You’ll be safe, Razael had told her.

But he couldn’t guarantee Eden any such thing.

“We should strike Elyon now,” he said to Zuriel. They were gathered in the throne room with her top angelings. He had dispensed Laylah to provide Eden with food and anything else she might need.

“I’m not eager to get cut in half again.” Zuriel glowered at him.

“I told you—Evangeline has agreed to help.”

Zuriel’s gaze sharpened. “And what exactly was the nature of that agreement?”

“It doesn’t matter.” He had no interest in sharing that knowledge, especially not before an audience of angelings. He would owe Evangeline some kind of sex party after the banishment, but his Sins hardly needed to be public knowledge.

A pop in the air announced Laylah’s return.

Razael narrowed his eyes. “Has Eden been provided with food?”

“And new attire. At her request.” She gave Razael a pointed look, which he was determined to ignore, but his soul cringed. She didn’t like it. The diaphanous gown had displeased her enough to discard it as soon as possible. He prayed he hadn’t further distressed her with his selfish adoration. When he said wasn’t worthy of the likes of her, it had been Truth.

“Very well,” he said briskly, moving on. He faced Zuriel. “We should attack as quickly as possible. His strike against us was intended to destroy Eden and recapture Ren. Given his failure, he’ll likely try again as soon as he can assemble the forces to do so.”

Zuriel arched her eyebrow. “The dark angels who have pledged their angelings to him?’

Razael nodded. “I’m sure he will try to convince them, but they may balk at chasing after his spawn. If they’re unwilling, he will likely try without them, perhaps via some trickery.”

“He may believe Eden and the child are dead,” Zuriel said.

“Perhaps,” Razael said, but he didn’t believe it. “For a while—as long as my blessings bathe the child’s signature in my magic.”

“But those will fade.” Zuriel’s eyes narrowed. “Unless you intend to keep attending to her in your chambers.”

Twin surges of Lust and Wrath welled up—Razael had been battling his Lust non-stop since Eden awoke, but the Wrath was unexpected. The implication he was keeping Eden alive for his own sexual needs enraged him—perhaps because he feared all too much that his motives might not be pure, even as he struggled to make them so.

“Even with the blessings as a mask,” Razael said, keeping his voice even, “Elyon will eventually sense the child’s presence. That it still lives. And he will come for Eden again when we are least prepared. Which is why, as soon as she has eaten, and I’m satisfied she’s sufficiently recovered, I will remove her and Ren and the babies from my Regiment.”

Surprise lifted Zuriel’s expression.

Laylah seemed less surprised than intrigued. “Where will you take them, my lord?”

“To the one place we might reasonably keep them safe.” The plan had come together in his mind as he sat in his chambers, indulging in that hand-holding and blessing-giving and heart-baring talk with Eden. She had mesmerized and enthralled him. Not just her physical beauty or the shining of her Virtues, but the chance to simply… speak with her. He’d told her of Elizabeth, something he’d not done since divulging the shame of his Fall to his daughter, Erelah. And that was only so she may know where she came from. For Eden… there was no excuse for burdening her with such knowledge.

Laylah and Zuriel were waiting for more.

“We need to contact the dragons,” he said, finally. “The ancient magic of their wards kept Elyon out the last time, when he was set on destroying my daughter and her child. At least, the wards held against his power for a while. And where he might break the ward in time, he will be unable to take us by surprise. What’s more, we might use it to lay a trap for him, given he will be drawn there at some point.”

Zuriel’s expression was the kind which accompanied a bitter taste in her mouth. “Dragons?”

“My daughter is mated with one of them,” he said brusquely. He knew angelkind—especially the shadow realm—rarely kept up with events affecting the lesser immortals. They wore their Pride in being superior creatures amongst their many Sins. “Surely you felt the renewal of the treaty protecting humans from the fae.”

“Not that I terribly noticed.” Zuriel sniffed. “But your human pet should be pleased to leave. Before Elyon’s attack, she was entreating me to whisk her away from the stifling confines of your Regiment.” She cocked an eyebrow.

