Derick didn’t seem to notice blondie’s enthusiasm over Coke verse Diet Coke. Instead, he showed Annie the menu and asked her what she wanted.
Something inside of Annie stirred as she watched the overly friendly waitress try to ask Derick where he was from and how long he would be in town. Jealousy and a feeling of possession burned through her. She almost snapped her butter knife in half. She needed something to hold on to so that she didn’t reach out for the woman’s arm, and break it.
Annie was outraged by the woman’s behavior. The darkness inside of her swirled when she imagined what she wanted to do to the woman.
Derick was polite and answered her questions, but was careful to include Annie in his answers. He used the word “we” on more than one occasion and pointed to Annie for emphasis.
Annie knew that Derick should find a nice mortal to settle down with and have a family, but the thought made her retch. Unfortunately, she couldn’t feel any affection for the red-lipsticked whore who was dangerously close to brushing her padded boobs against Derick’s shoulder.
The waitress, refusing to take a hint, rushed in record time to get their drinks and bring them bread so that she could take their food order. Her theatrics were wearing on Annie. The breaking point was when the waitress brushed her fingers across the back of Derick’s hand while pointing to the specials.
Annie snapped. She glared at the waitress and let her see exactly what lurked below the surface of her eyes. In perfect Romanian, she said, “If you touch him one more time I’m going to have you fired for your inappropriate behavior. We are clearly together. You would do well to remember that. I suggest you find someone else to wait on us.”
The waitress quickly jumped back from the table, understanding the threat. The look of sheer terror on the woman’s face proved that she clearly saw the danger in Annie’s eyes and feared it more than her verbal threat. She quickly apologized to both of them in Romanian and ran for her life back to the kitchen.
“You speak Romanian?” Derick was dumbfounded by the revelation.
“Derick, I know a number of languages. I wasn’t lying about traveling through Europe. I’m sorry that I didn’t mention it before. Sometimes it’s better not to let everyone know you speak the language so the locals don’t censor themselves,” she replied unabashedly.
Derick nodded his head. He knew Annie was good at keeping secrets, so he decided to let it go. “I assume you were telling her to back off and leave me alone,” he smiled brightly.
“In so many words, yes. I’m sorry; I couldn’t sit back and watch her flirt any longer,” she explained while she casually tried to straighten out her butter knife under the table.
Derick reveled at the idea of Annie staking her claim on him. He liked that she was not only jealous, but also willing to threaten anyone who hit on him. He enjoyed the idea of being possessed by her. It made him feel wanted. If only he could get rid of her boyfriend and possess her in return.
“I’m glad you did that. She was really annoying, but I knew if I told her to back off, she would pretend that she didn’t understand. I’m glad that you were able to say it in her native tongue to avoid any confusion,” Derick laughed at the look of fear on the poor girl’s face. If only Annie had been by his side in high school, no one would have dared to question his sexual orientation, or ask him out. Annie would have threatened anyone who looked at him wrong. The thought made him hard.
“Oh, she understood. Plus, we’re getting a new waiter,” Annie smirked darkly as an older man approached the table looking nervous, and asked for their order.
Once they were done placing their orders, they sat quietly inspecting the decor.
Annie tried to ignore the fireplace, which reminded her of the one in her bedroom in Hell. It was deflating her good mood quickly. She tried not to think about home and her devil problem. She stared at the flames crackling and popping along the wood. She needed to talk to someone about her Lucifer dilemma. She hated to burden Derick, but he was the only one who might understand.
