Abby took a deep, shaky breath and tried to slow her racing heart, but it proved difficult. Her mouth was still left with the bitter taste of murder because that was what Cade had done. He’d murdered those demons. Didn’t matter that they probably intended harm to both of them. Certainly there had to be another way out of the situation. Cade was an angel––granted a fallen one––but he still had wings, so why had he not just flown them out of there? It was as if he had enjoyed the fight and the killing. Witnessing a head as it left the body had been the grossest thing ever. Abby could not... No, would not do that. Blood would never stain her hands or her clothes because that stuff was a bitch to get out. Not to mention she had no stomach for violence.
She continued to stare at Cade. A mixture of emotions coursed through her. She wanted to storm up and kick him in the balls then walk away, but even she wasn’t stupid enough to think she could find her way home. “Did you really have to fight them?” The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them. She swore something dark passed over the whites of his eyes, but it must have been her imagination.
“No.”
Well, at least he didn’t try to lie to her. “Then why didn’t you just take us away?”
He marched to her, a force of darkness and sin, and she took a step back. When he was so close the smell of leather and amber sent a caress across her skin, he dipped his head until their gazes met.
“I’m a warrior. I never walk away. You would do well to remember that.”
She swallowed and tried to ignore the smell of him. It made her mouth water and set her core on fire, and that confused her. So she uttered the first thing that came to mind. “I want to go home.”
Where was home now? It was no longer in Malibu, in the comfort of her king-size bed with its Egyptian cotton sheets. The room where every morning Maria would come in, pull open the curtains, push open the french doors, and let the ocean breeze fill the room. Maria would set a tray of coffee and whatever delicious concoction the cook had made for breakfast on the balcony table then make her way back out of the room.
No, that home was forever gone. She’d been summoned by the Tribunal and here she was. In Hell with a fallen angel.
“This is your home until you finish with your lessons.”
“I don’t want to learn how to fight. I don’t want to become a murderer.”
His gaze lit with fire. “You mean like me?”
“Exactly.” She lifted her chin. Let him take that.
He laughed at her. “Then I guess you should consider Hell your new home, because you will stay here until you are proficient at battle. In order to pass, you will be required to kill a demon.”
She blanched. Thankfully, her stomach was already empty. “I hate you.”
He smiled. A grin so wicked it sent a shiver up her spine. “Good. Then you will endeavor to do well so you can leave here.”
Since it didn’t look like she had much choice, Abby would learn all she could so she could go back to see Cassiel. There was no doubt he would treat her with much more respect, and he wasn’t a dirty fallen whose soul was black. “Fine.”
He seemed to size her up for a moment. Maybe to see if she meant it or was playing him. Could he tell? He was an immortal with powers she didn’t understand. She had watched him command his power as if it were an extension of himself. It still rolled off him. Though it was scaled back, it traced dark fingers across her skin, and she tried not to shiver. Abby would not let him think he rattled her.
“Are we going to stand here all day?”
He stretched his wings and held out his hand. “I think since you seem to attract so much attention, we should fly the rest of the way.”
She laughed. “I can’t fly.” Had the demons done something to his head?
He sighed and she could tell his patience was waning. “You will fly with me.” He shrugged. “Or walk, though I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Ass,” she muttered under her breath. He just chuckled, indicating he had heard her anyway. Abby took his hand and stepped into him.
“Arms around my neck.” His circled her waist and pulled her until their bodies were touching. Before she knew it, she was cradled against his chest.
I can do this. Wrapping her arms around his neck, they lifted off and she tried not to look at the ground as it drifted farther away. She also forced herself to stop thinking about how good he felt.
Cade bent his head, lips to her ear. “You know, angels have been known to make love this way.”
She buried her head in his chest and pretended not to hear. Unfortunately, her body responded. The combination of his words and the hardness pressed against her sent her libido into overdrive.
