pavilion and spread his wings, though they felt weighted.
“There’s more.” The Guardian’s voice held a peculiar weight.
“What?”
“She’s here.”
Kes blinked. “Here? As in here? ”
“She showed up at the gate. Virgil took her to the town hall and called me. He asks that you come as soon as possible. She’s been giving him an earful. If profanity can kill, his end is near.”
“ Why is she here?”
Dec glowered. “At the gate, she was yelling for you. Go on. Don’t keep the lady waiting.”
Kes took off and shot through the night toward the town hall, using the strategically placed lights on the tops of the buildings to guide his way. Why was she here? He could understand her wanting a piece of Virgil. She deserved that. Why had she asked for him?
Well, she deserved to have at him, too, if that’s what she wanted. But, what more was there to say?
He landed on the central flight deck and walked into the lobby. The Guardian on duty—a scrawny juvenile in pre-training—nodded in greeting and pointed toward a set of closed conference room doors.
Despite the hell he was likely in for, he hurried onward, eager to see her.
Inside the simple but large room, Virgil sat at one end of the conference table. Saffron sat on the other, her arms tightly folded.
“Finally.” The demon stood, his eyes wide. “From the way she’s been yelling at me, you’d think I’d tried to kill her loved ones.” Despite the flippant words, his tone was humble, his voice quiet.
“ Crisse. ” Saffron glowered and pointed at the Guardian. “ Ostie de ciboire de crisse. ”
“You have my upmost respect for your recent actions, Ms. Morin.” Virgil glanced at Kes. “I’m gone.” He rushed out the door.
Kestrel stood still, his mind blank to everything but the sight of her. She wore her hair down, the dark-blond strands cascading around her delicate violet sweater. She stood and walked toward him, revealing that the top was actually a sweater dress that continued over her curving hips and halfway down her thighs. She balanced on heeled sandals, her steps light, as if she treaded on a fragile floor. White bandages hugged parts of her right hand and arm.
His stomach dropped to his feet. He whispered, “You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger, Saffron.”
She stopped in front of him. “I was careful.”
“Not careful enough.” He took her arm and ran his fingers over the neat cotton strips.
“Why do you care?” She stared intently at him, her tone guarded.
“Because, Saffron.” He swallowed. “Because I do.”
She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his lips. Ran her tongue over his.
Clutching her, he warmed for the first time in three months, a deep chill finally gone. When they broke free for air, he refused to loosen his arms. She dropped her head to his chest, a soothing weight.
“Did you get in trouble, helping my family?”
He chuckled with no humor. “The demons got to the mansion and your parents were gone. No one knows I had anything to do with it. I think some suspect, but they don’t have the guts to accuse me.” He sighed and stroked her hair. “Why are you here?”
“Because I forgive you,” she murmured.
He scoffed. “You can’t.”
“I have. Because of you, my mom met me at the hospital and my dad brought me sandwiches from our favorite deli after I’d recovered from surgery.” She stroked his feathers, making him hold her even tighter. “This colony wanted my parents dead—probably still does. I don’t blame any of you for that. But you… you saved their lives, despite what they’ve done to your kind. Thank you.”
“Saffron.” He kissed her temple, her lips, her throat. Was this really happening, or was it a cruel dream? He ran his hands down the curves of her body. Warm, vital, real. Her scent filled his lungs. No dream could ever do her justice. “I’ve missed you.”
“However, I expect groveling.”
“Oh?”
“Yes.” She pulled away and
“There’s more.” The Guardian’s voice held a peculiar weight.
“What?”
“She’s here.”
Kes blinked. “Here? As in here? ”
“She showed up at the gate. Virgil took her to the town hall and called me. He asks that you come as soon as possible. She’s been giving him an earful. If profanity can kill, his end is near.”
“ Why is she here?”
Dec glowered. “At the gate, she was yelling for you. Go on. Don’t keep the lady waiting.”
Kes took off and shot through the night toward the town hall, using the strategically placed lights on the tops of the buildings to guide his way. Why was she here? He could understand her wanting a piece of Virgil. She deserved that. Why had she asked for him?
Well, she deserved to have at him, too, if that’s what she wanted. But, what more was there to say?
He landed on the central flight deck and walked into the lobby. The Guardian on duty—a scrawny juvenile in pre-training—nodded in greeting and pointed toward a set of closed conference room doors.
Despite the hell he was likely in for, he hurried onward, eager to see her.
Inside the simple but large room, Virgil sat at one end of the conference table. Saffron sat on the other, her arms tightly folded.
“Finally.” The demon stood, his eyes wide. “From the way she’s been yelling at me, you’d think I’d tried to kill her loved ones.” Despite the flippant words, his tone was humble, his voice quiet.
“ Crisse. ” Saffron glowered and pointed at the Guardian. “ Ostie de ciboire de crisse. ”
“You have my upmost respect for your recent actions, Ms. Morin.” Virgil glanced at Kes. “I’m gone.” He rushed out the door.
Kestrel stood still, his mind blank to everything but the sight of her. She wore her hair down, the dark-blond strands cascading around her delicate violet sweater. She stood and walked toward him, revealing that the top was actually a sweater dress that continued over her curving hips and halfway down her thighs. She balanced on heeled sandals, her steps light, as if she treaded on a fragile floor. White bandages hugged parts of her right hand and arm.
His stomach dropped to his feet. He whispered, “You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger, Saffron.”
She stopped in front of him. “I was careful.”
“Not careful enough.” He took her arm and ran his fingers over the neat cotton strips.
“Why do you care?” She stared intently at him, her tone guarded.
“Because, Saffron.” He swallowed. “Because I do.”
She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his lips. Ran her tongue over his.
Clutching her, he warmed for the first time in three months, a deep chill finally gone. When they broke free for air, he refused to loosen his arms. She dropped her head to his chest, a soothing weight.
“Did you get in trouble, helping my family?”
He chuckled with no humor. “The demons got to the mansion and your parents were gone. No one knows I had anything to do with it. I think some suspect, but they don’t have the guts to accuse me.” He sighed and stroked her hair. “Why are you here?”
“Because I forgive you,” she murmured.
He scoffed. “You can’t.”
“I have. Because of you, my mom met me at the hospital and my dad brought me sandwiches from our favorite deli after I’d recovered from surgery.” She stroked his feathers, making him hold her even tighter. “This colony wanted my parents dead—probably still does. I don’t blame any of you for that. But you… you saved their lives, despite what they’ve done to your kind. Thank you.”
“Saffron.” He kissed her temple, her lips, her throat. Was this really happening, or was it a cruel dream? He ran his hands down the curves of her body. Warm, vital, real. Her scent filled his lungs. No dream could ever do her justice. “I’ve missed you.”
“However, I expect groveling.”
“Oh?”
“Yes.” She pulled away and
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