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12

Surprise

Iawoke early in the morning, as the first rays of the sun hit the house.

I sat up on the sofa and looked at Nero. “You were supposed to take the first watch, not stay up the whole night while I slept.”

“I like watching you sleep.” He leaned over me and tucked a wayward strand of hair away from my face. “You snore so contently.”

“Angels don’t snore, remember?” I kissed his hand. “I even read it in one of my textbooks.”

Nero pulled me up and drew me in close to him. He kissed the top of my head.

I glanced behind us and saw Calli’s bedroom door was open. So were Zane’s, Tessa’s, and Gin’s.

“The four of them left early to go shopping for a potion Bella said would help her heal and calm her nerves,” Nero told me.

Purgatory’s potions market opened early.

“So it’s only Harker and Bella here in the house with us?” I asked him.

“Yes.”

“How are they doing?”

“Bella has been asleep all night. And an hour ago, I ordered Harker to take a nap because he looked like shit.”

I laughed.

“Harker tried to argue with me, but he backed down when I told him he won’t be able to protect Bella properly in that sorry state. He fell asleep immediately.”

“Yeah, I can hear him snoring,” I chuckled.

Nero’s brows arched. “I thought angels don’t snore.”

“You tell me. You’ve read every book in the Legion’s extensive library.”

“Perhaps not every book.”

“But most of them.”

“Yes,” he said, a bit smugly. “I had considerably more time on my hands before you came around.”

I winked at him. “But considerably less fun too.”

“True.”

“We’re effectively alone in the house.” I gave him my best rendition of bedroom eyes.

“I know that look.”

“What look?”

“The look on your face, Leda. It means trouble.”

I fluttered my eyelashes at him. “Me? Trouble? Never.”

“It runs in your whole family,” Nero told me. “Your sister Tessa blew me a kiss as they all headed out of the house this morning.”