Redemption (29 page)

“Forever,” he finally whispers in my
hair.

“I could kill Keegan for making you feel
this way,” I say.

“You heard?” he whispers.

“Every word. I’m sorry that I’m coming
between you and your brother.”

Asher pulls back so he can look at me.
“You’re not, siren. Don’t ever think that. Keegan is just being
stubborn. I would think if anyone can appreciate that quality, it
would be you siren, yeah?” He smirks.

I offer a sad smile. “I don’t want you to
hurt. When you do, so do I.”

He exhales and rubs his hands over his face
and through his hair, as I sit back. “Then stop getting injured,
siren, because I swear to fucking God I’m not sure how many more
times I can see you lying helplessly. When your heart stopped, so
did mine. You understand?”

I scan his eyes and after a while, I nod.
“Okay.”

“The thought of an existence without you.”
He stops and just pins me with his eyes.

“Now you know how scared I am of losing you,
Ash.” My voice a quiet hush. “If there was something you could do
to ensure my existence, would you do it?”

“In a fucking heartbeat.” His tone is
serious.

“Then allow me the same opportunity. I can
guarantee your existence.” He shakes his head. “Ash.” I grab the
sides of his face, forcing eye contact. “The divination states that
if our souls become one, my light will breathe life into yours.
Don’t you see? You can’t cease to exist at someone else’s hands
that way? We’d be liberated from the fear of stone
petrifaction.”

“You haven’t even finished your ascension,
siren. We don’t know what a soul bonding will do to that. I don’t
want you to mate me for the sole reason of redemption.”

Aggravated with him, I growl then take
another approach. I stand, push my shoulders back and tilt my chin
before crossing my arms over my chest and lowering my voice.

“Do you doubt my love for you, gargoyle?” I
challenge.

“What?”

“Do. You. Doubt. My. Love. For. You? It’s a
simple question.”

Asher takes in my stance. “No.”

“Do you doubt my loyalty to you?”

“No.”

“Do you doubt that I want to spend the rest
of my existence by your side?”

The sides of his mouth turn up. “No, siren.
I don’t.”

“Good.” I nod my head once. “Then Asher St.
Michael, will you do me the honor of being your mate?”

Asher just gives me his sexy smirk, sits
back in the chair and folds his arms. “Are you seducing me,
siren?”

I can’t help my smile. “I’m asking you to
spend forever with me.”

“So you’re proposing bondage then?”
Damn
gargoyle.

“Asher.” I sigh in exhaustion.

“Siren,” he retorts wickedly.

“Stop being an ass,” I reprimand.

“I’m just saying, siren, that a gargoyle.”
He pauses. “Correction, a royal gargoyle, likes to be romanced. I
mean, if you’re going to ask me to bond my soul to yours forever, I
expect a proposal on one knee, maybe a ring to solidify our union.
For sure sexy lingerie.”

“You know what, I’ve changed my mind. I hope
that you enjoy a long life as a stone statue. I mean, you are,
after all, a gargoyle. It would seem the only ‘
royal’
thing
about you, Asher St. Michael, is that you’re a royal pain in the
ass.” I spin to leave but not before Asher’s up in the blink of an
eye. He twists me so I face him.

“Don’t you want my answer?” he asks then
presses his lips to my neck.

“Nope. I’m all set,” I say with
defiance.

His eyes widen in surprise. “Really?”

“Really,” I confirm.

“You sure?” he teases, stepping into my
space so our hips and chests touch.
Damn him.

“Positive. I can’t think of anything worse
than being stuck with you for eternity.”

“Is that so?” He arches a brow as his gaze
flicks to my mouth.

“That’s so.” My lips part on an inhale.

“Too bad.”

“Why?”

“Because I would love to be mated to you,
siren.” His voice is deep and sexy.

“You would?” I breathe.

“If you truly want me forever, I’m yours,”
Asher says with a grin.

“I do. I want you. Forever,” I answer in a
low voice.

He watches me for a moment before his eyes
warm. “Then it’s settled.”

“It is?” I question in a breathy manner.

“We leave for Wiltshire this evening.”

“Wiltshire?”

“I want you in my stone state bed when I
take your virtue and make you mine forever.”

