The Timekeeper (27 page)

“What if I told you, Zamir, the Daemons’ goals are not far from my own? I’m a Timekeeper above all other things. I may work for the Council now, but we’ll be parting ways in the near future. Demon
-
Djinn are not so different from your Fallen brethren. We’re biding our time until the wall fails in the way it’s meant to.

“Armageddon will come, she doesn’t need our help. While my kind wait patiently, I tell the Council what they want to hear
,
and they let me alone, I never share everything.” Zamir seemed intrigued by the revelation
.

“I’m sorry Azriella, whether it’s true or not, I cannot allow you to go. Orders are orders
,
and Asher will be here within the hour to take you to the head of the Daemons.” At this point I realized I wouldn’t change his mind. I needed to come up with plan B
.

“Zamir, if I must die, please give me just a small amount of pleasure before I go. You haven’t felt the agony of death before, but I assure you it’s something I’d rather avoid. You are a handsome creature, divine. I’ve never seen wings so velvet-onyx and beautiful as yours. I’d love to stroke them
.
I’d bet they’re strong
,
yet soft to the touch.

“I married a Dragon for a specific reason
.
I suffer from a terrible wing fetish. I’m sure you can think of something to make me a happier woman before I die.” Less than a second passed before he got the hint, and a sly smile crossed his face.

His fingers ran from my bound wrist, down along my ink-covered shoulder, then down to the edge of my breast where the tattoo ended. I closed my eyes and pretended he was someone else
.

Zev came to mind. The husband who’d restrained me, forcing me to trust him without reason
,
and one I had every rational thought not to find myself in a vulnerable position with again
.
I sighed, letting the Angel’s soft touch carry me away to a memory of my past
.
A reminiscence of pleasure I’d long forgotten.

His hands moved to the fastenings of my blouse and the bed shifted as he moved to straddle me. I spotted his arousal pushing against his tight leather pants as he hovered over me to gently slip the buttons through their holes. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of his grasp on my body.

As he pulled my shirt open, exposing my black lacy bra barely containing my ample bosom
,
I heard him suck in his breath. A matter of seconds passed before he descended on them, kneading, and cupping my breasts as if this was first time he had been allowed to touch a woman.

His wings fluttered as he bent down to lick my torso. His warm breath on my skin, gently brushing me, sent shivered through me. He caressed every part of me like the most attentive of lovers, making me wet and ready for him. Zamir had a fiery control over my body. He made me crave his touch.

Zev held the same power over me
.
I was a captive expected to enjoy whatever he forced on me, and enjoy I did. I found freedom in my loss of control, a peace I’d never find any other time. 

He slipped a breast out of the bra, pulling the small piece of fabric down to free my flesh, and immediately went to work on my nipple with his mouth. I fought the restraints binding my hands. I wanted to run my finger through his raven hair, to explore his wings, the soft feathers and down
,
dark as midnight.

“Please, Zamir, release me. I wish to touch you. I need you.” I begged
,
breathless and panting. I opened my lids to stare at him. He stopped giving my puckered nub attention
,
and returned my look
.
We locked eyes, my liquid green and his icy blue. I held a promise I couldn’t fake, and he soaked up every bit of the offer.

He quickly reached over me and undid the restraints above my head. He left the bottoms secure, but we hadn’t quite moved that direction yet. If he planned to get my pants off, then he’d need to undo those as well.

I ran my fingers through his satiny black hair and pulled his head down to mine. My lips sought his out and I trapped him in a kiss he didn’t have a chance or desire of slipping away from.

I slid my hands down his body, caressing his scarred skin and yanked him down against me. He broke the lip-lock and he moved to my neck as he nipped, taking in my scent.

“Tell me, Princess. What would your husband think about this little tryst?” I chuckled as his breath tickled my ear
.

“Which one, Zamir? I will soon marry my third.”

He nipped at my shoulder, “Well, I suppose they’re used to sharing you then. You’re my kind of woman, Azriella. It’s a shame they are going to lay waste to you. I’d looked forward to a prolonged relationship with you. Maybe next time, still, such a disgrace
.
”

“Yes, a travesty.” I weaved my fingers in his hair and pulled his face to mine, and forced his lips to mine, locking him in a feral kiss. I’d captured men less willing like this, and I remained grateful for my womanly charms.

Zamir’s arms wrapped around my waist, it had been a while since the Angel had a woman who dared to keep up with his desires. His hands moved over my body, stroking every square inch of flesh he could get his paws on.

I loved a man who knew what he wanted. Despite my feelings for Zamir, I easily lost myself in his need. Energy welled up around the two of us, and I found a state of bliss. A moan escaped my lips as he pinched at my exposed nipple with the tips of his fingers.

He broke the kiss and sat up, straddling me, watching me. He had me worked up enough
.
I prepared to plead for his return. Demons fed on Angel’s energy, and I wasn’t close to my fill yet. We still had a long way to go.

“You’re an amazing woman, Azriella. Perhaps, I’ll try and protest your death. I might be able to convince them they’d be better off letting you live
.
You can explain to them what’s really going on with your position in Aliis. They’re ignorant
,
and make rash decisions
.
A little education might do the trick. I’m not ready to let go of you just yet.” I grinned. Ah, he was starting to trust me, falling for me the same way every man had since the beginning of my long life.

