7 comments/ 8647 views/ 33 favorites Michael & I Ch. 01 By: undead_grrl A/N: This is my first time writing an original story here so I hope you enjoy :) I was working at O' Donovans'; a strip club that proclaimed itself as a "true gentleman's club" run by the two O' Donovan brothers. One was Dave, an anorexic pothead who was relatively harmless, the other was Phil a less harmless drunk who tried to feel up the girls and would sometimes get violent when his advances were rejected. Thankfully Phil was usually only in on the weekends so I didn't have to see much of him. I hadn't been working there for long, maybe two months, when a call came in that a high-priority client and some of his co-workers had rented out the club to themselves for the night. It also happened to be my birthday so, I was taking the night off. Unfortunately once Phil had gotten wind of what was going on he called me and said that if I wanted to keep my job I'd better get my ass over there and get ready. Honestly, I didn't mind much; it wasn't as if I had many friends aside from the girls I worked with. At least I could spend my birthday with them rather than spending it alone at my apartment with a roll of cookie dough and Netflix. I was also slightly intrigued as to who this client was and this was the first time anything like this had happened since I'd been working there. Maybe the first time anything like this had ever happened at O' Donovans'. Once I arrived I hurried backstage to the dressing rooms and dug through my wardrobe looking for the right outfit. Since we weren't explicitly told to wear any certain theme I decided on a sexy devil outfit; a red sequin bra that pushed up my pert C cups nicely, a red thong with feather trim featuring a small devil's tail attached to the back and just for the hell of it I threw on the matching headband with small horns that stuck up from my hair. I looked myself over in one of the floor to ceiling mirrors and I was impressed; I was 5'8 over 6'0 in my heels with a well sculpted body that I worked hard to keep in shape and I looked sexy tonight. I applied some black eyeshadow which brought out the green of my eyes nicely and to top it all off some red lipstick accentuating my full lips and fair skin. My hair was naturally curly and black further emphasizing my pale complexion. "You look amazing!" I turned to see one of my friends, Lena staring wide-eyed. "Thanks," I said warmly. "So do you." Lena wore a schoolgirl outfit, her strawberry blonde hair pulled up into pigtails. She had a naturally innocent look about her all the time, one of the reasons I could never pull off the uniform in the same way that she could. That and her tits were bigger than mine which I was slightly jealous of although I would never admit that to her. "You think any of these guys will be cute?" "Hm?" I mumbled, not really listening while I applied lotion everywhere making sure that I didn't have any dry patches of skin. The air conditioner in O' Donovans' was brutal ensuring that all of the girls' nipples were perked up and ready for action. Unfortunately it gave me horribly dry skin and whistling sinuses. "I mean, rich guys marry strippers all the time don't they?" Lena persisted. "Marriage? Lena, you know that it will probably just be a bunch of sixty-something year old perverts with too much money out to have a good time. Ew." "A girl can dream." she sniffed, pretending to be offended. It was then that I smelled the best most intoxicating scent I'd ever smelled. I must have actually swooned a bit because Lena looked alarmed. "You okay?" I nodded, feeling momentarily disoriented. What the fuck was that? Suddenly, Phil popped his head around the corner "Alright ladies it's go time." The clients had arrived. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The night went as expected; a bunch of middle aged men in suits behaving overly zealous in their eagerness of being out of the office. But at least we were getting well tipped as a result. I noticed Phil having a conversation with one of them and all I could make out was the word "late". I wondered if one of them hadn't shown up yet? I got my answer shortly after when the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid eyes on walked in through the velvet curtains that separated the entryway from the stage. He removed his shades with an elegant flourish, pushing them up into his mussed back blonde hair before his eyes carelessly swept across the room taking everything in. I stopped dancing, forgetting about the two men throwing twenties at my feet so that I could stare. And when he noticed me, I felt something not unlike terror. He was powerful, I knew that much, more powerful than any of the other angels I'd ever came across as I knew that's what he was. No mortal man could have such a commanding presence or be that goddamned sexy although ironically he certainly was damned by God. He moved like a panther, dressed in all black he wore a designer (probably) Italian made suit that fit to his body so perfectly that it could have been a second skin. He was absent a tie, his top few buttons left undone exposing a V of pale, muscular chest. I swallowed hard when he seated himself in one of the now vacated seats; I hadn't even noticed the two men before him had left. I slid to the floor using the pole as a crutch, not trusting my legs to support me any longer. He motioned for me to come closer and I weakly complied, crawling forward my bare breasts swaying with every movement. "What are you doing here?" he asked softly. I can see what everyone else here cannot; the intense flames of Heaven alight in his cyan coloured eyes, his slitted pupils pinning and dilating as he studies me. "I haven't done anything," I replied. "Someone as beautiful as you being in a place like this is truly a shame." I felt truly faint, then. How could an Angel of even his merit not be capable of seeing what I am? "I.. I wouldn't expect you to say such a thing.." I ventured. I wished he would stop looking at me like that it was making it hard to think. "Why not? Do you not think yourself a beautiful woman?" Like every Angel he was well-spoken, but he was something else entirely. His aura from that distance was sending waves of tingling down my arms like when your foot falls asleep; pins and needles. In a blur of movement that no doubt appeared normal to human eyes he seized my throat as he pulled me forward into a kiss. His cherubic, full lips felt so good and that was abnormal in itself as Angels and demons naturally repelled each other. It was so unexpected that my arms turned completely to jelly as I tumbled off the stage which allowed him to easily guide me into his lap. I felt as if I were being devoured, his expert tongue swirling around my own, one of his hands kneading into my hair making me moan. I was confused and rapidly becoming aroused forgetting where I was and what I was. More importantly I was forgetting what he was. I was the lowest class of demon, an imp, I'd never even seen combat or done any demon things like murder someone or drink blood. I had always been comfortable living a human life and never felt any desire for that to change. But this.. this was amazing both terrifying and exhilarating because I knew he could easily incinerate me with hardly a thought. Finally Phil noticed that one of his strippers was being felt up and tapped on the Angel's shoulder. "Hey you can't do that, man. These girls aren't hookers, at least not on my watch." The Angel released me with a gusty sigh as if he were being put out, sliding his shades back on. "Yeah whatever man." Phil didn't understand that the Angel wasn't mocking him but rather pointing out that he was, in fact, a man and had no authority over him. Unfortunately he didn't take it well. "You got a fuckin' problem bro?" Phil demanded gruffly, poking him in his chest. The Angel's eyebrows rose above his sunglasses "The only one with an issue here is you. She was quite pleased with the situation until you felt the need to intervene." I felt a flush creep up my face being mentioned in such a way in front of my boss made me feel very uncomfortable. Also why did Angels have to speak that way? It made them sound like total assholes. "Get the fuck out!" Phil snarled. That was a bit over-aggressive even for Phil but I think it had something to do with him seeing another man kissing me. He'd always liked me more than the others and not in a friendly way. The Angel held up his hands in supplication, an annoying little smirk twitching up the corner of his mouth before he calmly walked out, not another word spoken. "You get your ass home before I fire you for un-professionalism." I was in too much of a daze to even argue, I instead did just that, grabbing my things and hitting the front door. I lay in bed that night staring at my LED clock, watching it count down the hours until morning. I couldn't sleep my tail idly stirring the air behind me. It felt good to let it out, it got so cramped having to conceal it during the work hours. I couldn't stop thinking about that Angel kissing me; it still seemed too crazy to have even been real. I touched two fingers to my lips still feeling the burn against my skin that direct contact with him had caused. At 3:30 AM I was about to grab my laptop and give up sleeping altogether when a loud thud hit my apartment door followed by a series of loud thuds. I sat up, startled, pulling the covers up around me. Who the fuck? I then heard a crash and the door hitting the wall. Oh shit someone was actually breaking in! I grabbed the golf club I kept in my bedroom for self-protection and started to tiptoe around to the kitchen. The intruder would have to come through there in order to reach my bedroom or to get to any valuables. The moment that the intruder walked into the kitchen I swung with all my strength, and that was quite a damn bit since even imps could lift cars without effort. They thudded to the floor like a sack of bricks and I quickly turned on the light, gasping upon seeing who it was. It was the fucking Angel, here, in my apartment. Had he followed me? I had no doubt that he could have tracked me here, but why? Did he realize what I was and decide to come here to kill me and send me to hell? I had to act fast here. Maybe he didn't know I was a demon and I could work under the assumption that he still thought I was a human woman reacting to some nut invading her home. But could I? I highly doubted a mortal would have the strength to drop an Angel like that. But that still begged the question of what the fuck he was doing here. I grabbed a chair and some duct tape picking him up and tossing him into it I taped his wrists and ankles several times to the arms and legs of the chair. Jesus, he positively reeked of alcohol. Was he drunk? Was that even possible? So much for living as a stupid human, I thought, feeling annoyed at my ignorance. He groaned loudly, lifting his head up from where it had been slumped against his chest, squinting his strange, blue eyes at me. "Heyy.." he slurred. His suit jacket was missing and so were his shades and it also seemed a few more buttons had slipped on his shirt exposing even more muscled flesh beneath. My breath hitched as I thought about how I'd like to see more. No, focus damn it! "What the fuck are you doing in my apartment?" I demanded with forced anger to cover up my terror. "Sorry 'bout your door. I didn't mean to.. was an accident." "What in hell's name is wrong with you?" "Why am I taped to a chair?" he countered, wiggling his hands in confusion. "You scared the shit out of me and I didn't know what else to do with you!" This was the truth, I knew as long as he believed I was a human he wouldn't do anything out of the ordinary like tear the chair to bits to free himself. Or at least I hoped not. If he had completely destroyed my door with an "accidental" burst of immortal strength he might do it again. "I'm calling the police," I threatened, going for the phone. "Wait, no, no, no. Hold on a minute. I didn't come here to hurt you I just wanted to see you." "At three in the morning?" "I didn't know it was this late.. I drank too much and lost track of time. I'm.. I'm sorry.." The Angel looked so annoyingly contrite, his puppy dog eyes so convincing even though he was a warrior of heaven. It was too surreal. I sighed and rubbed at my temples grabbing the scissors from the counter having to resist the urge of sticking them into his neck, I cut away the tape that held his right hand. He immediately brought it up to the side of my face, his thumb tracing over my lower lip. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. I was paralyzed feeling the same heat from earlier passing between us. It's then that my eyes wander down and I notice that his shirt was torn and at that same instant I caught the unmistakable scent of sulfur. I heard a crash from somewhere downstairs in the lobby. Oh shiiit. "Hey! Hey, look at me were you followed? Were you attacked?" I gave his shoulders a little shake to get his attention because it seemed he was now losing consciousness fast. "I don't.." Then his head fell back, his eyes rolling wildly. "Oh, fuck!" I hissed hearing hushed voices and the sound of loud footsteps coming up the stairs. Thank Christ the elevator happened to be out of order. It bought be a little more time. I didn't have time to look and see how badly he'd been hurt. I ran into my bedroom and grabbed the emergency duffle I kept under my bed for just this sort of thing. Although, I'd always expected it to be Angels that came after me not some of my own kind. I threw it over my shoulder and went to get the sleeping beauty. The demons were on my floor and it was only a matter of moments before they picked up on his aura. He was like a supernova compared to the other humans on this floor who were more like candle flames. Impossible to hide. I lifted him into my arms and carried him over to the window. I knew once I'd done this there was no turning back. I'd be considered a traitor and have no-one left to turn to for help. I smashed through the glass without hesitation, my wings unfurling with the sound of flapping canvas in the wind. It felt good to fly as I hadn't in a long time. I heard the already destroyed door being flung open but I was already gone far enough away that they wouldn't be able to track either of us. Michael & I Ch. 02 By the time I reached my second apartment I was utterly exhausted. Carrying the extra weight for such a long distance wouldn't have affected me so greatly if it hadn't been so long since I'd last flown. The apartment was rented out under an alias and was located on the eighth floor with a small balcony. The last I'd been inside I'd left the balcony door unlocked. Once I'd placed the Angel safely inside on the bed and decided he'd be alright for a few moments I stripped off my clothes and went to take a shower. The hot stream helped to ease the ache all along my shoulders and massage the fatigued muscles of my wings. I gently shook them off before transmuting them away out of sight. After drying I dug around in my duffle until I found an old tee and fresh panties, thankful that most of my stripper gear was at O' Donovans'. I returned to the Angel's side taking a deep breath as I removed his shirt to better see his wound. It had the scent of rot hanging around it; putrid and nauseating which confirmed what I already knew, that he'd been poisoned. It was a deep gash about the length of my hand and mortally deep. I probed the edge with my finger and a vicious back liquid oozed out. I wondered how he'd been careless enough to allow this to happen. I collected some supplies from around the apartment, hot towels, some silverware and alcohol hoping that I could purge the infection. I started by cleaning the outer edges and then working inwards removing all of the nasty black shit that I could. When there was only blood trickling out I squirted in some alcohol and sewed it up with dental floss which made him groan in his sleep. I knew he couldn't get a fever so whatever the demons had done to him would begin wearing off more quickly. I covered him with the comforter and went to stand guard until morning but not before giving him a gentle kiss; I needed to feel his lips against mine. I sat and watched him sleep for a while until my mind started to wander. I wondered how he'd react when he found out that I was actually a demon. Would he be angry with me? I had helped him after all. It made me think of my parents and how they'd reacted when I "came out" to them about being a demon. My mother had hugged me tightly saying that it didn't matter what I was and my father had said that no one as kind and respectful as I could ever be evil. Even after I'd explained how imps came to be, how their souls were created at the moment of grief caused when a parent loses a child they had comforted me even then saying that it wasn't my fault how I came to be with them but they were thankful that I had. Except my creation had been different; my mother had been carrying a stillborn babe and my soul had found the empty vessel. Usually imps didn't possess children so young, it only happened after an accident of some kind or if the child was weak of spirit, easily broken. The imp would then infiltrate the family, gain their trust and then kill them, feasting on their blood completing the transformation into a full fledged demon. That was why I'd turned out differently with a conscience and compassion for humans. It was truly the last gift my family had ever given me before the car accident that took both their lives, their love and guidance continued to protect me. I actually started to feel tired and though I didn't mean to I slept for some time. When I awoke the Angel stood over me, naked to the waist, his hair damp and a towel around his essentials. I actually squeaked in surprise more so because of his state of undress and not because he'd obviously been watching me sleep. He immediately looked contrite "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said softly. I swallowed and shook my head while my scattered brain re-assembled itself, "It's okay. How are you feeling?" "Better than last night. Did you..?" He indicated his side which had healed entirely, only the faintest of pink markings remained indicating that he'd had a deep, infected wound only hours ago. "Yeah.. there's actually something I need to tell you.. I'm not, uh.." The words stuck in my throat, fear freezing them in place. "I needed to speak with you as well.." he began. "About last night, when I kissed you. I hope that it didn't cost you your job." My eyes bulged out at him; he wanted to talk about the fucking kiss? "No, that isn't what I.. it's what happened after when you came to my apartment." He was looking at me expectantly, saying nothing, making me suffer in silence. "I'm a demon," I blurted out. I wanted to disappear into the sofa cushions rather than have to make direct eye contact. He stared at me momentarily, his head tilted to the side, studying me. "I'm Michael," he said finally. As if things couldn't get any more fucked up. I felt as if the gravity of his words had opened a back hole in the pit of my stomach and I was being sucked inside out. He looked embarrassed by admitting his identity, shifting uncomfortably under my open-mouthed staring. All I could see was hell, the endless abyss, the maelstrom of torment where your soul was cast into a formless void to be tormented for all of eternity by all the other damned souls. He finally noticed how upset I was becoming and came to sit beside me, putting his arms around my trembling shoulders. "Don't be afraid." I turned and buried my face against his neck enjoying the smell of him which now mingled with the scent of my shampoo. "What's your name?"he asked. "Riel. My friends call me Riel." "Short for Gabriel I take it?" I nodded, self-aware of the irony that I was named after another Archangel. "I'm sorry that I kissed you," he murmured into my hair making me shiver. I pulled back to gape at him, "What the hell are you talking about? That was the best birthday present I could have gotten. It was the only birthday present actually.." Now that I thought about it no-one I worked with even knew when my birthday was but it was only because I'd never told any of them. I was naturally standoffish and afraid to let anyone in too close. Around Michael I felt that I could be honest for the first time since my parents had passed on. In my reminisce I didn't notice that he was watching me closely until he brushed a stray curl back away from my eyes nearly making me jump. He looked sad, a reflection of my own emotions, but his sadness was far more complex than anything I could ever hope to comprehend. The Archangel was thousands of years old and had protected humanity for all of that time, seen so much suffering and evil that mankind was capable of. "Wait here," I said, getting to my feet and going for the kitchen. I opened the fridge and grabbed a roll of chocolate chip cookie dough cutting it open with a kitchen knife. Michael looked intrigued, one of his eyebrows raised slightly as I sat back down. I took out a small portion of dough on my finger "Open up," I commanded. He did as he was told and I popped it into his mouth. He grabbed my wrist before I could pull away, sucking my finger clean, his tongue swirling around my fingertip, sending delicious shivers down my spine. "Feel better?" I asked, my vocal cords somehow working. He smirked, "I do, actually." "Cookie dough always helps me feel better when I'm upset or depressed." I babbled on and he listened with an amused expression. "I was about to have some before Phil called me into work last night and.. oh fuck." I had just noticed how dark it was getting outside. How long had I been asleep? I was supposed to come into work early today. I grabbed my cellphone off the table at the end of the sofa checking to see what time it was. I was an hour late already. "What's wrong?"Michael inquired at my frantic huffing and cursing under my breath. "I have to go to work; it's armed forces day and all the girls will need to be there. He's gonna be pissed as it is." "Would you like me to go with you?" I stopped mid-run to the bathroom, "N-No, that's okay. You attract too much attention." I started to undress and then he was suddenly there in the doorway watching me. "So, then you don't care much for me?" "What? No! I like you but I don't think that they'd let you in after last night. You did kiss me in front of my boss in case you've forgotten already. I'm sure Phil told security to keep an eye out for you." "Yes," he frowned. I slipped into a black mini-tube dress that was extra short with fishnet cutouts on each side with a low-cut back and pulled on a pair of strappy stilettos. "You're welcome to stay here if you want. Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge," I told him, realizing later how silly my offer was. "Aren't you going to ask who attacked me?" "I thought you'd tell me if you wanted me to know. Besides, I don't like getting caught up in shit that doesn't concern me. Especially the war." "Yet you went out of your way to bring me here and clean my wound." "That's.. different. It was the right thing to do." That sounded lame even to my own ears but it was the truth. I felt that I had to keep him from harm no matter what. Almost compelled. "You're quite strange," he commented, that little smirk of his coming back. I managed a weak smile that said "what can you do" before I left him standing there still wrapped in one of my towels. I had been forcefully pushed into the deep end of the swimming pool and now I was drowning. I had done the one thing I had sworn to myself I would never do; I'd taken sides. The war had been going on since the creation of mankind when Lucifer had tempted Eve and she had generally screwed everyone over for all eternity allowing demons to enter into the world. Now the Angels guard the realm of man and attempt to keep the peace by sending any demons they find back to Hell. I wasn't only in the deep end of the pool I was in the fucking ocean, set adrift in a series of events that I no longer had any control over. I'd saved the Prince without pausing for a second to think about the repercussions and I couldn't pretend that I didn't know what I was doing. Michael's aura was more powerful than anything I'd ever came across before and it couldn't have been more obvious. I felt angry with myself; how dare he come to me, to my home, invading my life. I didn't ask him who had attacked him because I didn't give a shit. He had forced me to act. Whatever I'd decided I was totally screwed, save him and I piss off the demons don't save him and I end up on the Angel's shit list. I was furious by the time I reached O' Donovans' shouldering past a group of men dressed in army fatigues standing in a semi-circle inside the entryway nearly knocking one of them off his feet. "Damn, what are they feeding these girls?" I heard one of them joke. I was relieved to see that Dave was the only one in because if Phil had said even one pissy thing to me I probably would've wrung his neck. The place was packed wall to wall with army men all ready to see the tits and honestly I just wasn't in the mood. I didn't want to be here but i didn't want to be at home either. I was afraid. "Riel I thought you weren't going to show!" Lena shouted when she saw me. "Not that I can blame you. These guys can be real assholes once the alcohol starts flowing." The night was abysmal. I couldn't stop thinking about Michael no matter how hard I tried, his kiss had left a permanent burn on my already black soul. My anger towards him started to melt into something else and I didn't like it. I'd rather be pissed at him than want whatever this was. There's a vast difference between human and demon arousal just as there was a vast difference between human and demon sexuality. To demons sexuality was fluid and ever changing whereas humans had to be insecure and put labels on everything. I could see that the guys were getting a little too aggressive and as usual Dave was too fucked up to do anything about it. There was of course security in the building but not enough and I could see that things were escalating. "Hey! Stop it!" Two guys were manhandling Cinnamon, a redheaded stripper whose actual name was Sara, a cute girl with bright green eyes and a dusting of freckles across her nose gave her the appearance of a doll. She was still fairly new and looked pissed and also a little scared as the guys felt her up laughing the whole time. But whatever she was feeling was hardly a fart in a whirlwind compared to what I was feeling right then, my anger and sexual frustration toward Michael being channeled towards these two unfortunate humans. I climbed off the stage and strode between the tables to the far wall where a series of booths were set up for lap dances and also where Cinnamon was. The lead asshole, a meathead with obviously more muscle than brains had a handful of Sara's ass. He'd had too much to drink and it showed. I grabbed his arm and tried to keep myself from shattering his bones although I'm not sure if I succeeded, he let out an undignified wail similar to that of a chimpanzee highly unfitting for one of his stature. All that mattered was he let go of the struggling Sara who fled backstage. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I snarled. I literally snarled like a beast, my emotions so raw that my demonic nature was surfacing. He looked at me totally bewildered, his eyes unfocused clutching his wounded arm against his chest. When he said nothing, which was probably best for his health, I turned on my heel and went after the upset girl. I found her in the dressing rooms tugging angrily at her sneaker trying to pull it on. Upon seeing me she seemed to cheer up a little, if only to let go of her shoe and stop trying to rip it in half. She ran her hands back through her fiery red locks, "Thanks for that. I only took this job so I could pay my tuition but sometimes it's just so stressful you know?" I nodded, sympathetically, "It isn't always like this. This is just one of a few busy days of the month. Not so bad once you get used to it." "Do you wanna get some coffee or something? I need to step out for a minute.." Sara offered, chewing her lip anxiously. "Okay. Coffee sounds damn fine right now," I joked. Once we arrived Sara started to relax, the scent of roasted brew and the warm atmosphere offered a calming effect on the nerves. I found out that she was nineteen, originally from Florida and had three cats. I had chose to stop aging at twenty-three so that's what I told her. I just didn't tell her that I was twenty-three going on seventy. I was still young for a demon, practically a teenager. "So, uh, how long have you lived in Las Vegas?" she inquired, taking a test sip of her cappuccino. I pretended to think about it, "Maaybe.. six years? I grew up in Texas with my parents and after they died I moved on and came here." The truth was that I was born in the 1920's to a poor family who had already suffered a miscarriage before I came to them. My mother was Martha, a woman with a kind face and a tender heart who always wore an apron because she somehow always had a pie in the oven. My father was a man called John. He was over-worked yet always found time for us. He had a job at a cattle ranch and didn't make very much but we made it by somehow. After my seventeenth birthday John was kicked in the head by a horse and was never the same after that. The investigators thought that might have been why he'd lost control of the car, his brain had been damaged after all. Whatever the cause it was all speculation; their bodies were burned beyond recognition so I never even got to see them after they died. It was a quick closed casket funeral and very few people arrived to pay their respects. Not even John's boss, a man he'd labored under for so many years had bothered to show his face. That was the closest I'd ever came to killing a human. I had stood outside his house for an hour that night after the funeral wanting to crush his fucking skull but it wouldn't have been what John.. my father.. had wanted. So I left Texas. I couldn't be there after that. Texas may seem like a really big place but it seems so much smaller when you're all alone. Sara was speaking again and I tried to pay attention. "Why don't we just go back to my apartment and rent a movie? Screw those guys." I checked my phone and saw that the club would be closing in about twenty minutes, anyway. It wasn't like Dave would report to his brother that the two of us left forty minutes early. "Yeah, sure," I agreed. We settled for a movie about giant aliens invading Earth and men in mech suits fighting to save the day. As it turned out we shared the same favorite type of movie, anything with lots of explosions and violence. I would've watched anything to avoid going home for a little while longer in case he was still there. "Ice cream?" Sara called. I was seated in the middle of her super plush sofa, the movie on pause while she went for snacks. Her apartment reminded me of my first, the one that now had a broken door, it was small and cozy for one person. In other words perfect for someone like me. "What flavor?" I called back. "Chocolate." "Okay bring it on." After about an hour I started to notice that Sara looked nervous again, continuously fiddling with the remote in her lap. It was to my amazement that she suddenly leaned over and kissed me, so quick that I could've pretended that it hadn't even happened. I blinked rapidly at her trying to process the unexpected advance. "I'm sorry th-thank you for saving me from those guys. I never thanked you.. sorry." Sara affixed her gaze straight ahead on the tv, a light flush creeping up her neck. Recovering I smirked to myself; maybe today wouldn't totally suck after all. I sat my ice cream bowl aside and placed two fingers on the opposite side of her chin gently turning her head so that she was facing me. I saw her eyes go round in the moments before my lips met hers. Her mouth opened against mine with a soft whimper, her hand coming up to timidly caress the side of my face. I took her bottom lip between my teeth and tugged at it before I nibbled my way along the side of her jaw. I could smell how excited she was getting and I could hear her heart rate spiking out out of control. "Have you ever done this before?" I murmured against her ear. Sara gasped sharply as I played with her nipples, pinching and rolling them between thumb and forefinger. They were already hard little peaks beneath her tank top. "Not with a woman," she managed between gasps of pleasure. "Let's go to your bedroom," I told her, my voice getting husky with my own arousal. Once inside I pushed her bedroom door around and turned to face her. She still seemed nervous and that excited me. I pushed her back onto the bed moving between her legs I started planting soft kisses along the exposed portion of her lower stomach where her shirt had gotten rucked up. I finished lifting up her shirt which she hurriedly pulled off over her head but I stopped her before she could get it completely off of her arms. Instead I twisted it around her wrists until she was effectively bound, her arms above her head. "Don't move," I growled at her. She could only nod and I kissed her, my tongue invading her mouth mercilessly. I squeezed and kneaded her breasts, rubbing my thumbs over her sensitive nipples. They were perfect; bright red at the tips surrounded by large, soft pink areola. I hungrily sucked one into my mouth eliciting a moan from my writhing victim. I couldn't stop myself from thinking of her that way, I was a powerful immortal and she was nothing but a weak human. I could do whatever I wanted and she couldn't stop me. "Fuck, Gabriel, please," she begged, thrusting her hips upwards in frustration. Her panties were dampened all the way through by her need and I decided to give her what she wanted without further torment. Michael & I Ch. 02 I tore away the lacy undergarments exposing her sex to me. She smelled positively intoxicating as I lowered my face to her quivering slit. I flicked the tip of my tongue over her clitoris and she moaned a long, drawn out wail arching her back off the bed. I suckled at the inflamed nub taking it between my teeth, alternating between nibbling and sucking, enjoying the taste of her. Sara was lost in ecstasy grinding against my lips and tongue trying to reach her climax with rising urgency. I moved lower, kissing and licking her labia, teasing her opening before I plunged my elongated tongue inside her dripping hole. I massaged her g-spot causing her to scream as she exploded into orgasm around my tongue without warning, her insides contracting rapidly. I eagerly licked her clean leaving her pussy slick with my saliva, afterwards I stood and undressed climbing onto the bed with her. I positioned myself over her face getting onto my knees. "Stick out your tongue," I ordered her. Sara did as she was told and I impaled myself on the hot, slippery organ. Both of us moaned as I fucked myself against her mouth. I rested allowing her to eat me out, sucking and licking noisily at my aching slit. I could tell that she had never done this before with another woman, but it felt really fucking good all the same. I played with my own breasts, pulling at my nipples, sending shockwaves throughout my body and enhancing my own pleasure. Just when I was on the brink of coming I glanced up towards Sara's bedroom door and I saw him, Michael's fiery blue eye at the crack in the door. Watching us. I came hard upon seeing him, shouting loudly and grabbing at the headboard for support. Once I'd caught my breath I looked up for him again but he was gone. Michael & I Ch. 03 A/N: Thanks for reading and tell me what you think :) ***** I'd pussed out like a bitch, there was no denying it. I had ran away from Michael with my tail between my legs. He'd certainly seemed harmless but... But how could I know for sure? I looked over at the sleeping Sara who'd I'd fucked until she had been too exhausted to go anymore. She lay on her stomach with her arm thrown out across the bed, snoring softly. I gathered my scattered clothes and tiptoed out of her bedroom. Michael hadn't appeared a second time and I was beginning to wonder if I'd seen him at all. I still didn't want to go home so I decided to look for a café or coffee shop that was open all night. Technically, I didn't even need to sleep I was just so accustomed to going through the motions of being human it was strange to break from the routine. I seated myself at one of the outdoor tables in front of a quaint little diner I hadn't been to before just taking a moment for quiet me time. It hadn't been maybe thirty minutes before I caught a whiff of sulfur and I knew that my peace was about to end. I tried to stay calm and not outwardly show that I was aware of the other demon's presence, continuing to play a game on my blackberry. A sudden movement at my elbow sent my phone clattering to the table as I turned prepared for the worst only to find a confused human waiter holding a steaming cup of coffee. "A man inside ordered this for you," he explained, cautiously setting the steaming contents down in front of me. I whipped my head around checking the diner, it's large front window allowing full-view of all the tables inside. "Who?"I asked. "What? The man he's-" the waiter paused, seeing what I saw: an empty building. "Oh. I don't understand he was sitting right there next to the counter. He must have left..." "Yeah," I agreed. "I'm sure that's all it was. Thank you." The waiter still looked unconvinced and shook his head trying to dispel the strangeness from his mind before leaving. "Hey what did the guy look like?" I asked but he wasn't listening. I sniffed the scalding liquid curiously before taking a sip. I was naturally immune to heat and it left a pleasurable tingling sensation deep in my chest. "Why did you leave?" I nearly exploded the paper cup in my hand hearing Michael's voice so suddenly. While I had been preoccupied he'd taken the opportunity to appear in the seat across from me. He looked agitated. Great. I decided honesty was the best route, "You scared the life out of me when you told me who you are. I panicked." "Did I not say that you don't have to be afraid? When you didn't come back to your apartment I started to think the worst and then I find you with that girl." Oh, shit. He thought that I'd left just because sex was more important than he was. So, he was watching me with Sara. It hadn't been just my imagination. "How do you not know where I am? You're all powerful aren't you?" He sighed, his fiery orbs scrutinizing me as if he didn't believe me. "No. That isn't how it works and you're different somehow. It's like your spirit is shielded from my sight." I knew he didn't mean "sight" in the conventional sense, but the second sight that allowed him to recognize demons in the same way demons could see Angels. "How did you find me?" I asked. "I went to that strip club where you work and asked around. Someone saw you leave with the "new girl". I tracked her instead." "You went back to O' Donovans' even after I said not to? You're going to get me fired." I felt outraged. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, still scrutinizing my every reaction. "Doing what?" "Living this way; trying so hard to be something you're not." "Do you want me to murder people? Isn't that the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish?" I was unable to keep the scorn from my voice. "Besides isn't this what demons do. Blend in and hide from the Man. Sorry if I didn't get my complimentary guide book on how to be evil in the mail." Michael looked genuinely confused by my attitude and it made a cute little crease appear between his eyebrows as he frowned at me. "Why did you come to my apartment and what the hell did you drag me into anyway?" I asked, deciding to turn the questions around on him. "I was dying, Riel. I didn't understand why I felt that way about you and I wanted to see you one last time. It was unfortunate that I was already so weak by the time I found you." "But you can't die... can you? I mean you'd just be reincarnated or something." "Yes it is possible for me to die but I wouldn't be able to return to the human world. I would cease to be." "Oh," I said, feeling nauseated at the thought of a world without Michael in it. It was unfathomable. He seemed so different than anything I could have anticipated and already I felt sickeningly attached to him. "As for how I found you, I only had to ask for your address from one of your friends. I found out before I was attacked, obviously." Oh yes. I'm sure Michael had been very "persuasive" in getting that information. I felt sorry for humans sometimes. They were so easily manipulated by both sides. "What could possibly kill you? You're so powerful. It has to be something pretty bad." "Indeed. It was entirely by chance that we found each other, I was only at O' Donovans' to inquire into another matter. It's why I was attacked. I wasn't expecting there to be any resistance." That made sense: an Angel at a strip club was highly unlikely unless there was an ulterior motive behind it. If I'd picked up on anything about Angels it was always about a means to an end with them. "Did you plan to just drop dead in my apartment if I hadn't flown us out?" "I wasn't thinking clearly, Riel. I'm surprised I even made it to you." My head ached. What he was describing was seriously bad shit. As in end of the world shit. Michael gently placed his hand over mine, our entwined fingers resting on the table. "I'm sorry that I ever got you involved in any of this," he said, softly. I stared at his porcelain skin contrasted against my own, the light bluish veins that were visible just beneath the surface. I started to feel dizzy from the continued contact and blinked a few times trying to clear my head. I realized that I wanted him to kiss me again so that I could feel that blissful heat deep inside me ignite. "Why were you so drunk when you showed up?" I didn't know where the words came from, but I had to know. The scent of alcohol was the most prominent thing about him when he'd crashed my apartment. My mind raced at the possibilities. Michael had been drunk which explained why he had been caught off guard when he was attacked. "I was... confused. About you," he hesitated. I could see that he was struggling for the right words. I waited for him to continue, his gaze focused on our hands, a frown appearing across his brow. "I've never felt this way," he breathed, looking lost, his eyes searching mine. "Neither have I," I confessed. "But it can't continue," he said flatly and I felt my heart still. He abruptly pulled away from me and I had to fight the urge to reach for him. No. "It's blasphemy for this to go any further. You'd be hunted and killed. Not by me but by the others." No,no,no! "So?" I spat. "What do you care?" "Don't be foolish. This is the last time we'll meet like this. Accept it and move on." I blinked and he was gone leaving his scent hanging in the air like the finest cologne. It hardly registered for several minutes that he'd left me without even saying goodbye. I could feel a lump in my throat and I angrily swallowed it down. Why did I care so damn much? I'd only known him for a couple of days and it felt like I was losing a life long friend. There was something about Michael that just felt so right and whatever that something was I hadn't gotten enough of it. I wanted to scream. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ There were many demon dives around Vegas since it wasn't called "sin city" for nothing. Although I doubted that was the original intended meaning behind the nickname. I stood outside one such place dressed in a dark grey hoodie, the hood pulled up to conceal my face in case someone or something was watching. It was as I would have expected; sweaty bodies writhing to some heavy techno music that thumped over the sound system. A couple pressed into a corner away from the crowd, the man feeding from a cut on the woman's breast while her eyelids fluttered in pleasure, her hands knotted in his hair. Drinking blood wasn't an uncommon practice amongst demons and most likely the inspiration behind vampires. I sighed and rolled my eyes. This place should be renamed club cliché. "Hey there baby. You looking to get fucked up?" Some ape came out of left field and loomed over me smelling like vomit. I whipped my tail around and pressed the scythe-like blade on the end under his chin, "No, are you?" I returned sweetly. His softly glowing amber eyes widened fractionally before he backed off merging in with the crowd. I allowed the sharpened protrusion to turn back into flesh so I didn't cut off somebody's leg by accident while I weaved through the mass of bodies. I made my way to the back room where demons lurked in their true forms. Horns, tails, wings, and other grotesqueries were on full display here. Multiple demons fed on a single human male who was stripped naked, his body covered in bites and bruises. He moaned in a mixture of pleasure pain as one of the female demons rubbed at his cock which lay flushed and swollen against his stomach using only her palm. There were various other sexual acts in the dark recesses of the back room. Another demon, tall and lank with shoulder length white hair getting head from two topless human women. One of the women took his erection between her breasts and eagerly massaged his arousal. He bared his teeth in a snarl as his seed spilled all over the tops of her breasts in thick, white spurts. I dragged my attention away when her friend began lapping up the mess and sloppily shared it in a kiss that was more licking than actual kissing. Humans were only amusements here in the eyes of hell. I didn't have time to think about that now. It was unlikely that anyone would be killed as it would draw unwanted attention to the truth of just what lecherous things went on there. I also knew the owner, an old friend who had "loosely" converted to my more humane ways of living. He was the reason that I'd decided to stop by. I had questions and I knew that he was a terrible gossip who knew everything about everyone. There were cushions piled around the back of the room for seating and other activities. That was where I found him. A young woman sat in his lap while he fed from her wrist, a dreamy look on her face, her fingers absently stroking his hair, encouraging him. "Art," I said loudly enough to get his attention. He grinned at me, his lengthened canines stained red from his meal. "Riel! Want some?" Art offered up the woman's wrist as if it were the straw to a milkshake. I shook my head and he sent her away while I took a seat beside him. Even though Art had never given his true age (he was worse than a woman when it came to that) I had come to the conclusion that he was at least three hundred years old. Judging by some of the things he'd claimed to have seen. "You look like shit, babe. And what's with the jacket? Could you look a little less like you're wearing a bomb vest," he half joked. I only hugged myself tightly, wrapping the loose material around myself like a protective cocoon. "Mind if I show you something real quick?" he asked. "What's that?" "Give me your hand. Palm up." I did as he asked and before I could react he sliced a deep gash into my palm with a razor blade that had been concealed in his hand. "What the fuck!" I exploded, snatching my hand back. "Now, look," he insisted, ignoring my murderous glare. The cut remained dry and bloodless; the tissues appearing withered and dead. "Yeah. So?" I said. "So? So you are fucking mummifying from the inside out. Your body won't last unless you nourish it and I'm not talking about all that cookie dough and whatever other garbage you call food. You don't even have to kill anybody so I don't get what the big deal is." "The big deal is that I think that it's fucked up. That's all the reason I need." "For chrissake, Riel," Art whined. I rolled my eyes in exasperation. Everything that I had learned about demons I'd learned from Art. We'd met in the short time I'd spent in Mexico and I'd probably saved his life even though he'd never admit it. I had encouraged him to come with me when I returned to the States and he agreed. "What do you want?" he interrupted my reverie. "What makes you think I want anything?" I said, innocently. "Just don't. You never come to see me just to say hi even though you dragged me with you only for you to not listen to my advice when I'm trying to help you. So what is it?" "I, uh, met someone..." I suddenly felt like an awkward teen trying to tell her mom about her first boyfriend. "Relationship advice? This is a new one. What's his name? Or is it a woman?" Art said. He moved in closer, his voice taking on a more conspiratorial edge. "Michael," I croaked. God, I couldn't even say his name out loud. "But there's something else you should know..." Should I tell him that Michael was the Archangel? I didn't know who to trust yet. Art was my only other real demon friend even though we were estranged most of the time. What choice did I have? I had a bad feeling about all of this and if I didn't tell somebody I thought I'd explode. "He's an Angel," I said. The knowledge physically repelled Art backwards so that he had to catch himself to keep from falling over. "What?" he sputtered looking as if I'd just slapped him. "You can't mean... oh fuck me." The significance of the name and the title coming together in Art's mind was amusing to watch. I told him everything, how Michael was attacked after leaving O' Donovans' and how I'd saved his life. Art's mouth dropped open when I told him how Michael had kissed me. "In front of Phil? Holy shit. What was it like?" "Scary at first. Then, it was hot. Really hot." "This is fucking insane. What is he doing here? It must be pretty serious for him to show up." "He says it's a weapon capable of killing Angels. Maybe he was here looking for it and I distracted him." Art looked thoughtful, "That... would make sense. In the wrong hands it could be enough to change the course of the War. But to act so boldly?" The War wasn't as it may sound. There wasn't an astral battlefield where there were Angels and demons waving swords and shields around. It's simply the name for the eternal battle of good vs evil. The demons could only enter the human plane if certain conditions were met and that ensured that the Angels could keep them in check without being overrun. "I wanted to know if you'd heard anything on the street about a weapon like that but judging by your reaction I already have my answer," I sighed, feeling a mixture of disappointment and relief that I wouldn't have to follow a lead. "So that you can give it to Michael and thus win his heart?" Art snickered, his somber mood already lightened. "I know a guy who knows a guy. I'll get you his address and I'm sure you can work something out." "Who?" "He's a fencer of rare artifacts with unique endowments. I'm pretty sure he would have at least heard of your Angel killer since most importing and exporting goes through this guy." "Thanks, Art." "Don't thank me yet. Find the fucking thing and get rid of it. I like my world as it is." ~*~*~* A short while later I stood outside a motel room with the numbers "423" stained into the surface, the numbers had long since fallen off and never been replaced. I raised my arm about to knock when I happened to notice the frame was splintered around the lock. I called Art and he answered after only one ring. "Somebody busted in recently, Art. The door's all fucked up like somebody kicked it open." "Honestly not surprised. He has many clients with many reasons to hate him. Have you checked inside yet?" "No. I'm going in now." I pushed the door open but it got stuck on something only halfway. I squeezed in through the crack and was assailed with the smell of rotting meat. It hit the back of my throat causing me to gag. "What's going on?" Art asked urgently. "Don't know yet. Too dark to see." "You can't even see in the DARK? What kind of demon..." My hand finally landed on the light switch and I saw the truth of what lay before me. "He's dead, Art,"I said, softly. My gaze probed the shadows checking for any danger. "Are you sure it's him? What does he look like?" "Well, this bit by the tv looks a little like spaghetti sauce and this bigger piece looks kind of like raspberry jam. Weirdly enough there are even little things that look like seeds. Huh." "Okay. I get it. Maybe look around for his computer or a notebook where he may keep records?" "Right..." I said. It looked as if the guy was shoved into a blender with the lid left off. Most of what was left was currently occupying most of the ceiling. As carefully as I could I maneuvered around the mess and started to search for anything that could help me. A loud thump from the bathroom made me let out a startled yip, my head snapping up in that direction. The door was closed and I could hear some kind of scratching at the other side. "What now?" Art inquired, the noise so loud that even he could hear it. "I don't know... there's something big in his bathroom trying to get out." For whatever insane reason I pressed my ear against the door and listened. At that moment I was the cat and curiosity had a sniper rifle scope aimed at my head. Some sort of panting and... whining? "Who is it?" I called. It went deathly quiet then, the only sound was my blood roaring in my ears and my ragged breathing. Too late, I tried to move back when the door broke down on top of me like a piece of wet cardboard. Something heavy landed on top of it and me while I lay there wheezing trying to catch my breath. I pushed up and to the side shoving whatever it was off of me and getting into a defensive stance. "Riel? Riel! What's happening?" Art's frantic shouting came from somewhere off to my left, my phone sent flying on impact. A hellhound stood before me, the biggest most terrifying hound I'd ever seen. His shoulder was even with my chest, his lipless jaws permanently bared in a snarl like all hellhounds. His muscles rippled beneath his oily black fur as he shook himself off, his dead white eyes focusing on me momentarily before he noticed the gruesome remains plastered overhead. Hellhounds were intelligent, emotional beings that protected their masters no matter the cost to their own lives. What I was seeing now was unmistakable regret in the beast's face upon seeing the remains. It could only mean that the hound belonged to the dead man and had been trapped in the bathroom unable to do anything while he listened to his master being slaughtered. His murder had to have been over in seconds otherwise the hound would have managed to break the door down. "I'm sorry," I said keeping my voice gentle and comforting. The hound lowered his head and stared at me for the longest time until I took a tentative step towards him. He showed no signs of aggression as I approached and I slowly reached for him. My fingers met with surprisingly soft fur at the back of his neck as I gave him a caress trying to calm him. He seemed disturbingly aware, his face capable of almost human expression. It was creeping me the fuck out to be perfectly honest. Michael & I Ch. 03 He turned his head and sniffed at the wound on my hand, a hot gust of breath hitting my skin as he parted his jaws and rasped his tongue over the cut. Curiously I watched as the torn flesh knitted itself back together. I knew that it should have already healed on it's own but I was too weak. I also knew that I was getting weaker by the day. The years were catching up to me faster than I could have anticipated. The hound growled softly as if to chastise me for being so foolish. "Thanks," I muttered going to collect my phone. "RIEL? Fuck me. I was about to call in the SWAT teams. What happened?" Art shrieked sounding out of breath. I had to hold the receiver away from ear before my eardrum was exploded. I was slightly concerned that if that happened the hellhound would pin me down and slobber into my ear canal to heal me. "It's just his hellhound. Everything's fine." "Oh really? I didn't know he had one. Lot of good it did him, huh?" "Yeah. I'm gonna finish up here and go home I think. Too much excitement." "Sure thing, grandma. Should have yourself a glass of warm milk and watch Lawrence Welk to calm down," Art said. His dripping sarcasm