My heart slams against my chest. “Oh,” I
manage lamely.

“Oh?” His lips curve.

I bite my lip and smile. “I mean, that
sounds amazing. You’re so awesome, Asher St. Michael. I can’t wait
to be bonded to you for eternity. I’m the luckiest girl alive,” I
tease.

He growls and yanks me forward. “Fuck,
that’s what I wanted to hear, siren.”

“I do hope I am not interrupting.” Michael’s
voice booms.
Damn his timing
.

“Not at all. Eve and I were just discussing
divine intervention and how it affects modern society,” Asher says
with a serious face.

“I see. Eve, if you’d like clarification on
divine intervention, perhaps I could be of assistance. I am, after
all, an archangel. A protector is not a being I would take advice
from on that matter,” Michael clips.

I step in between them.

Asher comes up behind me, wrapping his arms
around my waist and pulling me to him tightly. His chin drops and
rests on my shoulder.
Clearly, he’s marking his
territory.

“Any word on Elizabeth?” I ask.

Michael ignores Asher’s stance as his face
falls. “Not yet. We are working on a plan of extraction. However,
we’re awaiting orders from the Angelic Council before we can
proceed.”

I pull my brows together. “So you’re telling
me you can’t go save her without approval?”

The archangel sighs and leans against the
conference table, crossing his arms. “It’s not that simple, Eve.
There are rules and protocols that need to be followed.”

“The same rules and protocols that were
followed to keep her safe?” I bark.

“Settle down, siren,” Asher whispers in my
ear.

“Eve, I understand you are still getting
used to our ways, however, this is not a game. I am a warrior of
Heaven. Therefore, I need to abide by the Angelic Council’s rules
and wishes. When I am called back, I go. When I am sent down to the
earth realm, I come. My missions are granted by Heaven,” he
explains.

“I see. So you’re saying your life is not
your own. You have no choice in the decisions that are made for
you. Well, that, angel of Heaven, is something I can relate to.” I
level him with my stare.

Michael’s eyes twinkle with something that
looks like pride. “Mr. St. Michael, would you be kind enough to
give Eve and I a private moment, please?”

“You okay with that?” Asher’s breath tickles
my ear.

“Yep.” I pop my p for effect.

“I’ll go make plans for Wiltshire.” His
voice is filled with promise.

I turn my head and meet his eyes. “Okay,” I
whisper.

He kisses my temple and lets me go. My gaze
follows his retreat until he’s left the room then it swings back to
the angel in front of me.

“You really do love him?” Michael says in a
soft manner.

“Yes.” I blush.

Michael sighs before standing tall. “Though
I’ve made my opinion on the matter clear as the warrior of Heaven.”
He swallows and trails off. Michael’s eyes shift to the right and
then back to me. “As your father, I am very pleased with your
choice, Eve.”

My gut clenches as if I’ve been punched. I’m
not sure how to process the statement. So, I just sit down in a
chair and stare at him. “I don’t know how to respond to that.”

“Which part? That I approve of your
boyfriend or that I am your father?” he asks.

“Both.” I exhale. “For the record, I think
dads aren’t supposed to approve of the boyfriend.”

This earns me a light chuckle. “Then it
would appear I have some research to do on being a father.”

“Um…” I draw out.

Michael grabs a chair and places it directly
in front of me before taking a seat.

“I do not desire to cause you pain, Eve, but
I wish you to know that you are so much like Libby. I had not
realized it until now. You are strong, beautiful, and full of life
and spunk. She has done a wonderful job raising you.”

I remain silent while the heat seeps across
my face. I focus on fiddling with my nail polish. It’s chipping. I
really should get it fixed.

“I was there, you know.”

“Where?” I ask.

“Throughout your life, though you may not
remember, for protection purposes. Many times I had to watch from
afar, but I was there, Eve. I held Libby’s hand through your birth.
I watched you blow every single birthday candle out from age one to
eighteen. Each first day of school, I looked over you to make sure
you were all right. I experienced every recital, game and
accomplishment you’ve had over the years. I held back killing the
human you picked for your first date. I was present for each and
every holiday. I was part of it all.”

