WRAITH Read online

  The shockwave from the explosion propelled Nathaniel out the window. He only hoped that Blaine had a firm grip around his neck. As they plummeted to the ground, Nathaniel knew he had only seconds before they met their doom. He screamed as feathers pierced his skin. Seconds later, two extra limbs protruded from Nathaniel’s back and fanned out to their maximum span. Concentrating with all his might, doing his best to ignore Blaine’s screams, he willed his wings to carry them to safety.

  His first few attempts to flap his wings failed and they sank further to the ground. But eventually, as he willed his wings to flap, Nathaniel gained momentum, and they flew safely into the night.

  2.

  Blaine was sure he was going to die. After screaming his lungs out as they plummeted toward the ground, he closed his eyes tight, as if that could change the inevitable outcome of their deaths. He was holding onto Nathaniel as tightly as he could, and considering his arms were wrapped around the other man’s neck, Blaine was amazed when they stopped falling and started… flying? Were they actually flying?

  Blaine opened one eye. Once he was satisfied that they were, in fact, alive and not falling to their deaths, he opened his other eye. He exhaled a big breath of relief. “I don’t believe it—we’re really flying!”

  Nathaniel looked over his shoulder at Blaine and flashed a smile. “You were doubting me?” He winked at the heart-stoppingly beautiful young man whose body was clinging to his back. “As long as I am around, you have nothing to worry about.”

  Any traces of Blaine’s anxiety melted away upon hearing Nathaniel’s decree. “My very own guardian angel,” he mused, matching Nathaniel’s grin. “I’ll be damned.”

  Nathaniel focused on his flight path and increased his speed. He didn’t know if anyone at the club had seen them escape, but he needed to get Blaine to safety as fast as possible.

  “Interesting choice of words,” Nathaniel muttered.

  Blaine inwardly chided himself. If Nathaniel were an honest-to-God angel, he’d really have to choose his words more carefully. He gave himself a mental face-palming as he realized that he’d done it again, but with his thoughts this time. After he sighed, he remembered he and Nathaniel were about to have sex before they’d gotten interrupted. With that being the case, just what kind of angel was Nathaniel really?

  Blaine obsessed over that little nugget for the rest of their flight.

  ****

  Nathaniel flew for what seemed like hours. As they soared through the sky, their shadows sliced the moon. Finally Nathaniel’s feet touched down on the sandy ground. He crouched down so Blaine could dismount.

  As soon as Blaine’s feet touched the ground, he kneeled down and pressed his lips against several grains of sand. “I love you, I love you, I love you!” Blaine rose from the ground and spit the rogue grains of sand that were left in his mouth.

  Nathaniel examined Blaine with a cockeyed expression. “I do not understand your ritual.” He crossed his arms and walked in front of the younger man.

  “We’re going to have to talk about your phrasing one of these days,” Blaine muttered as he followed Nathaniel. It took Blaine a few minutes of walking to realize that they were actually on a large cliff. Anxiety spread through his veins. “Nathaniel…are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  Nathaniel leaned against a nearby boulder. “I could leave you to fend for yourself if you really doubt me.”

  Blaine looked Nathaniel in the eyes, trying to gauge how serious the man was. He gulped as he realized Nathaniel was matching his stare, unwavering with his intimidation. “Okay, okay,” Blaine acquiesced. “No more questions from the peanut gallery.”

  “We’re going to have to talk about your terminology one of these days,” Nathaniel muttered, leading the way once again. He led Blaine to a nearby cave that was carved into one of the cliffs. “We should be safe here,” Nathaniel said, ducking inside the cave’s opening.

  Blaine held up his hands defensively. “Oh, no we don’t. First you’re answering some questions.” He narrowed his eyes at Nathaniel, wondering what secrets he was hiding. “You flew earlier.” His tone was pointed and accusatory.

  Nathaniel shrugged. “Yeah. And you screamed through the whole flight. Next question?”

  “So what does that make you? An… an-an-angel?” Blaine stammered. Blaine didn’t subscribe to any particular religious views, but the fact that there could be angels in the world astounded him.

