What had he done?
There was no doubt in his mind that Hunter was innocent of carnal matters. No matter what he might have done to get himself expelled from Heaven, he had no knowledge of sex, and it hadn't been Rex's role to enlighten him that way. That should have come in time, and Hunter should have made the decision regarding his first sexual encounter.
But Rex had taken that choice away from the angel. The moment he'd wakened to Hunter's hushed, frightened voice, his heart had twisted in fear. It had been many decades, but Rex still remembered the story of Anahita, the Fallen that his uncle Dyffyd had taken charge of.
She'd been fragile, that had been clear from the start, but when she'd broken, it had been sudden and tragic. Unlike some of the other Fallen, she'd struck at herself rather than others, falling into madness. But Hunter hadn't been breaking. He'd been maturing. His sexual arousal was normal, and once he'd gotten past the humor of the situation, Rex had been struck nearly dumb by the male beauty of Hunter's naked form. His cock had been thick and proud, aroused to the point that it had taken little effort to push him into spending.
Rex had been sadly vulnerable to the temptation before him. His only redemption was that he merely assisted the angel. He didn't follow his own carnal inclinations. His mouth had watered with the need to taste, to kiss, to embrace the other man's rigid shaft. His hands had itched to roam his body. The urge to cover him, to make love, had been very nearly irresistible.
What would it feel like to be tangled in that silken hair? To be clasped by those powerful hands as their cocks thrust and dueled?
Rex shivered at the image in his mind. He'd managed to pass through five moon cycles since the angel had arrived, and each time had grown more difficult to bear. Alone on his croft, the full moon was uncomfortable, but not torturous. Sometimes he sought out women in the nearby villages, visiting them under the light of the full moon. He never spent in their bodies, lest he leave them with a halfling child.
Hunter's presence was making the full moon a very difficult time for Rex.
He needed to expose Hunter to other people, to women who would welcome him into their bodies. He'd been terribly irresponsible to not expose the angel to the humans who would be his peers for the remainder of his existence.
The fact that they lived an hour's walk from the nearest village was irrelevant. Rex should not have exposed him to a form of sex that was little understood or tolerated by the majority of humans. Though sodomy was no longer a death sentence, it still wouldn't go easy if they indulged and were caught by humans.
With a frustrated sigh, he primed the pump. Once the frigid water began to flow, he splashed his face and head. By all rights, Rex should simply plunge himself into the trough and douse the lingering arousal. Instead, he mentally reviewed his finances and his needs. Was it too soon to plan a visit to Edinburgh?
Again he looked at his cottage. When his clan had been forced to scatter, he'd resented that the seers had dispatched him to the south, to settle on an abandoned croft in the middle of nowhere. Rex craved the forests of his people, the wild mountain tops and howling winds of the North Sea.
But as years had passed into decades, he'd grown accustomed to life on the remote farm. Over the years he'd been forced to vacate it in “death” and re-settle as his own relative on occasion. But unlike so many other crofters, he owned his land, and Rex's uncanny skills kept him well fed, even as the crops of his neighbors withered and failed. In recent years, the villagers that sought out his healing skills had begun to look at him oddly, knowing that his appearance belied his age. It was once again time for a change. But this time, Rex didn't want to wander for years, letting time dim the memory of his neighbors. He didn't wish to leave at all.
His cottage had been an ugly heap of stone and rotten thatch when he'd first arrived. Over the years, he'd rebuilt and expanded the ancient structure, plastering and whitewashing the walls, putting stone floors over the dirt and thick rugs over the chilly slate.
A stand of forest grew on his property, and water was abundant. There was game and fish, and the soil was enriched by Rex's mere presence. But some of his herbs didn't flourish in the cold, damp weather of lowland Scotland. He sometimes traveled to the city for those items.
Rex had other reasons to travel to the city as well. He grew lonely on occasion, not only for companionship, but for touch, for the presence of his own kind. In the older sections of the city, there were places he could go...
