Free My Avenging Angel by Madelyn Ford Page A

out. She should be dead. At the very least, in the hospital clinging to life. So unless weeks had passed while she was out cold, something was very, very wrong.
    Carefully edging off the bed, Tory expected pain but encountered only mild tenderness as she hobbled to the bathroom. Lifting the shirt that hung past her knees, she glanced down and spotted a thin white line where she was certain the blade had exited when it had gone through her body. A sense of panic overwhelmed her and, twisting in front of the mirror, she inspected her back, finding only a few areas of puckered skin. She tried to suck in a deep breath but a wheeze was all she accomplished as she fought back the terror.
    What sounded like the door to the bedroom crashing into the wall drew tension through her until she heard Michael’s bellow.
    “Tory! Love, what is it?”
    Storming from the bathroom, she slammed the door behind her before meeting him in the middle of the room. “What the hell happened to me?” When the only response to her demand was a guilt-stricken look, she added, “What did you do to me?”
    Michael refused to answer, turning his back on her and moving toward the window in a blatant attempt at avoidance.
    “Is it that terrible?” she whispered, a sense of dread filling her. While she couldn’t imagine what it could be—she was alive after all—Michael’s actions confirmed it was bad.
    He sighed, and then softly said, “I gave you some of my essence.”
    Tory felt her forehead wrinkle in confusion. Essence? What the hell was he talking about? “You didn’t use a condom during sex. Is that what you mean?”
    Michael shook his head slowly. “There was no need the first time. Until we bonded pregnancy was impossible and we angels do not suffer from mortal disease. No, Tory, I fed you my blood.”
    “Eww. Your blood? What the hell did you do that for?” she demanded as she strode across the room, not stopping until she was standing right behind him.
    Michael swiveled to face her, his piercing gaze meeting hers. “To make you immortal, my love.”
    Okay, Tory hadn’t expected that to come from his mouth. “Immortal?” she repeated dumbly and Michael nodded. “Like immortal, immortal?”
    His lips curved into a slight smile. “There’s only one kind of immortal, love. You either are or you’re not.”
    “But how?” Tory felt like she was repeating herself, but she couldn’t grasp the concept.
    “It was my blood, Tory. Too much and you turn into a vampire. Just enough and mortal death is no longer an option.”
    “But I can still die?” she asked, getting there was a distinction.
    “Yes. There is a poison Lucifer managed to develop from corrupted souls, but even it is not certain death. And not something just any demon is able to get his hands on. Only Lucifer and his most trusted, of which Asmodeus is not.”
    Resting her head over his heart, Tory let the steady rhythm soothe her. Immortal she could deal with. Vampire she could not. She’d been raised to have an unrelenting fear of the creatures. Then again, they drank blood and there were all kinds of wrong about that.
    “Okay.”
    Michael lifted her face, an arched brow meeting her gaze. “Okay? That’s it? Just okay?”
    “Yes. Okay.” Pulling free from his grasp, she returned her head to his chest. “But no more blood. Vampires freak me out.”
    “I’m not surprised,” he said, chuckling hollowly. “It was a vampire who killed Ariadne.”
    Tory jerked her head, bumping into Michael’s chin. She winced, her hand drifting to rub the spot as she stepped away from him. “Lord, I don’t even want to know. I have enough aches and pains without contemplating that one.”
    Michael wrapped an arm around her waist, gathering her to him as he guided her to the bed, clucking like a mother hen the whole way. “Why didn’t you tell me you hurt? Rest now,” he ordered, pulling the blankets back. But she sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her head.
    “What about