I sat up, placing myself halfway up his chest and started kissing his pale skin, running my hands up and down his abdomen. His arousal
,
held captive by the tight leather of his pants, apparent. He was a well-endowed Angel
.
Perhaps I’d get more out of this request than I’d anticipated. I gazed up at his face as I traced the tattoos littering his scarred skin. He stalked me with his beautiful cold blue eyes, a smile on his face.

I lounged back, putting myself on display the best I could with my limited movement. My feet were still tethered. I spread my arms, welcoming him to take me. Our eyes never left each other’s as he disembarked on my half naked body. Starting at the edge of my pants, he licked every inch of exposed flesh. Slowly he worked his way up to my lips.

I thought of better uses for his tongue, but those were impossible while bound to a bed. When his lips met mine, I moved my hands to his hair, working them down on to his back. I needed his wings. I hated myself for ruining this beautiful moment.

Before my fingers reached his feathered appendages
,
the door slammed open. Zamir shot up immediately, unsure if his brethren
,
or someone else
,
had caught him. When I peered around him, I found my husband taking up every inch of the doorway
,
and he had Dalvin as back up.

Darius stormed into the room and tore the Angel off me, throwing him against the wall. I quickly sat up and started to untie the bindings at my ankles. I didn’t wait around to be rescued
.
Not my style.

I turned my head in time to witness Darius and Dalvin de-wing the poor Angel, each taking a wing and ripping it from his body with their bare hands. The Angel’s silvery blood sprayed the dingy white walls, coating them in mercury.

Zamir’s howling mimicked a sound only heard in the bowels of Hell. Glass began to rattle and threatened to shatter before Dalvin put his hand over Zamir’s mouth.

Darius unsheathed his hunting knife and flashed the serrated weapon in front of his face. Zamir’s eyes widened and he started to struggle to get away. The steel slid into his abdomen easily
.
Had it not been for the hand over his mouth, the Angel would’ve shrieked in agony again.

“Never touch my wife.” Darius whispered in his ear. 

My husband disemboweled Zamir while Dalvin took his own blade and pinned him to the wall through the shoulder. Silver blood poured out of the gapping wounds and the Angel’s color started to drain out of his handsome face.

This wasn’t the first time I’d witnessed the two men tag team someone, but they’d never been so violent. Hatred burned in Darius’s eyes, a hate I’d never seen in him, not even at Zev.

I started buttoning my shirt quickly, righting myself before anyone else came barging into the room. I slipped off the bed and grabbed Zamir’s dagger he’d left on the table. Moving toward the howling creation of God, I wondered if the creator loved his children as he claimed he did.

I doubted it, I knew more about deities than I ever wanted to
,
and the most common trait they shared, gods and goddesses seemed to be fickle when it came to the things they loved. Not to mention as soon as you lost your purpose, they’d throw you away like a left over Chinese take-out carton.

Since I hadn’t been able to rip his guts out myself, I planned to get my one last revenge on my would
-
be captor. The men moved out of my way
,
but staying close in the event the dying Angel tried anything. I pressed my body against his, not giving a damn about his blood on my clothing.

The knife pushed into his gut, but he never looked away from me
,
desire mixed in with the horror of realized betrayal. My lips curved into a cruel smile. 

“Zamir, sweet Angel. We could’ve done wonderful things together, if only we’d worked something out. Since you refused to take a stand against your employers in the first place, I guess I can’t defy mine
.
Had you not angered my husband, I’d have kept you. We would’ve had so much fun together. Possibly, next time? We both might’ve forgotten what happened here by then
.
”

I gave him a fevered kiss, letting him display his passion for me one last time. I tasted the blood in his mouth, and heard him mumble, “I love you, Princess,” before I ran the blade upward into his chest cavity, hitting his heart
.
I pulled the dagger out and slit his throat.

He would’ve made a pleasant addition to my Angel collection in Aliis, but he was a little too attached to his cause. Once satisfied with the carnage, I turned to glare at Darius
.

“How in the world did you find me
,
and where the hell were you when I really needed you?” He frowned at me
.
Nothing he’d say would make me happy.

“What the shit, babe. I came as fast as possible. I heard you call me from upstairs, but by the time I reached the bedroom
,
you’d vanished
.
The only trace I found of you was the cell phone you must’ve dropped when the Angels grabbed you. Trust me, I’m not letting you out of my sight from now on.” I rolled my eyes, not looking forward to dealing with the hoarding Dragon I had chosen for a husband.

  “Let’s not get carried away, sweetheart. You don’t need to glue yourself to me.” He shot me a look indicating that’s exactly what he intended to do.

“How did you find me anyway, you never answered me?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He growled
,
a little irritated with me
.

“Yeah, actually I would.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, sucking up to the best of my ability
.
He kissed me, the need to protect me completely apparent
,
and gave me a once over. He put his arm over my shoulders and started leading me out the door.

“Nathan called your phone right after I found it. Echo spoke to him. He discovered quite a bit of info on your kidnappers. They’re part of a sect named the Wings of the Daemons. They have a bad habit of targeting Aliis agents. Their goal is to bring down the Veil to teach God a lesson. Don’t ask me how that’s supposed to work.

“Nathan said a group hung around the Springs, so we figured if we could get close enough to you, then I might pick up your energy signal. A gamble, but it worked.” I grinned
,
such a clever Dragon
.

“I got filled in already. Zamir
,
the kidnapping mastermind
,
laid everything out for me. You know
,
the villain always tells you about the plan
,
like spilling your guts is some kind of rule. Anyway, did Nathan happen to tell you how many creatures from Aliis they’d manage to kidnap?” Darius shook his head
.