untouchable. Finally free.
Even when her father’s work and increasingly questionable methods endangered
her life she had never really been scared. Never felt held back or infringed
upon. Because Darr was with her. This man with more power than she knew how to
describe and just enough control to pass for human when necessary. As her
father pulled away, Darr became her everything. Her rock, her savior. She fell
in love with him like it was inevitable, and when he’d finally touched her …
the best way to describe how she felt was ‘pure bliss.’
How could something so right, so perfect, so destined , be cut down now? When it had
barely gotten off the ground? How would she survive losing him?
She’d nearly forgotten herself when Kai finally spoke
again.
“It is against my nature to let a demon survive in this
realm.” Flicking his blue gaze between them, he added pointedly, “Twice.”
Darr grunted under his breath and pushed to his feet. He
was moving slower than usual. Of course
he is. He has a giant hole in his chest. He made no move to step forward.
He held his ground at her side, fists unclenched. Facing his fate head on.
Izzy’s heart clenched and she could barely draw a breath
around the lump in her throat. There was no stopping the tears, so she focused
on holding back the sobs.
“But I feel inclined to make an exception in your case,”
Kai declared, his tone detached. He narrowed his eyes on Darr and added, “Make
no mistake. Your service in protecting this innocent heart is what has earned
your freedom. Betray her, corrupt her beyond salvation, or become more of a
danger than a savior, and I will make you cease to exist.”
“What…?” The breathless question was past Izzy’s lips
before she could think better of it.
Kai looked back to her calmly. “You prayed for assistance.”
A smile threatened to tip her lips as more tears spilled
over. If she’d been strong enough to stand, she might have run to hug him
without a thought. “Thank you.”
Kai tucked his sword into the slim sheath on his waist with
a faint nod. A moment later bright wings sprouted from his back and stretched
wide. Each white feather was outlined by a thin, beautiful layer of
nearly-white blue flame. Like some kind of holy fire. A single flap of those
massive wings shot him skyward with all the force of a rocket. And then he was
gone.
Izzy released an audible gasp of breath and slumped. He didn’t die. She hadn’t gotten her
lover killed. In her peripheral vision she saw Darr reach up, toward his chest,
and finally remembered his wound. It was bad.
Only, when she turned to look at it, he was prodding solid
flesh.
“Darr…?”
He lifted a smile to her and knelt in front of her. “Healed
by an angel. Who’d have guessed?”
Hours later they lay in Izzy’s large bed, Darr’s arm curled
around her torso tightly. Her ear pressed over his heart, listening to the
steady rhythm it had fallen into, she whispered, “I’m so glad you survived…”
Darr pressed his lips to her hair. “I won’t leave you that
easily.”
Izzy smiled and pressed her fingertips into his chest. “I
don’t want you to leave me ever.” Even though he surely would. What sort of
self-respecting immortal kept an old, wrinkly, maybe wheelchair-bound lover?
And someday that would be her. Hell, her grandmother had had Alzheimer’s, so
there was always the chance she would, too. Or one of any number of other
things. So she just had to make the best of this time while she had it.
“Izzy,” Darr began, his quiet voice almost urgent. “There’s
something I want to ask you.”
Pushing back her depressing thoughts, Izzy lifted her head
enough to find his eyes. He’d made no move to release her so she stayed as she
was. “What is it?”
“There are … other types of life binding spells,” he
finally said. It was obvious he was choosing his words carefully so she stayed
silent. Waiting. “There are one or two which unite two
Even when her father’s work and increasingly questionable methods endangered
her life she had never really been scared. Never felt held back or infringed
upon. Because Darr was with her. This man with more power than she knew how to
describe and just enough control to pass for human when necessary. As her
father pulled away, Darr became her everything. Her rock, her savior. She fell
in love with him like it was inevitable, and when he’d finally touched her …
the best way to describe how she felt was ‘pure bliss.’
How could something so right, so perfect, so destined , be cut down now? When it had
barely gotten off the ground? How would she survive losing him?
She’d nearly forgotten herself when Kai finally spoke
again.
“It is against my nature to let a demon survive in this
realm.” Flicking his blue gaze between them, he added pointedly, “Twice.”
Darr grunted under his breath and pushed to his feet. He
was moving slower than usual. Of course
he is. He has a giant hole in his chest. He made no move to step forward.
He held his ground at her side, fists unclenched. Facing his fate head on.
Izzy’s heart clenched and she could barely draw a breath
around the lump in her throat. There was no stopping the tears, so she focused
on holding back the sobs.
“But I feel inclined to make an exception in your case,”
Kai declared, his tone detached. He narrowed his eyes on Darr and added, “Make
no mistake. Your service in protecting this innocent heart is what has earned
your freedom. Betray her, corrupt her beyond salvation, or become more of a
danger than a savior, and I will make you cease to exist.”
“What…?” The breathless question was past Izzy’s lips
before she could think better of it.
Kai looked back to her calmly. “You prayed for assistance.”
A smile threatened to tip her lips as more tears spilled
over. If she’d been strong enough to stand, she might have run to hug him
without a thought. “Thank you.”
Kai tucked his sword into the slim sheath on his waist with
a faint nod. A moment later bright wings sprouted from his back and stretched
wide. Each white feather was outlined by a thin, beautiful layer of
nearly-white blue flame. Like some kind of holy fire. A single flap of those
massive wings shot him skyward with all the force of a rocket. And then he was
gone.
Izzy released an audible gasp of breath and slumped. He didn’t die. She hadn’t gotten her
lover killed. In her peripheral vision she saw Darr reach up, toward his chest,
and finally remembered his wound. It was bad.
Only, when she turned to look at it, he was prodding solid
flesh.
“Darr…?”
He lifted a smile to her and knelt in front of her. “Healed
by an angel. Who’d have guessed?”
Hours later they lay in Izzy’s large bed, Darr’s arm curled
around her torso tightly. Her ear pressed over his heart, listening to the
steady rhythm it had fallen into, she whispered, “I’m so glad you survived…”
Darr pressed his lips to her hair. “I won’t leave you that
easily.”
Izzy smiled and pressed her fingertips into his chest. “I
don’t want you to leave me ever.” Even though he surely would. What sort of
self-respecting immortal kept an old, wrinkly, maybe wheelchair-bound lover?
And someday that would be her. Hell, her grandmother had had Alzheimer’s, so
there was always the chance she would, too. Or one of any number of other
things. So she just had to make the best of this time while she had it.
“Izzy,” Darr began, his quiet voice almost urgent. “There’s
something I want to ask you.”
Pushing back her depressing thoughts, Izzy lifted her head
enough to find his eyes. He’d made no move to release her so she stayed as she
was. “What is it?”
“There are … other types of life binding spells,” he
finally said. It was obvious he was choosing his words carefully so she stayed
silent. Waiting. “There are one or two which unite two
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