My eyes begin to sting with tears from the
pain of his words. All I ever wanted was a mother and father and
turns out both were there, all along.

“I realize your path is not easy but you are
strong, brave and intelligent. Thanks to Libby. If anyone can
fulfill this destiny, daughter of Heaven, it is you. I will still
be here, by your side, every step of the way. You can count on me.
Libby and I love you very much. We are both extremely proud of the
woman you have become. Though we might not have handled our roles
in your life very well, know this, we are proud to be your
parents.” He chokes. “I will bring your mother back to you. Rest
assured.”

I swallow the painful lump my tears are
causing. Wiping them away with the back of my hands, I nod. “Thank
you.” It’s all I can manage. I’m tired of fighting.

“It truly is my pleasure,” he responds.

“Why didn’t you both just tell me from the
beginning? Why all the lies and the human parents? What was your
reasoning?” I question.

Michael rubs his face before his hands clasp
in front of him. “In my world, Eve, there are rules. If they are
not followed, an angel is sentenced to fall. Do you know what that
means? It means that the angel is cast out of Heaven. For some, the
punishment is Hell and for others, it’s to live a mundane life on
earth. We are bound to Heaven, created to serve and protect. If we
break that oath, we are exiled.”

“How does that relate to lying to me?” I ask
tersely.

“Angels are not allowed to fall in love with
humans, let alone mate with them. The moment I saw Libby though, I
was spellbound and charmed by her. Instantly, we fell into sort of
a passionate madness, if you will, one that neither of us wanted to
end. I told her I would fall for her, in more ways than one.” His
lips twitch into a sad smile. “However, being the fiercely stubborn
woman she is, she would hear none of it.” His voice is wistful.

“Angels and humans can obviously have
children,” I state in irritation.

Michael pauses a moment. “Technically, no,
Eve. Only a fallen angel can mate with a human. When they fall,
even though they are not granted a soul, they become human. Their
offspring are called nephilim. It is, however, uncommon for an
archangel and human to produce a child.”

“Why?” I ask with a sinking feeling.

“We are created of fire, not human DNA.
Therefore, it is normally impossible. This was an exception. The
ONLY exception,” he reminds.

“So you just left? I guess in this instance,
love was sacrificed for duty?” I throw out.

“I’m afraid that even the beauty of love
cannot override destiny and responsibilities, Eve. That is the
lesson I have been trying to teach you.” He smiles to himself.
“Although, like Libby, I see that your love for him is
endless.”

“I will not disregard the sacrifices he has
made for me, for destiny,” I state.

“It was Libby’s desire I keep my position as
a warrior of Heaven. It was her wish that I stay in Heaven and she
remained here on earth with our daughter. We too made sacrifices on
your behalf, Eve. When we discovered Libby was with child, our
first thought was your protection. You are the only one of your
kind. You are the wonderful creation of love between an archangel
and human. If discovered, your existence would be ended. The divine
would see you as a betrayal of my service. The Dark Army would see
you as a threat. Unlike the nephilim, your bloodline is pure. You
have the blood of Heaven like an angel, yet a human soul, which
makes you dangerous to everyone.”

“So you changed my bloodline?”

“In an attempt to hide you, I had Everley,
the cherub, touch your bloodline, altering it. I went to the
council and made sure they understood how important your existence
is to them, so they would protect you. I knew Lucifer would want
you destroyed no matter what. The divine, though, if I positioned
you as a weapon to use to tip the balance in the war, I knew they’d
protect you with all of the offerings of Heaven. Which they did,
until your eighteenth birthday.”

I just sit back and attempt to wrap my head
around this.

“And Asher’s bloodline?”

“I am not at liberty to divulge that
information.”

“Your plan is flawed because I am human.
With emotions and feelings. I was a child, abandoned by her
parents. Only to find out, it was all a lie.” My tone is curt.

“We were protecting you,” he says.

“By lying to me,” I retort. “You both should
have told me.”

“You are correct. For that, I am sorry. We
only did what we felt was best at the time.”

We sit in silence for a while. Both just
taking in all the pieces of this fucked up tale.

“I hope, in time, you will begin to accept
and lean on me when you need to,” he says.