“You are going to be the death of me.” Hamid raised himself over me, his face covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He settled between my legs, and anticipation built in me when I felt him at my entrance.

  I ran my fingers through his damp hair. “But what a way to go.”

  “My beautiful mate.” He lowered his head to brush my lips with his.

  “Not yet,” I reminded him breathlessly. “There is one more thing we need to do first.”

  He smiled, and it amazed me that he could still make my stomach quiver after all we’d just done to each other. “You’ve been mine since the moment we bonded. This just makes it official.”

  “Then let’s make it official,” I said roughly, lifting my hips and making both of us moan.

  He pressed forward, and I took him into my body with a happy cry. My Mori sent a burst of pure joy through me as Hamid and I moved in a timeless rhythm to bind us together forever. As the tension inside me crested, a new awareness blossomed in my mind until I could feel him there, joined with me in every way. My mate, growled his voice in my head as we fell over the edge together.

  We made love over and over, unable to get enough of each other as the daylight hours faded into night. I asked him once if he wanted to rest because of his injury, and he answered by kissing me senseless until I forgot the question.

  Late into the night, our stomachs started to growl from hunger, and Hamid left to get us some food from the kitchen. I dozed among the rumpled sheets until he returned and fed me. I’d never thought of myself as the romantic type, but he showed me I could be soft and feminine with him and still be the warrior I wanted to be.

  “What will you do when there is no more Alaron to chase after?” I asked him as I sat propped up on pillows, nibbling on a piece of cheese.

  He cut a slice of apple and handed it to me. “There is always a job somewhere that needs me.”

  “Do you intend to keep working for the Council then?” I tried to hide how much that possibility did not appeal to me, but I failed miserably.

  Hamid laid down the apple and knife. “Only if that is what you want. We’re partners now, and we’ll decide these things together.”

  “You won’t miss it?”

  “There are plenty of jobs to be found outside of working for the Council.” He gave me a teasing look. “I have a feeling life with you will be an adventure no matter where we go.”

  I licked apple juice from my fingers. “Talk like that will get you lucky.”

  He laughed, but I caught the flare of desire in his eyes. The man was insatiable, and I was a happy, happy girl. Something told me I wouldn’t be needing any more of those late-night runs or workouts to help me sleep.

  “Before you say no to working for the Council, I want you to consider the perks that come with the job,” he said. “We would travel the world in our own plane, doing jobs a young warrior would rarely get to work on. You would see and do things you only dreamed of.”

  “You make a great sales pitch.” I set down my plate and crawled over to straddle his lap. “Does that plane come with a bed?”

  His arms slid around my waist, and he trailed kisses along my jaw. “No, but I’m sure I could arrange for one.”

  “And can I take my bike with me? I’m not leaving that behind.”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay. I’ll consider it.” I pushed him onto his back and leaned down to taste his lips, which were sweet from the apple he’d been eating. “Mmmm.”

  He rolled us, and suddenly, I was under him. “Are you still hungry?” he asked huskily.

  “Not for food.”

  A sexy smile spread across his face. “I think I can help you with that.”

  * * *

  Hamid and I didn’t emerge from his room until early the next morning. I would have been happy to stay in there a few more days, but we had a job to do. Alaron wasn’t going to wait around while we got our fill of each other. Not that I could ever get enough of him.

  It amazed me how different the world looked today, even though the only thing that had changed was our relationship. We were still facing one of the greatest threats to our world. We had no idea where Alaron was or when he’d strike next, or if we could even defeat him. But despite all of that, I was ridiculously happy to the point of bursting.

  We went straight to the control room. Chris briefed us on the wrakk situation and told us the Council team had finished their investigation there last night. Since we’d interrupted Alaron at the start of the ceremony, there was nothing new to report.

  “A few of the demons had injuries, but miraculously, no one was killed,” Chris said. “Nikolas is there now with a team, helping them get up and running again. The plan is to keep two of our warriors there for the next day or two as a precaution.”

  “You think Alaron might come back?” I asked.

  Chris shrugged. “It’s hard to predict what he’ll do next.”

  Hamid looked up from the report he was skimming from yesterday’s incident. “Do we know why he was going to use the demon children for this one? The bodies at the previous sites were all human adults.”

  “From what the witnesses said, Alaron hoped demon energy would strengthen his spell to open the barrier. Orias said there is no evidence to suggest it would work, but Alaron might be getting desperate.”

  I puffed out a breath. “Just what we need, a desperate archdemon.”

  The door opened, and Orias came in. “Good, you’re both here,” he said when he spotted Hamid and me. “We need to run some tests to make sure the spell is still stable after Alaron’s attack.”

  Some of my earlier happiness dissipated. Orias knew just what to say to put a damper on my good mood.

  “It won’t take long,” Hamid reassured me as we followed the warlock to the conference room where the rest of the team waited.

  Orias wasted no time getting down to business. As soon as we sat, he placed his hands on either side of Hamid’s head and began the now familiar chant.

  A minute later, Orias’s brow creased and a puzzled look entered his eyes. He dropped his hands and moved to do the same test on me. Again, he appeared bemused by whatever he was seeing. He pursed his lips and stepped away from me.