“You asked me why I stay with him,” she said quickly. “My answer is, because I don’t have a choice. He’s a difficult man to deal with but I’m one of the few who can understand him and see past his issues. You were right about everything. He was my first. We’ve had a lot of difficulties to overcome, but we’ve done it together. He’s not the kindest person, and you were right about him hurting me sometimes. The issue is that he doesn’t have an easy life. He’s been in pain for a long time. When I’m with him, he forgets about the past, forgets his pain, and he can remember how to love someone. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to stay with him, but I made a choice. I chose to stay. That doesn’t mean that I put up with his shit all the time, but it means that I can’t leave him alone to bear the weight of his responsibilities without support. I fear what would happen if I left. I don’t fear him, but I fear his actions. He has an important job to do, but it’s stressful and brutal, and it takes a toll on him,” she said, staring into the fire.
“Yes, but again, you have taken his problems and made them your own. What does he do for you while you’re dealing with his pain?” Derick said, taking her hand.
Annie bit her lip. Of course, Derick would immediately see past her excuses and find the real problem. “He saved my life. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him,” she sighed.
“You seem to think that you owe him your life. You’re not indebted to him, especially if he saved you for his own selfish reasons. The way you talk about him, it sounds like he thinks he owns you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that you’re alive and that he helped you, but that doesn’t mean you have to be bound to him for the rest of your life,” Derick quickly understood how the asshole was able to take advantage of her.
She couldn’t tell Derick that she did owe her life to Lucifer and because of that she was his blood servant, nor could she explain why Lucifer had saved her. She was left with one explanation, something that he could understand.
Annie turned over her wrists, and allowed the scars to appear. She lifted them up so that Derick could see them in the firelight. “I chose him Derick. I chose to be with him, even if I didn’t fully understand the consequences. I chose to stay,” she was being completely honest with him, even if she left out the details. Lucifer had been the catalyst for leaving her mortal life, but he was the reason that she had survived a Celestial Sword to the chest. Regardless of all they had been through, she was grateful to Lucifer for saving her life.
Derick’s breath caught in his throat. The thick, pale lines on her wrists were shocking and perplexing. How could this wonderful woman try to kill herself? He didn’t know what to say, though suddenly everything made sense. The boyfriend must have saved her life after she’d done this to herself. God only knows what he said to her. He probably convinced her that without him, she wouldn’t be able to survive. What a bastard.
He pulled her chin up and waited for her to look at him. “Annie, I know what it’s like to believe that your whole world has crashed and that you have nothing to live for anymore. There’s a feeling in the pit of your stomach that tells you that nothing will ever change and it will never get better. Killing yourself seems like the only way to escape the hopelessness, but trust me it’s not the answer. Things can always get better, as long as you believe that they can,” Derick smiled at her. He never thought he’d find a reason to be happy, but then he’d met Pete, which led him to Annie. “Somehow, this guy has convinced you that being with him is the only way you can be happy. You’ve chosen to put your faith in him and he has manipulated you. He’s not the answer to your problems, he’s the cause,” Derick whispered as he caressed her cheek.
Annie knew he was right, but there was nothing to be done about it. “It’s true, but it doesn’t change anything,” she sighed.
“I know you think that there’s no hope for you, but there is. Sometimes you have to look at things from a different perspective. I know you can find a way out of this,” Derick held
her hands tightly.
She had no reply for him. They ate their dinner in silence, neither one knowing what to say.
Pushing her dessert around on her plate, she thought about what Derick had said. He mentioned that he knew what it was like to be without hope. A chill started to creep into her stomach. She closed her eyes and focused her thoughts. She reached out and took Derick’s hand in hers.
“Look at me Derick,” she said as she stared into his blue eyes. Beyond his sadness, isolation, and loneliness, she saw something else. She saw the hint of death. Derick had tried to kill himself, or at least had seriously considered it. Shit. That was the reason he was Purgatory-bound or possibly headed to Hell.
“What’s the matter?” Derick watched Annie’s eyes tear up as she looked away.
“You said that you had a hard time after your mother died and that your uncle helped you. How bad did it get Derick?” she whispered, watching the flames crackle and pop along the wooden logs.
