The Forsaken(56)

“What would you have done? This is my burden. I will not leave them to the wild of mankind alone. I will not.”

She watched him struggle. He let go of her, running his hands over the top of his head. She longed to feel the short, bristly ends of his hair.

He looked at the bed and then back at her. Izzy felt her heart trip with fevered excitement and wonder. Why isn’t he bolting for the door?

“Are you sorry?” he asked.

For the first time, Izzy willingly got to her knees before him. Bowing her head low, she crossed her arms across her chest. Speaking angel speak, she said, “I am sorry for the pain I have caused you.”

He reached down and gently scooped her up into his embrace. “I would have done the same. You are a warrior and leader for your Cherub sisters. I willingly admit I wish there had been a less painful way, but I understand your motivation. And now it is my turn to apologize.”

“What?” she asked.

“I claimed you when I knew you were not ready, but my own fear that you would leave me forced my hand. I took your choice away…”

“I give it willingly.”

“Yes and no. We both know that. But come, let us make amends tonight. This is a blessed night and I plan to worship and love all of you until dust do us make.”

“How can you still claim to love me when I’ve forced you to give up the Seraphim Council seat? That’s the only reason you came after me.”

“It appears, Izzy that Seraphim can change.”

“But what about your father?”

A guarded look briefly crossed his face. “We were never close to begin with. I’m not saying what he had to do was easy, but that’s his role. He didn’t flinch when he severed your wings and he was as steady for me. I hope my training will help us with the new Kitas the Mistress gave us because we are going to have to be the ones to train your sisters. And honestly, I don’t need to sit on the Seraphim Council when my heart knows the path we have both been set upon is so important. You and me, working together, is something I would never have thought plausible a few short weeks ago but you, Izzy, you my b’i?, have changed me for the best.”

Izzy hated the tears she could not control. His words, flattery, warmed her heart more than the blessed ceremony they’d just undertaken. Gently, Nat touched her cheeks, wiping away each drop and tearing open her heart more with longing and that wouldn’t do.

Looking up at him, she sighed. “You’re going to hate me more.”

“Never say that, Izzy. I could never hate you. You are mine.”

“What if I confessed that I’m not ready for all of this? I know I’m asking a lot of you, but I’d like us to go slow. Let’s date.”

One of Nat’s eyebrows quirked up and damn if Izzy didn’t like how cute it made him look.

“I take it this is another human thing,” said Nat, not sounding as angry as Izzy feared.

Nodding, Izzy rambled on about what dating meant to humans and how it worked. “Let’s get to know each other more and then when it’s right we can…you know,” she said, a blush staining her cheeks.

Nat scooped her up onto his lap. She clutched at the lapels of her robe, causing him to grin.

“For you only, my b’i?, I will do this. This journey we are embarking upon will test us both but I know you are a brave warrior. I must say I find the idea of this dating thing intriguing. Just how long do you think we will undertake this?”

Izzy snuggled closer to him. His scent, leather and cinnamon, enveloped her senses, and Isabella wondered if she’d have a harder time with just dating than him. Still, though it was what she wanted. They might be married and bonded together, but that didn’t mean they knew each other. It didn’t mean they should rush the knowing, either. “I don’t have a definite idea of time, but let’s try a year.”

He laughed, hugging her tight. “Six months. We will do this your way and then I plan to kiss my demands all over your skin and there will be no saying no. Understood?”

Demanding as ever. Izzy hadn’t expected him to acquiesce so easily, so she simply smiled and nodded. In six months, they could try round two of this discussion and see where things went.

Izzy gave into the urge to kiss his neck and loved how he shuddered. She did so very much like to tease him. “I have been thinking of the Mistress’s words and the vision the Dark Angel gave me. We will need more than the nine of us. We need to recruit the Earth-born angels.”

Nathanael looked aghast. “Isabella, you cannot be serious. The Seraphim safe house is filled with Earth-born Seraphim, and trust me, the only thing they can wield is a pen.”

“I know. It is much the same for the Earth-born Cherubs. They are more concerned with makeup, fashion, and fast cars. And—stop grinning. This is serious stuff.”

“How on this Earth can I not grin? You have fought me the entire way but we are finally united.”

“Easily diverted from the task at hand.”

His hand reached out to play with her hair. “Or easily swayed to attend to more important matters.”

“Nathanael, I’m serious—we need more angel warriors if we hope to stop Lucifer’s invading army.”

“Meredith might be able to help us with that. She can see the future and—”

“What are you saying?” asked Izzy, her body going rigid.