As soon as they landed, Killian slumped in his hold. A delicious scent—sweet and rich and fried —wafted over them, and Killian groaned. “Food. I’m knackered. Don’t suppose you...brought my wallet?”
Maddox flushed, the heat crawling up his cheeks. “Um, I might have spent some of your money on these pants.”
A weak smile curved Killian’s full lips. “Cursing and stealing? Angels are nothing like I imagined.”
“I’ll pay you back,” Maddox rushed to assure him. “I just—”
“No.” Brushing a shaking hand down Maddox’s hip, Killian whispered, “I’m winding you up, mate. Joking.”
“At a time like this? You can barely stand.” Maddox hated the anger in his voice, but he was so worried about his witch he couldn’t think straight.
“Trying to get you to smile.” With a sigh, Killian glanced around them. The side street was empty, and a few doors down, a handful of tables and chairs were arranged outside a little cafe. “Are there any bills left?”
Opening the wallet, Maddox pulled out three twenty-dollar-bills. “I’ve never paid for anything before. The last time I was in this realm, my brother took care of everything.”
Sliding a single twenty free from the rest, Killian pressed it into Maddox’s palm. “This should be enough for some sweets. Beignets. Six of them. And strong tea. Earl Gray or Oolong.”
“Beignets and tea? That will be enough?” Maddox crushed the bill in his fist, and the idea of leaving Killian out here, exposed, didn’t sit well with him.
“Enough for now. I can’t bloody think straight.” The admission cost Killian, the price a dulling of his eyes and a hollow tinge to his tone. “I’m no good to you like this, Maddox.”
“I need you to promise me something,” Maddox said as he helped Killian to the chairs and eased him down. “You will keep watch while I am inside. I almost lost you at Magnolia House. I won’t risk that again.”
Killian pulled him closer. His lips slanted over Maddox’s, and their connection flared, the heat of it driving the ache from his wings and the slight throbbing from around his temples. “I don’t know what it is about you, Mad,” Killian whispered when they finally parted, “but every time I kiss you, I feel…stronger.”
Maddox very much wanted to hear Killian use his nickname again. And spend hours kissing him, just to see how much stronger Killian could get. But then the witch shuddered, and Maddox pushed himself up. “We’re going to test that more…after we eat.”
KILLIAN HAD his head in his hands when Maddox returned with a tray of beignets and tea, and it wasn’t until he touched the witch that he let himself breathe. “What was that spell that vile woman used on you?”
A few drops of tea sloshed over the edge of the mug as Killian took a tentative sip. “That was Jezebel. She fancies locking spells. In the dungeon, she forced me to relive my greatest pain over and over again. Upstairs, before we escaped, she quite literally turned my body into a prison. I couldn’t breathe or move, and what little I had of my own magic…she used against me.”
“I do not like this Jezebel. Her name suits her.” Maddox bit into one of the beignets. The fried pillow covered in powdered sugar made him moan, and he took a moment to savor the treat. “I forgot how good earthen realm food is.”
Killian laughed, the sound weak, but at the same time, still rich. “You surprise me, Maddox. Constantly.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Reaching across the table, Killian brushed his thumb across Maddox’s lips and came away with a lump of powdered sugar. And then did the sexiest thing Maddox had ever seen. He licked the sugar off his own thumb with a smile.
“Yes. It is.”
Grateful for the table hiding his growing erection, Maddox tore into another beignet, focusing on the fried dough so he could have a moment to breathe. Or try to. Magic. Danger. Jezebel. Forcing his thoughts back to the present, he swallowed hard. “Why does Jezebel hate you so?”
The heavy sigh should have warned Maddox to leave it well enough alone, but he couldn’t. Not when he suspected he was falling for the witch.
“Killian? Tell me.”
“I killed her brother.”
Maddox jerked up, nearly knocking over his chair in the process. “You…what?”
The horror on Killian’s face was enough to make Maddox’s heart feel like someone was squeezing it in a vise grip. When the witch spoke again, his voice was so full of emotion, Maddox had to strain to hear the words.
“We grew up together. The three of us. Oliver and Jezebel are—were—witches too. Until Oliver was attacked by a vampire when he was twenty. Though I suppose he was still a witch, just one who couldn’t go out in the light of day.” Killian ran a hand through his hair, and a faraway look settled in his eyes. “We spent every night together, lived just a few kilometers from one another. And I…cared for him. He was the first man I ever kissed.” Killian’s voice lowered even further. “And the last. Before you.”
Shock kept Maddox from saying anything as Killian pushed his plate away and scowled into his tea. “I’m a bloody pisser of a witch, Maddox. Never could get a handle on my magic. My High Priestess—the leader of my coven—swears it’s because I’m too powerful. But I know that’s not the truth. I’m simply rubbish at it.”
As the silence spread between them, Maddox used his gifts to reach out and sense Killian’s emotions. So many churned within the depths of his soul. Regret, shame, sorrow, loss, grief…