When Abby slipped her hand into Cade’s, he was immediately bombarded with her emotions. Fear and anger aimed directly at him––and arousal. The last one surprised the hell out of him, and before he knew it, he’d told her about sex in flight. Why? His guess was he wanted to gauge her reaction. Was he hoping she would offer?
With a grumble, he lifted into the sky and headed toward the palace. Abby’s tight, hard body pressed against him, and his own body reacted. There was no amount of thinking about baseball that was going to fix this. Distance was what he required.
Several grueling minutes later, he landed outside Lucifer’s palace and set Abby down. She quickly stepped away from him and adjusted her tee. This nephilim was a complete mystery, but one thing was for sure. She thought the fallen were beneath her. Apparently, Ms. Abagail had grown up pampered and now felt learning to kill demons would dirty her. In a way, she was right. No one was ever the same after they took their first life. Not even an angel.
He warred with himself. Part of him wanted to tuck her up on a pedestal where she would never have to deal with the filth of their world. But the other half knew she had to be able to protect herself. The new Tribunal was right about that. No one knew what the future held, and Lucifer still hadn’t been located. Then there was Logan, the son of Lucifer and Zuriel, the only female warrior angel until recently. Zuriel had fallen when Lucifer was banished from the clouds by his father, and she had bore Lucifer a son. No one knew if Zuriel had conceived before or after she had fallen, but one thing was for sure. The child’s power had caused Lucifer to lock him in a prison from the time of his birth. Now, Logan was free thanks to reapers Seph and Charon, who were forced to break Logan’s barrier. All anyone knew was Logan was bent on destroying Lucifer, and none of this could be good for anyone.
It was as if everyone held their breath waiting for the bomb to drop. And all needed to be prepared. Even though Cade was a fallen, he still hated to think of the nephilim being harmed.
He pushed through the front door.
“Dude!” Raze pulled Cade from his thoughts as he stormed down the corridor.
“Raze, this is Abby.”
Abby flashed Raze a smile, and Cade had the sudden urge to beat the shit out of the younger angel.
“Raze.” She extended her hand. “What kind of angel are you?”
Raze flashed her a weary gaze as he scratched his jaw. “I’m a fallen warrior.” He looked at Cade, searching to see if he gave the correct answer.
Cade snorted. “Raze, it’s not a fucking test. For some reason, Miss All High and Mighty here has a serious dislike for us, brother.”
Raze’s blue eyes flashed with hurt. “What did we do to her?”
“We fell from grace.” They both looked at Abby, who stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, and her mouth pressed into a thin line.
“I simply don’t understand why one of the others couldn’t have taught me to fight. Why did I need to come here to learn from those the Maker no longer claims as her own?” To add emphasis to her impatience, Abby began tapping her foot.
“Gosh, Cade my feelings are kinda hurt.” Raze turned and left the room making a dramatic exit.
Abby’s features softened and her foot stilled. “I... I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings.
”
Cade pondered if he should tell her that Raze was being an ass and could give two shits what others thought of him, and then decided to let her stew in her own shit. He shrugged. “Then stop being a bitch.” He witnessed her hazel eyes flash to green then back to copper. He had succeeded in pissing her off. Again. Training her was going to be one of the biggest challenges he had ever faced, but failure was not an option on his part or hers.
“Come on, Ashley came earlier and set up a room for you. I believe she stocked it with everything you need, but if you find something missing, I’m sure we can correct that.”
Abby followed Cade up a set of winding marble stairs. The place Cade referred to as Lucifer’s palace caused her to wrinkle her nose. It was obvious the demon king had poor taste in design. When they reached the top floor, Abby stopped, appalled at the giant statue situated in a cove to her right. Her skin flashed ten shades of red and heat climbed her neck and settled on her cheeks. She was still experiencing naughty thoughts after having her body pressed to Cade’s. To enjoy the actual flight would have been nice, but she had been too busy trying to shove away ideas of angels having sex mid-air.
“What’s the matter, you have a problem with people fucking too?” Cade asked. Amusement curled the corners of his mouth.
