Court of Sunder (Age of Angels #2) - Milana Jacks Page 0,21

let him have these people.”

“So you killed them all?”

“They’re not dead.”

Nevaeh approached. “They look dead to me.”

I admired her fearlessness. Not many invaded my personal space. “Quite the opposite. They’re the undead.”

She frowned. “What are the undead?”

Gently, I took her hand and pressed a claw over her palm, then sliced.

She winced and tugged, but I held her hand. Blood seeped from the cut. I collected it, lifted it, made it hover over her hand, and turned her around, pressing her against me. “Don’t struggle.”

She stilled, watching as I held her blood above her palm. More blood seeped from the cut, though it didn’t fall on the floor. It rose and joined the droplet I held suspended.

“What are you doing?”

“Feeding them.” I flicked my wrist. Her blood dispersed, tiny drops landing in the hungry mouths of the patrons. Their throats worked as they swallowed, their canines elongated, and their jaws snapped. “These are the undead. They feed on the blood of the living.” I healed her wound.

Nevaeh rounded me and sprinted outside. I followed her. There would be no running, not now when I was certain she was mine. Last night, as I gathered power, her soul was the only thing that kept me in the light and away from raising an army that could ravage the entire mortal realm.

Nevaeh stopped in front of the line formed by five local children with backpacks over their shoulders and Mary Ann with the baby. Nevaeh turned and held up her knife as if guarding them from me.

“Gabriel’s angels will land here shortly,” I said.

“They’re only coming for the kids,” Nevaeh said. “What about Mary Ann?”

“I’m fine where I am, soldier,” Mary Ann bit out.

Nevaeh persisted. “I’m not leaving you here.”

“You are.” I swept up Nevaeh and lifted into the sky. She beat my chest as I flew. Taking care not to drop her, I pressed her against me, trying and failing to suppress the blood flow to my groin. A soul mate indeed, one I would protect against all enemies, including my brother when he found out she’d gone against his orders.

Nevaeh ceased struggling, and I flew faster, eye on the landing post just before the city. I wanted to show her my city from the vantage point that offered the most spectacular view. Seeing as I’d wrenched her from the Exile and provided no answers, I wondered if she would care for the beauty of the city now.

Preparing to land, I pulled back my wings, calculating her weight and mine, accounted for my new larger wingspan, and touched ground, hurtling forward like a baby angel making his first landing. I stumbled, straining my wings to keep us upright so we didn’t fall, my bare feet digging into the dirt, stopping right before the edge of the cliff.

She lifted her face from my chest, eyes wide.

I cleared my throat. “Pardon the landing.” I backed away from the edge so she wouldn’t see just how inaccurate my calculations were. “I’m unaccustomed to flying with mortals, or anyone, for that matter. But practice will make it perfect.” I released her, though I held her hand in case she decided to back away and fall into the Keiaki River.

Nevaeh looked around. “Where are we?”

She was either not upset anymore or resigned herself to the situation when she realized I’d said what I had to say on the undead topic. Either one pleased me. I didn’t wish to argue with her. I turned her by her shoulders. “Home.”

Chapter 9

Sunder City was carved out of land and surrounded by three rivers that ran half a mile below the city’s surface. River dams controlled the waterfalls, and bridges connected the city with the rest of the Court. A massive house in the middle of three towers rose from the middle of the city. Each tower had a garden at the top. The entire city, with its colorful structures, flower gardens, and blue and violet waters, looked like a slice of heaven.

The city also appeared undamaged. No battles had been fought here.

“What do you think of it?” Raphael’s wing brushed my arm as he stood next to me. He held my hand as a lover would, gently, but I knew better. He held it so I wouldn’t run. I walked a few steps to the edge of the cliff and looked down into the clear blue water. Even from this far up, I could see colorful schools of fish swimming below.

“Come.” Lord Raphael pulled me into him and flared out