RiskingEternity (9 page)

“Does it matter? She must go and you are not doing the job.”
Renatus
reached for Maggie and
Dominicus
knocked his hand away.

“
Dominicus
?”
Maggie called from the couch, but he didn’t dare take his attention from
Ren
. To provide an opening was to lose Maggie.

“I cannot let you take her.”

“You must. Have you not looked outside? The demons are rising. Creation is on the verge of the End Time and it’s all because of her.”

“What are you talking about?” Maggie asked, unease adding a subtle tremor to her voice. “Take me where?”

“The demons cannot have her. The Most High is the one with the power. He can stop the demons without sacrificing her soul.”

“Whoa, demons?
Sacrifice?”
She grabbed his arm and tried to jerk him around to face her. “What are you talking about,
Dominicus
?”

“He’s talking about you, foolish human,”
Ren
spat at her, his eyes narrowed in anger. “Dom was supposed to take you to Hell when you died, but he decided to make you his pet instead. He healed you and took another to feed the demons.”

“Dom, you were taking me to Hell?”

He couldn’t bear to look at her, to see the accusation in her eyes. He’d never wanted her to know what her fate held. Damn
Renatus
for telling her.

“She is not going.” Every muscle in Dom’s body quivered with rage, with the need to protect this woman.
His woman.

“It isn’t your choice.”
Renatus
moved with Heavenly speed, snagging Maggie by the wrist and jerking her toward him.

No!

Dominicus
summoned his reserves and struck
Renatus
in the chest with a bolt of power. He was weak, but it was enough to stun.
Renatus
released Maggie and gaped at Dom, his expression filled with surprise and hurt. Pulling Maggie to him, Dom tucked her safely behind his shoulder and curled his wing around her, holding her there, protected, surrounded by his body.

To get her,
Renatus
would have to go through him.

“She stays here,
Ren
.
Alive.
Healthy.
I will not give her to you any more than I would to Lucifer himself.”

Maggie curled her shaking hands into the back of his t-shirt, and the tremor ate at him. She didn’t need to know about this, there was no reason to frighten her with matters she could not control.

“Dom, I’m trying to help you. Don’t you want to come home with me?” Hurt radiated from
Renatus
and tore at
Dominicus
.

“Please, understand, I cannot let her be harmed.”

“Cannot or will not?”

“Please,
Ren
. Do not do this.” Dom held his hand out to his friend, silently pleading for understanding. Pain knifed through his chest when
Ren
simply looked at it.

“Understand what? That after all these years, I finally…” He stopped, fluttering his snowy wings and stiffening his spine. “You turn your back on me for a human.”

“
Ren
.”
Dom took a step forward, only to stop short when Maggie stumbled against his back, still held protectively in the lee of his wing. It was enough to bring him in reach. He gripped
Ren’s
arm and urged the angel close. Close enough to slide his hand up the smooth arm, tangle his fingers in golden hair, pull the seraph to him.

“Please,
Ren
. I need you to understand.”

“I understand far more than you want, my friend,” he sneered. Jerking back he tried to break free, but Dom held him, fought him. His hand fisted in gold and his arm snaked around the other angel to hold him tight.

“Do not leave, not like this, not in anger.” He bent and placed a hard kiss on
Ren’s
mouth, his lips rough with desperation. “Do not leave.”
Renatus
hesitated under his mouth. Maybe this time he would not be denied. The fantasy took shape,
Renatus’s
warm golden skin against Maggie’s creamy, freckled flesh. Could he keep them both? Dom was afraid to hope, but couldn’t stop the flutter of his heart.

“Stop it.”
Renatus
pulled back again, this time breaking free and shattering the dream. “You cannot have it both ways. You cannot Fall and still hold Heaven. If you defy the Most High’s demands, you will be cast out. Choose, Dom. Do what is right. Take her to Hell before you damn the rest of creation.”

Chapter Eight

Maggie buried her face in
Dominicus
’ broad back, shielding her eyes from the burst of golden light which accompanied
Renatus’s
exit. Breathing deep, she tried to calm her nerves and figure out what was happening. Reality had just slammed her sideways.

She had sex with an angel. Demons wanted to eat her. And, oh yeah, her new angel boyfriend had an angel boyfriend of his own. One who wanted to feed her to the
demons.

Calling her day fucked-up would be an understatement.

She eased from behind
Dominicus
’ wing to drop onto the couch before her wobbly knees gave out. Her stomach rolled and she swallowed hard against the bile rising in her throat.

“I think you forgot to mention a few details of what happened the other night, Dom.”

“There was no reason for you to have to know…”

“Bullshit! If half of what your lover boy said is true, then I have every reason.” He opened his mouth but no words came.
Dammit
she was right and he knew it.

“I don’t even know where I want to start. The fact that you’re the Angel of
Death,
or that I’m supposed to have gone to Hell. Or maybe that you’re cheating on your boyfriend with me, which is pretty fucking unfair since I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”

“
Renatus
is not my
boyfriend
.”

“I guess we’re starting with you being a cheating pig.”

He gave his wings an irritated flutter before flopping into the chair. His long legs stretched out in front of him and his arms and wings drooped over the sides. He wouldn’t look at her, choosing to focus on one wingtip as it traced small circles in her carpet.

“I am not cheating on
Renatus
. We do not have that kind of relationship.”

She snorted in disbelief. “Tell that to someone who wasn’t just in the room with the two of you. Sparks were flying everywhere and you two were most definitely playing some kissy-face there.”

“Kissy-face?”
He gave a reluctant chuckle. “Yes, I kissed him, but we are not lovers. What we are is far more complicated.”

“He was jealous.”

“Yes. I did not expect that.” Dom didn’t look unhappy about it either.

He didn’t volunteer more and she wasn’t sure how much she should ask. Picking up her coffee, she sipped while the minutes stretched out. Thunder rolled outside and Dom continued to trace the carpet with a single feather tip.

“He doesn’t want to want me. I’ve wanted him for a hundred years but he’s never felt the same way.”

“It looked like there was some serious attraction to me.”

“Attraction has never been the problem. Or perhaps that’s what started the problem. We were always friends. He was my support when…” He paused, his face contorted in remembered pain. “I had a lover, a long time ago. Philomela was a beautiful cherub, golden and bright like
Renatus
, she was my world. When Lucifer
Fell
and the Realm was torn in two, she went with him. She wanted me to go with them, to
Fall
. She said we would be powerful in the new Realm, more powerful than even the Most High.”

She gulped and choked on a mouthful of coffee, sputtering, then croaked, “When Lucifer fell?”

“Yes, when Hell was created.”

“Just how old are you, Dom?”

“Angels have no age.”

“You’re immortal.” There was no such thing as a picket fence and happily ever after with an angel. There couldn’t be, could there? Her heart twisted at the reminder.

“Not immortal. Those of the realms are infinite creatures. We have no real beginning, and we have no end.”

That sounded even worse. Deep inside, she’d hoped she could keep him. Even knowing he wasn’t human, she wanted him to be hers. She took another sip of cold, bitter coffee and tried to distract herself from what couldn’t be.

“So Philomela was what, your wife?”

“I suppose that is the closest human equivalent. I loved her, but she loved Lucifer and his dream more.”

His wife left him for the devil. That had to hurt.

“What about you and
Renatus
?”

The wingtip stopped, every muscle in Dom’s body froze for a split second before he visibly forced himself to move again.

“I was barred from the Heavens.”

“You mean you
Fell
, like your wife?”

“No.
Nothing like
Meela
.
I did something most angels consider to be just as bad. I openly challenged the Most High.”

Defying God on his home turf? “That sounds serious.”

“Oh, it is. No one questions Him.”

She snorted. No kidding. “So what was so important you thought you needed to challenge him?”

“Human souls.
Far too many were being sent to Hell to feed Lucifer and his demons. I didn’t, don’t, think this should be happening. I was sent to escort souls to Hell myself, to teach me a lesson. The only thing I’ve learned is that I don’t think creation has any place there.”

She took a sip of her coffee and studied him over the cup’s rim. “You were supposed to take me there.”

He swiped a hand over his eyes, as if trying to erase a memory. She set the cup down with a
thunk
. This was her life they were talking about.
And her death.
Why wouldn’t he tell her anything?

“If I was supposed to die, why am I still here? Tell me what happened that night.”

“Someone in the club gave you a date-rape drug.
Enough to kill you.
When you stumbled outside there was a scuffle in the line, someone pulled out a gun and you were shot, right in the heart.”

Her hand slipped up to her chest to cover the small scar that didn’t belong there. “I don’t understand. I try to do the right thing. I don’t cheat on my taxes and try to keep my promises. I don’t steal or use drugs. I recycle,
dammit
! What am I doing wrong? What did I do that was so bad I was being sent to Hell?”

“I don’t know. You have the purest soul I’ve ever seen.
Ren
had told me this assignment was important, that I needed to do the right thing, but your core was so pure and beautiful. It does not belong in the ugliness of Hell. The man who drugged you was there and he was tainted with the darkness of evil. I could see the hate and violence in him. I took his soul to Hell. I healed you and brought you home.”

“You saved me.” He’d kept her alive, saved her body and her soul.

“Yes. And in doing so, I angered all of Hell’s minions. They covet purity, delight in devouring it.”

“
Ren
said demons would destroy the world because of me.”

He shook his head slowly. “No. The Almighty will stop them. He will not allow such a thing to happen to his creation. I can’t imagine why
Ren
was so worried about that.” He frowned in confusion.

“Can He really stop it?”

Dom looked up in surprise. “Of course He can. He is still the Almighty. He is the one with power and dominion. The question is, will He?” Thunder rumbled again and
Dominicus
gave a visible shiver.

“Are you scared of storms?” An angel scared of thunder. When she was little, thunder frightened her. Gram would tell her thunder
was just angels
bowling. It was a silly thing, but it helped calm her. She wondered what
Dominicus
would think of that bit of nonsense. The idea made her smile.

“No, storms do not concern me, but this isn’t a normal storm.”

Amusement vanished. “What kind of storm is it?”

“It’s not a storm at all. It’s demons gathering.”

Demons?
Her gaze shot to the window, taking in the green cast to the rolling clouds. A noise almost like a siren broke through the moaning of the wind. It’s
pure,
crystal tone made her skin prickle and sent a bolt of anticipation through her. Dom jumped to his feet, his blue eyes shining and every feather standing on end.

“The battle call,” he breathed.

“The what?”

“I have to go.” He bent down to wrap his arms around her and
place
a hard kiss on her mouth. “Do not let any being in until I return.”

“Go where? What’s going on?” She grabbed at his arms, scared of what might happen to him.

“The call to battle has sounded. The Most High is calling his angels to battle the demons. Whatever happens, do not let anyone in your apartment until I return. Evil cannot enter without invitation, so you will be safe as long as you stay in here.”

“Safe?”

“Yes, safe. I will return as soon as I am able.”

Dominicus
pulled her arms from him and backed away. His body began to radiate a golden light. It washed over
him,
bronzing his skin and making his dark feathers shimmer with a dusting of gilt. The light grew brighter, until it hurt her eyes and she had to look away. It seared through her eyelids, pure and golden. Then, just as quickly, it faded. For a moment she couldn’t see, the room seemed so dark after the blazing light. She blinked as her vision returned and her jaw dropped open at the sight of
Dominicus
.

He was dressed for battle.
Or undressed.
His modern clothing had been replaced by a simple white loincloth and golden sandals which wound their way to his knees. A bronzed leather harness crisscrossed his chest, holding a huge sword on his back.