Rebel Angels Book Two now available at Cerridwen Press!
Alyssa is a Rebel Angel, semi-fallen, like Gideon before her. Cursed by her own words, she is unable to distinguish truth from lies—even her own. She has sworn to protect her ward, Rosalind, from the forces of evil. But without discernment, how will Alyssa identify friend from foe?
Prince Sariel of the Angelic Order of Grigori, the oldest and most powerful of all angelic beings, has endured thousands of years of celibacy for the sins of his race. It's his duty to determine if Rosalind is a Nephilim and perhaps destroy her.
When Sariel comes for Alyssa's ward, more than the girl's fate hangs in the balance. Never before has he felt such dark desire as Alyssa stirs in him. The Daughters of Man are forbidden Sariel…but is Rebel Angel Alyssa?
An Excerpt From: ECHOES AND EMBERS
Copyright © CYNDI FRIBERG, 2008
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
Darkness embraced Sariel more snugly than his ermine-trimmed cloak. Alyssa strode along beside him, her back straight, her head held high. She hadn't spoken since they crossed the river. He wasn't sure what Lailah had told her. No doubt some dire warning. Alyssa refused to meet his gaze and avoided even the most casual touch.
She licked her lips. He drew in a slow, deep breath, expecting the acrid scent of fear. Faint, alluring, unmistakable, the musk of desire filled his nose. Shock slammed through him. She was aroused by him? Startled yet intrigued, he reached out and scanned her thoughts.
Chaotic. Jumbled. Swirling images he didn't understand combined with a vivid representation of his half-naked body. He grinned. The little spitfire was fantasizing about him. Her imagination rapidly worked to divest him of his clothing. Her hands caressed his naked flesh, squeezed his shoulders, traced the distinct ridge dissecting his abdomen. Her image reached for the lacings on his hose and his shaft bucked in eager agreement.
"It would benefit you greatly to think of something else."
Her laughter sounded forced and strangled. "What do you believe occupies my thoughts?"
He stepped into the path in front of her and turned around. She collided with his chest then scrambled back a step. "You were picturing me unclothed, wondering what it would feel like to touch me, to have my hands caressing you as I—"
"Enough," she said sharply, placing her palm on the middle of his chest. "If I was…I apologize for…having impure thoughts about you."
He didn't move. The warmth of her hand seeped through his garments, stirring fantasies of his own. He pictured her sinking to her knees, completing the task she'd begun in her mind and taking his turgid length into her warm, wet mouth. Trembling with the need to make the image real, he stared at her. Aching.
"How are you able to see into my mind?" Her question interrupted the unwanted stimulation.
"It is always within my power, but—impure thoughts are more readily available to me than any other."
"How inconvenient." She moved her hand and put more space between them.
He laughed. "I've been celibate for the past three millennia. It's a bit more than inconvenient."
Her eyes rounded owlishly. "Three thousand years? You've not…for three thousand years?"
"Two thousand, eight hundred and sixty-five, so I suppose three millennia is a bit of an exaggeration." He turned back to the path, his mantle billowing out around him. "How much farther to Mae's cottage?"
"She lives on the far side of the village. This path will take us around." She hurried to catch up with him as he continued down the trail. "How many Grigori still exist? Lailah said you delegate the majority of these missions to lesser angels in your order."
"Lailah talks too much."
"What makes this mission so important that it warrants the attention of the prince of the Grigori?"
He paused and glared at her. "You dare mock me?"
She flashed an innocent smile, effectively melting his anger. This female was trouble, no doubt about it!
"It was an honest question. What makes Rosalind's case so important?"
"The Grigori assigned to her case has failed to report for some time now. He's attempting to conceal his presence from me, which is most disconcerting." She didn't need to know that Gadrayel was one of his closest friends, and this sort of behavior often preceded a Fall. The possibility of losing yet another of his order tormented Sariel. "My purpose is to locate my subordinate as well as conclude Rosalind's case."
"Conclude her case. That sounds so simple, so harmless. But you're not harmless at all, are you?" He didn't reply. They walked for a time in silence and then Alyssa said, "I thought the stories about your order were myths."
"My order is real enough," he said stiffly, resenting the pressure in his groin with each step he took. "As to the stories, I would have to hear them before I can respond."
"Are the Grigori really able to produce offspring?" Her tone was hushed with awe.
The ability to procreate had been withheld from the other angelic orders. The power to create life set the Grigori apart, made them different. Sariel understood her fascination, but the question led in dark, painful directions. "Not while we remain celibate."
Moonlight filtered through the trees, gilding her lovely face. Her riotous hair appeared brown in the dimness, but the curling fullness held no less appeal. Her lustful thoughts resonated through him, stirring his desire as never before. Was it just his incredibly long abstinence or was there something special about this female?
Her brows knitted together. Clearly his admission confused her.
"Do you remain celibate by choice or by decree?"
"I choose to obey the decree."
She smiled faintly, apparently amused by his churlishness. "What happens if you ignore the decree?"
"If a Grigori ever again indulges in the pleasures of the flesh with a Daughter of Man, he will Fall."
I'm not a Daughter of Man.
Desire tore through him with staggering intensity. His heart thundered and blood roared in his ears. Sariel's wings began to unfurl. He stopped the transformation.
Damn her! She knew he could hear her thoughts.
He grasped her shoulders and spun her to face him. "Do you want me to toss you to the ground and ravish you here and now?"