Fallen Angels (10 page)

“Habit?” she said with a wink.

“A habit? Biting fingernails is a habit, not carrying weapons,” I teased.

“True,” she agreed, lying next to me. “I guess they are more for comfort when I’m not here with you.” She pulled me on top of her with ease, like a warm blanket.

“Do you have to stay out there for so long?” I asked playfully, trying not to sound desperate. I loved these peaceful moments with her. Just laying on her, snuggling with her, and letting her fingers trace gently over my body. This was what I would miss the most.

“I do. I hope my trips can become less frequent, after this.”

I pulled away, staring at her in shock. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I want to stay here with you and the others. I want to meet Chloe, I want us to have a life together. Of course, I would have to go to Seattle occasionally but not every weekend.”

I covered her mouth, stopping her from saying anything else. I knew what she was asking for, and I wanted it more than anything. A happy life with Ravyn had always been my dream. But I never imagined Chloe in this equation. I was pretty confident that I could trust Ravyn with my daughter, however, this led to a more confusing issue. How would I introduce Ravyn to Chloe? As my friend or my lover? It would definitely be an awkward moment. “Just come back to me and as soon as possible, okay?”

“I’ll always come back to you, Kara,” she whispered against my lips.

Waking up the next morning in the desolate bed left me feeling just as empty. I would bury myself in activities with the kids while Ravyn was away, like I always did. After a short lonely shower, I left my room to heat up Chloe’s breakfast.

Devlin was in the kitchen with her, and he had already served up a sippy cup of demon blood. Chloe looked like she could pass for a three-year-old and had the brain of a six-year-old, it seemed. Her sandy blonde hair was getting long, almost to her shoulders, and her smile could light up a room as much as her frequent laughter. Chloe could also control the demon within her, but her craving for blood was growing.

“Thanks Devlin.” I kissed the top of my baby’s soft head. Devlin always cheered up when Ravyn was away, which made me wonder what happened to their friendship. That was between them though; all I knew was he was amazing with both Chloe and Abby.

“Why don’t we get out of the house today? Take the girls to the museum?” Devlin suggested.

Chloe immediately smiled. “Can we Mommy?”

I looked at Devlin in irritation. I didn’t want to go anywhere, and with Ravyn gone I certainly didn’t want to be hobnobbing around with Devlin. He knew I wouldn’t say no if Chloe wanted to go. “Okay, go see if your sister wants to go.” I quickly gave in, watching her rush out of the kitchen before taking her cup to the sink.

Spending the day at the museum was awkward. I felt like I should be here with Ravyn, not Devlin. Then again, the happy smiles from strangers wouldn’t be as frequent if Ravyn were here holding my hand or stealing the occasional kiss, not that Devlin was. The strangers accepted Devlin as normal, automatically assuming he was the girls’ father and my lover, which was as far from the truth as possible. It made me hate going out in public with him and the kids. It also made me hate the closed minds of the human race.

After a long miserable day of watching stupid strangers assume a nonexistent love between Devlin and I, we were finally home and Chloe was ready for bed. When her tiny fangs pierced my skin as I tucked her in to bed, my anger could not be controlled. “Chloe Lilith Wombley!” I shouted, using my own power to shove her demon back in its cage.

Chloe immediately backed away, huddling in a ball against the headboard of her toddler bed. Tears spilled forth from her innocent eyes. “I’m sorry Mommy,” her tiny voice eked out.

“Chloe, you can beat this hunger. If you go down this road it will ruin you. You cannot go around biting people. Do you understand?” I explained as calmly as I could.

I scared you?
Her thought entered my mind.

“Only because I worry for you. You are very special Chloe, but that doesn’t mean you have to give into your every whim. You can be so much more. You can help people with your special abilities, but you can never forget that you are in control. Never let anyone else control who you are.”  

“But they won’t stop tingling Mommy,” she replied sadly.

“Well, maybe you’re still hungry? Stay here, I’ll be right back with something, all right?” I kissed her forehead before seeking out Devlin, wishing Ravyn were here because I would have gone to her first.

“Hey,” I said when I barged into his room unannounced. My eyes seemed stuck on the sculpted muscles of his nearly naked body while he lay on his bed.

