Gabriel clawed at the rusted locks of the cage to release Lucien as Adrianne tapped her foot impatiently as the angel consumed his grace.
“He won’t immediately be able to open a rift, you know,” he told her as the lock finally—finally!—came apart in his hand. “It’ll take a while before he’s back to full strength.”
She groaned. “So, what do we do until then? Sit around, thumb-up-butt, and hope we’re able to stay under your father’s radar until our new friend here can get it up and angel us out of here?”
Lucien rolled his head around on his shoulders as he stepped out of his cage and frowned at her. “I assure you I can still ‘get it up’.”
Adrianne rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about your dick, genius. I’m talking about your rift-opening powers. It’s funny to me, though, that out of everything I just said, you focus on that.”
“Personally, I was stuck on the ‘thumb-up-butt’ part,” Gabriel murmured. “It’s quite a visual.”
“Is everything a joke to the two of you?” Lucien demanded.
“Funny things are,” Adrianne and Gabriel said in stereo.
Lucien looked disgusted with both of them, but hopefully that wouldn’t stop him from getting them the hell out of here as soon as he could.
Gabriel led them out of the tunnels much faster than he’d led Adrianne in. The target on their backs was only getting bigger the longer they stayed in one place. Their best bet would be to cross back into the desert and hide out there until Lucien could open the rift.
And just when he started to think they were going to make it, just when they were almost to the edge of the keep, the alarms sounded.
It was too late. The shrieking sirens meant his father knew exactly where they were and he was mobilizing every guard in the keep to come after them.
Adrianne’s grip on his hand tightened. “What do we do? Run, or fight?”
Running was a losing proposition. They weren’t fast enough, not with Adrianne moving at human speed and Lucien at less than full power.
And fighting? They might have a chance if Adrianne could control her new powers and Lucien wasn’t still recovering. But in their current condition? They didn’t stand a chance against his father’s men.
He’d known it would come to this. On some level, he’d always known. He’d just hoped luck—or fate, or whatever—would run in their favor just this once. But that obviously wasn’t going to happen.
There was really only one thing to do now.
Gabriel took a moment to study Adrianne’s face, memorizing every line, every curve. God, she was so beautiful. He was the luckiest bastard alive to have her.
Even if it had only been for a short time.
Cupping the back of her neck, he yanked her in for a quick, hard kiss. He funneled every bit of love, lust, desperation, and pain he had into it before he broke away and gave her a gentle shove into Lucien’s arms.
“Go,” he said, his voice so low and tortured it was almost unrecognizable, even to him. “Through the desert, due east. Follow the second sun until you reach a cave. Wait there with her until you can open a rift. Get her out as soon as you can. I’ll slow the guards down and give you some cover.”
“No!” Adrianne screamed, struggling against Lucien’s hold. “I’m not leaving without you!”
Gabriel swallowed hard. “Yes, you are. I need you to live, Moonshine. No matter what.”
“Are you sure?” Lucien asked quietly.
He nodded, doing his best to ignore the tears welling in Adrianne’s eyes. “Get her to safety.”
Adrianne twisted and turned in Lucien’s arms, but his hold was unbreakable. “Don’t do this,” she begged, tears freely flowing now. “Don’t you dare leave me like this, you bastard. I’ll never forgive you! Do you hear me? I’ll never forgive you if you do this!”
But at least she’d be alive and safe, at home with her family, while she never forgave him. “I love you,” he whispered. “Remember that. Always.”
He turned his eyes on Lucien. “Do it. And don’t you fucking dare bring her back here. Promise me!”
With a wave of Lucien’s hand, Adrianne went limp in his arms. He tossed her over his shoulder, heading to the ring of fire that divided the forest and desert. He stopped with one foot on each side, and looked back at Gabriel. “You have my word. Good luck, demon,” he said, sounding more than a little regretful. “You’re going to need it.”
Gabriel gritted his teeth. “Just get her home and don’t let her come after me.”
Lucien nodded once, then he was gone. She was gone.
I’m so sorry it had to end like this, Moonshine.
But he was long overdue for a chat with dear old Dad. And when all was said and done, only one thing was certain.
One of them would die.
Gabriel could only hope it wasn’t him.
At his feet, Fluffy whimpered softly, intently watching the spot where Adrianne had disappeared.
“I know how you feel, girl. I know.”