Page 69 of Judge of Saints and Sinners

She plopped down again, delicate shoulder blades jolting out of her back as she curled in on herself, body far from mine now.

I considered her.

I tried to shield her from the truth, that much was true. But did I inadvertently insult her by not giving her credit where credit was due? After all, she was correct. I feared not having a mate like Arafel. If I were honest with myself for more than a second, then I would be the first to say how badly I wanted what he and Lucia had.

An understanding.

A partner.

A mate.

A chance at a real life, even as my world fought in its final battle.

But again, it didn't matter, if I let her get hurt, like I had failed Anna. My throat worked, and I leaned over her. “You’re right.”

That worked. She opened her eyes, rolling them to stare at me as she remained still on the bed.

“I am scared. I have failed someone important before, and my entire world suffered for it. But losing you, I wouldn’t care about the world anymore. I wouldn’t care about anything.”

She nodded once but didn’t speak.

“You understand, then, all these mistakes I’m making, they are because I know I will not survive this, knowing I let you, my mate, give up her life for the one I can offer you.”

“And what life is that?”

I swallowed. “A life of war. A life of chaos. A life of damaged souls and corrupted villains.”

Silence fell around us, and for a moment I thought she would back down. Then she was moving against the bedding so that she faced me. In the dark, I could see her features perfectly, but I wasn’t sure if she could see any of mine. Then she reached out, careful fingers slipping up my cheekbones then down again, stroking along my jaw and tracing the lines of my frown. Her fingers paused over my lips, and I felt her press harder there.

“You listen to me, Judge. I’ve spent my entire life fighting. Fighting to survive. Fighting to simply get by in the world. If you say that we will be fighting, then it would be the first time in my life that I would get to fight for someone…” Her voice cut out for a moment. “Someone I love.”

My heart raced. “That is the bond speaking…”

“You already hold my soul, you idiot. What I feel now is all me. Is it a little crazy? Yes. Maybe. But I have never played by life’s rules.”

“Justine.”

“So instead of keeping me away, pushing me back… Let me in.” Her fingers trailed down my throat to my collarbone, where she pushed at me lightly. “Let me love you.”

The protests I’d kept. The ones I’d built up at night while I worried over her. While I punished that man in the diner who thought he could touch what was mine.

Because she was mine. Every stubborn, strong, powerful inch of her was made for me. The fates had designed her, and now, danger be damned, I was unwilling to keep pushing her away. I was a weak soul.

I let my shoulders go pliant under her hand, rolling onto my back as she raised a slender leg and shifted so that she sat over me. Her weight settled over my lower belly, and my hands rose to cup her hips as she got comfortable over me. Fuck, she felt good.

“Little thief,” I warned as she wiggled around on me. Her eyes crinkled down at me, and then she looked pointedly over at the guards.

“You said you couldn’t do any magic, but could you…”

My lips curled and my wings slipped free of my glamor. Healed and brilliant white against the doom of the cell, I curled them up and around us, creating a perfect illusion of privacy from those outside of the feathers.

22

Justine

I couldn’t stop myself. I reached out, running a finger across one of the delicate white feathers, the silken vanes tickling my skin.

I looked down at the man, no - the male - under me. I could never mistake him for a human man. Not with those eyes. Not with that all-consuming pull that I felt every time we were close together. “You are beautiful, you know.”