  “Is the spell intact?” Bastien asked when Orias only stared thoughtfully at Hamid and me.

  “I think so. It’s changed,” Orias said. “Look, and tell me what you see.”

  Bastien and Ciro came over, and each of them performed the same test on us. I could tell by their surprised expressions they were as mystified as Orias.

  “It’s not the same spell that was there a few days ago,” Ciro said to Orias. “I can see your magic but no trace of the demon’s.”

  Bastien nodded. “And there is something new I can’t identify. It’s very strong, whatever it is.”

  Hamid and I looked at each other and shared a smile. Something had definitely changed all right.

  “You completed the bond,” Charlotte said astutely, her smile wide. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” Hamid and I said together.

  Orias stroked his chin. “Fascinating. It looks like your mating has completely reworked the structure of the original spell.”

  “Is the spell compromised?” Marie asked.

  I held my breath as I waited for one of the warlocks to answer. The last thing I’d thought about yesterday was how our mating would affect the spell.

  “If anything, I’d say it’s stronger,” Orias replied.

  “But you might no longer be protected from Alaron’s magic,” Ciro warned us. “Perhaps we should study it more to make sure there is none of the demon magic left.”

  I balked at the idea of more tests. “No need for that. Sara can detect demon magic.”

  “That is true,” Ciro conceded. “And it would be much faster. Is she here?”

  “I’ll check.” I stood and hurried out of the room before they changed their minds.

  I found Sara exactly where I expected to – in the kitchen making breakfast. Beth was there, too, brewing her morning cup of coffee. When they saw me, they gave me expectant looks.

  “Are you here to give us some special news?” Beth asked eagerly.

  I leaned my elbows on the island and pasted on an innocent smile. “Whatever do you mean?”

  Sara scooped scrambled eggs onto her plate. “She means that based on the sounds coming from Hamid’s room all day and night, he was doing more than recovering from his injury.”

  I couldn’t contain my grin. “We did a little physical therapy. It’s amazing what that can do for the body.”

  “Indeed,” Beth said seriously, and then the three of us cracked up.

  “Well?” Sara asked when we’d stopped laughing. “Tell us already.”

  I looked from her to Beth and nodded.

  Beth squealed and hugged me. “Oh, my God. I’m so happy for you.”

  “It’s about time,” Sara joked. She gave me a teary smile. “And I can’t even hug you. This sucks.”

  Her comment reminded me why I’d come looking for her in the first place. “Maybe not. It turns out that completing the bond changed the spell on Hamid and me. None of the warlocks can detect demon magic on us now, and I came to see if you can.”

  Sara’s face lit up, and she came around the island to stand near me. She placed her hand a few inches from mine on the countertop and slowly closed the distance until our fingers were touching.

  “I’m happy to report there’s not a trace of demon magic on you,” she said before she threw her arms around me and squeezed me like we hadn’t seen each other in years.

  “When did you become such a hugger?” I teased her.

  She sniffled. “It’s the baby hormones.”

  “That reminds me.” I squatted in front of her. “Hello, little one. I’m your auntie Jordan, and I can’t wait to meet you.”

  Sara let out a delighted laugh. “She likes you.”

  “Of course, she does.” I patted her belly. “We’re going to have so much fun together.”

  “Well, this is an interesting picture,” said an amused male voice.

  I stood and faced Eldeorin, who had appeared in the living room.

  The blond faerie smiled devilishly. “Don’t stop on my account. I’ll just stand over here and watch.”

  “Lech.” I glared at him. “Only you would make something dirty out of this.”

  “It’s nice to see you again, Jordan. I believe you get more ravishing every day.”

  “And you’re still not getting into my pants,” I retorted.

  He chuckled. “Someday.”

  “Never,” growled a deep, angry voice that made my stomach flutter.

  Hamid strode angrily through the door and came to stand behind me. One muscled arm circled my waist possessively and pulled me back against him. The old me would have punched him in the junk and asked him what the hell he thought he was doing. The new me was incredibly turned on by this alpha side of my mate.

  I’m glad you like it, he said in my mind. The wave of desire that came across the bond told me I’d accidentally sent him my carnal thoughts. Oops. I definitely needed to work on that.

  Eldeorin ignored Hamid and smirked at me. “A mate, Jordan? I must say I’m surprised. You never struck me as a one-man kind of woman.”

  “Eldeorin,” Sara scolded. “Stop trying to cause trouble.”

  “Me?” He put a hand to his chest. “Why, Cousin, I’m shocked you would think that of me.”

  She scoffed and walked over to him. Eldeorin might be a good mentor to her, but I had no idea how she could spend so much time with the arrogant faerie. It drove Nikolas nuts, but he tolerated it for Sara’s sake.

  “I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon,” she told Eldeorin.

  “I come bearing gifts.” The air in front of him shimmered, and a small sheathed knife appeared between them. Plucking the weapon from the air, he laid it flat on his palm and held it out to Sara.

  She accepted it and turned it over in her hands. “What is this?”

  “That, dear cousin, is the weapon you asked for.”

