Ethereal

Nina's POV

Not for the first time since we left school, I glanced at the Archangel passively seated in my Volkswagen. His luminous eyes turned on mine, baffling me with wisdom beyond my comprehension.

"You're uncomfortable," he stated blandly. "Have been since I showed up."

"Last time I saw you, you nearly choked Cameron. I'm not sure what team you're playing for." Neither were Cam and Phill, that's why Phillip was riding in front of us—on his bike—and Cameron behind, making sure Raph didn't get funny ideas—like flip the car over.

"Those were... preventive measures."

"He just wanted to get his brother back." I bit with a cold edge.

With a heavy sigh, he said, "Did they found out?" My forehead wrinkled. "About him—Lucifer? They found out, didn't they?"

He knew. I felt the biggest idiot thinking that—of course he knew they were pretty much next in line for a throne in Hell.

"Was it a big secret?" I confirmed his suspicion.

In the rear-view mirror, I saw Raphael scrub a hand up and down his face.

"It wasn't something Gabriel wanted them to know. He asked me—made Michael promise—never to tell them." Oh yeah, they were also entitled to a place where the Big Boss worked. "That's why Michael didn't want Cameron going—that and because losing one of them was bad enough... he didn't want to lose both. They're his brother's sons, after all." My foot almost smacked the brakes. Michael had feels? "We never thought Cameron could pull it off. Hundreds of Nephilims went into Hell and never returned."

He had no idea how close we'd been to not coming back.

"Cameron isn't your average Neph. He's stronger." His father had been an Archangel—probably the third most powerful, that had to amount to something. Even if his Power had been split between the twins. "You couldn't have told him that instead of going badass-ninja on him?"

Cocking a perfectly defined eyebrow, he shook his head, "Not without giving away that Michael was his uncle, Lucifer, too."

Right. I guess Gabriel hadn't been proud of having the Devil for a brother. But why not share just about Michael? The guy was on the goody-side.

"How was he?"

"Excuse me?"

"Lucifer—what did he want?"

Hands tightening slightly on the wheel, I kept a calm poker face. Cameron had decided not to tell anyone what his good-for-nothing uncle had attempted. Which made sense, since we couldn't trust anyone. Not after Romeo betrayed us. The price had been too high.

"Nothing," I could almost feel the frown. "He lured Cameron in and told him about his ties to Gabriel and Michael." I couldn't come up with any lie, it was better to settle for omission. "Oh. He also kept Phillip in a cell and tortured him."

That got Raphael's eyes flaring a tad—he glared outside. Hmm, maybe he did care for their sake, after all. That reminded me...

"I feel like I should apologize for paralyzing you." I mumbled. I veered left, ending Mason Avenue. I hadn't noticed until now, but my stomach had been split open with pain from driving past the snow-covered ruins of my house.

"I'm not angry," he moved his long legs, looking uncomfortable with the small space. "Not anymore." Good to know.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"I thought all Angels were brothers and sisters."

"Well, in a spiritual way, we are. We all had origin from the Power of Creation—God is our Father. But not everything has to do with Power or Magic. There's also science. God made one DNA sample and created two beings with the exact strand—Lucifer and Michael—then, later, he altered some markers and created Gabriel."

"Huh-uh," while it was wonderful to know Mrs. Mayfield hadn't wasted her life learning and teaching Bio, something itched in the back of my throat. "Michael and Lucifer... share the same DNA? As in, exactly the same?" With a curt nod from Raph, I gaped. "But that makes them..."

"Twins? Yes, it's true." Holy Hush puppies. I just figured out where the good twin, bad twin, idea came from. "The rest of the Angels were created with unique DNA sequences, very little have a brother or sister, little alone a twin."

Oh. Wow. Twins apparently were some big jazz in Heaven.

"Do you have family?"

"No."

From what I knew, Michael had been the Archangel who cast Lucifer from Heaven. Had it gone down like that? Had he cast his own twin from Heaven—into Hell? That sounded cruel, but the Devil wasn't exactly a buddy who bought people ice-cream.

The ride was short once we drove over a bit of frozen road. I gladly pulled inside the property, then waited for Phill to find a nice spot for his bike and drove into the small-house sized garage, followed by the black Camaro.

Cameron was out the car and in front of Raph's door before I'd gotten myself unbuckled.

"Why didn't our father want us to find out about our family?" The word family sounded off. Like he wasn't used to using it.

I almost toppled from my yellow ride, cheeks red.

