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The wind is soft, caressing my exposed skin with a gentle, welcoming touch. The light of the moon feels warm, which is impossible, but it greets me like an old friend. Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back and let myself feel nature around me. I breathe in the scents of freshly cut grass and night blooming flowers and listen to the sounds of leaves rustling and small animals scurrying around us.
The garden is small and surrounded by buildings on all sides, but just being out here is making me feel lighter, taking a weight from my shoulders.
I can feel his gaze on me, but I continue to take it all in, my eyes closed and my mind no longer confined. Finally feeling more like myself, I take a deep breath and open my eyes, then I turn to Gabriel and smile softly.
“Thank you, you were right, I do feel better. I was going a little stir crazy in there.”
“That wasn’t it.” He grins and opens his arms wide, his wings flaring behind him in a brilliant display. “Want to see the city from above?”
I can’t have heard him right, because for one crazy second, I thought he was offering to take me flying with him. A single, slightly hysterical chuckle escapes me, dying when I realise I did hear him right and he’s completely serious.
“You want me to…” I gesture limply towards his wings, already shaking my head. “I’ve been warned away from you. What if you drop me?”
Jerking back a little, he looks offended that I would even suggest this. “I have never dropped a female before, and I do not intend to start now.”
I mimic his posture, folding my arms over my chest. “Oh,” I coo, feeling slightly agitated by his comment. “Have you taken many females for midnight flights then?”
For some reason, this seems to please him, and he flashes me a flirty smile. “Only one or two.” Closing the distance between us, he lowers his voice as he looks down at me. “None as precious as you though. I would never drop you.” Reaching out, he cups my jaw and gently lifts it so I’m looking up at the sky. “A flight always makes me feel better, and from above, seeing everything so small helps put things into perspective.”
I won’t deny that I love the idea of getting out of here, seeing everything from above and being among the stars, but there is a lot at stake here. Is he even allowed to fly out of here? Most of us are on house arrest, so we’re unable to leave without an escort.
“How are you allowed to leave anyway? I was given strict instructions not to—”
Pressing a finger to my lips, he cuts me off before lifting his left ankle, exposing a small black tracker. “Creatures like me have to fly to keep our wings healthy. I’m allowed one flight a day, and if I don’t come back, they will just track me down and lock me up properly—no freedom, no flying. It’s an easy choice.” Pausing, he looks at me with those big, intense eyes. “Come with me for a flight?”
I’m desperate to get out, and the idea of being above it all sounds like a pretty spectacular way to recharge. Tomorrow is going to be stressful, so this might help me unwind. I just have to hope it doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass. Gnawing on my lip, I curse as I cut myself with my fangs, still not used to having them there. I wipe my face, realising that I probably look like an idiot, and come to a decision.
“You promise not to drop me?”
I expect him to make a teasing comment, but his expression becomes serious, and he presses a hand to his chest. “On my life, little one.”
Nodding, I take a deep breath and step into his open arms. A small shriek escapes me as he scoops me up and cradles me against him, but before I can protest, he bends his knees, his wings stretching out behind him, then we launch into the sky.
I don’t even have time to be nervous, and I certainly can’t scream as my breath is stolen from me. His strong, powerful wings beat behind him, taking us higher and higher, the wind whistling past us as we shoot up like a rocket. We begin to slow, and he pulls his wings in, sending us into a gentle spin. When we reach the point where gravity catches up with us and our momentum stops, we seem to hover for a moment, utter silence greeting me. Before we can begin to drop, Gabriel flares his wings out once more and flies above the centre, floating on the thermals, only occasionally flapping his wings to keep us aloft. Now that we are gliding, it’s much quieter, like the noise of the world has been left behind.
It’s… peaceful, so wonderfully peaceful. I can finally hear myself think without pressures and expectations weighing on me. Up here, I can simply be me.
“Do you want to see more of the city?” he whispers, so close that his breath tickles the shell of my ear.
I nod eagerly. I don’t trust my voice, but he seems to know what I want. It’s exhilarating. Adrenaline courses through me, yet I’m not scared at all. In his arms, I feel safe, completely enraptured by the sights he shows me as he flies over the city. From up here, the lights from cars and buildings flicker like stars. Everything looks so small.
We explore for what feels like hours, not a single word said between the two of us. I’m grateful for the quiet, allowing my mind to just switch off for a bit. The moon is lower in the sky now, and I know we will have to go back soon. Twisting my head to look up at Gabriel, I examine him, taking in his gorgeous face with a sharp, model-like jaw and chiselled cheekbones.
“This might seem rude, but all of this is new to me,” I begin. “What are you?”
He chuckles, the vibrations going through my chest. “No one is quite sure, little one. I never knew my parents, but I seem to have a mix of several races within me, and my shadow gifts are something different entirely.” Shrugging, he glances down at me for a second as though wanting to take in my reaction. “The closest we can work out is most likely nephilim or a lesser demon, crossed with one of the shifters perhaps. There are races that look a little like me in Asia, but I’ve never had the opportunity to travel there.”
I nod along as though everything he says makes sense, but my mind sticks on one word in particular. “Nephilim,” I choke out. “As in an angel?”
He might have wings, but that’s where the similarities end when comparing him to an angel. The idea makes me want to laugh, only I don’t want to offend him, so I stay silent instead, waiting for him to reply.
“Nephilim are the children of fallen angels and humans. There is nothing angelic about me.” He grins devilishly.
It causes a reaction inside me that I’m sure a female with a mate shouldn’t feel about another male. Clearing my throat, I look for another topic, an explanation as to why I feel this way.
“I never knew my parents either. They died shortly after I was born.” Looking out over the city, I feel the familiar ache I get whenever I think of my parents. I don’t miss them, since I was only a few days old when they died, but I mourn the idea of a family who loved me. “Perhaps that’s why I feel so drawn to you,” I muse, only I don’t mean to say this out loud.
His smile twists into one of scepticism. “I think you know exactly why we feel drawn to each other, little one. You just do not want to admit it.”