practically got my hand sticky. "Fuck off," I snapped ending the call. The motel room yielded nothing. It was more like a meeting that had gone wrong than a place that the arms dealer had actually been living. The hellhound had refused to leave my side despite trying to convince him otherwise. How could I say no to such a creature? I was the only one who would be able to see him anyway so slipping him into my apartment wouldn't be an issue. Of course other demons and Angels could see him as well but as far as I knew there wouldn't be any of those hanging around. Despite there being a more dense population of demons around Las Vegas I managed to find two fairly nice apartments with no other demons living in the surrounding area for a few miles. It was unfortunate that I couldn't go back to my other one since it was probably being watched, now. Later that evening I lay in bed studying the texture of the ceiling still able to see the splattered mess that had somehow once been a human body. It had shaken me up more than I cared to admit even to myself and I felt the chill of fear travel along my spine. The hellhound rose from where he was resting beside my bed seeming to sense my unease and came to stare at me, his chin almost but not quite resting on the mattress. "I suppose I need to think of a name for you," I said. "I wish that you could talk and tell me what your name is but I have to call you something." I thought about it momentarily needing to be distracted. "Isaac," I decided. "It was my father's middle name." I don't know why I was explaining myself to him but he seemed satisfied and gently bumped my hand with his nose in an affectionate gesture before lying back down. My night was fitful, my casual sexual encounter with Sara that morning had done nothing to calm my wildly roaming thoughts of Michael and rooms that filled with blood. I was up by five the next morning, my body covered in a cold sweat and I couldn't stop the shivers that kept coming over me in waves. I felt as if I had the flu and I could barely drag myself to the bathroom mirror. My appearance was a shock: my cheeks were hollowed and dark circles made my eyes appear sunken. Damn it. Why now of all times? I tried to think but everything was becoming too hazy. For the first time I started to experience actual fear at the possibility of dying. I needed my phone if I could just call... someone... I was having a hard time remembering who I should be calling. I wondered why the floor was suddenly flying upwards until darkness overtook me. *~*~*~* A cool, wet cloth dabbed gently at my forehead as I tried to sleep and irritably squinted my eyes open to find the source. Only no matter how hard I tried to see everything remained dark. I began to panic and frantically thrashed as much as my heavy limbs would allow. "Riel." I froze instantly at the unfamiliar male voice that must also be connected to the damp cloth still tenderly being pressed against my clammy forehead. "Who are you?" I rasped. "Shh, try not to speak. You're very close to death and you need to conserve your energy," he said, his voice low and soothing. "There are two things you need to know. The first is that you need to go to O' Donovans' as soon as this conversation ends. The second is that Michael has foolishly allowed himself to be captured." "What?" I cried and immediately regretted it as my voice collapsed into a fit of coughing. Once I had quieted down the man continued. "The weapon you seek is in the hands of a demon named Solomon. He's an ancient and very powerful being and in his hands the weapon can do so much more than just kill the Archangels." "How do you know... all of this?" I whispered. For several tense moments there was no answer and slowly, painfully as my eyesight returned I saw that I was now alone. Michael & I Ch. 04 My strength was leeching away fast and I could hardly stand. I wasn't even sure if the voice I'd heard was real or some hallucination created by my sick mind. The damp wash cloth certainly was real at least. It lay discarded on the floor beside where I'd collapsed. Could I have imagined it? The warm thighs that my head had rested upon. The tender caresses meant to soothe but now I felt terrified and uncertain. Someone had known that I was sick. Someone had came into my apartment and told me things that they shouldn't know about. Why did he want me to go to O' Donovans'? I was so terribly weak I didn't think I could walk across the room let alone call a cab and make it to the street. I had nothing to go on and if Michael was truly captured by the same demon who had the weapon that could kill him I couldn't afford to ignore the mysterious visitor. It took me an agonizing ten minutes before I could control my trembling muscles enough to enter the cab company's number and another ten minutes before it arrived. Once I'd reached O' Donovans' I'd started having violent tremors throughout my body. I scared the shit out of the cabbie when I tried to pay him and my arm jerked wildly sending a handful of bills flying in his face. The strip club appeared vacant; closed for a few days after Armed Forces Day for clean up and vacation time for the girls. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. I tried the front door expecting it to be locked and to my surprise it opened. Maybe Phil or Dave had popped in? Clutching my shoulder trying to calm my unresponsive muscles I limped inside. A light was on coming from Phil's office and I started in that direction. A shadow fell across the wall cast by Phil's desk lamp and I froze. Another shadow joined the first and appeared to be thrashing wildly. Low hushed tones could now be heard from within and I moved in closer. "Do you want to keep your fucking job? Fucking answer me, slut," Phil hissed. "Please, I-I don't want-" a second female voice answering him in trembling, frightened tones. "You don't want WHAT?" he bellowed. "You don't want to fucking WORK HERE? I'm not going to ask you again you fucking bitch." "Ask me what.." "You know what. Put it in your fucking dirty hole and suck." It was from that moment on that everything seemed to move as if in a dream. Me stepping over the threshold and seeing Phil holding Sara painfully by the hair forcing her to stay on her knees. Her lips parting allowing Phil to force the head of his cock into her mouth. "Oh yeah, baby," he groaned obnoxiously. Somehow all I could focus on were the finer details and perhaps now that I think about it, it was because my higher brain was refusing to accept what was happening. How Sara's mascara had created long black streaks down her face from her tears. The tiny beads of sweat that formed and trickled down from Phil's temples wobbling momentarily at his jaw before landing on his shoulder. His infuriated scream as Sara bit down as hard as she could and refused to let go. He started hitting her over and over until she collapsed. It was then that he finally noticed me and I saw the bloody ring around the base of his dick as he turned. Everything dilated as my hand closed around his throat lifting him off of his feet, the feeling of his heart pounding against my fingers. When he had gotten too weak to fight me I threw him back onto the desk sending empty beer bottles and magazines crashing to the floor. My canines elongated, my need to feed overwhelming everything as I lost myself to the hunger that gnawed at my spine. My teeth brushed over the tender flesh, his life blood running thickly underneath, so hot and so very tempting. But I somehow stopped myself despite my condition, despite what I'd just walked in on. Every cell of my body screamed desperately for me to drink from him and satiate the unbearable hunger. I swung hard hitting him under the eye and he went limp straight away already weakened from his obvious drunkenness and oxygen deprivation. I sat down on the floor supporting my head in my hands, the steady pounding of a migraine forming behind my eyes. "Fuck," I said to the two unconscious forms. I called the police and fabricated an excuse as to why I'd found Phil and Sara together not that they seemed to care much about my reasons. One of the cops told me that I should have beat his fuckin' head in and not just knocked him out. I nodded meekly knowing that I didn't possess the strength to beat a mouse's fuckin' head in. By the time it was all over I was starting to shake and hugged myself tightly trying to make it stop. I felt like an idiot. No one would have cared if I'd killed Phil O' Donovan. Hell, no one could have even speculated as to what had actually happened. It would have been written off as a freak animal attack. Even if I could leave dna evidence I wasn't in any of the databases. I noticed a spot on the back of my hand and tried to wipe it off but to my irritation it wouldn't so much as smudge. To my bewilderment I soon realized that it was actually a liver spot. I was beginning to age. No longer could I hold back the effects of time. I was deteriorating faster than I had been earlier that morning. "Miss?" A news reporter approached adjusting her earpiece, a look of concern on her heavily makeup covered face. I didn't so much turn my head to look over rather than just letting it fall to one side. There was a fresh coppery odor of blood that hung around her and my mouth involuntarily watered. "Are.. you okay?" she ventured, trying again. I noticed a line of red that stained the collar of her blouse and she reached up to touch a long scratch on her throat that had created it. "Damn cats," she muttered thoughtlessly. Unknowing that the very sight of her blood was causing such a visceral and savage reaction within my failing body. "Fine," I grunted, making myself look away. She seemed to shrug in a "what a weirdo" fashion before returning to the gathering onlookers. I staggered into the alleyway next to O' Donovans' out of sight before falling to my knees, wincing in pain as the concrete tore my skin. I wondered why or even how I could still exert so much self-control over my hunger. I didn't have to kill anyone but I had a feeling once I let my demon take over for the feeding I wouldn't be able to stop myself from going too far. "Goddammit," I shouted, just to let out some of the over-flow of emotions. I couldn't die when Michael's life was in the balance and I was the only demon, weak as I may be, crazy enough to go after him before the Seraphim arrived. If that happened there would probably be another purge and hundreds if not thousands of demons would be sent to hell regardless of the lifestyle they followed. Even me and Art wouldn't be spared. The only reassurance I could cling to was that the Seraphim didn't know that their prince had been captured. At least not yet. Even that slim hope was paper thin as all Angels shared a mental link. I didn't know how much time I had to find the Archangel but I couldn't do it in the state I was in. There were very powerful players involved here and if some half-assed imp showed up at their front door they would have a good laugh right before obliterating me. No, I had to think of another way. *~*~* The club was the same as before; humans and demons mingling freely at the bar and on the dance floor as I made my way towards the basement. Perhaps Art could offer some insight because I sure as hell was drawing a blank. Isaac snarled at every demon that got in my way sticking to my side defensively. I was thankful that I'd found him at such a critical time but.. The scent of blood was so dreadfully over-powering in the lower levels and I had to clench my fists so tightly that my fingernails cut into my palms. A torso suddenly blocked my field of vision and I painfully made my eyes cooperate and move upwards towards the face attached to the body blocking my way. It was amber eyes from the last time I'd been to see Art. He was smiling nastily, "You don't look so good, babe." I mustered the best glare I could and he laughed openly, "So you DO want to get fucked up?" I was suddenly being pulled towards the darkened outer edges of the room where we would have more privacy from anyone who might be watching. Namely, Art. "I wonder if your pussy is as dry as your veins," he sneered, his breath against my neck hot and sour. He crowded into my personal space pressing his body against mine pinning me against the wall. Anger boiled inside me more at my own weakness than at this brainless asshole. His hands were under my shirt running across my stomach and then higher until he had both of my nipples roughly between his fingers, pinching and pulling them. He tried to kiss me but I turned my head. He seemed not to care very much and instead licked the side of my throat. I could tell he was intentionally trying to unsettle me as much as possible. His cock dug into my thigh as he re-positioned himself, and that was when I at last heard Isaac. His growl was so low that only I could hear it over the sounds of the demon's grunts while he was trying to undo my pants and the muffled sounds of the music drifting down from upstairs. I heard rather than saw the sound of my attacker's arm being bitten nearly in two as Isaac viciously threw him down with a toss of his head. The demon looked from Isaac to me with a mixture of fury and surprise from where he now lay on the floor bleeding quite a lot. He tried to get up but Isaac placed a single, massive paw in the center of his chest pinning him to the floor with no effort at all. "Jesus fucking.. what the hell is that?" Art stood a safe distance away staring at Isaac in awe. The hellhound's attention never wavered from the amber eyed demon's face. "Isaac," I said, not answering Art so much as issuing a command. He seemed to understand and came back to stand at my side. I could still feel his aggression coming off of him in waves and I gently laid a hand on his back to reassure and calm him. "Oh my god, Riel." Art noticed me and I knew what he saw. Sunken eyes surrounded by purplish sockets, my cheekbones standing out against the waxiness of my pale face. My legs began to feel weak again and I used Isaac as a crutch. Art started towards me but a soft growl of warning stopped him in his tracks. "I have to find