by A. J. Rand
I parked my bike at the edge of the driveway that swung into a circle at the front door. That door, too, opened as I stepped up to it. It must have been some favor Marduk had owed. I just hoped the value carried over to what I needed. A solemn, well-dressed man offered to take my coat, but I declined. He nodded acceptance and led the way through an incredible maze of rooms to an indoor pool area.
On the diving board of the pool, about six feet up, the most beautiful man I had ever seen was launching himself into the water. With perfect form he sliced the surface and shot into the crystal clear depths below. Only seconds passed before he crossed half the length of the pool and broke above the surface. He hit the far end and went to push off.
“Lord Marduk.” The servant’s voice rang out to catch the attention of the swimming immortal.
He turned and waved acknowledgement, climbing out of the pool. A servant I hadn’t even noticed as being there stepped up with a robe to wrap around his master. The pure, stark white of the cotton contrasted sharply with the chocolate-caramel color of his skin. What a shame to cover a body like that. His was the type of perfection to make a nun reconsider celibacy vows. And I certainly wasn’t a nun.
He toweled his hair and handed the damp cloth back to the servant. His deep brown eyes caught and held mine as he smiled and walked toward me. Every step that brought him closer tightened the response of my body to his. It wasn’t until he was standing directly in front of me and I was swaying on unsteady feet that I realized I was intoxicated with the power he put out as naturally as he breathed.
Damn. He was mesmerizing. His damp hair framed a stunning dark face of angles and lines blended to perfect symmetry. His long, waist-length hair was a gorgeous deep brown, tied back in multiple braids from his face. He watched me with amused curiosity, studying my reaction. He knew the effect he was having on me and was enjoying every minute of it.
I put my hand up to cover my eyes. It didn’t do any good. His power was singing through every inch of my body. “L-Lord Marduk, please––”
The vibration lowered, slowing ebbing away. Its loss made me feel so empty that I almost reached out for him, wanting the feeling back. The urge was so strong that it took all my concentration to stop myself. I didn’t even have enough to spare for irritation. That would come later, when I was far, far out of his reach.
“Ms. Star,” his voice interrupted my thoughts. “Are you all right?”
I nodded, taking my hand away from my eyes, but I couldn’t look at him. Not yet. “I will be.”
“My apologies. I do not often come across someone in the mortal world who is as sensitive as you seem to be.”
He sounded sincere. I opened my eyes. His look was innocent, but there was still a trace of amusement. I wanted to be irritated, but it was hard to divert my energy from controlling myself in the face of his power. No wonder immortals had once been worshipped as gods. I had met a few, and they all had that affect of intoxication on me, if they turned it up. But even Morpheus hadn’t affected me the way Marduk did. I would have to tread carefully around this one.
“Please, have a seat.” He offered his arm to escort me to a conversation pit at the edge of the pool, and then obviously thought better of it. Instead, he let me walk ahead of him and choose my own space.
He didn’t let me have too much space of my own, though. The immortal took a seat less than arm’s length away. He leaned back in a comfortable position, the robe falling open to display the solid, nuscular lines of his body. My eyes narrowed a bit. He wasn’t even trying to play fair.
The servant who had waited with his robe and towel was back again, holding a tray of beverages. He poured several fingers of dark, golden liquid from a crystal decanter into matching glasses, handing one to each of us. I close my eyes and inhaled, catching the full-bodied, peaty aroma of scotch. Good, scotch too, from the smell of it. An appreciative sip melted into an almost airy, smoky taste that evaporated on my taste buds without any burn. Very good scotch.
“How can I help you, Ms. Star?”
I looked up to find Marduk watching my every movement. It was a little disconcerting. Instead of setting the glass down, I clung to it, using the solid feel of it as a focus.
“Yeshua.”
“Erishkigal mentioned a dream stalker.”
“Yes.” I nodded and launched into the details.
“And you have been unable to handle him by yourself?” It was as much a statement as it was a question. “Interesting.”
I frowned. “Why interesting?”
Marduk smiled and reached over to run a light finger across the bruised part of my chin. A spasm of energy rolled through me at the contact. I narrowed my eyes and jerked away. That had been on purpose.
He laughed, throwing back his head. “Sometimes, Yeshua, the longevity of being immortal brings with it power and knowledge. Sometimes it brings joy, and sometimes sorrow, but it becomes rarer as time goes on, for it to bring surprises. You have brought surprise to me, and I’m trying to figure out what it all means.”
His look was intense, but I had no clue as to what he was talking about. He reached over and set his glass on the table. He pushed a button on the wall behind him, and immediately a servant showed up at his side. The man leaned in to listen to his master’s whispered instructions, looking at me with a blank expression. Then he left the room.
Marduk shook his head. “None of it matters––yet. I have the answer you seek, but I have the feeling you will not like it. The dream stalker has made a pact with a demon beyond my control. You might even be familiar with his name. He was once an angel of the heavens, but no more.”
My heart dropped. “Lucifer.”
“That is the name he is called by some.”
It didn’t make sense. “Why would Lucifer traffic in something so far beneath him? I thought he kept his eye on much bigger things.”
