A Touch Mortal

Chapter 36





“Bend your knees,” Az said as their speed slowed. Eden unclenched her eyelids, startled to find the ground a few feet below.

Az was already running when they hit, catching Eden when she stumbled and forcing her up the stairs to her security door.

He turned to her expectantly.

“I wasn’t the one with the key,” she said with a flippant shrug of her shoulders.

“F*ck.” Az looked up, studying what he could see of the building through the blinding snow. Flakes caught in his lashes. “You the one with the lights?” he asked.

Her anger blazed back now that her feet were on solid ground. “What? Your little spies didn’t keep you informed?”

Az rolled his eyes. “Save it, Eden. We don’t have time for couples therapy this second. Who’s in your apartment right now?” he asked, surveying the empty street around them.

“Jarrod. I don’t know if Adam would have time—”

“He wouldn’t,” Az interrupted.

“To get here yet,” she finished. “If he’s even coming.”

“Anyone else?” he asked, ignoring her comment.

“Libby. Libby’s there too.”

“Who’s that?” he asked, backing down the stairs and looking up as if judging the distance to their window.

“She found us. I owed her a favor. She’s been crashing with us the past couple days.”

He shot her a look. “Can she be trusted?”

“What do you care?” she asked. A second later she rolled her eyes. “She’s fine, Az.”

“We don’t really have a choice.” Once again he pulled her to him, and before she had time to scream they were hovering at the window. Az rapped his knuckles against the glass. Two silhouettes cast shadows on the plastic slats of the shade.

He uncuffed her, Eden thought, surprised.

“Is there a code or something?” Az asked. Eden almost laughed.

“Yeah. If an angel flies me home and is hovering outside a window that also happens to be sans balcony, I rap four times.” The sarcasm felt comforting, like some part of her she’d been missing the last half hour had come back.

The shade slowly rose. In the backlighting it was hard to make out the look on Jarrod’s face, but Eden could see Libby clearly, her mouth open in shock.

“Open the window, Jarrod,” she lipped, knowing he couldn’t hear her through the heavy glass. His shadowy hand undid the latch, and she felt one of Az’s wings flutter against her leg as they curled, drifting them back to give the window room to swing out.

“What the hell…” Jarrod cried as Az pushed Eden in through the window. Tucking his wings tight against his back once his feet were on the sill, Az followed, swiveling his naked shoulders to slide through the frame.

Jarrod and Libby stood back. Eden sunk to the floor, her quick breaths the only sound. One by one, each set of eyes turned to the wings of the figure crouched near the living-room window.

“She lost her key,” Az said finally, shrugging. He stood, pointing left. “I need water. Kitchen?” Libby nodded blankly, her eyes still wide.

“Hey!” Eden called. He turned around just in time to catch the jacket she’d shrugged off and tossed to him. He slipped the leather coat on, covering his wings, and winked at her.

When he was gone, Libby turned to her.

“He’s a…”

“Pain in the ass,” Eden said, standing up on shaky legs, hoping the tone of her voice would be enough to end the conversation.

“Where’s Adam?” Jarrod asked, glancing at the open window. Turning away from him to close it, Eden kept her face hidden as she slid the hooked lock back into place.

“He’s fine,” Az said from where he leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen. He took a draught from the giant plastic cup in his hand. The ice clinked as he drained the last of it. “He needed to blow off some steam.”

Jarrod took him in with suspicious eyes.

They jumped as the call box for the front door buzzed. Jarrod was the first to rush to the intercom.

“Adam?” he yelled into the box.

Static popped and hissed for two long seconds before they heard Eden’s name whispered through the crackle.

“Who is this?” Jarrod demanded.

“Eden? Can someone come?” Each word strained through the speaker.

“Gabe!” Eden went for the doorknob, but Az grabbed her wrist, his other hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at him.

“You have to stay here, Eden. I need to make sure he’s alone.”

“No!”

“Don’t let her leave here, understood?” Az said over her shoulder. Jarrod’s arms encircled her before she had a chance to react, pinning her arms at her sides. Her feet swung furiously, and she bucked in his arms until he lifted her off the ground, twisting her out of the way. Az slipped out the door, closing it behind him.

“Stop it, Eden. Let him check it out!”

She settled with a last jerk of her shoulder.

A long minute passed before there was a kick at the door. Libby opened it.

Az had his arm around Gabe. One of his eyes was swollen, a shallow cut running from his eyebrow to his cheek, bleeding onto his chin. He hissed a breath through clenched teeth as he tried to put weight down on his foot.

“Oh my God,” Libby gasped, not daring to look again. “That is so broken.” At the ankle, his left boot was twisted almost backward.

“He just needs to sit down.” Az helped Gabe to the couch, moving the table so he could stretch out his leg.

“Are you sure? It looks awful. Do you need, like…something?” Libby asked, unsure of what to offer.

Gabe reached down, gritting his teeth. With a swift twist, he ripped the foot back around, a shout squeezing past his lips. Everyone squirmed at the crunch of shifting bones.

