Page 15
CHAPTER 15
T he moonless sky swallowed all light as Camael raced across New Orleans with his unconscious witch in his arms. His warrior's instincts were screaming as blood continued to drip from her nose. It was staining his battle-worn shirt and tearing at his heart. Every second counted. Her breathing was shallow, and her skin had gone clammy. Using that much power had nearly burned her out from the inside.
Behind him, explosions lit up the riverfront as his Angels of Retribution finished what Amelia had started. Her hybrid magic had carved through the opposition like a tsunami through a coastal village, decimating Lucifer's forces. She had fundamentally changed something in the magic around the Mississippi. The river's waters now sang with a harmony he hadn't heard for far longer than he could recall. But none of that mattered if his witch didn't survive.
His wings cut through humid air fast enough to create sonic booms as he vectored toward the mansion. Rami's voice crackled through his earpiece as he coordinated the cleanup efforts. The male was handling shit like the professional he was. It left Camael free to focus on getting Amelia help.
"Jace!" The roar ripped from his throat the instant his boots hit the mansion's east lawn. The grass was still scorched from their previous battles. "Get your ass out here NOW!"
The Native American healer materialized in the doorway like he'd been waiting. One look at Amelia's limp form and his expression went granite-hard. "Get her inside. My gear's already set up in the medical room." Setting up a place where he could do his work was the first thing the healer did after helping Amelia the first time.
Camael didn't waste breath responding. He shouldered past Jace and took the stairs three at a time. The mansion's halls were quiet. Most of the refugee angels had been moved to secure locations run by the Dark Warriors. They’d been traumatized by the attacks on the mansion. No one could deal with calming them while needing to hunt down the assholes responsible. Those that remained were prepared to fight with them. At the moment, Camael didn’t like how empty the place felt. It echoed how he would feel if he lost his witch.
Camael’s eyes went wide when they caught sight of the state-of-the-art trauma center that was inside the room. None of the emergency equipment and monitoring systems had been in there when they’d left earlier. The stark fluorescent lighting cast harsh shadows over gleaming steel instruments as his boots stomped across the floor. He carried Amelia to the bed at one side. The sharp scent of antiseptic distracted him from the ache in his heart.
"Put her there." Jace gestured to the bed he’d been headed for. Camael tried to tamp down his anxiety when the healer conjured his staff. It was bad if he needed the equivalent of a crash cart. "And then back the fuck up. What I'm about to do isn't exactly standard procedure."
Camael's growl would have made lesser beings piss themselves as he laid Amelia on the bed. "What do you mean, not standard?"
"I mean, she's got more power running through her system than a nuclear reactor. And it's eating her alive." Jace's hands moved through the air as he began weaving healing magic. His staff vibrated and started humming. "The human body wasn't meant to channel the energies she has been. Not like that. I've got to stabilize her before her magic tears her apart."
"Then do it." The words came out more snarl than speech as Camael stalked the length of the medical wing. His massive frame radiated lethal tension while his ice-blue eyes never left Amelia's still form.
Jace's hands moved with practiced precision as he assessed her condition. The healer cursed viciously, making Camael want to smash something. He braced himself for bad news. He could see corruption spreading through her system like black ink through water. "There's necrotic tissue forming," the healer informed him. “The power overload is killing her cells faster than I anticipated.”
Jace’s alder staff hummed with energy as he reached for a scalpel. "Hold her down," he ordered Camael. "This is going to hurt like a motherfucker, but I've got to cut out the dead tissue before it gets a foothold."
“Like flesh-eating bacteria?” Camael was horrified at the thought.
"Not bacteria," Jace replied in a steady voice despite the grim situation. "This is more like radiation necrosis mixed with supernatural gangrene. The power surge literally cooked her tissue from the inside out. If we don't excise it now, the dead cells will poison her system faster than anything my medical textbooks ever covered. And trust me, I did my first ‘residency’ during a yellow fever outbreak before modern medicine. I've seen some shit. But this?" He shook his head while prepping the surgical site. "This is next level cellular destruction. Now brace her shoulders. This isn't going to be pretty."
