Angelbound (37 page)

I grip the edge of the bench like I’ll snap it in two. Rage boils through my bloodstream. “I love you Cissy, but you’ve been nothing but a high maintenance nightmare for months now.” I tick off her misdeeds on my fingers. “First, you go crazy with envy that Lincoln’ll get my attention when you’re waaaaaay too into Zekie. Second, you give me the silent treatment for what’s basically no good reason. And third, you neglect to mention that I’m walking out the door with CUNNUS written on my butt. This hurts in a serious way and it’s got to stop.” My eyes flare red. “Not to mention the fact that it’s ruined my last night with Lincoln.”

Cissy’s eyes grow large; she pops her hand over her mouth. “I’m soooo sorry, Myla.” Her bottom lip quivers. “You’re right; I’ve been a really bad friend.” She sits down beside me on the bench. “Talk to me. Please. What can I do to make it up to you?”

I speak through gritted teeth. “Go back to the ball and have Zeke drive you home. I want to be alone for a while.” A weight settles on my chest. Lincoln’s off on demon patrol, somewhere on Earth. We had a fun night planned and now
this
. Man, do I ever need to kill something.

Cissy gnaws on her thumbnail. “I’m really sorry.”

“I know.” My voice drips with frustration and rage. “I need some time, that’s all.”

“Okay.” She glances toward the mansion’s distant lights. “If I ride home with Zeke, you’re
really
fine driving Betsy back alone?”

“Yup.”
Leave already.

She takes a few hesitant steps away. “Call you tomorrow?”

I ball my hands into fists and nod. If I say anything else, I’ll lose my temper for sure. Then Cissy’ll have a black eye to match the one I gave Zeke all those years ago. Cissy’s footsteps slop in the muddy grass, growing more distant with each stride. Soon they disappear altogether.

I jump to my feet.
That freaking sonuvabitch Earl and his dippy daughter, ruining everything.
The fires of wrath spark and coil inside me. Resting my weight on my right leg, I kick the bench with all my strength, breaking the wooden planks in two neat halves. That makes me feel better.

“Nice kick,” says a familiar voice. I scan the shadows, seeing a figure step into the clearing: Lincoln.

I’m pretty sure I gasp. Loudly. What in blazes is he doing here?

“Hello, Myla.” He rakes one hand through his brown hair. He left his crown back at the mansion. I have a feeling that means something, but I’m not sure what.

I grin from ear to ear. “Shouldn’t you be on Earth right now?” My rage melts away, replaced by a tingly feeling in my stomach.

“Why ever would I do that?” He smiles, and the butterflies in my belly turn rowdy. “That was the worst fake emergency I’ve ever seen.” Switching his stance, he scopes out my dress, or lack thereof. “Looks like there was more to their master plan, though.” He lets out a puff of air. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t see
that
coming. Rather elaborate scheme, don’t you think?” His gaze rakes over my
backside, desire flaring in his eyes. “Not that I’m complaining.”

The fire in his eyes rouses my lust demon. She purrs inside me, pumping heat through my veins. Then I remember what’s written on my ass. Ugh.

“No fair peeking.” I spin about, trying to cover my bum with what’s left of my dress. Not that I mind Lincoln checking out my butt so much, but the CUNNUS sign is a little awkward. Okay, a
lot
awkward.

“They did us a favor, you know.” He taps his temple. “That’s why I played along.”

I roll my eyes and chuckle. “I’m so sure.”

“Think about it. We could have spent a few hours at the ball, irritating certain people. But this way, we can be alone.” He steps closer. “It’ll be some time before they figure out I’m not on Earth.” His full mouth winds into a mischievous grin. My insides get all gooey. “Want to get in trouble?”

Yes and no.
“I’m not going anywhere dressed like this, except home.” No way am I walking around the mansion grounds with CUNNUS written on my bum. The entire thrax nation is lurking nearby, not to mention Cissy, Zeke, and his parents. Nuh-uh.

Lincoln purses his lips. “So, if you had something to wear, you’d be interested in a little stroll?”

“I would.” Not sure where he’s going with this.

Lincoln leans forward, pulling his velvet tunic over his head. “This should work fine.” He only wears silver chain mail over black leather pants.

“What?” I poke at the long over-shirt with my finger. “You want me to wear
that?”

“Why not? You’ll be covered.” He winks. “Mostly.” Extending one hand, he offers me the garment.

