Abaddon stood and circled behind me. “Hold still.” His hands hovered over my shoulders. “You’re tense.”
“Of course I’m tense. These ridiculous appendages are dragging my spine to the floor.”
“You’re doing it wrong,” Lucifer cut in. He leaned forward and jabbed a finger toward my scapula. Bella hissed and leaped off his lap. “It’s all about the release. Think of it like unclenching your buttocks.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Wings, buttocks—same principle. You don’t force them; you relax them. Watch.” He flexed his shoulders, and with a ripple of shadow, two massive leathery wings unfurled and then vanished again. “See? Like unclenching.”
“Your analogy is disgusting,” Abaddon muttered.
“It’s effective,” Lucifer volleyed.
I threw up my hands. “So I just… unclench?”
“Unclench everything,” Lucifer advised, sipping his tea like a smug life coach who just imparted the universe’s secrets.
I closed my eyes, inhaled, exhaled, and tried to relax. The right wing shivered, half-folded, then sprang out and smacked Lucifer across the face.
I bit my lip to avoid laughing. “Sorry.”
Abaddon massaged his temples. “Try again. Focus.”
I pictured my wings melting back into me, feathers dissolving into light. This time, both wings folded halfway before abruptly vanishing with a loud pop, like a champagne cork.
I stumbled forward, suddenly too light. Abaddon caught my elbow, steadying me.
“You did it,” he said.
I blinked, flexed my shoulders. Nothing but skin. “I did.”
Lucifer sniffed. “Clearly my analogy worked.”
“Clearly my self-control worked,” I shot back.
Abaddon released me with a curt nod. “You’ll get better with practice.”
Fatherly encouragement? The world really was ending.
“Watch out for them appearing when you’re stressed,” he added.
“Or surprised,” Lucifer added.
“They’ve done that before.”
“Before, you were only accepting the bare minimum of your true form,” Abaddon said.
“Now, you are unleashed,” Lucifer said. “I hope your mate has taken the time to understand what it means to be mated to a half angel.”
“I doubt it. There’s not exactly a handy guidebook available. But he’s managed just fine.”
Lucifer stood. “Before now, he was under the illusion he was the stronger of your pairing.”
“So was I.”
Lucifer shook his head, and a bemused smile graced his lips. “Then you both have a steep learning curve ahead. You know how to call me if you need some unclely advice.”
Relationship advice from the devil? More anal analogies? Hard pass.
