“No, I’m good, thanks. I’ve got another appointment to get going to.” He walked toward the door.
“Do you, uh, still want to do this again?” Only when she saw the look on his face did she realize what her sentence might imply. “The training I mean, not the, um—”
He relaxed visibly. “How about Wednesday night? Seven?”
“Uh, yeah, ok, sounds good to me.”
“Meet me at the bench at the reservoir,” he said opening the door to her apartment. He took a step into the hallway.
“Wait, what’s your phone number?”
She’d barely pulled out the phone when he blurted “264-355-2538,” and shut the door.
What the hell? They’d just had this crazy amazing kiss, and then he couldn’t get out of the apartment fast enough? She may not be very experienced, but she wasn’t stupid. Before Caleb, she’d only ever kissed Steve. It’d been nice but hadn’t set her heart to racing or her limbs to shaking. It’d seemed affectionate, more a symbol of feelings than an actual expression of them. This one had been different. Not even in her wildest fantasies would she have come up with that kiss. This had been special. And the way Caleb had responded to it? She’d bet her life savings (not that she had much) that he’d been just as into it as she.
“Remember, Gracie? Not looking. Not looking,” she said aloud, but it was halfhearted at best. She knew herself better than that. She may have a lot of self-control, but she wasn’t a saint. Or dead. She doubted she could ignore her attraction to him any more than she could hold her breath forever.
He appeared to be a different story. He might temporarily get swept up in whatever it was that flashed so quickly and so hot between them, but he was the one, this time, to pull away. There had to be a compelling reason for him to be able to stop. She only feared what it might be. She didn’t want to know, but she couldn’t ignore it. If he had another woman, she couldn’t, in good conscience, let anything further happen between them. And the only way she would be able to do that would be to stop spending time with him all together.
✽✽✽
Work on Monday had not been easy. It had been bad enough that she’d had to tell Annalise all about her failed date with Peter. At least Annalise had apologized profusely and understood why she’d bailed. Grace had hoped to take her mind off Caleb by burying herself in work. Instead, she’d found it impossible to focus. Her thoughts kept drifting to the sparring session. Not just to the surprising intensity of her response to him, or the intimacy of their kiss, but to the physical demands of the actual training. She was sore. Her arms ached, her legs burned, and she was pretty sure she had a bruise on her hip from where she bumped an end table part way through. How was she going to stand a chance against a person if she couldn’t withstand an end table? Caleb had said she had done well, but she wasn’t sure if he had meant it. He had said well for ‘a first day.’
The confidence she’d had immediately after her training session had waned with the passing of the weekend. Now, she was embarrassed — embarrassed that she agreed to let him teach her, embarrassed by her lack of skill, and embarrassed by her clear response to his touch. He had been able to control himself and pull away from her, whereas she had lain on the floor, face flushed and dazed from her proximity to him. No wonder he had left before even having a glass of water. Who works out for over an hour and doesn’t need a glass of water? Either their session had been so easy for him he didn’t need it, or he’d been so uncomfortable he didn’t want it enough to stay. After their kiss, she’d thought that he must have had a good reason for ending it. Her confidence crumbling, she feared he may have not been as attracted to her as she’d believed.
She sighed. Training with him was a mistake. There was no way he would want to commit as much time to it as she wanted to, and she was probably going to be so distracted now that it would be worthless anyway. Would he even show up at the reservoir on Wednesday? He could just stand her up and that would be the end of it. If he did show up, she was just going to put an end to it right there and say, ‘thanks but no thanks.’ She would take this into her own hands and find a place to train where she could do whenever she wanted with someone less… enticing.
There was a gym, Health… something or other, near her apartment. She had passed it hundreds of times but had never paid it too much attention. Her jogging and occasional workout in her apartment had been good enough for her. Who needed to pay for a gym when you could work out for free, right? Well, she was going to need some help now. She needed to gain muscle, stamina and skills as fast as possible. She never wanted to feel as helpless as she had against that man ever again.