She fixed her gaze on him rather than the thing causing her distress, and then remembered he was part of her distress. It was safer to go back to staring at the statue of a woman on her hands and knees. A man––no, a demon because he had horns on his head––entered her from behind. Abby lifted her chin. “I don’t wish to look at this thing everyday. Move it.” She wasn’t about to admit the fire both it and he stirred deep inside her. Instead, she turned her back to both of them. Let the angel think her a prude. It was better that way. Far better than knowing what was really running through her mind. In that moment, she decided she would gladly kill a demon if it meant she could get away from this fallen angel.
“I’m not fucking moving it,” he growled.
She crossed her arms over her chest to try and hide her rapid breathing as Cade neared her, and his scent of leather and amber reached out and touched her. “Then put a sheet over it or something.” Because if I have to look at that each morning and evening, I will be searching for relief. She started down the hall with no idea where she was headed, but hopefully he would follow and direct her to the room that belonged to her. Thankfully, he quickly got in front of her and stopped at the door at the end of the hall.
“Your room.” He gestured.
Abby stuck her head inside and moaned. “What the hell?” While the room was painted a creamy yellow, the bed looked like something out of the Middle Ages. It was a massive structure carved in ebony. Four heavy posters, topped with a pointed peak connected to the head, and footboards, which were ornately carved. That might not have been so bad, except the blasted thing had a roof on it. Complete with peaks and a god-awful chandelier that hung in the center.
The bed actually had its own freaking light! Abby was afraid to investigate further. Fearful she’d also find a mirror.
Cade stepped inside, and Abby wasn’t sure she wanted to follow but decided she didn’t have much choice.
“I will admit the furniture is a bit much, but it kind of came with the place,” Cade said with a shrug.
“A bit much?” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” She walked to the bed, hesitation in her steps, and then carefully sat on the mattress. She expected to find it hard and lumpy, but to her surprise, it was pretty comfortable. Taking a quick glance upward, she was relieved to find no mirror. Her gaze fell back on Cade, who had moved to a large set of double wooden doors and flung them open.
“Ashley stocked the closet with clothes and shoes.”
Now those were words that caught her attention. In a heartbeat, Abby was doing a full circle inside the large walk-in closet, taking in the racks of clothes along with the shoes and boots lined up in a neat row. She pulled open a drawer on the dresser, and her face heated before she could slam it shut. She hoped Cade hadn’t noticed the silk and lacy bits.
“Huh. Apparently Ashley thinks you have need of lingerie in Hell.”
Crap! He would have to see that. “Girls like pretty things.” Stupid, stupid thing to say. Abby quickly walked out of the closet and closed the doors before she was embarrassed further. Unfortunately, she made eye contact with him and swore there was a wicked spark firing in his deep brown eyes. She cast a glance at an open door on the other side of the room. It was likely the bathroom, so she headed that way. When she stepped inside, she was surprised by an enormous copper tub. Oh, to soak away the days grime in that. She couldn’t wait.
“Oh, look, a tub built for two.” Cade practically breathed down her neck. She tried not to shiver at the thought of him naked, soaking in the deep pool of water. She wondered if he had any tattoos on his body that were only visible without clothes then quickly banished the thought.
What the hell is wrong with me? She made sure to keep her eyes averted as she forced her feet to carry her past him and back out the door into the bedroom. Still not a place she wished to be standing. Alone. With a fallen angel who looked like he belonged on the cover of Playgirl. He must have sensed her discomfort.
“I’ll leave you to settle in. When you’re ready, come downstairs and we can begin your training.” He left the room and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Chapter Five
Cade stared at Abby with what he was sure was disbelief on his face. “You’re seriously not wearing that, are you?” She had on a dress that bared more of her legs than it covered and had thin, little straps that tied at her shoulders. He moved his gaze to her feet, which were clad with sandals. Flat, but sandals nonetheless. Apparently, he should have informed her at last night’s session on how to dress.