"You were eavesdropping?"

Throwing me a quick kilowatt smirk, Cam gave his undivided attention to his non-uncle. Muscles burning from cold, I sauntered up to where they were before a massive fight broke out. Cameron's muscles looked way to tense. The fact that I could see that, while he was wearing a jacket, spoke volumes.

"Would you like your children to know they were related to the greatest evil to have ever walked the Earth?" He wasn't going easy on Lucy-boy. Cam's pose slacked a bit, I knew he was running it through his head. "I didn't think so. Your father wanted you two to grow up as far as possible from Heaven or Hell, he wanted a good life for you."

Phillip stood beside Raphael, arms crossed and hair matted to his forehead.

"Guess he'd be really disappointment how things turned out, then." A wince crippled from Cameron's lips. My fingers found his, he squeezed back.

"Yes, he would. But things usually don't go as planned because they were already lined up for something different." Raphael stepped around me—I let him—and the three of us stood there, staring at his broad back, wondering what he meant by that. "Aren't you coming? I have Demon business to discuss with you and no time to waste."

I looked up at Cameron, whose face seemed paler, maybe because light reflected on the snowy piles around the garden and smacked into his beautiful face. I moved my gaze a wee bit, catching Phillip's golden perfection.

Strange.

Maybe Cam was still worn from the fight? He'd looked horrible.

"You feeling okay?" It was Phill who asked, gently clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Before today, I hadn't seen this kind of contact—not since the night we returned. There was something very guilty and shy in the younger brother's show of affection.

"Just peachy, brother." Cam's eyes hardened. "Next time, why don't you throw me through a wall?"

Phillip dropped his hand, startled at Cameron's reaction. His jaw locked up tight.

"None of what happened was real—I didn't mean any of the things I said, or... I didn't want to hurt you, I didn't." His lake-water eyes fell down a notch and my heart felt like someone was punching holes into it. Phillip looked so young and vulnerable right now. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—" he'd said these words this morning, to me. For what happened with the fire. "One minute I wanted to shack Samantha, the next, I wanted to hit you—I wasn't myself." He shook his head sadly, messy hair getting all over the place.

Good God. This Phillip felt so close to the one we'd been wanting to get back!

Cameron's black eyes were shiny, not with heavy felt emotion—cold. I was really going crazy, because there was no silver in there.

Right?

My nails carved into his palm. The five little stings knocked him back into the present, and his eyes were immaculate with brotherly affection.

"I didn't mean any of it, either." He muttered, touching his brother's arm reassuringly. "Well, maybe one or two punches." Phillip's mouth corners twitched.

Phillip went on ahead of us. I watched him go, knowing this hadn't changed much. I don't think Phillip was ready to move on from the horrors he'd experienced in Hell—how could he? He refused to acknowledge them. Not that I blamed him. If it were me, I'd probably crawl into a dark corner and rock my way to insanity.

Cameron looked better now.

"How are you feeling?" I tried to look away from the ugly patch of dried blood on his shirt.

"Amazingly good," his arm circled my waist, getting me all glued to his side. "No one ever felt as fantastic after getting the crap beaten out of them." He leaned down, planting a kiss atop my head.

My heart did a bunny hop dance.

The beating made Cam stop ignoring me—for now. We were going to work through those muddy feelings later.

When we walked down the parlor's stairs, a fire was flickering in the fireplace. Phillip was hovering near it. I sat on the four-seat couch, watching Raphael sitting in the same chair when I first found out what they were.

Before Cameron pounced, I tugged the back of his jeans so he'd sit still beside me, where I could monitor his murdery tendencies.

"I'll bite," Phillip shoved from the wall, the flames in the fireplace grew. "Why didn't you ever say anything about Succubus?"

"Because—"

"You thought they were extinct." Both brothers said, sharing a glimpse.

Raphael clicked his tongue, "No," we all looked at him, expectantly. "Succubus and Incubus don't usually leave Hell. The reason why is simple. They have no definite shape—they can't just be grabbed and carried through a Gate or Portal. Tapeworms, on the other hand, are corporeal—"

"Tapeworms?" I asked.

"They're the worm Demons." Phillip filled in. Oh. "We just call them Possessors because, well, we thought they were the only Possessors."

"For either a Succubus or Incubus to come here it had to be of their own free will. With so many humans in Hell, they don't usually risk it."

"You know there are humans in Hell?" He nodded mutely.

Phillip sunk on the other side of me, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.

