‘You’re angry,’ he said.
‘We need to rest.’
He moved over to me but he was sensible enough not to touch me. I was painfully aware of his proximity. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘You’ve been through a great deal, Gabriel, and you’re still not recovered. At least sit down.’
He remained where he was. ‘Usually I have no problem getting to the crux of a matter and understanding what’s going on. Where you’re concerned, it’s like staring at a closed book. Give me something, Saiya. Anything.’
You think the world would be safer place if I didn’t exist, I thought. ‘I’m worried that you’re going to collapse again,’ I said aloud. ‘Not to mention what will happen if we don’t find the Stone of Scone before the goblins do. Or what your Prime Minister James will do in the meantime.’
‘No,’ Gabriel said slowly. ‘Those are concerns, valid concerns but they’re not what’s really bothering you.’
‘I thought I was a closed book,’ I snapped.
‘You are.’ His dark eyes glittered. ‘I’ll just have to work harder to get you to open up. After all,’ he added, ‘I know one thing for certain about you.’
‘What’s that?’
‘You feel the same way about me as I do about you.’ He gave a self-satisfied smile. ‘You wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of saving my life if you didn’t.’
‘Have you ever thought that maybe I just feel sorry for you?’
Gabriel’s smile grew. ‘No.’
I hissed in irritation. ‘Until recently you were all but dying. Get some rest.’ I turned away towards the cave’s entrance, as if I were going to keep watch.
Gabriel reached out and gently tugged me back. ‘I don’t want rest. I told you before that I wouldn’t touch you until you begged but we’re a bit short on time, so I’m going to have to resort to faster methods. Thirty minutes, you said?’ His eyes gleamed. ‘I can work with that.’
‘Gabriel,’ I began, my frustration rising even further. ‘You…’ My voice caught as he reached out, his thumb gently brushing my bottom lip. His head dipped and he sucked on it then his hands were on my waist.
‘I can’t help it,’ he murmured against my ear. ‘The poison is clearly still acting in some very strange ways.’ He planted several small kisses along my jawline. ‘Perhaps the taste of your skin will counteract the effects.’ His tongue darted out, licking me.
I yelped and sprang backwards. ‘Stop that! I’m not a lollipop!’
‘But you’re so sweet.’ He moved towards me again.
I held up my hands to ward him off. ‘You know that’s a terrible line, right?’
Gabriel took my right hand and caressed each finger in turn. Then he placed my palm flat against his chest. ‘You can feel how fast my heart is beating. I told you already, Saiya, our heartbeats are in unison. So if mine feels like it’s hammering against my ribcage then yours will too.’
‘My pulse is perfectly normal.’
His smile took on a wicked tinge. ‘Really?’ He bent his ear towards my chest, hovering less than an inch away. ‘If that’s normal,’ he whispered, ‘then you need to see a doctor. It just so happens that I’m a fully trained first aider.’
‘Pah!’ I scoffed. I moved my hands down to my sides. They were shaking – and the last thing I wanted was for Gabriel to see how scared I was.
He stood back and pulled off his shirt. Under the dim, magical light, his skin glowed. My eyes involuntarily tracked down from his hard pecs and erect nipples to the trail of dark, curly hair leading to the waistband of his trousers.
‘Do you like what you see?’ he asked.
Embarrassed, I looked away. ‘Get some sleep,’ I said, although my insistence was growing weaker by the second.
‘Tell me to stop.’ He took my hand again, turning it over and tracing my heart line with his index finger.
I shivered. Gabriel placed it over his heart. The skin-to-skin contact sent another delicious shudder rippling through me.
‘Tell me to stop.’
My body felt as if it were suddenly on fire. With the gentlest of touches, Gabriel nudged my hand down. And down. And down. I gasped. Then he stepped back, the smile disappearing from his face. ‘Tell me to stop, Saiya.’
My mouth was dry. My hands were still shaking and speaking was beyond me. Was this normal? No wonder poets waxed lyrical about love.
‘Saiya?’ Gabriel prodded.
