Relax, Nevaeh. You’re not in that nightmare anymore. This is a safe place. Angel had the perfect opportunity to kill you in your sleep, but he didn’t.
I keep mumbling the words under my breath like a mantra until the tension slowly drains away from my shoulders.
“I’m so sorry for startling you, sweetheart.” Angel’s voice pulls me out of my spiral. He gently lifts my hands, pressing a soft kiss to each knuckle. “I’ll be more careful next time.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Iwantto.”
I quickly avert my gaze when I feel heat rising in my cheeks. His eyes have a way of binding me in a trance, and it’s getting harder and harder to break out of it.
Angel mutters something about texting Seiji as he pulls me further down the hallway.
Suddenly, I hear someone humming. The addictive tune grows louder, luring me toward it, forcing me to walk faster. Luckily, the door is wide open when I reach the source, making it easy to sneak a peek inside.
The room is cloaked in darkness except for the soft glow of a small desk lamp. A tall, lean woman stands over the desk with a white cloth, gently wiping down a… wait,is that a bloody dagger?
Resting a hand on Angel’s shoulder, I rise on my toes to get a better look at the exquisite collection of ancient daggers spread across the desk. My eyes are drawn to the one with a red handle carved in alluring patterns and a zigzag-edged blade.
The perfect blend of delicate and deadly.
Angel clears his throat, and the woman’s head snaps up, her sharp onyx eyes narrowing on me. She squints, flipping her raven hair behind her shoulders.
Nothing about the woman’s appearance matches her current activity. Her heart-shaped face, soft monolid eyes, and delicate features scream elegance and poise, but the dagger in her hand stabs that image.
She wipes her hands with a towel, then strides towards me with slow, heavy steps, her boots stomping against the floor. I’ve never met anyone who looks so deadly yet alluring.
Judging by her posture, she’s definitely a warrior. Her black, long-sleeved, high-neck top, tucked into army green cargo pants, highlights her curves and build.
Angel finally breaks our staring contest. “Nevaeh, this is Hazel Seagrave, my Warriorhead.”
Something about her name sparks my curiosity. Cautiously, I let my Divine surface and hold my breath as it senses her essence and revealswhatshe is.
Holy fuckidy fuck.
“You’re a siren,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
“Are you going to tell me I’m a woman next?” she deadpans.
So that’s how we’re playing it.
Stay calm, Nevaeh. No need to start shit with Angel’s Warriorhead.
I let Hazel’s brazen remark slide because I can see that my ogling is making her uncomfortable.
“It’s just… unexpected. A siren as Conquer’s Warriorhead.”
Hazel arches a brow. “And a female Grim Reaper isn’t?”
“ThenextReaper.”
“I don’t see a difference.”
Hazel clearly enjoys giving people a hard time. It’s almost admirable.
“Oh, there is. But you’re a little slow, aren’t you? Good thing your cuteness makes up for it.”
Okay, maybe I lose my calm a little bit, but the steam coming out of Hazel’s ears is totallyworth it.