Places he could take Hunter for some much needed experience among Rex's kind. There were women there, ladies who were skilled in the arts of lovemaking. Men, as well, but Hunter needed the exposure to women in order to discover his own preference.
And if they encountered some of the elders, perhaps one would be willing to take responsibility for Hunter. Rex simply didn't have the skills to mentor one of the Fallen, his indiscretion proved that. Once he found a place for the angel, Rex could travel for a time, and then return to his beloved farm as a young man, a nephew or cousin, and begin his life once again.
A faint wisp of smoke rose from the chimney of the house. Very soon there would be hot water for tea, as well as porridge and oatcakes.
Rex would miss Hunter's cooking when he was gone.
He shook the water from his hair in a spray of rainbow-covered droplets, and turned to the barn, ready to begin the day.
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Chapter Four
"You'd best take that look from your face, unless you want one of these men to take it off for you."
Rex grinned at Hunter, whose face had twisted against the pervasive smell of Edinburgh's Old City. Summer had added enough warmth to lift the fetid smells of sewage and rot to life. Earlier they'd ventured into the newer part of town. Elegant houses and gardens had been planted where a small loch once shimmered.
For now, they'd keep to the old byways and alleys off the Royal Mile up in the old part of the city.
"The odor is offensive."
"Aye, but you don't need to advertise it to one and all.” Rex reached out and pulled Hunter away from the center of the road, barely in time to save him from being trampled by a carriage. Together they walked steadily uphill toward the castle.
"Is that where we're going?” Hunter tripped on a cobblestone, and quickly caught his balance. His gaze was fixed in the direction of the imposing Edinburgh Castle.
"Nay, we'll be traveling elsewhere today.” To prove his point, Rex turned down a narrow passageway. From there, he turned again and wound through alleys till the space between buildings was barely shoulder width.
"There's much to this city that few know about, or would dream of.” He paused at a stairway, allowing Hunter the time to absorb his surroundings. The noise of the busy streets had faded, and rather than sewage and rot, he smelled moist earth and life. Once Hunter's eyes had returned to him, Rex began to descend a stairway.
"I didn't see that until you stepped down!"
Rex grinned at his amazement. He had the feeling that Hunter would never grow bored with magic. His smile faded a bit as he thought about the awesome power that Hunter held, if he only knew how to access it.
They continued to descend until a door blocked their passage. Rather than knock, Rex gestured, sketching runes in the air. The amulet that hung around his neck began to glow with a gentle white light. He paused, counted, and repeated the complex pattern in reverse.
The door vanished.
"Follow me. We'll go through the defensive wards next.” He reached behind and caught Hunter's hand, settling it on his shoulder. Hunter squeezed and then readjusted his grip. Rex did his best to ignore the sensation of the angel's touch.
Together they moved cautiously through a long passageway. Slowly, the lights dimmed until Rex was barely able to see. The glow of the necklace was the only light visible. He reached up and gave Hunter's hand a comforting squeeze. Though he'd been through the magic many times, it was still intimidating.
Once they approache
d the end of the corridor, magic brushed against his skin, swirling and prodding in inquiry. Without warning, the charms on both men fell, and they were both revealed in their true forms. In the golden light cast by Hunter, Rex could clearly see several figures in the shadows.
"It is I, Reux, son of Barron and Mareigh.” He swallowed, feeling a bit uneasy. “I bring with me the Fallen named Kokabiel, now known as Rion Hunter."
The silence stretched for long moments. Next to him, Hunter stood still as a statue. Odd, he'd never wondered what the angel would do in times of danger. Would he fight? Stand by in bewilderment? The balanced tension in his stance led Rex to believe that he was a fighter.
"Reux Barronson."
He grinned. This was a voice he knew well.
"Enter and be welcome."
The walls of the corridor shifted, and the fragrance of flowers drifted on the air. The entire world shifted into something completely different.
It was good to be home.
