Page 26 of Sacrifice
For a moment, Eve stared back at him, searching his face for meaning, and Michaels sensed the pheromones pouring out of her. He sighed again.Gods, it’s worse than I thought.
“There was noafter. He took me home.”
“What time was that?”
“I really couldn't say. Why don't you ask him yourself?” Eve flicked her eyes over Michaels’ shoulder, and he turned to see that Lucien had just arrived. Annoyingly suave as ever in a dark, well-tailored suit and tie, he sauntered across the empty space toward them.
Michaels glared at him, his hands curling reflexively into agitated fists. Lucien leaned against the interconnecting doorway and oozed defiance. Michaels’ breathing deepened.
“Do you two know each other?” said Eve.
Michaels felt the anger build within him. With one word he could put the reaver on his knees and demand to know what he was doing, but he fought to keep his voice steady. “Lucien Knight, I assume?” he said, and stepped forward to cut off his line of sight of Eve.
Lucien smirked, barely concealing laughter, and Micheals’ blood boiled in his veins. His body ached with the impulse to take its natural form. “Do you have a moment? I have some questions for you.”
“Certainly, Officer,” Lucien said with a drawl.
Michaels gestured out into the hallway and stalked ahead to a place they would be out of earshot of Eve.
Michaels rounded on him. “What are you doing?” he growled.
Lucien pulled an expression of faux innocence and waved a hand at the exhibition sign. “I’m putting on a show. Sharing my passions with the mortals.”
Michael’s nostrils flared with a deep intake of breath that stiffened his jaw. “Interactions with mortals are not permitted, Reaver.”
Lucien sighed and waved him dismissively away. Michaels caught him by the wrist.
“Petrovsky wasn't yours to kill.”
Lucien's expression hardened. He replied in a low hiss, “It's another scumbag off the planet. All to the good, wouldn’t you say?”
Michaels stepped in a little closer. “You're deviating from the divine decree, Reaver. It isn’t permitted. You know that. You don’t get to choose.”
Lucien lifted his jaw and looked at Michaels with hooded eyes. “You don't need to worry your pretty little head. I'll do my job, you do yours. Now, go save a puppy somewhere and get out of my face.”
The prickle of feather-tips raced over Michaels’ back and he fought to keep them in. “You don't get to pick and choose. You'll follow instructions or suffer the penalty.”
Lucien sighed with maddening nonchalance.
“Don’t test me,” Michaels growled, and a ripple of light ran over him to swell in a pulse that flew forward and consumed Lucien. His eyes darkened as Michaels raised his fingers. “Adolebit tibi peccata,” he whispered, and Lucien froze as bright white runes appeared on his neck, searing harshly for a moment before dimming to a dull burning red.
Lucien cursed loudly and struggled to escape from Michaels’ charm that held him rigid. He turned puce and hissed with a forked tongue. “Is this God's love again, Angel?” he spat through gritted teeth.
“A reminder of the order of things,” said Michaels cooly, “Do your job.”
Seventeen
Enthusiasm could be a curse.Or was it libido? One of the two. Whichever it was, Eve had trouble holding back the grin when Lucien returned. He met her gaze and crossed the room with a kind of predatory determination that made her mouth dry. He scooped an arm around her waist and pulled her in. She melted a little at the knee as he kissed her fully on the lips. Goosebumps ran across her skin.
“Good morning to you too,” she gasped when he finally released her. Heat radiated from Lucien as if he were on fire. “Everything OK?”
He smoldered down. “Everything is perfect,” he growled.
“DI Michaels–”
“Has gone.” He cut her off and released his grip. “And, regrettably, I cannot stay either.” He rubbed at his neck and frowned. “But I wanted to give you this.” He handed her an envelope. “And also, this.” He reached inside his jacket to produce something fist-sized and heavy, wrapped in a silken cloth. “It’s the sun stone that belongs with our daggers.The Eye of Shamash.” A flash of a smile played at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t want to carry it around. Can you get it to Rupert for me? Ask him to keep it safe for me?”
“Oh right. OK” Eve took the silk wrapped orb with both hands. It was as warm as Lucien.
