Lucca (34 page)

“I want you, Juliet.”

She made a move as if to give herself to
him, but he gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“We cannot be together fully in the way the
bonding was meant to be,” he told her.

“Because your wings are bound.” She stated
what he had not.

“Yes.”

“You can kiss me though?”

He nodded.

“You can make love to me?”

“Yes, but—” Her finger pressed against his
lips to silence him.

“The only thing you cannot do is wrap your
wings around me.” She seemed to consider the prospect as she chewed
on her lower lip. Then she sighed, her eyes leveling with his. “I
cannot long for what I’ve never had.”

If she had experienced a brush of an angel’s
wing, she’d be mated to another. Where was she going with all this?
In the next breath she told him.

“I will accept you as you are. I accept what
you offer me. It’ll be enough if I’m enough for you.”

Good Lord. Would she be enough? His response
was to pull her into his embrace. “You’re my everything.” His lips
covered hers, devouring, tasting as if he couldn’t get enough of
her. She didn’t seem to mind. Her tongue mated with his and her
hands slipped beneath his T-shirt, her hands spreading over his
bound wings.

His wings strained against his skin, wanting
to feel her completely. Ecstasy and pain mingled with want drove
him further. He brought her here to discuss their relationship. It
looked like they were both through with talking for now. Clothes
came off, littering the floor as they made their way to the
bedroom. They didn’t make it that far. They fell to the floor in
tangled limbs and ravishing kisses. He couldn’t get enough of her,
her hands and caresses urging him on.

“Take me,” her breathless request whispered
near his ear. “Take me now, Lucca.”

He plunged into her, filling her completely.
Her legs wrapped around him, drawing him even deeper as if she
feared he would leave her. He wasn’t going anywhere.

His hips moved, the slow slide heightening
the sensation of being connected. He found her lips, kissing her,
tasting her as he took her. His wings fluttered, but he ignored the
pain, letting her fragrance wash over him like a cool salve.

Juliet whimpered against his lips and he
knew she drew close, he moved his hips again, pushing in deeper as
her body shuddered in pleasure. He moved faster then until he too
joined the bliss of surrender.

For a moment he lay heavy on her, relishing
in her softness, loving the way her hands roamed down his back. Her
fingers grazing over his bound wings as if she could feel the
feathers beneath his skin.

Her purr against his ear sounded like a
satisfied kitten. Pressing a kiss to her curved lips, he rolled to
the side, taking her with him. She cradled in the crook of his arm.
Their breathing was slowly becoming even as their heart rates
returned to normal. His hand slid over her glistening skin, still
hot from their lovemaking. She wanted him. His lips curved in
satisfaction. She was his as much as she could be. She claimed it
would be enough. God, how he wanted to believe her.

Her fingers caressed his forearm, where
Barachiel’s tattoo was etched into his skin. His meeting with the
Archangel wasn’t until tomorrow night. If he didn’t show, the
Archangel would activate his little gift and hunt him down. The
witch may be able to remove the offensive tattoo, but if she
couldn’t and they failed to capture Barachiel then he would have to
stay far away from Juliet and Owen. He could never be with them
with his calling card of death.

He pulled her closer in his embrace. He
pressed his lips to the top of her head. As if sensing his sudden
mood change, she pulled away, leveling her gaze on him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I want to keep you and Owen safe.”

“I know.”

His fingers gently caressed her arm. Life
really sucked on the human realm. He only just found her and he
would have to let her go. “After tonight, I can’t be with you.” She
tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go. “Hear me out.”

“You better have a darn good reason why I
should.”

“If Lana cannot remove the tattoo, Barachiel
will hunt me down. You and Owen cannot be anywhere near me. Even if
he didn’t suspect you both as the travelers, he’ll wipe out anyone
who is close to me just to make me suffer for defying him.”

“It’ll work out. It has to.”

“Maybe. We’ll have to wait and see.”

She rested her head on his chest. “You sure
do know how to ruin the mood,” she half teased with a chuckle.
“Maybe, I can change that.” She looked up at him with her lovely
pools of green and batted her eyes.

With a growl, he pulled her on top of
him.

