A Crown Of Fire And Wrath (The Shadow Walkers Saga #5) - Sloane Murphy Page 0,16
for me, his need to protect me against the knowledge that I’m not going to just back down. He looks almost sad as he accepts that fact, which hurts, but I am not, nor have I ever been a damsel that needs saving. I’m not going to start being that person right now.
The static recedes and the air becomes less thick around us as he backs down. I feel Michael soften behind me, and I move before the fact that I’m wedged between them becomes our next issue. Levi might not be the jealous, possessive type with the other guys, but here, with Michael, that’s exactly what he is.
“When are we going?” Levi asks Michael, though his gaze remains on me.
“We’re due there in an hour,” Michael tells us both, and Levi wraps his hand around mine, pulling me closer to him.
“Good, then I have time to go to my own loft,” Levi snarls, and walks with his hand still wrapped around mine, out of the front door, and leads me away from Michael. It takes a second to remember that Levi’s loft is in this same tower. Not on this level, because there’s only one loft per level this high up, so I move with him to the stairwell and go down a few flights of stairs, to where the four peaks of the towers join, and then head back up towards his place. He doesn’t say a word as we move through the building, even with all of the looks we get. Each one more terrified or horrified than the last.
Apparently, our arrival here wasn’t exactly known, despite my flight with Michael. Won’t take long for everyone to know now, Avalon has that small-town mentality, and gossip spreads like wildfire around here. We reach the loft without a word, and I follow him in.
I take in the area, and it’s like being in a time capsule. Nothing has changed since the last time I was here, well, I mean, it’s been updated a little, but it’s essentially the same. The dark grey walls, with hints of white, and the odd shock of purple, it’s just as dark and welcoming as ever. The huge black sofas look so welcoming, like a cloud you could just sink into.
“Are you really okay?” Levi asks as he wraps his arms around me, softening for the first time since he arrived here. I sink into the feel of him, the comfort of him, it’s exactly what I need. The turmoil inside of me quiets a little with him here.
“I will be. It’s just a lot of deal with, having everything back in my head. I’m trying not to focus on it too much right now. I want to get through seeing the council and then go home. Then, then I’ll examine what’s going on inside of me properly.” His arms tighten around me as I speak, and I wonder, just for a minute, if he’ll just take me home, regardless of what I want. Council be damned.
“You don’t have to see them, Remy. You owe them nothing.” His voice is soft as his breath whispers across my neck, before he turns me and kisses me.
“I know I don’t, but I feel like I should. This was our home. Yours for much longer than mine. We shouldn’t be cut off from it because they’re a giant bag of dicks.”
His chest shakes as he chuckles at me.
“If it’s what you want, I’ll be there right beside you, but you should know that they could banish me forever and I wouldn’t care. All I need in this life, Remy, is you.”
Chapter Five
We walk into the Archangel council chambers, me in the middle of them, looking like a force to be reckoned with. Not that the egos on the council give a fuck. Their sneers and looks of disgust are impossible to miss. Though they’re mainly directed at me. Those that dare to try and meet Levi’s eyes keep a healthy dose of fear, most just don’t try to look at him directly.
“Leviathan, you son of a bitch, fancy finding you back here.” The thick twang from Gabe as his cheery voice booms across the space makes me smile. I didn’t know if he’d be here, but he was always one to side with us. The Archangel of Chaos. He always did love how much Levi and I being in a room together fucked with everyone.
“Gabriel. I didn’t know if you’d be here.” Levi’s smile is genuine