it this time. The immortal daggers are meant for both of us.”
“You share far too well for an angel.” His brows furrowed in bewilderment.
“So do you.”
“I only share with you.” He set his index finger over his lips, in a shushing gesture. “And don’t tell anyone.”
“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. As far as anyone knows, you are a cold, heartless bastard who never gives up any ground.”
He nodded in approval. “Good. And so are you.”
“Agreed.”
An angel couldn’t show weakness around people, especially not around other angels. If you did, the other angels tasted blood in the water and went in for the kill. I couldn’t afford to be caught up in dominance games any more than Damiel could. We had people to protect. People who were counting on us to be strong and unyielding. For the sake of the Legion. For the sake of the Earth and all its people.
“So let’s show them all what perfect angels we are,” I told Damiel. “The unstoppable duo of Dragonsire and Lightbringer. They won’t know what hit them.”
Peals of laughter followed us through the passage, but Damiel’s laughter cut off before we reached the rebel base on the other end. He’d brought us back to the garage. Jiro sat on an old wooden crate, sipping from a steaming cup. The scent of fresh mint wafted around him. A pile of Magitech devices lay at his feet.
“Report,” Damiel said, his voice sharp.
“I finished calibrating the devices an hour ago.”
“You said it would take until morning.” I felt a tad guilty over how many hours we’d allowed ourselves to get distracted at the Silver Shore while everyone here had been working.
“Jiro always overestimates how long things will take,” Damiel told me. “He thinks it makes him look good when he finishes ahead of schedule. Except I’m on to him by now. I know his game.”
“It’s not a game. And it is nearly morning. You two sure were gone a long time.” His gaze swept across our bodies. “I see your date went well.”
“The picnic you packed was delicious,” I told him.
“So, apparently, are you.” Jiro touched the back of my shoulder.
I twisted around to look—and found a bite mark there. Keeping my face serene, I tapped my hand to the spot and healed it. “Anything else, Captain?” I asked Jiro.
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
He pointed out two marks on my body, one on the back of my neck, and one on the back of my leg.
I set about healing them. With each mark that Jiro discovered, it was getting harder not to blush, harder to maintain the perfect angel facade. Damiel had left evidence of everywhere he’d been. He’d effectively planted flags to mark his territory.
“Gods, man, is there anywhere you didn’t bite her?” Jiro teased Damiel as I healed myself.
Damiel looked entirely too pleased with himself.
I frowned at him. “You checked the places I can’t see. You were supposed to heal any marks that you found.”
In an instant, Damiel’s face went from smug—to convincingly contrite. “I apologize. Do you want me to check once again all those places that you can’t see?”
I scowled at his lewd offer.
Jiro laughed. “Damiel left those marks on you on purpose, for everyone to see. So we all know that you belong to him.”
“And I suppose that ‘everyone’ includes humans, who don’t have supernatural powers to sense the magic mark?” I asked Damiel. “Hence the physical marks.”
“Naturally. I do like to cover all my bases, you know.”
Jiro snorted.
I planted my hands on my hips. “Real suave, Damiel.”
“I make no apologies for scaring off any and all men gawking at the beautiful, clever, amazing, kind-hearted and totally forgiving woman that I adore more than life itself.”
A smile pulled at my lips. He was such a sweet talker.
But I pushed back the smile and maintained my scowl.
“I need to check on our battle preparations,” he said.
“Try not to bite anyone.”
“All too easy. No one tastes as good as you, Princess.”
Damiel winked at me, then turned to walk out of the garage. That gave Jiro a clear view of his back—and the numerous bite marks I’d left there. No, I hadn’t healed his marks either.
As soon as Damiel was out of sight, Jiro shot me an approving glance. “You’re a damn good actress, Cadence. You certainly made a very convincing fuss over those unhealed marks, considering that you left at least as many on Damiel’s body.”
I fluttered my fingers together in wicked delight. “I just couldn’t resist.”
“You two