✽✽✽
Healthworks Fitness Studio was on Heath Street, just a few blocks from her apartment. There was a large training space visible through the window. Mats covered the floors, kettle bells, weights, and stepping blocks lined all but the one large mirrored wall on the left. Some type of body pump class was just ending; women were returning their equipment, sipping their water, and grabbing their bags.
Some of the women passed by her at the entrance. They were so much for fit than she was. Did she really want to commit herself to this? Would she feel relief soon enough? Could she even keep up in the class? It would take her years to get that toned.
“All the more reason to get going,” she whispered to herself and continued into the lobby. Instead of being hit with the smell of sweat and old sneakers, she was greeted by the subtle aroma of fresh fruits from a smoothie bar in the far-right corner. Casual black leather seating and espresso colored tables were laid out next to it.
Grace approached the counter and was greeted by a girl who couldn’t have been more than 18 or 19, with jet black hair slicked back into a ponytail and a bright white hair band. Her lashes were so long they were flirting with her eyebrows. Those had to be fake. Right? Grace self-consciously tucked her fly away hair behind her ears.
“Can I help you?” the girl said cheerfully.
“I might be interested in a membership here,” Grace started, “can you tell me a little bit about this place? I’m not very familiar with it.”
“Sure! I’m Amy, by the way,” she said reaching out her hand.
“Grace.” She shook the girl’s hand. Her handshake was much firmer than Grace had anticipated. Amy must think her hand limp by comparison. Thankfully, the girl didn’t say anything and instead pulled out some brochures to show Grace the different membership options.
Just then, one of the instructors came through the studio door. He was tall, attractive and clearly athletic.
“Hey, Amy!” He smiled, throwing his gym bag over his shoulder and swinging his keys around his finger. He turned to Grace. “Signing up?”
“I’m checking it out,” she replied casually.
“We’ve got some really great classes here,” he responded, “Why don’t I give you a tour?”
“I don’t want to hold you up,” Grace said.
“It’s no problem. I’ve got time.” He put his bag down behind the counter as if to put a halt to her hesitance. He flashed his smile at her again. She had to admit it was quite a charming smile. He was just the sort of man who would appeal to her – usually. She was surprised, however, that while she could objectively admire his physique, she wasn’t interested. It seemed that her interests these days lent themselves to a more dangerous sort of man.
He showed her around the fitness center, pointing out the cycling area, the treadmills and weights, and gave her a minute to go into the changing room and peek around. In the large classroom he talked about the different body pump, cardio blast, yoga and dance classes they offered. While Grace’s cardio was in decent condition from regular running, the body pump class sounded like a good way to build muscle.
“Do you offer any self-defense classes?” she asked once he finally finished his spiel.
“Not open member classes, but some of the personal trainers here, including myself, offer individualized sessions. You can get a membership pa
ckage that includes personal training sessions. I’ll tell you what – I’ll give you an extra one on the house if you sign up before you leave!”
While Grace knew that this was probably all part of the usual gimmick, she was happy to accept. “Sounds great!” She said and thanked Jonathan for the tour. He took her back up to the desk where Amy was waiting with paperwork.
As soon as Grace had finished dotting her I’s and crossing her T’s, she ran home to change into her workout clothes and headed straight back to the fitness center. She was about to become a serious gym rat.
Chapter 6
In an effort to distract himself, Kalev had spent the better part of the evening checking in with his less-than-savory contacts around Boston to assess whether demonic activity had escalated since Grace’s encounter with the daeva. While a few had mentioned some slightly irregular sightings, including a small pack of hell hounds crossing the Commons last night, no one had heard of anything too out of the ordinary. Worse yet, it had done nothing to take his mind off what had happened with Grace.
