Mists of Velvet

stilled his mind and listened again. It had been so long since he had heard that voice.
    “Follow me . . .”
    And he did. Taking a step forward, he paused and listened, only to be rewarded with the sound of a hiss. Slowly, he followed the hiss, the sound of scales sliding against stone. He had no option but to trust that this snake would lead him to freedom. But there was every possibility that it would lead him straight to Uriel and his death.
    “You would not be alive if he did not need you.”
    True. In his misery, he had always believed Uriel enjoyed torturing him, but even torture got old after a thousand years. No, Uriel needed something from him, and he was keeping him alive till he got it.
    Giving himself up to the freedom he could taste, Camael followed the snake until he felt a shimmering shroud cover his face.
    Annwyn.
    He knew the feel of that magical veil; the scent of the woods. He could almost hear the trickling water of the reflection pool.
    My God , he thought. He was back. After a thousand years, he was back in Annwyn.
    “It has been a long time, Angel of War.”
    Every nerve he possessed jumped. Slowly he turned in the direction of the voice.
    Despite his blindness, he saw red. How dare she? How dare this cold, heartless bitch come to him now? He’d kill her, just as soon as he could wrap his hands around her throat.
    “You do not want to kill me,” she said, her voice soft and gentle. The sound only fueled his anger more until it coated everything he sensed with rage.
    “The hell I don’t want to kill you,” he muttered. “I’d love nothing more than to snuff the life out of you with my bare hands.”
    A twig snapped, the sound followed by the soft pad of her feet on the forest floor. In his mind, he saw her—blond and ethereal; cold and untouchable. She had destroyed him. She had taken everything he’d ever wanted from him.
    “I can feel your anger, Camael. There is a darkness in you that will soon rule everything you are.”
    “And do I not have a right to my anger? Have I not suffered enough, Cailleach? Look into my eyes! What do you see?”
    She gasped as he stepped closer. He could only assume that he had been shrouded in shadow, and now, whatever light bathed him revealed what he truly was.
    “What do you think, Goddess? Do I not deserve my wrath?”
    “You deserve vengeance,” came the quiet voice. “I have wronged you, as well as my most treasured friend. I humble myself before you.”
    The swishing of her gown reached his ears, and he raised his hands, searching for her, but his fingers met only air.
    “You took her from me.”
    “It has taken me a thousand years to come to terms with what I did. I was wrong. But I was young, then. No more than a child who was impetuous and proud. I am a woman now, with a woman’s regret. And a heart that has been heavy for a thousand years.”
    “And what do you want from me?” he growled. “Surely you do not bow before me to ask only my forgiveness.”
    “I ask you to join us. To seek your vengeance against your rightful enemy.”
    “Did you not make an enemy of me, Cailleach, when you banished Covetina from your world? You turned her away, allowing Uriel to seduce her.”
    Suddenly there was a cool hand pressed to his cheek. He shook it off, but it returned, and with that touch, so did his sight. His vision was blurry, but clear enough for him to see Cailleach.
    “Listen to me, Camael. I speak the truth. I made a mistake. I sent her away because I was envious of her. I . . . desired you.”
    Camael watched the way her body moved, the way her hips rolled beneath the material that hugged her curves. His body slowly came alive, and the feel of that awakening sickened him. He had only ever had one lover; he had only ever wanted the one. Their union had been beautiful, powerful. And to feel his body harden for this—this creature who had taken everything he’d ever loved, made his blood fill with rage and hatred.
    “I followed my heart, not my head. I will atone for that sin. Just tell me how.”
    His hand shot out, capturing her around her white throat. “I need what you and my brothers took from me.”
    There was no fear in her eyes as he tightened his hold, and it angered him. He wanted her afraid; he wanted her to hurt just as he was hurting. She had freed a beast—an animal—not the angel she thought she knew.
    “What you seek has long since died.”
    “Liar!” He lifted her up, her weight a pittance when compared