I shook my head, mute. The consequences of this might be too great to handle. He still hated my kind – and by extension me. I was still lying to him. Right now, however, denying either of us was beyond me. I wanted more of him. Fuck it. I wanted all of him.
A low growl emitted from Gabriel’s throat and he pulled me into him. Then his lips were on mine, gentle at first, then hot and bruising as if he tried to control himself and couldn’t. I pressed into him, my arms round his body and my hands against his back. I marvelled at the smoothness of his skin and the hard nubs of his spine. I didn’t feel revulsion when I touched Gabriel; I felt joy.
‘I haven’t told you,’ he breathed shakily, ‘how sexy you look in my shirt.’
My stomach flipped. Doing my best to hide my thoughts, I made a weak attempt at a joke. ‘Maybe I should keep it on then.’
He gave a low laugh. ‘Not a chance.’ His fingers reached for the buttons and began to undo them. He was halfway down before he stopped. ‘I will stop if you want me to. At any point. Just say the word.’ His voice was tense, anxious.
My turbulent emotions were written on my face. With my heart in my mouth, I responded to him the only way I could think of; it was the only way that made any sense. I undid the next button. And the next. And the next. I shrugged off the shirt and discarded it. Wearing only my old underwear, I was standing in a cave with Gabriel de Florinville. I swallowed. What if I wasn’t good enough?
He groaned. ‘You’re so beautiful. And so damn skinny. When we get out of here, I’m going to feed you up until you burst.’
My heart was hammering so hard so that I felt as if I were going to burst right now. Awkwardness and embarrassment surged through me. He was right; I was nothing more than skin and bones. What was desirable about that? I raised my arms as if to conceal my body but he shook his head.
Suddenly understanding seemed to light through him. ‘You’ve never done this before,’ he said, as if in wonder.
‘I don’t like being touched,’ I muttered. ‘Normally.’
He bent down and picked up the shirt, handing it to me. Without thinking, I took it. ‘I didn’t realise.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘I … wow.’ He stepped away, still looking flummoxed.
I stared at him. ‘So that’s it?’
He glanced at me. ‘Pardon?’
‘I’m a virgin who’s never allowed herself to be kissed before so I’m weird and you no longer want me? Or have you changed your mind because I’m too thin?’ The accusation in my voice made him flinch.
‘No. God, Saiya, no.’ He drew me into his arms. ‘I want it to be special for you. If this is your first time then…’
‘Then there should be a four-poster bed with rose petals and candlelight?’ I snorted. ‘We might be dead before we see another bed, Gabriel. You can’t spend all this time convincing me and then change your mind.’ I set my jaw. ‘This is happening.’ I threw the shirt back onto the ground, reached down and started unbuckling his belt but I couldn’t unfasten the buckle and my fingers kept snagging against the leather.
‘Enough,’ he said softly. He lifted my hands away. ‘You have such a look of grim determination on your face. It’s like you’re about to hold your nose and swallow some awful medicine.’
‘We are doing this. You and me. Sex. Now.’
Gabriel quirked an eyebrow in amusement. ‘I almost died an hour or two ago. A few minutes ago you wanted me to stop.’
I shook my head. ‘You’re not dead. And I don’t want you to stop any more.’
He cupped my face a
nd stared deeply into my eyes. ‘Then I’m going to have to use all my powers to make you relax.’ He whispered into my ear, ‘Then I’ll make you moan. This cave had better be sound-proofed because if there are any goblins nearby they’ll hear you.’
I opened my mouth to speak but he pressed his index finger against my lips and hushed me. While I continued to tremble, he gently lifted my bra straps and slid them down my shoulders. I turned and allowed him to unclasp it. Every time his skin connected with mine I felt the same wonderful shiver. When I turned back and he brushed his thumbs against my nipples, I actually staggered.
‘Trousers,’ I said, my voice more hoarse than I’d expected.
