“Well?” the other Fallen snarled.
“She’s afraid. You’ll have to come and take her from me,” he answered. Ethon’s arms left me, and for a moment I was terrified. “Like I said…you want her…come and get her.”
I felt my body tingle.
“Where the hell did they go?” one of the Fallen hissed.
I opened my eyes and realized we were invisible.
“Whoa,” Ethon exhaled. “Hold on, baby. Let’s do this.” He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, and with a flap of his wings we twisted like a tornado. He spun so fast, it was almost as if we weren’t moving.
He stopped abruptly.
“What happened?” I asked, breathless.
“It’s done.”
“Where are they?”
“Look down,” he replied.
I glanced below and saw two headless bodies plummeting toward the earth.
“Wow. That was fast,” I gasped.
“Emma, look at what kind of power we have when we’re together. We’ll be unstoppable. Imagine what we will do once we’ve sealed the bond and you transform. There will be no one who can match us.” His eyes narrowed and I could see a faint grin rise on his lips. “I just caught a glimpse of our future. It will be amazing.” He grabbed the back of my head, his lips crashed down onto mine, then he quickly pulled back. “You and I will rule the Underworld for all eternity. It will be amazing.” He looked at me with wonderment.
“Yeah,” I breathed, trying to force a smile.
Ruling anything was not what I wanted to do. Actually, it was the furthest thing from my mind. I just wanted to live a simple life – a life without the constant threat of death or war lingering over my head – and to experience every good thing it had to offer.
I did, however, need to take out a few key players if this was going to happen, and little did Ethon know… his father was on my secret hit list. I wouldn’t tell him, of course. It was a super-secret list carved onto my heart.
“We’re safe now. Let’s get to the portal.”
“Okay,” I breathed, slowly releasing my grip. Still face to face, Ethon held tight to my waist; the moon light glistened on his silky, raven wings as we soared high above the trees. I closed my eyes and held my arms out to my sides, imagining I had my own wings.
His lips found their way to my neck, his tongue softly twisted against my skin sending pulses of heat through my body. I inhaled and my arms grasped for his shoulders as his hand caught the back of my neck, steadying me.
Ethon’s crimson eyes were inches from mine, burning deep with passion. I closed my eyes, trying to fight the overwhelming pull of the bond. It was something no normal immortal would ever do. The bond was created for soul mates to find each other, copulate, and begin benefiting completely from its many pleasures.
I just couldn’t allow it to take me. Not yet. It was something I had to fight until I came to a solid decision. Only then, when I was completely certain, would I give in. Until such time, I would have to keep treading, holding my head above the fine line of sealing the bond. If I ever lost control and went under, even for a moment, my world would change. Forever.
“You’re resisting,” he hummed against my neck, making my world spin.
“I have to,” I breathed.
“Why?”
“Because it would be too easy to give you everything.”
I knew the answer satisfied him when a smile grew on his lips.
“I promised you I wouldn’t seal the bond, and I will keep my word. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun.”
“Alaine will be waking up in a few hours to take Courtney and Caleb to the airport. I’ll need to be back in bed before she wakes. If she finds me missing, I won’t be allowed to see you again.”
“I promise to have you tucked safely in bed before then,” he winked.
“My bed,” I clarified, knowing he was the son of the Deceiver.
He laughed deep from his belly. “Yes, love. In your bed… all by your lonesome,” he added, playfully nipping my bottom lip. “Since you have a curfew, I guess I should fly faster.”
“Most definitely,” I giggled, and grasped his neck.
He flapped his wings and shot forward.
I hated the way my feelings whiplashed whenever I was with Ethon. He was fun and wild, and could easily be a bad influence, a total different feeling from those I experienced with Kade.
Both wonderful in their own way, and both of them loved me, but which would I be able to live with for the rest of my life?
A realization hit me... I wouldn’t have Kade for the rest of my life. I would only have him for the rest of his life. Now in a mortal body, I would have to watch him grow old and eventually die, and I wasn’t sure if I could handle the pain.