Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1)

by Kaylie Smith

“Go home,” the stranger advised. “A house of Devils is no place for an angel like you.”

That was it. She chucked the tome at his head with all her might. He switched into his non-corporeal state a second before the projectile would have smashed into his face. How unsatisfying. When he solidified himself once more, there was a lazy smirk on his face. “If you want to play rough,” he drawled, “I have better games we can play. Ones that involve less clothing⁠—”

“It’s about damn time—” the silhouette began. She lunged. Tackling him to ground, she wrapped her hands around his throat, determined to cause as much harm as she could while he was still solid. “I don’t care if you’re already dead,” she hissed. “I’m going to kill you again.” “Is this your attempt at flirting, angel?” he choked out despite the pressure she was putting on his neck. Her lip curled up in disgust. “Both of my hands are wrapped around your throat!” “That doesn’t make it any clearer,” he responded,

She buried her face into the crook of his throat. “You came.” “You called,” he answered.

“Ophelia.” His tone was firm now. “You don’t need to fix yourself. You’re not broken. But it’s okay to get outside help if it gets too loud.”

He tilted his face up to whisper his next words right into her ear. “I want to taste your sins.”

But most of all she shed tears for herself. And the soft heart she would never have again.

She kissed him then, long and slow, reveling in the little piece of heaven she saved from the dark depths of Hell.