I eye it carefully. It could actually fit me pretty well. I screw my mouth onto one side of my face. “Where would I change?”

“How about behind the hedges?” He tosses me the tunic, then turns his back to me. “I promise not to peek.”

I jog beyond the wall of green and swap out my gown for Lincoln’s tunic. I spin about, eyeing the fit. It looks good, but I’m showing a lot of bare leg.

I bite my lower lip. “I’m feeling a bit exposed, Lincoln.” I kick off my heels. The ground chills my bare feet.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

I tiptoe past the line of hedges. There I see Lincoln standing in his black leather pants and…Nothing else. They hang low on his hips, showing off the vee of muscle below his stomach. Whoa. Desire zings through my system.

Lincoln eyes me from head to toe, his gaze lingering on my legs. “Now we’re both a bit exposed.”

I gesture to him in a ‘hey you’re not wearing a shirt’ kind of way. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” It’s not like half the thrax aren’t partying nearby.

“Why not? I won’t return to the ball.” True, and I’m probably about to ruin his tunic to boot.

Grinning, Lincoln kicks the pile of chain mail with his bare foot. “Plus, this stuff weighs a ton.” He links his arms across his chest. “And I was promised some
trouble, remember?”

That settles it.

I bow slightly. “Alright, you got me. Where to?”

“I have a specific spot in mind.” He laces his fingers with mine. A thrill of connection zings in my palm. “Let’s go.” His mismatched eyes twinkle in the moonlight. My tummy goes all tingly again.

At this point, I’d follow him pretty much anywhere. As we walk along, my heart thumps a mile a minute, my breathing turns low and shallow, and my lust demon definitely wants to come out and play. Lincoln steps into the hedgerow maze, picking his way with uncanny accuracy. We soon reach the fountain at the labyrinth’s center. It’s turned off now, so it looks like one large, still pool of water.

My brows arch in confusion. Out of all the places in the Ryder grounds, why would Lincoln take me here?

The Prince guides me to sit on the lip of the fountain. I hop up onto the edge, feeling the warm stone beneath me, my legs dangling below. Stepping back, Lincoln examines me, his eyes glistening with wonder.

“There.” He hooks his thumbs into the waistband of his leather pants. “That’s how you looked when I first saw you by the lake.”

I nod. That’s right; he found me fighting Doxy demons in the water. “So, that’s why you brought me here?” I scratch my cheek. That’s a little strange.

“Well, I think about that night all the time. Maybe too much.” He shoots me a shy smile. “That sounds kind of crazy, doesn’t it?”

“Depends.” I move my mouth to one side, considering. “What’s the interest?”

He rubs his neck with his hand. “It’s a bit of a story, actually. I was chasing down some Doxy demons at the Ryder stables. I thought you were another thrax, tracking the same pack.”

I mock-frown. “Another
guy
, of course.”

He sets his hand on his bare chest. “Guilty as charged.” He steps closer, my heart thuds harder in my rib cage. “You disappeared into the water. I thought you’d be drowned, but you came out fighting.” He pauses before me, setting his warm hands on my bare knees. A thrill of heat whirls about my belly. His palms are calloused in all the right ways for a warrior.

With gentle pressure, Lincoln guides my legs apart. My heart rate goes through the roof. “You were fighting like a demon yourself, eyes glowing red in the darkness. And you were laughing.” The Prince presses his firm body against my soft curves. My breath hitches. Damn, that feels good.

Lincoln notices my little gasp and smiles. “I saw you were a woman, a warrior.” He leans in close, his mouth a breath above my own. “A force of nature. From that day on, I’ve thought of you, that night, and the water.”

I inhale deeply, ready to say ‘I never met anyone like you before, either. You make me crazy, too. In a good way.’ I speak, but two words only: “I understand.”

His voice comes out low and husky. “Good.”

Our mouths meet, fierce and rough, every flick of the Prince’s tongue driving more heat between my legs. My arms slide about Lincoln’s bare shoulders, sensing his velvet-soft skin over solid muscle. Suddenly, I want to run my hands over every inch of his body. Lincoln’s fingers press around my thighs, tracing the
hem of my tunic. Desire rockets through me.

A thin bolt of lightning strikes the ground a few yards away. Low rolls of thunder shake the air.

My head snaps to the spot of grass where the lightning hit. It’s a smoldering patch of black by the fountain’s edge. “Did you see that?” This is the third time lightning strikes when I feel strong emotions around Lincoln. Even
I’m
having a hard time pretending it’s a coincidence.

