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“Darlin’, you look like an angel,” Elias murmurs, reaching up to comb Raven’s hair from her face. “For a second, I thought my prayers were finally answered.”
Raven groans and sniffles, tipping her head toward the sky. If I didn’t know she was looking for her soul keeper, I’d think she was about to pray to the Higher Power. Blinking the tears from her eyes, she clears her vision only to catch sight of me. I don’t hide from her like I should, but her fear is palpable, shuddering through my essence. She needs to know that she isn’t alone. With me, no demon will risk coming closer.
I rub my hands together and thin the veil between planes, pushing out the rest of the world from Raven’s view. She gawks at me in shock. And then what feels like a miracle happens. Raven raises her arm and motions to me.
“Andre, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.” She invites me over with her trembling voice. I can feel her need for my closeness deep in my bones. It awakens a part of me that has lain dormant for as long as I’ve existed. “Please, can you help him? If he dies...” A sob escapes her ruby lips and tears at my essence. How can I deny such a plea?
Folding my wings, I stroll closer and tower over her and Elias, staring down at his frozen form. Blood seeps from his ear, threatening to drip into his hair the second I close the veil and put the world together. Raven’s desperation sinks inside me, and I find myself kneeling beside her. Seeing Elias like this, an angel once so powerful that demons ran in his presence, guts me on a level I didn’t know possible. The same sorrow I felt over Micah’s discarded grace crashes over me, and I can’t stop the tears from burning my eyes.
“My friend, what have you done? What was worth trading your existence for?” I ask, hovering my hand over Elias’s forehead.
“Please, Andre. There has to be something you can do.” Raven rests her hand on my knee, sending electricity coursing through my body, awakening every inch of me under her touch.
I tilt my head and meet her gaze. “I can heal his wounds, but the sickness devouring his lungs is bound by a demonic contract.”
“What?” Raven’s surprise softens her features. “He’s sick because of a demon?”
“I will let you know more if you give me your permission to read his soul. It does partially belong to you in a way.” I summon my heavenly light in my palm, setting Elias’s face aglow. The halo reminds me of another one of his lifetimes, when he would’ve never resorted to a demonic deal.
“Yes, of course. Do what you have to.” Raven scoots closer to me, sliding her fingers through Elias’s. The gesture tugs at me, capturing my attention. I know she doesn’t remember the history of her soul—and neither does Elias for that matter—and I can’t help basking in the bright light they create together. Their souls know they are fated even if they don’t, and I want nothing more than to live in their light.
“It’ll only take a minute, but he will remain out of sorts. Will you be able to manage with your soul keeper acting so carelessly?” I search Raven’s eyes. I can’t tell her that I’ll stay with her regardless, but I also need to know she can handle it. I don’t want her to think I’ve abandoned her.
She hides her lips, tightening her mouth. “I don’t know. I’m scared. Can you stay until Dante returns? We flew here, and I’m not even sure I can find my way back to our apartment.”
“You want me to stay?” My heart flutters, the sensation stealing my breath. A wave of pure joy envelops me as if Raven hugs me. But it’s just her essence. Her need of protection. It’s in this moment I realize how dangerous her effect is on me. If I didn’t feel so strongly about my path and what my mission is, I might lose myself to her completely.
“If that’s okay,” she says, squeezing my knee.
Her touch shoots pleasure to my groin, and I tense, losing focus with my erection. It happens more and more lately, but especially with her closeness. I don’t mind as long as my brethren don’t notice. Such a simple thing is an unnecessarily big deal to Cassius. He acts as if it’s a bad omen. I consider it a connection to humanity. I can serve mortals better knowing what simple things like a body’s reaction to another is like.
“It would be my honor, little hellion. How else am I supposed to influence some good into the dark spots the devils carve into your soul?” I remain expressionless with my words, trying not to let the truth of them get to me.
My lack of expression does nothing to help Raven, and she reacts with a scowl. “Don’t act all high and mighty, Andre. You’re the one with a damn erection. If anything, you’re a bad influence, reminding me of how enormous your angelic cock is. Now just get on with it. This isn’t about my soul. It’s about Elias.”
Releasing my leg, she cups Elias’s hand between her palms. I wonder what her warmth would feel like to have her hands on me, if I’d feel better or worse. Shaking my head, I push the thoughts of her touching me from my mind only to have the memory of her exploring my erection snap back front and center.
I roll my shoulders, ruffling my wings. “My apologies. I can’t seem to control this common reoccurrence with you. I don’t know how to get it to stop.”
She groans and shifts, hiding her face from me. “Next time you’re alone, rub one out or something.”
“Rub one out?” I ask, continuing on my mission to heal Elias even through this fascinating conversation. I’d love to possess her knowledge on the matter. “Perhaps you can show me what that is.”
Her shoulders shake, and I frown, wondering why she’s crying. I reach out with my free hand and graze my fingers over her forearm. Whipping her attention to me, she bursts out in laughter. I misjudged her body language. She finds great amusement in this moment, and her melodious, contagious giggling eases the worry clinging to me.
“Can you please just finish healing Elias?” she asks, twirling her finger. “We can get into the relief and fun of masturbation some other time.”
“Oh.” Warmth heats my cheeks at her words.
I should’ve understood her comment far quicker than I had. Why does it bother me in such a way? Perhaps because I lack the mortal experiences she’s grown accustomed to, especially with the devils. They enjoy suffering and pain, but I also know how much they savor pleasure and bliss, which might be the closest thing they could ever experience now that the joy of grace is out of their reach.
Raven bumps me with her hip, sending a shockwave of something indescribable through me. My groin tenses at the sensation and my desire turns uncomfortable almost. Persistent. Nagging. The absurd need to touch myself consumes me.
“You have no idea how much I want to corrupt you, Andre,” she comments, watching my heavenly light set Elias aglow. Squinting, she peeks at me through the strands of her dark hair veiling her face.
“Enlightening and educating me on certain physical aspects of humanity wouldn’t corrupt me.” I suck in my bottom lip as Raven touches my leg again. Swallowing, I focus on reading Elias’s soul, the darkness clinging to him so foul that I jerk my hand away and unfurl my wings. “But digging deeper into Elias’s Hell-bound soul might.”
Raven’s eyes widen and she gently sets his limp hand on the ground at his side. “What did you see? Are you okay?”
