Chapter 10
MALICIOUS
Summer snorts, her finger still wagging at my wings … which should be invisible to her. “I’m not that drunk. Or am I? I feel like Alice, and I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole into this town where I’m slowly going mad.” Looking around, she gestures at a woman walking our way. “Hey, do you see this? The wings?”
The woman stops a few feet from us, her eyes dashing between Summer and me. Her brow furrows, and a fake smile that clearly says she’s uncomfortable spreads across her face. “Um. I’m sorry. What? Wings?”
Summer’s arm drops to her side as she looks over my shoulder, seeing what no one else can see. She gives the woman an apologetic wave. “Sorry. Nothing.” Then she mumbles to herself, “I guess I am crazy.”
I smirk at her frustration. My poor little witch. The woman starts to walk past us, trying to keep as much space between herself and us. Summer glares up at me. Her green eyes sparkle as she opens her mouth, ready I’m sure to demand I explain, but the woman pauses, looking closely at Summer as she says, “Are you …? You’re Summer, aren’t you?” Her voice rises in excitement.
The look on Summer’s face makes me want to wrap my wings around her, shield her, or better yet, carry her away from here. But the next moment, a fake smile lifts her lips, and she nods. “Yes. Hi.”
The woman presses her hands to her cheeks and squeals. The only way I can describe her reaction is star-struck. I’ve seen that look of awe many times when I used to come to the human realm as the archangel Michael. Who exactly is my Summer?
The women shake hands. I stand behind Summer, unused to not being the center of attention. I realize I’ve zoned out as the woman asks, “What brings you all the way here? I saw your post about unplugging for a while, and I get it. Being on social media is draining enough, but for someone like you, I’m sure it’s a lot.” She waves her hands around excitedly. “I never in a million years thought I’d meet The Summer. I love all your content. You come across as so real.”
I barely hold back my growl. Summer is real, you twit.
The woman goes on, “My bank account doesn’t love you so much.” She laughs, and Summer chuckles, but something about the sound seems forced. I don’t think Summer is enjoying this interaction. I’m certainly not.
Before the woman can start speaking again, I step closer to Summer, towering over them both. My movement draws the woman’s attention to me, and her eyes widen slightly as she stares at my face, then slowly works her gaze down my chest. I don’t say a word, staring her down. She swallows, tearing her eyes from me and back to Summer. She reaches into her bag, and Summer takes a tiny step back towards me, her back pressing to my front. I nearly groan.
I feel tension snap up Summer’s spine when the woman pulls out her phone and holds it up. “Can I take a picture with you?”
Without waiting for a response, the woman turns, backing up, pointing the screen back at us.
The woman’s finger hovers over the little camera button, and Summer’s words sound panicked as she turns her head to the side. “I’m s-sorry. I’d rather n-no?—”
Rage has my glamoured wings snapping out, but Summer doesn’t react—that’s how rattled she is. I reach over both women, wrapping my large hand around the woman’s phone, plucking it from her grip. She gasps and sputters as she turns. She looks like she’s going to snap at me, but quickly closes her mouth as I glare at her.
I take a slow inhale, devouring the tangy scent of her fear and the lemony scent of her embarrassment as I say, “You realize you haven’t stopped talking since you recognized Summer. You haven’t let her speak or respond, and when she tried to tell you she did not want a picture, you were ready to ignore her and take it anyway. Is that how you treat someone you say you admire? You should be asha?—”
Summer’s hand squeezes my forearm, and my gaze falls to her. And I keep falling. I am hers. She’s fully facing me, and her pink lips mouth, “Thank you.” My skin prickles and warms as she runs her fingers down my arm, over my wrist, across the back of my hand, and down my fingers. She takes the phone, glues a smile on her face, and turns back to the woman.
Holding the phone out to the now silent woman, Summer says, “It was really nice meeting you …?”
The woman takes the phone, gripping it until her knuckles turn white. She darts her gaze to me, a flicker of anger pinching her eyes before she quickly looks away as she says, “Paula.”
