“S’rry ‘bout th’ mess…” Luke muttered deliriously. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a pair of plaid pajama bottoms on the floor. The rest of the room was completely free of clutter, neatly put together, everything in its place.
Heaven help me. My Angel’s a neat freak.
“I’ll try not to think less of you. Let’s get you on the bed.” I grunted, helping him down his stomach, his body landing on the bed with a soft flutter of cotton, sinking comfortably into the thick navy duvet. I saw half his smile buried in the pillow, one blue eye blinking fuzzily.
“Heyyyy…” He drawled suggestively, waggling one eyebrow. “Get me on th’ bed.”
I swallowed a snort looking at him.
“I’m glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor.” I said, taking his shoes off.
“For you? An’thing.” He mumbled into his pillow, his eyes falling closed. “An’thing.”
I squashed down the ridiculous warming tingle in my chest at his slurred words.
Chapter 23
Luke felt a dull ache pulse down his back, centered around a sharp twinge between his shoulder blades every time he moved, the stiffness in his limbs from before had increased tenfold, but everything from the neck above seemed to be okay, so he counted whatever had happened as a win.
He lay on his stomach stretched out across his bed, the covers soft against his bare chest, his jeans still resting low on his hips. He grimaced; the feel of his skin felt grimy, like he’d fallen asleep after the gym but not before rolling around in dirt. He didn’t remember going to the gym and he didn’t remember getting back to his apartment. He drew his eyebrows together, concentrating.
He remembered monsters.
His eyes flew open when the memory of the attack on the pub came flooding back to his quickly awakening brain.
Danny.
His head popped up from the pillow, ignoring the sharp protest his back gave at the sudden movement with a wince as he looked for her. He heard soft breathing coming from the other side of the bed and felt a warm, comforting presence wrapped around his hand.
Danny was curled up next to him, their bodies inches apart. Her arm was tucked up beneath the pillow her head rested on, the other reached over toward him, her strong fingers tangled with his, her long legs crossed at the ankles, her knees tucked up toward her chest. She rubbed her socked feet against each other in her sleep. She had taken off her jacket and what looked like a filthy blanket of feathers covered her body.
Wait…a feather blanket?
Luke blinked more sleep out of his eyes and the wing covering her came into sharper focus. Under the caked-on blood, dust, and debris, Luke could see the feathers were a deep chocolate brown, fading into a snowy speckled white near the tip. It stretched out across Danny and he could feel her warm against the feathers. His feathers. He stretched his body and his wings dutifully grew out to their twelve-foot span on either side of him. The feathers quivered, stretching the sore stiffness out of his muscles. He let his body go limp and relaxed, his wings flopping limp along with the rest of him to the sound of something clattering to the ground, perhaps a picture frame, that he’d apparently knocked off the shelf with his brand-new limbs.
“Shit.” He whispered softly to the apartment.
Danny gave a little moan and buried her face deeper into the pillow. Luke felt himself smile as he tucked his wing even more snugly around her and she hummed in appreciation. Her green eyes flickered open, then squeezed themselves shut as she rubbed her cheek against the soft cotton of the pillowcase.
“You’re awake.” She mumbled absently before her eyes flew open completely and she propped herself up on one elbow. “Hey! You’re awake.”
“Yeah, I’m awake.” Luke cleared his gravelly throat. The night sky could be seen out of the window of his bedroom. “How long this time?”
“Uh, couple of hours?” She squinted at the clock on the nightstand, before the faint sound of people talking drew her attention.
Luke concentrated on the sound and determined it was a report on the nightly news, set at a low volume on the TV across the room. She glanced at his questioning eyebrow for a moment before allowing her gaze to go back to the news.
“I just turned it on before I fell asleep to…check…” he voice trailed off as whatever was on the evening report caught her attention.
“...the bar, a fixture of this community for decades, was almost destroyed when a group of masked assailants laid siege to the building.” Luke heard the news anchor state officially. “First responders at the scene say that most reports are not to be believed.”
