“That is, of course I won’t. I only meant…” Hæra’s shoulders rose and fell with her rapid breath. Her pulse raced at the base of her throat. She curled her hands around Madeleine’s arms again. “We don’t have to stop. Let’s go somewhere else. The farm…no, your hotel is closer, isn’t it? Let’s go, please⁠—”

No, Madeleine could have said, or I can’t do this, it’s wrong, but none of that came out of her mouth. Something else did instead.

She whispered, “Are you my angel?”

Angel. Madeleine had defined that for Hæra not so long ago. She’d said her Scriptures described them as beings of terrible aspect, more frightening than comforting.

Right now, that seemed fitting. When they’d been interrupted, Hæra’s instinct had been to tear the interloper apart with her teeth. I’ll kill them, she’d said, with no idea who “they” were, only knowing that they must be destroyed for interfering with destiny. Her destiny—to kiss and touch Madeleine forever, or at least until they’d both reached that shattering climax she’d only experienced with herself so far.

She couldn’t say that. She could only look down into Madeleine’s face, flushed and beautiful, looking back at Hæra as if she’d never seen anything like her before. Her eyes begged for an answer while her body strained in obvious panic against Hæra’s embrace.

“I’m not an angel,” Hæra said, which was completely true.

“Then what are…”

Hæra’s heart stopped. Her breath did too, frozen in her chest. Madeleine was about to ask, What are you? Only moments ago, the question had had a different tone. Now, either the truth or a lie would destroy Hæra.

“Madeleine,” she blurted, but no other words followed. What words even mattered, next to that name?

Madeleine stared at Hæra, but the flush was fading from her cheeks, and the wildness from her eyes. Hæra’s gaze dropped to the mouth she’d just kissed. She’d kissed it once before: that night on the beach. How could it be even better now? Even more all consuming?

Madeleine closed her eyes and groaned. “Oh, my goodness. You must think I’m insane. I can’t believe I just said that.”

Relief weakened Hæra’s knees. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“I can’t believe I just did that, either.” Madeleine was shaking, minutely, in Hæra’s arms. “I’m…I’m sorry. So sorry. It must have been the wine.”

Oh no. If Hæra couldn’t excuse her way out of this mess, Madeleine couldn’t either. “You told me it wasn’t affecting you that much.”