Eternal Sin (Primal Sin #2) - Ariana Nash Page 0,57

pockets. This was progress. Finally. No more lies, and Mikhail was listening to his words, even knowing he was demon inside. This was… monumental. “We should go to Haven and find the book.”

“They won’t allow us entry,” Mikhail replied, squinting at the sky and then bringing his gaze back down to earth, to Severn. “And word would have spread of our incident at Aerie.”

Severn shrugged, keeping his hands in his pockets so he didn’t do something foolish like act on the desire to kiss his angel’s mouth. “We’re the mated pair everyone is talking about. We’re supposed to be in Haven. Things got a little complicated, but we’re ready to go produce impossible offspring, if that’s indeed what Haven helps angels do. They’ll take us in.”

Mikhail’s charming smile had grown into something almost as bright as sunlight. That smile, it was real, and priceless, and did good things to Severn’s insides he thought he’d never feel again after Tower Bridge. He’d seen that smile when they’d lain tangled on his bed, seen it on a sleepy Mikhail when he woke in the morning.

“I cannot abandon Aerie.” The smile crumbled.

“Aerie abandoned you, Your Grace.” Mikhail’s gaze darkened, and Severn wished he hadn’t mentioned Haven. They could have talked some more about demons and Aerius and Seraphim, but of course, none of that changed anything. “You think anything is going to change while Remiel reigns? The war will go on. Demons and angels will die. The only thing that can change things is the truth. And that’s in Haven.”

“The truth?”

“Yes.”

Mikhail drew in a deep breath. “If this is the truth, and demons and angels were never meant to war, do you think this—us—is destiny?”

“It feels like it. Can’t you feel it too?” He pulled a hand from his pocket and touched his fingers to his own chest. “In here.” Closing the distance between them with a single step, he carefully touched Mikhail’s shirt, over his heart. “In there?” The touch immediately tingled with warmth and familiarity.

Mikhail’s breath caught, and for a moment, it seemed as though he’d shove Severn back again, but then his hand covered Severn’s, squeezed, and let go. Severn let his hand fall, too, and there they stood, enemies, toe-to-toe, but closer than angel and demon ever had been in recent times.

“To Haven then,” Mikhail said. “Let us see what your destiny has planned for us.”

“To Haven.”

Chapter 24

Severn

Mary and Barrie were quick to offer their services in anything Mikhail could want. Severn suspected they knew exactly who his companion was but were too afraid to come right out and acknowledge him as London’s guardian. Mikhail had, at least, ceased snapping at them and appeared to have settled into familiarity of having humans close. He might even grow to like it.

They offered to drive them the few hours out of London toward the southwest coastal regions, which Severn agreed to before giving Mikhail a chance to refuse. Angels did not ride in cars. The reason why became painfully evident when Mikhail folded all of his impressive self into the back seat of a Fiat.

With his wings on display, it would have been impossible. Severn joined him, distracting himself from the closeness of Mikhail’s knee and hip by chatting amiably with Mary. Barrie seemed as though he was dying to ask why they weren’t flying but thankfully kept the question to himself.

After a while, they fell into a soft silence, and Severn watched the world flow past the car’s grubby window, his mind drifting to what it would be like to fly again. Falling from Aerie didn’t count. He’d barely done more than slow their rapid descent.

He hadn’t flown in years, and these new wings, what he’d felt of them, were different, and not just because they were attached to an angel body. What he really wanted to do was head out of sight somewhere and stretch his wings out, give them some experimental flaps to judge their weight and density. But to do that, he’d have to tell Mikhail, and the thought of doing so still brought about a small spike of fear at the thought of having his wings taken a second time.

Mikhail probably wouldn’t do that, but… he was still Mikhail, and although he appeared to be more controlled, the sight of new demon wings could easily set him off. If he snapped, Severn wouldn’t be able to stop him, and then they’d be back on that battlefield, with Mikhail blazing over him, his blade coming down, slicing