"Sam said something—she said they were together because of me. I don't remember doing anything in Hell to bring a rare-Demon type to Earth."

"And she kept referring to herself as 'we'." Cam brushed a thumb over a temple, slitting his eyes. "What's up with that?"

Raph focused on Phillip's concern.

"It might not be something you did inside Hell. But something here—on Earth."

"The last thing I did on Earth was summon a Fallen, not a Demon."

"Yes," Raph's eyes sharpened. "When you summon a Fallen there's a Portal between both dimensions—from Earth to Hell and vice-versa. While the Deal is being made, the Portal stays open and anything can go through it. That's how you were able to pay for the antidote." By going into Hell with the Fallen he'd summoned.

"Yeah, but if anything had come through I would've seen it. There was just me, the Fallen, a whole lot of smoke—"

"That's it!" I jumped. It was the first time I'd heard Raphael so... cheery.

Cameron, who kept rubbing either of his temples, squinted at their uncle.

"What is?"

"The smoke—Succubus or Incubus—they're clouds of smoke."

I blanched. Cameron peered into my eyes, just as surprised.

"The dark clouds..." I whispered, remembering our ride to Mammon's ball, recalled spying outside the coach's window and seeing twisting smoke-forms—like they were intelligent life forms.

"We saw smoke clouds in Hell. Near poor neighborhoods." Cameron kicked his feet up on the coffee table, I caught Raph cutting him a glare. Cam smirked. "We had more important things to worry about, though. They never tried to attack us."

"That's because they can't. Not while in their true form. Tapeworms can survive without a host, but on Earth, possessing humans enables them to survive sunlight." He laced his fingers, lowering his chin onto them. "Succubus' are different. They need a host—a human one—from time to time. Only then can they feed and use their abilities."

"Feed on what?"

"Life force—Soul energy."

Oh crap. I didn't like anything that involved souls.

"That's what she was doing to Daren." Phillip stated. "Is he...?"

"He'll be fine. I don't think she took much out of him."

"Okay," I said. "So, Sam's being controlled by a Demon—"

"Not really. How she referred to herself—as 'we'—tells you that her and the Succubus are acting in union. Which is normal with these Demons. They pick hosts who are good looking, have shady morals and are sexually active. Unlike Tapeworms, whose hosts health decreases and are completely taken over—Succubus and Incubus lend their Power to the human. In turn, the human feeds on life force to keep the Demon alive."

"Perfect symbiosis." Cam mused, earning a firm nod from the Archangel. "Which means her and the Succubus are linked deeply. So, if we kill her, we kill the Demon."

The pulse in my throat thumped harder and it hurt to swallow.

"Wait." I couldn't believe what I was about to say—part of me couldn't. "We can't just kill her. I hate Samantha—more than you two—but we can't. She has a family, she's someone's daughter and those people don't deserve to have their daughter taken away because she's been possessed by a Demon—" I jerked my head in Phill's direction, then back at Cameron. "It's not right."

Cameron's eyes snuck to the ceiling, like he was breathing a silent prayer. I slugged his arm.

"Ouch," he glared at me. "Then what do you want to do? She set us up against each other—any idea how she did that, by the way?"

"Sure. The Succubus primal ability consist on pheromone manipulation." Raph answered in a text-book manner.

"What the what?" Phillip cracked, eyebrows arched.

"Pheromones are chemical substances—smells—that trigger social response in members of the same species." The three guys in the room looked at me. I lifted a shoulder. "I'm a Bio student."

"That's my girl." Cam's hand traveled up my leg, stroking my thigh. He looked to Raph. "What you're saying, is that she can induce pheromone creation?"

"Yes, all the different kinds. Different pheromone trigger different emotions from targets. Like increasing attraction, or anger. She can either affect her own pheromones or men's."

"Men? No other people—just men?"

"Yes. That's the big difference between Succubus and Incubus. A Succubus only takes on women hosts and its abilities only affect men—she feeds only on males. The Incubus is the exact opposite."

"That's why no girl wants to jump her bones." Cam pointed out. "And it explains the burning smell."

"Burning smell?"

"Before we started throwing punches, a sudden burning smell set in. Only went away when you showed up." Phillip explained, brief thankful eyes trained on Raphael's. "Any way to kill a Succubus without killing the host?"

"Only two. The first, is starvation. It will lead to death. If the Succubus dies still inside a host, the girl will fall ill, but probably survive." 'Probably' wasn't good enough when a human life was on the line. Even if said human was a bitch. "The second method requires outside help. A Witch, who can perform a kind of exorcism, trap the Succubus and kill it."

