She forced the words past the lump in her throat. Better to lose my immortality than my honor.
Connor inhaled sharply, drawing her attention. He was staring at her, his eyes gleaming with strong emotion. He inclined his head. Well said, lass.
Her heart expanded in her chest. He understood. He approved of her even when heaven had rejected her. A spring of gratitude and affection bubbled up inside her, and the panic faded away. Thank you.
Darafer snorted. Pardon me while I puke.
She glared at him. Im not going with you. Begone.
Youre so na?ˉve, Darafer hissed. You have no idea what kind of parasite is clinging to you, do you?
Connor stiffened. She told you to go. Now leave!
Looks like I hit a nerve. Darafer smirked as he looked Connor over. I suppose Marielle could do worse for a bodyguard. Hell knows youve shown a distinct talent for violence.
Connor lifted his dagger. Doona tempt me.
Oh, I do. Thats my job, Connor Buchanan. Darafer chuckled when the Scotsman flinched. Yes, I know who you are. Youve been on our list for a long time.
Marielle touched Connors arm and winced at how tense he was. Pay him no heed. Hes a deceiver.
Darafer snorted. Whos deceiving whom? Maybe for your sake, angel, I should take out the trash. Wouldnt want the parasite to soil your dewy innocence. He smiled slowly as he looked her over. Im planning on doing that myself.
Ye willna touch her! Connor yelled.
Darafer shot him an angry look. Do you really think you can stop me? Try it. Then I wont have to go back empty-handed tonight. Looks bad on my r??sum??, you know.
Marielles heart lurched when the demons eyes turned red. He was planning to attack.
Connor realized it, too, for he jumped away from her and assumed a defensive stance.
Her heart pounded. Connor couldnt possibly defeat a demon. And still, in the face of death, he tried to protect her. He kept moving to the side to draw the demon away from her. His dagger gleamed in the moonlight as he raised his arm.
Darafer stepped back and his body shimmered, shifting back into the beastly black wolf. He crouched, preparing to pounce. A low growl rumbled in his throat.
Oh God, no. She couldnt let Connor die. She shot up a desperate plea for help, but heaven was silent. It was up to her. Curling her hands into fists, she hoped she still retained enough power to keep Connor from being ripped to shreds.
The beast leaped.
No! She threw her arms out, her hands splayed. A massive burst of air exploded around her, shooting out in all directions. It blew the beast back, tossing him forty feet into the forest. He crashed into some bushes.
Unfortunately, the blast also knocked Connor back forty feet and he landed on his back, thumping his head hard on the ground.
With a growl, the beast jumped to its feet.
Marielle raised her hands, hoping she could muster enough power for another attack. Fear crept along her skin, making her shiver. Darafer had the same abilities she had, but even more since he could change his form at will. He could also call for assistance from Lucifers other servants.
She, on the other hand, was trapped in a human body and cut off from the Heavenly Host.
He morphed into a male human form. Long dark hair, emerald-green eyes, luminous pale skin. This was most probably his preferred look, and she hated to admit he was striking. Dramatic and elegant, too, in his black leather pants and long black coat.
You dont want to get into a battle with me, angel, he said quietly. You know youll lose.She swallowed hard.
Luckily for you, Im not allowed to force you to accompany me, he continued. Free will, you know. Sometimes the black beast strategy works, and the poor sap says hes willing out of fear. You didnt fall for it, though, so Ill have to wait until you want to come with me.
That will never happen.
He smiled slowly. I was hoping you would be a challenge. Makes the final surrender so much more sweet. He lifted a hand, palm up, and a red glowing light appeared, then condensed into a solid red object. He tossed it toward her.
The object rolled toward her feet. A shiny red apple.
Let me know when youre ready to take a bite. With a whoosh, black wings sprang from his back, and he was gone.
Marielle drew in a deep breath. Thank God. She was safe for now. And Connor? She ran toward him.
