Releasing the Watcher: The Fallen Angel Trilogy #3

by Kim Loraine

  “I only belittle it because of the absolute lack of importance she holds at the moment. If we do not stop Lucifer from rallying the fallen and charging the gates of Heaven, there won’t be a world for your Selah to live in.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” I snap.

  “Brother, you must use your power. That’s why Michael infused it into your skin. You know it will fade if you don’t use it.”

  He doesn’t understand why that’s exactly what I want it to do. I want to let this power fade until I’m as close to human as Selah.

  “Sariel.”

  Heaving a sigh, I turn my gaze on him. “What?”

  “Why do you hate being an archangel? What have we done to deserve abandonment?”

  There’s real emotion behind his questions. A rare show of his true feelings.

  “I can’t have her and remain an angel. I fell for her.”

  “But you can return to us. Don’t you understand? You can be—”

  “I have spent thousands of years mourning her.”

  “And we have done the same for you, and all our brothers you took with you.”

  “It’s not the same. This love, this yearning, it’s so strong. It’s unlike anything else.”

  His gaze turns hard as he pushes off the wall and strides across the room. “Lust. Selfishness. Sin. We truly love them, not you, not the fallen. If you did, you’d have spent eternity devoted to them. Instead, you chose to follow your cock.”

  Rage courses through me, turning my heart to fire, and in an instant, I am across the room, barreling into him with all the strength I possess. He lets out a soft grunt as my shoulder connects with his middle, but after a few steps back, he gives a flare of power, and my back burns like acid. With a scream of agony I drop to the floor in front of him.

  “You should know better than to take me on. I’m an archangel at full power, and you are barely stronger than a human.”

  The pain dulls only enough to let me get to my feet. “How am I supposed to fight if Lucifer is more powerful?” With a flick of his wrist, a sword, glowing and gold, appears in Gabriel’s hand. I let out a weak laugh. This is it? After all this, he’s just going to send me to purgatory to await the end of days and my final judgment?

  “You’re right. You can’t do it alone. This blade will come to you when you need it. You have only to use the power in your wings, and it will appear.” He hands it to me hilt first, but I hesitate. “Sariel, they will kill you before you have a chance to escape. But this isn’t all you will need.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You know. The vampires. Bring them in.”

  A burning ache has settled in my shoulders and all the way down to the tips of my wings. As I shift my weight, I hiss in pain as my shirt pulls where it has stuck to my back. “What did you do to me?”

  “It wasn’t me. That was a gift from Michael. He thinks you need more power.”

  Glancing in the mirror, I see my shirt is covered in blood. “Tell him I said thanks, but no thanks.”

  “Sariel. Get them, or he’ll only make it worse.”

  He shakes his head and places a palm on my stinging shoulder, sending a pulse of pain through me. As I scream again, the world fades and comes back into focus. I’m standing outside Devin’s home, my body hurt, my spirit broken. Hammering on the door, I give a pulse of my power before Devin can open the heavy wood. The door breaks from its hinges, and I stand in the threshold, meeting the startled gazes of Devin and Willow.

  “Sariel. What the fuck?”

  Breathing heavily, I drop to my knees and rest my aching head in my hands. “I need your help.”

  “You have to be fucking kidding me. You seriously expect to barge in here, cock-block me, and get me to help you?” Fury burns in Devin’s gaze as he covers Willow’s body with his. “Turn around so my fiancée can get some clothes on, will you?”

  I can’t fight my smirk even though my limbs ache and the lines of my wings burn as if electricity is constantly running through them. I’ve seen everything Willow has to offer, but I understand his anger. I wouldn’t be eager for anyone to see Selah in such an intimate moment.

  Closing my eyes, I fight the agony in my back and try to focus on anything other than Willow and Devin. I’m shaking with pain, but with every slow movement I make, I send out slight pulses of power, giving Michael what he wants. As my tattoo heals, I heave a sigh of relief, and when Devin clears his throat, I stand. Straightening the cuffs of my shirt, I work to compose myself.

