The Forsaken(45)

It was Izzy’s turn to balk. “You do?”

“Yes, of course. For the past decade, the Dark Angel has been trying to send spies through the heavenly gates.”

“Oh,” said Izzy, sitting down on the bed. “Guess I wouldn’t know that because I’ve been stuck here. He told me his name was Ash.”

Nat scoffed. “That isn’t his real name. No demon tells their real name—to know a demon’s real name is to hold power over them. What did he want, Isabella?”

Izzy tried to ignore how the sound of her name rolling off Nathanael’s tongue made her feel. She wanted to command him to sit, but he probably would ignore her. His nervous energy vibrated like a flaming candlewick through him. She wondered for a moment what Nathanael would look like if he had his wings. Wait a sec—he’ll get his wings back now because he claimed me. The thought that she’d been played and used for his purpose rushed into her, fueling her need to maintain distance between them.

“What did he want?” repeated Nat, standing directly in front of her.

Izzy closed her eyes searching for a way to describe what the demon had shown her.

Opening her eyes, she said, “He showed me Lucifer’s army. It’s huge. I saw thousands and thousands of demons, more than enough to storm the heavenly gates. That’s what Lucifer plans to do. He’s been luring humans, transforming them until they are full-fledged demons. I have never seen such a large army.”

Nat knelt beside her bed and ran worried hands on his dirty jeans. “Why? Why would he show you?”

It was the question Izzy had asked herself a dozen times. Why warn her? “I told him I’d tell the Almighty, but you know I can’t. I’m the Forsaken One. Even the Mistress will not listen to my prayers.”

“Before we tell anyone, we need to know why. I do not trust the Dark Angel. Maybe this is all a trick.”

Izzy sighed. “It didn’t look like a lie. And, Nathanael, he is the one who took Shea’s soul, citing the ends justify the means.”

For a second Nat looked stunned. She too knew how that felt. When he did speak it pleased her.

“We will find out what trick he plays and then we will avenge her.”

Izzy smiled. She wondered if he knew he’d said “we” not “I.” Nathanael took her hands in his and then knelt beside her on the bed.

“I will leave you now and purify my soul to speak with the Mistress. I will ask her to witness our joining to perform the sacred ceremony now. We will not wait for another decade.”

“Waiting might be good,” said Izzy, softly.

Nat shook his head. “I do not want to wait. You are my heavenly wife. I want our union more than ever.”

He blushed and for a moment, he looked young and innocent. That warmed Izzy’s heart. Her mind told her there was so much more to their joining for him than her, so once again she worked on rectifying a wall around her Cherub heart that yearned for her to yield.

So you can get on the Seraphim Council. That was on the tip of Izzy’s tongue, but she refrained from saying what she truly thought.

He gently stroked her cheek. “Do not worry. We were meant to be together as the Mistress decreed. It’s what I want.”

“But is it what I want?” Izzy hated the hurt look that flew across his face.

“I ask that you give us a chance, Izzy. We can make it work.”

Izzy sighed. “Tell her what the demon said.” She desperately wanted to change the topic.

“The truth of the words can only come from you, Isabella. We must wait for the Mistress to honor us with her presence.”

“You have got to be kidding. She will not see me. I have prayed to her—”

“Let me speak to her first and then we will pray together for her. She must see us.”

Izzy clamped her mouth shut. His blind faith unnerved her. At one time she possessed that. No more.

“This might take a while but never fear I have left you. I will remain in prayer until I hear from her.”

That could be for eternity. Izzy withdrew her hands. “Fine. Go. Do this your way.” I will do it mine.

With reluctance Nat got up. That pleased Izzy’s beating heart. Having him kneel in front of her like he wanted to worship her made her skin itch for the feel of him. She’d have to learn to dampen down that effect of their heavenly union.

“Wait for me,” he commanded, striding out the door looking like a warrior.

Nathanael didn’t bother, once again, to wait for her reply. Seraphim born and raised, he could not change what he was. Too bad she had changed.

*

Shea awoke in a jolt. The feeling of being watched crawled along her skin. She clutched the duvet tight and forced herself not to scream. She knew he, the demon who had haunted her dreams but who had been blessedly silent for the past week was back. When he acknowledged her awareness, Shea sucked in her breath. With the one blessed healing candle casting its yellow glow, she noticed as he calmly moved toward her that his wings were a deep shade of purple—almost black but not quite. In the alley, they’d looked black like the night, but now the iridescent shades shimmered when he moved.

“I am surprised you are not screaming.”

That voice of his, slick, commanding, and sounding so proud did lots of things to her she did not want to think about. Dared not to acknowledge. “Why are you here?”