The Forsaken(28)

With a finger, Gareth titled her quivering chin, forcing her to look at him.

“This is all new to me, Meredith. All of it. You, Izzy, the rest of your sisters. I always knew you were all special, but Izzy never even hinted at this.”

“She never would, but you needed to know.”

“Will she be mad at you for telling?”

“Probably, but she’ll understand. My one concern is for her though. She must get through this night. Without her, we are lost.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Will you join me in prayer?” asked Meredith.

He squirmed on her bed. “Ah, yeah, I’m not really good at that.”

“There is no right or wrong way, Gareth. You just need to pray for Izzy to get better and I know in your heart you’re pure.”

“Meredith, that’s not true. You don’t really know me, but I’d really like to change that. Let’s start slow. I’m a fast learner but what you’re asking me to fully believe in isn’t going to be easy for me, especially because I’ve seen evil.”

In a blink, she willed her wings away.

“Now, that’s a nice trick. How do you do that?”

Moving her hair off her shoulder, Meredith said, “I can make them appear at will. Mine were never cut off.”

“What?”

“Oh, sorry, guess you don’t know that about Izzy. She volunteered, not that she had much choice, but she allowed them to shear off her wings so we could keep ours.”

“Meredith,” he cautioned, “if this is your version of good, I think I’ll stick with my version of bad.”

A soft chuckle flew from her, the sound startling her. She’d thought to comfort him but tonight the tables were reversed.

“I could truly show you all that is good about us.”

“Of that I have no doubt,” he said.

She grinned more as he gently but firmly took her hand in his to join in prayer.

*

Nat woke up, realizing he’d slept soundly for the first time since landing on Earth. Sunlight, the blessed path of light, streamed through the slightly parted drapes covering the small window. A feminine leg draped over his thigh, and a head with a mass of yellow hair, breathtakingly beautiful like the warmth of the sun blessing them with the dawn of a new day, covered his chest. Tucked under all that glorious mane was Isabella. Her skin against his was hot. He felt the quick rise of her chest and the bunched up material from her shift as it rode up past her thighs. The leg strewn across his was smooth and it took a lot of willpower for Nat to resist touching it. Isabella burrowed her head further under the crook of his arm. She had made it through the night. That is a good sign.

Taking the opportunity he’d been granted, Nat carefully edged his body closer to hers, while gently removing her tempting leg from his thigh. All the while, he inhaled her unique Cherub scent. She smelled a little like the flowery incense that had been burning all night and a lot like a sexy angel.

Rolling her onto her back, he carefully moved the duvet cover down, exposing more of her flesh. A crisscross of scars marred her body, along with the intricate Rashi script that covered much of her thighs, but she no longer bled. Her heart was back to beating a normal rhythm.

“Have your fill of me or do you require me to bare it all for your pleasure, Sere?”

Isabella’s voice, filled with sarcasm, felt like fresh rainwater. A blessed thing to hear. Leaning back on one elbow, Nat smiled. “I was making sure you lived.”

“I would have thought my breathing would have been a dead giveaway.”

Nat laughed. “You constantly amaze me. I am more than satisfied you are alive, but what you went through last night was not a laughing matter.”

“Who said I was laughing?”

“It’s in your voice,” said Nat, watching the play of emotions she tried hard to guard. “What you did last night almost got you killed.”

Isabella rolled her eyes. “Sadly, it appears I’m still alive.”

Nat grimaced, watching her attempt to move, noting instantly the pain that flew across her face. “Don’t move. Let me get your some water.” He untucked the covers from his body and turned toward her bathroom, glad once again he’d slept fully clothed.

“Thank you,” she said meekly.

Taking a few minutes to use the washroom, he washed his face with her rose scented soap. Before leaving her bathroom, he filled up a glass he’d brought in with him to ensure she had fresh water.

“By the blessed path of light, I told you not to move. In case you didn’t get what I meant, that certainly meant do not move from the bed.”

She swatted him away, sweat beaded on her forehead as she attempted to stand straight. “In case you haven’t noticed, Sere, I’m barely covered.”

Nat chuckled. “In case you didn’t notice, Isabella, I was in your bed. I’ve been here all night. Modesty between us can happen later. I am assisting you because you are being stubborn. Beautiful, but stubborn.”

She tsked. “Flattery will get you nowhere with me, but I will admit to being occasionally stubborn.”

Nat scooped her up, inciting a small squeak of alarm from her. “Do you think me about to drop you? Come, Isabella, you weigh next to nothing. And you are wrong. You are always stubborn and I am a novice when it comes to flattery. Training to be a Sera has not given me the opportunity to learn how best to behave around females.”