“No.” Lincoln kisses my neck, then gently bites my earlobe. My legs go wobbly beneath me.

“But Lincoln, aren’t you worried about the–”

He frames my face with his fingertips. “No.” Fire burns in his mismatched eyes. “Kiss me, Myla.”

A smile tugs at the edge of my mouth.
That’s one helluva good idea.
I lean in and taste him, my need flaring hotter. Lincoln grips my waist, grinding our hips in rhythm. I feel his length, hard and ready, pressing against me through his leather pants. Each new thrust is a jolt of raw pleasure. The world collapses until there’s nothing but our mouths, our bodies, and longing. He leaves in two days for Antrum. Who knows when I’ll see him again, taste him again?
No time to wait.
My lust instinct runs wild, its power overriding anything else.

I slide off the lip of the fountain, landing on the cool grass. Looking down, I curl my hands around the bottom of my tunic, ready to strip it off.

That’s when I feel it. Heat around my eyes.
My irises are glowing red.
That’s never happened before when I’ve felt lust, only wrath. Although, come to think of
it, I’ve never really felt lusty about a guy before.

I stop moving, careful to keep my head down. This is the dark side of inheriting both the classic Furor traits: wrath
and
lust. I stare at my fingers as they clutch the tunic’s hem. “I think we should stop now.” My breath is low and shaky. I’m no wiz at controlling my wrath, and I’ve been working at that all my life. Now lust? My first kiss was weeks ago. Tonight, I almost stripped down and did who-knows-what with Lincoln. That’s not who I want to be.

Lincoln sets his hand on my arm. “What’s wrong, Myla?”

I bite my bottom lip, careful to keep my head down and eyes hidden. Part of me wants to run for it, the other part wants to kiss him again. Badly. Stupid lust demon.

Lincoln sets his knuckle under my chin. With a gentle nudge, he tries to guide my gaze to his. I’m having none of it.

“That’s not a good idea, Lincoln.”

The Prince leans over, twisting so he can peep into my face. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Your eyes are changing. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s my Furor lust side.” My voice shakes a bit. “I’ve only ever felt wrath before.”

He links his fingers with mine, his voice gentle. “Let’s take it slowly, then. We have all the time in the world.”

I exhale. “Yeah, that would be good.”

He tilts his head to one side, listening. “Especially since they haven’t sent out a search party yet.” He grins. “Shall we find another way to cause trouble?”

“Sure.” I give his fingers a squeeze. “How about exploring more of the maze?”

He kisses the tip of my nose. “
That
is a great idea.”

I sit in Betsy’s shabby front seat, still wearing Lincoln’s tunic. The evening sky is giving over to morning; a soft glow lines the horizon. I think through last night with Lincoln and smile my face off. We walked through the maze for hours, talking. I now know his favorite kind of music (jazz), least favorite word (moist), and nastiest all-time fear (invasion of Antrum). We debated which demons are hardest to fight, easiest to track, and have the worst personal hygiene. I explained to him at length why Frankenberry cereal rocks, Cissy and Zeke can get annoying, and reruns on the Human Channel are the bomb. Poor guy doesn’t even have a phone, they’re so nuts about security in Antrum, let alone television. I felt it my moral duty to educate him.

I bang the steering wheel with my fist. Damn, I forgot to ask him how he knows Walker! Note to self: ask that next time for sure.

Twisting the key in the ignition, I rev the engine. Betsy doesn’t buck or cough smoke as I drive off. I grin. Sometimes, everything goes your way.

The good luck continues once I get home. I tiptoe around the back of the house and fiddle with the bathroom window. It slides open without a hitch.
Awesome.
I shimmy inside and sneak into my bedroom. Slipping off Lincoln’s tunic, I throw on a gray nightie and slide into bed.

I’m feeling quite proud of my sneaky self when my bedroom door swings open. Mom’s outline appears in the darkened threshold. “Where have you been, Myla Lewis?”

She’s using my full name. I’m in trouble.

“I went to a party with Cissy.” I fluff my pillow under my head. “I know I should’ve told you.”

“Yes, you should have.”

“Now I’m back and safe. I have school tomorrow. Can we talk about it in the morning?”

Mom pauses, then lets out a long breath. “I suppose so.” She wags her finger at me. “But you’re in big trouble, young lady.”

Her threat bounces off my wall of inner bliss. “You got it, Mom. We’ll talk in the morning.” I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.