Free Shaping Fate by Kayla Payeur Page B

haven’t you trampled her?” he asked. Normally, that would have been Azrael’s first response to a stranger in his stall.
    I don’t feel like trampling her; she’s been hurt enough . Come in and get her. I won’t charge at you for a change.
    Thane nodded gratefully. He usually enjoyed their sparring matches, pitting himself against a creature that was almost at his level of strength and cunning, but right now, he just wanted to get the woman out of there.
    The moment he touched her, he realized what his powers were trying to tell him . Heal her , they whispered. He pulled back quickly; he hadn’t healed anyone since he was a boy of three centuries. It had almost ruined his beloved dark reputation. He couldn’t ignore the urge, however; his powers crawled under his skin in visible waves, seeking a way out of his body to heal the girl on the floor.
    He glanced quickly up and down the hallway, making certain that no one would witness this moment of weakness. Positive that no one was around, he curled his leathery wings about the girl and again laid his hands on her.
    “ Tell anyone what happens here, and you’ll find out why they call me Lord Death,” he growled.
    No worries . I’ll keep your dirty little secret of healing. Who knows? It might make good blackmail material in the future.
    Thane ignored the insolent horse as he felt his powers surge in unfamiliar ways.

Chapter Two
     
    “ What the hell was I thinking? I should have gotten rid of her the moment I healed her. I could have left her in Artemis’ temple. She would have been cared for there. Hell, Demeter’s temple would have taken the girl.”  His wings twitched in irritation; catching himself, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Finding a measure of calm, Thanatos opened his eyes and stood looking at the girl asleep on the cot. She hadn’t awakened once since he’d found her three days ago. He studied her features silently.
    Waist-length, thick golden locks spilled across the pillow in waves. High cheekbones and winged brows accented a small, rather cute nose. His gaze kept falling to her full, dusky-rose lips. Every time he came in to check on her, he had to fight the impulse to see if the mortal legends of Sleeping Beauty were true, see if a kiss to those tempting lips would help her wake. He didn’t think Beauty would want to be awakened like that by the Beast, though.
    He hadn’t been able to completely heal her; there were still visible bruises on her arms, legs, and face . The coarse blanket covered the rest of her body, but he knew that there were bruises there as well. He recalled seeing several perfect hand and boot impressions on her soft skin. The memory made him feel strongly enough to cause a disaster. Good thing he lived in a place that was impervious to his rare black mood.
    The girl shifted and moaned softly . He refused to analyze why the sound caused his blood to heat and his blackened heart to squeeze uncomfortably. He scowled.
    “ Wake up, already. I have better things to do than stand here waiting for you to decide when to come around.”
    Her lashes flickered and finally, slowly , opened. Emerald. Deep, jungle-moss green was the shade of her eyes. The color seemed to swirl, a lazy whirlpool. Atlantis could have been hidden in those depths of green. Thane felt himself being pulled into her gaze, the color so astonishing that he couldn’t resist. She blinked, and the spell he was under dissolved.             
    “ It’s you.”  Her amazing eyes widened incredulously as she examined him.
    “ You seem to have me at a disadvantage,” he replied irritably. Annoyed at his reaction to her, he wrapped his wings tightly about himself.
    “ Oh, not really. I don’t know your name, only your face. I’ve seen you in dreams, and I just finished making a statue of you.” Her voice was low and melodious, making him think of balmy nights and black silk sheets.
    Then her words penetrated his lust-fogged brain .