I went to my elbows on either side of her head and allowed my eyes to drop to where her palm rested against my skin.Red. Blemished. Almost like a healing bruise.
I frowned at it, searching for a memory, anything to explain this strange sensation.I’m in Heaven without wings, and there’s a wound healing on my chest.
An impossible occurrence.
Thereby making this an even more plausible dream.
However, something about Kayla seemed too real to be a fantasy. Unless I’d truly lost my mind. Not a stretch of a conclusion, considering the state of my soul.
“His memories will be the last to heal,” a feminine voice informed us.
Raphaela.
A subtle whistle of air followed, suggesting the Angel of Healing had just arrived from one of the many balconies surrounding my room.
“He still needs more blood, too,” she added. “And several days of bonding to help regenerate his wings.”
I tensed on top of Kayla as Raphaela’s pale white feathers fluttered in my peripheral vision. We were vulnerable and naked, something that left me uneasy. Kayla must have felt similarly because her fingertips dug into my scalp, holding me above her.
Rather than roll off of my mate, I kept myself balanced on my elbows and slowly tilted my head toward Raphaela to meet her intelligent gaze.
She stood with her hands clasped before her, wearing a dress that matched her pristine plumes. She resembled a goddess more than an angel, but that was typical of her line. Her golden hair almost reminded me of a halo, too.
“Raphaela,” I greeted. This was starting to feel real now. But also not.What the fuck am I doing here?
She started to smile, only for another gust of wind to interrupt her as someone else entered via one of the balconies.
Apparently, calling ahead to request a meeting was no longer common practice in Heaven.
“Well. At least you’re awake,” a deep voice muttered, causing me to tense even more above Kayla.
Mietek.
Fortunately, I had a blanket around my waist. But if I moved, Kayla would be exposed from the belly up, and I was not about to allow anyone to see my mate unclothed—particularly as this was my first time seeing her naked. Outside of a dream, anyway.
No wonder this is different. It’s real.
“You need to use her to heal, Ezra. No more dancing around this bond. Fuck her. Bite her. Do whatever you need to fix this. We need your wings and your sense of purpose.”
“Mietek,” Raphaela admonished.
“He nearly fucking died, Rafa,” he retorted. “He needs to hear this.”
Kayla said nothing beneath me, her fingers still locked in my hair. I gazed down at her, confused as hell by everything going on around me. “How did we end up here?”Where did you even come from? Why can’t I remember anything? What’s making me so dizzy?
I only voiced the first question out loud, but the others all traversed my thoughts, each one meant for my mate.
However, Raphaela chose to answer. “Your mate embraced the bond between you, lent you her energy and power, and you ascended with her in your arms. Or, it’s possible Kayla did that. It’s unclear, but you arrived, and I was waiting for you here with Fate.”
Of course. The Archangel of Destiny would have seen us coming, and she would have known that I needed assistance.
My death would cause a final rift in the balance, putting everything in jeopardy.
Already, I could feel the equilibrium shift as though something big had happened.
“Did you stab me?” I asked, looking down at Kayla. It wasn’t an accusation, more of a curious statement.
Kayla’s here. Beneath me. Naked. How?
