“Kai… We have company.” Her cheeks turn pink again as she nods her head toward the dais. It’s clear the Archangels are preoccupied; otherwise, smart-ass Nial would’ve already picked fun at our indecency.
I don’t take the time to even spare them a glance. I lower my lips to her ear, flicking my tongue against her lobe, taking delight in the full-body goosebumps that spread across her tan arms in response.
“What difference does that make? Let them watch.” My voice comes out rougher than expected. I can’t ignore the burning sensation growing inside me. I need her.Now.
I lose all my senses when it comes to this starlit woman.
She releases a chuckle under her breath, then looks me up and down, eyes crinkling. “You never cease to surprise me, sunshine.”
This isn’t the first time she called me ‘sunshine.’ I mean, that isn’t my favorite nickname.Sunshine.I’ve never had a nickname, but I always imagined if I did, it’d be something cool, like, I don’t know, Ace.
But fuck it. My angel can call me anything.
“Please,Cleo. Let me love you—”
“That is quite enough, Kai Greene,” a deep voice rumbles. Luke, this time. Well, at least it wasn’t Nial. The Archangels wave their hands at us in sync, beckoning us back to the dais.
Fuck me, I don’t have time for this. Can’t our fate wait?
“Stop pouting.” Cleo elbows me. “We will get more time together. Hopefully.”
I scowl, but as we approach the Archangels, I remember that our next chapter lies in their hands.
My scowl turns into a frown. A frown full of unwanted doubt and fear.
Our happily ever after is hanging on by a thread—a thread the Archangels are entirely manipulating.
And as hard as it may be to believe, I don’t think the Archangels particularly like me. Surprising, right?
I’m kidding. I know I’ve been a pain in their asses since the moment I died.
“Cleo Graves. Kai Greene,” Luke bellows. “You have completed your respective trials.”
Yes, obviously we’ve completed them. Now, if we could get to the conclusion of said trials, that would be fantastic—
“Kai, please. You should be aware by now that we can hear all your thoughts. Word for word. Tone and all. No, we do not only see flashes of images or hear some words and terms. We hear everything when we tune in. Surely you know this, no?” Annalise asks.
Oh, heavens. If they’ve been able to hear all my thoughts since the beginning, then when I showed up for my first hearing, they knew I was bullshitting them from the moment I walked in.
The Archangels simply nod in unison.
“Why didn’t you lock me up the moment I walked in? I thought I had a pretty strong shield. Does my shield not stop you from entering my mind?” I ask, pressing for answers.
“Her shield is rock-solid,” Nial answers before any other Archangel can, nodding his head toward Cleo. “We have to try exceptionally hard to enter her mind, and truthfully, it isn’t worth the effort. Your mental shield is strong, but young. Think about it like this: where her door is locked, dead-bolted, and chained shut, yours only has one single lock. It’s a solid lock. Just not quite strong enough. It’ll grow stronger with time.”
“So, you’re saying I’ve been an open book this entire time?”
Again, they simply nod in unison.
And I’ve never felt so stupid.
“No—” Jessenia interrupts my spiral. “Please do not punish yourself. Nial and Annalise are exaggerating slightly. We didn’t actually enter your mind during your trial until after Stephen burst into the throne room. Sure, once we did enter, we saw everything. But not from the beginning. You aren’t stupid.”
My lips part in surprise. “I don’t know what I did to deserve your kindness, Jessenia, but thank you.”
“I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for the angels I greet in the afterlife. I don’t sneak away to greet angels in death often, but when I do, I tend to build a connection with them of sorts.”
“Carrying on—” Luke proceeds.