The archangel's hands were gentle as steel as he gripped Amelia's shoulders. His jaw clenched hard enough to crack teeth when Jace made the first incision along her side. Black fluid wept from the wound. His stomach revolted as hard as his heart. The stench of decay, made him want to take her to the forbidden fountain in Heaven. She shouldn’t have anything of the sort corrupting her. Camael clamped down on his emotions so he didn’t do anything rash. Amelia needed him there for her.
"Motherfucker," Jace muttered as he worked. Sweat darkened his shirt while he carved away tissue that had literally been burned out by too much power. "Her system's in chaos. The overload fried nerve endings, and damaged organ tissue. I’m not sure I will be able to do enough for her. I may need your energy to jump-start her regeneration once I get this rot out."
"Take what you need." Camael's voice was wrecked as he watched Amelia's blood stain Jace's hands.
The healer's staff glowed brighter as he channeled more power through it. He used it to identify compromised tissue. His movements were precise and brutal as he cut away everything that was already dead. When he finally set down the bloody scalpel, his hands were shaking.
"Now comes the hard part." Jace's eyes met Camael's. "I need your divine energy to heal what's left. I'm not sure how my system can handle your shit, but it's her only shot."
"Do it." Camael didn't hesitate as he gripped Jace's shoulders from behind .
Raw power flooded through the contact. Jace's whole body seized as Camael’s divine energy used him as a conduit. His curse echoed off the walls as he fought to direct that lethal force to do what he wanted. Minutes stretched into hours as they battled to save her. Jace's face went gray with strain while Camael poured everything he had into the healer. Neither male stopped until Amelia's color improved and the massive crater in her side filled in.
Only then did Jace step back. "She'll live. But I never want to do that shit again."
He heard the words, but Camael didn’t release the breath he’d been holding until Amelia's breathing evened out. Color returned to her cheeks as her magical core found a new equilibrium. The Key at her throat brightened. Its pulse was stronger and steadier.
"She's stable," Jace managed before his knees buckled. Camael caught the healer before he could face-plant. "Get her somewhere quiet to rest. She'll need at least twenty-four hours to recover."
"You need rest, too," he told the other male.
"What I need is a bottle of Jack and about twelve hours of unconsciousness." Jace waved off his concern as he straightened. "My mate will take care of me. You take care of your witch. I'll be fine once my system processes your energy."
Not waiting to be told twice, Camael gathered Amelia in his arms. Her weight was reassuring as he carried her through the mansion's halls to his quarters. The space was sparsely furnished. He hadn’t bothered with more than the basics. But the bed was massive and comfortable. That was all that mattered.
He laid her down with infinite care. He took a moment to brush dark hair from her face. Fear clawed at his ancient heart as he remembered how close he'd come to losing her. The thought of continuing without her by his side made something in his chest constrict painfully.
Hours passed as he kept vigil. His ice-blue eyes never left her face while reports flowed in from his warriors. The river was secure. Sarah's texts were safe. Everything was under control between his AORs, the triplets, and the Dark Warriors. For Camael, none of it mattered until those green eyes opened.
When they finally did, his relief nearly brought him to his knees. "Hey there, angel," she managed, her voice rougher than gravel. "Did anybody get the license plate of that truck?"
The laugh that ripped from his throat startled him. He didn’t think he could laugh under the circumstances, but his witch was good at lightening the mood. "You nearly died," he told her as he moved to sit beside her on the bed. "What you did with the river... it almost burned you out."
"Did it work?" She struggled to sit up. He was there instantly to help. "Did we stop whatever was coming through?"
"Yeah." His fingers traced her jaw as he stared into eyes he'd feared might never open again. "You didn't just stop it. You changed something fundamental in the river's energy. Even Lucifer will have trouble corrupting it now."
