Immortal Surrender by Claire Ashgrove Read Free Book Online

knight. What lay beneath those soaked clothes he had no right to see.
    “Come now, sir knight.” Louise’s smoky voice carried a note of laughter. “Do you expect me to believe you’ve never seen a woman naked? More than once, I’ve heard the whispered murmurings of your brethren and their maids beneath these rafters.” She gave Lucan’s shoulder a push and nudged him out the door.
    With a frown, Farran stared at the tiny woman in the bed. He could excuse witnessing her nakedness to duty. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in Merrick’s number.
    Lady Anne answered on the second ring. “Farran, are you all right?”
    Uncomfortable with the concern in her voice, Farran bristled. “I am well. Allow me to speak to Merrick.”
    “He’s right here. One minute.”
    It took less than three seconds for Merrick’s voice to ring in Farran’s ear. “What happened?”
    “A demon ran us off the road.” He glanced back at Noelle, remembering the shrill cry she had let out moments before the impact. Approaching footsteps in the hall announced Louise’s return, and he tucked the phone against his shoulder to ease Noelle’s boots off her feet.
    “Is the Sudarium safe?”
    “Aye. ’Tis still with us. Mikhail shall need to send word to Phanuel.”
    “Phanuel has been informed. Will you be returning?”
    Farran set Noelle’s boot on the floor near the bed and reached for the other. “Aye, soon.”
    Drawing in a deep breath, Farran dropped her other boot to the floor and let his gaze settle on the torc around Noelle’s arm. He picked up her right hand and plucked off one soaked glove. He held her fingertips against his palm, admiring the slender lengths. Short nails bore no trace of polish. Soft skin disguised her line of work. Reluctantly, he laid the hand across her belly and announced, “Dr. Keane is a seraph.”
    A heartbeat of silence passed through the line. Wariness fringed Merrick’s voice as he asked, “Are you certain?”
    Farran pursed his lips against an exasperated retort. Was he certain? ’Twas not a claim he would loosely make. “She bears the serpents. I am not blind, Merrick. Send me the document of our brethren’s marks.” He picked up Noelle’s left hand and tugged on her glove. “I shall have her paired before—”
    A scar on the back of Noelle’s hand choked off his words. He stared, dumbstruck, at the meaty flesh between her thumb and forefinger. There, spanning up to her wrist, the whitish mark formed a perfect replica of a dagger, complete with a ringed pommel.
    “Jesu,” he whispered.
    The phone clattered to the floor, closing as it fell. Farran backed away, scalded by the sudden heat in Noelle’s palm. Reflex brought his hand to his belly in a vain attempt to cover the identical scar beneath his shirt. Surely his eyes deceived him. He did not want a seraph. Not now. Not ever.
    “Damnation,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
    He stalked back to the bed. No longer concerned for her injuries, he snatched up her fingers and inspected the scar once more. Nay, his eyes did not play tricks. She bore a dagger on her hand. It matched his as if someone had miniaturized the eighteen-inch-long weapon and scalded it into her flesh.
    She belonged to him.
    The door opened, and Farran’s head snapped up. He returned Louise’s pleasant smile with a glare. “You may undress the wench.” He shouldered past the aging caretaker, ignoring the way she spluttered.
    So Gabriel sought to pair him with a maid, did he? ’Twas no wonder the archangel did not forewarn him of her nature. Gabriel well knew Farran would rather swallow his own sword.
    He took the stairs two at a time, in desperate need of fresh air. His fingers twitched with the need to pummel something. A seraph! His seraph! God’s teeth, would he be allowed no mercy? Could he not just leave this world and be done with life?
    In the wide front room, Farran braced his hands on the table and squeezed his eyes shut. Duty