High above the rocky landscape, Adonis pulled me in close. The February winds whipped over my skin, chilling me, and I nestled my head in closer to Adonis’s warmth.
His heart pounded through his clothing, and his wings rhythmically beat the air. One of his arms was wrapped around my lower back, the other beneath my knees. His large hand curled around my thigh, practically encircling it. I clutched my little bag of clothes.
Something about his smell and the feel of his magic soothed my muscles, washing away all the violent images that had burned in my skull earlier.
A vault of stars arched over us, and my red hair whipped into my face. I brushed it out of my eyes. Stretching out far below us lay the vast, darkened wasteland of the post-apocalyptic UK. Every now and then, flashes of bonfires pierced the darkness, a few cities punctuated by flickering candles in windows. Those were probably the demon enclaves, since they now felt free to roam over the land unperturbed. Vampire cities, valkyrie havens, shifter dens…
I shot a nervous glance at Adonis’s injured wing. “Do you really think it was a good idea to take me instead of Kur?”
Our gazes met. “Do you now that most women would give their right arm to fly with me?”
“Do you usually require that kind of a sacrifice?”
He ignored my comment.
A burst of flame punctuated the darkness, and my gaze flicked to Drakon. He soared above us, occasionally belching fire.
“Why did you want to take me instead of Kur? You’ve told me that you hate feral fae. And you’ve just seen a feral fae at her worst. Half naked, covered in blood and gore. Why insist on sticking close to me?”
“You don’t seem like the other feral fae I’ve known. Violent, yes, but I can hardly object to that.” His voice was smooth as a lover’s caress. “Maybe I like it a little.”
Was that a spark of warmth I felt in my chest? No—of course it wasn’t. I didn’t care what he thought.
“I wasn’t raised among the fae. My parents taught me some of the old fae ways, but not the brutal parts, I guess.” I tried to ignore the fact that the brutality just seemed to come naturally to me. “My mother taught me to carve weapons from trees, to live off what the forest provided us.”
“What did they do?”
“They were spies among the Order. Their work was dangerous, and my mother made sure I’d be able to look after Hazel if anything happened to them.” That was my job, my destiny. “Except…”
“Except we came into your world, and the dragon-shifters, too.”
“You know, none of the tree carving or berry picking came in very handy when faced with a hundred-foot-tall reptile.” I didn’t tell him how completely powerless I’d felt, but given the way he pulled me closer to his hard, masculine body, I thought he could sense it. “And I just want to get back to that old dream—the one about living in the forest off berries and venison. That probably sounds stupid to someone whose goal is to be worshipped by celestial angels.”
“It doesn’t sound stupid at all.”
Drakon screeched at the night sky, and a chill rippled over my skin.
“I’m just glad I got my sister back.” At the thought of Hazel, my mind wandered to Kratos. Sure—he was a monster. But monsters surrounded me at this point—and he was a monster who’d returned Hazel to me. Would the Stones of Zahar drive him from the earth? Maybe Adonis wanted to enslave him.
I knew angels didn’t belong on earth—that they had to leave. And yet still, the question prodded at the back of my mind.
“What will happen to Kratos if the Stones of Zahar return him to the heavens?” I asked.
Adonis’s body tensed, and he lowered his head so his breath warmed the side of my face. “Why are you worried about Kratos?”
“I just want to know what will happen to him. He found Hazel for me. I know he’s a horseman, and he’s at risk of falling, and he is forced to kill scores of people…but he did something kind for me. I owe him.”
“Is that right?” Adonis’s velvety voice had a hint of steel in it.
I frowned. “Yes. I mean, he searched for her, and he brought her to me, just because she was important to me. He even made me a dance studio.”
He stared evenly at the night sky in front of us, his enormous wings rhythmically beating the air. “I see.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” My teeth chattered.
Instead of answering my question, he pulled me in closer to his chest. “You’re freezing, aren’t you? I can feel your body shivering.” The sensuous tone of his voice slipped around me like silk.
One of his hands curled around my leg—the gap between my dress and my stockings. Slowly, the tip of his forefinger began a lazy stroke up my inner thigh. At his touch, a liquid heat slowly unfurled in my body, pooling around my belly, my ribs.
He kept his glacial eyes on the night air ahead of us, as if he were only half aware of what he was doing. I, on the other hand, was completely aware of every minute shift of his fingers, and my world narrowed to his light touch.
A slow, lazy stroke up and down my bare inner thigh, eliciting an ache in my belly. Another slow, gentle stroke. Sparks ignited up my spine, and my back began to arch. His plan to warm me up was working, and my body heated with every gentle stroke.
I pulled myself in closer to him, my breasts pressing against him, and he met my gaze. Once more, that carnal look burned in his eyes, and his fingers moved higher up my bare thigh.
I hated myself for it, but I desperately wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him. Stay in control, Ruby. He was born to kill and seduce.
If this went any further, at some point he’d realize that I wasn’t wearing any underwear. And yet—who was I to stop him?
My breath came faster in my throat.
“You interest me, fae.” Then, an unexpected question. “Why a succubus? You hide yourself as a human to blend into their world, but of all the demons, you chose succubus to mask yourself.”
Again, that fingertip moved lazily along my skin, his eyes fixed straight ahead as if he was completely unaware of it. Did he realize that with every slow caress, a dark heat arced through my blood? I let my gaze trail over his full mouth, trying to remember how words worked.
At last, I cleared my throat. “Fae males like to dominate the females. To some degree, the same is true for angels, demons, humans… It’s kind of a male thing.”
Amusement glinted in his eyes. “Is that right?”
“There was one exception. Succubi ruled over men long ago. Shadow demons, human males—they all used to worship the demonesses of the night.”
“Mmmm.” His deep purr licked up my nape. “You envision yourself dominating men. I must admit. The image has a certain appeal.”
“I mean, I don’t dwell on it.” Could he hear how fast my heart was beating right now?
The tip of his forefinger continued to trace lazy, exquisite strokes on my thigh, and warmth pooled in my core. I wanted to feel his lips against mine, his tongue licking my body.
“Do you feel warmer now, Ruby?” The way my name sounded on his tongue—instead of succubus or fae—sent a throbbing ache through my belly.