Derick hesitated. It was easier to lie, but he couldn’t, not to her. “I took some pills that were left over from my father’s treatments. My mother never threw away any of his things. I don’t remember much. I know that Uncle Benjamin was the one that found me. Once I was released from the hospital, he convinced them that I would be okay in his care so I didn’t have to sit through any therapy sessions. Instead, he would talk to me and make sure that I understood that life would get better. He told me that if I gave up, I would regret it. He convinced me that I could start over again in Tulsa. His favorite phrase was that I could write my own future. I was old enough to make my own decisions, but I had to make the right decisions. Something about the way he said it made me believe it. I went to Tulsa and did my best not to look back. It wasn’t always easy, but I got through it,” he shrugged, embarrassed by his mistakes. He watched Annie stand up and walk over to him. She hugged him and kissed his forehead.
“I wish I had been there. You’re stronger than you think. Not many people come back from the edge. You learned from your mistake and didn’t allow it to ruin your life. Just promise me that you won’t do it again,” she whispered, not caring that the entire restaurant was staring at them. For some reason she was angry with herself for not being there to help him. This charming and sensitive man had been so close to losing his life. Sadly, they probably would have spent time together in the realms, had he died. The thought burned inside of her. Derick would never suffer in the realms, so long as she lived.
“I promise. I don’t want to hurt myself. I really do want to make the most out of my life,” he took her hand, grateful that she wasn’t yelling at him or freaking out. He’d never told any of his friends or his girlfriend about his attempted suicide. He didn’t want them to think he was pathetic and weak.
After dinner, Derick walked with Annie down the road that led back to the inn. He had to find a way to get through to her. She was dead set on ruining her life. His brain was blazing with questions, but came up short on answers. He was at a loss and he knew that he was losing her.
Annie looked up at the dark sky. The moon was rising and was close to breaking free of the mountain range. The entire city was filled with the sounds of people rushing to their homes and off the streets. She and Derick were the only ones brave enough to walk outside in the darkness. Fearing that Alazar would refuse her, she mentally urged them to hide. She didn’t want any casualties if she were forced to fight him.
“Do you think I’m intimidating?” she asked absently. She knew if Derick had seen her fight with Alazar in the tower, he would have run back to the safety of Tulsa. He only knew the mortal side of her, the side that was in control.
“I think you can be, when you want to be. The waitress back there certainly thought so. I saw Cassie take a step back after you yelled at her when Pete went missing. I thought you were going to punch her. Actually, I wish you had, which is wrong, but true,” he chuckled.
“Aside from my intense moments, do I seem scary?” she had no idea how Derick perceived her. He would certainly fear the Destroyer.
“I don’t think you’re scary. I mean, I haven’t started running yet,” he laughed, knowing that he would always run to her, not away from her. He wondered where these questions were coming from.
“Give me time. I’m sure the day will come when you will want to run,” Annie sobered knowing that Derick would never understand what she was destined to do. He would never stay with someone who would eventually massacre the world.
Derick stopped dead in his tracks. Annie was surprised by his abrupt halt and turned back to check on him. He was very serious as he took two steps toward her. “Never. You’ll never scare me away. You can tell me to leave, and I’ll go, but I won’t run from you. I know you believe that you’re a bad person, but I just don’t see it,” he stared intensely at her.
Her breath caught in her throat. He meant it. The resolution in his eyes proved that he wouldn’t run. Of course, he had no idea what he was saying. He’d never witnessed true evil before, so he had no way of knowing how he would react to it.
Desire swept through her. Somehow, this man could say the perfect thing without even realizing it. He looked at her as if she was the only person in the world that he cared about. It was tempting and yet humbling. No one had ever made her feel more wanted.
“Thank you,” she smiled at him. Pulling him close she hugged him, not wanting to give him up.
“Why can’t this be easy?” Derick muttered to himself.
Her body was warm despite standing in the cold and enticing like standing in front of a fireplace. He put her hand on his cheek. He warmed quickly under her touch, though her hand didn’t cool from touching his frozen face. It was amazing, and sexy. He wondered what it would feel like to have other parts of his frozen body against her heat.