  “Sariel, what the hell happened? You look like absolute shit.” Devin doesn’t sound worried. In fact, he sounds pissed off.

  “The archangels sent me. Believe me, Devin, the last thing I want is to involve you in any of this again.”

  Willow cocks an eyebrow. “Archangels? As in, more than one?”

  Nodding, I stride across the room, wincing as the dried blood pulls on my back. “Yes, more than one.”

  “Does this have to do with our souls?”

  Willow is so much more intuitive than I give her credit for. She’s always one step ahead, and I have routinely forgotten that in the time I’ve known her. “It does.”

  Before Devin can utter a word, she’s running her fingers over the bloodied fabric of my shirt. “What the fuck happened to you? We need to get you cleaned up.”

  “I’m fine. I just need—”

  With a wet ripping sound taking the place of my words, Willow tears the shirt from my torso and gasps at the sight of my ruined back. “Who did this?”

  “It’s fine, Willow. I’ll be healed in a few hours.”

  “Sariel, you look like you’ve been flayed.”

  Sighing, I roll my shoulders and step away from her. “Not flayed. Scored.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They’re my wings. Tattooed on my skin as a reminder of the power I could wield if I’d put aside Selah.”

  “You can’t have both?” Willow sounds genuine in her confusion, and although I feel like an ass, I laugh. There’s no disguising the bitterness in my heart.

  “No. That would be too perfect. I will have to choose, Heaven or Selah.”

  Her expression crumbles. “That’s not the God I know.”

  “You don’t understand anything about my situation. I spurned Him. Turned my back on everything He wanted from me. He’s my father, and like any parent, He loves me and wants what He feels is best for me. Taking her from me was my punishment. This choice is my consequence.”

  “What can we do to help?”

  Devin visibly stiffens, his already pale skin going whiter. “You’re kidding, right? I spent five fucking years doing anything and everything for those winged assholes.”

  She takes a step back from me and shoots a burning glare at him. “Did you forget what they gave you? You have a soul, Devin. The least we can do is help Sariel.”

  Devin runs a large hand through his shoulder-length hair, his bright blue eyes focused across the room, somewhere on the wall behind us. “Goddammit, Willow.”

  Her answering smirk leaves me heaving a sigh of relief.

  “So, what do you need us to do?” Willow asks.

  “I’m not sure. Not yet. But I’ll be in touch.” My back itches as the lines of grace heal and pulse with unused power. Casting a glance at Devin, I raise an eyebrow. “Do you have a spare shirt? Your woman seems to have a thing for ripping clothes from male bodies. Or maybe that’s only when I’m inhabiting the form?”

  “Fuck off,” Devin bites out, but he strolls into the bedroom and, moments later, tosses a pale green T-shirt at me.

  Holding it up, I shake my head and frown. It proudly states, “Kiss me, I’m Irish.”

  “Seems a little childish,” I mutter.

  His chuckle only adds to my annoyance. “I bought it for Galen as a joke. Moody bastard never wore it.”

  Slipping the abomination over my head, I sigh. It will have to do.

  “I’m staying at his house.”
r />   “Whose?”

  “Galen’s. Although, I no longer need the protection from the sun, I’m glad to have it. You and Willow may need to come stay with me if things get bad.”

  Devin groans. “This just keeps getting better. I hate that fucking dungeon room. Galen was so dramatic when he was a vampire. I don’t understand why he thought he needed to be shrouded in darkness at all times.”

  “I’ll let you know when I need you.” I’m done with this little reunion. I spent five years sharing a body with Devin. It was long enough.

  After offering my goodbyes, I flick a glance at the door, splintered and barely hanging from its hinges, and shrug. I should probably fix that. But I won’t. Devin can take care of it.

  As soon as I’m outside, I realize my mistake. I’m forty-five minutes away by car. I didn’t bring a car. Damn it all to Hell and back. I walk through the upscale neighborhood, looking drastically out of place in my novelty shirt and black slacks. I’m reasonably certain I look a little like a homeless man who just happened upon these random pieces of clothing in a Dumpster somewhere.

