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“Come back to me,” he whispered in my ear. His fingers worked their way into my hair. “Please.”
A shiver of pleasure ran down the back of my neck. I wanted him. That had never been in question. Still, my mind rebelled against the way his body pressed against mine. I hadn’t quite forgiven him for grounding me. He had agreed with my father and ignored my needs. That wasn’t the sort of thing a partner should do.
But my heart overruled me as I gazed into his eyes. We needed this. I needed this.
His lips met mine, soft at first. Lightning coursed through my veins and settled in my stomach like live coals. My hands swept over his shoulders and settled on the back of his neck. His hair brushed against my fingers, soft and damp from the rain. I leaned in closer to him, my mouth hungry for more. The smell of the forest filled my nose. Soft earth and wet pine needles. He always smelled like that after a patrol.
The tip of his tongue slipped into my mouth as we gave into our urges, making me dizzy. His hand trailed down to my waist where he hooked his thumb on the top of my pajamas, as if he wanted nothing more than to rip them off of me. The idea sent a thrill down my spine.
I imagined us, naked on the lawn as everyone started their day. The idea was every bit as naughty as it was ridiculous. Still, Gabe had that way with me. I bit his bottom lip softly, pulling away the tiniest bit. He growled and pulled me in closer, exploring my mouth again with his tongue.
At that moment, the skies opened up and rain poured down like a monsoon. Lightning flashed out of the corner of my eye, forking across the western horizon. Within seconds, we were soaked to the bone. Gabe lifted his chin to the sky and laughed, raindrops trailing down his scruffy chin. I blinked at him through the water that had settled on my eyelashes and joined in the laughter. Only insane people would stand out in a storm like this and make out. We had to be crazy.
Being back together with Gabe was everything I wanted. But I couldn’t r
eally be back with him. Not yet. Not until I’d proven myself worthy of the Nephilim and of their cause.
My heart thumped with the renewed courage to keep up my training. With Gabe’s hands in mine, I felt strength coursing through my body. He looked down at me and smiled, his eyes reflecting the last rays of light from the morning sun.
“Come on.” He squeezed my hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
We raced across the lawn, leaping over puddles and laughing at our drenched clothes. I wanted the innocence of this sweet moment to last forever. But in the back of my mind, I knew that it couldn’t last.
I’d have to lie to Gabe again. Because tonight, I was going out there. And this time, I was going to master my powers—or die trying.
Chapter Six
I pulled on my hiking boots and yanked on the laces, tying them tight. Raquel sat rigid on her bed across from me. Her eyes followed my every movement. After her tenth heavy sigh, I leaned back on my bed and smiled at her.
“I’m only going out for an hour. Relax.”
She did this every time I went out to fight demons. I thought she’d be used it to it by now. After sleep walking this morning and the session in the rain with Gabe, I needed to cut loose a little extra energy. Demon hunting was the perfect distraction.
“Are you sure you have to do this?” Her eyebrows knit together in concern. “What if something happens to you?”
“Nothing will.” I slipped a dagger I’d stolen from the weapons hold in my boot. “I told you, I’m very careful.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. New freckles had popped up along her nose this summer, giving her a sun-kissed look. “Still, I feel like I’m lying to Uncle Luke. You know it’s hard for me to lie.”
I knew that all too well. Raquel cracked easier than an egg. That’s why I had to keep suspicion off of her. One question, and she’d croak.
“Trust me. I’ll be back in an hour and then we can binge watch your newest reality show obsession.”
Her brown eyes grew big and hopeful. “With popcorn? And chocolate? You know this girl needs her treats.”
“Yes.” I smiled. Raquel ate enough for ten women. It was amazing she could stay so thin. “And some white wine for me.”
I left her still looking uncertain on her bed. It was getting harder and harder to sneak out. Maybe in the beginning, Raquel thought I just needed to get something out of my system. Kill a demon, and I’d be back to normal.
But there was something in the rush of being out there alone. Relying on my own strength and speed. Fighting off evil incarnate. It was a high better than drugs.
Not that I’d ever tried something like that. The women of Hanna had kept their streets very clean. Anybody found carrying an illegal substance would’ve been subject to excommunication. It wasn’t something any of the women wanted to risk.
The grounds around the manor were sopping wet. It’d rained all day, leaving large pools of muddy water across the lawn. My boots kept out the dampness as I made a bee line for the forest and pushed through the brush. The good thing about the rain was that it made it less likely for anyone to bump into me. Except for the gate keeper patrol, everyone was locked up tight in the castle, attending another European session.
Silvia had just installed these new sessions. They were basically lectures that made even the oldest Nephilim fall asleep in their seats. Something about gate security, Hell on Earth, and the revenge of the six princes of Hell. I had to admit, despite the fact that I wanted to soak in everything about the Nephilim life, even I had a hard time paying attention. Raquel was going to attend today’s lecture, but I figured I wouldn’t be missed. The hall would be packed. And Gabe and Luke would be too distracted to figure out I was missing.
I hiked for about forty minutes straight into the forest with no luck. Not a living or dead soul in sight. Disappointment dampened my spirits. Maybe even demons didn’t like to trudge through the muddy forests. Or, maybe the wet ground made it harder for their spirits to form the body shells they needed to pass as humans. Either way, I wasn’t seeing anything.
