Angel Magic (21 page)

 
“She said that to your face?” Amber’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

 
“No, of course not. She didn’t say it to my face. She and the other woman were talking in the living room and I overheard. Still, it made me feel awful.”

 
Amber paused. “But—what if being with me is just the convenient thing to do? I kept him out of prison. Then I was the bait to catch Kaphawn. What if he is just with me because of circumstances? And the binding does affect me, so I think it affects him, too.

 
I feel…it’s hard to explain…jittery when we’re apart. And more relaxed when we’re together.”

 
Amber was silent for a moment. “You’re in love with him, then?”

 
Kari nodded. “I know it’s stupid. We hardly know each other. It’s only been a few days. We are from totally different worlds.”

 
“How do you think he feels about you?”

 
“I know he cares about me. He was really upset I was hurt during the fight. I’m sure he likes sleeping with me.
That Angeli and human extra attraction thingy.

 
Something to do with smell.”

 
“Ohh,” Amber drew out the syllable. “That explains something. Tressa was watching her soaps but Auriel and I wanted to see a movie. We went to the bedroom to sit on the bed and watch it. Auriel had to move some clothes.”

 
Kari grinned. Amber was a slob—clothes everywhere.

 
“He picked up my shirt and I could swear he was sniffing it.”

 
“He has the hots for you.”

 
“No way. Have you seen him? And seen me? Trust me, men—or Angels—who look like that don’t date girls who look like me.”

 
“Right,” Kari said in a sarcastic tone.

 
“Really. Plus, I will barely see him. He has a year of Guardian training. Sounds very tough. But anyway, I do think Rahmiel cares for you. I know you come from very different worlds, but maybe you can find some common ground. And you like the sex, right?”

 
Kari felt her cheeks turn pink and she was glad the sun was down. “Yes,” she croaked.

 
Amber snickered.

 
A little while later Kari spoke into the darkness of the car. “Thanks for coming along. I feel much better.”

 
“You and Rahmiel have been through an awful lot in a short time. I think you need to give yourselves time to see what you want. Just enjoy what you have and don’t worry so much.”

 
“I’ll try.”

 
It was all so complicated. Angeli, human, the binding…Kari sighed. She and Rahmiel were doomed. Not because there was any fault in Rahmiel. He was…lovely, kind, generous,
totally
hot. But
the crazy circumstances surrounding them—how many couples would make it through that maze
?

 
She dropped Amber off at her apartment with plans to go shopping late the next afternoon, and went home to her solitary bed at Mom’s house.

 
No other guy will ever measure up to Rahmiel. Once it is over I’ll miss him for the rest of my life.
 
Her tears flowed freely.

* * * *

Auriel followed Kari’s car at a leisurely pace. It was a lovely night, and he enjoyed the Earth scenery. He saw dozens of places he’d like to return to and explore someday.

 
Finally, the car pulled up to a building. Amber got out, carrying her bag. Kari drove off and he rushed into the building. He found Amber entering a room, her long dark hair swinging as she pushed the door wide to pull in her bag. She saw him and her large eyes opened wide. He leaped toward her and took her bag.

 
“Thanks.”

 
She let him in and he got his wings back in the privacy of her apartment. Flopping onto the couch, he picked up a pile of clean laundry and sniffed. “Doesn’t smell like you,” he commented,
then
tossed them across the small room to a chair.

 
“Yeah. I just washed those. You don’t have to be in the Overland tonight?”

 
“No. Overland is crazy—the Assembly is still in session, members are sleeping on the couches in the Hall rather than going home. People who aren’t Assembly members are standing around in crowds outside the Hall. It’s the most exciting thing that’s happened in the Overland since I’ve been alive. No one knows or cares what I’m doing.”

 
“Do you think they’ll lift the ban on visiting Earth?”

 
“I think they’ll have to. Everyone I know is excited about Earth. They want to come see it. Good thing they don’t know how to get here. My friends, I mean. They would cause chaos.”

 
“Really? What would they do?”

 
“Fly around and look at Earth girls, act stupid.”

 
“Oh. I guess that would be bad.” She looked across the room at a small box with numbers on it. “It’s late, Auriel. I’m going to put on some jammies, okay?” She turned on the TV and tossed him the remote. “Start flipping channels.”

 
“Jammies?”

 
“Loose fitting sleep clothes.”

 
Loose fitting. Parts of him stood up and took notice of that. Maybe it would be loose around the neck, or dip low like that sleeveless shirt she wore while they were fishing.

 
She returned a moment later in a long baggy lavender shirt that looked so pretty on her. No Angeli girls could compare to her.

 
“Want some popcorn?” she asked.

 
“Sure.” The shirt’s v-neck came to a nice low point, and without her undergarments her breasts jiggled enticingly as she moved around. Auriel leaned back against the couch with a contented sigh.

