Bound by Legend: A Bound Novel

by A. D. Trosper

  “And saved your life in the process.”

  She continued to stare at the falling drops. “Yes.”

  “Then he did his duty to you.”

  A flash of anger made her turn. He stood with his arms crossed, regarding her. “So that’s just all okay huh? Arabrim is dead because I couldn’t banish the upper-level demon fast enough and there were too many lower-levels. I’m just supposed to be all right with that? No big deal as long I’m still alive.”

  “That is the way it’s supposed to be, so yes, you should be alright with it. Arabrim will come again and even in death he lives. There is no point in grieving the death of one of us.” Lucian had witnessed the death of many dark angels over his lives, all of whom were like brothers to him, yet he didn’t mourn them. Miss them in that life maybe, not mourn them.

  Why was she being so unreasonable about this? Hell, he’d been the dead one on more than one occasion. He simply went to the place of waiting until it was his time to be born again. Where was the sadness in that?

  Morgan glared at him. “Arabrim was all I ever had besides Jake, and Lucy,” she motioned toward the dog, “and now you want to step in here and take his place. Why? So I can watch you die too?”

  “Vita mea pro tua, semper.” He spread his hands.

  “That’s what I thought.” Morgan shook her head. She knew the meaning of those words. ‘My life for yours, always.’ She couldn’t let him do that. She couldn’t let anyone do that for her again.

  Morgan swung her legs back up on the windowsill and draped her arms across her bent knees. She looked back at the rain. “Go away, Lucian. Please. Just leave.”

  The conversation had brought to the surface every horrible feeling she’d had when Arabrim died. Many of the same feelings she’d felt when her parents died. When her sister died. When her best friend died. Even when her first foster parents rejected her. Everyone in her life left one way or another. Tears threatened and she refused to cry in front of him. She would deal with her pain on her own. Like she always did.

  Lucian watched her struggling to control her emotions and something deep inside his heart knew he needed to give her some space to deal with them. Nodding to himself, he pulled a blank business card with his phone number and address written on it. He dropped it on the windowsill next to her. “If you decide you need me for something.”

  She barely flicked her eyes at it. “Yeah, I’ll just call you on my handy dandy cell phone that I don’t have. There’s a grubby pay phone at the gas station a couple of blocks away, I don’t think it works. Oh, I got it; I’ll run back here and use one of the burn barrels to send you smoke signals.”

  Deciding it was best to ignore the sarcastic remarks, Lucian asked instead, “Would you consent to me getting a cell phone for you?”

  “I’m not your charity case.”

  Lucian sighed. “I never said you were. Nothing fancy, just something with my number programmed into it so you can reach me if you need to. I promise to never call you.”

  Morgan thought that over. She wasn’t really suicidal. Her life may be crap, but she had Lucy and no death wish. If she came up against something like she had with Arabrim, she would be stupid not to accept the help of a dark angel. If she could bring herself to call Lucian and ask for it knowing he may well end up like Arabrim. Maybe she did have a death wish.

  Her eyes rested on Lucy for a moment. If something happened to her, Lucy would be alone on the street until she was picked up by animal control, or taken by someone to try and use for dog fighting or some other nefarious purpose. She looked at Lucian. “I will take the cell phone on one condition.”

  Hiding the intense relief he felt, Lucian nodded, prepared to grant her anything. “What is that?”

  “You have to promise on your place as a dark angel, that if anything happens to me, you will take care of Lucy. And I mean really take care of her. She lives with you. You can’t take her to the pound or dump her off on someone else.” She waited, breath held to see if he would agree.

  “Done.”

  “You promise?”

  He looked her in the eyes. “I promise on my status as a dark angel that if anything happens to you, Lucy will live out her days with me and never want for anything.”

  It wasn’t a promise made lightly. Lucian could tell by the relief in her expression that she knew exactly the kind of promise she’d been asking for. Even now he felt the weight of it as it settled over him. It was a promise he couldn’t break even if he wanted to, which he didn’t. Lucian just hoped it didn’t come to that.

  “Will you stay here long enough for me to get a phone and bring it back?”

  Morgan lit another cigarette then waved her hand toward the rain pouring down beyond the window. “I have no intention of dragging Lucy out in that.” She took a drag and blew the smoke out. “Not even if it meant I never saw or heard from you again.”

  Ignoring that last comment, Lucian turned and left. He hurried down the stairs, out the door, and through the rain to his vehicle. Despite what she said, he wasn’t entirely convinced he would find here there when he returned. Especially if the weather cleared even a little in the meantime. He drove to the nearest store and had a phone added to his plan.

  He programmed his number, as well as those of Isobel and Damien, into it then swung past a couple more places before he drove faster than the speed limit back to the abandoned building. He hated that he would be leaving here without her, that tonight he would be sleeping in a warm bed in a warm house while she slept who knows where. And there wasn’t anything he could do to change it right now. If he pressed too much, Morgan would just go into deeper hiding on the streets. Or worse, leave the city altogether and go in the Higher Powers only knew which direction.

