Linda Thomas-Sundstrom - Angel Unleashed

“Who would you rather trust with that information? That hazy black sucker or me?” he said.

When she didn’t answer that question, he said, “I see. And I’m sorry you feel threatened.”

“Nothing you could do would threaten me.”

That statement wasn’t entirely true, however, and even the partial falsehood stung Avery to her core. The handsome bastard’s looks alone posed a threat to her many lifetimes of isolation. His hand-picked existence had threatened hers by taking away her freedom. Plus, her heart was misbehaving by beating way too fast, as if all the time she’d spent cursing him didn’t amount to squat when facing the real deal.

Discomfort came with his continued scrutiny and from being the central focus of any Blood Knight’s attention.

That kiss didn’t mean anything.

“I know the closeness back there was meant as a distraction, if that’s what you’re worrying about,” he said.

Words failed her, even in thought, which was never a good sign. Strangely enough, she was weakening, caving to this guy’s well-practiced, bronzed allure. While she knew better than to give in, she just couldn’t seem to help herself.

This is why I’ve stayed away from you, Avery wanted to confess.

She kept her mouth shut.

“I will again offer you my assistance,” he said in that irritating way he had of sounding chivalrous. “One last offer. Take it or leave it.”

Avery considered his offer carefully. She didn’t have to like him. They didn’t have to be friends. The old vows could stand if she allowed this guy to help her this once. After finding her wings, she would hit the road and curse him all over again.

“If you know what I am, you must also know what I can do, and that I mean what I say,” he added.

I know your mission is to do good in this world, endlessly and forever. But can I forget the past long enough to accept your help in such a personal quest?

Major stumbling block. Could she bypass that damn kiss and how this Knight made her feel, when she hadn’t felt anything for countless years?

Maybe he could be trusted. But could she trust herself around him if a simple kiss had sent her running? Former prejudices weren’t worth much if they could be obliterated by a pretty face.

I’m not like you.

Not anything like you.

Sadly, that wasn’t quite true, either, since the Knight also carried in his immortal soul the light of the Divine. She had been a crucial link in passing that light to him. And damned if it wasn’t that same light that made her want to get closer to him now.

“In seeking you out, I wanted to make sure you were all right,” he explained. “That’s all.”

“Liar,” she said. Possibly he couldn’t lie straight out, but he wasn’t telling her everything.

His electric-blue gaze intensified, leaving Avery feeling naked and exposed.

“You’re right,” he conceded. “I wanted something else as well. Friendship.”

“A half truth, at best.”

Nodding, he started over. “All right. The truth is I want a lot more than that. So, shall I go, or will you dare to confide at least part of your story?”

Do not give in.

Look away if you have to.

Avery managed to hold to those two inner commands for a few seconds before she spoke again.

“I’ve lost something that I’ve been trying to find for decades. My search has been exhaustive and has finally brought me back to London.”

He waited for her to go on.

“I had all but given up before being called back to London. I feel close to my goal here and have to give this quest one last shot.”

Avery saw how the word quest affected the man across from her. For all his glorious Knightness, the guy wasn’t so difficult to read. His extended life span had been based on that same concept. Quest.

“How much do you know about me?” he asked. “How do you know about Blood Knights?”

“I was privy to that information early on, from a source I can’t disclose.”

“Can’t, or won’t disclose?”

“It’s the same thing, in the end.”

He took a step toward her. “You know my story, and I can’t know yours?”

“I doubt you’d want to help me if I told you my story.”

“It’s that bad?”

“To some.”

“Are you a demon?”

Avery shook her head. “That much I will swear to.”

“Then you have the advantage, I’m thinking,” he said.

“Can you live with that for a while longer and still help?”

He smiled. “I thought you said you knew me.”

His smile brought back the deep internal flutter she had experienced earlier. There was no hint of treachery in his expression and no sign of his fangs. Avery wanted to return the smile but wasn’t sure she remembered how. Pain had a tendency to darken even the lightest moments. Although this man was part of that pain, there was a chance he could help her rise above the agony of her existence, and at this late hour, set things straight.

If that wasn’t to happen, and things didn’t go that way, what would fill the empty space inside her that pain occupied? What would happen to the memories carved into her body and her mind? Without those memories, nothing would matter. He wouldn’t matter.

“You’ve gone quiet,” he noted when the silence stretched.

Don’t you see it, Blood Knight? See me?

What kind of creature has white blood in their veins?

How many beings walking this Earth have one boot on the ground and the other in the heavens?

Doesn’t my skin tell you something important?

Are you looking deep enough? Hard enough?

Do you not see yourself in me?

Her story? Until the twenty-first century, when whole sections of the human race had gone through phases with names like Goth and cyberpunk, she’d had to stay completely hidden. After that, when pretty much anything worked, fitting in was easier. Her white skin was even envied by a select few. Dressed in black leather, she could skate through crowds if she had to, if those crowds occupied the outskirts of places where normal people gathered.

Parts of her story encapsulated this Knight’s story, as well. Neither of them could ever really fit in. The magnificent Blood Knight was hugging the shadows, just as she was. They were freaks because of their unique kind of beauty.

When she looked up, he had raised a hand as if expecting her to take it. As if he was tossing her a lifeline to a better place.

Go to hell, was the response on the tip of her tongue. But that was overruled by another reaction. Because, God, yes, she wanted to take that hand, touch him, believe in him. She wanted those things badly enough to taste the sweet irony of her own stubborn objections. Way back, she had trusted in the power of good, and in those who wielded goodness like a weapon.

The Knight spoke again. “If you allow me to help with this quest of yours, you’ll be doing me a favor, you know. Things can get pretty boring around here. Same old fights. Endless hours. More and more monsters.”

Body rebelling, mind reeling with comebacks so indecent they’d send this Knight away forever... Avery took a breath and closed her eyes. Another surprise, one to top all of the others, was hearing herself say, “Yes. Okay. Help me.”

Afraid to see his reaction, she kept her eyes shut, figuring a thank-you would have been going too damn far, even if this Blood Knight expected it.

Chapter 8

“Good,” Rhys said, though he wasn’t sure his new companion wholeheartedly agreed with what she had just committed to. On the plus side, she didn’t run away. When her eyes reopened, she turned her head to listen to the sounds he also heard.

“Do we fight what’s coming our way first?” she asked. “That’s what you’re supposed to do, isn’t it? Keep the streets safe?”