He’d always taken pride in his self-discipline. Now, for the second time in only a few days, he’d temporarily lost control. He’d witnessed kissing thousands of times and always wondered what was so appealing about touching another person’s tongue. Boy, did he get it now. When their lips had met, his entire being had hummed with energy, with a want to be as close to Grace as possible. He’d followed the instinctual demands of his body instead of listening to the rationale his brain had tried to provide. Her subtle perfume and the softness of her skin had mesmerized him. He hardened every time he imagined capturing her lips with his own. In all his existence, he’d never felt anything like this. He hadn’t even known that angels were capable of it. Had others experienced it but didn’t talk about it? Or if he was somehow different? He didn’t dare ask anyone else.
Shaking his head, Kalev stepped in between the two concrete blocks marking the end of Colorado Street and the beginning of the Colorado Marsh. A car door slammed in the distance. A dog barked. Then, silence.
The Marsh was Kalev’s final stop. If anyone knew anything, it would be Dezebel. Dezebel, or ‘Dezzi’ as he preferred, was a half-demon who made his ‘living’ dealing in information. While Kalev’s other contacts gave him information out of fear or respect, the only way anyone got anything out of Dezzi was if they paid for it. While other angels might kill Dezzi for being what he was, Kalev found his information too valuable to pass up. Dezzi’s nature was more human than it was demon anyway and, frankly, he was too much of a junkie to be a problem to anyone. Each day, he collected his information and then returned to the safety of his hovel in the Marsh.
“Hey, Dezzi,” Kalev said, sensing Dezebel behind him.
“Man, how do you always know?” Dezzi whined as he approached.
Kalev ignored the question. “You know why I’m here,” he said instead, hoping to avoid as much of Dezzi’s ramblings as possible.
“And you know my price.” He grinned, revealing a mouth that had as many teeth missing as it had left. The remaining ones were yellowed and chipped.
Kalev frowned. “Yes, I know your price.”
Dezzi snickered with excitement and sat down on a nearby log. A thin moonbeam illuminated his face. It, along with the rest of his exposed flesh, was riddled with patches of angry red skin. His eyes had sunken further into his skull than ever before. Kalev didn’t anticipate that Dezzi would live to see many more years.
Dezzi scratched at a moss patch on the bark and hummed to himself.
“Dezzi,” Kalev said sternly, “I haven’t got all night.” Dezzi looked up amusedly.
“Have I got news for you, my friend,” he giggled. “It will be worth extra.”
“Out with it, and we shall see.”
Dezzi giggled again, clapping his hands together childishly. “It seems that a certain ring of power has resurfaced, and a member of the aristocracy is after it.”
Kalev stiffened. If the second part was true, which knowing Dezzi it almost certainly was, the situation was worse than he’d anticipated.
“Which member?” Kalev asked. Dezzi was twiddling a leaf between his fingers and seemed not to hear. “Dezzi,” Kalev growled as he walked toward him. “Which. One.”
“I don’t know exactly which one. One of the marquises.”
Kalev’s shoulders sagged. He supposed it could be worse, but a marquis was not a demon to be trifled with. They meant serious business. He was confident that, if it came down to it, he could take on most any of them, but until he knew which one it was, he was going to have to take extra precautions. He needed more information.
“Are any other members of the aristocracy aware?”
“I don’t think so,” Dezzi answered. He squinted one eye shut while the other looked wildly about. “It was just the one marquis’ daevas that spotted the girl in the park.”
“There was more than one?”
“Yeah, one watched from the trees while the other attacked the girl. He took off when one of your kind dusted his buddy.”
Kalev knew exactly which one of ‘his kind’ it had been, but he wasn’t going to tell Dezzi that. “And how did you come by this information?”
“You know, I’ve got friends everywhere.” Dezzi grinned and gave a wink. “Before that little daeva ran back to tell whoever his master is, he came to see old Dezzi here first.”
“Why would he do that?”
“We happen to have an arrangement,” Dezzi said vaguely, “but you know that I don’t share particulars about my sources.”