  My heart began to thump in excitement. Hamid needed no urging when I started forward, tugging him with me.

  Sara pulled the knife from its plain wooden sheath and held it up for us to see. The handle was made of the same dark wood, but the jagged four-inch blade was made from a shimmering white metal I’d never seen before. It seemed to glow from within, and even from several feet away, I could feel power emanating from it. I was overcome with the feeling that I was in the presence of something so sacred and pure it was not meant to be touched by one as unworthy as I was.

  “It’s beautiful,” Sara said softly. She held the knife out for Hamid to take, but Eldeorin snatched it and held it away from him.

  “Do not touch the blade,” the faerie warned us. “This will kill any demon, even yours.”

  “Sara touched it,” Beth said.

  Eldeorin gave her an indulgent look. “Sara is half Fae, and her power shields her demon. Ideally, she would be the one to wield this, but her pregnancy prevents her from fighting.”

  Her pregnancy and Nikolas, I quipped to Hamid, who grunted softly in reply.

  Sara reached for the knife again and studied the blade closely. Her eyes reflected its unearthly glow. “I’ve never seen metal like this. Is it from Faerie?”

  “It was not forged in Faerie, but this piece has been in our possession for many millennia. When you said you needed a weapon to defeat an archdemon, I almost didn’t remember this because it’s been hidden away for so long.”

  I leaned in as far as Hamid would let me for a closer look. “If it’s not Fae-made, why is it dangerous to us?”

  “Because this” – Eldeorin ran a finger along the flat part of the blade – “is a shard from the sword of an archangel.”

  I gasped as shock punched the air from my lungs. Next to me, Beth made a choked sound. Sara was so startled she dropped the knife, and Eldeorin caught it. Hamid remained stoic, but I could feel his surprise across our bond.

  “An…angel’s sword?” I asked, needing him to say it again so I could process it. In my heart, I knew he was telling the truth because I’d sensed there was something special about the blade the moment I got near it.

  “An archangel,” he corrected me.

  “How…?” Sara trailed off, at a loss for words.

  “How is it you are in possession of such a holy relic?” Hamid asked with more composure than Beth, Sara, and me put together.

  Eldeorin sheathed the blade with a reverence I’d never seen from him. “Fae lore says our ancestors were the offspring of angels who fell to Earth. They were unhappy in this realm, so they created their own paradise, away from humanity, and no one left it for thousands of years. Over time, we became a new race with no real memory of our origins, except for what is in our lore.”

  “You’re descended from the Nephilim?” I asked incredulously. Faeries weren’t exactly known for being chaste and moral, something Eldeorin took great pride in.

  “According to the lore, some of the angels’ offspring chose to stay in this realm. We believe they were the ones who came to be known as the Nephilim.”

  Hamid inclined his head at the knife in Eldeorin’s hands. “And the blade?”

  “It came from the battle that happened when the angels were cast down to Earth,” Eldeorin said. “There are other artifacts, but this is the only sword fragment.”

  Sara put a hand to her forehead. “This is…too much. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that you have a piece of an archangel’s sword in your hands.”

  I wondered what her reaction would be when she worked out the part where she might be descended from angels. She was looking a little pale, so I decided not to mention it. Better to let her connect those dots on her own.

  “That is a powerful weapon,” Hamid said to Eldeorin, not hiding his suspicion of the faerie and his motives. “Why would you give it to us?”

  “Because Sara asked me for help and we always take care of our own. And because this world has many delights I would miss if it were gone.”

  Sara gave him a tremulous smile. “Thank you. I knew you would come through for us.”

  I raised a hand. “I hate to rain on our parade, but who is going to use the weapon if none of us can hold it?”

  “You can hold it as long as you don’t touch the blade.” Eldeorin held the knife out to me, but Hamid’s reach was longer, and he got to it first. I held my breath fearfully as his fingers closed around the handle.

  I started breathing again when nothing happened. Hamid didn’t do anything but hold the knife as Eldeorin continued to speak.

  “The handle and sheath are made from the wood of the fura tree, which only grows in Faerie. The wood is impervious to fire and magic, and it will protect you from the power of the blade. The sheath will also prevent the demon from sensing the blade if he gets close to it.”

  “So, all we have to do is catch Alaron trying to open the barrier again and hit him with this?” I asked skeptically.

  “Not quite,” Eldeorin said. “The blade must be used on the demon’s physical body in order to kill him. And touching an archdemon with it won’t be enough. You’ll need to pierce his flesh.”

  I threw up my hands. “The whole point of this is to keep him from opening the barrier to bring his body through. If he gets into his own body, nothing can kill him.”

  Hamid held up the knife. “Nothing except an archangel’s sword.”

  “A whole sword, wielded by an angel,” I argued. “Alaron will be too powerful for anyone to get close enough to use that little thing.”

  Eldeorin’s smile was almost apologetic. “I did not say it would be easy.”

  Hamid’s arm slipped around my waist and squeezed it reassuringly. “We will figure out a way.”

  I leaned into him. We’re warriors. It’s what we do.

  Chapter 18

  I tossed my coat on the foot of the bed and kicked off my boots. “Well, that was fun,” I said without enthusiasm.