by Monica Davis
Many things had become clearer for Vanessa, and her fear for Daniel grew.
They suddenly heard a clattering noise, as though a glass had fallen.
“I’ll see how Anne’s doing,” James said quickly, standing up.
Vanessa decided to leave the two of them alone for a while. She had so much to think about.
When James entered the kitchen, he saw Anne standing at the window, her back to him. She was leaning on the wooden counter; next to her, on the floor, was the fallen glass. A piece of the rim had broken off. James carefully picked up both pieces and threw them in the trash can. Then he came up behind Anne and put his arms around her.
Anne leaned back against him, shaking. “I … I can scarcely believe it all,” she said softly.
James tightened his embrace and kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry. I never wanted to involve you in this, but there was no choice. You were the only person I could think of when I was looking for a safe place for Daniel.”
Anne turned around to face him. “Why me, James?”
“You were my best friend outside the Guild,” he whispered, gazing steadily into her eyes. “You had nothing to do with anything supernatural. My son would be safe with you. I never could have given him a proper home. I was constantly on the run.”
Anne opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but then shut it again. Perhaps it was time for James to explain to her how much their friendship had meant to him. “If I hadn’t been a watcher …” Although he was afraid how she might react, he continued bluntly, “… I would have asked you to marry me.”
Anne didn’t reply.
James hoped that he hadn’t been foolishly hasty in revealing his feelings to her. She looked at him, trembling, her blue eyes filling with tears. James didn’t know what to do. He wanted badly to kiss her. His pulse was thundering in his temples, making his head ache. He hadn’t been so close to a woman since Kitana, and he wasn’t used to it anymore. But he missed this intimacy. He missed Kitana, love, and everything that went along with it. He had been alone for far too long.
After an eternity, she asked quietly, “What do you mean?”
James cleared his throat. “Your letters meant so much to me, but they were a constant reminder of what I couldn’t have. I was so jealous of Peter. The whole time I was in Cairo, all I wanted was to take the next plane back here to steal you away. I missed you so much.”
A smile flitted across Anne’s lips. “Oh, James, you can’t imagine how much I was in love with you.”
His heart skipped a beat. “Really?” he whispered, pulling her closer to him. It felt so wonderful to be with her. He still loved her. Was it possible to love two women? He had given his heart to Kitana, but a part of it had always remained with Anne.
“Really,” she whispered back. Her mouth was so close to his …
“I wanted so badly to tell you everything back then, but I couldn’t. I’m no longer in the Guild, but I’m a member of an underground watcher organization.”
Her mouth came closer. Even though James wanted nothing more than to kiss Anne that instant, he knew he had to clarify matters between them. “There’s more that you should know,” he said, his voice raw. How much could she bear? “I don’t know if you can stand to hear it.”
“Tell me everything, James. I don’t want there to be any more secrets between us.”
He sighed, relived. He didn’t want that, either.
“You’re going to hate me.”
She gently stroked his cheek. “I could never hate you. You gave me the greatest gift I’ve ever received: a child.”
“I …” He took a deep breath and mustered all his courage. “I’m so sorry that I ruined your marriage.”
Anne’s forehead creased as she frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Peter knew everything.” The truth was finally out. It felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He wouldn’t have to lie to Anne anymore. Never again.
Anne stiffened. “Peter knew about Daniel? That he’s part demon?”
James nodded. He hoped that she wouldn’t throw him out of the house. “Peter had to swear an oath. He and Dr. Graham are the only ones in on it. Otherwise, it never would have worked: Daniel’s illness, the adoption … Our organization has a great deal of power, money, and influence. We have to protect ourselves. Peter did everything we asked of him, but the secret was a great burden for him. Dr. Graham, who’s a watcher, thought it would be better to inform him — in case Daniel had a relapse and needed my blood again.” James didn’t know whether he should tell Anne what Peter had confided to him — that he and Anne had never really been a good match. Now that Anne knew the truth, perhaps she should talk things over with Peter.
Tears were shimmering in her eyes. Anne looked tremendously hurt, but said nothing.
James loosened his hold on her and shut his eyes. “I could give you a thousand reasons why I couldn’t say anything to you, but I know that it wouldn’t help you right now.” He sighed quietly and let her go, but she continued holding on to him. “If you want, I’ll go. But I’m going to bring Daniel back from Hell — I won’t allow you to be left all alone. I’ll do anything, even at the cost of my own life. I just wanted you to know the whole truth.”
Anne’s fingers were clutching the collar of his shirt. Her hands were shaking, and so was her voice. “We’re not going to give up on Daniel. He’s our child.”
When she said the word “our,” something deep within James sparked to life.
“We’ll get through this together, and then we can talk about us.”
“Okay,” James replied. He was relieved by Anne’s reaction, and even more relieved when she snuggled up to him and kissed him. “Please, hold me,” she said softly. “Just hold me tight.”
James did as she asked. He never wanted to let her go.
They were sitting across from each other in the restaurant, two steaming hamburgers on the plates before them, when Mike asked her, “Who are you visiting here in Little Peak?”
