Dirty Angel (Sainted Sinners #1) (8 page)

“You’re doing a fine job,” he said.

“Hmm?” she asked, feeling a little ditzy.

“Just… I think an outsider might think that you’re quite taken with me,” he said, his voice a low rumble in his chest.

“Oh. Well… acting, you know. I took a drama class in high school,” Vesper said, her lips tipping up into a smile.

“Is that right?”

“Yep. I was in a production of My Fair Lady. I played Ms. Higgins,” she said, suppressing a laugh.

“I don’t know what that means, but I will assume that you were spectacular in it,” Kirael said. “Being such a talented actress, and all.”

Subtly, he guided her toward the house, little by little.

They swayed to the music, and after a moment, Kirael spoke again.

“Can I ask a very personal question?”

Vesper blinked. “Um… sure. Shoot.”

“You’re doing all of this because of your sister, right?”

Vesper stiffened a little, already knowing where this was going.

“Yeah. Mercy, her name’s Mercy.”

“What’s the story there? Why is she… where she is, and you’re… very much not?” he asked. “Sorry, I don’t know a better way to phrase that.”

Vesper’s heart twisted a little, but she shook her head. “It’s fine.”

“You don’t have to tell me, of course. I’m just curious how you came to be a murderous bounty hunter, and she… didn’t.”

“Well… Mercy and I didn’t have it great, growing up. Our dad died when we were young, our mom was heartbroken. She drank, had men around…” Vesper stopped herself, censoring. “Mercy took a lot of the bad shit on herself, to protect me. Drew attention to herself, sort of, so that no one looked my way.”

“Sounds like she was a good older sister,” Kirael said, watching her intently.

“She was, she really was. But… well, no need to go into details. Suffice to say that all that bad shit, it eventually started to weigh on her. Later, after we were already out of the house. She just never really recovered from it. So she started to drink. And we would fight about that, me and her. So she’d go off on her own, leave for days. And I was this dopey librarian, wearing pastels and thinking the world was fine, that she’d be fine.”

Vesper had to stop and clear her throat. To her relief, Kirael turned the subject away from Mercy.

“So how did you get from pastel skirts to black leather?” he asked. “That’s quite a career change, you know.”

“Yeah. When I first discovered the Kith world, all I knew about were the Vampyres, the ones Mercy hung around. I hated them, from the first. When Mercy dropped off the grid, I got mad. And then I got even… after a good bit of training, of course.”

“I’ve seen you with swords, you’re no joke,” Kirael said, his eyes twinkling.

“Yeah, well. It took a year of really hard work. Being a puny little human, I have to move faster, hit harder, or some demon will
smoosh
me.”

Kirael laughed, and Vesper smiled too.

“Thanks for telling me,” he said after a minute.

“No problem,” she said, making face.

“Well, I can see that you’re not much for chit chat,” he said.

“What? I’m… fine… at it,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Kirael snorted, then did a fancy move, stepping back to spin her in a circle. When she came back into his arms, he had a mischievous look in his eyes.

“Don’t panic,” he said.

“What? Why would I—” she said, her words cut off when Kirael leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Her hands clenched the lapels of his tux, her eyes going wide at the warm, firm touch of Kirael’s lips. He broke the kiss, pulling back.

“A little more convincing than that, Vesper,” he said, giving her a look.

“Right,” she said, licking her lower lip, trying not to sound too breathless. “Of course.”

This time, Kirael slid his hand up to cup the back of her head, his fingers sliding through the dark, silky mass of her hair. He even leaned her back a little, leaning in to brush a soft kiss against her lips.

She let her eyes drift shut, slipping her arms around his neck. Pushing up onto her tiptoes, she met his next kiss more eagerly, shivering when the tip of his tongue brushed her lips.

One of his big hands slid up her hip, his fingers stopping just under her breast, stirring a lazy kind of heat low in her body. Vesper tipped her head back, feeling her long hair shift against her bare skin.

This is dangerous
, she thought. Breaking the kiss, she opened her eyes to gaze up at Kirael. His expression was something like curiosity or surprise, his eyes gone a little dark at the undeniable moment.

Heat, tension. A spark.

Vesper couldn’t help the image that popped into her head: Kirael, naked in her bed, beckoning for her to join him. Those ocean-blue eyes telling her all she needed to know, telling her that he would fulfill her every desire.

Vesper had a flash of intuition… going down this path would bring her a world of trouble.

The question was… would flirting with Kirael be worth it?

More importantly, did she have the guts to find out?

S
he stared up at Kirael
, her thoughts beginning to overwhelm her desire.

Kirael couldn’t even let her have that, though… the bastard was just too perfect for that.

“You’re blushing,” Kirael said, one corner of his mouth tipping upward. “Why’s that?”

“Um…” Vesper started, unsure if she could formulate a good lie. Kirael was so close to her, and she was half-drunk on champagne and the sweetness of his kiss.

Tell him you want him
, a little voice in her head urged.
What’s the worst that could happen?