The audio from the news report switched from the careful silence of the studio to the chaotic noise of an on-location camera, sirens wailing in the background, their lights casting a flickering red hue over Danny’s stricken face.
“There weren’t no masks.” A male eyewitness dismissed firmly. “They were, like, real, ya know? Like somethin’ outa a bad trip, ya know? Not that I do drugs, ya know. I’ve heard stories. But yeah, monsters. It was like something outa a bad dream. I don’t do drugs.”
“That guy seems credible.” Luke scoffed. He looked up and Danny didn’t appear to have heard him.
“The attack lasted only a few minutes before it was stopped by quote ‘a mysterious force: A bright light that came out of nowhere’ according to several eyewitness accounts. Minor injuries have been reported from the attack.”
“I just dunno why someone would do this.” The gruff voice of the pub owner reached Luke’s ears, another on-site interview. “This is…they didn’t even ask for money or nothin’…I dunno why this happened…”
“In other news, more strange accounts have been reported-” Luke reached over for the remote on his bedside table and flicked the TV off over his shoulder. Danny turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
“I was watching that.” She stated in a deadpan voice.
“Yeah, I wait in eager anticipation for an update from ‘I don’t do drugs.’” Luke groaned as he slowly propped himself up on his elbows.
“He did seem trustworthy.” Danny said quietly down to the bedspread. “I should have protected those people.”
“You did.” Luke answered immediately.
Danny toyed with the bedspread, her face stormy. Luke tucked his wing closer to her and she sighed gratefully, curling up under his feathers.
“Cale was wrong.”
“You’re going to have to narrow that down. He’s wrong about a lot of things.” Luke turned onto his side to face her more fully.
“I wouldn’t have been chosen to be Queen.” Danny whispered. Luke felt a weighty silence after her quiet admission as he stamped down the immediate pang of disbelief to stop himself from adamantly disagreeing with her. He had a feeling such a knee-jerk reaction wouldn’t help at all.
“Are you saying you don’t trust your mom?” Luke asked carefully instead. Her face grew tighter and he felt a twinge of regret.
“I’m saying that even if she did choose me, she’d still be alive. Why didn’t…” Danny huffed out a frustrated sigh. “Why didn’t she just give it to Cale like she was supposed to? Theo would be safe at home, Patrick would be…”
Danny trailed off, her jaw clenching. Luke patiently waited for her to finish.
“Everybody would still be alive.” She said in a small voice.
“None of this is your fault.” Luke assured her firmly. Danny shook her head and he wasn’t sure at what.
Danny looked up and carefully picked a stray piece of debris off his wing, flicking it away.
“Sorry about your wings.” She said instead. “I wanted to get some of this stuff off, but you were sleeping and I didn’t want to touch them.”
“Why didn’t you want to touch them?” Luke asked her, suddenly self-conscious.
“You never never touch an Angel’s wings without their permission.” Danny answered, looking over at him. “They’re very personal; your link to Heaven and a way to draw on its power.”
There was a pause while Luke digested the information, keeping his eyes on Danny.
“You…you can touch them.” Luke breathed, locking eyes with her. Her gaze turned reverently toward his wings. She reached out and brushed across the feathers, cool comfort trailing behind where her fingers came into contact with him. He let out a small sigh and he saw her smile.
“How do they feel?” she breathed.
“Better.” Luke answered first, and then felt the particles of dust move in between his feathers, the grit irritatingly distracting from her touch. “Grimy.”
“We should get you into the shower.” She said, her eyes still on his wing.
“Okay.” Luke kept his voice carefully level. Danny glanced over at him with wide eyes, her cheeks flushing.
“Wow. That was forward. I didn’t mean…I, uh…” She stumbled.
“No, no. Thanks for doing all this.” Luke jumped in. “They, uh, they feel a lot better - I think.”
“I read – I read spritzing them is the best way to clean them and…” Danny started.
“You read?” Luke zeroed in on her wording.
“Yeah.” She answered.
