Page 58 of To Crave Deeply
It was a pathetic excuse, and I could tell he knew I was talking horseshit. No woman is ever just fine.
There was a flash of something in his eyes as I pulled my hand away, but it was only there for a second and I couldn’t quite decipher what it meant. Anger. Hurt. Betrayal. Whatever it was, it made him lean back in his chair and further away from me. He brushed it off with a small shrug and his winning smile.
“So, what happens next? I am not sure my father will be pleased I have bound myself to the Under Realm. Will I be able to leave?”
I frowned. “I believe so. It’s only your life force that is bound, not your body. You should be able to move freely as you had before.” At least I hoped that was right. I didn’t fancy moving to Hell any time soon.
He rolled up his sleeves and bared the marks that were carved in a long line from wrist to elbow. “And these? Will I have these forever?”
The runes were now a bright, brilliant white, and marked his forearm like a tattoo. I had the same running along my arm except mine were black. We were the light and dark forces now keeping the wards of Hell stable. This magic was permanent and powerful. I could feel the hum of it as I traced my fingers over ancient symbols.
“You will have them for as long as you are bound by them.” I looked into his emerald orbs and suddenly worried he regretted the whole thing. We were not only bound to Hell, but to each other. We were both responsible for keeping the wards alive, and as such, if one of us died, we’d feel it.
This wasn’t like Lori’s bond with Lucifer. I wouldn’t die if Michael did. That was really old magic, like from the dawn of time magic. I’d only ever heard of soulbonds in old fairy tales and myths. I didn’t even think that kind of magic existed anymore, and I knew that only the original witch had probably practised enough magic to even begin to understand the ritual of the soulbond. She was Lori’s best bet at getting it fixed. I knew the Devil created Selene, and I knew that he could perform magic. But there was a difference in creating magic and performing magic. I bet Selene’s skills out matched the Devil’s by absolute miles.
“I don’t regret it.”
Michael’s deep rumble of a voice pulled me from my inner thoughts, and I found him watching me with curiosity, his head cocked to one side and one elegant finger resting on his beautiful mouth. No mouth should be that perfect. It was made for kissing, the lips so plump and full; it should look out of place on a man, but on Michael, it was perfect. If his mouth was perfect, what would his tongue be like?
“What?” I spluttered. Classy, Rae. Real classy.
The corner of his mouth curled in a small smile as if he knew the direction of my traitorous thoughts.
“I said I don’t regret tying myself to the wards of Hell. I could tell you were thinking about that.”
“How?”
He leant forward and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I can read minds.”
Oh God, had he seen what I was thinking? I could feel a flush all the way to the roots of my hair.
He let out a chuckle and my stomach dropped. The brute was making fun of me.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist,” he laughed.
I threw a pillow at him, and his laughter turned from a chuckle to a full-blown belly laugh and it was one of the most beautiful sounds. It was glorious, like a chorus of angels, rich and deep and full of soul.
“That wasn’t very angelic,” I chided with a smile.
“Forgive me,” he said, his eyes bright with merriment.
“Can you actually read minds?”
He threw the pillow back on the bed and his face turned serious again. “No, not exactly, but angels have an empathic gift to enable us to read a person’s soul, and thereby offer better spiritual guidance.”
“You can tell what I’m feeling?”
“Yes,” he replied and was it me, or was that response a little husky?
“And what am I feeling now?”Bad Rae. Why would I ask that?
He swallowed and I watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. “Fear. Worry. A little bit of pride. Excitement and…” His words trailed off and his tongue darted between his lips to moisten them. He swallowed again, clearly nervous. It was hot watching him squirm. His eyes darkened as they pinned me with a stare that had my heart racing. I suddenly wanted to know if he was one of those celibate angels or if he’d take a walk on the wild side with me.
But this was Michael. The great and mighty archangel Michael. There was no way he’d fall into sin with me. But oh, how tempting it was to corrupt him.
“Excitement and…” I probed. I wanted to hear him say it. I’d say I was going to Hell, but fuck it, I was already here.
His hands clenched and unclenched as he watched me, clearly fighting with giving in, and I almost felt guilty.
