Page 14 of Semi-Fallen

Haven would probably toss out a witty, light-hearted reply. Something coy and adorable and pithy. But Lane wasn’t feeling particularly light-hearted at the thought of something bad happening to Lucien. And she couldn’t imagine that Heaven was forgiving when their foot soldiers went AWOL. So, all she could do was swallow hard and nod, because she was very worried about him for some reason.

His expression softened and she nearly forgot how to breathe when he cupped her jaw in one hand and let his thumb gently sweep over her cheekbone. “Good,” he said. “I think I like the idea of you worrying about me.”

Oh, boy. Why did she suddenly get the feeling she was in way over her head with this man?

CHAPTER 8

So…what now?

It was a good question. Lucien wished he had an answer for her. But he—they—were on untried ground. All he could do was shrug and tell her, “All I know is that others will come for you…and that I’ll do my best to stand between you and them. But I wasn’t made as a protector.” All he’d ever known was how to destroy. Ruin. Devastate. “This is all new to me.”

She nodded, those ancient eyes of hers looking more serene than they had any right to, given the circumstances. “My family,” she signed. “They’re protectors. They can help.”

Lucien couldn’t help but smile ruefully at that. “I believe their idea of protecting you is to kill me on sight.”

Her adorable little nose wrinkled. In all fairness, you did stalk me and watch me sleep like a creeper.

Touché. “I suppose I did.”

That’s not important. I won’t let them kill you. But they have more experience fighting supernatural creatures and protecting humans than anyone on this planet. If they can’t help, no one can.

Lucien rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. He wasn’t exactly anxious to run into Lane’s family and friends a second time. The first had nearly gotten him killed. But at this point, he didn’t have a choice. Others would come for her, and he wasn’t sure he could protect her alone. He needed all the help he could get.

Before he could agree, she surprised him by signing, Can I see your wings?

He lifted a brow at the bold question. “And if I show you? Do I get something in return?”

The blush that stole across her delicate cheekbones was very interesting indeed. Exactly where had her mind taken that question? And more importantly, why was he so interested in knowing?

But she composed herself quickly and shrugged. I’m an open book, she signed. What could I give you or tell you that you don’t already know, or show you that you haven’t already seen?

Well, that was a loaded question. One he really shouldn’t answer. So instead, he unfurled his wings and let her have a look.

Her eyes widened as her gaze traveled the length of his wings. He knew they weren’t what she’d been expecting. The human media in this dimension seemed to think angel wings were feathered like bird wings. They weren’t. They were more like beams of energy that glowed with colors similar to the owner’s aura. Lucien’s wings were a multicolored mix of red, orange, green, and blue.

So pretty, she signed.

He would’ve scoffed at such a notion if anyone else had said it. Pretty. A soldier of Heaven’s wings weren’t pretty. They were powerful. Majestic, even. A badge of honor.

But for some reason, having this particular person look on him with such awe was…nice.

His breath caught in his throat as she reached out and trailed her fingertips ever so lightly over the tip of his wing. It felt far better than it should. More intimate, too.

He cleared his throat and with a snap, tucked his wings away, then offered her his hand. “Shall we go back now?”

She paused before taking his hand to sign, When we get there, dodge the flying knives.

He gave her a questioning look, to which she rolled her eyes. Just trust me. There will be at least three of them.

Lucien blew out a harsh breath. Great. Knives wouldn’t kill him, of course. But they did hurt like a son of a bitch. “Fine,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s talk to your family again.”

He tried to ignore the tingle of electricity that arched between her skin and his. That had to be the result of his angelic grace recognizing hers. What other reason could there be for such a thing to exist?

Besides, he needed to focus if he was going to keep from being captured during his second visit with Lane’s family.

This time, he’d be ready for whatever they threw at him.

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