  Nathaniel gazed far off into the distance. The moon shone brightly as the stars danced in the sky. Blaine noticed a vacant look crossed Nathaniel’s face. Maybe he was working out what exactly he should reveal. Blaine had already seen his wings, so maybe Nathaniel had decided there was no reason to hide his true nature. “Yes, I am an angel.”

  Blaine’s eyes widened. “Have you met God?”

  Nathaniel sighed. Every person he came out to as an angel asked him that question. It was starting to get seriously annoying. “Yes, all the angels know God. We get together and have brunch with him on Sundays,” he spat, his tone a little sterner than he meant it to be. Nathaniel shifted his back to Blaine and started walking towards the cave’s entrance. “Now are you going to join me, or are we going to catch pneumonia because you’re too busy playing twenty questions?”

  Blaine stood still for several seconds as he eyed the cave’s entrance. Yes, it was far enough away from the club where he and Nathaniel could talk about what they wanted to do next. But, on the other hand, this entire situation was about as creepy as it could get.

  “I better not regret this,” Blaine sighed, ducking his head so he wouldn’t smack it against the cave ceiling.

  Slight remorse reverberated through Blaine’s heart when his eyes landed on the fire that Nathaniel must have started from scratch. The man was sitting cross-legged and warming his hands above the flames. He quirked a smile at Blaine and patted the ground next to him. “Please, have a seat and join me.” His smirk grew wider. “Or do you need to kiss the ground first?”

  Heat—definitely not from the fire—flashed across Blaine’s face as he sat on the ground next to Nathaniel. “Yeah, well, I’m used to the other kind of man-made flying, thank you very much.” He exhaled a relieved breath.

  “So no one has ever made any recent attempts on your life before tonight?” Nathaniel watched Blaine, concern crossing his face.

  Blaine ran a thoughtful hand under his chin as he contemplated Nathaniel’s question. He scanned his memories, and, after a few minutes, simply shrugged his shoulders. “Once, when I was about thirteen,” he said, mesmerized by the flames. “But I don’t think so after that.” He glanced over at Nathaniel and froze when he saw the older man’s expression.

  Nathaniel was staring deeply into the fire, as if transfixed by it. He was staring at it, almost like he was willing it to burn from a small fire into a conflagration. “You may want to get used it. It’s going to happen a lot more frequently.”

  Blaine wasn’t sure if he was imagining things, but the fire crackled, spewing burnt embers into the sky. One of the embers landed dangerously close to his knee. Blaine continued staring at the burning ember as it transformed from a scalding red into a dark, dead empty black.

  3.

  Blaine’s stomach growled. Slightly embarrassed, he rested his hand on his stomach, as if that would prevent anyone from hearing the noises. He looked at Nathaniel sheepishly. “Sorry.”

  Nathaniel swept his hand in the air, waving it off. He rose, and now, standing at full height, he was towering over Blaine. “Are you hungry? I could catch us some food.”

  Blaine continued staring into the fire, contemplating Nathaniel’s question. “Guess it’s been a while. I had a late lunch yesterday afternoon.” His head whipped towards Nathaniel, his eyes widening. “Wait. Did you say catch us some food?” Blaine reached into his pocket and produced his cell phone. “I’m sure there’s an app for ordering food on my phone,” he muttered, not too keen on the idea of fea
sting on the local creatures. He tapped and swiped his phone a few times, held it into the air and frowned. “Damn. No service.”

  “Nor are there any restaurants within a hundred-mile radius,” Nathaniel crossed his arms.

  The fire stretched into the sky, emitting a sporadic view of the cave. Blaine’s jaw dropped as he stared at Nathaniel. The firelight sparkled, illuminating bits of Nathaniel’s torso that could be seen through his shredded shirt. From the bare bits of skin that he could actually see, Blaine could tell that Nathaniel was more ripped than he let on. He smirked, guessing that flying was one heckuva exercise regimen.

  “What? Is my hair all weird from the flight?” Nathaniel was suddenly very self-conscious and smoothed his hair with his hands.

  Blaine grimaced. “No. Sorry. I guess I’m just one of those expressive people.” Stomach growling, Blaine couldn’t believe that Nathaniel’s suggestion was actually starting to sound good. “Can you really do that?”