  An hour later, I’m strolling through the city streets, watching the human population at their best. I used to be so enamored with them and their freedoms. They could do anything, be anything, have everything. All I could do was watch. Now, I don’t care about them. I only want her. And, as if guided by destiny, she stumbles out the doors of McCoy’s Firehouse Bar and Grill and straight into my arms.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she cries, her small hands pressed against my chest as she stares up at me. “Hey, I know you. You’ve got wings.”

  Her words are slightly slurred, cheeks flushed, and eyes bright as she smiles under my gaze. “What?”

  “Beautiful wings.”

  “Selah, what are you doing out here?” A tall brunette stands behind Selah, her arms crossed over her ample chest and a scowl marring what might be pretty features.

  “He has wings.”

  Selah slides her fingers over my shoulders and along my back. Fighting a shiver of pleasure, I help her to a more stable position.

  “Sure, he’s an angel,” her friend offers in a placating tone.

  Oh, if only she knew how right she was.

  “It’s a tattoo,” I tell her, hoping we can drop the topic.

  Cocking an eyebrow, the woman smirks. “And how does she know about your tattoo?”

  I can’t resist playing with her now. “She saw it when I took my shirt off.”

  Her mouth drops open, and as I’m about to put her out of her misery and explain, Selah moans and falls forward into my grasp. Without a second thought, I collect her, scooping her up in my arms and nestling her head against my chest.

  “Oh, damn. I shouldn’t have let her drink that last Irish car bomb,” her friend offers.

  My livid expression must not be very well hidden, as the woman takes a step back. “She needs to get home.”

  Shaking her head, she sighs. “That’s the last place she should go. Her fiancé will probably be there. He’s the reason we’re out here. The asshole.”

  Selah leans her head heavily against me as she breathes slowly. Her beautiful eyes are closed, hiding their beloved color from me, but I don’t care. She’s in my arms. “I’m sorry, Sam.”

  Shushing her, I stroke her hair. “Come on, then. Let’s get you taken care of. My house isn’t far.”

  “But,” her friend begins, but I stop her with a pulse of power I shouldn’t be using.

  “Go inside. Selah went home with a good friend. She’ll be fine.”

  The idiot nods and turns on her heel. Raising my hand, I hail a cab and settle the love of my life inside. Excitement builds in my chest as I give my address. As we drive, Selah’s head falls to my shoulder, one arm between us and the other resting on my chest, right over my erratically beating heart.

  I have her.

  I’m never letting her go.

  Thousands of years ago, Mesopotamia

  Night after night, Sariel has come to me in my dreams, his golden hair and bronzed skin aglow in the light of the moon. I wake with the feel of his lips grazing my body, his fingers gliding up my thighs, and my sex slick and aching. I should fear him. No human moves as swiftly as he. I know this is true. I am certain he’s not like me. But when I’m with him, the only thing I feel between us is a sense of completion. He is right for me.

  Tonight, as I lie in my bed, gazing at the unusually bright moon from my window, I bite my lip at the tickle of excitement in my belly. Maybe he’ll come to me again. Closing my eyes, I will myself to envision our clearing by the river. I drift off, embracing the dream as it takes hold.

  The soft babble of the water and the rustle of the leaves in the wind come into focus, and before I know it, his scent envelops me.

  “Selah, why have you brought me here?” His words are tight and hold a note of confusion. I look around, but disappointment settles within me when I don’t see him. This is different. In my dreams, he slides between my blankets and holds me in his arms in my bed.

  “I… This is our secret place. It is only for you and me,” I say into the wind, wishing this dream would allow him to touch me.

  A soft caress glides over my exposed neck, sending shivers of pleasure through me. “Take down your hair,” he commands.

  “Why can’t I see you?”

  “I don’t want you to.”

  Removing the binding at the end of my hair, I shake the braid, and my long locks fall free. “What are you?”

  His deep voice sends a bolt of desire straight to my core. “Yours.”

