Gabriel followed me out of the tower, his long sword buried between his massive wings. If we survived the jungle trip and returned, I’d figure out a way to heal his broken wings.
The morning’s sky was dim and low, and the air chilly.
In the distance, residual fire still burned and trails of smoke drifted into the air.
The City of Nine was forever burning.
This planet attracted meteor showers like a wanton seductress attracted a lustful lover. The day would come when the whole planet went up in a vast, explosive flame.
We were racing against time before all that happened.
I trekked in the direction of the ominous jungle. Kaara and my army guarded the tower and watched me leave. No one had left me, and more wolves had come to strengthen our forces. They came for Kaara, their uncrowned new queen, who refused to desert me.
I hadn’t expected such loyalty. I’d never demanded it either.
Gabriel and I crossed the bridge amid the ruin at the edge of the city.
I was constantly aware of the Angel strolling beside me and this strange, scorching attraction between us. He positioned himself beside me in a way that if there was any threat toward me, he would explode into violence to remove it for me.
I was annoyed and at the same time pleased by his male protectiveness that bordered on possessiveness. I dragged my attention back to my rehearsed plan of finding the portal.
“Hey,” Gabriel called.
“Who’s Hey?” I hissed.
“It’s better than creature,” he said. “You called me winged creature and sometimes worse, if you don’t remember.”
I stiffened, my darkness twirling around us.
“Fiammetta, let’s put all the cards on the table once and for all. I know about your amnesia. I know Fiammetta isn’t your real name. You can’t remember your original home or your true name. But I’m here for you. I fell to this planet for you, because you’re my fated mate. I’ve come across light years over several universes and fallen into the past on Pandemonium for you.”
“What?”
That was ridiculous.
“Hear me out, Fia. I’m here to get you off of this planet. Tomorrow, you’ll forget me again, but I’ll be there for you. I’ll always be there for you, until one day you remember me and stay with me forever.”
I was shell-shocked. I thought of attacking him. I thought of eliminating him. And I thought of the symbol of black wings carrying the bridge of fire on my skin. According to my magical markings, Kaara had warned me that killing him would be to kill my own future.
While turmoil churned inside me, Gabriel kept talking to me. He told me about the Angel race. He told me how we’d met and what had happened between us in the days after his fall. And he told me of our white-hot passion in bed.
“Wherever you are, wherever you go, I’ll protect you with my life,” he vowed.
I had a feeling he had been fierce but hadn’t been this gentle with me before.
But pouring his heart out wasn’t going to change the fact that I was the Wickedest Witch. He would soon find that out and be very disappointed.
A scorpion always stung.
“Just do your job when I ask you to,” I said hotly.
He only grinned. “You’re a hard nut to crack, witch, but I’ve gotten used to all of your sides. Good and bad. I’ll take it all.”
I rolled my eyes. I had nothing to say to him.
“Fia,” he called.
He’d warmed me up to him. I gave him a look, but didn’t rebuke him for the endearment.
“Tell me about Akem,” he said.
There was no harm in revealing all of Akem’s dirty secrets. He’d turned on me anyway.
I told Gabriel to look for the signs. When Akem rose and roamed in his realm, the whole jungle would become deathly quiet. I also warned him to shield his mind against the entity. It had crept into mine twice, and I had nearly been drowned in his immense darkness that was more powerful and terrifying than mine.
“That’s how he learned you can’t store memories,” Gabriel growled in cold rage. “And he sold the information to the vampire. But why now?”
“We’ll know soon,” I said.
I had a hunch it was because of Gabriel.
Gabriel’s arrival had changed the dynamic in the playground.
During his short time stuck on Pandemonium, he’d already shaken things up. In the end, it was going to be a revolutionary shift.
“How long can we last in the jungle, if he comes to fight us in the flesh?” he asked, already planning a retreat strategy.
“This planet is his. We’re all aliens here. I can’t draw power from the land to compete against him. We might last for five minutes at the most.”
“That’s enough. I can carry you out of the jungle in less than two minutes. I’m faster than flying bullets, even on the ground.”
I gave his black wings a glance while he bragged.
“How are your wings?” I asked.
He smiled at me, as if my question warmed his whole being.
