by Auryn Hadley
Sam slapped my shoulder. "You're so good for my ego, sweetheart."
I never looked away from Nick. "It's pretty blatant. You made these skins to be the ideal, right? Good looks can get you places and all that?"
Luke pressed his fist to his mouth, his eyes sparkling over Nick's shoulder. "No."
"What do you mean?" I looked back to Sam.
He was grinning. "Nick just removed our inhuman traits and pigmented the skin. We lost the wings and accessories, but this is what we look like. Normalized our features a bit, but pretty much the same."
"No shit?" I turned back to Nick feeling warmth rushing to my face. "Ok... I really thought you'd like..."
"I gathered" he grumbled. "You assumed we'd been designed to entice women."
"Is that bad?"
Luke stood up. "Hey, Sam?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Coffee. I'll help you carry. Sienna's gonna need another anyway. She's a fucking addict."
I watched Nick's face while the guys disappeared around the corner. He looked annoyed, and I had a feeling I knew why. "You told me y'all were monsters."
"It's ok, Sia."
"Clearly, it's not. Especially if those two vanished like that. They always do when things get sensitive." I lifted a brow, daring him to deny it.
When he dragged his hand down his face, he looked exhausted. "I don't care what the myths say. They're myths. We are not out to subvert souls or take advantage of anyone. I did not design these skins to do anything but blend in."
"Well, then you made a few mistakes, Nick, because from what I've seen, you and those blonde creeps kinda stand out."
He immediately leaned closer and dropped his voice. "And your immediate assumption was that I'd done it intentionally, right? That I'd made our appearance into some type of weapon?"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "No," I shot back. "I thought that maybe you were just like everyone else and wanted to have the chance to enjoy a little vanity. Trust me, if I had the power to choose how I looked, I'd be a fucking knockout."
He reached over and palmed the back of my head. "Human ideas of beauty change too fast to worry about that. I just wanted to make us look believable." Then he shifted so I was tucked in at his side. "I'm not mad, and I'm very glad you trusted Sam."
"I was worried you'd be pissed about it," I admitted. "I just want you to know I'm not trying to cheat or anything."
He chuckled, the sound rumbling against my side. "Let's worry about keeping you out of angel hands first. I promise I'd much rather you were alive to dump me than chained in Angelis being drained dry." Then he kissed the top of my head. "Besides, he's almost as good at getting inside your head as an angel. I think Luke's been teaching him bad habits."
Those words gave me an idea. The moment the other two got back, I caught Luke's eye. "Hey, can you make me a deal?"
His face wrinkled in confusion. "Yeah, but why?"
Looking up at Nick to make sure I was on the right track, I explained my thought. "Can you convince my mind to not be persuaded by any other angel?"
Behind me, Sam laughed. "Oh, she's good."
"Do it," Nick agreed. "That's one more layer of protection."
Luke grinned devilishly. "Can I have your soul?"
"No, I'd rather Nick used it for the demons."
He chuckled at that. "Ok, fine. What do you want in exchange for being my pet?"
"How's this? You and only you can control my mind, on the condition that your intentions will be good?"
Glancing at Nick, Luke mulled that over. "Yeah. Look at me, Sienna." I did without hesitation. When everything around me faded to nothing, Luke began to speak. "I want to make you a deal, little Muse. You will only listen to suggestions from me, no other angels. Your mind will not succumb to anyone else's attempts at control, only mine. In exchange, I will do everything I can to only persuade you for your own benefit. By letting me, and me alone, have access to the aetherial mechanics of your decisions, I will repay you with protection and friendship. Do you agree?"
"Gladly."
Between us, Nick chuckled softly. "You're getting soft, Lucifer."
Luke blinked, releasing me, and glanced at his friend. "I've never actually met a Muse before, Nick. I think I've been inspired."
"I think you're both smitten," Sam muttered. "Women! Our eternal bane."
"Just yours," Nick teased, but Sam waggled his finger between the three of us on the couch.
"So." I tried to pull their attention back to me. "I'm no longer angel bait, right?"
