Angel's Shield (10 page)

Haniel shouted, sprinting for her, but the dark swallowed her up.

Chapter Eight

Jeremiel cupped Charmeine’s face, worried. She was breathing and
had no visible wounds, but she wasn’t moving. Her body had automatically
shifted back to human and now she wouldn’t wake up.

“Raphael says we should let her sleep and wake up on her own. She
just needs rest,” Haniel said, slipping Jeremiel’s cell phone back into his
pocket.

It was random chance that my phone was in his shorts pocket and
escaped the fire,
Jeremiel thought, suppressing a shiver. Haniel rarely used the phone. He didn’t
like to talk with the angels back home. How his mobile had ended up in Haniel’s
pants was a mystery to them both, but he wasn’t going to complain. They needed
all the luck they could get. Charmeine’s house was gone. They had only the
clothes on their bodies. “How does Raphael know that?” he asked Haniel, peeved.
“He’s all the way up north at Castle Archangel.”

“He said that anytime an angel’s gift manifests, it takes a lot of
energy. Sometimes too much. Sleep is the best thing for her.” Haniel dropped to
his knees beside Jeremiel and leaned against him. “I’m worried about her too,
but Raphael said this is normal.”

“She won’t wake up. How is that normal?” Jeremiel bowed over her,
kissing her shoulder.

“She’s breathing, her heart rate is good, and she’s not cold. She
just looks like she’s sleeping.” Haniel slipped an arm around Jeremiel’s waist.
“Come on. Let’s lie down and get some rest. We have a lot of stuff to figure
out tomorrow.” He tugged until Jeremiel leaned back. “Good thing Charmeine had
some bedding set up in here or we’d be in for a very uncomfortable night.”

Jeremiel sighed. Haniel was right. They were exhausted. After the
demon lord and his creatures had done their best to tear them to pieces, all he
wanted to do was sleep for days, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the
shield. He’d never heard or seen of such a thing. “What happened out there?” he
whispered.

Haniel took a long time to answer. “I think we have a gift, like
Raphael’s healing or Suriel’s sorcery.” He shifted his weight, moving closer.
His warmth soothed Jeremiel. “Did you see her wings?” he whispered softly.

“Did you see mine?” Jeremiel asked. He could scarcely believe what
had happened. His ordinary brown wings had become multicolored, just like
Charmeine’s. “Everything’s different now.”

“I bet if I could shift, my wings would look like yours and hers,
too.” Haniel tightened his hold. “I miss it.”

Jeremiel closed his eyes as the familiar pain rose up in him. It
broke his heart to see Haniel hurting, but there was nothing he could do. At
least they were alive and together. “I know,” he murmured, knowing that it didn’t
help.

****

The next morning dawned earlier than Jeremiel wanted. He groaned,
rolling over. He was exhausted; he could feel it in his bones. He just wanted
to rest some more, but when a soft barrier stopped his fidgeting, he opened his
eyes to find Charmeine smiling at him. He leaned up on his elbow, relieved to
see her looking so aware. “You’re awake. Thank God.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You were worried?”

He touched her forehead. No fever. Her eyes were clear. “Yeah.”
His voice was hoarse.

“I’m fine,” she said, opening her arms. “See?” Her curls slid over
her shoulders.

He stared at her. Hell, he couldn’t help but look. Even
sleep-mussed she was spectacular. The thin tank top she wore did nothing to
disguise her nipples. Her wings had ripped out the back and it sagged so low he
could see the mounds of her breasts. She’d look less provocative if she were
nude. His cock twitched.

“I see you. I
definitely
see you,” he said, arousal spiraling through him. He wanted to touch her, but
he was afraid she’d turn into a dream. He’d tossed and turned all night,
worrying.

Her smile faded. “I’m okay, Jeremiel. Really. See?” She touched
his arm and drew his hand to her breast, of all places. “I’m fine.”

He swallowed, eyes flicking past her. Haniel had woken and was
watching him, face solemn in the morning light. God, he was such a goner, on
both of them. He let his fingers drift across Charmeine’s nipple, enjoying her
slight gasp. Haniel’s eyes darkened. “You like that.” His hand stilled. He
wasn’t sure which one of them he was teasing.

