A Caress of Wings Read Free Page A

brutal order, but Adrian had the strength of conviction to see it carried out. It was one of the many reasons why he was the Sentinel leader and why the Sentinels still respected that leadership, despite the fact that his love for Lindsay—who was now a fledgling vampire—broke the very law they’d been sent to earth to enforce. That law barring fraternization with mortals had been on Siobhán’s mind a lot over the last couple days since she’d found Trevor.
    It had all begun with the Watcher angels. The Watchers had been sent to earth to observe and report on the advancement of Man without interference, but they’d disobeyed and began mating with the mortals instead. This development displeased the Creator greatly and the Sentinels had been sent to punish the Watchers.
    The Watchers were stripped of their wings and became known as the Fallen—the first vampires from which all other vampires came into being. The Fallen were more powerful than the minion vampires they created. They were stronger, faster, and able to walk in sunlight—they also had nothing left to lose.
    “Have you been able to spot any patterns in the rapidity of progression?” Adrian asked.
    Some minions were dead within a few days, others lasted a few weeks, and still others appeared to be immune. Why?
    “I think I’m on to something in that regard.” Her excitement came through in her voice. “I’m not entirely positive yet, but it seems as if the advancement varies depending on how far removed the minion is from the Fallen heading their vampiric hierarchy.”
    “You need to test Fallen blood,” he surmised.
    “It would be helpful, yes,” she conceded, knowing how difficult it would be to attain. “Then I could see if it at least slows the development of the disease.”
    They discussed the logistics for a few more minutes. Then Adrian signed off with the order to keep him posted.
    “Yes, Captain,” she said. “Of course.”
    Hanging up, Siobhán found herself eager to return to one of her patients—a handsome mortal with the eyes of an angel. She’d spent more time in her room over the last forty-eight hours than she ever had, unable to resist watching the health return to Trevor’s body.
    She told herself she had a valid reason for being so focused on him; it was about time someone looked after him. He’d been through so much and since she was the one who’d claimed him, it was her responsibility.
    It was irrelevant that the duty just happened to give her a great deal of pleasure.
    *  *  *
    She was the most gorgeous creature he’d ever seen. Trevor watched her as if from a distance, his warrioress angel. She was a small thing but fierce, her body clothed in urban camouflage and Army-issued jungle boots. Her hair was as black as his and her eyes just as blue, although her irises glimmered, as if filled with cerulean flames. She was such a contradiction—part otherworldly beauty, part contemporary woman.
    Her hair was styled in a sleek bob around her piquant face, and her trim, curvy body was stunningly framed by those awesome wings. They were massive and certainly heavy, but she moved them with ease. They weren’t white like the pictures and drawings of angels he’d seen all his life. They were multihued and reminded him of the dawn—pale pink feathers darkening to blues and purples with a touch of gold filaments. They were such feminine wings, both playful and seductive.
    With a sigh, Trevor settled deeper into the miasma he floated in, feeling warm and at peace. He’d gone from hell to heaven . . . because of
her
. She’d saved him. She’d killed the things that had tortured him for so long, taking their repulsive lives with gruesome deaths. He’d listened to their screams with a near maniacal joy, and when he had seen the copious amounts of blood splattered on his guardian angel’s clothes and her beautiful face, he’d loved her all the more.
    Then she’d ordered that hellhole burned to the ground. She had