“What’s wrong, my dear?” He grinned. 

“Um, Chloe just tried to feed from me. She says her fangs won’t stop tingling. How do I stop it?” I asked frantically.

He hopped off his bed, chuckling while walking toward me. His warm hand slid over my neck where the evidence of Chloe’s recent development occurred. “You can’t,” he said, while gently swirling his thumb around the wound. A strange desire stirred deep within me.

“Okay,” I replied dumbly. My reply echoed in my mind, reminding me how ignorant it was. Shaking my head I pushed his hand from my neck. “No, it’s not okay!” I snapped, coming to my senses.

“Kara, you cannot keep her from what she truly needs. The bite, the life of the living, this is what she requires. Not bottled blood.”

“UGH!” I replied in frustration. I rushed out of his room, heading down to the kitchen. I poured the usual glass of donated demon blood and put it in the microwave.

“It won’t help.” Devlin broke the silence.

“Devlin, I will not let my daughter become a killer!”

“She won’t, if you teach her to stop when she needs to. She can feed and never take a life, you know that,” he said with a wink.

“Don’t do that.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Do what?” he asked while I retrieved Chloe’s warm drink.

“Make it seem so normal.”

“It is normal,” he said, taking the hot mug from my hand and setting it on the counter. “If you don’t teach her now, she will turn out like Ravyn. She has to understand it.” His large hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer. “Let me teach her.”

“How and on who?” I asked, stepping away from his touch.

“You can feed her, show her that you understand. I will instruct her while she feeds. Let it happen before it is too late.”

“Fine. But I’m telling you Devlin, if she kills someone after this, it’s your head that will roll,” I said firmly. “Put some damn clothes on!”

Entering Chloe’s room again I knew she could feel my nervousness when she looked at me curiously. “Baby, Uncle Devlin is going to help you understand what you’re feeling. Is that okay?” I asked.

“He’s not mad at me?”

“No sweetie, of course not. He understands what you feel more than I do. He wants to help you, but you have to listen to him very carefully and do exactly what he says,” I explained, knowing she trusted and loved Devlin more than Angie and Nebiros.

“Okay Mommy,” she said, sliding her hand into mine.

Devlin entered, thankfully fully clothed in his usual jeans and t-shirt. He smiled at Chloe while he approached. “Hey little one, I hear you’re having some fang troubles,” he said jokingly, instantly making her giggle and nod in agreement. “It happens. How about you let Uncle Devlin walk you through this?” he offered, letting her climb in his lap.

Watching Devlin teach my baby about the oddities of demon life mesmerized me. He would have been a great father and a loving husband. I suddenly felt horrible for the way I had treated him since Chloe was born and Ravyn returned. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, to make it up to him, somehow.

My thoughts on any subject quickly faded when I felt my daughter’s small warm hands gently cup my forearm, and then the painful pinch of her fangs. I watched her feed as carefully as Devlin did, while he talked her all the way through it, guiding her on when to stop and how to make it as painless as possible. Chloe didn’t feed long, stopping when the tingle in her fangs disappeared, doing exactly what Devlin told her. 

He tucked her in, kissing her forehead and whispering something before exiting the room. I smiled down at my baby, watching my blood relax her fully, allowing sleep to come quickly. I couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop thanking the heavens for Devlin’s constant help.

“You look like you could use a drink,” Devlin said.

I looked up and smiled; he knew me too well. “Yes please.”

“Of course, my dear.” He smiled back and led me downstairs into the kitchen.

“Why can Chloe feed from me if she won’t drink human blood?” I asked while he made the drinks.

“Because you are not exactly human. Your blood is powerful. We were wrong, but I have a new theory after watching her feed from you.” He set the drink in front of me then sat next to me.

“Well, what’s your theory Devlin?” I asked, chugging half the margarita.

“Chloe needs the blood of those who created her. She fed on you while you were pregnant. She drank my blood and Angela’s. Therefore she needs the blood of a witch, a demon, or an angel.”

