That was certainly a pleasing development. “Espionage?” Gabriel guessed, eyes flitting to Jaoel who seemed just as eager to hear the details, if not more. “You mean to tell me the Church has an inside man all of a sudden?”
“Not… quite. But we have someone who we believe is a close friend with a foreign affairs’ representative in a capacity that goes beyond the usual fake professionalism. She assures me it’s someone she knows well and trusts, whowillget the job done.”
Gabriel recalled his call with Teresa from months ago. She was one of the Church’s most devout followers, an advocate that had dedicated everything to helping God’s effort of unifying the human realm. A well-put and well-spoken woman, arguably more so than the Cardinal himself, and certainly someone to keep in mind should the need for a replacement arise in the near future. There was one other thing about her as well—her taste for young men who made perfect candidates for God’s armies, though Gabriel had yet to determine for himself if the rumors among lower angels about it held true.
“That trust better not be misplaced,” he cautioned.
“Of course not. She will get back to me in a week or two. We should… have access by then,” the Cardinal rushed to assure, concern absent from his voice.
Gabriel sneered.Good. If the Cardinal’s little stunt worked as well as he seemed to believe it would, then it didn’t matter if the Empire’s efforts to bribe the Asian government didn’t pay off. Not if it had this kind of key information at its disposal and could blackmail those in a position of power instead.
22
Despite not getting to sleep until the early hours of the morning, Noah woke up on time. It wasn’t his alarm—he did remember turning that off—and it wasn’t Reign either that roused him, as the demon wasn’t in bed or in the shower. At that realization, disappointment flared within Noah, but it vanished almost immediately when a sweet aroma wafted in through the door Reign had left ajar.
Were those pancakes Noah was smelling?
Stomach churning with sudden hunger, Noah clambered to his feet, put his trousers on, and jogged out of the bedroom. He found Reign flipping crepes with a spatula while fire crackled atop the glossy onyx cylinder and the muted TV reported the morning news.
“Noah, take a seat. The food is almost ready,” Reign instructed without turning around.
Noah padded over to the dining table, his bare feet slapping against the heated floor and absorbing the warmth. He took his place and stared out of the floor-to-ceiling window at the fluffy snowflakes that meandered on the outside, wondering why exactly Reign was cooking breakfast for him. Noah had attributed the firsttime to an apology due to the rather unpleasant experience that sealing the contract had been, but he wasn’t so sure that was the case anymore.
Not that he was complaining; quite the opposite. Even if it wasn’t part of the deal, even if Reign did it out of instilled good manners, it made Noah feel appreciated, content in a strangely wholesome way that he wasn’t sure had any place here. It was probably a misinterpretation, but he saw no harm in it. There was no need to share his bemusement either, and so instead, he quietly watched Reign move around the kitchen. The demon was in his human form, clad only in a pair of satin pants and an apron that left his back exposed and offered an unreserved view of his lean musculature and trim waist.
By all accounts, Reign was more delicate than Noah in appearance, narrower and more elegant, yet he packed formidable strength that Noah could never match. It was a turn on, a contrast that riled Noah up every time without a fail.
Like currently.
Noah focused on the play of muscles across Reign’s back and arms as Reign took the apron off, his pale skin bearing the marks of Noah’s hands and nails. His own body was much in the same state, bites hiding beneath his clothes in places only Reign was privy to see.
“You are making a face as if I’ve taken you to an art supplies store,” Reign commented, placing the stack of crepes along with a jar of blueberry jam in front of Noah. “Though I am unsure if that is because of the food or me.” He chuckled when Noah shot him an indignant look and retreated to the breakfast counter to retrieve the bowl of fruit and nuts he’d prepared. “Go ahead,” he invited, mirth dancing in his garnet eyes.
Both of them rolled a crepe, though Reign didn’t touch his, seemingly more interested in observing Noah gobble up his.
“Are you not going to eat?” Noah asked, reaching for a second crepe. He swallowed, pinned Reign with his gaze and added, “You can have me afterwards for dessert.”
A small smirk stretched across Reign’s face as he finally took a bite. “I think it’s best we play along and give Teresa what she wants for now.”
Noah blinked, his brain working to catch up.Right, the spying business they were yet to discuss properly.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Knowing the Cardinal is involved, I doubt it’s mere monitoring of comms they are after…” He watched Reign’s fork stab a piece of melon and carry it to his mouth. A fleeting thought made him want to taste those sexy lips, but he didn’t let it linger. “Do you have any idea what she’s looking for?”
“I do. The American and Asian Federations are scheming a way to eliminate the Empire. It is not an easy endeavor, unsurprisingly. Weakening the Church and its supporters is the current focus. Peacefully, if possible,” Reign explained. “However, if something like this were to come to light, especially with things happening behind the scenes, you can imagine the kind of international political tension it would cause.”
“All the more reason we can’t give her what she wants then,” Noah reasoned.
“Oh?” Reign’s gaze intensified, dark and thrilling. “And what would Teresa think if her dear Noah failed or refused such asimpleassignment?”
An excellent question. She’d probably figure out Noah’s involvement with Reign, including the part wherethey were fucking, ship him straight back to the Empire and try him for crimes against the Church.
“I will speak to Barbatos. He will have something to say on the matter. If anyone can figure out a way to feed her fake data that looks authentic, it’s him,” Reign said when Noah remained silent.
Oh yeah, Barbatos (or Trevor as he was known in the human world) could be around listening to him and Reign fuck like their life depended on it.
Reign chuckled, then took a sip of his black coffee. “Don’t worry, he’s not around and won’t be coming over this week. Though that also means we can’t get the Empire’s spying program online until he’s back. You’d need to buy us some time.”
“Ah, that’s fine, actually. I’m supposed to coerce you into inviting me to your office during the meet-and-greet Gala. “