Not looking good. Where were we going to find a Witch? Phillip had no idea where Serena had landed. I had a feeling he'd gone wherever if he did.

"Do you know a Witch?"

"Angels aren't fond of them." Were they fond of anything besides their own kind? "This isn't what I came here to do, though. I had no idea there was a Succubus running around." Skin prickled at the words. Cameron felt me stiffen and draped an arm over my shoulders. "Two Angels were sent to retrieve you—in New Orleans—and they were killed."

"I'd say sorry, but I don't feel bad for the bastards." Cameron smiled bitterly, pulling me tighter into his side. "I'll take a wild guess and say you're here to tell me about some Trial?"

Black clashed with champagne.

"I'm not here to drag you anywhere. It's not being easy," Raphael stood and light static slid over Cam's skin, onto his clothes, and finally onto me. It didn't hurt—like it knew not to harm me. "But I'm trying to convince the Court to back down."

"My uncle doesn't want to save my ass?" He asked, voice dripping sarcasm. He was right. Michael was the Prince of Angels, he ruled Heaven. One word from him and they'd stab themselves with Azure Dagger.

"It would be easier if you hadn't killed an Authority and Dominion altogether."

I lurched forward, "But he didn't! Romeo killed the Authority and I kill—" Stuffing my mouth with a hand, Cameron pressed my back into the leather couch, smiling up at his pretend-uncle.

"What's the worse they can do? Lock me in a dark room?" I wanted to bite him—I did. Only nothing happened.

Light eyes darkened and Cameron's smartass smile began to drop. Just what was a Trial in Heaven?

"This isn't a joking matter, Cameron. Before Zadkiel and Adriel's death, Michael could've easily called off the Trial. It was just a way to get you back in Haven Hills. But now? Both ranks want justice. Michael can't just say 'screw it' to the whole thing because you're family. If he did, it could result in a mutiny." Damn, things in Heaven were taken to the extreme. "With the numbers of our race already down, we can't afford a war among our own."

Cam's hold loosened, I took that time to slap the hand away.

"I killed Zadkiel! Not Cameron. You can't hold him—"

"Shut up," Cam hissed lowly.

"You what?" Phillip stared at me in wonder.

Raphael looked unimpressed. Hmm, not the reaction I'd been hoping for. Maybe a little gasp?

"Michael knows." My mouth dropped to my lap. "The Court doesn't view you as a threat."

Not a threat? I might not have Cam or Phill's nifty amount of Power—or off the hook abilities—but I could stab people and be deadly.

"But you shouldn't put any death on him! He didn't kill them."

The Angel let out a tired, long sigh, "It doesn't matter. They were killed trying to get him. What happened was viewed as resistance—"

"Of course it was resistance. I don't know if you're aware, but that Authority wanted to kill off my sweet ass." Cameron was on his feet now, fists closing at his sides.

Phillip got up, too, standing beside his brother and Raph. He looked ready to intervene, but also seemed restless. Like he wanted to make like an Energetic Bunny and run out the door.

"All I came here to ask you is that you keep a low profile. Prove the Court they have no reason to fear you."

"You want me to be a good little boy, that it?"

"I want you to keep in line, yes."

Backing up a step, Cameron laughed roughly, like he had to laugh in order not to commit bodily harm.

"Sorry," he said not meaning it. "Just so we're clear, you and Big Chief want me to follow orders like a soldier until the whole things blows over?"

"If you don't think it'll be an inconvenience." Raphael narrowed his eyes, patience wearing thin.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I have this really bad habit of breaking rules."

It was my cue to bonce up, touching Cameron's back. My nails dug through the material of his jacket and shirt, until he felt my disapproval.

"He'll try." I managed, not liking how I was helping them cage Cameron—I knew how he hated being a pun. But this... Something in Raphael's earlier gaze told me we didn't want to know what a Trial held. "I'll make sure he will."

At my little addition, Cam looked over his shoulder. I felt tiny under the burning dark stars. With a mute goodbye, Cameron stepped toward the stairs. I didn't take long to follow, leaving Phillip and Raphael alone.

***

Cameron was showering the blood away, while I was lounging on his monster-truck-sized bed. I still couldn't get over how I could roll over four times without falling off. What I was doing was much more important than testing out the mattress's bounciness.