 
Amber put a large bowl of popcorn and two drinks encased in metal on the small table in front of him a few moments later. She sat next to him and took the remote from his hand. He enjoyed the slight touch of her fingers.

 
“Let’s see what’s on. If there isn’t anything good, I have some movies stored. Want to watch a movie?”

 
“Can we watch The Terminator?” They watched that at Tressa’s.

 
“Sure, but would you like to see Terminator Two?” She found the DVD and started it.

 
“So, Rahmiel’s pretty busy?” she asked after handing him a bowl of popcorn.

 
He chewed a mouthful before he answered. “Yes. Samuel and the Assembly circle that oversees the Guardians have been in conference since Rahmiel got out of bed. They aren’t even sleeping. The healers are giving them restoratives so they don’t waste time sleeping.”

 
“So, he’s not seeing any old girlfriends?”

 
“Rahmiel? Seeing an Angeli woman?”

 
“Yeah.”

 
He laughed. “No. Well, not unless she’s on the Guardian Circle. And trust me, most of those women are not the fun and cuddly type, if you know what I mean. Why do you ask?”

 
“Kari heard the textile ladies at her house gossiping about Rahmiel and some old Angel girlfriend getting back together. They said maybe the binding could be removed now days.”

 
“Rahmiel should be getting away from the Assembly soon to see her. And I’m pretty sure no one knows how to remove a binding.”

 
The movie finally started. Auriel watched with rapt attention but aware the whole time of the soft body sitting next to him.

 
“How come you all speak our language?”

 
“Oh. Rahmiel knows your language. He studied it when he was in ice, remember?”

 
“Yeah.”

 
“The Angeli have a link, through the mind. We instantly know other languages.

 
Very handy now that there is actually another language to use.
But it’s not perfect. We don’t know all the words you speak. We don’t know your writing or your numerical or monetary system.”

 
“Oh. What else can you do, with your minds?”

 
“Parents can calm their children or find them if they are lost. Bonded couples can do those same things. Healers can ease pain. Liars can be detected, though that is harder for us.”

 
“Wow. Can you do anything in my mind?”

 
“Yes. If we were intimate, or you were injured in some way, I could. Or if there was a bond between us.”

 
“I’m glad we didn’t have to do that. Kari seems so unhappy.”

 
“Kari’s unhappy? Because of the gossiping textile workers?”

 
Amber nodded.

 
Auriel snorted. “Now, that gives you some idea of how stagnant Angeli society is.

 
Gossiping about crap that happened thousands of years ago. And, trust me, nothing else has changed much, either. No one knows how to remove a binding. I hang out with Samuel in the Library every day, and he knows everything. I would have heard about someone removing a binding. Angels don’t even do bindings anymore. They are out of fashion, considered odd now days. So no one would be working out how to erase one.

 
There’s no way that’ll happen, anyway. Rahmiel is crazy about Kari. Watch, he’ll get a break soon, and he’ll come straight to her. It’ll be all right. I imagine he feels edgy, too.

 
Side effect of the bond.”

 
He watched the movie for a while in silence. Then he worked up the courage to ask what he’d been wondering. “You didn’t want to do the bond with me. Is that because you find me unattractive?” He swallowed hard, his heart hammered in apprehension, but it was best if he knew right now.

 
“Unattractive? Have you seen yourself?”

 
His heart continued to pound, but this time it was for another reason. “So you find me attractive?” He felt dizzy.

 
“Of course you’re attractive.” He stopped her words with his lips. He had to kiss her or he would go crazy.

 
Her lips were soft, yielding. He dared to slide his tongue in and she licked back with a soft, sweet tongue. He moaned into her mouth and wrapped his arms around her. Her soft arms slid up around his neck, and her fingers stroked the top of his wings, which inflamed him so much he pulled her onto his lap.

 
“I’m on fire,“ he whispered against her lips. He felt her smile.

 
“Me, too. Wanna make out?” She pressed small kisses around his mouth.

 
“I want to touch you. May we touch?”

 
“Oh, yes. That is what
make out
means.”

Chapter Fourteen

 
As much as she enjoyed shopping, Kari had no desire to shop for a dress to wear to Lisbet’s funeral. She wasn’t in the mood for anything but staying in bed with a box of tissues, but she couldn’t do that. She dressed and picked Amber up. They decided to go to an outlet mall on the edge of town. Kari found an outfit to wear without much excitement.

 
“I guess I’m getting used to this body. The first time we went shopping it was so exciting.”

 
“And maybe you’re just a tiny bit upset about Rahmiel?”

 
“Yeah, maybe.”

 
“Listen, it’s almost dinner time. Let’s go get a salad somewhere and talk. I can tell you what Auriel told me last night.”

 
They ate supper at a steak house. Kari ordered the salad bar. “So, what did Auriel say?” she asked as she crunched a celery stick.