the pain, tightening
his hold, but then Maion’s body shifted beneath his grip, the skin flowing like
hot liquid. He had to let go. When Maion screamed, his legs lengthened, melding
together.
Horrified, Zeke knew that if they
didn’t kill him now, he would change into a full-bodied demon. He darted him,
grabbing him again. As he grappled with Maion, his eyes met Nathaniel’s. His
mate’s face was determined even in his grief.
Nathaniel drew his arm back, then
slashed down, plunging his dagger into Maion’s heart without hesitation. “Maion,
forgive me,” he whispered, turning the knife and flatting it up against a rib.
Maion vomited fire, spine twisting.
Zeke let go and the creature plummeted to the ground. Everything happened in
slow-motion. Maion’s wings stretched out, like leather parachutes, and then
they disintegrated into black ash. His body hit the ground hard, head bouncing.
His arms lay outstretched, fingers lax. In the air, Nathaniel faltered and Zeke
caught him in his arms. Nathaniel gasped and abruptly, Zeke could hear again.
The sound of Haniel’s harsh breathing while Raphael worked on him cut him to
the bone. If only he’d been faster…
“Oh God,” Nathaniel moaned, head
falling to Zeke’s shoulder. Their wings fluttered against each other and Zeke
slowly lowered them to the ground. Maion’s dead eyes stared at them accusingly.
He took deep breaths, trying to keep from falling. His cheek burned from the
fire and his arms stung from the cuts he’d received. Nathaniel felt like sorrow
in his arms. It wasn’t until his mate returned his embrace that something eased
in his chest.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured,
holding Nathaniel tighter.
“Don’t be,” Nathaniel sighed. “None
of this is your fault. If I’d only noticed his strangeness sooner…”
Zeke shook his head, then froze.
Maion’s body was burning from the inside out. Nathaniel lifted his forehead
from Zeke’s shoulder and watched as his friend’s mortal flesh turned to ash.
The black silt dirtied the snow. Nathaniel dragged in a shaky breath and Zeke’s
soul ached for his lover. No one should have to kill a friend. He was about to
apologize again when Nathaniel put his fingers on Zeke’s lips, stilling his
voice.
“I choose you, Zeke, twin blade to
my soul, warrior to warrior, master to master. You are my equal, my heart, my
sharp edge. I pledge myself to you, hilt to blade, as God wills, in this life
and into the heat at the end of creation,” Nathaniel said, loud and clear. His
hands slid to Zeke’s cheeks.
Zeke swallowed. Behind Nathaniel,
he could see Gabriel watching them alertly. He took a shaky breath and spoke
the words he’d carried in his heart for weeks. “I choose you, Nathaniel, twin
blade to my soul, warrior to warrior, master to master. You are my equal, my
heart, my sharp edge. I pledge myself to you, blade to hilt, as God wills, in
this life and into the heat at the end of creation.”
“Heard and witnessed,” Gabriel
murmured, but Zeke barely noticed.
For some reason, the words of
claiming felt different as he spoke them this time. Richer. More real. His body
vibrated with familiar energy, rushing from him into his mate, and then back
again. Looking at Nathaniel, he realized it was the same spark that moved
between them when they forged metal together. Their bond was already in place,
even though Nathaniel hadn’t spoken the words aloud before. It had been in
place since they’d created their daggers weeks earlier, the angelic weapons witness
to their claiming.
Nathaniel smiled, the knowledge of
their bond in his expression. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long before I said
the words.”
Zeke dropped his forehead down onto
his lover’s. “Don’t be. I would rather you choose me of your own free will and
not just because it was your duty. This is better.”
Nathaniel kissed him, hard. “Don’t
ever leave me.”
“I won’t.” Zeke hugged him tightly.
“I promise.”
When
his hold, but then Maion’s body shifted beneath his grip, the skin flowing like
hot liquid. He had to let go. When Maion screamed, his legs lengthened, melding
together.
Horrified, Zeke knew that if they
didn’t kill him now, he would change into a full-bodied demon. He darted him,
grabbing him again. As he grappled with Maion, his eyes met Nathaniel’s. His
mate’s face was determined even in his grief.
Nathaniel drew his arm back, then
slashed down, plunging his dagger into Maion’s heart without hesitation. “Maion,
forgive me,” he whispered, turning the knife and flatting it up against a rib.
Maion vomited fire, spine twisting.
Zeke let go and the creature plummeted to the ground. Everything happened in
slow-motion. Maion’s wings stretched out, like leather parachutes, and then
they disintegrated into black ash. His body hit the ground hard, head bouncing.
His arms lay outstretched, fingers lax. In the air, Nathaniel faltered and Zeke
caught him in his arms. Nathaniel gasped and abruptly, Zeke could hear again.
The sound of Haniel’s harsh breathing while Raphael worked on him cut him to
the bone. If only he’d been faster…
“Oh God,” Nathaniel moaned, head
falling to Zeke’s shoulder. Their wings fluttered against each other and Zeke
slowly lowered them to the ground. Maion’s dead eyes stared at them accusingly.
He took deep breaths, trying to keep from falling. His cheek burned from the
fire and his arms stung from the cuts he’d received. Nathaniel felt like sorrow
in his arms. It wasn’t until his mate returned his embrace that something eased
in his chest.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured,
holding Nathaniel tighter.
“Don’t be,” Nathaniel sighed. “None
of this is your fault. If I’d only noticed his strangeness sooner…”
Zeke shook his head, then froze.
Maion’s body was burning from the inside out. Nathaniel lifted his forehead
from Zeke’s shoulder and watched as his friend’s mortal flesh turned to ash.
The black silt dirtied the snow. Nathaniel dragged in a shaky breath and Zeke’s
soul ached for his lover. No one should have to kill a friend. He was about to
apologize again when Nathaniel put his fingers on Zeke’s lips, stilling his
voice.
“I choose you, Zeke, twin blade to
my soul, warrior to warrior, master to master. You are my equal, my heart, my
sharp edge. I pledge myself to you, hilt to blade, as God wills, in this life
and into the heat at the end of creation,” Nathaniel said, loud and clear. His
hands slid to Zeke’s cheeks.
Zeke swallowed. Behind Nathaniel,
he could see Gabriel watching them alertly. He took a shaky breath and spoke
the words he’d carried in his heart for weeks. “I choose you, Nathaniel, twin
blade to my soul, warrior to warrior, master to master. You are my equal, my
heart, my sharp edge. I pledge myself to you, blade to hilt, as God wills, in
this life and into the heat at the end of creation.”
“Heard and witnessed,” Gabriel
murmured, but Zeke barely noticed.
For some reason, the words of
claiming felt different as he spoke them this time. Richer. More real. His body
vibrated with familiar energy, rushing from him into his mate, and then back
again. Looking at Nathaniel, he realized it was the same spark that moved
between them when they forged metal together. Their bond was already in place,
even though Nathaniel hadn’t spoken the words aloud before. It had been in
place since they’d created their daggers weeks earlier, the angelic weapons witness
to their claiming.
Nathaniel smiled, the knowledge of
their bond in his expression. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long before I said
the words.”
Zeke dropped his forehead down onto
his lover’s. “Don’t be. I would rather you choose me of your own free will and
not just because it was your duty. This is better.”
Nathaniel kissed him, hard. “Don’t
ever leave me.”
“I won’t.” Zeke hugged him tightly.
“I promise.”
When
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