Marduk shrugged. “Maybe what he is working on has nothing to do with the dream stalker. Sometimes smaller events are only a means to an end.”
If his look wasn’t so watchful, I might have been led to believe he was speculating. But he wasn’t. He knew something more. Fine. He wanted to play? I’d oblige him––to a point.
I put on a look of confusion. “What kind of an end could a dream stalker give that he couldn’t achieve on his own?” I took a sip from my glass, watching him over the rim.
He picked up his scotch again and took a generous portion before replying. “I cannot say for certain. Who knows? Perhaps he searches for someone in the dreamscape. Or maybe he is setting up a trap for someone there––a test of abilities.”
The cold that washed through my body was absolute. Not even a sip of scotch offered any warmth. Tossing back the remaining contents of my glass didn’t do any better.
I set the glass down and leaned back to look him in the eye. “You mean he might possibly be testing the abilities of someone who, say, oh, I don’t know––messed up his plans way back when by locking up his power player?”
Marduk laughed. “So you do remember who you are––or once were.”
I shook my head. “No, not really. I have a few people hanging around that are trying hard to convince me. But how do you know this?”
He would have spoken, but the servant came back carrying a small bronze box on a tray. Marduk put down his glass, took the box and held it in his lap, saying nothing until the man was gone again. I was reminded of Erishkigal stroking the cylinder in her office. He was caressing the box in the same way, as though touching something precious. It was hard not to think of those hands caressing me in the same way. I shook the thought aside.
The look that he gave me was a bit unsettling, but it held a strong impression of sadness. “We knew each other well, once before. It was literally a lifetime ago for you, but it feels as though it were yesterday to me––no matter how much time has passed in between.”
“How did we know each other?”
“It does not matter for now. I have given you y
our answer, which absolves me of my debt to Erishkigal. To defeat Lucifer is a task that is beyond my abilities. And from what I can tell, it is a task beyond yours––for now.”
He was right in his earlier assumption. I didn’t like what I was hearing. So how did I get past all of this?
“However,” he added, looking down at the box, “I may be able to help you break the bond between your dream stalker and the Morning Star for long enough that you can at least deal with shutting him down.”
I looked up with hope. He had my full attention.
“But it doesn’t come without a price.”
I wanted to laugh, but settled for a cynical smile. “Nothing ever does, especially when dealing the immortals. What is it that you want?”
He let his energy reach out and touch me again, sliding over me like a caress. “You.”
My eyes felt like they were popping out of my head. I swallowed, hard, before I spoke.
“In what way?” I whispered.
His energy pulled back again, leaving me feeling its loss. He chuckled, brushing the back of his hand gently across my cheek.
“There was a time––” He shook his head to clear away the thought, but held his smile. “I know what is to come. There may be a time in the future that I will need you, no questions asked. No matter what my need, I would have your promise to be there.”
Warning bells went off in my head and I stiffened. “Not a chance. That’s too vague. I can’t agree to those terms.”
He shrugged, still holding his smile, his eyes dancing with laughter. “You cannot blame me for trying. If you have retained any part of your old self, you would never have agreed to that either. I would not have agreed to it. How about this?”
Marduk leaned in close to me, his finger coming up under my chin to lift my face to his. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips as he spoke, his eyes staring with purpose into mine.
“You will hold yourself to this promise for the future, as long as I ask for you to do nothing that goes against who you are or what you believe to be right. I will not ask for anything you would not willingly give to me, without reservation.”
He was making it hard for me to think, but I could find nothing wrong with his words. “Agreed.
His lips brushed mine, leaving warmth tingling through my body when he pulled back. Damn. I knew what I was hoping he asked for at this moment, but I had a feeling that’s not what he had in mind. Sometimes I resented the feeling of helplessness I felt when touched by the power of the immortals, at other times I craved it. Hey, I was only human.
A short time later I left the house of Lord Marduk with the box he gave me, a mind full of confusion, specific instructions, and some very conflicting thoughts. It was time for me to go back and deal with a houseful of arguing angels. I supposed it was too much to hope they had decided to leave me alone. This was only the beginning, and I knew it.
Chapter 16
It was late afternoon by the time I got back to my apartment. There’s nothing like walking into your own place and having a group of uninvited people stop talking and stare at you as though you didn’t belong. It was my apartment––they were the ones who didn’t belong. That’s not how they were making me feel.
Father David was trying to give me his best priestly disappointed look, but he wasn’t quite pulling it off. Chaz grinned and rolled his eyes to the ceiling when he thought no one else was looking. Sariel and Gabriel were both glaring at me, but neither said a word. Ke watched me with the same kind of emotionless mask I liked to wear.
“So, have you all come to a decision yet as to what the plans are for my life?” Attack was the best choice for breaking the ice. They’d had all day to work through their details. I still had to work through my feelings on the matter.
Father David coughed, hiding his mouth behind a cupped hand. The old devil was laughing. I didn’t give him away. It must have been exactly what the angels were trying to do, and the good Padre was fighting for me. He’d obviously had enough of the pompous righteousness of these higher beings. As long as he was on my side, I’d be okay.
