” Professor Dobrev greeted Leah when she came into her disorganized office. “I don’t have a lot of time today, though. I have a meeting in fifteen.”
“No problem. I’m here to pick up the teaching packet, and then I’ll get out of your hair,” Leah assured her.
“Here you go.” Dobrev handed her a thick manila envelope stuffed with material. Leah took it and turned to go, but the professor called her back. “Wait a minute. You don’t get off that easily. What did you think of the book?”
“Oh, the book!” Leah put a hand to her face. “I hope you don’t mind, but I left it at home. I didn’t get a chance to finish reading the last legend yet.”
“No problem,” Professor Dobrev said easily. “We’ll be seeing each other all the time. You can return it whenever you’re finished. But what did you think of it?”
“Well, if you’re looking for a book review or an academic analysis—” Leah began cautiously, but the other woman made a shooing motion.
“No. I just want to know if you enjoyed it. Some of the things those angels get up to…” She fanned her face with one hand, grinning. “Better than a Harlequin romance, you know?”
Leah laughed. “That’s true. Although the, uh, most explicit story didn’t have that much to do with angels.”
“Oh, you mean the one about the girl whose father was an angel? The one who ended up with her half brother?”
Leah nodded, trying not to blush. Though she didn’t want to admit it, the story she’d read had influenced, at least in part, what she’d done with Owen the night before.
“Pretty hot, huh?” Dobrev grinned.
“I guess so.” Leah coughed. “I mean, if it hadn’t been, you know, incest.”
Professor Dobrev snorted. “Oh, that. Yes, I suppose so. Of course, different cultures have different ideas of what constitutes incest. For instance”—her voice had taken on a dry, lecturing tone—“in some cultures, you can’t even marry someone who’s from the same tribe
as you, let alone the same family unit. At the other extreme, the ancient pharaohs married their siblings on a regular basis.”
“Weren’t most of those marriages just for show?” Leah objected.
“Not all of them,” Dobrev said drily. “Of course, putting all that aside, there are some legends that say it’s a sign of love in a past life.”
“How is that?” Leah couldn’t help but be intrigued.
“When two souls are entwined to the point where they cannot be separated, they often end up in physical bodies that are in proximity to each other—sometimes from the same family—like a brother and sister. And their love is so great that even society’s conventions can’t keep them apart.” Dobrev shrugged her narrow shoulders. “That’s how some cultures explain it, anyway.”
“That’s…very interesting,” Leah said slowly. For some reason this last idea resonated with her. “I like that,” she said at last. “Two souls that have loved each other in a past life, or maybe…maybe on a different plane of existence. And they’re forever trying to get back together.”
“Exactly.” The professor smiled warmly at her. “Maybe that was what happened between Illandra and Aaron.”
“Maybe…although she’s portrayed as sort of a temptress more than a victim,” Leah pointed out. “I mean, I think her brother would have left her alone if she hadn’t asked him to meet her again.”
“Possibly.” Dobrev nodded. “But maybe she was taking the initiative—giving him what he needed. What they both needed. If they were meant to be together, somebody had to initiate it, don’t you think?”
“I guess so,” Leah said, frowning. “Only—”
“Well, I’d better get going.” The professor looked at her watch. “Don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”
“Oh!” Leah hopped up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you.”
“No problem.” Dobrev smiled at her. “Take care. And keep the book as long as you like. I don’t need it back anytime soon.”
* * *
She couldn’t help thinking of her new mentor’s words as she fixed dinner that night. “When two souls are entwined to the point where they cannot be separated…” Could that be the case with her and Owen? How else could she explain the visions she’d had that seemed to mean they ought to be together? Or the feeling of rightness she had when she was in his arms? And yet Owen still felt so guilty about it. It hurt to see him beat himself up the way he was.
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