He smiled down at her, still not quite believing that someone like her could love someone like him, but he heeded her demand, and slowly slid himself into her. Mandy’s eyes rolled shut, and the two shared sighs of contentment at being connected once more. This was where they belonged. They fit together in such a way that Paul had never felt before. It was completely astounding to him, but he didn’t waste another thought on it as he started moving insides of her.
She was slick and wet, and he was further encouraged to reach deeper into her, knowing that her arousal was solely for himself.
When Mandy’s breathing hastened, he knew she was nearing the edge, which was definitely a good thing given that he had been waiting a few moments but didn’t want to finish before he had given her pleasure.
Once she shattered around him, he allowed himself to release his own climax. She was too much to take, he realized, but she was his, and that made everything right.
Mandy watched Paul sleep, her light being the moonlight that seeped into the bedroom window. She would have to leave soon, despite wanting nothing more than to stay tangled up in him. But she had to leave.
After the experience she had shared with him, she knew that it would be harder to go, and at the same time, it would be easier. Although she wanted nothing more than to stay, the thought of loving him as much as she did made it easier for her to release him. If she really was the key to this war, the key to Paul’s happiness, then she would do her duty for him.
And the thing was, as long as she knew that Paul loved her, she felt as though she could do anything. It sounded cheesy, and maybe it was, but knowing that the man – the demon – that she loved her reciprocated those feelings just as ardently as she did, she wasn’t that afraid anymore.
God, he looked so beautiful, it was hard not to believe that Paul was one of God’s creations rather than Satan’s. The way the moonlight reflected his skin… It was almost too much for her to take.
After another moment, Mandy knew that now would be the perfect time to ho. She bent down and quickly kissed the slope of Paul’s throat, lingering longer than was necessary before drawing herself away and standing up. She left the room with only the towel around herself, walked into her room and changed into comfortable, warm clothes.
Everything else, she left. She wouldn’t need anything where she was going. And she had everything she wanted anyways.
And just like that, she slipped into the night, not looking back.
Twenty-One
It had never been a question for Mandy. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t question it. She knew that there might be a moment or two where she wanted to go back, but she would never regret her decision. Currently, she was making her trek down to the park in order to meet Kesha. She was wearing one of Paul’s old sweatshirts, and her mind was clouded with silent hopes that the light rain wouldn’t wash out his scent. It was all she had of him, and she didn’t want him to fade away from her mind, her heart.
Even Paul couldn’t change her mind when it came to her decision, and she hoped that he appreciated what she had done for him, if he might not understand it. She hated having to sneak out, especially after that night together of being wrapped up in the essence that made them whole. And yet, she knew that there was no other time. Paul would be watching her like a hawk once he woke up, and there was no way she would ever be able to reason with him when it came to something like this. It was her choice to make, and as a result, it was her responsibility to see it through.
It was at that moment, walking out of the door and into the rain, when she finally learned – really learned – the concept of sacrifice. Her mother had spoiled her as a child because it was just the two of them, and Mandy’s mother wanted Mandy to have everything she didn’t, even if her father was gone, if they were living in some shitty apartment. It was only when Mandy’s mother died did Mandy finally grow up, but once she did, she did it fast. However, she was still somewhat sheltered when it came to a person’s true nature, and as a result, she was known to be naïve.
But now… now she wasn’t anymore.
The rain comforted her as best as any person in Mandy’s position could be comforted, and as a result, she felt her body slowly start to relax. She would miss him. There was definitely no doubt about that. And she hoped that sometimes, he would miss her too. And if he found a girl and happened to fall in love with her…? Well, with a shaky breath, Mandy realized that Paul deserved as much happiness as he could get, and that was all she wanted for him. If he was happy, then somehow, she would be happy. He should be able to live his life as a human to the fullest extreme, and that included falling in love.
As she began to near the park, Mandy felt her heart pound harder and harder, vibrating throughout her body. She had no idea what to expect when she got to the agreed place to meet at. Maybe Satan Himself would be waiting with the beautiful fallen angel, or maybe it would only be Stan or only Kesha. She wondered what sort of person Satan was, but internally laughed at such a thought.
Satan wasn’t a person. Satan Himself was a fallen angel, and hated humanity because of God’s preference for them. He was the seven deadly sins all wrapped up into one extremity, and she was going to marry Him. Would He be vicious to her? Was it even possible that He might be sociable, friendly even? Or would He treat her with cold disregard? Did marriage mean consummation? Could Satan even have sex? Surely if Paul could, then it was probably certain that Satan could.
Mandy could make out Kesha even before she reached their meeting place. When Kesha saw her, she couldn’t help but look somewhat surprised that Mandy had actually shown up. The fallen angel had to hand it to Mandy; Mandy definitely had some strong internal compass in her. Of course, she regarded such matters as trivial weaknesses, but to see her choose to be here surprised her nonetheless.
“I see you’ve changed your mind,” Kesha said, smirking. “You wish to take out revenge on Paul.”
