Page 65 of A Shadow in the Reaping
"No," Ashen growls. It's such a small word, and yet it feels filled with feral rage.
Eryx purses his lips in a displeased pout. "Why?"
"Firstly, you just said yourself that there are those in your realm that seek to aid the werewolves."
"Not the House of the Virtues," Eryx says, emphatically shaking his head. "Lu would be safer there than in any realm."
"Forgive me if I don't believe a word you say,anunnaki. Your kind lie more masterfully than any creature to walk the Earth," Ashen seethes. Eryx has a genuine look of shock and dismay as he sets his mug on the counter. "Secondly, the last angel we saw shredded Lu's face. I presume that one wasn't even trying to do us harm."
The color seems to drain from the angel's skin. He looks from Ashen to me and back again, his smile collapsing into a grimace. Eryx swallows but it looks like it takes effort to do so.
How odd, I think. And I'm not the only one that notices.
"That's right,anunnaki. Down to the bone. There was blood everywhere. It was carnage."
Eryx raises his fist to his mouth and clears his throat, his other hand gripping the edge of the countertop.
"That is..." Eryx swallows again. I swear his skin is turning grey. "That is so unfortunate."
"Yes, and it's a very good thing we figured out a solution as your brethren drifted away into the sky without a backward glance. Speaking of which, Lu, you must be famished," Ashen says, looking down at me. I am, actually. I'm fuckingstarving. "Take more of my blood."
I glance at Eryx and he looks like he might vomit across the polished stone. Ashen gives the slightest hint of a sly smile as he removes his palm from my stomach and raises his wrist close to my lips. "Just trust me," he whispers.
The flowery sweetness of venom blossoms from my fangs as they expand in my mouth. I take Ashen's wrist in my hands and run my thumb down the blue line of the radial artery. My eyes drift closed with the scent of blood beneath skin. I press my lips there, an apology for the pain I'm about to cause. Ashen doesn't move when my teeth slide into his flesh. He stays carefully still as I take the first draw of his rich blood and open my glowing eyes.
Eryx grips onto the countertop as though it's a lifeboat on a raging sea. His skin has taken on a greenish hue. I can see a sheen of sweat on his brow. The hummingbird rhythm of his heart takes flight. I swallow another long pull of blood from Ashen's arm and it floods my veins with its effervescent heat.Fuuuuck it tastes so good. It warms my chest and sparks the engine of desire in my heart, a longing for more than I should ever want from a demon of the Shadow Realm. I take one more draw from his wrist before I force myself to let go.
"I'm sorry, does this bother you?" I ask Eryx in a voice as thick as syrup. I clamp my hand down on the bite. One look at my bloody smile and Eryx tilts off the stool and hits the floor, his wings crashing like a spilled armory of blades across the stone.
"I think that's ayes. Time to go," Ashen says, pulling away to grab a tea towel for the bite. His wings disappear in a blur of smoke and sparks. The hellfire evaporates from his sword. We gather our bags and weapons and rush from the house, leaving the angel passed out on the floor.
"I feel kinda bad for him," I say as I slide into the passenger seat of Ashen’s car and clip my seatbelt closed. "He seemed nice."
"Of course he seemed nice. He's an angel. That's what they do. One moment they're talking about how much they love water, for fucksakes, and the next they're slicing your face up with their feathers," Ashen replies, twisting in his seat as he backs the car up at speed. The tires drift on the gravel as he slams his foot to the brake and shifts to drive. We speed away from the house, the pervasive fog thinning until it disappears at the road.
"We never got to hear his plan.”
"I am sure it was a genius strategy that involved him fainting at the first hint of a fight while you and I saved the realms."
I let out a conspiratorial laugh, which quickly dies as a wave of dread closes my throat. "About that... how are we supposed to do that, exactly?.."
Ashen lets go of a heavy sigh, his grip tensing on the wheel as he stares down the road that meets us. "I do not know, but we'd better come up with something fast. Time is not on our side."
"Well that's a shame, because I'm so fucking hungry I can't even think," I lament, looking out the window as we pass by fields of sheep.
I see Ashen's reflection in my window as he glances at me. He reaches to the back seat of his car for one of the bags. "There's a cooler in there," he says. I give him a half smile and open the backpack, rummaging inside for a bag of blood. I empty it into a thermal mug and sip away but it tastes bland and boring, too cold and flavorless to really sate my thirst, especially as Ashen's blood still tingles in my veins.
"Thank you," I say in a quiet voice. "It's not the same but it helps. But I'll need to eat properly before tonight."
"What's tonight?"
"Andy?.. The movies?.."
I feel Ashen's body tense beside me. I hear the quickening beat of his heart. "You're still going? With the detective with the ugly plants?"
I look out the window to hide my smile. "Well, it doesn't really seem fair to just text him. He's been trying for months to ask me out. I thought I'd go and then friendzone him afterwards." I glance at the steering wheel as Ashen's grip tightens across the leather.
"Can you not just... eat him?" he asks, and I burst out laughing.