Charmeine nodded. “Don’t stop.” Haniel’s luminous hazel eyes urged
him to do more.

Jeremiel licked his lips and leaned in. She stretched up to meet
him, and suddenly they were kissing. She tasted like morning and light and
home. She made a little sound and he gathered her up into his arms, holding
tightly. He poured all his worry and fear into the kiss—he couldn’t help it.
She took all his pain into her body and gentled it, then turned the tables,
kissing him roughly, hands in his hair.

“I’m fine,” she growled.

He smiled tightly, not resisting her hold. Haniel sat up and
kissed the back of her neck. Her fingers opened.

“We know,” Haniel murmured, nibbling down her shoulder. He moved
in closer, kissing under her ear, then he turned her head and kissed her
swollen lips. “You are so damn fine,” he murmured.

Jeremiel watched, knowing that his best friend could taste him on
her.

“I want to fuck you, is that okay?” Haniel asked.

She moaned sexily, her breath catching. Jeremiel took that for
agreement and eased her down onto the pile of blankets. He made short work of
her sweat pants. Haniel already had his clothes off. When Jeremiel scooted down
and kissed her mound, she arched her back and he smiled. “You’re going to like
this.” He bent his head down and licked her clit, loving the sounds she made.
He knew he was being selfish, making Haniel wait, but he’d worried so much
about her that he couldn’t help it. He wanted to make her scream with pleasure,
just to prove she was truly alive and well.

“Jesus, that’s hot,” Haniel muttered. He bent in closer.

Jeremiel shifted slightly to make room for him, and then they were
both pleasuring her. Her pussy was already wet and ready, so he slid two
fingers into her. She writhed. He smiled against her clit. When Haniel used her
own wetness to tickle at the puckered rosebud of her anus, Jeremiel almost came
in his shorts. He’d never seen anything so sexy in his life as Charmeine
opening herself to both of them.

“Yeah, that’s it,” he encouraged her. He licked her clit again,
feeling it throb against his tongue. When he leaned back, Haniel added another
finger, stretching her tight hole.

“I want you both,” she said thickly, tugging on his hair.

Jeremiel had to press his hand against his dick, hard. The seam of
his shorts bit into the sensitive skin, but he didn’t care. He needed the pain
so he wouldn’t cum in his pants like a teenager.

“I’m going to fuck you, and then Jeremiel is going to come inside
you, right here.” Haniel moved his fingers in her ass, his voice low and
steady. Clearly he was fighting for control, too.

Jeremiel kneeled up, breathing hard. He had to calm down if he
didn’t want to hurt her. They had to take this slow. He took off his shorts,
then waited while Haniel rolled her over. The long, sleek line of her spine
drew Jeremiel’s gaze down to her spectacular ass as Haniel lifted her up
slowly, but she wouldn’t cooperate.

“Too slow,” she said as she grabbed Haniel’s dick and slid down, closing
her eyes as he fucked into her.

“Oh God.” Jeremiel clenched his fists, watching. Haniel’s dusky
prick looked huge as it moved into her tiny body. It was hard to believe that
they were her first lovers. He
loved
that they were the only ones to ever touch her, depraved soul that he was. He
moved closer, hands going to her perfect hips. Long brown hair slid over her
shoulder as she looked back at him. “You ready?” he asked.

She nodded, biting her lip. Haniel sped up, then stopped
completely. Jeremiel teased at her hole, making sure she was relaxed. His
fingers slipped in easily and she pushed back slightly, encouraging him. He
grabbed his cock and set the tip right at her entrance. “Breathe,” he told her.

She let out an explosive breath as he pushed in gently, but
inexorably.
She’s so tight,
he thought, going as slow as he could stand.
She gasped when the crown went in, and then he thrust a little harder. He
almost lost it when he felt Haniel’s cock through the thin barrier of her body.

“Jeremiel,” Haniel gritted out. “Move.”

“Yes, what he said,” Charmeine added, her voice a breathy
exclamation. “You won’t hurt me. I’m not made of glass.”

