Elijah's eyes lingered on him, that maddening calmness never breaking.
His lips parted, but no words came.
Alexei thought he just might go insane from the wait.
Every second the naive angel hesitated felt like being skinned alive to him. His nails dug into Elijah's shirt, refusing to let go.
But that wasn't all. If Elijah didn't react, he would pull the boy into his arms without a shred of hesitation.
In this way, he was not only testing Elijah but also his own patience, wondering how long it would take for his sanity to shatter.
His pulse roared so loud he thought it might drown out the cicadas outside.
Say yes. Move closer. Do it before I lose control and take it by force.
Because he really didn't want to use force on Elijah. The last time had been an excuse to drag the exorcist from the pit of darkness.
Now it wasn't.
"Lyosha..." Elijah's voice was low.