* * * *
Though he couldn't remember clearly, Hunter knew he'd walked among beings of great power in his previous life. But he didn't remember ever meeting one who awed him quite as completely as this woman. It might be that she was female, and he'd met few women in his short life on Earth. It could be her bearing and stateliness, or even her sheer beauty. This woman radiated a power that he was unable to define. To his horror, blood rushed to his nether region, even as it rose to his face.
As she moved toward them, Rex dropped to both his knees, and after a brief moment, Hunter followed suit, feeling quite comfortable abasing himself to the woman. When he looked up, her visage appeared youthful as a child, yet aged as a crone. Silver-white hair cascaded from a knot at the top of her head, the color shifting from frozen blonde to winter gray. He blinked, and the illusion ceased, leaving a lovely woman of middle years standing above him.
Goodness. Kindness. That's what he felt tugging at his consciousness. She had no sense of ambition or greed.
"Reux, I have missed you.” She trailed a hand through his hair, following the curve of one of his curls. “I wish your mother could see you now.” She smiled sadly, and Hunter felt the pull of her grief.
After greeting Rex, she knelt to look directly into Hunter's eyes. Hers were cool gray, deep and endless as the coldest loch. They were guarded by feathery black lashes.
He felt a tug in the back of his mind, something shifted, sparks kissed his vision, and without meaning to Hunter felt himself slide into her mind. With a hitch in his breath, he realized that this newly awakened ability was familiar.
"I'm sorry.” He quickly withdrew, and she smiled at his embarrassment.
"No offense was taken. I invited you. That ability was dormant until now?” He nodded, afraid to look directly into her eyes. His impressions of her were correct; she was a being of great power and unsurpassed humility. But she was far from harmless. “You are indeed Kokabiel then, God's Star.” She slid her hand over his cheek in a gentle embrace. “Do you know why you are called that name?"
He shook his head slowly.
"You shine the light of knowledge. That is the key to your fall, Hunter. You shine light in the dark places that we all possess. Even the highest of the angels must have secrets, I suppose."
"Hunter, this is Brita. She's the Guardian of this place, and the sister of my mother."
Not knowing what else to do, he bowed deeply, feeling the slide of her hand on his cheek as it slipped away. He had no adequate words of greeting, and could only demonstrate his feeling by prostrating himself before her.
"Please, Hunter. I am not deserving.” Gently, she took his hand and pulled him upright, but now, he saw only a lovely woman standing before him. She'd shielded her glamour.
No longer dazzled by the Guardian, Hunter looked around and blinked. The dank cavern was now a spacious and light-filled chamber. Outside of the glass windows, fields of green stretched endlessly. Birds sang sweetly and the sound of children's laughter carried on the fragrant breeze. It reminded him of home, though it was so vastly different. The walls that surrounded him were stone and wood rather than gilt and marble. Outside, plants and trees grew riotously, rather than in ordered plantings.
"This is a place out of time, which is why it seems familiar to you. Here, no person hungers or is forgotten. But for you, it is only a temporary haven, I'm sorry to say."
She began to walk down the corridor, and the two men fell into stride next to her. Glancing at Rex, he saw that his friend looked relaxed, but still carried the tension that he'd shown over the past months. While he didn't want to admit it, Hunter knew that Rex's unhappiness was rooted in his own presence. A feeling that he recognized as guilt had begun to take hold in his soul, steadily eroding his growing joy in discovering this world.
His fledgling emotions had received ruthless treatment since that morning by the fireside. He'd offended Rex somehow, but didn't have the experience to understand what was wrong. Hunter knew only that need churned in his gut; the need for Rex's smile and foolish jokes. He yearned for the touch that had been offered so briefly.
Hunter had learned much of sexual matters in the ensuing months; he'd seen the act among animals both large and small, and once he'd gained control of his wings, Rex had painted charms upon his skin that hid his more angelic features from the human eye. This allowed him to meet the humans that lived nearby.