Michael," I coughed. "They have him." "Who? Who has him?" "Demons. At least.. I think so. They'll kill him and then.." "Riel, you can't expect to do anything against demons ballsy enough to take an Archangel down like this," Art said with a wave of his hands indicating my pitiful condition. I shook my head rapidly and regretted it as the room continued to move even after I'd stopped. "No choice. Have to save him before the Seraphim-" "Seraphim," Art choked. It appeared the thought had yet to cross his mind that they could get involved as the color drained from his face and he grew paler than I. The Seraphim were the boogiemen of demon lore; six winged Angels with a deadly song that killed all those unworthy to hear it. They hadn't been seen on earth in centuries but if something were to happen, if Michael were to be killed, they would descend on all of our asses with wrath in their hearts the likes of which I didn't even want to imagine. Damn you, Michael, I thought. "You have to feed," Art stated, grimly. It was a matter of fact that I would have to break my rule even if it pained me to do it. There were many lives in the balance and I couldn't afford to be selfish. "Feed.. from me." I blinked, staring at Art in surprise. Isaac's body vibrated under my hand in a silent growl and I wondered what he could be thinking about all of this. "You'd.. You'd be comfortable with that?" I asked, uncertain. While demon's drinking each other's blood was indeed a common practice it was usually performed under more.. intimate conditions. It was a very sexually intense experience because it allowed the demon who was being fed from to share a part of themselves with another. Again, probably where the idea behind vampires of myth originated from. "Yes." Art sounded almost giddy but I knew it was because he was nervous and not actually eager about what was about to happen. "Okay," I swallowed, trying to stay upright. We seated ourselves on the large "stage" area of the room which had all of the assorted pillows so that both of us were facing each other. I reached for his wrist but he stopped me tapping two fingers against the side of his neck. "Take it from here. You'll get more, faster." I wanted to ask him "are you sure" again but resisted the urge. My canines elongated and I winced at the pain that even such minimal effort had caused. Art's tanned skin flushed as I leaned in putting my hand on his chest for support. I could smell the faint scent of his cologne and taste the saltiness of his skin as I parted my lips and pressed them against his neck in a kiss before my fangs penetrated him. Whatever I had been expecting was nothing like what this was. The hot, rich liquid that poured over my tongue bathing my palette in what I could only describe as sheer bliss. I whimpered, closing my eyes taking smaller sips of Art's blood so that I could better savor the experience. Art's breathing had gone ragged and unsteady beneath where my hand rested on his chest and I risked a glance at his face. His mouth hung open slightly as he panted, his pupils eclipsing his irises in helpless ecstasy. I could taste the desire mixed with guilt on my tongue from his blood. He couldn't hide anything from me, now, his emotions were raw and exposed. I slid my hand farther down and noticed that I'd gripped his chest so hard that my nails had left bloodied crescent moons behind on the tanned muscle. I teased the buttons of Art's shirt open exposing more of his skin and leaned in gently kissing each of the wounds eliciting a sharp inhalation through his teeth. Feeling drunk and uncertain of what I was doing I allowed my hands their exploration; under his shirt, over his stomach, and down each of his thighs on either side of the bulge forming in his pants. Despite the intense feelings of need that racked Art's body he still restrained himself from touching me in kind. It was such a sweet gesture out of respect for me and this strange intense new world that was opening up before me caused by the bloodlust. He didn't want to impose himself on me in any way without my permission. I traced his jaw with my fingertips feeling the stubble and the clench of the muscles underneath, my thumb coming to rest on his lower lip. I didn't know if the sexual tension wracking my body was mine or Art's being shared through the blood connection between us. When I kissed him and tasted his appreciative groan along with the sweep of his tongue over mine I understood. We were old friends, we'd known each other for a long time and had a lot of shared history from back in the day. I could sense his relief and even love for me knowing that I'd feel better because of him. I rested my forehead against his, wrapping my arms around his neck and he sighed contentedly. "You can take however much you need," he said, softly. "I'll be alright." I nodded, wordlessly and continued to feed feeling strength returning to my exhausted body. Because Art was a demon my transformation still wouldn't be complete. I'd remain an imp surviving on borrowed time. Hopefully another seventy more years of borrowed time although I knew in my heart that it wouldn't be so. I was never meant to survive this long and Art's blood wouldn't be anywhere near enough. I just had to survive long enough to save Michael and probably all of humanity. Just fucking wonderful. I wanted to sleep after I was satiated and felt a little pang of guilt seeing how pale Art had became after I was done. Isaac lay curled a short distance away watching me as always, his milky orbs unblinking and expressionless. *~*~* Later that night I began to dream. A vast landscape of blackened, scorched ground stretched out as far as the eye could see in all directions with no hills or discernable landmarks. Just strange, wisps of what appeared to be mist swirled up into the air before dissipating. It reminded me of black and white photos I'd once seen of nuclear test sites from around the Nevada desert. "This isn't your dream." Startled, I spun around looking behind me but no one was there. The voice was the same that I'd heard before when I had been in my apartment. "Who the hell are you?" I whispered. I could feel all the little hairs on the nape of my neck standing up as I stood rooted helplessly to the ground unable to move even though every part of me was desperate to escape. I could feel cold fingers at the base of my spine that gradually ghosted upwards in an ephemeral caress. I was entirely naked and wished that I had even the false security that clothing would provide. I had to swallow the urge to scream. That shocked me more than what was happening as I had never felt terror such as this in all of my years. "Do I frighten you.. Gabriel?" His voice lilted slightly over my name. "Yes," I answered without hesitation. "Good." Both of his hands were on my waist, still so disturbingly light, caressing my skin delicately. "Did you know about.. about Phil?" "That he intended to rape your friend if something wasn't done? Yes." "And you thought that maybe I would.. feed on him when I saw.." It wasn't a question. The thought had been coming together ever since I'd heard the mysterious voice. "Yes, Gabriel. Why are you wasting our time together asking the questions to which you already know the answers?" "But why? Who or even what are you? You don't seem like a demon or an Angel." "Who I am has been forgotten. What I am is not for me to tell you. At least not yet." I blew out an exasperated puff of air through my nostrils, starting to feel annoyed at how vague he was being. "Will you at least tell me where Michael is? I have to save him." "And in so doing you intend to save all of humanity as well. Why?" I attempted to turn and gawk at him, or at least where I thought his presence was, then remembered that I couldn't move. "How can you ask me that?" I shrieked. "I don't want a bunch of asshole demons wrecking Earth. How would that be any different than being damned to hell? There are many other demons who would back me up on that!" "Perhaps. If I told you, you would certainly become quite the martyr that tried to save the race of man." "Stop talking down to me like I'm a fucking child! I can handle myself-" There was a viscous tug of my hair as my head was pulled back and even though I saw nothing but empty air I could sense his face hovering over mine. "Then escape this place. Fight me little imp. Show me what you're truly capable of," he whispered, savagely. To my horrified surprise I actually felt angry tears start to fill my eyes. He laughed, a rich pleasurable sound despite my humiliation. "I've only involved you because my brother was murdered and I cannot hope to fight Solomon alone. I won't have another killed because of me. Do you understand?" he asked with no trace of mirth. I nodded, not trusting my own voice for the moment. He released me at last, the uncomfortable tightness at my scalp gone. "While you are not strong enough for what there is to come don't take it as an insult. There is so much to you that even I cannot understand. Something.. different. The potential for what you're capable of is greater than you know, Riel." "What do you mean?" I asked, finally, when I was certain that my voice wouldn't tremble. "I don't know yet. That's what troubles me the most. There's something else going on here. Some greater purpose as to why you encountered Michael and feel that strange spark when he's near." Michael & I Ch. 04 "How do you know about that?" I squeaked. There was no answer and I started to feel panicked. I noticed that strands of mist had started to form together out in front of me. They began to take on a shape, amorphous at first but then I began to see a torso with arms and legs and lastly a head. A man made entirely from mist now stood before me with two holes where his eyes should be, creating a terrifying specter. "I think I liked it better when I couldn't see you," I whispered. He said nothing and began slowly advancing on me and with every step I could see patches of pale, nearly translucent skin taking form beneath the mist which still clung to him as a shroud. Long, silky black hair suddenly fell across his shoulders. Despite the lack of actual light in this strange world his hair seemed to reflect a rainbow of colors like oil spilled across the surface of a lake. I'd seen that before hadn't I? I was having trouble remembering where for some reason... Long, smooth fingers wrapped around my own bringing my hand up to his face. He turned it over and placed a gentle kiss against my palm. My mouth dropped open as two milky white orbs swirled into existence filling his empty eye sockets. I watched as his mouth twisted into a sly little smirk and black slitted pupils split each eye in a horizontal line. I was helplessly mesmerized as the tip of his tongue trailed over my recently wounded skin, the corners of his mouth still quirked with amusement at my confusion. "Isaac?" I blurted. He began to laugh. ***** A/N: Thank you guys for reading and for your feedback. It's always appreciated and I hope that I can keep you guys entertained for the rest of the story. :) Michael & I Ch. 05 I felt dizzy from the gut-wrenchingly short amount of time that I'd been subjected to so much crazy. My dog was talking to me. I wanted to laugh at how insane it was like Isaac, or whatever his fucking name might be was still currently doing in an uproarious fashion. "What is funny about any of this?" I hissed starting to feel annoyed, again. "You take offense so easily, little imp. Relax, it is always amusing to me when I see the look on someone's face after they find out the truth," he soothed. "Who the hell are you? And don't start with the "my name is forgotten" bullshit. I want actual answers for a change." He shrugged, "I wasn't lying when I said that. Too many centuries have past and I can no longer recall my given name, I'm afraid. Not that I would ever want to." "Why?" He appeared faraway for a moment, staring past me while he was lost in some memory that still haunted him. "It doesn't matter now. What matters is the present and I won't spend it dwelling on what has already come to pass. It hardly makes a difference does it?" "No," I said, quietly. I knew what it was to want more than anything for things to have been different in my past. He gently cupped the side of my face in one of his big hands, "Don't let the world darken your heart, Riel. You are so precious a creature that no matter what happens in the days to come never allow your resolve to weaken." "Why am I so special?" I mumbled. "You'll just have to find that out on your own, little one." "God damn you for being so vague," I growled. He chuckled, "He already has." *~*~* I sat bolt upright in bed and immediately realized that I was about to be sick so I quickly bolted into the bathroom. Once I was finished I washed my face and rinsed my mouth out with cold water feeling much better afterwards. As I turned off the light I could hear the springs of my bed creaking and my senses went on high alert. Cautiously I crept back into my room on the balls of my feet, "Isaac?" I called softly. "Fucking hell!" I shouted at the sight that greeted me. I had known from the dream world that Isaac was ridiculously tall but seeing him here in reality, sitting on the edge of my bed wearing nothing but a terrifying shit-eating grin was still a shock. He had to be at least seven feet tall and made entirely of lean muscle. He at least had the decency to cross his legs providing some modesty. I slapped a hand to my forehead trying to ground myself. "Are you alright, little one?" he simpered. "Would you stop calling me that. It's just weird," I growled. He stood and I quickly averted my eyes but not before seeing that he was.. anatomically proportioned. I felt an absurdly human reaction of shyness around this giant naked man in my apartment. It didn't help that he now stood towering over me, still smiling with a mouth filled with shark-like teeth. "What is weird about me referring to you as "little one". You are considerably smaller than me are you not?" I could feel my cheeks burning slightly and I was appalled. He brought his fingers up under my chin and