A Gathering of Angels by Cate Dean Read Free Book Online

this room ‘til I run that check.” She stepped forward, pulled a key ring off her belt. After fumbling through the keys, she chose one, slid it into the lock and twisted. “And now you’re responsible for her. I’m not taking the fall if he gets mad. And he can get real mad, real fast.”
    Her shoulder scraped the doorframe as she backed out of the room. The contact had her jumping. With a curse she whirled and ran.
    Marcus swung the cell door open, and caught Claire around the waist when her knees buckled. Moving slowly, he led her to the cot, settled her, and sat beside her. “Let me see that wrist.”
    “You are the most stubborn—God above, Marcus . . .” Her voice faded. Unable to stop himself, he pulled her into his arms. She sagged against him, one arm wrapping around his waist. His fingers slid down her hair. All that glorious, rich brown hair, touched with red, lay in ropy tangles down her back. “It’s good to see you.” Leaning back, she met his eyes. This close, he saw the exhaustion, the strain. “I expected Annie to come strolling in here, straight into their net. How did you end up here instead?”
    He told her, and she smiled, shaking her head. “At least she’s out of danger.” Marcus cleared his throat, and her eyes narrowed. “What?”
    “I phoned her, told her to meet me here. I thought I might need—backup.” He focused on her wrist, to keep from having to meet those eyes. “I had no idea when I did so that it would be—this.” Closing his hand over hers, he let tendrils of healing wrap around her wrist. His control had improved, to the point where he no longer needed to reveal himself to soothe smaller hurts. “I will get you out of here. I promise you.”
    “I’m not going anywhere without Lea.” She gestured to the girl in the next cell, curled on the cot, trying to give them privacy. “Come on,” she said. “You’re part of this now.”
    The girl joined them, lowering herself to the floor. Her injuries looked worse close up, and Marcus agreed with Claire—they would go nowhere without her.
    “I am Marcus,” he said, keeping his voice quiet, even. “May I tend you?”
    A smile brightened her bruised face. “He’s a polite one.”
    “When it suits him.”
    He glanced at Claire, and the humor in her eyes eased the ache he had carried around these last months. Reaching through the bars, he examined Lea’s fingers, halting when she flinched under his touch.
    “I am sorry this hurts you—”
    “Stop,” Lea said. “Stop apologizing for what you didn’t do. It’s going to hurt, because that’s what she intended.”
    “She?”
    “Just part of a long story,” Claire said. “And before you start making those promises, you need to hear what is really going on.”
     
    *
     
    D arkness pushed against the single window by the time Claire caught Marcus up. Once he finished with Lea, his healing much more subtle and controlled than before, he sat beside her, held her hand. His touch comforted her, in a way she didn’t expect. And all that curling black hair pulled back off his face made him look almost—normal. Which she guessed was the intent.
    “Annie dreamed of you,” he said, his deep, sand rough voice quiet. “All this time, she has held on to the belief that you were alive.”
    Claire let out a shaky breath. “I saw her, after Azazel healed me. I was hoping she wouldn’t—” A stifled gasp from the next cell cut her off. God above—what was I thinking— “Lea?” Pulling out of his grasp, she used his shoulder to help her stand and limped to the bars. Lea stood in the far corner of her cell, wide eyes staring at Claire. “I am so sorry you learned about me that way. I should have told you; my only excuse is that I’ve always held what I am close, kept it behind a wall of protection, until recently.”
    “You’re—a demon?”
    Claire gripped the bar, closed her eyes briefly. It still hurt, to have that thrown at her. “Do you know the story of