Mandy couldn’t help but feel somewhat grateful that Satan wasn’t there. That way, maybe she could get a grip on the inner turmoil her body was currently experiencing. Upon hearing what Kesha said, Mandy simply shook her head. “No,” she said in a voice just above a whisper. “No, I didn’t change my mind. He doesn’t want me here, but…” Her heart constricted painfully. “But I know how important being mortal to him is, and after all he’s done for me… I… I want him to have that.”
“Mortality is important to all fallen angels,” Kesha agreed, an enigmatic look on her face as she regarded the young woman in front of her.
“Good,” Mandy said, her voice coming out stronger than she realized. “Good, because I want you to stake your immortality on it. I’ve learned a lot about fallen angels, and when they make a promise and make a stake on something, they’re bound by that promise to the person they’ve promised something to. And while some fallen angels such as Paul are actually interested in being mortal, many of you would never want that because you like your power.” Here, she paused, catching her breath. “And you seem to fall in the latter category.” Mandy took a step towards Kesha; she really had no idea what she was doing, but something told her that whatever it was that she was doing, it was somehow right. “If you make Paul mortal, I will go willingly with you to your Creator.”
Kesha couldn’t believe the gall this human had, but she would be lying if she denied she didn’t respect the woman’s spunk. “That is a very big sacrifice your are asking of me,” Kesha pointed out, and raised a cool brow, daring Mandy to ask it of her again.
“Oh, and my sacrifice isn’t?” Mandy countered, raising her own brow before crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m supposed to be this key to solving your war. I hate to break it to you, but to win, you need me, a human. And I’m right in front of you, willing to agree to go if you just make this promise to me.”
Kesha looked long and hard at the human in front of her as her quick mind processed everything Mandy had told her. It was true; if she was to go willingly, it would be much easier than ha
ving her fight and struggle every inch of the way. And Satan would no doubt be happier with a submissive human right from the start rather than to have to punish her until she learned better. A submissive wife was a good one. Slowly sliding her head into a tilt, Kesha narrowed her eyes, wondering if this human was trying to trick her, if this was all a set up. Paul and his traitor demon friends could be waiting somewhere, and once a signal had been made, they might descend upon her and… Well, she wasn’t exactly sure what they would do to her, but the possibility was always there, wasn’t it?
“Just because fallen angels are bound by their promises does not mean that humans are,” Kesha said slowly, watching Mandy with her deep velvet eyes quite carefully. She tilted her head to the other side. “How am I to know that you will keep your promise?”
Mandy was taken aback by the doubt laced in Kesha eyes, but couldn’t blame her for it. It was only natural for Kesha to feel somewhat suspicious of the young woman, and Mandy could understand that. However, how to remedy the situation so Kesha would believe her was another matter entirely until, finally, a solution managed to present itself clearly in Mandy’s mind. For whatever reason, she smiled at it, and murmured, “You can take me to your Creator personally.”
Now this I can work with, Kesha thought to herself as a smile slid onto her face. If she was the one who took Mandy to Satan, it would be she who would be rewarded, not Paul, or Griffin for that matter. But she, Kesha, a female fallen angel, would be the one rewarded beyond her wild imagination. Even though she was much more powerful than regular fallen angels, she wanted even more. To be honest, she believed that she should be matched with her Creator, but if he did not want her, then she was not going to push it. Of course, she could do the next best thing…
“All right,” Kesha agreed, her voice soft only because her mind was still calculating. She took two steps towards the young woman, and after a moment, Mandy did the same thing, save her steps were somewhat tentative. When the two shook hands, Mandy didn’t feel anything different, but she watched as Kesha closed her eyes, and… “It is done.” Her eyes popped open, the color taking Mandy by surprise despite the fact that she had seen it before.
Kesha grabbed onto Mandy’s forearm, her grip tightening. “We must go,” she told Mandy, a dark, enigmatic smile touching her face. “We are late.”
“For what?” Mandy asked, furrowing her brow.
The dark smile only deepened. “For a very important date,” Kesha replied before snap her wings out.
And like that, they were airbourne.
Twenty-Two
Paul woke up the next feeling with a sense of foreboding that something was wrong, very, very wrong. However, he couldn’t quite put his finger on what that might be, especially since he had just shared a wonderful evening of passion with the woman he loved dearly. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was never going to get his dream of being human… And yet, such a priority had instantly fallen. He knew, deep down, that he didn’t need to be human to finally get what he wanted. It was like that Rolling Stone song – Paul might not have gotten what he wanted, but Mandy was what he needed through and through, and he would give up anything to have her by his side.
At that moment, Paul furrowed his brow. Speaking of which… Though his eyes were closed and he couldn’t exactly see, he truly felt as though something was missing, and it was only when he rolled over to wrap his arm around Mandy’s waist did he realize just what that was. Paul’s eyes snapped open, but even with the sense of sight, he only confirmed what he had originally believed.
Mandy was gone.
Even though he had yet to look in the bathroom, around the house, the conclusion had already touched Paul’s mind, and his intuition agreed; she was gone. But maybe… He had to look for her. Maybe his intuition was wrong this time. Maybe she really was taking a shower, maybe she and Kelly were watching Jerry Springer, maybe she and Bruce were meditating. He didn’t know, and be quite frank, he didn’t actually care. All Paul wanted was reassurance to his worry, and that meant that he needed to find Mandy as soon as possible, wrap his arms around her, and vow never to let her go.