Summer’s voice sounds a little tight as she says, “I appreciate your compliments and your support, Paula. It really means a lot. I hope you understand. I am on vacation, unplugging for a bit as you know. Any other time, I’d be happy to take a picture with you, but I’m?—”
I clear my throat. Summer shouldn’t have to apologize or explain. I’m ready to be away from the annoying Paula. Summer glances up at me, her eyes darting over my shoulder to my wings. Looking back at Paula, Summer waves at the bag in my hand. “I’m sorry to rush off, but I need to get my groceries home.”
Not waiting for Paula to respond, I place my hand on Summer’s back, my fingers flexing against the thin material of her tank top. We move past Paula, but only make it a few steps before the artificial click of a camera sounds from behind us.
With a growl, I spin around. Summer reaches for me, but her fingers close around air. I’m in front of Paula in a heartbeat. My shadow engulfs her, and my growl deepens. The silver glow of my eyes reflects in her brown ones. My power grabs her, holding her immobile. Not knowing about real magic, humans call the sensation frozen with fear. This time I don’t bother to take her phone from her hand. Instead, I wrap my fingers around hers and squeeze. She winces, then as I keep squeezing, tears fill her eyes. She tries to pull away but can’t. Plastic cracks. Metal groans. Pieces of Paula’s phone clink to the sidewalk. There’s a loud pop as her phone screen shatters.
Paula yelps. “Ow! What the hel?—”
Leaning over her, I get right in her face. “If you think you see Summer around town again, you don’t.”
I let her go, pleased at the red marks on her hand from my grip. There’s also blood on her palm from the broken glass. I don’t give her a second look. Spinning around, I lick the smear of Paula’s blood off my thumb. It gives me a little hit of power, but not much. If it were a few hours later, and The Divide was down, I’d kill Paula, consume her soul, and leave her body for the other monsters. But if The Divide was down, none of this would have happened because the humans would be hiding in their homes.
Wait, why am I holding back? Paula disrespected Summer. She deserves death.
Again, I’m halted by Summer’s touch. Her small hand presses to my outer arm above my elbow. I look down at my little sunshine, most of my anger draining away. She shakes her head as if she can read my thoughts. “Thank you, Mal. Let’s go.”
With Summer’s hand on my skin and her eyes on me, everything else fades away, even Paula who doesn’t know how close she just came to death. Almost as if I’m in a daze, I follow Summer. I remain behind her, entranced by the sway of her hips as we walk the few blocks it takes to get to her townhouse.
Her flip flops slap against the first stair leading up to her door, and I panic. I need more time with her. I just need … more.
Forever.
“Summer.”
She turns, her foot still propped on the bottom step. I’d invite myself in, but I can’t get past the blood-carvings. At least I can’t until I make her mine. Soon enough.
Summer reaches for the bag of groceries, her eyes flicking over my shoulder. She hasn’t mentioned my wings again. My grip tightens on the handles of the bag, and she stands there, arm held out, eyes on me. I can’t help but wish she was reaching for me and not her groceries. Slowly, she lowers her hand, her tongue sliding out to lick her lips.
Fuck. Me.
She whispers, “Mal.”
I take a step closer, flaring my wings wide. Her gaze snaps to them, traveling the broad width. I let her look, my heart racing, my skin tingling. Eventually, her eyes come back to my face. Her cheeks are flushed, and her breaths are coming a little faster. I take another step, and she climbs fully onto the first stair. We’re still not eye-to-eye, but it brings her closer. I search her gaze as she stands watching me with parted lips. She leans in.
Holy hell.
Blood surges to my cock. I think my heart actually stops. Her scent wraps around me with an added spice of … tequila. That’s right. My little sunshine has been drinking.
I’m not an angel after all.
My free hand slides around the back of her neck, her shaved hair tickling my skin as I pull her to me. Our lips meet. My world shifts. I have truly been living in darkness. Summer is light, sunshine, warmth, happiness … mine.
She shifts, pressing her lips a little harder to mine, angling so her top lip slides between mine. With a groan, I suck her into my mouth, and when she gasps, I slide my tongue between her lips.
It’s a slow kiss, our heads tilting side to side as we learn each other. Her hands grip my shirt, holding me to her. I’m so caught up in Summer, I don’t realize I’ve let my glamour slip until her palms press to my bare chest. Quickly, I wrap myself back in my magic, clothing myself and vanishing my wings and crown just in case someone walks by, or a nosy neighbor looks out their window.