"You're still bait," Sam said apologetically. "You're just not quite as easy of a catch."
"Which means we'd better barricade the house," Luke said. "Get what you need fast, Nick. I have a feeling playing dumb won't work for long."
Nick turned his focus to me. "Dove, so long as you're in public, you're pretty safe. In this day and age, it's just too easy to prove their existence, and they won't want to risk their religion. That means they have to touch you to pull you into the corridor, and they won't want to lose you unless they think there's no other option."
I nodded. "So make sure they can't touch me. I can do that."
Chapter 22
After my little fright, it wasn't hard for Nick to convince me to hang out at his place. My one holdout was losing my job, but he promised Luke would take care of it. That didn't mean I got to spend a lot of time with my guy. Nick was in and out for a good portion of the afternoon, often locking himself in his study for a while before he came to socialize, but someone was always there. Unfortunately, that was part of the problem. Being alone with Sam? Even the idea made me nervous.
I couldn't forget how easily I'd given in. The moment his mouth had touched my neck, I'd forgotten all about Nick – the man I'd been chasing for four years. Nope, at the first hint of affection from a guy, my brain completely clicked off, sending my hormones into overdrive. Mostly, I was ashamed of myself. That Nick didn't seem to mind only made it worse. It made me feel guilty.
Not guilty enough to be stupid. I understood why Sam had done it. The angels wanted me, the demons would protect me, and I had to trust them to make this all work. I did. I honestly did. I just didn't trust myself. That's why I avoided being alone with the guy I'd started to realize was a little too tempting. It was fine when Luke was around, but the two of us unsupervised? We'd already proven that was a bad idea. Twice.
And that kiss? My mind kept jumping back to it. He'd held me there and taken what he wanted, knowing exactly which buttons to push to get it. Something about that was so hot, and I couldn't stop replaying the memory over and over. Each time, I recalled some new little detail, like the feel of his tongue piercings or the way his fingers had pressed just behind my jaw. Nick could take my breath away with his mere presence. Sam? He'd go straight for my panties.
Should I tell Nick I'd liked it too much? No. That would only strain their friendship, and Sam had only kissed me because of the angel in the room. It wouldn't do anyone any good and might screw everything up. If Nick had to choose between his close friend and me, I wasn't sure I'd be the winner. My life was just too short for something like that.
So I had to make sure I got over my stupid infatuation before anyone noticed. It was a completely normal reaction. I mean, it wasn't like I was used to having a bunch of hot guys pay so much attention to me. Who wouldn't feel a little overwhelmed?
Sam made it easy. The only time we were alone was when we passed in the hall. He gently touched my arm and smiled, but never stopped walking. A part of me hoped the look on his face was longing, but I wasn't quite that full of myself. Then, when Nick said he needed an assistant, Sam immediately volunteered. Luke wasn't as much fun to hang out with, but at least he was nice and safe. For now, that was the best thing I could ask for.
Granted, cooking with Luke was much more entertaining than I'd expected. He danced between three different pans, stirring, sampling, and adjusting as if it was a highly choreographed ballet. Across his chest, a very frilly, f
lower patterned apron – too small for his well-muscled frame – completely ruined any chance of him looking evil. It made me laugh, which I was pretty sure was the point, and together, we managed to make one hell of a meal. It was ready just as the guys got back.
The four of us ate together, and there wasn't a hint of awkwardness. What they didn't do was talk about where they'd been. I kinda got the impression that was top secret demon information, so I didn't pry. Whatever it was, it had to do with me, and I was more than thankful for everything they were doing.
After dinner, Nick and I retreated to his room. His excuse was homework. I had some too, but the truth was I spent a lot more time with my mouth locked to his than with my nose in a book. Somehow, I still managed to get caught up. Since I didn't remember doing half the Calculus problems, I was pretty sure I had a little help, but I pretended not to notice.