  Nathaniel’s eyes squinted. “Get my hair messed up? Just because I’m an angel doesn’t mean I’m a perfectionist.”

  “No,” Blaine shook his head. “Can you really catch food for us? I am getting kinda hungry.” When Blaine was growing up, his family ate rabbit and deer all the time. His parents called it gourmet food, but after a few bites, he felt bad that he was eating Thumper from Bambi, and thus subsequently lost his appetite. Plus it didn’t help that the younger him only craved cheeseburgers and fries. So it was a huge surprise to him when his stomach continued growling over the prospect of food—even if it was in a rudimentary form.

  Nathaniel hoped Blaine couldn’t see his smirk through the firelight. He was growing fonder of the younger man, but didn’t want to show his cards too soon. “I’ll be back in a bit.” And in what seemed like a flash, Nathaniel pivoted gracefully away from him, ran outside the cave, took a few strides, leapt into the air and soared through the night.

  ****

  The fire was almost burnt out when Nathaniel returned, his arms full of spoils from his hunt. Blaine bundled his suit jacket up and was using it as a pillow; he didn’t know how many opportunities for rest he’d get if someone really was after him. He shifted into a cross-legged position and stretched the kinks out of his body. Blaine surreptitiously eyed what Nathaniel was holding in his arms. “Fire’s almost out,” he muttered.

  A sideways leer decorated Nathaniel’s lips. “Good thing I brought some extra wood, then.” He dropped what he was carrying on the ground. In addition to several rabbits and squirrels, several logs rolled across the cave floor. He walked over, collected the wood and tossed it on the fire. The fire surged appreciatively towards the sky. Nathaniel grabbed a few of the carcasses, and, with a sickening squish, slid them securely on a stick.

  Blaine was ashamed to admit his stomach was growling. Maybe he could take his mind off his guilt of eating one of nature’s creatures by thinking about something else. He racked his brain for some potential topics of conversation. “So do you know anything about the people who are after me?” he asked and then winced. Great way to ease into the conversation, Blaine. Maybe you really should have read that How to Win Friends and Influence People book.

  Nathaniel gazed vacantly into the fire, mesmerized as the rabbit rotated in complete circles, slowly roasting to perfection. He paused for several minutes to the point where Blaine wondered if he had actually heard the question. “I’m not exactly sure,” Nathaniel nonchalantly replied.

  “You’re not sure, or you don’t want to tell me?” Blaine drew his arms around himself, suddenly very cold despite his proximity to the crackling fire. “‘Cause there is a difference.”

  “All I meant is that there are several possibilities.” It was Nathaniel’s turn to eye Blaine suspiciously. “Without knowing why someone would want to kidnap or kill you, it’s hard to narrow it down.”

  “Subtext picked up on, geez,” Blaine sighed exasperatedly. “If someone wants to kill me, it’s probably for all the things my parents did.” Upon seeing Nathaniel’s questioning expression, Blaine held up his hand. “Let’s see… my parents made their billions off of government contracts.” After raising one finger into the air, he raised a second as he said his next words. “They made a killing off of weapon profiteering.” A third finger joined the other two. “And that’s just the unclassified stuff. Just imagine the things they did that they couldn’t tell anyone about.” Blaine shrugged his shoulders. “So do you think that’s enough of a reason for anyone to want me dead?”

  The rabbit was now fully cooked. Nathaniel removed the animal from the stick and tossed it to Blaine, but Blaine didn’t have lightning-fast reflexes, so the rabbit landed with a loud squish at his feet.

  Blaine’s jaw dropped as he momentarily lost his appetite. But when his stomach rumbled again, he was reminded of how hungry he actually was. He scooped the rabbit up from the ground and began to chow down. Once he got used to the unusual tangy flavor, the meat actually tasted good. Whether that was because he was so hungry that he’d eat anything at this point, he didn’t know, but for the moment, his hunger was sated.

  Nathaniel sat completely still and continued staring at Blaine as he ate. “Yes, that does seem like a reason to want you out of the picture.” He placed a thoughtful hand under his chin. “It could be the government trying to keep you quiet. Or…” he trailed off, wondering if Blaine was ready for what he had to say next.