“Where?”
“I used your computer.” She said casually, gesturing to where his laptop sat on his desk.
“You read about how to take care of Angel wings on the Internet.” Luke worked out slowly.
“Of course not…I mean, I tried that at first, but it kept showing me those porcelain dolls. I searched how to, uh…”
“What?” Luke pressed, sensing her hesitation.
“Parrots.” Danny blurted. “How to clean your parrots and, uh, parakeets. Stuff like that.”
Luke wanted to laugh at the absurdity, but found himself a little indignant. He shuffled his wings a little.
“Same basic concept, right?” Danny shrugged, half of that grin that drove him crazy across her face.
“Help me to the shower.”
Chapter 24
That’s right. Thanks to me, “How to clean a parakeet’s wings” is on Luke’s Internet search history. He can thank me later.
Luke’s arm was strong and sure around my shoulders as we made our way toward the bathroom; the exhausted tremble as we escaped from the bar earlier was gone from his body. I felt myself breathe easier now that I had positive proof he was past the hardest point of the change and was quickly getting better. Now, with his wings, he had the power of Heaven behind him as well.
Put that one in the ‘pro’ column for Team Danny!
I pushed open the door to his bathroom and felt the cool tile beneath my feet.
“I’ll just, uh-“ Another burst of frustration heated my cheeks as I found myself stumbling, trying to figure out what to say as I ducked out from under his arm to leave and give him some privacy.
“Can you-“ He started quickly. I looked at him as he cleared his throat, gesturing over his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I can’t, uh- I can’t really reach. Can you…“
“You want me to stay?” I asked.
“Yes. If you…if you want to. I know you’ve already done a lot-“
“Of course.” I said immediately. “I mean-I want to stay.”
“Thanks.” Luke whispered, hesitantly reaching down to his belt buckle.
“I’ll just-“ I turned around without really knowing why. Probably to give both of us privacy for the most awkward clothing removal of all time.
I pulled my shirt over my head, feeling it muss my hair as I tossed it aside. With a few moments of flustered indecision, I decided to leave my camisole, so I reached down to unbutton my jeans just as I heard the metal of Luke’s belt buckle clink together as he unfastened it. I felt my heartbeat speed up when I pulled down the zipper of my own jeans, pushing them off my hips and allowing them to pool on the floor at my feet. I stepped away from them just as Luke kicked his pants away as well.
I felt my eyes linger on his toned chest for a moment, the muscles of his stomach moving as he breathed, his muscular arms hung loose at his sides. Large hands fidgeted next to his hips, making the sinewy lines of his graceful fingers jump, the skin of his forearms dancing.
The cut of his hips disappeared under the elastic of his navy blue boxer shorts, worn over long legs that met his sturdy feet as they shifted subtly on the tile floor. I jerked my eyes back up and caught sight of his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, lines of tension in his neck arching down to the collarbones framing the muscles of his chest. His wings could be seen, big and beautiful behind him, just a shade or two lighter than his hair.
I saw the heat in his eyes as he looked at me before he blinked, looking up and focusing hard on my face, clearing his throat. I felt myself tingle at the flush in his cheeks, my heart beating faster.
“Ready?” I asked, my voice displaying a confidence that I definitely didn’t have.
“Yeah.” Luke nodded and turned toward the shower.
As soon as his back was turned, I took the opportunity to hop on one foot to take off one sock and stumble after him taking off the other.
Nobody looks sexy taking off socks.
He stepped into the shower and I followed him, feeling the warmth of his body against me, the sound of us breathing mixing together and unusually loud in the intimate space. I reached up and pulled off the detachable showerhead, glad that Luke had afforded himself such a simple luxury. His skin brushed warmly against mine as he reached down to turn on the water. The faucet sprang to life with a hiss and we both gasped as the cold water from the tap ran across our legs and feet, making goose bumps rise on my skin. Luke hurriedly bent to readjust the temperature, laying a warm hand on my waist, his fingers finding a few inches of my exposed skin between the hem of the camisole and my underwear. The goosebumps on my skin suddenly had nothing to do with the temperature of the water.
