It was the harsh whispers that eventually pulled Cora from sleep. She recognized the male voice, but the vaguely familiar ethereal tone of the female wasn’t one she could immediately place.
“What in Lilith’s name did you do to her?” the male snarled.
“Calm yourself, Saiden. I understand that you are frustrated, but you do not speak to me in that tone.”
“I apologize, Eliana. I’m just scared. It was a little concerning to see my m—”
“Hush now. Cora is awake.”
Damn. She’d kept her eyes closed in the hopes of hearing a little bit more. She should have known she couldn’t fool vampires.
Cora cracked her eyes open, blinked a few times at the bright light assaulting her retinas, then evaluated her situation.
Spacious bedroom larger than her apartment? Check.
Massively oversized four poster bed with gossamer crimson curtains? Check.
Rich mahogany furniture and wine-colored velvet drapes? Check.
So pretty much exactly what she would expect from a vampire’sguest suite—gothic and opulent. She knew Saiden was holding out on her when she got dumped in his bedroom.
The only thing she didn’t expect was the two very concerned faces peering at her like she had just narrowly escaped the clutches of death.
“Uh, hi,” she said awkwardly, trying and failing to sit up in bed. Glancing down, she realized someone had tucked her under the covers, and that someone must have been a vampire because the blankets were secured tighter than any human could achieve. It was actually making it a little hard to breathe.
“Cora, we are so pleased to see that you are awake,” the female intoned in her gentle, melodic voice.
There was something so hauntingly beautiful about the way the woman spoke. As if the words slipped out of her mouth on a glittering celestial cloud, danced through Cora’s brain, then floated off into the ether, leaving a faint tinge of sadness in their wake. Cora’s memory finally filled in, and she connected the face to the voice. It was the one she’d heard on the patio right before she was saved.
The woman really was an angel.
“What happened out there?” Saiden growled, but Cora dismissed Sir Grouchy in favor of staring at the divine being in front of her. If her arms weren’t securely fastened at her sides, she would have reached out to touch the woman’s face to confirm that she was real and not a heavenly illusion.
Cora smiled sheepishly at the captivating female. “Is there any chance you could loosen the blankets? They’re a little restrictive.”
In a flash, Saiden had both the comforter and sheets off the bed and in a pile on the other side of the room. He moved so fast that Cora was surprised she didn’t go flying along with them.
It was a little overkill, but at least she could breathe easier again.
Saiden lowered himself onto the bed beside her, his face twistedin such a deep expression of worry that Cora couldn’t quite fathom anyone else looking at her that way. Not even her family or friends had ever shown that level of concern after any of her episodes. She squirmed under the discomfort of his unrelenting stare.
Geez,she thought,it was just a little light choking, no big deal.
Unable to bear the intensity of Saiden’s gaze any longer, Cora looked back over to the otherworldly female. The woman practically glowed from within, the mirror opposite of the dark prince staring down at her.
“Are you an angel?” she blurted out before her brain could catch up to her mouth and inform her of the ridiculousness of her question.
The woman just laughed, and the sound was magic personified. It was like a melody that couldn’t be properly heard by human ears. Something spellbinding that swept you up into its arms, wrapped you in a cocoon of shining white euphoria, then gently set you back down, only for you to mourn the loss of it so keenly that you would slice out your own heart just to hear it again.
Saiden turned to Eliana and muttered, “Is there any chance you’ll give us some privacy? I won’t get a proper answer out of her if she’s drowning under your spell.”
The female smiled beatifically at Saiden and nodded. “Of course. I will leave you to tend to your… mortal.” Turning her enchanting face to Cora, Eliana leaned down and pressed a faint kiss to Cora’s forehead. “Despite the unpleasant circumstances, it was lovely to meet you, Cora Lee. I do hope to see more of you in the future.”
Cora watched the angel float out of the room, and a hypnotic urge filled her, demanding she follow this woman to the ends of the earth.
“It will pass,” Saiden reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder, gently pinning her down until her muscles relaxed and she eased back into the mattress.
“Who was that?” Cora asked, dragging her eyes away from the door to look at Saiden.