Let's be honest, spending time with Nick was a lot more interesting than math of any kind, and it wasn't like I'd use calculus a lot as a medical illustrator. Unfortunately, spending time with him didn't include the naked kind. I was reading the required chapter for Art History when I heard his breathing even out. Rolling over, I found the most beautiful sight I could imagine.
One arm was curled under his head, acting as a pillow. His eyes had closed, letting those long, dark lashes rest on his cheeks, and his mouth was relaxed. Blue-black hair spilled across his shoulder haphazardly, and his shirt had ridden up at his waist, revealing one of those strange rune-shaped wards. For a long moment, I just watched him sleep, unable to believe that the guy I was dating wasn't just the sexiest man I'd ever met, but also the sweetest – and notorious for his power in more than one world. I, the crazy little orphan girl, had somehow ended up as something special, and it honestly felt really damned good.
I didn't bother to wake him. Whatever Nick was doing had taken a toll, so the least I could do was let him rest. After I finished my chapter, I got his boots off and eased him under the covers. Halfway through, he mumbled something I swore was in another language and smiled. I finished tucking him in, changed, then slid in beside him. When I wrapped my arms around his waist, he caught my wrist and pulled it closer, hugging my arm in his dreams.
The next morning, Nick was fully dressed when he woke me. Struggling to steal a little more sleep, I rolled over and found his side had already gotten cold. That meant he'd been up for a while. With a groan, I gave in and sat up.
"Stick close to Luke today," he said as he sat beside me on the bed. "Staying here would be even better."
"Can't get my degree here," I mumbled. "Nick, I know you don't understand, but without an education, what will I do when you disappear again?"
He bit his lips together and nodded. "I understand. I don't agree, but I understand what you're saying. That's why I'm not trying to keep you here. Just be careful, Sia? You have no idea what angels are capable of, and I don't want to lose you."
"Mm." I scrubbed at my face, trying to wake the rest of the way up. "I'll have the Devil with me. Pretty sure there's not much that can fuck with him, and there will be people everywhere."
He leaned closer and kissed my cheek. "I'm still the Devil. He's just the fallen angel who gets all the credit. Tonight, I want to try something with you. I've been gathering aether and should have enough today. Now get up, little dove. You only have half an hour before your class starts."
"Why can't school start at noon?" I grumbled as I flung back the blankets and padded over to my clothes. "I mean, we invented artificial lighting for a reason. It deserves a lot more use."
He laughed, watching as I got dressed. Then, once I was completely covered, he stepped in to steal a kiss. I didn't even try to resist, just melted into him, letting his powerful body hold me up. Nick made a pleased noise but still pulled back, slowly, pausing to look in my eyes.
"Coffee should be done. I hate to do this, but I have to go if I want to make it back before Calculus." He pulled me a little closer. "Sia, if anything seems off, come back here. We can convince your professors that you never left, so don't worry about that. Just be safe, ok?"
"Promise." I pressed a sweet peck onto his lips and stepped back to cross my heart.
For Nick, that was his cue. He gave me one last smile and stepped back, slipping under the surface of absolutely nothing to vanish right before my eyes. I'd never gotten the chance to see someone step into the corridor before. It was a little disturbing, in all honesty.
It also left me alone, smelling the scent of a nice dark roast wafting up the stairs. Grumbling about needing to be awake at this ungodly hour, I gave in and headed for the kitchen. I wasn't alone. The first thing I saw when I walked through the open archway was Sam wearing a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a very thin, very tight white shirt.
He heard me and turned with a smile. "Morning."
"Hey." I smiled, mostly to hide the stupid rush of guilt welling up.
Sam's lips curled to match, then he reached into the closest cabinet, pulling down one of those fancy travel mugs the guys used. Without asking, he filled it with coffee and began mixing in my preferred blend of cream and sugar. He passed it to me before leaning back against the counter.
"You still ok with this?" he asked.
I knew what he meant. He wasn't talking about angels. He was talking about me being weird every time he was around. Slowly, I nodded.
"I will be. I just feel like I've done something wrong."
"Promise, you didn't." Ducking his head, he chuckled dryly. "Pretty sure the stupid was all on me. Raphael wouldn't've believed anything else, so I just went with it, hoping you'd understand."