  Oh my. His fingers ghost under the neckline of my nightdress. The burn of his lips against my collarbone surprises me. Not being able to see him only heightens my senses. My breath catches as his hand cups my breast, and he rolls my nipple between his fingers. I shouldn’t be letting him do this, but it isn’t real. I’m dreaming.

  “Sariel,” I moan.

  “Don’t make a sound. Just feel me.”

  I bite my lip as his hand leaves my breast, and the whimper that escapes me is pathetic, but I don’t care. I want him touching me.

  Blanketed by the inky darkness of a cloudy night, I wait for him to return. He’s still here. His energy surrounds me, but he’s teasing me. And then, warm palms settle against my neck, running over the sensitive flesh under my jaw before his lips are on mine and he’s whole, right there in front of me. My gaze locks on his beautiful silver eyes as he worships my mouth, all while staring into my heart. How can I possibly leave and marry a man I have seen only one time, when Sariel makes me feel this way?

  Pulling away, he drops to his knees and slips his hands under my skirts, raising the fabric higher and higher until my thighs are bared to the open air. I know this is a dream, but it feels incredibly real.

  With a soft grunt, he bunches my skirt up to my waist and flicks his tongue over my inner thigh. “Oh, my Selah. You are such a treasure.”

  My knees tremble as his kisses and licks move closer to the wetness between my legs. “Stop! What are you doing?”

  He turns his face up to meet my gaze. “I am touching you in the way a man might touch his wife. The way I’ve wanted to touch you every night since you allowed me to kiss you in the clearing.”

  “I am not your wife.”

  “You are no one else’s, Selah. You are mine.” His growled response sends need careening through my body.

  “I can’t be yours.”

  Releasing my skirts from his grasp, he stands and holds my shoulders. “You can. Marry me. I will give you everything I am if you choose to be mine.”

  “Do not joke about such things. You know as well as I, that will never happen.” My heart aches for the turn this dream has taken. “Tomorrow, I leave. To do my duty.”

  Anger flashes in his eyes. “No. You will be mine, Selah. No matter the cost.”

  Cost? “Stop. I shouldn’t be here with you. This cannot happen again. Leave me be, Sariel.”

  “As long as I am
on this earth, I will not.”

  Sighing, I push away from him, even though it’s the last thing I want. In truth, I’d rather never wake and spend eternity in his arms, here under the tree.

  “I can’t marry you,” I sigh.

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know you.”

  He laughs, the sound rich and warm. “And you know the man your father has sold you to?”

  My cheeks heat as blood fills them. “No. But he will give me a secure life. I will be cared for. Have everything I could want.”

  The pad of his thumb caresses my palm as he takes my hand. “You will not have love. Only I can give you that.”

  I shiver despite being so hot I’m panting. “Y-you don’t love me.”

  “I am certain you do not understand the depth of my feelings. If you did, you would have no doubt of my love.”

  Without giving me a chance to answer, he crushes my mouth with his and pushes his tongue past my lips. A groan escapes me, urging him on as he holds me tight to him. In one smooth move, he lowers us to the ground and pushes up my dress. One hand snakes down my body, and I shudder in pleasure as his fingers slide over my center. And then his fingers press inside, sending tingles radiating outward. Oh, sweet mercy. What is he doing to me?

  “Ah, Sariel,” I cry, squirming as he moves his hand back and forth.

  “Say you will be mine,” he growls.

  “I can’t.” My words come in harsh gasps as something spectacular begins to build in my center.

  “Say it.”

  “I… I…”

  “Now, my love. Tell me you are mine. Tell me I am the only one who will give you this pleasure.”

  His thumb strokes tight circles around a sensitive bud I’ve rarely touched. I am so close to something I know I want.

  “Please…oh, please?”

  “Tell me.”

  My breath comes in sharp gasps as my vision blurs. “I am yours, Sariel.”

  A wide smile spreads across his lips, and with a flick of his thumb…

  My eyes snap open.

  Present day, Seattle