Shadow Kissed 03 - Shadowman

voice.
    â€œThat’s me.” Her grin got wider, in spite of the tears in her eyes.
    His face grew paler, expression dismayed. The poor man didn’t blink, but he did start shaking. How long had it been since he’d had anything to eat?
    Layla knelt on the floor, reached toward him.
    He flinched.
    She softened her tone. “It’s just me. See?”
    Kneeling on all fours, she leaned forward, their faces close. His black eyes went wide and wild, searching hers. “Hi,” she said. And then she touched her lips to his. His mouth was warm, firm, oh so real. She breathed him in, reveled in the return press, and gave him her soul.
    He groaned, a lost, hurt sound. And the warehouse went pitch dark again. She was grabbed none too gently, dragged onto his lap, pinned with one tight arm around her, while his other hand roved, maybe checking for all the right parts, before settling at the nape of her neck.
    Finally, he kissed her back, mouth moving against hers, devouring, tasting. Pulling back to feather with gentleness, skim satin on satin, before crushing her to him again.
    And still he shook, but now he shook them both.
    Layla shifted. Scruffed her cheek on his five o’clock beard. Yep. Mortal.
    His breath was uneven. His heart was pounding against her.
    â€œShhhh.” Layla squeezed him tight. She’d thought to surprise him, and she guessed she had. “It’s okay. You’ll be okay.”
    â€œI’ve gone mad, yes?” he said in the dark.
    â€œNo, actually, you just went missing”—Layla cuddled closer—“and weren’t there for my triumphant return.”
    â€œI don’t believe it.”
    She chuckled. “I’ve got two cars outside, my piece of crap, thank you very much, and a Segue loaner. How about we get to a safer location—Rose went full lizard, by the way—and I can convince you there?”
    â€œAre you here? Do you live?”
    â€œYeah, I’m pretty sure I am. And you bet, I sure do.”
    â€œAnd Moira?” His voice broke again.
    â€œI tricked her. I beat Fate.” Layla laughed. “Boy, is she pissed at me.”
    â€œBut . . . how?”
    She pulled back. Arched an eyebrow to tease. “I’ll tell you all about it on the way. Devil’s on the loose. We’ve really got to go.”
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    Shadowman stumbled out into the waning light of the day. He would not let go of Layla’s arm. He gripped her too hard, and was sorry for it, but he needed to keep her by his side. The feel of her arm in his human hand astonished him.
    She should not be here. She should be dead. If he could have felt her emotion, sensed the glow of her soul, he might have thought her return possible, but this absence of her feeling and the surfeit of his own confused him.
    Layla hurried them down the street, beyond her old car to a sleek black one behind it, and spoke fast. “Rose couldn’t have gotten this far yet, so we should be okay, but we still need to hurry. If I know about this place, she does, too.”
    She held out a black fob and the car answered with a flash of its lights. He’d seen the swift rise of automobiles, but so far, he did not care for them. “Where are we going?”
    And wasn’t Adam taking care of the devil?
    â€œNew York Segue bunker,” she said, opening the passenger door for him. He should be opening the door for her, like a gentleman. When she smiled, waiting, he reluctantly released her and got in. Settled into the black leather.
    She slid into the driver’s seat and looked over while starting the engine. “Kev reported you didn’t want to go to the Annex to ask the angels for help.”
    â€œI had to find you, and they kill my kind,” Shadowman answered, and braced himself as she made a tight turn with the car.
    Her eyebrows went up as she smiled. “And what kind is that?”
    In her expression, he could finally sense a giddy mirth mixed with her determination to get them to safety. She was happy to see him. Welcomed him in any state. Delighted in this particular one.
    Shadowman exhaled in relief as the car swiftly accelerated down the street. “I believe I am a mage, a mortal who can wield Shadow. A very long time ago, a mage or two crossed into Twilight. I was trying to do the same to find you, yet I have not had time to master the craft.”
    â€œI know why the angels want to kill me, but why would they want to