  Lucian let out a quiet sigh of relief when he reached the second floor and found her still sitting in the windowsill staring at the rain, nursing another cigarette. The dim light of the day reflected on the tears tracking their way down her face. Lucy’s ears perked in his direction but Morgan hadn’t heard him. He froze and backed up until he was on the stairway, then walked to the bottom. Lucian waited a moment then stomped back up the stairs.

  By the time he reached the second floor again, her face was wiped clean of tears, though her hazel eyes were still red. Lucian affected not to notice as he strode toward her.

  Morgan watched him come; glad he’d made some noise on his return. She wasn’t some damsel in distress and didn’t want him to see her crying. She glanced at the large backpack in one of his hands and frowned. “I said a cell phone. I didn’t agree to anything else.”

  “I didn’t ask,” he said, handing her the small, touch screen phone. “Do you know how to use one?”

  “Of course, I’m not a complete idiot.”

  He only nodded. “My phone number, as well as those of Damien and Isobel, are programmed in. You guys were friends once. I thought you might want their numbers if you decide you want to be again.”

  Not likely to ever happen. Jake and Patsy were as close to friends as she got these days and even then, she didn’t seek Patsy out often, it wasn’t safe. Bad enough she endangered Jake so much. “Thanks.”

  “Now, as to this,” Lucian set the backpack on the floor, “there is a solar cell phone charger in there. You need that. The rest you can eat, give to the dog, throw it away, whatever you want to do with it. I’ll leave you alone now.”

  Morgan watched him walk away, more than a little surprised he had actually left. She took a drag off her cigarette and pulled the backpack closer, unable to resist the smell of food. Even Lucy sat up and watched intently. Morgan unzipped the top and looked inside.

  Tears sprang into her eyes and she blinked them away rapidly. What the hell was wrong with her? It was Lucian’s fault. Did he have to be so nice in the face of her rudeness? Why couldn’t he have just gotten mad and stomped away?

  Inside the bag was a large bottle of soda, a liter bottle of water, and collapsible dog water dish. There was also a fol
ding umbrella and a dog rain coat in Lucy’s size. The bag from a fast food restaurant wedged in there was labeled, ‘For you and Lucy.’ There were eight, large roast beef sandwiches inside it and a use anywhere gift card with 200.00 written on it.

  Damn the man, she ground the butt of her cigarette out with more force than necessary then tossed it out the window. Grabbing four of the roast beef sandwiches, she unwrapped two and gave them to Lucy before opening her own and taking a big bite of the warm roast beef and soft fresh bun. Mmmm. She hadn’t had a fresh one of these in…she couldn’t remember how long it had been. She looked at Lucy and smiled as the dog carefully chewed through her two.

  She would save the gift card for days when she couldn’t find anything else to eat. Or maybe use it as a weekly treat for her and Lucy. No, better to only use if she had to in order to stretch the two hundred dollars as far as possible.

  OVER THE PROTESTS of her stuffed stomach, Morgan managed to get the last bite of the second sandwich down. She sipped at the soda then pulled the doggy raincoat out. Underneath it, a carton of cigarettes rested next to a double pack of disposable lighters. Damn him, he’d thought of everything. At least now she could have another without having to worry about running out anytime soon.

  She unfolded the doggy dish and poured some of the water from the plastic liter bottle into it, pleased to see her friend drinking real water instead of nasty puddle water. After shaking out the raincoat, she called Lucy, happy the dog would be covered in the rain. Then shoved the heavier of her two coats into the bottom of the new, larger backpack, placed the remainder of the food on top and put the slim phone in as the demon radar in her head started to give warning.

  She lit another cigarette before stuffing the remainder of that pack into her pocket with the lighter that she was sure still had a few more lights in it. Later, she would snap off the little silver guard and be able to use the tiny flame that would still spring from it for a while.

  After putting on the other coat, Morgan transferred the rest of her meager possessions to the new backpack as well. She grabbed the umbrella and walked toward the stairs as her internal radar started screaming. The rain had lessened to little more than a sprinkle, time to get out of there.

  A shadowy figure slid from the stairwell and onto the second floor. Damn. She hadn’t been fast enough.

  “Lucy, go.” Morgan pointed to the corner by the window. The dog obeyed immediately.

  “Stay,” she commanded. There was nothing Lucy could do to help her with this.

  Morgan slid the backpack off, tossed it and the umbrella on the floor near the dog and flicked the remainder of the cigarette out the window. The mid-level demon, its shape discernable through the smoky shadows that slithered around it, hesitated.

  Morgan opened herself to her power, allowing it to fill her. “Well, come on. You were looking for me anyway, now you have me.”

  The demon launched itself at her. Morgan raised the circle of golden light up around it before it could reach her. The weight of its mid-level power slammed into the wall she’d created. The circle shuddered under the impact. Religious symbols flashed on the floor under the demon until they settled on the one the demon was tied to.

  Morgan smiled at the frustrated demon. “I banish thee. I banish thee back to the pit from which you came. I banish thee from this plane. I banish thee from the world of the living. I banish thee.”