In the villages they visited, Hunter had spied couples in the act, though it was vastly different than the brief, often violent, copulations of horses and farm cats. The courtships among the humans heated his blood, and brought him to a cockstand. To his chagrin, arousal visited him often and at unexpected times. Sometimes he went hard when he woke in the morning or lay down with his thoughts at night. More than once, he'd gone erect upon spying a curvy woman. The worst embarrassment came when he glanced up and saw Rex framed in the doorway or whistling over the mortar and pestle. It was then that Hunter would turn away in shame, because he knew that his open face did not hide his emotions, and he didn't want to offend Rex.
The need swelled his cock, but more importantly, it caused his heart to ache. He craved not only Rex's touch, but his presence, his approval. He craved the return of Rex's happiness. And Hunter didn't know what to do to make his friend happy. Of all the changes and adjustments he'd had to make, grappling with emotion had been the most challenging.
Hunter wondered what sort of creature he'd been before his fall.
He finally set his unhappy thoughts aside and looked around. They'd left the spacious chamber and were now outside, walking along a vine-shrouded walkway. Grapes dangled in heavy bunches from the greenery, and golden light dappled the flowing skirts of Brita's light green gown. They came to an exit in the arbor; it led to a wildly beautiful courtyard.
"Hunter, with your leave, I'd like to speak to my nephew privately. We have been long apart and we have much to discuss.” She smiled as she spoke. “I'm certain you must hunger and thirst, so I won't keep him long."
Hunter nodded and wandered off, admiring the profuse plant life, watching small birds hover in the air, flitting from flower to flower. When he turned to ask a question, they were both gone.
* * * *
"You've taken your time bringing him to us."
"It seemed best."
They walked out in the open where their voices would be lost to the air. Rex breathed deeply, smelling the perfume of warm earth and growing things. After living so long in a climate of fog and cold, the Other Place was always a welcome luxury.
When she found an appropriate spot, Brita gestured for him to sit. For a moment, she smiled at the antics of two youngsters trying their wings for the first time. “I still remember your first time to fly."
"I soared so beautifully, and then landed in the lake.” He smiled at the memory. “It was so long ago."
"It was only yesterday.” And to Brita, it might very well seem that way. As Guardian of the Homeland, she had stewardship over time and space. When he ret
urned to Edinburgh, she could deliver him to the point he entered, or years into the future.
"Aunt, I have no experience with the Fallen. I'm afraid that I've erred in my handling of Kokabiel."
"In what way?"
He didn't answer immediately, thinking of all the mistakes he'd made, both great and small. Even now, his mind skipped over the real truth. He drew a deep breath and looked directly into her knowing eyes.
"I find myself infatuated with him. Sexually."
She smiled and looked up to the sky, watching a bird soaring in the air. “It would be difficult not to be drawn to such beauty. I have a question for you, Reux. Do you love him?"
"Love?” He shook his head, laughing off the very idea. “There's so little to him to fall in love with. Right now, Hunter is nothing but a bundle of questions and confusion. I should have had him here sooner. I should have taken him to the village, exposed him to others."
"There is much to love about your angel, Reux. He merely needs time to learn. His basic personality is intact. He has forgotten all that he was. Now he's taking the time to learn who he will be.” She watched a bird flutter through the sky. “He cares for you deeply. In fact, I would say you are the most important aspect to his existence."
"But that is wrong! He's had no opportunity to meet other people, to see the world and learn what's out there."
"And that is why you brought him here."
He looked away, shame touching his face. “He needs more than I can give, Aunt. How can he learn to exist among humans by living with me on a croft in the middle of nowhere?"
"Perhaps then you should take him out into the world."
Reux went still. Leave his home? The croft? His woods? It had been his way of life for decades ... longer.
"I was sent here. To Scotland."
"By the seers. Why do you suppose they sent you exactly where you now live?"
"I was to watch the sky."
"Indeed."
That had been the reason they had set him there and abandoned him. To intercept the Fallen. Kokabiel. To keep the angel isolated until he'd either adapted or gone mad. Angels were immortal; few humans could stand in battle against their cold, emotionless determination. And when an angel went bad ... well, there was Hell to pay. Literally.
Bad Angels: Falling Page 3