He straightened as I checked the warmth of the shower against the palm of my hand until it was pleasantly scalding. Our eyes met for a brief moment before I had to drop my gaze back down to his throat to get myself under control.
“Can you, uh...” My voice sounded unbearably loud this close to the taut skin of his chest, sprinkled with shining water droplets running down to his stomach.
“Oh. Yeah, I’ll just…” Luke started as he turned, his wings shifting instinctively closer to his body to avoid bumping into me.
The muscles of his back shifted, the perfect frame for his gorgeous chocolate brown wings, darker at the base and fading into silvery-white at the tips of his primary feathers. I took a deep breath, reaching a careful hand toward his wings.
“Is something wrong?” Luke asked immediately, turning his head.
“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. It-It’s just…” I started before I cleared my throat. “They’re so beautiful.”
Luke ducked his head shyly in answer. I bit my lip to keep from smiling too widely at the gesture.
“Is it-is it okay if I touch them?” I asked him. I saw the back of his head twitch as he nodded.
“Yes, please.” He murmured so quietly, I wasn’t entirely sure I was supposed to hear it.
I clenched my hands to keep them from trembling for a moment before I ran my fingers through the long feathers, working the water through them and watching the grime wash away. I heard Luke give a small gasp, and then groan as his feathers ruffled, shaking drops of water all over the shower, splashing me.
“Oh, my god! I’m so sorry!” Luke began after his shudder had stopped.
I felt a peal of surprised laughter escape me as I wiped the water from my face and I heard him chuckle in relief.
“Stop that.” I laughed, going back to running my fingers over his muscles and through his feathers.
“I don’t even know what that was.” Luke protested as I put the showerhead back into its cradle to free up both my hands so I could work the water through his feathers. I felt Luke shift and clear his throat, so I waited for him to speak, watching the water run, shining, down the smooth skin of his back.
&n
bsp; “You said your brother married and Angel.” Luke said after a few moments with only the sound of the water and our breaths echoing off the shower walls, electricity in the air between us.
“Both of them did.” I answered, concentrating on his wings.
“How…” he gave another blissful sigh as I passed my fingers between his secondary feathers. “So wouldn’t you know how to take care of them? The wings, I mean. Why did you have to look it up?”
I was stunned that he would bring up my brothers for such a subject, but quickly tamped it down, remembering that Luke was very new to this world. I chuckled briefly through my nose before I tried to find the right words.
“It’s not really something you want to talk about with siblings.” I explained carefully.
“Why?” he turned his head toward me again.
“It’s…intimate.” I ran my fingers gently on the tender muscles between his wings. I heard his breath catch, his head tipped back. “It’s not something that you can put into instructions, the connection between a Witch and her Angel.”
I moved closer to his body and he leaned into me as my hands felt down the muscles of his sides, my fingers coming to rest just above the now soaked fabric of his boxers, hands hugging the bend of his hips. I moved closer, my chest against his back. He moved to stand flush against me as I closed my eyes and nuzzled the skin of his shoulder with the tip of my nose.
“Between Earth and Heaven…” I breathed against him, my lips barely grazing the flawless skin of his back.
He turned carefully in my arms until he faced me. His hands came to rest on the curve of my waist, their warm, solid presence making heat bloom across my lower back and up my spine. I couldn’t have looked away from his eyes at that moment even if I had wanted to.
“No…I don’t suppose it is.” He whispered.
My hands felt their way up his stomach and chest to wrap around his broad shoulders, pulling myself up until our lips met, my heart pounding. I let my eyes slide shut as I felt his lips move against mine and teased his bottom lip, coaxing his tongue into my mouth. I buried my hand in his dark hair to get more of the taste of him, the water flowing down between the wet slide of his skin against mine. He pulled me against his body, the soaked fabric of my camisole bunching under his searching hands.
The Witch's Angel Page 10