“Um, just a friend,” Marla said quickly, focusing her attention on the food. “This looks great!” It really did. Generally speaking, demons hungered after the souls from which they drew their energy — but Marla was different; she had to eat. From the very start, the Council had forbidden her to feed on souls. It would have made her stronger, and the high lords didn’t want that to happen. That was her punishment — enforced by Obron — for her mother’s treachery.
It wasn’t fair!
This just increased her hatred for James Carpenter. He alone was responsible for her misery. When he was out of the picture, she would be free; she would finally be able to live like a real demon. She’d hunt for souls until she had corrupted the last human on earth, so that no mortal would ever again interfere with her world.
The little bit of energy she needed to live was given to her in secret by the Oracle. Metistakles sucked Marla’s energy reserve completely dry when he had his way with her. Otherwise, she found herself something to eat in the upper world — another secret no one could be allowed to discover. Demonic magic like the creation of a portal required a great deal of energy, so Marla was justifiably hungry.
She shuddered. She didn’t want to think about Metistakles right now. That would only attract his attention to her — and also to Mike. Luckily, Metistakles rarely focused on anything except his own interests.
Mike looked at her expectantly. “The double cheeseburger is the best. Try it before it gets cold, or don’t you like hamburgers?”
“Of course I do,” she said, holding her breath. Mike had taken a big bite, and there was a bit of sauce on the corner of his mouth that Marla would have liked to lick off.
“I almost didn’t recognize you at the fountain earlier.” Mike took a sip of his diet soda. “You looked so different as a punk, but just as cute.” Mike’s blue eyes sparkled, and Marla melted. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Damn humans, damn my weakness!
When his kne
e touched hers under the table, Marla almost jumped up; it felt like an electric shock has passed through her. She quickly grabbed her burger and bit into it. She had selected a veggie burger — not because of its contents, but because the name sounded funny to her. Her teeth cut through the soft bun, then reached the patty made from grain, mushrooms, and nuts that lay between a slice of cheese and a piece of lettuce. The lettuce crunched in her teeth, and juice flowed out of the plump bite of veggie patty in her mouth. Marla shut her eyes in pleasure and sighed, then hastily chewed and swallowed. She had never tasted anything so delicious.
She heard Mike laugh. “I wasn’t exaggerating, was I?”
“Delicious,” she murmured, taking another bite.
“You eat that like you haven’t had a bite to eat in ages.”
How right he was … However, Marla was afraid he might start asking her questions, and wondered what normal humans would be talking about in this kind of situation.
“Do your parents live in Little Peak, too?” she asked. Marla really was interested in Mike’s life. She knew about his taste in music and how he had furnished his apartment, but he hadn’t yet said anything about his family. Marla didn’t remember seeing any photos of them in his apartment.
“No, my parents don’t live here,” Mike answered her, “and I’m happy that there’s several hundred miles between us.”
Marla looked up. “Don’t you get along with them?”
He shrugged his shoulders and muttered, “I never met their expectations; I could never do anything right in their eyes.” But his eyes started to shine when he talked about his job. “It’s so great to have a fulfilling job. I really like working in the bank.” He looked at Marla, grinning. “If the subject doesn’t bore you, I’ll tell you all about loans, stocks, and savings accounts.”
Marla nodded eagerly. As long as Mike was talking, she couldn’t say anything wrong. She also liked listening to his voice. “Okay, but only if you pay for my dinner,” she said with a laugh. She hadn’t felt this good in a long time.
After a leisurely stroll, during which Mike actually showed her the few sights that Little Peak had to offer — the monument to the city’s founders, the historical Carnegie library, and the mining museum — they turned into a street that Marla recognized. The sign said “Willow Street.” Of course …
“This is where I live, by the way,” Mike said, coming to a halt in front of the entrance to number four.
I know … Marla almost blurted out. She quickly said, “Okay, well … I guess I’ll be going.”
He had put his jacket around her earlier, wrapping her in his warmth and that irresistible scent. Demons weren’t sensitive to the cold, but she still appreciated the gesture. Marla gave a quiet sigh as she took off the jacket to hand it back to him. She would have liked to keep it as a souvenir.
“Do you really think I’d let you go home alone in the dark?” Mike’s gaze was so intense that Marla felt a little dizzy.
If you only knew … Where I come from, there’s eternal darkness. She smirked. “I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself.”
“I’m sure you can,” Mike said softly, tossing his jacket over his shoulder and moving closer to her.
Marla automatically took a step back, but she couldn’t escape; she had her back to a wall and could feel Mike’s chest pressing lightly against her.
Marla shut her eyes. She knew exactly what Mike wanted, and she wanted it, too. How she wanted it!
But it was wrong, so wrong … He was a human! Marla didn’t want to make the same mistake her mother had. Why did she have such strong feelings for Mike?
“Marla,” he whispered, his lips grazing her cheek. His hands were gripping her arms, and his warm body was right up against hers.
Mike’s breathing quickened, as did Marla’s. She wanted to push him away with demonic magic, but her mental powers failed her. His proximity, his warmth, and his scent were sufficient to render her defenseless.
