Stranger at the Hell Gate Read Online Free Page A

herself, Seraph sight locked on. "Please."
    Jagger hung his head, looking very much out of patience. With an exasperated huff, he turned in place, his boots clomping. Cocky stance, head back and eyes daring her to say something. But these things she only partially registered because when he turned to face her, his entire upper body—chest, face, arms—glowed with the marks of past insult and injury. And that sickle shape burned into the skin over his heart—
    She whimpered, heart-sick to see him in this way. Her mother's blood cried out at the thought of what agony he must have endured to stand here now, so marred and wounded. Covering her eyes, she dispelled the Seraph sight and fought the tears.
    "Hey." He was in front of her within moments, pulling her hands down and leaning to peer at her downturned face. "Hey, what's wrong?"
    "You. You've been through so much. Just look at you."
    "I'd rather not. I'm not a pretty guy."
    "Jagger. These scars. You have countless hurts. I can't see a part of you that isn't injured." She raised her eyes, tears brimming on her lower lashes. "Let me help you."
    "What, you're a plastic surgeon?"
    She swallowed and regained part of her composure. "Better."
    He looked alarmed and rocked back on his heels. "You don't mean—"
    "Yes, I do." She held onto his hands and kept him from backing away. This felt right, this decision. It had to be a part of her mission. Her Seraph blood ached for an opportunity to do good work. It stirred inside her, quickening her pulse. "I can fix some of these."
    His eyes shifted. "Ah, I don't think it's a good idea, doll. Our kinds don't mix well."
    "Oh." She gazed at him, uncertainty playing in her wide eyes. For the first time, she doubted herself. What would happen to a demon once exposed to her divinity? "I didn't think of that."
    He extracted himself from her grasp. "Yeah, well. That's my job. Always thinking one step ahead."
    Jagger pivoted and walked back to the desk, flipping open his jacket and pulling the vials of holy water out of the inside pockets.
    The water was fresh, glowing with pearlescent warmth.
    Divinity undiluted.
    She noticed he had no qualms about handling holy water and took it as a good sign. Without a word, she walked up behind him, slid her hands around to his chest, and pressed a kiss to his wounded shoulder blade.
    Her essence trickled into his skin, flowing along the ridge of scar in a streak of heat. Jagger cried out and arched his back but she held him fast. The scar shimmered, smoothed and faded, until only perfect skin remained. Only once the healing had completed did she let go of him.
    Jagger leaned heavily over the desk, palms planted and head bowed. His breath was labored.
    Did she cause more pain? Her heart trembled. She never meant for that.
    He twisted and sat against the desk, holding onto the edge as if he feared he might tumble off. His eyes were wide, the pupils swelling until the irises were reduced to thin rings. "What did you do to me?"
    "I healed that scar on your—" She swallowed hard. "It was so terrible, I couldn't help—please, I didn't mean to hurt you."
    "You…didn't." He lifted his arm and rolled his shoulder, hunching his back and stretching his arm out in front of him. "It used to catch right there. How deep did that thing go?"
    He reached behind him for his blade, hefting it in an arc over his head to slide it down into the scabbard on his back. He flicked his wrists, cracked his neck, then reached to draw the blade free.
    And he smiled.
    He repeated it twice more, stowing the blade and pulling it out again, before setting it back on the desk. "Wow. I haven't been able to do that since I closed the Anthers portal. Not bad, doll. Not bad at all."
    "So…" She eyed him, watching him shrug out of the harness. "It didn't hurt you?"
    "Oh, it hurt all right. That shit stings. But, you know, at the end, there was a little…" He rubbed his mouth and unfocused his gaze. "A cool little glow, like peppermint."
    "I