Gabriel dipped into a bow. ‘As my lady commands.’ He undid his belt, the button, then the zip. He’d barely pushed the material over his hips before evidence of his erection was fully apparent. I sucked in a breath. A moment later, I hastily pulled off the last of my underwear, kicking it out of the way. When we were both naked, he reached for me again, pulling me against him until his heat pressed into mine.
Gabriel’s hands ran down the length of my body, alternately caressing and exploring. His lips followed, first at my nape before blazing a trail along my collarbone and down. When his mouth found my breast and his teeth grazed the soft flesh there, I couldn’t stop myself any longer. My fingers reached for his head and twined into his hair. His breathing was uneven and ragged but he didn’t stop.
One hand moved down, seeking its way to the dampness between my legs. While his mouth continued to suck and lick and nibble, his fingers teased my pubic hair until I thought I couldn’t bear it any longer. That was until he flicked gently at my clitoris and my entire being exploded. I gasped, shuddering in shock at the immediacy and violence of the orgasm.
Gabriel refused to give me any respite. His lips left my breasts and he moved downwards until his mouth was where his fingers had been. I was in a dark cave with hordes of goblins on my tail and all I could think about was what he was doing to me. His hands held my hips in place while I arched my back and pressed myself deeper into him. I moaned, thrumming with an even greater need.
It wasn’t long before I reached down for his arms and hauled him up so I could see his face. There was no denying the smug delight displayed there. ‘Please,’ I whispered.
‘You’re begging?’
I stared into his molten dark depths. ‘Yes.’
‘What?’ he husked. ‘What do you want?’
‘I want you inside me.’ The note of pleading in my own voice was one I’d never heard before. I’d never wanted anything this much before.
Gabriel smiled. ‘Now you’re mine,’ he said. With one swift movement he thrust, filling me, his eyes on mine the entire time. There was a brief flash of searing pain and I cried out but it was momentary. He began to move, carefully at first until he realised I was enjoying the sensation and moving with him, no longer hurting but needing to feel more of him if that were possible.
He groaned. ‘Now I’m yours.’
We staggered until my back was pressed against the cave wall. My hips rose to meet his and my breaths grew more frantic. ‘Gabriel,’ I begged. The feelings were building up in my body again. Sweat beaded the length of my skin. He thrust again and again and our eyes met. As if by mutual agreement, we smiled. Then my body burst, shattering into a million pieces while Gabriel shuddered and cried out my name.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gabriel was snoring. It wasn’t an earth-trembling rumble or a wet, nasal snort; the sound was actually rather cute – like a series of contented hiccups. It was comforting. I felt strangely safe like this. There was nothing remotely logical about it; I was lying on cold hard ground, and had the arms of someone who apparently hated my very existence wrapped around me, but not a single part of me regretted what had just happened.
‘Wanted,’ I whispered to myself. That was what it was. Someone wanted me – and not just any someone.
I wasn’t naïve enough to think that I could hide my nature from him forever; sooner or later he’d realise I was a wraith. Unfortunately it was going to be sooner and I had no clue how he’d react.
Right now, Gabriel needed to rest and I needed to get hold of a certain little box. Regardless of his protests, he was obviously still feeling the after-effects of Ghrashbreg’s vile poison. It was probably for the best; this would go easier if I were alone.
Reluctantly, I left my body where it was, encircled by Gabriel, and separated my shadow so I could rise up, get dressed and be away. Before I left, however, I took a moment to gaze down at the pair of us. The green tinge had vanished from Gabriel’s skin and he looked more relaxed than I’d ever seen him. He wasn’t the only one; I may not have been sleeping but my physical body was entirely at ease. It was like I belonged there with him. I sighed inwardly and pulled myself away.
It was as black as pitch when my shadow emerged from the cave. The forest around me was silent, only the rustle as the wind blew through the trees reaching my ears. Wherever the Filit goblins were, they had no clue as to our whereabouts. That boded well.
I wove in and out of the trees, eventually emerging at the foot of the castle hill. I was expecting to see numerous foot patrols; Ghrashbreg and the other goblins must have realised that we’d escaped the confines of the castle by now. Perhaps they were hoping that the poison had done us in and our corpses were lying in a ditch. It seemed unlikely though. The effects had been too fast acting for either Gabriel or me to have got far had we both drunk enough of it to die.
