throbbing.
“No, Lailah. I was an Angel of Death.”
That shut me up.
He raised his eyebrows and smiled nervously, showing off those divine dimples. “Don’t worry. I went rogue a long time ago,” he added lightly. “Healing is just an ability all Angels, no matter what their job title, so to speak, possess on this plane.”
I nodded.
His blond hair fell over his temple delicately and all I wanted to do was reach out and touch it, touch him. “So healing is just one of your gifts. You have others?”
“Yes, all Angels do when we are here on Earth.” He didn’t elaborate.
He shifted his weight nearer to me, and the warmth of his body temptingly radiated toward me. “I should have been able to take it away, but you stopped too soon. I don’t know what happened. You were seeing the memory and I was watching along with you. I saw everything: your confusion, your fear, your helplessness.” His eyes grew larger. He moved his muscular arm behind my back and placed his hand on my scar. His expression was indecisive before he asked, “Did you feel it?”
I shuddered as his words hit me and, as was becoming almost habitual, he pulled me in to his chest, his hand squeezing my waist, comforting me. He was so warm I sank into him, contentment flowing through me.
“No,” I lied, saving him.
The lines in his forehead ironed out a little; he seemed relieved. I had lost the connection to Gabriel. He wouldn’t have been able to sense anything from me, I guessed. I had to choose to let him in. Unconsciously I must have blocked him out in time to spare him that at least. Or maybe transitioning back into my body had automatically cut him out. I didn’t know. How could I have been back in the past? Physically able to feel everything all over again? And if I were there again, did I have the power to change the memory, to do things differently? Or was I just trapped inside myself, unable to do anything but relive what had already happened?
“I was back here, in this room, beside you. Your scar began opening up and…” He stopped himself there.
“I know,” I replied, feeling for the gash on my head that had already healed itself.
“But how can that be? How can something that has already physically happened repeat itself, in the here and now? I don’t understand.…”
That made two of us. Only he was oblivious that when he disconnected, I stopped watching and began reliving it, locked in. He couldn’t know. If he did, then it would be obvious to him that I had felt every inch of that hook.
Silence drifted between us.
“You were all alone, suffering at his hands.” For a moment his face flashed, and as it cooled, sadness hung across his expression.
“I’m not alone now,” I offered softly.
He peered down at me. Skimming my cheek with the back of his fingers, gently he leaned in, close enough that I could feel his breath against my cheekbone. “Jonah is outside,” he mumbled, breaking the moment too soon.
Jonah didn’t bother to knock, flinging open the door and marching toward us. Then he faltered, seeing me nestled so closely to a shirtless Gabriel.
“Jonah,” Gabriel acknowledged him.
“I smelled blood.”
Rising to his feet, ignoring Jonah, Gabriel directed himself just to me. “It’s time I was leaving, Cessie.” He emphasized my nickname as if reminding me that I had to remain hidden; that no one else in this house should be aware of my supernatural self. I wasn’t about to disagree. For now, at least, I would wear my mask. I would continue to be Cessie.
Gabriel literally had to pry Jonah from my room, and I wondered for a moment why this Vampire, who had seemed so arrogant and disinterested in me at the start, was suddenly so concerned about me. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps he just wanted another taste of my blood.
The door slammed and without Gabriel next to me, a sharp prickle of loathing stabbed my consciousness. I felt invaded again. I had to cleanse my skin.
“No, Lailah. I was an Angel of Death.”
That shut me up.
He raised his eyebrows and smiled nervously, showing off those divine dimples. “Don’t worry. I went rogue a long time ago,” he added lightly. “Healing is just an ability all Angels, no matter what their job title, so to speak, possess on this plane.”
I nodded.
His blond hair fell over his temple delicately and all I wanted to do was reach out and touch it, touch him. “So healing is just one of your gifts. You have others?”
“Yes, all Angels do when we are here on Earth.” He didn’t elaborate.
He shifted his weight nearer to me, and the warmth of his body temptingly radiated toward me. “I should have been able to take it away, but you stopped too soon. I don’t know what happened. You were seeing the memory and I was watching along with you. I saw everything: your confusion, your fear, your helplessness.” His eyes grew larger. He moved his muscular arm behind my back and placed his hand on my scar. His expression was indecisive before he asked, “Did you feel it?”
I shuddered as his words hit me and, as was becoming almost habitual, he pulled me in to his chest, his hand squeezing my waist, comforting me. He was so warm I sank into him, contentment flowing through me.
“No,” I lied, saving him.
The lines in his forehead ironed out a little; he seemed relieved. I had lost the connection to Gabriel. He wouldn’t have been able to sense anything from me, I guessed. I had to choose to let him in. Unconsciously I must have blocked him out in time to spare him that at least. Or maybe transitioning back into my body had automatically cut him out. I didn’t know. How could I have been back in the past? Physically able to feel everything all over again? And if I were there again, did I have the power to change the memory, to do things differently? Or was I just trapped inside myself, unable to do anything but relive what had already happened?
“I was back here, in this room, beside you. Your scar began opening up and…” He stopped himself there.
“I know,” I replied, feeling for the gash on my head that had already healed itself.
“But how can that be? How can something that has already physically happened repeat itself, in the here and now? I don’t understand.…”
That made two of us. Only he was oblivious that when he disconnected, I stopped watching and began reliving it, locked in. He couldn’t know. If he did, then it would be obvious to him that I had felt every inch of that hook.
Silence drifted between us.
“You were all alone, suffering at his hands.” For a moment his face flashed, and as it cooled, sadness hung across his expression.
“I’m not alone now,” I offered softly.
He peered down at me. Skimming my cheek with the back of his fingers, gently he leaned in, close enough that I could feel his breath against my cheekbone. “Jonah is outside,” he mumbled, breaking the moment too soon.
Jonah didn’t bother to knock, flinging open the door and marching toward us. Then he faltered, seeing me nestled so closely to a shirtless Gabriel.
“Jonah,” Gabriel acknowledged him.
“I smelled blood.”
Rising to his feet, ignoring Jonah, Gabriel directed himself just to me. “It’s time I was leaving, Cessie.” He emphasized my nickname as if reminding me that I had to remain hidden; that no one else in this house should be aware of my supernatural self. I wasn’t about to disagree. For now, at least, I would wear my mask. I would continue to be Cessie.
Gabriel literally had to pry Jonah from my room, and I wondered for a moment why this Vampire, who had seemed so arrogant and disinterested in me at the start, was suddenly so concerned about me. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps he just wanted another taste of my blood.
The door slammed and without Gabriel next to me, a sharp prickle of loathing stabbed my consciousness. I felt invaded again. I had to cleanse my skin.
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