No Shadows Fall (29 page)

“Mishka?” Gabriel asked.

Michael shook his head and sat down on the ground. “Will you join me?”

“Aye, okay.” Gabriel sat down beside him. After a moment, he used his power to pull in some driftwood and dry it out. He made a small ring out of broken off pieces of rock and marble, and set the driftwood in the center of it, then lit the wood with a thought.

The little fire burned merrily, and Michael smiled, leaning into Gabriel.

“You are very kind, Gabriel.”

“Just don’t want you to get frostbite is all, baby. What’s going on?”

Michael sighed. “I wish to tell you a story. Do you promise not to interrupt me until I am finished?”

Gabriel, even more confused now, nodded. “Okay.”

“Thank you.” Michael was silent for a moment, and the only sounds were the wind off the coast and the crackling of their fire in front of them.

“Once upon a time,” Michael began, “there was a water-dragon named Shuilóng. He lived in a very large river and was very happy. One summer, there was a terrible fire, and all the creatures fled from the flames. Most of them were able to cross the river to safety on the other side, but one could not.

“Shuilóng heard the cries of fear coming from the bank and lifted his head from the water. A land-turtle was there, and he was weeping. The fire was approaching rapidly and Shuilóng wondered why the land-turtle had not crossed the river to safety.

“‘Pardon me,’ said Shuilóng, ‘but why have you not crossed the river?’

“‘I cannot,’ said the land-turtle. ‘I cannot swim.’

“‘Then let me carry you across to safety,’ Shuilóng offered.

“The land-turtle was very grateful. ‘Thank you,’ he said.

“‘Climb onto my back,’ Shuilóng instructed, ‘and I will carry you to the safety of the other shore.’

“The land-turtle did as he was told, and Shuilóng carried him easily over to the bank. As the land-turtle climbed off the water-dragon’s back, Shuilóng asked him what his name was.

“‘I am Wu-gui. What is your name, friend?’

“‘I am Shuilóng.’

“‘I am pleased to meet you. You have saved my life, Shuilóng, and I am in your debt.’

“Shuilóng smiled at Wu-gui. ‘You do not owe me anything, Wu-gui. But I hope that we may be friends.’

“‘I would like that very much,’ said Wu-gui. ‘I will come and see you again.’ And then he slowly plodded off to make a new home on that side of the river.

“Every month for the next two years, Wu-gui and Shuilóng met at the riverbank and talked. Their friendship grew and grew, and they cared very much for each other. And then, in the third year, there was a drought. It was a terrible drought, and it dried up the river.

“Wu-gui went to find his friend as quickly as his legs could carry him. He was very frightened for Shuilóng, for he did not know if Shuilóng could survive without water. His fears were confirmed when he arrived at the river and saw it was dry and his good, dear friend, beloved Shuilóng, lay dying in the unforgiving sun that beat down on him.

“‘Shuilóng!’ Wu-gui cried as he went to his side.

“‘Wu-gui. I did not wish you to see me die,’ said Shuilóng, ‘but I am glad to be able to bid you farewell.’

“Wu-gui wept, for Shuilóng was his dearest companion and friend. ‘Oh Gods,’ the land-turtle cried, raising his face toward the Heavens, ‘please take pity on your poor creatures and let the rains come so that my beloved water-dragon, Shuilóng, may live.’

“The Gods were moved by Wu-gui’s plea, and they caused the rain clouds to move in. The rain began to fall, and the river slowly filled up. Wu-gui remained beside his beloved Shuilóng, even as the waters slowly rose, for he would not leave Shuilóng alone.

“As the waters grew higher and higher, Shuilóng, recovering from days in the hot sun, lifted his head. ‘Wu-gui,’ he said, ‘climb onto my back, and I will use my wings to protect you from the rain. I would not see you die when you have saved my life.’

“So Wu-gui did as Shuilóng bid and was protected from the deluge of rain and the rising river waters. As Shuilóng’s strength returned, he carried his friend to the shallows of the river so that Wu-gui could be safe on land.

“‘You saved my life before,’ said Wu-gui, ‘and now I have saved yours. But I would not leave you, dear friend, for you are my closest companion.’

“And Shuilóng smiled at him and said, ‘I would not have you leave me, for you are my closest companion also.’

“And they lived together until the end of their days, the land-turtle and the water-dragon, for even opposites may yet be great friends and the closest of companions.

“You are my water-dragon, Gabriel. You are my Shuilóng. Without you, I am lost and I am alone. I do not want to lose you,
da bao
. Please be careful when fighting Semjaza. I cannot lose you, just as Wu-gui could not lose his Shuilóng.”