I paused for a moment, swinging my gaze back up towards the castle entrance. There was no sign of any kerfuffle. Uneasiness slid through me; something about all this didn’t sit right. I couldn’t afford to investigate it further, however. Carrying Ange’s trinket box while in shadow form would take all my energy. Besides, I was loath to leave Gabriel alone with my husk of a body for long.
I slipped down the first side street, taking the long way round towards the suburb where Sally had lived. I passed the odd person shuffling through the quiet streets and a group of wealthier citizens who were probably on first names terms with Isabella and her cronies. For the most part, though, my journey was entirely unimpeded.
For curiosity’s sake, I turned left down the street where Gabriel and I had confronted the Mongolian Death Worm. Ghrashbreg was no fool; he must have wondered what we were doing in that area. If I’d been him, I’d have posted sentries and sent out search parties but this road was as quiet as everywhere else.
I was perturbed to note that the Worm’s carcass remained in place, albeit with large chunks carved out of its slowly rotting flesh. I’d tried Worm meat and it wasn’t pleasant. Give me a tin of Pedigree Chum any day. I hoped that didn’t mean the Filits were reducing rations even further; with their impending success in locating the Stone, you’d think they’d be feeling more generous.
Abandoning the Death Worm’s corpse, I headed back to Sally’s street. Despite the lack of people, I remained wary and took my time, keeping my shadow flat against the walls and fences where other shadows would render me invisible. There was nothing and no one. The thought struck me that the lack of Filits might be because they’d already located the Stone and were crowning their own King or Queen at this very moment and a chill ran through me. If that were the case, there was nothing I could do about it. All I could do was to stay on my current course and hope for the best.
Although I was both wary and careful, in the end I reached my destination less than half an hour after leaving the cave. I’d never have managed that without my shadow form and, as I hopped over the wall and into Sally’s neighbour’s garden, I added it to my checklist of reasons that being a wraith wasn’t all bad. I needed as many as possible to persuade Gabriel. Maybe when he realised how many positives there were to my ‘condition’, he’d be pleased. Yeah, right.
There was only one tree. Becky had been right – it was a massive old thing, towering above me with its long leafy branches. I bet it concealed far
more secrets than the little trinket box that she had hidden away there. It took no time to locate the little hidey-hole in the trunk. I adapted my shadow before reaching in and, steeling myself for its weight, drew out the box.
I hefted it from shadow hand to shadow hand. Its lacquer covering boasted a more intricate pattern than I’d previously appreciated when Becky had shown it to me. I rattled it; whatever was inside was still there. With any luck, when I got it back to the cave I would work out how to open it. Or Gabriel would.
Holding it carefully, I twisted round. It would be much harder work getting back whilst carrying the darn thing and it would take me longer to return than it had to get here. Still, it was possible that Gabriel was still asleep. I could come up with a story about how I retrieved the box along the way.
***
I made it back to the cave without incident. It was a struggle getting back up the tree-covered hillside with the box in my hands and I had to stop and lay it down more than once. When I reached the tiny opening, I felt an overwhelming relief. There was no sound from within. Perhaps I had pulled off my mission without Gabriel learning what I really was.
I ducked in, enjoying a sense of zippy optimism, but the moment I was inside the cave it dissipated. My limp body lay in the same spot where I’d left it but Gabriel was no longer wrapped around it – instead he was standing bolt upright, fully dressed, and staring at me, his eyes hooded and his expression hard. Above his head, the glowing ball of magic light sparked and shook with jerky, mid-air vibrations, as if reflecting his ire.
Facing him, but keeping my movements deliberate and slow, I crouched down and placed the trinket box on the ground. Then I stepped over to my body and re-attached my shadow. Gabriel didn’t move a muscle but his eyes followed my every action. Swallowing hard, I stood up and faced him. ‘Hey,’ I said. My voice echoed around the cave. ‘I got the box.’