Devlin’s explanation made perfect sense, again, making me thankful that he was around. He happily served me drink after drink while we talked about Chloe and Abby, though every time I mentioned Ravyn he quickly changed the subject. Soon my comfortable buzz turned into an emotional drunk, and Devlin wasted no time in trying to comfort me with soothing hands on my back, shoulders, and neck.

He was talking, but I could barely comprehend his words. I was busy getting lost in his touch while trying to tell my drunken self this was all wrong. I knew it was wrong, but my clouded mind was telling me I needed Devlin. When his lips found mine, nearly all of my apprehension melted away.

It was like he knew what was going on in my mind and made his moves according to my thoughts. Before I knew it, I was on the table, and he was frantically stripping my clothes off. My mind screamed at me to stop this. Then the lustful look in his eyes shoved me back into the white room of my torture, and I froze in terror.

Suddenly an unfamiliar memory fluttered in my head. Ravyn feeding me that night in Seattle, her careful touch and control. “Ravyn?” I breathed. My terror and drunken state abruptly melted away. “Stop!” I screamed before he could get his pants off. “How could you? You took credit for saving me, when it was Ravyn that night. And you drugged me so you could have your way?” My tears fell while I dressed as fast as possible.

“Kara that’s not what happened. You wanted this. I can make you happy, not Ravyn!”

“Stay the fuck away from me! I want you out of my house, and you better pray that Ravyn doesn’t find out about this!” I yelled. 

I rushed to the comfort of a hot shower to scrub Devlin from my body while crying silently over my friend’s betrayal and my stupidity. I would never trust anyone again. If Devlin’s actions weren’t enough to kill my trust, then the memory currently playing itself over and over in my mind would definitely do it.

Ravyn came to me that night in Seattle, she willingly fed me, and she saved my baby. She held me, she told me that she had always loved me, and then she took it all away. Only to have the memory reopened by Devlin? No, by me and Devlin. She knew what he wanted all along.

How could I be so stupid? I didn’t even like Devlin! I had Ravyn, and I was happy. Why would Ravyn hide such an important truth from me? If I had known I would have trusted her with Chloe. I felt bad for treating her so terribly. I also hated her for twisting my mind like she did. How the hell did she hide a memory? How many times had she used this new ability? It was a gut-wrenching thought to which I wasn’t sure I wanted an answer.

I stewed over the incident all week while she was away. I didn’t know if she was aware that the memory was now mine, and I hadn’t heard from her since she left. I needed to talk to her about it and finally worked up the courage to call Friday evening.

I wanted to have a calm conversation about it, but as soon as I heard her lovely greeting my anger and mistrust turned to blame. Ravyn sounded absolutely destroyed before her phone went silent.

Chapter Nine

Ravyn

Just Die Already

I was finally happy, though being back in Seattle for over a week was wearing on that happiness. I wanted to be home with Kara; instead, I was here watching the week-long games held at my business. I had retired from the world of fighting a few months after opening. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the fight, but I couldn’t risk not being with Kara.

The week of wild festivities was going very well. It was Jeanie’s idea to celebrate our one-year anniversary with a long lineup of events and fights to pay homage to the ancient coliseums. It was finally Friday. I had two more nights before I could go home and make love to Kara, which I was very much looking forward too.

I was perched on the balcony waiting for the sun to go down and the long night to begin when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Kara’s picture smiled brightly on the face of my phone. “Hey beautiful,” I answered.

“It was you that night. You saved me and Chloe, not Devlin.” Kara’s anger and sadness poured through the phone.

I could hear her crying softly. I knew exactly what this meant. The memory I hid from her had been released, and it could only be released by her doing something with Devlin. “You said you loved me.”

“How could you do this to me?” Kara yelled.

“You lied,” I breathed then tossed the phone over the balcony. My anger bubbled, begging for a release, begging for Devlin’s head on a spike, and I knew just how to get it.

I stood outside of the large black oval building known only as THE ARENA. A demon version of the coliseums of ancient times, but this was my modern version. The only thing similar to ancient times was the ring itself, a perfect circle with a powdery gravel surface; everything else carried a modern flare. Plush theater style seating along with box seating and a VIP front row section, it could hold five thousand. It had single-handedly made Seattle the demon capital of the world. It was my pride and joy.