in light and warmth."
"Yes." She gave him a smile. "It's magic. Well, it is to me. Sometimes I wish I could just slow down time so it would last longer."
"Lucky for you, you can."
She gave him a look. "I—I don't know about that. I mean, I know something happened at the dinner, but I was scared and upset and it might have just been a fluke. Or maybe it wasn't even me."
"It was you."
"How do you know?"
"Two of our district governors, Andre and Severin, believe that you are not fully human."
"Why would they think that?"
"They – they sense that kind of thing."
Nevaeh shrugged it away. "I think they're wrong. I'm just an average human."
"Who can stop time."
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can. And I can prove it. Get up. Come with me."
"Where?"
"Out there." He inclined his head toward the beach.
She let him pull her to her feet and together they ran down the steps, across the lawn and into the sand of the beach. Gabriel got behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Look. It's almost here."
Nev watched the sky, seeing the first rays steam up from the horizon. Gabriel leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I want you."
She turned to face him. "I want you."
"Then make love to me, Heaven-spelled-backwards. Stop time and greet this day in my arms."
She cut a look around. "But what if someone sees…"
Gabriel raised his hand and the glistening bubble of light appeared. Nev smiled at him as the bubble expanded and within seconds they were encased. Only this time she could see everything outside the bubble.
"I can see everything. Can people see us?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Quite."
"Well, in that case." She turned to face him. "Greet this day in my arms Gabriel of the Archangels."
"I thought you'd never ask, Heaven-spelled-backwards."
Nev smiled and went into his arms. His kiss was, at first, soft and gentle, a tender caress of lips and tongues. Nev worked her arms up to tangle her fingers in his hair and his arms tightened around her.
She forgot about everything but the kiss and had no idea how long they stood there, lips joined and bodies melded together. His hands started a slow trek down her back and just as they cupped her ass to pull her more snugly against him, the bubble around them exploded in a spray of light.
Gabriel jerked away from the kiss, his wings flaring out and body tense. Another Angel stood twenty feet away, this one with wings the color of night and hair to match. His skin appeared almost alabaster against the darkness of hair and wings.
"The Council has convened an emergency session. Your presence is required."
"Anyone ever tell you that you're a buzz kill, Lucien? What do they need of me? You're our rep. By the way, this is Nevaeh Rockwell. Nevaeh, this is Lucien – the Angel representative on the high council."
Neveah nodded to Lucien. "It's an honor."
He returned the nod. "Ms. Rockwell." His attention moved immediately to Gabriel. "Now, Gabriel."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." He turned to look at Nevaeh. "Rain check?"
She nodded and he smiled and gave her a quick kiss then turned toward Lucien. "Okay, boss, lead the way."
She watched the two of them walk away and then turned to look out over the water. The sun had risen and the water sparkled in the early morning light. She stood there a few minutes and then turned toward the house.
Layla was on the patio when Neveah returned. "Oh, I thought you must be asleep. I knocked and there was no answer."
"I wanted to watch the sunrise. I'm surprised you're still awake."
"Me too, but apparently my … transfusion endowed me with quite a bit of energy."
"Are you okay?" Nevaeh took a seat beside Layla.
"I… yes, I guess I am." Layla looked down at her hands in her lap. "Augustus asked me before – to let him "make me" and I said no."
"Make you? You mean into a Vampire?"
Layla nodded and Nevaeh reached out to put her hand on Layla's arm. "It was the only way to save you."
"I know but …"
"But what? Layla, he loves you. Even someone
"Yes." She gave him a smile. "It's magic. Well, it is to me. Sometimes I wish I could just slow down time so it would last longer."
"Lucky for you, you can."
She gave him a look. "I—I don't know about that. I mean, I know something happened at the dinner, but I was scared and upset and it might have just been a fluke. Or maybe it wasn't even me."
"It was you."
"How do you know?"
"Two of our district governors, Andre and Severin, believe that you are not fully human."
"Why would they think that?"
"They – they sense that kind of thing."
Nevaeh shrugged it away. "I think they're wrong. I'm just an average human."
"Who can stop time."
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can. And I can prove it. Get up. Come with me."
"Where?"
"Out there." He inclined his head toward the beach.
She let him pull her to her feet and together they ran down the steps, across the lawn and into the sand of the beach. Gabriel got behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Look. It's almost here."
Nev watched the sky, seeing the first rays steam up from the horizon. Gabriel leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I want you."
She turned to face him. "I want you."
"Then make love to me, Heaven-spelled-backwards. Stop time and greet this day in my arms."
She cut a look around. "But what if someone sees…"
Gabriel raised his hand and the glistening bubble of light appeared. Nev smiled at him as the bubble expanded and within seconds they were encased. Only this time she could see everything outside the bubble.
"I can see everything. Can people see us?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Quite."
"Well, in that case." She turned to face him. "Greet this day in my arms Gabriel of the Archangels."
"I thought you'd never ask, Heaven-spelled-backwards."
Nev smiled and went into his arms. His kiss was, at first, soft and gentle, a tender caress of lips and tongues. Nev worked her arms up to tangle her fingers in his hair and his arms tightened around her.
She forgot about everything but the kiss and had no idea how long they stood there, lips joined and bodies melded together. His hands started a slow trek down her back and just as they cupped her ass to pull her more snugly against him, the bubble around them exploded in a spray of light.
Gabriel jerked away from the kiss, his wings flaring out and body tense. Another Angel stood twenty feet away, this one with wings the color of night and hair to match. His skin appeared almost alabaster against the darkness of hair and wings.
"The Council has convened an emergency session. Your presence is required."
"Anyone ever tell you that you're a buzz kill, Lucien? What do they need of me? You're our rep. By the way, this is Nevaeh Rockwell. Nevaeh, this is Lucien – the Angel representative on the high council."
Neveah nodded to Lucien. "It's an honor."
He returned the nod. "Ms. Rockwell." His attention moved immediately to Gabriel. "Now, Gabriel."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." He turned to look at Nevaeh. "Rain check?"
She nodded and he smiled and gave her a quick kiss then turned toward Lucien. "Okay, boss, lead the way."
She watched the two of them walk away and then turned to look out over the water. The sun had risen and the water sparkled in the early morning light. She stood there a few minutes and then turned toward the house.
Layla was on the patio when Neveah returned. "Oh, I thought you must be asleep. I knocked and there was no answer."
"I wanted to watch the sunrise. I'm surprised you're still awake."
"Me too, but apparently my … transfusion endowed me with quite a bit of energy."
"Are you okay?" Nevaeh took a seat beside Layla.
"I… yes, I guess I am." Layla looked down at her hands in her lap. "Augustus asked me before – to let him "make me" and I said no."
"Make you? You mean into a Vampire?"
Layla nodded and Nevaeh reached out to put her hand on Layla's arm. "It was the only way to save you."
"I know but …"
"But what? Layla, he loves you. Even someone
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