He grinned against Charmeine’s shoulder, then began to move in
earnest. Every thrust moved all three of them, and he realized that he wasn’t
just making love to Charmeine, he was also fucking Haniel. His best friend
looked up at him over Charmeine’s shoulder, eyes dark with arousal. Jeremiel
couldn’t look away, couldn’t do anything but move faster, fucking until the
pleasure shot out of him in a great, electric wave.

Somehow, he managed to get a hand between Charmeine and Haniel.
The moment he touched her clit, she screamed and orgasmed, squeezing him so
tightly he climaxed again.
Impossible,
his mind yelled, but his body
didn’t listen. When Haniel finally went over, all three of them shuddered and
their shimmer-shield sprang up around them, teasing their skin with energy.
Jeremiel clenched his fists around the bedding as his cock hardened again,
impossibly.

Haniel grabbed his arms and Charmiene squirmed between them and all
three rode the wave together this time, pleasure shooting between and through
them in one gigantic movement.

****

When Jeremiel was finally able to think again, he gently fell over
next to Haniel. Charmeine slumped into them as aftershocks shivered through
her.

“Well,” Haniel said hoarsely.

Jeremiel laughed. “Very descriptive, my friend.”

Charmeine giggled, pressing her face into his shoulder. “Um, yeah.”

“Oh my God, you two are totally nonverbal,” Jeremiel complained,
feeling as though he could do anything.

“Can we do that again?” Charmeine asked, lifting her head. The
right side of her face was pink from pressing against Haniel’s skin. She looked
adorable.

“Yeah, definitely,” Haniel said, then snorted. “Except I don’t
think I can get it up until tomorrow.”

She grinned. “Um, that’s okay. I think I need a day to recover.”

“Well thank God for that,” Jeremiel said, wincing slightly. His
dick felt a little bit raw.

“You should take her flying,” Haniel said then, unexpectedly.

“Wait, what?” Charmeine asked, sitting up. “Are you serious?”

Jeremiel frowned.

Haniel continued before he could say anything. “No, seriously. We’re
rested and relaxed. You know as well as I do how important that is when you’re
first learning how to fly.”

Damn it, he’s right,
Jeremiel thought, unhappily.
Except I don’t really want to
teach her without my best friend by my side.
He knew he had no choice
though. She had to learn sometime and the sooner the better.

“You have no choice. At some point she’s going to need to protect
herself, and it’s better if she learns how now, instead of in the middle of
battle,” Haniel continued, unconsciously echoing Jeremiel’s thoughts. “We were
lucky last night.”

Jeremiel pressed his lips together, then nodded. “Haniel’s right.”

Charmeine looked from Haniel to him and back again. “But I don’t
want to leave you here by yourself,” she said quietly. She touched Haniel’s
arm, running her fingers down the faint scars where his legacy marks should be.

Haniel smiled and kissed her hand. “It’s okay. You need to do this.”

She glanced at Jeremiel. He nodded slowly. “You do.”

****

A half hour later, Charmeine stood in the clearing that used to be
her back yard. Her house had burned to the ground so quickly the night before,
the fire department hadn’t even realized it was on fire. And since none of them
had had time to call for help, it was likely no one in town even knew her house
was gone. Jeremiel explained that was what happened with demon fire: it
consumed everything in its path as quickly as possible, until the demon who
began the burning and all his dogs were destroyed. There hadn’t even been much
smoke, just the acrid soot she remembered choking on last evening.

“Okay. Let’s do this,” she said, turning her back on the remains
of her house. Blackened stones poked up out of charred ground like cemetery
markers. She shuddered. She couldn’t focus on her lost home right now. Not if
she wanted to stay relaxed, like Jeremiel said she needed to in order to do
this. “What do I do?”

He lifted his palms, his bare chest distractingly attractive in
the sunlight. “First, shift into angel form.” His body rippled and abruptly,
his wings swept out from his body. They were still multicolored and somehow
even more impressive than they’d been in the dark. “Stretch your wings and get
a feel for how they work.” He moved his up and down.