“What’s wrong with my clothes? I found them in my closet. Besides...” She gave a shrug. “I think the dress is pretty.”
He wouldn’t dispute that her well-toned legs were a nice sight. Her skin, kissed by the sun, had a healthy glow, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Wisps rebelled, curling down her neck and face. Cade picked up a blade and twirled it to keep from freeing the mass and running his fingers through it, to see if it was as thick and silky as it looked.
“You can’t fight like that.” Though he wouldn’t mind seeing her give a high kick. Might even take one in the groin himself just to see if she wore panties. “On second thought, dress however you wish.”
She flashed a smile that spoke of how pleased she was to have won this battle. He could hardly wait to see the look she gave him later when he made her actually battle in that getup.
“First thing we need to do is go over the various weapons.” He led her to a table he’d set up in the lower level of the palace. Raze and Lyzander had helped turn the room into a workout and sparring area by laying rubber mats on the floor. An array of weapons lined a table on one side and on the other were weights and other workout equipment. Not that angels needed it, but it helped ease boredom and kept them agile. He picked up a dagger and offered the handle to her. She wrinkled her nose but took it into her right hand, holding it as if it were going to bite her.
He rolled his eyes. “Wrap your fingers around the grip. Thumb over the top of your index finger. Like this.” He picked up another off the table and demonstrated. She nodded and copied what he’d shown her. “Good. This is what we call a forward grip, also known as the hammer.” He moved beside her, facing the wall of mirrors and began to slash at the air.
“This grip is useful for slashing at your enemy. It keeps the blade in front of you.”
She studied him and again copied the slashing motions in the air. She was clumsy and stiff as any beginner would be, but he saw potential. Being a female, she would bring grace to her movements once she was more comfortable. Also, most of their enemies wouldn’t think of a female angel as being a threat. Suddenly, Cade wanted to mold Abby into a lethal weapo
n. Those who sought to harm their females would be in for a big surprise. It would also give the males a sense of relief to know that the women could care for themselves should the need arise.
“Try not to think of the blade itself. It’s an extension of your arm, which is an extension of your upper body. For now, simply stand still and move your arm in a slashing motion.” He again showed her what he wanted. Simple sweeping motions back and forth.
She complied. “I feel kind of silly standing here cutting air.”
“Don’t worry. You will progress soon enough. I want you to keep this up until you think your arm is going to fall off, and then switch hands.”
She flashed him a puzzled glance. “But I’m right-handed.”
He walked away, placing his blade back on the table. “Doesn’t matter. You’ll become proficient with both hands and will be able to wield two blades if necessary.”
She raised a brow, obviously not believing him, but to her credit, she kept at the slashing exercise. After several minutes, Cade told her to take a break. With a sigh, she put her blade on the table and rubbed her arms. Cade wanted to call it a day, except he had a lot of molding to do. Instead, he handed her a bottle of water.
“Now we’re going to work on some self-defense moves.” Cade first showed Abby several moves that would help her escape a humanoid attacker. “Let’s practice.” He came at her and again she surprised him with the ease in which she learned. Abby quickly had broken free of several holds.
“This is actually fun.” Her hazel eyes blazed with determination.
“I think you’re going to be a natural at this.” He ran at her, knocked her to the mat, and covered her body with his. Her gaze went wild with horror before it flicked to desire. Cade had been around for a long time; there was no mistaking the flicker of heat.
“W-what are you doing?”
What he wanted to do at the moment, and what he should, didn’t match. He leaned in closer until their mouths were inches apart. “Rule number one, always remain alert. Rule number two, never assume a human is really human. Many demons can take a human form, and once you allow them this close, they become even more dangerous to you. Once you become mated, your senses will help guide you. You will be able to detect a demon by scent, but only younger ones. The older the demon or angel, the stronger their power, thus easier to fool you.”
Surrender To Darkness (Eternally Mated Novel) Page 3