“Don’t,” she whispered into his cheek, eyes still shut. His stubble tickled her lips, and Marla recalled how gloriously it had shone in the evening sun … like gold.
“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to,” he promised, and these words were enough to break down her resistance. She turned her head a little and found herself kissing Mike on the lips.
Marla’s heart stopped for a moment, then beat twice as fast as before. She had never experienced such feelings before — how soft his lips were, and how tenderly he was kissing her! She thought she might melt from pure happiness.
For demons, sex was normally a way to pass the time — unbridled lust without any romantic meaning. But had Marla ever really been “normal,” for a demon? If so, how could a kiss knock her off her feet like this?
She had probably been exposed to humans and their emotions too much as a child; it must have rubbed off on her. Like Obron always said, Kitana had ruined her.
Marla had to be emotionless; she was a demon, damn it all!
She instinctively felt that this had something to do with Kitana. There had always been something not quite right about her. Marla had dreams about her mother that were so real, like she was inhabiting her mother’s body. In her dreams, she experienced these same emotions — not only for Mike, but also for James, the man Marla abhorred.
Marla didn’t want to think about Carpenter or the underworlders, nor about the mission she had to complete. Right then, she only wanted to find peace in Mike’s arms.
He pulled her to him, and Marla could feel the contours of his muscular body. Usually, physical closeness was difficult for her, but with Mike, she didn’t feel afraid. For one thing, she knew that she was stronger than him, thanks to her powers; and for another, she sensed that he would never hurt her.
Finally, she took the initiative and stuck a hand under Mike’s shirt to caress the smooth, warm skin of his back. It felt good to be so close to someone who she … liked.
Her body tingled, and her heart raced so fast that she began to feel dizzy.
“Do you want to come up?” Mike asked. “Just so we don’t get cited for public indecency.”
She managed a nod, although the ramifications of the decision made her long to open a portal to escape. Mike pulled her to the main door and up the steps to the first floor. His hands were shaking so much that he could scarcely unlock his door, and Marla was tempted to help him by magical means.
Finally he succeeded, and they quickly landed on his big, circular bed, not even bothering to turn on the light.
Marla could see perfectly well in the dark, so she knew that little had changed in Mike’s bedroom since she had been there the last time: The walls were still painted bright red — at least, Marla assumed they were from their shade of grey, since she couldn’t recognize colors in the dark — but now the sheets were white satin instead of black.
White … white stood for innocence.
Marla was anything but innocent with regard to sexual experience.
She was a demon, after all! Corrupted, evil to the core … but had she ever truly felt that way?
Mike had completely shattered her worldview, broken it into tiny pieces like a jigsaw puzzle. Marla would never be able to put it back together, she knew that already. Was Mike an angel freeing her from Hell? Had James been an angel who had saved her mother? Was there any such thing as salvation for a demon?
These thoughts were banished as Mike gripped her sweater to pull it off. She hesitantly did the same to him. It was easier than she thought to take off another person’s clothes — another thing that was new for her.
So many new and confusing things, all at once … Mike, what are you doing to me?
He gently pushed her onto the bed and kissed her throat. Her lace bra suddenly seemed to constrict her chest, and she was glad when Mike unfastened it. How dexterously he did so … He was clearly a man with some experience. And so gentle … Marla felt safe with him.
Her hands ran over his perfect torso, over his slightly pro
nounced pectoral muscles and his flat stomach. Marla stroked his narrow hips and then slid her hands across his back. His skin was crazily soft — as silky as the satin sheets she was lying on.
After Mike had stripped off her bra — chosen with Vanessa’s help — he lay down on top of her. Marla thought she might swoon from the sensation of skin against skin. The pressure of his body and his passionate kisses almost made her lose her mind.
Their tongues did a wild dance as their bodies rubbed and pressed against each other. Was it always this way between a man and a woman, a human and a demon?
Now Marla understood why her mother had left the underworld. There was no question, she would give up her old life for these feelings … if she weren’t Metistakles’ slave. She was bound to the high lord by her father’s oath. Only he — or the death of Metistakles — could annul it. Marla would never be free to be with Mike unless she killed James.
Damn it, what kind of thoughts were these? But she suddenly had an overwhelming desire to belong to Mike, body and corrupted soul. She knew she’d kill for it, even though she had never killed another living creature. “What are you doing to me?” she whispered.
“Seducing you.” Mike laughed, and his breath on her cheek sent a wave of goose bumps over Marla’s entire body.
Why did he have to be so damn sexy?
He abruptly pulled away, and Marla felt oddly abandoned. “What’s wrong?” she asked woozily. She saw that Mike was fumbling around on the nightstand.
“I want to see you,” he replied, reaching for the switch on his bedside lamp.
No! He couldn’t see her naked!
She rolled over him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back; in her fit of panic, she used a little magic. Mike was deftly flipped back onto the bed.
“What …” He gasped. “Wow, I didn’t think you were that strong!”
Marla sat astride his torso (so that he didn’t get any more bright ideas about the light) and caressed his chest. She liked having him under her, defenseless, arms bent behind his head.