I pull back, aroused at the sight of her swollen lips. Her chest rises and falls, pressing her breasts against me. Fuck. A frustrated chuckle bubbles from my mouth. “Damn it, Summer. You are temptation in human form.”
She grins, her gaze landing on my wings before returning to my face. “And you are …?”
Before I can come up with an answer, a loud chime comes from her bag. Summer winces. “Sorry.” Leaning back, she retrieves her phone. The screen lights up her face, and I have the urge to grab her phone and toss it away for taking her attention off me.
Whatever she sees on her screen darkens her gaze. Her fingers turn white as her grip tightens, and she starts trembling. I set the grocery bag on the ground and wrap my hands around her shoulders. “Summer, what’s wrong?”
She shakes her head, bending down, bringing her mouth much too close to my cock. Grabbing her groceries, she stands back up. “I’m sorry. I need to take care of something, but I’d like to see you aga—” She’s moving to put her phone away, but I grab it without thinking. Rising to her toes, Summer tries to take it back, but it’s easy to keep it out of her reach.
I start reading, rage swelling quickly. “Wait. A stalker? Someone has been harassing you? This man?”
She jumps, reaching for her phone. So cute. She says, “Mal, don’t. I’m dealing with it.”
Turning the phone to face her, but not letting her take it back, my voice growls as I say, “This man, Henry Shillings, has been stalking you? And according to this email, it’s not the first time he’s done this.”
She huffs. “If you’d give me back my phone, I could finish reading the email … addressed to me.”
“Summer, this is serious. He’s harassed other women before. Wait”—I read the signature at the end of the email—“Max. Vex’s Max?”
“I don’t know what a Vex is. Mal, give me back my phone.”
All it takes is a thought. My magic surrounds us both, hiding us from view. My wings snap out, my laurel crown settling in place on my head. As I wrap my arms around Summer, I realize my clothes are gone once more. Probably not the best move right now, but I can barely think past the red haze of anger pulsing through my mind.
She squeaks as I launch into the air, aiming for my house. Surprisingly, she doesn’t scream or struggle. She doesn’t faint. She just holds on, looking behind me as she says, “I knew they were real.” A laugh bursts from deep in my chest. Her gaze snaps to mine, a little pout on her lips. “What? You made me feel like I was crazy, like I was seeing things.”
“You were seeing things you weren’t supposed to be able to see. But that’s just one of the very special things about you, Summer.”
She bites her lip, and I duck, pressing a quick kiss to her mouth before slowing the beating of my wings to descend. As soon as my toes touch down, Summer still in my arms, she lets loose a stream of questions. “Special? Did you fix my windows? Why can I see your wings and other things? What are you? Are you from the monster realm? How can you be here when The Divide isn’t down yet?”
I chuckle, reluctantly setting her on her feet. My hands land on her hips, and I stare down at my little sunshine. “Are you not afraid of me?”
She looks over my face, then shrugs. “Why would I be? You’re still the kind, considerate man who went on a grocery date with me, listening to me ramble, and kissed me into oblivion … you’re that man, just with wings. Right?” Her head tilts. “And you’re wearing a crown.” She smiles, shaking her head. “Why does something so ostentatious look natural on you?” Her eyes dart down my body then snap back to my face, her hand held in front of her as if to block my cock from her sight. “And why are you naked?”
I laugh again, materializing clothes back on my body. “I usually only wear clothes when I’m ‘human.’”
She hums with a wistful look in her eyes. “Yeah. No complaints. You are …” She fans herself.
My laughter booms through the early evening, and she smiles at me with a blush staining her tan cheeks. I shake my head. “Ah, Summer. You are a delight.”
She ducks her head, running her fingers through her short, wind-blown hair before looking back at me. “Ever since the bookstore, I’ve felt … drawn to you. I kept looking for you every time I went out. And now, here you are, and you’re … I … I like you, Mal.”
And I would tear apart the fabric of time and space to be with you.
“I like you too, Summer.” Though what I want to say is that my heart and soul belong to her now and forever. “This is my place. Please, come inside.”
“Will I be safe? You know, if I’m … if I’m still here when The Divide falls?”
That’s the plan, little sunshine.
I turn to fully face her. My hands cup her cheeks, my thumbs caressing her skin. “Always.”