"Good." Her smile was weak but genuine. "Though next time, remind me to pace myself. Pretty sure I overdid it."
"There won't be a next time." He growled as he pulled her into his arms. "You are never doing something that reckless again."
She relaxed against his chest, and her fingers traced patterns on his shirt. "You can't protect me from everything, Archangel. This is what I was born for."
"I know." The admission cost him, but he couldn't deny the truth of it. "Doesn't mean I have to like watching you nearly kill yourself. "
Her hand came up to cup his face. The tenderness in her touch undid him. "I'm still here," she whispered. "Still yours."
The last word broke something in him. With a growl that was pure need, he claimed her mouth. The kiss carried every ounce of fear and desperate relief he'd felt watching her fight for her life. His hands tangled in her hair as he poured everything he couldn't say into the contact.
She met him with equal passion. Her fingers gripped his shoulders as she pressed closer. Power sparked between them. This time, it was purely physical. This wasn't about magic or destiny or saving the world. This was about them.
His hands slid beneath her torn shirt. He needed to feel her alive and warm against him. She arched into his touch with a gasp that made his control fray. "Amelia." Her name was both prayer and curse as he broke the kiss to look at her. "We should stop. You're still recovering-"
"Don't you dare." Her green eyes blazed with something fiercer than magic as she pulled him back down. "I need this. Need you."
That was all it took. With a growl that shook the walls, he claimed her mouth again. Their clothes hit the floor in record time as need burned through any remaining hesitation. His wings manifested of their own accord. They created a cocoon of white feathers that shut out everything but them.
Her hands on his skin sent electricity through his system that had nothing to do with power and everything to do with how right she felt against him. Each touch, each kiss, each shared breath was a reminder that she was alive. That she was his.
She practically climbed him as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Every plan to prepare her fled when he felt her wet core sliding over his erection. Without conscious thought, he slid inside her. It felt like coming home.
Their bodies moved together in a rhythm that drove him crazy. She was right there with him like they'd been doing this dance for centuries instead of days. Her nails raked down his sides as he drove them both higher. The sounds she made nearly undid him as he showed her exactly how much she meant to him.
"I love you." The words slipped out as he felt her start to tighten around him. They'd been building in his chest since the moment he'd seen her fall at the river. "Don't you ever scare me like that again."
Her cry of completion carried his name and four words that made his ancient heart stop. "I love you, too."
They came together in an explosion of pleasure that stole his breath. He’d never experienced anything like this before in his long life. Camael knew one thing for certain as they lay tangled in the aftermath with her head on his chest and his wings creating a protective shelter. This female was his future. His everything. And Heaven help anyone who tried to take her from him.
"We should probably get up," she murmured after a while, though she made no move to leave his embrace. "Check on how the cleanup's going."
"The others have it handled." He tightened his arms around her, unwilling to let her go just yet. "Right now, all that matters is you getting rest."
She huffed a laugh against his skin. "Is that what we're calling what just happened? Rest?"
"I'm making sure you stay in bed." His smirk probably gave away his intentions. "By whatever means necessary."
Her answering smile was pure sin as she pressed closer. "In that case, Archangel, I think I need a lot more rest." Sparkling green eyes locked onto his, ensnaring him.
A slow, seductive smile curved her lips, and she slid her hands up along the seams where his wings inserted in his back. Her smile turned wicked as she teased him. Her laughter was a melody that sent a rush of heat through him. “Now that you’ve taken the edge off, we can go slower this time,” she told him.
A groan escaped his throat when her nails skimmed across his chest and over his nipples. “Who said my need has abated?” One of his eyebrows lifted. “It’s going to be hard to be gentle.” Her happiness and pleasure would always be his highest priority. She deserved nothing less.
“Who asked you to be gentle? I need more of you. Now,” Amelia demanded. He couldn’t deny his mate what she wanted.
