Read Online Wings of Redemption by Sarah Gilman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sarah Gilman
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“Coffee?”
“Please,” Kes said, tension remaining in his voice. He met her gaze. “Saffron?”
“Coffee for me, too, please,” she told the demon. “Uh, thanks.”
The demon winked and sauntered off. He called over his shoulder, “Have a seat by the fire.”
Kes led her through the archway. “We’ll go home for dry clothes as soon as it’s safe to fly. In the meantime, they make really good soup here.”
Several demons, all dressed in casual colors as opposed to the Guardians’ black uniform, sat at round tables around a small dining room that seemed big and private in the dim lighting. Staying behind the screen of his wings, she followed Kes to a corner fireplace. The flames—demon fire, redder than normal fire one would strike with a match—radiated plenty of heat. She snubbed the nearby table and sat on the floor directly in front of the hearth.
“Comfortable enough?” Kes sat down beside her, one of his spread wings coming to rest against her back.
“Aside from looking forward to dry clothes, yeah.”
They ordered soup from a young demon woman who managed to give Saffron a hint of a smile along with a pile of towels. The coffee arrived. Kes poured an obscene amount of sugar into his.
“Sweet tooth?” Saffron wrapped a large white towel around herself.
He shrugged. “Using psychic talents drains energy. I use mine involuntarily all the time, so I’ve adapted well, but it’s impossible to overdo the caffeine or sugar.”
“Lucky.”
“Not if I don’t like sugar in my coffee.” He grinned.
She stared into her own brew, which was pale from the extra cream she’d added. “I don’t know how you did that.”
“Did what?”
“Fly us through the storm. I hate to admit it, but my phobia paralyzes me.”
“I wanted to get us both to a safer place.”
“We could have been struck.”
“The odds were in our favor, especially compared to staying outside.”
She shivered and inched closer to the fire. “How can you even stand the idea of going out in a storm? You said your father was killed by lightning.”
His lips thinned and he stared, unfocused, at the flames.
“You saw it, didn’t you?” she asked.
“It’s not something you want to hear about.” He straightened his shoulders. “Like I said, considering he got to live a full life and didn’t die at the hands of poachers, I have no complaints. The only thing he missed out on was a couple decades of decline.” He paused, then his voice grew bitter. “Mom was already dead. Part of me thinks he deliberately got caught in that storm. No archangel wants to grow old and lose the ability to fly, especially after outliving his mate.”
“He couldn’t have done that to his child.”
“I was nearly three hundred years old, not a fledgling.”
“Still. And what about your psychic talent? Didn’t you see his death coming?”
“No. He spent that morning visiting a group of archangels who lived outside the colony, far out of range. Suicide must have been a last-minute decision.”
“It could have been an accident.”
“Yes, it could have. But I don’t think it was.”
“Either way, I’m sorry.”
He fell silent and stared into the flames, his expression drawn and grim and…determined.
The back of her neck prickled. “You’re not thinking of doing the same thing someday, are you?”
His eyebrow quirked.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Why not? It’s quick and far more dignified than shriveling away. I’d rather die in the sky than in a bed.”
“Did your father say anything to you before he…?”
“No. Like I said, it must have been a sudden decision.”
“And why do you suppose that was?”
“Huh?”
“Because he knew you would have tried to stop him. That you would be upset. I’m sure your long lives don’t make losing family any easier.”
“I have no family to leave behind. It makes sense for me.”
“You have friends.”
“Yes.” He set down his empty coffee mug and ran his fingers
“Please,” Kes said, tension remaining in his voice. He met her gaze. “Saffron?”
“Coffee for me, too, please,” she told the demon. “Uh, thanks.”
The demon winked and sauntered off. He called over his shoulder, “Have a seat by the fire.”
Kes led her through the archway. “We’ll go home for dry clothes as soon as it’s safe to fly. In the meantime, they make really good soup here.”
Several demons, all dressed in casual colors as opposed to the Guardians’ black uniform, sat at round tables around a small dining room that seemed big and private in the dim lighting. Staying behind the screen of his wings, she followed Kes to a corner fireplace. The flames—demon fire, redder than normal fire one would strike with a match—radiated plenty of heat. She snubbed the nearby table and sat on the floor directly in front of the hearth.
“Comfortable enough?” Kes sat down beside her, one of his spread wings coming to rest against her back.
“Aside from looking forward to dry clothes, yeah.”
They ordered soup from a young demon woman who managed to give Saffron a hint of a smile along with a pile of towels. The coffee arrived. Kes poured an obscene amount of sugar into his.
“Sweet tooth?” Saffron wrapped a large white towel around herself.
He shrugged. “Using psychic talents drains energy. I use mine involuntarily all the time, so I’ve adapted well, but it’s impossible to overdo the caffeine or sugar.”
“Lucky.”
“Not if I don’t like sugar in my coffee.” He grinned.
She stared into her own brew, which was pale from the extra cream she’d added. “I don’t know how you did that.”
“Did what?”
“Fly us through the storm. I hate to admit it, but my phobia paralyzes me.”
“I wanted to get us both to a safer place.”
“We could have been struck.”
“The odds were in our favor, especially compared to staying outside.”
She shivered and inched closer to the fire. “How can you even stand the idea of going out in a storm? You said your father was killed by lightning.”
His lips thinned and he stared, unfocused, at the flames.
“You saw it, didn’t you?” she asked.
“It’s not something you want to hear about.” He straightened his shoulders. “Like I said, considering he got to live a full life and didn’t die at the hands of poachers, I have no complaints. The only thing he missed out on was a couple decades of decline.” He paused, then his voice grew bitter. “Mom was already dead. Part of me thinks he deliberately got caught in that storm. No archangel wants to grow old and lose the ability to fly, especially after outliving his mate.”
“He couldn’t have done that to his child.”
“I was nearly three hundred years old, not a fledgling.”
“Still. And what about your psychic talent? Didn’t you see his death coming?”
“No. He spent that morning visiting a group of archangels who lived outside the colony, far out of range. Suicide must have been a last-minute decision.”
“It could have been an accident.”
“Yes, it could have. But I don’t think it was.”
“Either way, I’m sorry.”
He fell silent and stared into the flames, his expression drawn and grim and…determined.
The back of her neck prickled. “You’re not thinking of doing the same thing someday, are you?”
His eyebrow quirked.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Why not? It’s quick and far more dignified than shriveling away. I’d rather die in the sky than in a bed.”
“Did your father say anything to you before he…?”
“No. Like I said, it must have been a sudden decision.”
“And why do you suppose that was?”
“Huh?”
“Because he knew you would have tried to stop him. That you would be upset. I’m sure your long lives don’t make losing family any easier.”
“I have no family to leave behind. It makes sense for me.”
“You have friends.”
“Yes.” He set down his empty coffee mug and ran his fingers
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