  “Or…?” Blaine was now as interested as he was hungry.

  “What I am about to say next could change the entire course of your life,” Nathaniel gravely said. “Once I say these next words, they cannot be unsaid.”

  Blaine shivered again, his blood running cold at Nathaniel’s serious tone. He didn’t know if he liked how serious the older man was being. He took another bite of food, swallowed, and nodded. If he wanted to know who was after him, he’d have to know everything Nathaniel knew. He slowly nodded his consent. “No. I want—need to know.”

  The fire crackled again, sending more embers flying into the air. Shadows danced across Nathaniel’s face, and if Blaine didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn that Nathaniel’s normally soft, earnest features now seemed twisted and sinister. Blaine ripped another piece of meat off the carcass with his teeth. Nathaniel straightened his posture. “You, Blaine Carver, are The Chosen One. You alone will bring people together and bring peace to universes.”

  Blaine swallowed his bite of food prematurely. As he swallowed, the meat slid down his throat, but got stuck, closing off his airway. After choking for several seconds, Blaine blacked out.

  4.

  Gasping for air, Blaine came to moments later. The piece of rabbit that was lodged in his throat rose from his esophagus and splat-landed on a nearby wall. His vision blurred momentarily before returning to focus. Head throbbing and light headed, he eased himself to a sitting position.

  Nathaniel realized his arms were still wrapped around Blaine. He self-consciously let go and sat next to the younger man. “Are you all right?” He internally chided himself. Blaine was one of the most important people in the world—he’d have to be more careful to ensure that his companion would actually survive to fulfill his destiny.

  “I… I think so,” Blaine said, clearing his throat, which became very dry. “And now I could use a drink of water.”

  “Water,” Nathaniel swore under his breath. “Why didn’t I think to get some?” He cupped Blaine’s face, gazing earnestly into the other man’s eyes. “As soon as we get on the move, I’ll make sure you get some water.”

  Blaine eased into Nathaniel’s hand, enjoying the masculine, leathery skin against his cheek. He grabbed Nathaniel’s hand and clasped it with his own. “You saved my life,” he said with wonder, holding the other man’s gaze. “Once again, you’re my own guardian angel.” His lips stretched to a sideways grin.

  Nathaniel moved briefly away from Blaine, averting his eyes. “I wish you would stop saying that,” he grumbled. His we
ight shifted from one half of his body to the other.

  “But it’s true.” Blaine leaned forward, wondering how he could get Nathaniel to see just how important he really was. This time, he grabbed both of the older man’s hands. “You saved my life twice tonight.” He let go of one of Nathaniel’s hands and used his free hand to caress the back of Nathaniel’s head. Whether there was excess blood flowing through his veins, or if he was still lightheaded from his near-death experience, Blaine wasn’t sure, but he knew he had to make a move now if he wanted to keep the angel’s attention. He leaned toward the angel and tenderly pressed his lips against Nathaniel’s.

  Nathaniel briefly jerked away, but Blaine used his hand to push Nathaniel’s mouth closer to his. After a few moments of hesitation, Nathaniel melted into the kiss, savoring The Chosen One’s unique taste. Nathaniel knew kissing The Chosen One was wrong—that The Chosen One needed to be as pure as possible for what was to come. As their lips parted, Nathaniel whimpered and every fiber of his being ached to be near Blaine. He’d denied himself so long as a servant to The Cause… he could indulge himself this one time, right?

  Blaine’s breath hitched as Nathaniel pulled away. He didn’t know why, but his hands started shaking nervously. “Did—did I do something wrong?” His lips trembled and his voice wavered.

  “We—I—shouldn’t…” Nathaniel stood up, wanting to retreat to the farthest edges of the cave, as if that would help him avoid further temptation. He observed Blaine, who looked as if he was about to melt into a puddle of tears any second. Nathaniel bit his lip. Well, shit…I can’t make The Chosen One cry like this, can I? If I am to serve The Chosen One, I have to serve his every need… right? Satisfied that he was able to rationalize his erotic thoughts, he walked closer to Blaine.