“He’ll be good as new by morning,” Az whispered, his voice hoarse. “But thank you.” He looked up at Libby again. “Actually, can I get another glass of water?”

Eden stood off to the side, where Jarrod had finally set her down. Her attention flicked to the door as it opened.

Adam stepped inside, his face unreadable as his eyes skipped across the scene, stalling on Eden.

“Adam,” Eden sighed, covering the steps between them. She hesitated, but he held out an arm to her, pulling her into an embrace. He glanced at Gabe’s bleeding cheek. “Are you okay? What happened?” he asked him.

Libby came back into the room, looking guilty as she handed Az the cup. Adam’s jaw went hard. He squared his shoulders as he took a step closer to Az. “If you touch her again, I’ll kill you.”

Gabe raised an eyebrow at Eden. “Bit protective?” Adam turned to him, but Gabe lifted a hand. “Easy there, tiger. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Az turned back to Eden. “They all get like this about you?” he asked, fascinated.

“Well, you didn’t exactly make a sparkling first impression,” she said. She met Az’s eyes as she put an arm around Adam and his fingers found hers, squeezing tight. Az broke her stare without a word, his face stoic.

“You did good, girl. You’ll need them.” Gabe lifted his leg, tried to wiggle the ankle but winced and lowered it gingerly.

Az drained the glass of water in a single gulp, setting down the cup on the coffee table. He chewed an ice cube with a crunch and Eden cringed, thinking of the sound Gabe’s ankle had made.

“It was the Fallen, wasn’t it?” Eden asked.

Gabe leaned back with a nod, closing his eyes as his head hit the cushion of the couch. “He’ll need a day to recover,” he said. “That was too close, Az.”

“So you’re him?” Adam said, his voice icy. “She’s with me now. And you need to get the hell out of our apartment.”

She thought she saw a flash of something cross Az’s face.

“Adam,” Eden said. He jumped at her voice. “Stop it. You don’t know anything about the Fallen. These two saved my ass tonight while you were off—” She cut herself short. “Both of them did. They’re staying here tonight.”

“This is ridiculous,” he grumbled.

“Jarrod, set Az up on the floor. Gabe gets the couch.” If Adam hadn’t come out all defensive she wouldn’t have opened her mouth. Now she was stuck with Az. Though Gabe did look spent. She crossed the living room and squatted down next to him, her hand balancing her on the armrest. “We’re safe here? You’ll be able to heal?”

He considered it and then nodded.

“Good,” she continued, standing. “Party’s over.” She surveyed the faces. “Sleep if you can. We’ll sort this out in the morning.”

Her eyes darted to Az.

“Adam and I will be in my room if you need us,” she said quietly, taking Adam’s hand. Az only stared, the longing clear on his face. His fingers twitched as if he wanted to reach out for her, but he kept the hand at his side. She led Adam to her room, not looking back, sure she still knew Az well enough to hit below the belt.

Eden turned away as Adam closed the door, slipping her tank top over her head, too tired to worry about modesty. She yanked a long T-shirt on as he snapped on the light. His eyes floated across the pale skin of her midriff, before skimming to concentrate on the sneakers he untied and stepped out of. She unfastened her skirt, pulling it off, the fabric of the shirt drifting above her knees.

Climbing into the bed, she lifted the covers off the empty side next to her, watching his fingers fumble with the button of his jeans. He folded them too slowly, set them on the floor. His shirt dropped from his fingers.

Eden waited, her hand tucked under the pillow. Adam stood silent in his boxers, his head bowed.

Looking up, he licked his lips, parted them, but no words came. He moved then, only a hand, drifting out to tap a finger against the mattress.

Eden reached. She didn’t take his hand in hers, just brushed his thumb with the tips of her fingers.

Her words came out slow, each one forced.

“I watched him sleep, once. The last night, before I…” She cut off, forced herself to go on. “I was so tired but I wouldn’t let my eyes close because I was afraid he wouldn’t be there when I woke up, that I just dreamed him. And then…and then everything changed,” she said. “I thought I would die without him.”

“Why would you say that to me?” he asked quietly, his eyes full of heartache.

Her fingers slipped under his palm. She spread them, but he didn’t take her hand. “Because I did die. Because a few months later, it hurts me to even look at him, and I don’t know what that means.”

“Do you still want to be with him?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said.

He picked up her hand, moving it closer to her, and dropped it onto the sheets. He clicked off the light as he climbed into bed next to her. His hand found her back, pulled her closer so her head rested on his bare chest. In the silence, she heard his heartbeat, strong and steady and calm.

“What happened after I left?”

Eden closed her eyes. “I’m in some deeper shit than I let on. Not all angels are good.”

Adam snorted. “Living room occupants excluded?”

“I didn’t say that,” Eden managed. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. His breath hit her cheek as she kissed his neck once.

“Don’t,” he whispered, tucking her head back against his shoulder gently. “I don’t want that.”

Eden felt her face flush. “I thought…”

“I want you to close your eyes. I want you to fall asleep first.”

“Why?” she asked, suddenly afraid he would slip out of the room as soon as she did.

“Because I’ll be here in the morning.”