He was still flat on his back. The poor man must have hit the ground hard.
With a gasp, she stumbled to a stop. Good heavens. The blast of air had blown his kilt up to his chest.
Oh, she breathed. Shed never seen an angel look like that. Come to think of it, shed never seen a human look like that. As a Deliverer, shed seen her share of naked human bodies, but they tended to be old, or ill, or injured. And they were usually gray, shriveled, and dead.
She stepped closer. Definitely not gray. Rather pink and healthy. And most definitely not shriveled. Even his hair was interesting. Red and curly, it looked very soft and . . . touchable.
She tilted her head, marveling at the size and structure. It was all so . . . out in the open. Blatant. Masculine.
The invasive purpose of the design was so obvious, she reacted instinctively and pressed her thighs together. That was . . . curious. Oddly pleasurable. A shiver ran down her arms, but she didnt think it was caused by the cold. She felt strangely . . . warm.
Connor groaned, and she jerked to her senses. Good heavens, hed been lying there, possibly hurt, and she hadnt even checked him for injuries.
His eyes opened, and he blinked at her.
She crouched beside him. Are you all right?
Is the demon gone? He struggled to sit up.
Yes, were safe now.
Och, good. He fell back and with a moan, rubbed his head.
Are you injured?
Head hurts, he mumbled. Keep getting knocked His eyes widened. That was you who blasted me into a damned tree earlier? When Zack was attacking you?
I tried to defend myself. You were caught in the wind?
Aye. He propped himself up on an elbow. How long was I out?
A . . . few minutes.
He glanced at himself, then jolted into a sitting position and jerked his kilt down to his knees. Damn. He shot a fierce look at her.
She jumped to her feet. II beg your pardon. Her cheeks grew warm. Pray, do not be troubled. It is truly a . . . small matter.
Small?
Yes. Of little consequence.
Little? He arched a brow. Do ye need another look?
For goodness sake, I was not referring to your size. The Lord knows youre definitely Her cheeks blazed hotter, and it didnt help that he appeared to be enjoying her discomfort. She turned away stiffly. In truth, I hardly noticed.
The minute the words escaped, she froze in shock. What was she doing? Never before in her entire existence had she uttered a falsehood.
Her gaze fell on the apple Darafer had tossed onto the grass. A reminder that the longer she stayed on Earth, the more human she would become. The more susceptible she would be to sin. As in hiding the truth. Telling lies.
Or feeling lust.
Good Lord! Shed never get back to heaven if she fell into sin.
Marielle? Connor asked softly, and his voice sent a shiver down her spine.
She dashed to the cabin and let herself inside. She paced around the large room, weaving a trail around the couch and through what appeared to be a kitchen and dining area. Around and around she went, and her heart kept pounding, thundering in her ears. This wasnt helping. She felt caged in. Shed always had wings before. Shed always had the ability to fly anywhere she wanted.
She had to get back to where she belonged. There had to be a way.
She stopped and brought her clenched hands up to her face. Dont panic. Think. Unfortunately, her thoughts seemed to bounce around, echoing in the empty cavern of her mind where she was used to hearing thousands of voices. Voices that sang praises and offered a constant stream of encouragement and comfort. They were all gone. She was so alone.
Dont panic. Darafer was counting on her panic and fear so he could lure her in. No doubt, he figured she would miss the company of angels so badly, shed be willing to join the fallen ones just to regain some sense of belonging. But the lure was false. There would be no comfort in hell.
There had to be a purpose to what she was enduring. The Heavenly Father was always big on learning through experience. He was forgiving, too. She just needed to find the right path, the right penance that would convince Him shed learned her lesson.
Maybe there was something she was supposed to do here on Earth. Some noble mission. And once shed proven herself worthy, shed be allowed back into heaven.
She resumed her pacing. That had to be it. She was simply being tested. The Father would never completely abandon her. She was not a fallen angel. No matter what Darafer said.