Crushed Seraphim Read Online Free PDF Page A

wore the most comfortable, luxurious nightclothes he could fathom. And he included a pair of bunny slippers.
    She squealed at the sight of their pointy ears and hugged herself. She moaned with her laughter in such a way that Jason had to concentrate to keep the clothes that gave her such pleasure on her body.
    “Half-breed, you have a phenomenal imagination!” She bent over to examine the bunnies up close.
    Jason continued smiling at her joy as he inspected her remaining wing. It looked dingy, tinged with gray. He thought this might be just a trick of the cloudy morning light, but as he watched, a single feather floated to the snow and emitted what seemed to be a tiny explosion on impact. Then it was only a memory, hidden in the snow’s glitter.
    When Emma stood again, she was no longer smiling, but she held her shoulders proud. He was sure she could hear the panic in his head.
    “This is just to remind me that I’m failing here,” she explained, motioning to her disintegrating wing.
    “You took me to my past. How can you be failing?” Jason wondered if he could fashion a feather out of snow to replace the one she’d lost.
    “Your mother was right. You are kind. Have no false impressions, Jason. I’m not a blind dog. I’ve fought viciously.” Her words were belied by uncertainty in her eyes.
    How can I help you?
    Emma reached over her shoulder and pulled her wing around her like a cloak to inspect it. “I can hear your thoughts, but they know your feelings, the state of your soul.” She let go of her dingy wing and shook her head with disgust. “Tell me, and be honest, have I changed your outlook? You’ve seen your mother’s love. What else is there?”
    She took a few disarming steps toward him. He tried to shield his thoughts, but when the white pajamas caressed the outline of her body, he became a poor editor.
    He pictured the old dog he’d been willing to take a beating for as a child. Then he pictured the wretched thing he’d become. He feasted on sleeping humans for their blood. Abhorrence of his parasitic ways engulfed him, along with a crippling despair.
    “Oh crap. Seriously? The mom? The love? None of that touched you? Damn it.” She stomped her fluffy bunny slipper, and unlike her, its bouncing ears seemed anything but angry.
    She looked up as if she heard something. Jason raised his eyes as well and discovered a show of gold-colored lightning that crisscrossed the pink-orange sky like a spider web.
    “He’s laughing at me,” Emma said this out loud, but she seemed to be speaking to herself.
    Who’s laughing?
    She didn’t answer, her attention above.
    “Send a ladder then, bitch! See if I won’t march up there and kick you so hard in the ass that you can count my toes with your lying tongue!” Emma began pacing.
    More lightning flickered as an answer to her curses. Finally, with a huge boom of thunder, a slanted shaft of golden light punched through the clouds, stopping just inches from her bunnies’ noses.
    “He’s such an ass. Who sends a ladder? Honestly, anyone could go up now. He flaunts his power and makes stupid choices.” She extended a bunny and the sunlight became a translucent step for her feet.
    She looked over her shoulder to address him. “Hey, half-breed, sorry about your luck. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re so bad.”
    Jason watched as she ran up the stairs, dingy feathers now falling from her wings like magical rain. He replayed her words: “Anyone could go up now.”
    Anyone could go up the stairs…

Chapter 2
    Jason rushed up the stairs behind her. Despite his half-breed speed, the little slivers of see-through step were wiggling and unsteady. He knew going back down would lead to a hard fall, so he focused again on the path ahead. Rapidly fading into the distance, Emma seemed close to flying with her speed.
    Finally, in a dizzying array of clouds, electricity, and blinding sunlight, Jason arrived at the top of the stairs. The clouds were still