I must have been terrible to him before this day.
“Angels regenerate very fast, but not here. There’s something wrong with this fucking planet.”
“The wolves regenerate well here.”
“I might ask them how.”
“I doubt they’ll share.”
He gave me another grin. “They will if I ask.”
He still thought he was Mr. Universe.
We prowled through the ruin. Gabriel constantly brushed his arm against mine or found an excuse to put his hand on the small of my back to steer me. If the pleasure wasn’t so great at his every touch, I would have swatted at his hand and scolded him.
I was still the Wickedest Witch.
Sweetness wasn’t in my blood.
“Angels’ powers are universal. We don’t need a specific land or even our home planet to pull strength from. The sky and the space and the galaxies are all ours. Can you find a way to draw energy from mine? You should be able to, since I’m your mate.”
“I’m not sure of this mate thing you’re constantly bringing up,” I hissed. “You can’t just tell me I’m your mate and expect me to be your mate. What will I even get out of that? And right now, I don’t care about you coming light years away and crashing here. Everyone—criminals, exiles, ex-militants, punks, and monsters—all came from galaxies far away and crashed here. All I want is to find the portal and return to my own world.”
For revenge.
He raised an eyebrow. “Prickly again?”
I just couldn’t get through to him, could I?
I ground out, “And I don’t believe what you said about this fated mate thing!”
However, my instinct said Gabriel might be right, because not just my body was hot for him. My dark magic refused to harm him. It purred giddily when he was around.
When he touched me, I was on fire.
And I craved more.
“You will, Fiammetta, but I won’t push you. I’m an immortal. I have time and patience for both of us. I’ve waited eons for you. I can wait a little longer.”
There was no point in arguing with the infuriating Archangel.
And he had found a way with me.
We stopped at the edge of the jungle.
I released a pent-up breath. The noises inside the rainforest signaled relative safety. But once Gabriel went in, I could not predict what would come out of this joint exploration.
We might not survive.
I eyed him.
“From now on, you’ll never be alone,” he said, brushing a lock of my hair behind my ear.
I swallowed at the intimate gesture. I was surprised that it comforted me so, while tiny electric shocks sent shivers from my temple all the way down to my toes.
“We’ll face everything together, Fia. You have me now.”
I snickered.
Mere words didn’t get to the heart of the Wickedest Witch. Who did he think he was dealing with?
But my sneer was lost and drowned by ear-piercing shrieks.
Three Furies dove toward us, their red taloned wings spreading wide against the gloomy sky, and their vicious human eyes locked on us with one goal—to devour and destroy.
Gabriel drew his long angelblade and shoved me behind him, snarling at the Furies.
In an instant, the flirting, attentive Angel shifted to the most savage warrior. His whole body became steel hard, his muscles taut, his wings arched.
Angelic power rolled off him, rippling through the air.
His sword with ancient runes flashed with white killing light.
I was no damsel either.
Like it or not, we would enter the jungle.
“Defender,” I summoned, and my ice spear emerged in my hand from the mist, hissing with steaming ice. It had one purpose—to kill and to defend.
Instead of attacking us, the Furies shot up, skimmed over us, and flew toward the City of Nine.
Gabriel and I traded a bewildered look.
What was that about?
Were they going to attack the Witch Tower? My chest tightened. Kaara and my subjects were in the tower. I watched, ready to bolt back toward my realm, until I saw the Furies sail in the opposite direction.
Why were they acting this way?
How strange.
Gabriel shrugged, turned to me, and smiled. “They know better than to bother us. We Angels used to hunt dragons. I think the Furies are dragon shifters.”
“The Furies might take it as an offense.”
Gabriel grinned. “Who cares if their feelings are hurt, as long as I don’t hurt yours.”
If he hurt my feelings, I wouldn’t remember it anyway.
The Archangel held out his hand. “Are you ready to enter, my lady?”
I hesitated.
He waited.
He said he was an immortal, and he had time and patience for both of us.
But I had neither.
So I put my hand into his large, powerful one.
Together, we entered Akem’s jungle.
- Continue on -
Dark Vampire (The Wickedest Witch Book 2)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076DPN6CN
Coming in December 2017