Echoes and Embers (Rebel Angels) Read Free

interrupting Alyssa’s words. Sariel paused in the threshold, the setting sun at his back. Tall and broad-shouldered, his body filled the doorway. Alyssa swallowed hard. Thick tawny hair flowed in shiny waves to the middle of his back. Though unfashionable, the choice somehow suited him. The undeniable urge to comb her fingers through those soft-looking strands startled Alyssa. Responsibilities pressed in on her from every direction, and she was lusting after a stranger? Had she taken leave of her senses?
    He stepped into the hall and released the door. It groaned then swung shut under its own weight. His torso shifted and Alyssa saw the outline of scalloped wings shimmering in the sunlight. Gasping softly, she blinked and the image disappeared.
    Trepidation twisted through her abdomen.
    Wings? Why would she imagine wings upon this man?
    No one spoke as he moved to stand beside Lailah. Firelight illuminated his angular features and accented his glittering eyes. Sharp cheekbones and a distinct jaw constructed a face uncompromisingly masculine. And yet she found him beautiful . Sculpted, the bottom lip slightly fuller than the top, he held his mouth in a grim, unsmiling line.
    Her wayward gaze focused on his mouth. What would it feel like to tangle her fingers in his hair and kiss that unsmiling mouth? Why was he so angry? What made him seem so fierce? She shook away her speculation. Why would she want to kiss someone both angry and fierce?
    A lazy sweep of thick lashes drew Alyssa’s attention to his eyes. Glistening shards of gold decorated the surface of his rich green gaze. For just a moment there seemed to be a distinct pattern to the shards, like a golden constellation in a vivid green sky. He blinked again and the pattern scattered.
    The tension gripping her stomach released in a tingling flutter.
    “Milady, please accept my gratitude for your hospitality. I shall endeavor not to overstay my welcome.” He tossed back his mantle, revealing a richly decorated, parti-colored tunic. The gold half had been embroidered in green, the green half embroidered in gold. Not since court had Alyssa seen garments so fine.
    “ Your welcome has yet to be determined.” Forced to crane her neck, she managed to meet his gaze. “Why are you here?”
    He looked at Lailah before responding. “How did Rosalind come to be your ward? Are you a blood relation?”
    Images rolled and shifted within her mind, undulating in and out of focus. A frail woman with vivid blue eyes. Craggy features contorted with sorrow. “I… She… I swore an oath to keep the Monthamns safe and have dedicated myself to fulfilling that vow.”
    “To whom was this vow made? How long have you been at Monthamn Castle ?” He tilted his head and the firelight danced in his gaze.
    Alyssa clenched and unclenched her fists. Why should she be intimidated by his questions? He was the one with dubious intentions.
    “The Black Death swept through this area five years past with devastating results. Rosalind lost her parents, two brothers and her grandmother, whom she loved above all others, all in one agonizing season. She didn’t speak for nearly a year when first we arrived.”
    “This plague has left its mark upon us all, but you didn’t answer my question. To whom did you make your vow?”
    Raising her chin a notch, Alyssa debated what to say. She knew the answer, but she knew she would sound mad speaking the name. How could she have made such a vow to Lady Naomi two centuries before? “We were speaking of you , sir. Explain what brings you to Monthamn Castle or depart the way you came.”
    A lazy, arrogant smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “I’m afraid I answer to a higher power than you, milady. My business is with Lady Rosalind and I can’t allow you to interfere.”
    “Rosalind is my ward.” Protectiveness rose within Alyssa. No one threatened a Monthamn without dealing with her! “Any business you think you have with her is entirely my affair.