tipped my head back so that I was forced to look into the icy depths of his eyes. That stare was so familiar and yet.. something was vacant at the same time. Like looking into the eyes of a doll: completely devoid of emotion. "I will help you to find Michael but only on one condition," he said, finally, after the silence had started to become uncomfortable. I swallowed even though my mouth had gone dry, "What?" "I want you to make love to me, Riel." "Why?" I squeaked, my brain refusing to come up with anything more eloquent. He sighed, closing his eyes momentarily, "For fifty years I've been forced to hide behind the form of a hellhound. I've been unable to change back in all of that time because if I had it would have sent out a pulse that someone who has been looking for me all of that time would be able to detect." "What changed?" "Nothing. The pulse went out the moment I shifted and he is no doubt already aware of me still being alive." "He thought you were dead, then?" "Yes." "Then, why do it?" "What's been set in motion is far greater than my own life. Perhaps I am a coward for not facing my truth already. If I am to die then I don't want it to be in the visage of some sniveling dog. I want a true warrior's death." I shifted uncomfortably at his words, "Look I don't want anyone else to die. This is my fight. Hell, it's even my fault! Michael was all fucked up over seeing me and he wasn't thinking straight.." "No, Riel. Solomon is ancient and he is very clever even against an Archangel prince like Michael. The Angels are arrogant and superior of humans and demons and it often causes them to underestimate their enemy. I have no doubt that Michael would have been captured regardless as it was always Solomon's intention." "But why?" Isaac shook his head, "I don't know." "Riel, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not doing this for the honor of saving all of humanity. I'm doing this for a brave warrior who is so passionate in what she stands for that she would be willing to die rather than give in and renounce those beliefs," Isaac said, suddenly intense. I could feel my face heat, "No, I'm not. It's stupid, really.." "No. You're a good person, Riel. In this world that is becoming rarer with every day that passes." I willed myself to melt into the floor feeling undeserving of his praise. I had almost killed and fed from my boss and then I'd almost killed and fed from a news reporter. Isaac's lips against mine abruptly cut off my chain of thought and I couldn't help but melt into it, my own lips parting with no resistance at all. My body was still on fire from the feeding and my mind spiraled off into all of things that I wanted and needed all at once. "Is this what you want?" he whispered. I slipped my hand between our bodies and took his thick girth into my fingers giving a none too gentle tug indicating that I didn't want him to stop. Isaac's big hands gripping the backs of my thighs and lifting my legs around his waist brought my full attention back to the present. I gave a little squeak at how effortlessly he handled me and he growled possessively in response. I ran my fingers through the soft silkiness of his hair finding it surreal how only hours before that same hair had been fur. "It killed me seeing that bastard demon getting to be so intimate with you," he seethed. "I wanted to tear his fucking head off." I gave a start at his words. Isaac had been acting unusually protective at the club around Art. "You were jealous?" I asked mildly incredulous. He didn't answer. "You were! I don't believe-" Isaac captured my mouth in another fiery kiss to silence me and I tried to match his ferocity, my tongue exploring the recesses of his mouth. Part of me was begging to slow down, and for once not throw caution to the wind. Art's blood pounding through my veins was clouding my judgment, making me do things I shouldn't be. "God.. damn. It's been.. a long time since I've been with.. a woman like you," he said, his words punctuated by labored gasps. My pussy tingled and throbbed hearing how excited he was getting and I desperately made one last effort to distract myself in any way that I could, knowing that it was in vain. Isaac lay me down on my bed, him on top pushing his hips between my thighs forcing them open and I felt his hardness pressing against the already dampened crotch of my panties. "Fuck," he breathed upon noticing my wetness for him. The feeling of his calloused hands running across my stomach was exquisite as he slid them under the thin material of my camisole, exploring my body. I gave an involuntary little buck of my hips when his fingertips reached my overly-sensitive nipples and he rolled them between thumb and forefinger. With an impatient growl he tore away my camisole pausing to take in the sight of my exposed breasts. I reached down between my legs and grabbed his cock rubbing the blunt tip against my clit combining his precum with my own fluids which now saturated my panties. I watched from beneath my lashes enjoying the sight of him; slightly parted lips, the dark curtains of his hair framing the handsome features contorted by lust. His eyes were frighteningly intense, burning wildly in the shadows of his face. I saw his jaw clench before my panties were ripped away with the sound of tearing fabric. He plunged into me all in one motion and I screamed in surprise and sensory overload, his impressive length somehow buried all the way to his balls in one thrust. I panted and struggled to adjust before he pulled out and repeated the motion again. I tossed my head back, my fingers clutching at the sheets trying to ground myself in reality for fear of being carried away on just the sensation of being filled so completely. "Oh.. fuck.. please.." I was begging without even really knowing what I was begging for. "What do you want, Riel?" he asked, stopping with the head of his cock teasing my outer lips. "Want you to fuck me," I mumbled. Isaac smirked obviously enjoying seeing me so undone when he'd only just started. He continued teasing me, the slick, wet head moving in slow circles around my inner folds and then up and down, the tip entering me ever so slightly before moving back up to my clit. My aching inner walls convulsed and I moaned impatiently wanting him back inside them. He finally began to inch his way inside, agonizingly slow, and I ground my teeth feeling every contour of his thick cock stretching me back out. "Shit," he grated. "You're so tight." Just when I thought my body had finally adjusted to his size he began to move his hips, taking up a slow and steady rhythm and I felt as if I were being torn apart. At the same time the feeling of his girth stroking against every inch of my throbbing sex felt fucking amazing. He bent over me pressing our bodies closer together taking my mouth roughly with his and fucking it with his tongue in a mimicry of his hips. Isaac's thrusts began to speed up, the sounds of flesh against flesh growing louder, his heavy breathing gusting against the hollow of my throat as I tossed my head back in a hoarse cry. I was pulled out of my pleasure induced daze by the sound of more ripping fabric accompanied by an animalistic snarl from Isaac and I realized that his fingers had tore through my sheet and into the mattress next to my head. I actually began to feel a little afraid of him so clearly unhinged by his own desire, his thrusts getting harder and more uneven, each accompanied by a snarl low in his throat. I grabbed onto him dragging my nails roughly down his back in an attempt to steady myself against the violent fucking our coupling had became. I screamed as his canines sank into the meat of my shoulder without warning as he came, feeling the hot creaminess of his seed spurting into me while my pussy clenched around him, shocked into orgasm. Isaac was silent for several moments, his face buried against my neck and I could sense that something was troubling him. "I'm sorry," he said, quietly. My eyebrows shot up, "Why?" "I didn't mean to hurt you.. it's just been a while." I chewed my lip nervously and he levered himself up and onto his side, resting his head in one hand, studying me. "What's wrong?" he asked. "It's.. I haven't been with a man in several years.. not since my husband died," I confessed. Isaac's eyes grew round as saucers, "You were married?" "Yes. For nearly eleven years. I've never told anyone about him," I blurted thinking that it was probably an inappropriate time to bring it up. It was strange to say it out loud and I didn't really understand why I felt compelled to spill my guts right at that moment but I spared very little detail. His name was Andrew Merritt, a widower for two years when I met him back in 1952. I was working as a waitress in a small diner at the time, an unremarkable year for me to be sure. Andrew always took the corner booth next to the restrooms; the most privacy the diner had to offer. I could tell that he was a very sad man even though he'd gotten very good at hiding it. My boss was a kind elderly man named Gerald who didn't bat an eye when I decided that one day I wanted to have a slice of pie with Andrew to cheer him up. I remember what he said to me as clear as a bell in my mind, "Just seeing that beautiful smile of yours every time I come in here does wonders, dolly." That was Andy's nickname for me; I was his 'little dolly'. Andy was very charismatic; his kindness and charm filled a void that I wasn't even aware of having just as no one but me could see how depressed he truly was from the loss of his wife. Our courtship was short, only about six months before we got engaged. I felt ashamed having to smile and bear the talk of having children when I knew that as a demon that could never happen. Even though I dearly wanted a family more than anything with Andy after we were married, eventually my inability to have children had started a schism between us even though he pretended that he was fine with it. For many months leading up to his death he'd taken to drinking and spent most nights locked in his office leaving me alone in our bed with my guilt. For so many happy years that we'd had together by the time he was stabbed to death six blocks from our house in an assumed mugging gone awry, I felt as if we were total strangers to each other. Isaac was silent the entire time I spoke, rattling off my past in an empty monotone no longer capable of feeling the emotion that I might have a long time ago. "Riel.. I'm sorry. If I'd known I-" Isaac began, stunned by everything I'd just dropped on him. "No," I said, flatly. "It didn't work out and I moved on. Andy was already damaged before I met him and I understand that now." Isaac opened his mouth to say something then shut it again seeming to think better of it. "Okay," Isaac said after a time, his mouth set in a hard line. "Okay?" "I'll help you save the world." A/N: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that! It's the fastest I've written a chapter so far I think. Big thanks to all my awesome readers and now FINALLY we can get on to the 'Michael & I' part of the story (I just went on a crazy writing streak and did this chapter in two days so I'm hoping it doesn't come off as rushed or anything) Michael & I Ch. 06 It was a strange thing when my guilt hit me later that night. I hadn't expected to feel anything, at least, I had hoped I wouldn't feel anything. Unfortunately, the high I'd gotten from drinking Art's blood was leaving me and I was crashing hard. I stared at Isaac, asleep with his body tangled in my semen and blood covered sheets. I cautiously pressed my fingers against my shoulder where Isaac had bit me and found that it had healed already. That was one of the things that I had missed dearly after I had began to weaken from my hunger; fast recovery from any wound. I disentangled myself from the covers and went to check my reflection. My inner thighs were smeared with the evidence of my time with Isaac and I even noticed some streaks of red. My shoulder was an ugly abstract of blues and purples with Isaac's teeth marks a shock of red against the darkened flesh. I looked like a natural disaster. I sighed, absently running my fingers back through my curls and winced feeling my fingers snag in a tangle. I had done so well at controlling myself for so many years and not acting impulsively. I felt my anger and resentment towards Michael grow a little more by the day for ruining that. Worse was that I had mentioned Andy to a complete stranger when I swore to myself that I would never speak of that time in my life to anyone. It was such an intimate and painful memory yet I'd blurted it all out so easily to the shape-shifter. An insane thought chilled me. What if Isaac were actually some kind of spy for Solomon who had the ability to coerce information out of people by some form of hypnotism? No, that was crazy. And yet.. I'd gone to bed with him without really thinking about what I was doing. I wasn't the most innocent demon, sure, but I hadn't been with a man since Andy's passing. The first stirrings of arousal I'd felt towards the opposite sex since that time had been when I'd met Michael. Could I really go on blaming everything I was doing on the Archangel? "Riel?" I gave a start, hearing Isaac's voice. "I'm in here," I managed. "Just going to wash up real quick." "Do you have to? I think I like this look on you." I turned about to retort but words failed me seeing him standing there, his large frame filling up the doorway. The heated look in his eyes made my already sore body tense up eagerly. He sauntered forward moving unnecessarily slowly getting a washcloth from the cabinet behind me, pinning me against the sink with his body. I felt something disturbingly akin to what I felt for Michael, that strange energy that flowed between us whenever we were near each other and I stiffened. Isaac then moved to the shower and tuned it on testing the temperature with his hand. When he was satisfied he grabbed my arm and started to guide us both inside. "Hold on-" I protested. "Riel, please," he coaxed me. "I know you're still hurting. Let me help." I sighed not trusting him or myself