“Don’t test me today, Dezzi,” Kalev growled. He was quickly losing his patience. He usually had more patience for these little games, but he was angry at himself for letting the other demon escape. He’d been so preoccupied with Grace that he hadn’t thought to check the surrounding area. Now his negligence had brought a proverbial shit storm down on them.
Whichever marquis it was, wasn’t going to rest until he had the ring and its power for himself. Kalev had been hoping that Dezzi wouldn’t know anything either. Then he could have been mostly assured that, while Grace was still vulnerable to demons, they weren’t actively hunting her. Now, he knew she was targeted.
When he realized Dezzi was staring at him, Kalev sighed. He wasn’t in the mood to argue with Dezzi. “Fine. I’ll give you extra.”
Dezzi appeared to mull the offer over in his head. It didn’t take long for him to make up his mind.
“I may or may not have an arrangement with a plastic surgeon, that, for keeping his ‘affairs’ private, gives me certain, shall we say, leftovers?” Dezzi snickered and then snorted. “The daeva’s go crazy for them.”
Kalev grimaced with disgust. Dezzi really would do anything to make a deal. Kalev had hoped to exploit the daeva’s weakness to his own advantage to get further information closer to the source, but he did not relish the idea of feeding the daevas human-chow.
Dezzi’s whining interrupted Kalev. “Are you done now?”
“Yeah, I’m done for now,” Kalev responded. Dezzi rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm, his beady eyes glistening with anticipation. Ready to get this encounter over with, Kalev grabbed Dezzi’s outstretched wrist and squeezed it lightly. Then he began to let a slow but steady stream of his power flow through his hand into Dezzi’s veins.
Dezzi closed his eyes, leaned his head back, and gave a slight moan. The effect of the angelic power, or Qudra, on him was instantaneous. More powerful than any drug available on earth, Qudra gave humans and humanoids a long lasting, intensive high incomparable with any other substance. A single touch laced with it could numb a person’s pain; the dose he was giving Dezzi would make him gloriously giddy for days.
After a few minutes, Kalev released Dezzi and unconsciously dusted his hand on his pants, as if to rub off the dirty feeling that the transaction had given him. He turned to go, but Dezzi was in no condition to get himself back to his hovel, so he gently picked him up and carried him there. Dezzi w
as to be pitied, not loathed. Whoever had irresponsibly given Dezzi his first hit of Qudra had to have known what Dezzi would become. It only ever took one time.
His anger boiled to the surface at the injustice of it. He’d never cared in the past, but it bothered him now. Whoever it had been had had no right. Dezzi wasn’t exactly a good person, but he wasn’t evil either, despite his half-demon parentage. Unfortunately, it was too late; there was nothing Kalev could do. It still didn’t help ease his conscious any.
✽✽✽
Grace had spent both Monday and Tuesday evening training at Healthworks. Her first self-defense lesson with Jonathan wasn’t until Friday, but she’d taken the BodyPump class both days and run on the treadmill. While she’d kept telling herself that she should cancel with Caleb on Wednesday, she’d known, deep down, she wouldn’t.
Now waiting for him at the reservoir, Grace jumped in place a few times and rubbed her hands together to keep warm. It was an unusually cool spring day, and a moderate wind was blowing in threatening, dark rain clouds. She was happy she’d thought to wear her lined zip-up top and ankle length exercise pants. She’d even matched her training headband to her outfit in an uncharacteristic effort to look cute in her workout clothes.
She kept replaying their first training session over and over again in her head. Each move seemed etched into her memory, not because she had focused on learning them, but because she had been acutely aware of him. She so vividly recalled each contact with him that she could easily repeat any of the moves he had taught her.
When he rounded the corner, she couldn’t help but appreciate the way the grey athletic fabric of his clothes clung to his muscular frame. While she had never liked skull caps before, the raven black one that he was wearing quickly changed her opinion.
“Have you warmed up already?” He asked as he jogged up to her.
Guardian Page 6