Camael's mouth went dry as his gaze lowered to her breasts. She was stunning as she lay back on the bed after he’d already fucked her, asking for more. Even rumpled from a fight, she was devastatingly sexy. She bent one knee and reached for his erection.
He shifted his pelvis away from her hands, and they landed on his hips. They roamed up his sides. She lifted her head to press her lips to his. Meeting her halfway, he kissed her deeply. The tension inside him was already unbearable again as he hovered over her. He broke away and began kissing a trail down her neck. His lips tingled as he reached her shoulder. Her soft, panting breaths were intoxicating. Unable to hold back, he ran his tongue over her nipple. He teased the hardened peak. That small contact made him painfully hard.
Returning to her mouth, he captured her lips. She arched against him, making her nipples brush his chest. The contact sent a sharp jolt of pleasure through him. Though his instincts urged him to lose control, he forced himself to slow down. She was still recovering, and he couldn’t forget that again.
“This is torture. I need you inside me,” she begged, arching her back .
Her plea unraveled him. Breaking the kiss, he moved down her body. His lips explored every inch. He lavished attention on her nipples, sucking and licking until her breaths came in quick, desperate gasps. When he reached the apex of her thighs, her scent filled the air and drove him wild. His fingers brushed against her arousal and slid between her folds.
“It might be torture to go slow, but I can’t resist exploring your perfection,” he murmured.
Smiling, she spread her legs. Her wetness glistened in the dim light. That sight obliterated any restraint he had left. “Fuck,” he muttered, unable to look away as he rubbed her clit.
Her hips bucked against his hand, seeking more. Giving in, he pressed harder, his fingers finding her entrance. Her body clenched around him, making him groan. Lowering his head, he pressed a line of kisses to her inner thigh as his thumb circled her sensitive bud. That was all it took for her to cry out his name. Her body shook as her climax took hold.
“Fuck me,” she panted, her voice raw with need.
“Anything you want, love.” Nudging her legs apart, he took in the sight of her. She was fucking perfect. Everything from her bright eyes to the way her arousal shimmered in the light to the inviting curve of her smile stirred his possessive nature.
His cock ached as he ran it along her folds, coating himself in her slick heat. Her hips rose to meet him, her need matching his. “You are my everything,” he whispered. “I want to give you all of me. My Light, my soul, and my heart.”
“Anything, as long as you fuck me,” Amelia urged.
Camael kissed her as he aligned their bodies. With a single, powerful thrust, he filled her a second time in less than an hour. She cried out. Her walls gripped him tightly, and he almost lost himself in the sensation. Like the last time, their movements became a frenzy of need and passion. His wings spread wide as her hands roamed over the feathers. She clung to him. Her nails raked across his back and she spurred him on.
He lost himself in the feel of her and had to hold back his climax. He wasn’t going over without her. He reached between them and started rubbing her clit with precision. In no time, her body convulsed as her orgasm ripped through her. He let go of the tight hold he had on himself and followed her over the edge. Light exploded around them as he poured every ounce of his being into her. Collapsing beside her, he held her close. His heart was nearly pounding out of his chest. He prayed his love and Light would be enough to protect her from the darkness Lucifer was trying to bring to the world.
“I will never get enough of you,” he told her honestly.
“Good because I’m not done with you yet,” she replied with a wicked glint.
That started round number three. Camael thought he was back in heaven when he tasted his witch for the first time. He lost count of the orgasms. It wasn’t until hours later, as dawn painted his room in shades of gold and promise, that Camael finally watched his witch sleep. The sight of her safe in his bed soothed something primal in his soul. Whatever came next - Lucifer, Jeremiel, all of it - they would face it together. Let Heaven and Hell throw whatever they wanted at them. He had his warriors at his back and his witch by his side. That was all he needed. That, and maybe a few more hours of "rest" before they had to face whatever chaos waited outside his door.