Chapter Forty-One

Kasadya snapped his wings behind his back,
the dark feathers shimmering like a flock of ravens in the
moonlight. He stepped forward, his black eyes assessing Arizul with
contemp. “I see you have not yet obtained Raziel’s book.” His fangs
lengthened, gleaming white with a promised threat.

On response, Arizul’s wings drew closer to
his body as if they were a separate entity fearing Kasadya’s rage
and sought to hide from his wrath. “I have run into complications.”
If he hadn’t possessed King Solomon’s charms, he would still be
trapped in the Vault with the annoying Banshees’ screams. He took
great delight in ending they’re keening—forever.

Kasadya’s eyes blazed red and Arizul hurried
to explain. “My son has the book and I plan on getting it from him
tonight.” Sweat dripped down his shirt and he had to wipe away the
moisture from his brow. Angels on a whole didn’t sweat, but Kasadya
had been draining him, his perverse habit of drinking blood
becoming dangerous… to his well-being. He couldn’t afford to be
weak when he met with Lucca this next time. His son had changed.
He’d seen the steely look in his eyes and knew Lucca would kill him
if he posed a threat. His lips curved. Finally, his son found a
backbone. Perhaps beating the humanity out of him had worked after
all.

“Do you find something amusing?”

Kasadya’s low rumbled voice startled him
from his reverie. “No.” He gave him a slight bow of respect.

Kasadya was one of the five who were cast
from heaven for their part in corrupting God’s precious children of
Eve. It came to no surprise that the five were referred to as the
Five Satans.

Kasadya revealed evil to the humans and
proved the Otherworldy realm existed, giving the sight.

The other Satans were still locked away in
their level of Hell, but Kasadya wanted to free them, let them
loose on earth’s realm, but he needed Raziel’s book to do it.
Arizul shivered at the prospect of such powerful creatures roaming
earth again. Unfortunately, he was at Kasadya’s mercy. He released
the Satan by accident when he tried to change events in history.
His choices were to either pledge his loyalty to the Satan or die.
At times, he wondered if death would have been the better
choice.

Kasadya’s ill deeds lived on with the humans
even today and so did the deeds of the other Satans.

Yeqon had misled the children of the angels,
perverting their judgment and their rash needs to drink human
blood. He created the first Vampires.

Asbel counseled the children of the holy
angels, misleading them to defile the innocents with experiments.
The were-creatures were created from such trials.

Gaderel thought he’d be spared when he
taught the humans how to defend themselves against the Nephilim,
Vampires, and were-creatures, but he was not. He showed the humans
how to make the instruments of death. His teachings were the start
of wars between the species and creating the rift where the
prejudices still remained intact today. Arizul possessed the first
breastplate and sword made by Gaderel in his Vault.

Pineme taught the children of the people how
to use the written word, giving them ink and paper. Words were
powerful instruments and writing them down gave the words greater
strength. Witches can chant spells, but writing the incantations on
paper gave the spell an infinite amount of power. The silly saying
of sticks and stones may hurt, but words will never harm is a
fallacy. Words could harm. They had harmed.

Kasadya folded his hands together, forming a
‘v’ with his forefingers. He tapped his chin in thought. The Fallen
Angel was once beautiful with features artists have tried to
capture on canvas, but centuries of blood lust had taken its toll
on Kasadya. His eyes used to shine with the light from the heavens,
his wings used to be gold and bronze, and his once handsome face
used to be void of the broken blood vessels, but over indulgence
changed the Angel. Dark, menacing, and lethal if crossed, or if he
were having a rotten day, Kasadya was the poster boy for the devil
himself.

Kasadaya focused his gaze on him now. “Lucca
despises you. How is it, he will hand over the book to you?”

Arizul’s lips curved. “He won’t, but I have
a plan that will ensure that I shall have the book in my
hands.”

“You better. I grow tired of waiting.” His
gaze wavered over Arizul with interest. “Now come closer.”

Arizul stiffened. His lips felt dry and he
licked them, before he spoke. “I must stay strong if I am to
confront Lucca.”