She opened her mouth, wondering if it would be too bold to invite him to her bed for a single night. The music quieted, as if the universe was preparing for Vesper to say—

“Hello everyone,” a woman said into a microphone, which resonated across the whole party. Everyone stopped and turned, Vesper and Kirael included.

The moment between them, whatever it was, vanished like so much ash in the wind. The woman with the microphone, perhaps a family member or the wedding planner, continued on.

“Just wanted you all to know that we’re going to do the cake now. Bride and groom, y’all wanna come up here and get started?”

Light applause from the wedding guests. Four waiters wheeled out a silver tray bearing an elaborately-iced white cake with no less than twelve tiers, plus a miniature bride and groom standing on top.

“I think this might be a good moment,” Vesper whispered.

Kirael nodded, watching the bride and groom approach, beaming with joy. Kirael surprised Vesper by taking her hand, then he turned and led her toward the house.

Vesper opened her mouth to ask him if he knew where Jack Darren was at the moment, but Kirael stopped her with a meaningful look, giving her hand a squeeze.

Right. You’re undercover
, she reminded herself.
You’re not here to drink champagne and make eyes at Kirael. You’re here on a mission.

Straightening her spine a little, she followed Kirael up the steps into the house, which was every bit as beautiful within as without. All done in a surprisingly simplistic, modern style, the open-concept ground floor was mainly taken up by kitchen and entertainment areas.

“There,” Kirael said, nodding toward the stairs.

“Got it.”

They headed over to the stairs, pausing when a small army of waiters passed through the room, bringing a dozen or more cases of champagne to the kitchen.

“Now,” Vesper said, after making sure the coast was clear. She took off her heels and went up the stairs, listening carefully for activity on the next floor.

She stopped cold on the landing, coming face to face with a long corridor of closed doors and an unamused blonde bridesmaid.

“You’re not supposed to be up here,” the woman said, putting a hand on her hip. “All the guest rooms are reserved for the bridal party.”

Kirael shifted forward ever so slightly, but Vesper stopped him with a hand on his forearm.

“Oh my god,” she said, taking the lead. “I’m like… soooo glad you’re here.”

“You are?” the blonde asked, looking confused.

“Yeah. Ammerie said her heels were soooo uncomfortable, and asked if I would come up and see if anyone knew where her backup flats were,” Vesper said, pulling out the lie with a flourish.

Now Kirael and the bridesmaid were looking at her skeptically.

“You know Ammerie?” the bridesmaid asked, crossing her arms.

“Childhood friends. Our dads used to work together, back before…” Vesper let her sentence drop off and waved a hand, hoping the other woman would fill in the blanks.

“Oh. Well… I can grab her shoes and take them downstairs,” the blonde said, tossing her hair. “I’m sure Ammerie doesn’t want just anyone touching her bridal trousseau.”

“Right. So… awesome. Um… I hate to ask, but is there a restroom I can use up here? All the ones downstairs are full,” Vesper bluffed.

The blonde arched a brow, then pointed. “End of the hall on the left.”

“Thanks!” Vesper said, grabbing Kirael’s wrist and towing him away from the blonde.

The bridesmaid disappeared into a room, closing the door behind her. Kirael gave a low whistle, then backtracked down the hall and motioned for Vesper to follow him up the stairs.

“Nice subterfuge back there,” Kirael said quietly as they went up.

“Thanks. If you’d believe it, lying is a regular part of my daily work.”

Kirael made an amused sound, but didn’t respond.

The third floor landing was entirely different than the second. It presented a single closed door, made of heavy dark wood, every inch of it inscribed with runic symbols. Vesper reached out, nearly touching the door, but Kirael yanked her back just in time.

The runes responded to her presence, giving off a faint blue light.

“You don’t want to touch that,” Kirael said, looking amused.

“I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t be locked,” Vesper said with a shrug.

“Well… you handled things downstairs. Fair’s fair…” he said, bringing his hand out so that his palm nearly brushed the door frame.

“I thought you said it was dangerous!” Vesper said, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

“Dangerous for you,” he said, focusing on the door. “I think you’ll find that there’s not much that can keep a Fallen angel out, if he wants in…”

Vesper was quiet, mulling his words over as she watched him work.

“Ah, there we go,” he said. He muttered a word in a foreign-sounding tongue, and all the runes flared blindingly bright at once.

Vesper blinked, and the runes dimmed to a subtle shimmer. Kirael reached out, and the door swung open before him.

“Quickly,” he said, rushing inside.

Vesper felt a wash of energy as she stepped into the room. The room was heavily warded with protection spells, probably ingrained in the very walls.

“Whoa…” she said, looking around. The room was large, perhaps thirty feet by thirty, with huge windows that looked down into the back yard, showcasing a moonlit magnolia in full bloom.

The serenity of the scene outside made the whole room all the more startling in its claustrophobic clutter.

Inside, each wall was lined with bookshelves, every inch crammed with a variety of texts so vast it could make some of those kids back in librarian school drool. Tables filled most of the rest of the room, barely room enough to move between them, each table covered with all manner of things. Books, dog-eared scrolls set beside quills and ink pots, a model of the solar system, a basket of withered fruit, more books.