I'd snatched a sheet of paper from Cam's infinite stack, along with a black pen and was now writing down every supernatural creature I knew. So far, I had:

Angels/ Fallen Angels (they were pretty much the same, right? Except Angels could get into Heaven—thanks to their wings—and conceive Nephilims. Fallens had no wings, so, no Paradise Land for them and had Cambions with humans.)

Nephilims

Cambions

Vampires

Demons (Possessors: Tapeworms, Succubus/Incubus. Beasts: Basilisks, Hell Hounds, Bird-Like-Things? And last (the Demons that turned humans into Vampires) Freeloaders.)

Psychics

Witches

So many.

I sighed and tingles brushed along my nape, very shivery ones, which could only mean one thing—

"Who told you, you could be in my room?" Warm skin touched my cheek. Fresh-out-of-the-shower skin. I swallowed, knowing what kind of vision was behind me.

"I didn't know I needed a permission slip." My head dared a smooth cock, catching the smallest glimpse of a very tanned Cameron. Water tracked down the strong cords of his neck, sprinting down his clavicle and pecks.

Holy Lord.

A hand slid down my arm, and with each inch it covered, Cameron's lips pressed harder on the exposed part of my neck. I fought a groan. His fingers curled on my hand, stealing my list. Cam threw himself onto his side.

Leave it to Cameron to plop on a bed, half-wet, only with a towel around his narrow waist.

"Making a hit list?"

"If I were, your name would be on there." He rubbed a hand over his heart, pouting. That pout made my insides twist. "I was trying to get everything sorted out. Too many races, too much information."

Cam nodded, handing it back. I capped the pen, though, done with supernatural entities. We hadn't talked—really talked—about what went down in Phill's bedroom.

There was no time like the present.

"You're an idiot." Cameron's eyebrows jumped. "You've been worried sick about your brother, but the minute I tell you is Power is walking all over him you throw a fit of jealousy? Stupid jealousy, might I add."

Thick, sooty lashes dropped, fanning his cheeks.

"Is it?" My mouth popped open. I stared at him like he'd asked me to strip-naked. "You and him..." Cameron propped himself up on both elbows, staring at his rich duvet. "I know it was my fault—mostly—that you dated him, but... I didn't make you say 'yes'. You feel—felt—something for Phillip."

He didn't mean it as a question. We'd never had this conversation before, too many things happened after me and Phill split. Cameron had been there through all of it—heck, he'd been present when we broke up—but never once had he brought up the issue and after all this time I knew why.

"You know how he feels about me—like a sister, remember?" I didn't want to admit it flat to his face, that yes, I'd crushed on his brother since the day I'd met him. His obsidian gaze flickered to mine, my fingers fell on the bulging muscle of his arm. "Cameron," there was no easing into this. "I liked your brother, okay? I had a little-school-girl crush on him—"

His groan twined in my ears, flooding my veins, pumping my blood. I moved closer, pressing a hand to his hard stomach.

"But that's nothing," I started, burning a deep crimson. "That's nothing compared for what I feel for you—for what I felt. Because even when I hated you—when I was with him—sometimes... you were all I thought about. I didn't know why. But he kissed me and I wondered... wondered what it would be like to kiss you." That sounded sleazy outside my head, like I'd wanted to roll around with them both.

That little point didn't register in Cam's brain. His eyes gazed upon mine, big and wide.

"I was an asshole." No one knew that better than me. But I also knew his soft side. "Little bird—" I shivered at his closeness. Cam's face was invading my personal space. "Should I be worried about your strange tastes?"

A tease. I nearly smiled, but I wouldn't let him divert our serious talk. This jealousy streak with Phillip had to end.

"I don't want Phillip—I want you. I'm with you." And it wasn't because he was easier. It was the true stuff. "Because I love you, Cameron." Those three little words said it all.

Cam's hand smoothed over mine—the one over his heart—before I relished on what it meant, smoldering lips closed over my own, my back dug into comfiness. The hand on his forearm closed harder on Cameron's lead muscle, the other rode up, roping around a broad shoulder, tickling down his swimmer's back.

He worked his mouth solidly, making mine open, not waiting for invites and welcomes. Like storming a castle. My head lifted, claiming him as strongly. A low rumble started deep in his chest—one of my hands had gotten a little too adventurous, finding the towel's knot.

My fingers stilled.

A dubious Archangel was downstairs along with an Ex-boyfriend Nephilim, and we'd agreed on waiting—on slow. Chancing a look into those glossy, purely black eyes didn't help. His hot bod rose and fell heavily, I saw hunger lurking the depths of his eyes. Mercy me. Sometimes—well, most of the time—I felt like I was in over my head with him.