to keep our shower just a shower. A soft trio of beeps from the other room caught my attention and I took my opportunity to escape. "I got a text. Could be important," I mumbled. My phone was still in the pocket of the pants I'd worn the day before and when I bent to get it, Isaac casually snaked his hands around my hips. "Shit," I grunted. "What is it?" It was a text from Sara. I realized with a rush of guilt that I'd completely forgotten about her. "How r u? I have to stay the night for observation but getting out tomorrow. Come c me? :)" I quickly tapped out a response. "I'm doing ok. Will b there in about 30 min." I hit send. "Only thirty minutes? Tch." I swatted his hands away, quickly grabbing up an armful of clothes off the floor and heading back to the bathroom. "Out," I said sharply when he started to follow. He smirked holding up his hands in a supplicating gesture. Once the hot spray was hammering against my fatigued muscles I groaned audibly in appreciation, unable to rush this part of my morning ritual. What I didn't appreciate was the intrusion of Isaac slipping in behind me. "Don't turn around," he ordered, even though that had been what I was about to do. I gasped feeling his expert hands kneading my flesh making my bones turn to jelly. It wasn't long into his glorious massage that I felt his "interest" in our wet, naked bodies being pressed so closely to each other against my lower back. Lifting my hair he pressed a tender kiss against the side of my neck and I sighed helplessly. "I want to come on your ass," he growled. My cheeks heated hearing his rich voice say something so unexpectedly crude and words failed me again when I tried to think of snarky response. I could hear the unmistakable slick, wet sound of his hand as he worked it up and down over his shaft. "Isaac," I whined, feeling both longing and dread. There was a soft snick: the cap of my body wash being opened. The fruity fragrance of strawberries and cream reached my nose as he lathered the wash cloth and began to wash my back. It felt heavenly and I couldn't help but relax as he paid careful attention to every inch of my body. Thankfully, he kept our interactions purely focused on getting me clean despite both of us being painfully aware how easy it would be to forget everything for a few more hours of rough sex. I had to suffer a second look of concealed disappointment when I told Isaac I wanted to go alone. "Are you sure?" I nodded, "It would be too awkward if you went along and the Angels would see you anyway." "I wouldn't be too certain," he muttered. *~*~* I hated hospitals. The smell, the sick people, the false politeness, the over-abundance of Angels. Of course the Angels weren't just there to provide a peaceful enviroment for the dying but to keep demons from making deals with every sorry bastard that was terminally ill. Their auras were practically giving me a sunburn by the time the receptionist called me back. It was worse in the patients' ward; many of the doctors were Angels as well along with a few nurses and even a janitor. None of them detected me as per usual and all except the janitor, who flashed me an unusually creepy smile, ignored me altogether. A small part of me longed to be back at home in bed with Isaac but I had to focus on my mission. Just as I reached Sara's room a nurse stepped out stopping me with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, m'am. You'll have to wait a minute. She's with family and they've asked not to be disturbed." I nodded and leaned up against the wall while I waited. A soft voice from the room next door caught my attention and I peered inside discreetly as I could manage. "Yes, I knew you would come." I nearly jumped out of my skin hearing that creepy baritone and seeing who it belonged to. A young girl who couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve years old sat smiling from her hospital bed. A bandage covered her eyes so it was impossible that she could have seen me standing there. A demon, maybe? But here? "Come in before someone sees you. Close the door." I obeyed, fighting against my natural survival instincts that had gone on high alert the moment I'd laid eyes on the girl. As I drew nearer she cocked her head to the side as if she were sizing me up and I could practically feel the caress of her unseen eyes moving over my skin. "Don't appear so frightened, darling. I only wish to speak with you for the moment." "Who are you?" I asked, amazed that my voice didn't tremble. "Yes.." she replied her smile seeming to shrink a few centimeters. Almost as if the question confused her. "Come here." "Huh?" I blurted. "I won't force you, my dear. Only.. you can't run away from me forever. Eventually you must accept that which is." "Which is what? What the fuck are you talking about?" The girl said nothing. Instead, she stretched out her arms as if she only wanted a hug. The distinctly adult male voice speaking through her painted a different picture. "Are you afraid?" she teased. "Yes." "I've already said that I have no intention of harming you so why do you hesitate?" A hundred totally logical excuses sprang to mind and I immediately felt regret that Isaac couldn't be there with me. She laughed, throwing her head back and I felt myself begin to shiver. "So quick to rely on the dog aren't you? How unwise. He's so quick to find a new master when he grows bored with the old one. Best to keep that in mind." "Are you a mind reader, too? And why should I even listen to anything you have to say when I don't even know who you are." "Oh, how delightful. Has your new pet been honest with you even once? Yet, you are so quick to take his side." I clenched my fists tightly at my sides, annoyed not because she was wrong but because she made perfect sense. "That expression you get when you're thinking things through is simply precious, dear girl. All I offer today is information. However, I must insist that you make up your mind quickly as our time together is about to be cut short.." Shit. Stiffly I made myself move closer, my legs working as if I were wading through waist-deep mud, my thoughts clouded with uncertainty. Who do I trust? "Good girl," she crooned as I sat down now within arm's reach. "So weak and so very confused aren't you? Maybe even a little resentful asking yourself; why has this happened to me? I understand completely as the same thing happened to me only considerably worse." She took my hands into her much smaller ones and squeezed them reassuringly. It was then that I realized my mistake as the presence within the girl allowed it's aura to seep out, surrounding me in a vacuum of cold malice unlike anything I'd ever felt. My heart pounded wildly against my ribs and the effort to breathe became difficult as if the air itself were reacting to the malicious energy that occupied it. "What you've yet to realize is while the pieces have been set in motion you are the key player. Despite the fact that you aren't aware of the rules or the game you're being forced to play. I want to give you a gift; a small token to aid you in your journey. While I can't spoil the ending I can't leave you entirely vulnerable, either." Her thumbs moved in slow circles over my palms as she spoke, the small smile that played across her lips not belonging on the innocent child's face that it occupied. "The demon that calls himself Solomon needs the Prince of Angels alive for the moment in order for his dream to be made reality. But understand the time in which you have to act is finite. He intends to break the Seals in a delusional act of retribution for his former master." She grinned as if the idea of the Apocalypse was an amusing concept and I couldn't stop my body's natural reaction to escape her impossibly steely grip. "Please, let me go," I gasped. "Are you sure?" "Just stop this.. fuck.." I felt on the verge of losing my mind so close to such a volatile aura that radiated nothing but despair. Then, to my immense relief it ended. It took me a few seconds to realize the wetness on my cheeks was my own tears. I'd been crying; probably verging on hysterical without even knowing. When I dared to look at the wretched creature that still held onto me, I saw that she no longer smiled, instead she was frowning. A strange emptiness remained after being overwhelmed by something so evil, as if I'd been burned from the inside out. It made it even stranger still when the skinny arms of the girl were suddenly around my neck, her face buried against my shoulder. A hug. She was actually hugging me. My arms fell limply to my sides, unable to react. Incapable of feeling. "You only have to trust me and in exchange I'll give you the world," she whispered, making my scalp prickle. The door clicked open and I stood, turning to see a nurse wearing a quizzical look. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" I stopped. The hospital bed was now empty, the covers removed and the shades drawn. "It's okay, m'am. The patient had to be moved because of a problem with the ventilation or something. I just started my shift so I can't confirm or deny that," she winked. "Oh." I felt dazed but somehow lucid enough to make idle chat with the nurse until I could see Sara all the while in the back of my mind all I could think about was the girl with bandaged eyes. What frightened me most about her was not that I didn't know who she could be, it was that I did know and I felt as if I had somehow forgotten. Sara's room door opened and a large man with greying hair and a beet red face stormed out followed by a girl that looked a lot like Sara, but older. "Daddy! Wait, please!" the girl wailed. She stopped looking pleadingly from the hospital room to the angry man who passed me and the nurse who shot me a look that said "Damn." "I'm so sorry, Sara. I didn't mean-" the girl cried. "Get out! I hate you! I never want to see you again!" Sara's shouting came from within. The distraught girl's decision was made for her as she half jogged after her father abandoning Sara. Cautiously, I went into Sara's room and was unable to hide my wince upon seeing her condition. Her face was dark purple with a few stitches here and there holding together the lacerations caused by the brutal beating she'd gotten. The one eye that wasn't entirely swollen shut was red and swollen from obvious signs that she had been crying and doing a lot of it. "What the hell was that?" I asked, too shaken up by everything to be more sensitive. "My bitch sister thought it would be a good idea to tell our dad everything about why I'm in the hospital." I stared blankly not understanding. "He didn't know I'd been stripping to pay for my education. It happened literally right after I texted you. He comes barging in here mouthing off shit he has no business talking to me about. He's so stupid sometimes." Ah. "Family can be a bitch," I offered, finding my sympathy switch and turning it back on. "Yeah. But how are you doing?" "I'm fine.. I guess." I didn't want to sound too dismissive. I had knocked out my boss after catching him about to rape one of my friends and that wasn't something a "human" would just get over. Of course, it wasn't terribly difficult for me to act shaken up for the moment even if it wasn't for the reason she believed it to be. "When the police told me that you were the one that stopped him I couldn't believe it. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't showed up.." "Just lucky, huh." "Maybe you're just my guardian angel." I had to cough into my hand to smother my laugh. "Actually.. there is something else I wanted to talk about. This may be a weird time but with my dad finding out about my job I need to say it. We aren't, uh, dating now or anything. What I mean is you don't think that we are, right?" My eyebrows shot up, "N-No. I don't really do "relationships", honestly." "Oh good. It's just I come from a Catholic family and if my dad knew about the gay thing it would probably.." "..make his head explode?" I snorted, finishing her thought. "Yeah. Pretty much." I ventured over to her bedside table picking up a small pink teddy bear with heart shaped buttons for eyes and a small card attached to a ribbon around it's neck. Curious, I turned it over to see who it was from. "Lena was here?" I asked. "Oh, yeah. I forgot actually; I was pretty doped up. She brought that bear and those flowers over there. She was pretty upset when she saw me and it sounds like there's a good chance the club is going to be closed down over this. So, now, we're all going to be out of a job." "What a fucking mess." It made sense considering Phil was the only one with half a brain for being club manager. Dave certainly wouldn't be capable of picking up where his asshole brother had left things. "They've found all kinds of polaroids taken of the other girls Phil kept in his house and at the office. It's too fucked up to even seem real, you know? It'll be hard trying to find another job but I'm not sorry that O' Donovans' is done for." Sara yawned mightily and I noticed that her eyes were starting to droop. She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry it's just all this shit with my father and Phil.. it's exhausting. I didn't mean to drag you over here just to fall asleep." "Tch. It's fine," I chided her. "Don't apologize to me. Get some rest for God's sake. I think you deserve it." "You too. Go home and go to bed." "Alright, alright," I grumbled but her good eye was already closed. Yes, I wanted to lie down and sleep all day but if I did I now feared that I would see her. That frightening girl with the man's voice that I felt a chilling familiarity with. I hated that there was so much I didn't understand. How everyone only told me half-truths or simply refused to speak to me at all when I tried to ask questions. As if I were a mere child incapable of handling myself. Eventually you must accept that which is. It was as if there was a wall inside my head that I'd never been aware of until that moment. Those words had triggered my consciousness to seek it out. Even my own mind was betraying me by hiding some dark secret relevant to what was happening. What the hell was going on here?