Chaz got up to make some coffee, but I asked for water instead. I couldn’t hit the dreamscape with a caffeine buzz trying to pull me out of it. What I wanted to do before dealing with this mess was to go and put away the box Marduk had given me. Judging by the tension in the air, I think if I made a move to leave the room again, I’d probably end up on the bottom of a tackle pile. So I chose my comfy chair off to the side, slipped off my boots and curled my feet up under me.
“Where have you been?” Gabriel asked, his voice tight and demanding.
I raised an eyebrow at that. Poor Gabe, he’d obviously never learned about the top dog rule. I guess when you’ve been a top dog for as long as the earth had existed, you don’t think it applies to you. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sariel smirk.
“Why, Gabriel,” I tilted my head and gave him a charming smile, “I don’t believe it’s any of your business.”
Do angels swallow toads? Gabriel looked as though he had. I accepted the glass of water from Chaz. He gave me a look that said I’d missed a bit of fun while I was gone. That’s fine by me. The kid could fill me in later.
Gabriel tried again for aloof arrogance. “The Thrones are expecting your arrival.”
“No.”
He looked shocked. “No?”
“No. I haven’t said I’d go yet.”
“Yeshua,” Father David interjected with quiet patience, “you are considering it aren’t you?”
I laughed. “The chance to play Ezekiel and head on up to heaven to get a look around without having to die first? Sure, Father, I’m considering it. But I have a job to do first.”
He nodded.
Gabriel wasn’t happy. He tried yet another approach. “I have been told that what you are doing here is helping people against the dark side of existence. What the Thrones wish to discuss with you is something that will help the entire world––it is much more than just a handful of humans.”
I might have even bought a touch of sincerity in there somewhere. But maybe it was the way he seemed to relegate a handful of humans to a place of non-importance. It was the same way that he had dismissed Chaz’s presence earlier. It pissed me off.
I pretended to think about it. I took a sip of water and set it down. I folded my hands in my lap. What I was really doing was tamping down on my anger, but he didn’t have to know that. I did go for semi-insulting, because it was beyond my ability to resist.
“You know, Gabe, I am not a religious person. Would you like to take a stab at a possible reason for that?”
The Archangel looked at me with his cold haughtiness, but there was suspicion in his eyes. It was good to know he wasn’t that inept when dealing with humans.
“Because religion requires faith, Gabe. Faith is something I don’t have outside of myself.” I shrugged. “To be fair, I don’t have to have faith that there is truth to religious stories or supernatural beings, or even in the ultimate manifestations of good and evil. I live them each and every day. So the only thing I have to have faith in is knowing I will always try to do the right thing, and that I can make a difference when it is needed the most.”
Father David was smiling with pride. Even though I screwed up from time to time, the good Father had faith in me. There were times that he had more faith in me than I did.
“Then you will come with me to the Crystal City.” He made it a statement, rather than a question.
“That is what you believe to be the right thing to do, Gabriel.” I held up my hand to stop him when it looked as though he would argue. “And you’re probably right. But for the moment, the trumpets have only sounded three times. That means your situation has time. The handful of humans I have been working to save do not have the luxury of time. And it may be my fault they are in the trouble that they are.”
I told the group what Marduk had clued me into about Lucifer. Father David and Chaz were both shocked
and immediately concerned for my safety. It was good to know that someone was. Ke and Sariel exchanged glances. I’d give anything to know what was going on inside the heads of the Grigori. Gabriel was quiet. He had gone into brooding mode. I didn’t know if that was good or bad, but at least I wasn’t fighting off his persistent nagging to drop everything and go hang with even more angels.
“Yesh, what can I do to help?” Chaz was the first to break the silence.
I looked down at the bruises on my wrists with a cynical smile. “Stand by with a first aid kit? It could get a bit bumpy tonight.”
“No, really, Yesh––”
“Really, kid. There’s not a whole lot you can do. And I certainly won’t risk starting you out on this one.”
“I want to be there to help.” It was Ke who spoke.
I nodded. “I’m not turning the offer away.”
Sariel stood up and smoothed the wrinkles out of her clothes. It didn’t help. They had been setting in for hours until my return.
“I have a few things to attend to.” She announced. Another look passed between her and Ke. “I’ll be back later, if not, then in the morning.”
Father David got up and came over to me with open arms. I unwrapped myself from the chair and stood up so the older priest wouldn’t have to bend to reach me. He hugged me close, whispering a prayer of safety in my ear. It made me smile.
“Thanks, Father.”
He nodded. “I’ll be back in the morning. Be safe, Yeshua.”
Gabriel remained seated. His expression was unreadable. “I will remain here.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Gabe. I’ll let you have my decision in the morning.” If I survive, I added the last part to myself.
He frowned, shaking his head. “No. I will stand watch over you from here––in case the Morning Star decides to try a different approach for attack.”
That made my stomach churn. Damn. I wasn’t just tackling a dream stalker. I was dealing with a being that could take solid form––a bad angel––and the worst of the lot. It never dawned on me to think in terms of an attack on the physical. Dream stalkers were too cowardly to act that way. I’d have to readjust my thinking if I was going to be working on this level.