Other times... I glanced down, where my lingering fingers stroke a ripple of skin just above the towel's edge—he shivered. Other times, I was as provoking as he was, as dark, tough and all rest of wonderful and bad things Cameron could be.

Like I was his perfect reflection.

"Having second thoughts on waiting?" Didn't sound like I was the only one. His voice was veiled with lust and desire.

"Hmm,"

"Hold up," with a barely concealed groan, Cameron rolled off to the side. My hand was left touching air. "Everything will get better once I put on a shirt."

I wanted to gap. "You're really committed to this, huh? I know how much you hate putting on shirts." He grinned, walking over to the dresser. I watched, with a little disappointment, as the sculptured abs got covered up by a roomy sweater—that didn't look so baggy, stretching over his shoulders and back, neatly.

"You should probably turn around now." It was the first time he gave a heads-up before dropping a towel.

I looked up to the ceiling, entertaining myself with thoughts about dancing penguins, crown-wearing hippos—

"Done," I breathed relieved, half sitting when he popped up right in front of me. Jesus. "I know this is going to sound pretty inconvenient—given that we have a mess to fix—but let's go on a date."

Wow. Okay. Wasn't waiting on such a frontal approach.

"Now?"

"Not now, we have Grumpy downstairs. Tomorrow? After school." The bed dipped as he sat beside me, not letting go of my eyes.

Before today, resisting this would've been impossible. But today had happened and now we knew Sam was infested with a Succubus, wrecking some havoc and possibly devouring souls.

"I really want to," his sigh let me know he knew about the coming 'but'. "It's just that... shouldn't we look for a way to get the thing out of her—at least keep an eye on Sam while we figure out what to do? We can't let her feed on people."

Scowling, he pulled my back against his front, tilting us back.

"I hate this," he murmured. "Being back to being their clean-up boy."

I squirmed around, getting a better look at his face.

"Well, this time was sort of our fault." He tweaked my nose. "But it was for a good cause, and Phillip had no idea that a smoky cloud could be a Possessor Demon."

"Because no one ever told us about them. They kept us in the dark about the whole Succubus and Incubus thing, just like with the Cambions." True. Just because they'd thought there wasn't any danger of Cambions and these newly-found Demons attacking, it didn't mean they shouldn't have told them. It was better to be prepared. "At least when we were in Hell they couldn't reach us."

Angels couldn't enter Hell, otherwise, their wings would grow weak and fall, turning them into Fallens.

"But Hell's hell no matter how you look at it—" I cupped his jaw. "You don't... miss it or anything, right?" It felt like the stupidest question to ask, but I remembered the fascination—the blue moon, the sun and it taking up the sky at the same time, the city, the hierarchy—no matter how disturbing.

"Of course not." I turned over, so my chest pressed to his and began sorting damp silky hair. "You shouldn't have said anything about killing Zadkiel."

"They already knew."

"But suppose they didn't? Suppose they cared that you killed him? It's dangerous to be on their naughty-list, Nina."

I dropped my hands to his shoulders, "I don't care about me. It's wrong what they're doing, Cam. It wasn't your fault."

"They hate my awesomeness." His hands grabbed hold of my jean-clad butt. I jolted. Cam smirked in a way that would've put a prowling wolf to shame. "You want me a good boy?"

Cameron's fingers gave a firm squeeze below my buttocks. Holy macaroni.

"Cam." I warned, squirming to get loose. I was going nowhere.

"Tell you what," his forehead touched mine, wet hair spilled forward. "You entertain me and I'll be their lap dog for as long as this shitty Trial lasts. Like the sound of that?"

No. Not the part where he had do to what Michael wanted, I wanted him free. If it would keep him safe, though, then we had to play for the time being.

A swift swat landed on my behind. I flushed tenfold looking down.

"I'm waiting."

Saving a smile, I kissed his chin, going down his throat by leaving butterfly kisses. I wasn't even near Cam's collarbone, when one hand vanished from my backside. It didn't show up anywhere else.

That had me looking up.

He was rubbing a temple. Again.

"Are you still having a headache?"

Cameron grunted, head hitting the silver dressed pillow below.

"Probably popped blood vessel," my fingers touched his forehead gently. "Or many. It'll pass."

I nodded, but something about this didn't sit right with me. Not when Cameron didn't offer a smile to assure me.