“She was simply unaware of the dangers.” But Zuriel’s words cut through him.

“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem now.” She was regarding him coolly.

Did she think Eden would attempt escape? Was he still, in fact, holding her prisoner? These thoughts suddenly seized him.

“Will you stay with Eden in the dragon’s keep?” Laylah asked with far too much curiosity. She had warned Razael away from visiting Eden before; now she seemed eager to see them together. Or perhaps just luridly intrigued. He had spent hours personally attending Eden. Zuriel seemed to believe he was compromised in this, if not outright slaking his Lust by keeping Eden prisoner. Just like Elyon. He repressed the surge of shame that caused.

Did Laylah believe this too?

“I will accompany her there,” he said, keeping his voice even to not show his growing torment with all their assumptions. To Zuriel, he added, “But then we will need to discuss the ancient spells we will use to trap him. Once the humans are secure, we should join Evangeline and Jael as quickly as possible to make arrangements.”

Zuriel nodded. “I’ll occupy myself as I await your summons.” At his skeptical look, she rolled her eyes and added. “Without the distraction of your delicious angelings. I am capable of keeping my hands to myself, Razael.” She lifted an eyebrow. “I would worry about yourself.” Then she twisted and disappeared from his throne room. The small cohort of her angelings quickly left with her.

Only Laylah remained.

“Be my emissary to the dragons,” he said to her, quickly. “I need to return to Eden. She is still fragile, and when I made to leave, she became… concerned. The trauma has not yet left her.”

“Understandable.” But Laylah’s expression betrayed that she read more into than he meant. She waited.

“Yes?” Razael asked, his irritation returning. Even more irritating was his impatience to return to Eden—it was like an itch against his skin.

“Do you have Love of her, my lord?” Her eyes were wide and… hopeful.

“You need to stop calculating my Redemption,” he scolded, too harshly.

“I only wish for…” But she didn’t finish that, just dropped her gaze.

“Do not wish for it.” But this was the angeling who had sacrificed herself to bring him news that Elyon had come after Eden. And Razael did have Love of her, something that was plain in his soul for those who could see. Zuriel must have seen it. Fortunately for him, angelings were not blessed with that level of sight. But Laylah had to have seen the full power of the blessings he had bestowed upon Eden. And it was easy to discern his attentions as being… unusual. Especially for him. He softened his voice. “I do have Love of her, Laylah. And not the kind of ordinary love angelkind has for humanity.”

Laylah’s eyes were round, and she was rapt in her listening.

“But my love for her must remain pure,” he said with a pained smile. “I cannot risk the very Lust that caused my Fall to interfere with our plans to entrap Elyon. Much less endanger her and her child. I may be in shadow, but I have a few Virtues I still call my own.”

Laylah looked at him with the awe his angelings of Light used to have—back when he deserved it, and they sought his counsel. “Your strongest Virtue isn’t Chastity, my lord. It is Kindness.”

He smiled. “Well, it certainly isn’t Wisdom.”

She seemed confused and slightly alarmed by that.

“Do not dream of my Redemption, my brave angeling. Think of your own. And go to the dragons so that we may have a safe harbor for our humans while we work to ensure all shadowlings have a chance to seek their own Redemption in the good grace of time.”

“Yes, my lord.” The fire in her eyes spoke of determination as she twisted away from his throne room.

He sighed and took a moment to collect himself. He wished to rush back into Eden’s presence, but as fragile as he believed her to be, she had endured far more than he wanted to imagine… and survived. Right until Elyon literally ripped the life from her. Whereas Razael struggled to merely contain the most basic of Sins—his rampant Lust—in her presence. He was truly unworthy of her. And even if he controlled his Lust well enough to… to partake of the sweetness that loving Eden would be… he couldn’t allow it. He’d made this vile pact with Evangeline to gain her cooperation. It would be one thing to break his vow of Chastity with Eden—it was dangerous to even envision it, the allure was so powerfully strong—but it was an entirely different thing to do that and then tarnish himself with Evangeline’s depravity. For she had vowed to break him with Sin, and he was sure she wouldn’t stop until she succeeded. He simply could not allow that to wound Eden in any way.

