Page 8 of Infernal

The intensity of his eyes made a flutter of heat ripple through my insides.

Obviously, this wasn’t going anywhere. Well, nowhere good, anyway. This was exactly the reason I needed space from him. I couldn’t think straight when he was this close, nor did I have the energy to keep pushing him away, especially when his proximity was the only thing that quelled the growing volcano inside of me.

I pulled my hands free. “If you want to keep me from peril, you can start by staying the hell away from me.” There was destruction in my tone, but I wasn’t sure if it was meant for Dominic or myself.

“That isn’t what you want, and we both know it.”

“Wanna bet?” I said, my jaw clenching so hard I could hear my teeth gnashing together.

“Alright, angel,” he said as he looked at me for a harrowing moment and then nodded, “It’s your funeral.”

“That’s right! It is my funeral, so stay the hell out of it!”

Wait, what? Did I really just say that?

He shook his head at me and then picked up his drink from the coffee table. My heart sank a little as I watched him leave the room, but that wasn’t nearly as disturbing as the immediate ache that followed his departure. It was the kind of separation anxiety that made my skin crawl and my head pound from the inside out. I immediately tried to shake it away, forcing myself to stay focused on what was most important. You know, the latest nightmare unfolding within my life. And it took every bit of strength I had to accomplish the feat.

“Does the Council know?” I asked Gabriel as I rubbed my temples in an effort to ease the gnawing discomfort.

“Yes.” He nodded. “They’re aware that Lucifer is earthbound.”

“Do they know that Trace is the vessel?”

He shook his head. “He has yet to show himself since Angel’s Peak.”

“Why not?” Hope immediately ignited inside me. Maybe something went wrong. Maybe the ritual didn’t take. Maybe Trace was fine and just waiting for me to get out there and find him. “That has to mean something, right?”

“Yes. If he’s laying low, it’s certainly for a reason.” He paused, his forehead creasing as he continued. “Most likely it means he’s biding his time, or worse, he’s making plans.”

And there went my bloom of hope.

“So, no news is bad news,” I surmised. “And my sister?”

“I haven’t been able to reach her yet. I’m guessing the Order’s already mobilized her.”

We both knew what that meant. The clock was ticking.

His eyebrows furrowed when he added, “You should know, they’ve requested a meeting.”

“The Council?”

He nodded. “I think you should hear them out. If there’s a way to save Trace, the Order will know.”

“I don’t doubt that,” I answered dryly. “I just don’t trust them to tell me about it.”

Not even Gabriel could argue that one.

“I’ll leave the final decision up to you,” he said, his moss eyes glimmering with sincerity. “But I don’t see what other choice we have right now. We’re completely in the dark, Jemma.”

I needed another option more than I needed air right now. Unfortunately, I was too tired and spent to come up with any useful alternatives. I folded my arms across my chest as the unease continued to slash its way through my body.

“You know it’s only going to get worse,” he cautioned, his ominous tone further aggravating my anxiety.

“What that’s? My life?” I snorted tartly. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I meant the bloodbond.”

Moisture left my mouth as I met Gabriel’s eyes. We had yet to have a conversation about the bloodbond, and frankly, I wanted to keep it that way. I wasn’t exactly comfortable with Gabriel knowing that I had sealed that deal with his brother and willingly offered myself up to him on more than one occasion.

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