He shook the thought away. Of all the indecent thoughts he’d had since meeting her, that was by far the worst. He felt like a pervert. How could he think that way about this amazingly perfect girl? It was inexcusable. He had promised to be good, yet he couldn’t purge the thought from his head. He had noticed her warmth when he’d licked her skin in the castle, but he’d assumed it was because she was turned on by what he was doing. Now he wanted to wrap her warm body around him and forget all of his problems. What was wrong with him? This woman was driving him crazy with lust, and he loved her for it.
Annie noticed the change in Derick immediately. She could practically feel his lust rising. Being so close to him was messing with her head. She couldn’t find the strength to deny her feelings for him anymore.
The inn was still a ways off. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a graveyard.
Derick told her that she deserved happiness and he was right. She didn’t want the burden of keeping Lucifer sane without some kind of concession. She wanted Derick, right or wrong. Let Lucifer try to take Derick from her and he would find out how intimidating she could be. The Destroyer would rise and Lucifer would tremble before her.
She pulled back from Derick’s embrace and smirked at him. Shyly taking his hand, she quietly pulled him toward the wrought iron gate of the cemetery.
He followed her, unsure of her intentions. Silently, he walked behind her as she wound through the monuments and headstones. Wherever she was taking him, he would gladly follow.
∞
Nathanael ducked inside of the tenth mausoleum of the night when he heard footsteps. Peering around the corner, he saw a young couple holding hands and smiling. He was about to go back to his task of searching for his possible Rogue Angel when he recognized the blue eyes and black hair of the woman. The Destroyer had been clever to hide her real identity, but even in mortal form, he could not mistake Gabriel’s eyes in the face of another.
He assumed that she was tempting the boy with desire to lead him astray. Being fair of face she would cause the mortal to fall to his knees before her, which hardly seemed right. Temptation of the mortals wasn’t his area of expertise, so he wasn’t sure what was invol
ved, but it seemed an unfair advantage to have a beautiful woman force the mortals to choose their path. Regardless of why she was interacting with a mortal, Michael might find it interesting. The Council believed that she was searching for her angels, not tempting the mortals herself. Perhaps she was growing eager to end the world and was working on her own to start an Apocalypse. She definitely needed to be watched.
As for the feather in his pocket, he knew it hadn’t come from her, but he wondered if she had been the other person in the fight on the street. He pulled out the strip of fabric and ran it through his fingers. The beads implied that it was from a fancy outfit, perhaps a dress.
Had she subdued one of the Predznak during the fight? It was doubtful that she would be cavorting with a mortal in a cemetery if she had. She was the Master; she would make the servant do the work. Perhaps the servant didn’t want to come willingly. A Rogue Predznak would definitely require Michael’s attention. He would need proof that the angel had gone rogue before action could be taken.
Deciding to change his course of action, he snuck out of the mausoleum and made his way out of the cemetery. He had saved the castle for last, hoping to catch the Rogue in the city while harming a mortal. If he wasn’t going to be that lucky, then he needed to find the Rogue’s hiding place.
∞
Annie passed a large mausoleum at the center of the expansive lot and whispered, “It may not be the top row of a concert, but I’m sure there’s someone left in this town that might walk by and see us.” In fact, she hoped that they were seen. They could watch her claim her lover.
Derick’s breath rushed out of his lungs. He was dizzy with the thought of having sex with her anywhere, but outside was too much to ask for. His heart felt like it was going to rip free from his chest while excitement filled his body. He was hard and ready for her before he could nod in agreement.
She pulled him into the shadow of the mausoleum and kissed him before he could speak. Her blood was rushing through her veins, flooding her senses. Picturing him with that waitress made her irate. Though Derick deserved a mortal girlfriend, she couldn’t bring herself to allow it.
The Third Throne: Angel of Death Page 36