"No, I get that," I assured him. "I really do."
"But?" he asked.
A heavy sigh slipped out. "That moan?" I paused, convinced that admitting this was the dumbest thing I'd done in my life. "It wasn't fake."
His head snapped up, and his eyes met mine. "Oh," he whispered. Damn, I loved that almost-purple color.
Before I could say anything even more stupid, Luke walked in. "Good, you're up," he said, moving to the counter for a cup of his own, completely oblivious to the tension between Sam and I. "That means we won't be late to class."
I laughed, pushing my guilt to the back of my mind. "Like you're worried."
"I am when Nick tells me to keep an eye on you or he'll make me regret it." Luke shrugged. "That, and he's got enough to worry about."
"Why do you make that sound bad?" I sucked back another gulp of my coffee, nearly choking when Sam offered me my backpack. The last time I'd seen this one, it had been at my place. Demons were going to take a bit of getting used to.
Luke tilted his head to the door, suggesting we head out. "Um, he's pretty sure you won't approve of what he's about to do."
I turned that way, looking back to ask, "And what is that?"
Luke fell in beside me. "I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you. Seems you already have enough to feel guilty about."
Which meant he'd noticed the tension in the kitchen after all. I groaned and rolled my eyes. Thankfully, this was a topic I was a whole lot more comfortable with.
"Ok, Lucifer. Enough with the mysterious. Is he headed off to perform some kind of evil mystical ritual or something?"
"No, probably more like a hospital. Possibly a nursing home."
"Oh." Death was off to collect his souls. That was how Nick got the resources to protect me. "So, he's going to find some people on their deathbed and ease the aether from them so the angels can't get me?"
"Pretty much."
I walked for a bit in silence, mulling that over. It didn't really bother me that much, oddly enough. I'd seen Nick work. He'd killed the gas station robber and made him feel at peace. Was it wrong if he was easing someone with a terminal illness? Did it make it bad simply because we needed what they could no longer use?
"How does he pick?"
Luke pursed his lips, trying to choose his words carefully. "Pain and suffering color the aether. Outworlders can
see that as an aura on humans, so he tries to find those where the pain is stronger than the urge to live and releases them from the misery."
"Sounds kinda noble."
Luke looked at me, his eyebrows nearly to his hairline. "Noble? He's killing people, Sienna."
"So?" I shrugged that off. "When I was a kid, one of my foster families had a dog that got hit by a car. They had the vet put her down because her back was broken. I've always wondered why we call it a kindness when we do it for our pets but cruel when someone thinks about the same thing for a person." I lifted my hands slightly. "I mean, we say we don't want a dog to suffer, but we want Grandma to? Maybe it's because I never had a real family, but it doesn't make much sense."
He latched on to the tidbit of my history. "You know anything about your parents at all?"
"Nope. I know I was left at a fire station on Parker Street. That's how I got my last name. I was five and supposedly a handful, even at that age."
"Foster homes, huh?"
I nodded. "A few of them. I kept hoping one would want to adopt me, but it never happened." I paused. "Um. Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"My first foster parents were devout Christians. I don't really remember them, but I stayed there for just over a year. They sent me back because I refused to go to church."
"Good call," he teased.
"No, you don't understand." I tugged at his arm. "Luke, when I went into the church, I lost it. I don't remember it, but my CPS advocate showed me the note in my file. All my life, I assumed it was like how some kids are scared of clowns. I mean, I never had to go to church because of that little note. I was also never one of those people who collected angels or anything like that. They just seem…" I paused, realizing what I was about to say. "They seem creepy. A shrink tried to convince me it was a phobia, but I'm not really scared of them. I just don't like them." I licked my suddenly dry lips, my mind whirling. "Luke, I didn't really like you that much when we first met and I had no idea what you were."
"I wasn't exactly being nice."
"Even before that. Like that night at Mac's." I took a deep breath. "I don't like angels, and it seems I never have. When did I start warping the veils?"