There were little glass jars everywhere, filled with all sorts of things: pencils sharpened almost down to nubs, bits of ribbon, loose buttons, marbles, tubes of paint.

Vesper felt for all the world as though she’d just stepped into DaVinci’s workshop.

“Right. We’ve probably only got a few minutes before the spell wears off and Darren knows we’re in here,” Kirael said, looking around.

“Do you need my help looking?” Vesper asked.

Kirael was already making his way left, taking care not to disturb anything on the tables.

“I think I see them,” he said. “Don’t touch anything if you can help it. I imagine that there are a good number of enchanted objects in here.”

Vesper bit her lip and stayed put, watching as he stopped at a table that held racks upon racks of glass test tubes, each corked and labeled.

“What’s in the rest of the tubes?” she wondered.

“Most anything you can think of,” Kirael said, bending down to examine the labels. “Here we go…”

He extracted three narrow test tubes, each of which held a much smaller glass vial within.

“And hey…” Kirael reached into a flimsy cardboard box and held up two crosses. “Darren’s prepared for anything, apparently.”

Vesper smiled, but then paused. She turned toward the door. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Kirael asked.

“Shhhhh…” she said, holding up a hand.

It took a moment, but then it came again. A very soft sound, like a mouse nibbling in the walls. Faint, but definitely not a figment of her imagination.

“I think we might have company,” she said.

The sound got louder and louder, making Vesper’s heart pound. After half a minute, it sounded almost like people were standing all around the room, pounding on the walls in a soft, insistent beat.

“What the Hell is that?” Vesper asked, swallowing.

“I don’t want to find out,” Kirael said. He stuck his hands out, palms face up, balancing the glass vials on one and the crosses on the other. Closing his eyes, he vanished them from sight.

“Nice trick. Don’t suppose you can do that to us, can you? I don’t think we’re going back through that door…” Vesper said, pointing.

The door started to glow a little, throwing strange shadows through the room.

“Suppose not,” Kirael said.

He worked his way over to the closest window, prying at the sash. Though he visibly struggled to raise it, he managed to open it fully.

“We can’t just jump!” Vesper protested. “You’d be fine, but I’d break all my bones.”

“We aren’t going to jump,” Kirael said, cocking his head. “Or rather, we are going to jump, but we’re not going to fall.”

Vesper stared at him, wondering if he’d lost his mind. “Sorry?”

“I’m an angel, Vesper. I can fly.”

She felt her mouth form a surprised oh, then blushed.

“Right. I mean, of course you can. It’s just…” she hesitated.

“I can’t exactly walk around with my wings out, can I?” Kirael said, glancing at the door. “Now come on, we’re running out of time.”

Sucking in a breath, Vesper inched her way around the tables. Kirael climbed onto the window sill and stuck his head out, then stood up. Vesper quailed, watching him hold onto the window with one hand.

“Vesper, come on. This is not the time to lose your edge,” Kirael said. “Just sit on the windowsill and I’ll carry you, okay?”

“Right. Okay,” she said, blowing out the breath she’d been holding. She squeezed out the window, trying not to let fear rule her thoughts.

Behind her, she heard the door splinter and fall; someone was coming for them, right on their heels.

Then she shrieked, because Kirael jumped off the house, dropping like a stone for a few seconds. Her shriek died in her throat, because the most amazing thing happened: she saw his wings for the first time.

Exploding like twin lightning bolts, his wings unfurled from his back, so beautiful they were unbelievable. Each wing was bigger than Kirael himself, a graceful arch of brilliant white feathers.

“Vesper!” Kirael said, and she could sense that someone was right behind her. “Jump!”

There was no more time to hesitate. She was just going to have to trust that Kirael wouldn’t let her fall.

Letting her eyes close, Vesper pushed off the house, wincing as she dropped. That dizzying, gut-wrenching sensation of freefall.

Then, like magic, she stopped short. Strong arms caught her; she opened her eyes to find Kirael cradling her against his chest.

For an electric second, their gazes caught and held. A thousand things were just on the tip of Vesper’s tongue, but she couldn’t manage any of them.

“Hold on,” he said, his lips twitching with sudden humor.

She felt Kirael’s body ripple as he flapped both of his wings, a mighty push that shot them skyward. Vesper made a sound, half terror and half glee, and the world fell away beneath them.

“Can I…” she asked, looking up at his wings. “Can I touch?”

Kirael glanced down at her for a moment, his brow hunching. “Maybe later. My wings are very sensitive to touch. It would be… distracting.”

The tone of his voice made her even more curious, but she held her tongue. She watched him as he worked. He was all effortless power as he carried them off into the night, his stunningly white wings outlined against the darkened sky.

Growing overwhelmed, she closed her eyes and rested her cheek against Kirael’s neck. Sucking in a big lungful of his scent, she tried not to sigh like a smitten school girl.

Enjoy the moment for what it is, don’t look for more than that
, she told herself.

After all, how many chances would she get to be carried off into the sunset by a Fallen angel?