Excerpt ~ The Dark Isle

He knew it was wrong to go to her room using his ability to blend so that he couldn't be seen. His mutinous feet led him there against his will. Up the mahogany steps, down the hall to the left; second door on the right.

Quietly, he turned the heavy crystal knob, opened the door and slipped into her chamber. Though he could not help what he was doing, he felt underhanded and wrong to do it.

He was truly hopeless.

Her room was small. The polished wood floors gleamed in the moonlight. Lace curtains whispered in the night breeze at the open windows. They billowed out like white ghosts standing guard. With stealth, he made his way to her white painted bed that was shaped like a sleigh. A soft quilt appliquéd with multicolored fans lay across the reposing form of Rose. A light fragrance of wisteria and hyacinth floated up from the garden below.

Kneeling beside her sleeping form, Raphael reached out a hand to gently remove a burnished curl from her cheek. She opened her eyes a little, looked about the room with half closed eyes then, apparently seeing nothing, murmured, “Mmm, must be the wind,” and returned to her slumber.

This may be the last time I ever see her, thought Raphael. The thought dropped like a stone into the pit of his stomach.

He got up and went around to the other side of the bed. Silently he stretched out on his side beside her. He inhaled the clean smell of her hair that spilled out over the pillows. He lifted a length of wavy hair to his lips and caressed it. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other he slid under her head.

To his amazement, she sighed and turned to face him. She stretched an arm over his sturdy shoulder and placed a slender leg over his thigh. Her firm breasts pressed against his chest and her nipples were hard as they jutted out against the confines of her thin night gown. What sweet torture this was.

He felt the soft rush of her breath against his neck. God, how he wanted her. He would not dishonor himself or Rose by taking her like this. It was wrong to take advantage of this magic and use her in such a manner. He fought down his lust for her and let her curl softly into the protective circle of his arms. He lay with her in his arms all the long night.

Dawn came too early. The fingers of light began to spike over the horizon. Regretfully, Raphael slipped from the arms of his beloved Rose. He stood there a moment gazing at her, memorizing every curve of her face. He sighed heavily, turned and left the room to join Hawk and Raven in the meadow. She would never know that he had even been there in her bed at all.

Please Note: This has yet to be edited through NCP