Gabriel turned and faced Michael, his eyes wide. He cupped Michael’s face in his hands and kissed his forehead, then his nose, then his cheeks. “
Solnyshko
,” he said in a soft, intense voice, “I would never leave you. I promise that I won’t let Semjaza get the better of me.”

Michael smiled. “Thank you, Gabriel.”

“And that was a beautiful story, Mishka.” Gabriel rested his forehead against Michael’s. “Thank you, my poet.”

Michael’s smile turned shy. “You are very kind, Gabriel.”

“May I kiss you?”

Michael nodded. “I would like that very much, in truth.”

Gabriel kissed him, soft and slow at first but with growing passion. Michael climbed onto Gabriel’s lap, and Gabriel wrapped his arms around Michael’s body, holding him close as they kissed.

Desire rose, pooling low in his belly, and Gabriel ran his hands up and down Michael’s back.
“I want you, Michael.”
His mental voice was a low purr of need.

“Then you should have me.”

“We should go somewhere a little warmer, though.”

For answer, Michael only hummed, pressing even closer to Gabriel and sliding a hand beneath his clothes to rest his palm against Gabriel’s chest. There was a whisper of power and Gabriel felt his lover create a barrier around them so no snow or cold wind could be felt.

He grinned into the kiss, laying Michael back on the ground, beside the crackling fire. Covering Michael’s body with his own, Gabriel kissed Michael harder, hungrily, sliding his hands beneath Michael’s shirt to stroke his stomach. Michael groaned into the kiss, arching into Gabriel’s body, moving his own hands straight to Gabriel’s wing joints and rubbing.

With a low moan, Gabriel used his power to get them both naked, not caring where their clothing ended up. He kissed his way down Michael’s body, teasing each nipple with the tip of his tongue, then made his way down Michael’s muscled torso, sliding his tongue between each well-defined ab and oblique. Michael’s noises grew louder, hungrier, as Gabriel kissed his way down the treasure trail of dark hair that led to his cock, and as Gabriel gave the head of that straining hardness a gentle lick, Michael whined, bucking his hips.

Shooting Michael a quick grin, Gabriel parted his lips and took Michael’s cock into his mouth. He sucked and licked, roaming his hands over Michael’s warm skin as Michael tangled his hands in Gabriel’s hair, tugging and pulling.

“G-Gabriel,” Michael panted as Gabriel snaked his tongue around the crown of Michael’s cock.

“Mmm, Michael. You feel good.”
Gabriel slipped a hand between Michael’s thighs to fondle his balls, and Michael gave voice to a low cry and arched, coming thick and hot on Gabriel’s tongue.

Gabriel swallowed him down and slowly pulled back, giving Michael’s cock one last gentle lick. Then he crawled up to kiss Michael’s mouth, a low noise of contentment coming from him as Michael wound his arms around him.

“Take me,” Michael whispered between hot, hungry kisses. “Please, Gabriel. I need you.”

Gabriel nipped Michael’s lower lip gently. “I want you to know, Mishka, that I love you. More than I know how to say. I need you, want you, love you.”

Michael reached up to touch Gabriel’s cheek with gentle fingers. “I love you also.”

Gabriel used his power to slick himself, and as Michael lifted his legs to wrap them around Gabriel’s waist, he slowly thrust into Michael’s body. Gabriel groaned loudly in desire, and Michael tugged him down for another kiss, just as hard and hungry as their first.

It wasn’t going to take him long, Gabriel thought as he thrust hard and deep into Michael’s body and kissed him with artless passion. He was too aroused, needed this too much. Michael responded to Gabriel’s need with his own, rocking onto Gabriel’s cock, his hands in Gabriel’s feathers, his wings sliding against Gabriel’s.

As Gabriel worked a hand between them to wrap around Michael’s cock and stroke it, Michael cried out, his legs clenching around Gabriel’s body. Gabriel moaned, breaking the kiss to breathe, and with one more hard thrust, he came. He continued to stroke Michael’s cock, and it was only a few moments later that Michael came as well.

They lay together, panting, unwilling to let go of each other or move away from each other. Above them, the sky grew darker, and the snow created a blanket of white on top of Michael’s barrier. Gabriel chuckled as he looked up at it.

“We’ll have to send the snow somewhere else before you let that barrier down,” he teased. “Or we’ll be frosty snowmen in our own broken snow globe.”

Michael laughed. “In truth, I had forgotten it. I was focused entirely on you.”