  It howled with a sound like nails on metal as it faded, banished back to the Underworld. Morgan dropped the circle. Stupid thing should have known better than to approach her alone. She waited to see if any more would come up the stairs. When nothing happened, Morgan approached the stairs slowly and looked down them. Nothing, although her demon radar was still going off in her head. She breathed a sigh of relief, then froze at the sound of Lucy’s snarl.

  Turning, she watched four more crawl through the windows. They hadn’t come at her in these numbers since Arabrim died. This was going to be interesting.

  Morgan threw most of her power at the strongest demon, a weak upper-level, raising a circle around him. Two of the others were mid-levels of varying strengths and the last a lower-level; she divided the rest of her power among them in order of their strength.

  Circles sprang up around the demons. Religious symbols flashed on the floor beneath the three that were tied to certain religions. The weak upper-level would have no ties. It wouldn’t hold them long, maybe long enough to get rid of the upper-level demon if she was lucky.

  Turning her focus on him she began, pulling on her power until a faint burn rushed through her veins, the warning line that wasn’t to be crossed if she didn’t want her own energy to kill her. She began repeating the words that would send him packing to the Underworld for a few years. “I banish thee. I banish thee back to the pit from which you came.”

  The demon entrapped by the weakest circle broke through, his shadowy figure hurtling at her. Morgan kept her concentration on holding the upper-level demon while making an agile leap away from the sharp talons of the one who charged her. “I banish thee from this plane.”

  The attacking demon turned in an inhumanely quick movement, his claws raking across her upper arm, tearing rips through her coat and the shirts underneath.

  Ignoring the searing pain, she met his forward momentum with a kick to the face. Something crunched under her foot. She had no idea what. Like all lower-level demons, only his eyes were visible through the smoky shadows surrounding him.

  “I banish thee from the world of the living.”

  The lower-level smashed a hand into her chest that sent her flying. She hit the floor twenty-feet away and slid across its dusty surface. Her stunned lungs shuddered, refusing to do their job. Still, her concentration remained total. Years of surviving on the streets had taught her that once in a fight, a loss of concentration meant a serious ass whipping.

  As the demon leaped across the room, her lungs finally granted her their cooperation. She sucked in a breath and shouted, “I banish thee.”

  The upper-level demon disappeared in a shower of sparks.

  Just as the attacking demon leaped at her, she rolled. When it landed in the empty spot where she’d been, Morgan threw a wall up around him, stronger this time now that her power wasn’t divided four ways.

  It wasn’t enough. One of the others broke free at the same time she trapped the weaker one. It crashed into her, crushing her to the floor. It stared at her, the red eyes widening. “Inola.”

  Morgan punched it in the face with everything ounce of strength she had. It was bigger than her. And stronger, immeasurably so. In her mind, she heard Arabrim ranting at her to stop engaging them with anything other than her power. She hadn’t listened then and she wouldn’t now.

  The thing had a hard time keeping hold of her with his burning hands, marks she would wear for several days. She thrashed and wriggled in a fashion that made her slippery as a fish. A talent she’d perfected that had gotten her out of more than one compromising situation.

  Morgan twisted until she had herself balled up, then kicked up with both feet. They may be stronger and faster than she was by far, but they weren’t any heavier than anyone else she’d tangled with. The demon lifted up and fell over backward. She sprang to her feet and raised a circle around it again.

  Panting she leaned against the wall and glared at the three thoroughly trapped demons. “There. Let’s try this again, shall we?”

  Three sets of red eyes glowered back. The strongest of the remaining three, snarled, “Banish us if you wish, channel. He knows you are here now.”

  Startled, Morgan studied the smoky figure. A demon had never spoken to her before though mid-levels and higher could. Should she try to pry further information out of him? No, that way led to darkness. On rare occasions, channels had been turned by demons with the right words. She wouldn’t be one of them.

  Including them all with her words, Morgan banished all three at the same time. When she was again alone, she slid down the wall,
backing her power down and then releasing it. Sitting on the floor, she ran her hands through her thick tangles. Her fingers came away bloody and she felt the back of her head. Must have cut it on the floor when that demon had sent her flying across the room. Though head wounds often bled like crazy, this one wasn’t too bad.

  Morgan pulled off her coat, her sweatshirt and then one of the two t-shirts she had on underneath that. She balled the t-shirt up and placed it against the wall behind her and leaned her head against it. A look at her upper arm revealed three deep scratches. Thank the Higher Powers for layers of clothing. Those talons would have cut to the bone otherwise.

  A low whine drew her gaze to the window where Lucy still sat where she’d been told. “Come here, sweetie.”

  The Rottweiler raced across the large room to her side, whining and licking her face. “I know, those things are nasty aren’t they?”

  She ran her hands over Lucy, her heart rate slowing from the simple interaction.

  When the back of her head stopped bleeding, she tossed the shirt away. As much as she hated to lose it, there was no way to wash it. There was blood on her coat too; maybe she could get it out with water from a water fountain. Her sweatshirt too was ruined. