“And you’ll die because of me.” Celine grips Luca’s shoulders, staring at him with bloodshot eyes. “I’m not who you think I am—I’m who he made me to be. The perfect angel you’re imagining? She’s not me.”
“That logic is warped.” Luca tucks her hair behind her ears. “You’re the only fucking angel I know, and I’m pretty fucking positive I’ve never once thought you were perfect.”
I prop my hip against the sink and smirk at them both. “You’re captivating, angel, which is far more interesting than perfection.”
“What can we do to make this morning not happen again?” Luca takes a step back. “All I can think about is that you’d rather die than hear me say I love you again.”
“Luca,” Celine sighs, fisting his shirt in her hands and yanking him back to her chest. “It’s not like that, I needed to think and sort through the chaos. Everything is out of control.”
He slumps, obviously disappointed but doing his best to hide it. “I can avoid adding to the things that throw you off balance.”
Celine nods, then frowns. Perhaps having gotten what she wanted from him, she’s now realizing she doesn’t want it after all.
“I told Ciprian about us,” she says. “You can move into the bedroom if you want to.”
It’s an olive branch. Luca is proud, and I worry he won’t take it, but he proves me wrong when he dips his head and kisses her.
“Thank the gods,” he groans. “I’m not sure my spine could take another night on the air mattress. I was thinking about trying to sleep standing up.”
Celine smiles, and her wings stop dripping. “I want you both to know I’m trying,” she whispers. “It might not be a quick fix. I’m struggling with the... messiness, but I want you two here where I can protect you.”
I hide my smile by scrubbing my hand over my stubble. This is Celine doing exactly what I feared she couldn’t: bending. That’s worth celebrating. A dark shadow shifts through my mind,blotting out the joy of the reconciliation. If she tried to send me away... my reaction would be uncontrollable. This obsession I have with her, with them, it’s not good for me, but it’s too late to change course.
“Thank you, angel.” I step into them and press a kiss to her neck. “We’ll do our best not to make it overly difficult.” And I’ll control my urges. Forever, if that’s what it takes. She must never be allowed to see the raging monster inside me, the one who sees only prey, weakness, and victory. I’ll keep that side of myself away from her at all costs.
“Speak for yourself,” Luca teases. “Now that we’re all here, we need to talk about the feather.”
Celine shakes her wings, flinging water into the tub. “What feather?” she asks.
Luca reaches into his pocket and pulls out a rumpled feather. At first glance, it seems to be the same as Celine’s, but when I look closer, the colors are different.
“Ciprian found it at Harry’s,” Luca says, pressing the feather into Celine’s hand. “Is it familiar?”
She turns the feather over, holding it up to the light and rolling her bottom lip between her teeth. “Many angel feathers look like this...”
“But it’s familiar?”
Celine shakes her head. “It’s not enough to go on. Even for speculation.” She holds it next to her drenched wings. “There are a lot of angels with wings this color,” she says again, softer this time.
“It was worth a shot.” Luca throws one arm over her shoulder. “They aren’t nearly as pretty as yours anyway.”
Celine laughs. “White wings are the most common.”
“And do most of the common white wings in the celestial realm catch fire or transform into blades?” I ask.
“No,” Celine purrs, dragging her fingertips upmy cheek, then fluttering her wings so flirtatiously that her intent is obvious. “Mine are one of a kind in that way.”
Luca snaps his fingers, breaking the moment. “I bet they’re part of your magic,” he says. “You can spot lies—but your wings? They’re your truth, and you have to wear it on your back.”
“Amazing,” Celine says drily. “I think you’ve landed on something there.”
“Hey!” Luca laughs. “It’s not like you voluntarily offer up the details. You drop breadcrumbs—stingily—then expect me to keep up.”
“Stingily? Really?”
“Shut up, I’m sleep deprived,” Luca says. “Take a nap with me, baby.”
“Only because you asked nicely.”