Gabriel kissed him softly. “Aye, I was the same.”

“You will be careful in Washington?”

“Aye, I will.” Gabriel cupped Michael’s cheek with one hand. “Anyway, you’ll be close, keeping an eye on things.”

“I will. I would not be anywhere else.” Michael’s expression grew somber. “I must tell you, Gabriel, that I do have some misgivings about this plan of Raziel’s.”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any,” Gabriel agreed. “But there ain’t no other way to do this. Is there?”

Michael shrugged. “Perhaps. In any case, I will not mourn Semjaza’s passing. In truth, I will be glad of it.”

“You know what I’ll be glad of?” Gabriel slowly began to rock into Michael’s body, running a hand down his side.

“No, what?” Michael’s voice was a little breathy as he rocked into each thrust.

“I’ll be glad when we can spend a good long while together without any bloody drama or disaster rising up to tear us away. I ain’t wanted much in my life, but I want us to have a proper post-bonding holiday.”

“I confess that I like the sound of that.” Michael reached up to pull Gabriel down for another kiss. “I like the sound of that a great deal.”

Gabriel kissed him eagerly, as his thrusts gradually sped up, and his wings twined with Michael’s as they fucked.

Afterward, they lay together as their fire died down. Finally, a few hours before dawn, Gabriel got to his feet, helping Michael stand up.

“We should probably be getting back, yeah?”

Michael sighed and nodded. “Yes.”

They dressed, and Gabriel extinguished the fire. Then Michael removed the barrier, making sure the snow didn’t land on them. Hand in hand, Gabriel and Michael walked slowly back toward the cottage.

“Not long now,” Gabriel remarked.

“No indeed.” Michael’s grip on Gabriel’s hand tightened.

“It’ll be okay,
solnyshko
,” Gabriel said, kissing Michael’s cheek.

“I hope so.”

“Trust me.” Gabriel smiled at Michael.

“I do, Gabriel. Completely and implicitly. I do not trust Semjaza, however.”

“Nor do I.” Gabriel wrinkled his nose. “Still, we’ll get this done and then we can relax.”

Michael gave him a sad little smile and said nothing.

“I
FEEL
like a damn gargoyle,” Uriel complained.

“You look like one too,” Raziel replied.

They were sitting on a ledge at the very top of the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral. They had shielded themselves so they were invisible to human, demon, and angel eyes, which, Uriel thought, was just as well considering Raziel had unfurled his wings and had them lifted up, the wind catching his feathers and making them rustle.

“Why do you do that with your wings?” Uriel asked.

“I like the feeling of the crosswinds in my feathers.” Raziel swung one leg slowly back and forth. “You should try it.”

“Huh.” Uriel considered that and then shook his head. “Maybe later, when I’m not so worried.”

“About the plan?”

“Yeah.” Uriel scowled. “This isn’t guaranteed, Razzy.”

“I know.” Raziel sighed. “Still, can you think of anything better?”

“No. And that sucks.” Uriel scowled.

“We’ll be very close if anything goes wrong.” Raziel looked out over Paris. “We should head down to the Champs-Élysées and meet Ondrass, Adramelek, and Markus soon.”

“Hm. Maybe.” Uriel’s frown deepened. “I don’t like this at all.”

“Lucifer’s interest makes me nervous.”

Uriel barked a harsh laugh. “You and me both, baby. We were very angry back then,” he mused reflectively, thinking back on deeds long gone and times long past. “Now… I understand why God ordered us to do what we did. In Eden, after the expulsion.”

“The orders not to kill Ish’s kids were wise. We all need to love and be loved,” Raziel agreed. “It’s what separates us from the rocks.”

“Profound.” Uriel lit a cigar. “Ah, Raz,” he continued, looping an arm around the younger Archangel’s shoulders. “I would be so damn lost without you around. And before you ask, no, I’m not getting sappy, because I’m not the Archangel of Cheese. That’s Gabriel and Michael. I’m saying that you’re not just my lover, you’re my best friend.”

“I feel the same,” Raziel said, squeezing Uriel’s thigh with his hand. “We’re besties, as the kids say, and we’re lovers, and we’re bonded. We did that a month or so ago, as I recall.”

“Mm.” Uriel grinned as he remembered their bonding ritual. “That was a fucking sexy night.”

“The others don’t know, though, do they?”

“That we had a fucking sexy night?”

“Ha-ha, very funny.” Raziel huffed, though he sounded amused as he continued. “No, they don’t know that we bonded, is what I meant.”