“Your matters with your son are no concern
of mine. Now, I said come here.” His voice boomed, making the earth
beneath his feet rumble in protest.

Arizul could shimmer away, but that would
cost him. The last time he defied Kasadya, he could not leave his
bedchamber for three days. He took a step forward and Kasadya’s
magic whipped out, grabbing hold of him, making him powerless to
run. His body moved on its own accord until he stood before the
Fallen Angel like a sacrificed lamb, his head turned to the side in
offering.

He tried not to whimper, but the humiliating
sound escaped his lips before he could rein it in. Kasadya’s lips
curved as if his fear turned him on. His long fingers slid over the
throbbing vein like a caress.

Arizul closed his eyes, willing himself not
to be weak, but Kasadya struck with vengeance, his teeth sinking
into his flesh, tearing his skin away as a punishment for his
refusal to come to him willingly. Tears of shame streamed down his
face as Kasadya drank, the slurping of his blood a reminder of how
weak he’d become, how inferior he was to Kasadya.

Once Kasadya had his fill, he released
Arizul from the magic hold. His body crumpled at his feet in shame.
His breathing labored, but already the skin began to heal at his
neck, but there would be bruising. The other Fallen would know he
was Kasadya’s blood bitch.

Kasadya crouched down beside him. He fisted
a hand in Arizul’s hair and lifted his head so their eyes met.
“Don’t ever deny me again or I’ll drain you until you’re nothing
but dust. Do I make myself clear?”

His neck throbbed in time with his
heartbeat, making it difficult to breathe, let alone spit out words
to placate an ex-Angel with a superiority complex, but he managed
to rasp out his reply. “Yes.”

“Good.” He let him go and his head hit the
ground, scraping his cheek in the process.

“I believe I shall join you tomorrow night.”
With that Kasadya spread his magnificent wings and was gone.

Chapter Forty-Two

Juliet had finished dressing and joined
Lucca in the living room. She slipped into his embrace with a
smile. She kissed him, pouring all of herself into the caress. He
didn’t hold back either. They only had this time now since the
future looked iffy.

His cell rang and Lucca pulled away with a
growl.

Juliet chuckled. “I’ll just sit over here.”
She pointed to the sofa as he answered the call, putting it on
speakerphone. They promised there would be no more secrets between
them.

“This better be good,” Lucca grounded out
the words.

“Did I interrupt something?” The laughter in
Blaize’s voice only proved to annoy Lucca as he cursed under his
breath.

“You better be calling for a good
reason.”

Blaize sighed. “Well, if you aren’t going to
share your kiss and make up sex with me—”

“We’re on speaker phone,” Lucca
interrupted.

“Well, well. Hello there, Juliet.”

“Hello, Blaize.”

“Can we stop with the pleasantries? Why are
you calling?”

“Still grumpy as usual. Okay then, let’s get
to it. Lana found a spell to keep our Archangel confined while we
strike a deal with him. She’s good, Lucca.” There was no doubt he
believed his claim. Admiration spilled over into his words. “This
gal is the real deal, but there’s a small problem. To confine a
being from Heaven, we need to have an Angel blade with a pure
stone.”

“Like a dagger?” Juliet sat forward on the
couch, leaning closer to the phone.

Lucca stared at her. They could hear Blaize
speaking to Lana. Then he was back on the phone. “A dagger would be
good. Are you saying you have one?”

“Raziel gave me a few weapons,” Juliet told
him. “All blessed by his hands.”

“Uh, wait a minute, I want Lana to hear
this.” Blaize followed their lead and set his cell on speaker,
too.

Lana spoke then. “If Raziel gave the blade
to you specifically, the power of the blade is for your hands only.
You’ll have to perform the ritual.”

“She’s not going with us,” Lucca spoke up
before Juliet could reply. “It’s too dangerous.” He looked at
Juliet. “And not because I don’t think you’re capable, but because
Barachiel is looking for you. Let’s not hand you over like an
offering.”

“It wouldn’t be like that,” Juliet insisted.
“Besides, you said it yourself, Barachiel doesn’t know who he’s
looking for, and you’re not giving the
Book of Magic
to him.
So all is good.”