So he would return to her, beseech her to stay with the dragons for safekeeping, and keep his hands and his thoughts to himself. If she required more blessings to speed her healing, he would administer them with the utmost respect and detachment, as any righteous angel would.

At least… he would try.

His steadfastness lasted as long as it took him to travel back to his chambers.

Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she sat up on the bed he had conjured. The angel-breath nightgown had been replaced by slim black pants, and a billowing white blouse that looked like a cloud had come to rest on the feminine curves of her breasts and her belly. He’d only be gone for an hour, and then only in the next room over—his throne room was adjacent to his chambers—and yet his human form reacted to the sight of her like he was gasping for air and she was a fresh breeze. He literally ached. How in the name of magic would he resist her given any amount of time together?

“Have you eaten?” he asked, his voice a whisper. Plates heaped with fruits and pastries stood on a table next to the bed. He couldn’t tell if she’d partaken, there were so many.

“I’ve eaten so much I’m going to burst!”

Which alarmed him, but she patted her belly and seemed pleased. He was keeping his distance, but she slipped off the bed and padded across the floor in her bare feet. He was now on constant vigilance with his cock—he would not have it rise even though his body’s response to her nearness was a riot of arousal.

“That is good,” he mumbled.

She was staring up at him with wide blue eyes, and it was destroying his ability to think. Her long blonde hair fell across her shoulders and down her back. The rosy pinkness in her cheeks said her physical health was returning. And the expectant look she was giving him—wide eyes, parted lips, her tongue darting out to wet them—was almost as alluring as the shining Virtues beaming from her.

“Have you come back to give me another blessing?” she asked. Eager. She was eager for it. Holy magic, he would lose the battle with his cock if she continued with that.

“Do you have need of it?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

Her eyes went a little wider, then a frown crashed through the eagerness. “No. I’m fine.” She stepped back as if turning to go, but then stopped. “I think.” Her hand rested on her belly. “Is the baby all right? I haven’t felt it move since…”

Since it was torn from her.

Razael dropped his gaze to her belly, but the child within shone bright. “Your child is wondrous.” He met her gaze. “Just as its mother.”

She was affected by his words. A flush in her cheeks. A ducking of her head.

Oh, his folly. He would seduce her without even trying. But her response warmed his heart in a way he didn’t expect—she no longer feared him. Even with all that Elyon had done, she was still strong enough to love. Perhaps his blessings had helped—an angel’s blessing restored not just the body but the soul—but even in the short time since he’d left her, the dark chasm in her soul had closed a little more.

She was healing herself.

Seeing that, a joy sprung up in his soul that he couldn’t be ashamed of.

He stepped closer to her. “If you are ever in need of a blessing, you only need ask,” he said with a small smile. Then he made his expression fall serious. “But you are not truly safe here, Eden. You or the baby. If you are feeling well enough, I wish to bring you to a place where Elyon may not strike with impunity. There, the magical wards will protect you. They will not hold indefinitely, but they will prevent him from taking us by surprise again.”

Her eyes were wide, and she was soaking up his words. “Okay. Where are we going?” Her simple faith was pulling him in.

“To see my daughter.”

Then her face lit up in a way that nearly broke him. “I’d like that,” she said with a growing smile.

Angels in heaven, help him… “But first,” he said, roughly, “let me give you a blessing to strengthen you for the journey.” Because he was a fool.

“Okay.” She beamed at him, easing closer, expectant.

His better judgment triumphed—rather than pulling her immediately to him, he gestured for her to sit on the bed. Once there, he turned her to face away from him, which she obediently did, only casting a brief look at him behind her. He laid one hand on her shoulder, immediately infusing her with his angel energy and keeping the other hand like a stone pressing down on his cock. It was the only way he could trust himself not to give himself away.

She gasped as the flood of energy filled her, and that sound…

He prayed Laylah would return from the dragons after he was finished blessing Eden.

And after he’d had time alone with his cock.