As Paul stood, his pale blue eyes scanned the floor of his bedroom before grabbing his pajama pants and sliding them on. He needed to start looking for her because the sooner he did that, the sooner he would be able to attain some sort of answer. If she was gone, God forbid, then he needed to formulate some sort of plan in order to get her back. And luckily, Bruce and Kelly were with him if he needed them. And to be quite honest, Paul would need them because even as it was, he was starting to lose it.
“Mandy?” he called, though his voice was coming out rough, almost croaky. He didn’t care. He needed to find her. “Mandy?” He went over to the bathroom, but it was empty.
When Paul practically barged out of his room, his eyes quickly went around the room. “Mandy?” he called, his heart pounding against his chest. “Mandy?”
He didn’t even notice Bruce and Kelly, standing in the kitchen and sipping on coffee. The couple looked at each other but had yet to actually say anything. They knew the answer before Paul did, but then again, it was so obvious. And they didn’t even stop Paul from going into their rooms and searching everything, everywhere in between.
After a good fifteen minutes, Paul came out, his eyes filled with frustration and worry, his shoulders slumped forward as though he had been defeated in no certain terms. However, an idea struck him, and he straightened, his eyes capturing Bruce’s before shifting into Kelly’s. “Mandy,” he said, speaking her name with a subtle urgency. “Mandy, have you seen her? Have you seen Mandy?” His eyes went between both of them, looking for any flicker of hope to quickly grab onto, but instead, they looked bleak, even hesitant.
“Mandy’s gone,” Bruce said in a voice just above a whisper.
Paul clenched his jaw, causing the muscle to pop, and he shook his head, not wanting to believe it. “No,” he said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “No, that’s not possible.”
“It is,” Kelly said, and though she didn’t mean to, she had put an emphasis on her words, hoping Paul would get it, wouldn’t fight them on it. “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror this morning?”
Paul furrowed her brow and gave her an impatient look. “Actually, no, I haven’t Kelly,” he replied dryly. “I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but I – we – have bigger problems than what I look like at the moment. For one, Mandy is gone. She’s gone, and I have no idea where the fuck she is, so excuse me if I look bent out of shape right now. Tomorrow morning, I promise I’ll be more to your liking concerning my physical appearance.”
“Don’t be a smartass, Paul,” she snapped, narrowing her eyes. “Why don’t you go do what I say and then the pieces to your little puzzle will fall into place.”
Paul opened his mouth to retort something, but the look on Bruce’s face told him not to argue with her. It wasn’t just a she’s-my-girlfriend-don’t-speak-that-way-to-her look, but rather a she’s-right-and-would-be-whether-she-was-my-girlfriend-or-not kind of look. He let a sigh slip out of his nose before turning and heading into the nearest bathroom. When he stood in front of the mirror, his face became pale at what he saw.
His wings. His big, black beautiful wings had vanished from his body. They were gone. But it couldn’t possibly be because…
Paul dashed out of the bathroom and looked at Bruce and Kelly, who now both had similar looks of sympathy written in their eyes. Now that reality had finally sunk in, now that Paul finally realized where Mandy was…
“She’s gone,” he said. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t known that before, it was simply now a shock that she had really gone. Why would she go, especially after last night? It didn’t make any sense. And how did she manage to slip out with him none the wiser? His thoughts were flooded with questions similar to this, and yet Paul could answer absolutely none of them. Because he was so ridiculously upset, his body reacted by getting quiet, almost relaxed desp
ite the fact that he was, in fact, seething. “He has her… and I don’t…” He allowed his voice to trail off until his eyes finally locked on his two friends. “I don’t know what to do.”
Bruce opened his mouth, about to point out that there really wasn’t anything Paul could do because of his new state, but Kelly nudged him. It was moments like these when he could swear she had the ability to read his mind.
“Listen Paul,” she told him. “Just because you’re a human now doesn’t mean you aren’t our friend. And whatever it is that you plan to do, whatever you want to do, we’ll help you to the best of our abilities, but more than that, we’ll support you.”
Paul tried, he tried, to smile at her reassuring words, but he couldn’t. His body was so tense that even the faintest hint of a smile was too much effort for him. But he did feel slightly comforted by Kelly, and even though Bruce had yet to say something, he knew Bruce would be there for him as well.
“So what do we do?” Paul asked, and needing to release the tension that currently plagued his body, began to pace up and down the room. They weren’t quick, but his strides were long and determined, firm, and every now and then, he would throw an inquiring gaze over to his friends, hoping for their input.
“Well, let’s see,” Kelly said, placing her index finger on the tip of her chin. “What’s the itinerary concerning the Creator’s marriage to the human…? Hmm…”
“Well, whoever it is that has her brings her to him,” Bruce pointed out. “And if she left at night, we have to allow another entire day for something, for the threat, to actually truly take hold.”
“And they don’t actually see each other before the marriage,” Kelly added. “They first see each other at their actual marriage ceremony. And even then, the marriage doesn’t count. At least not yet.”
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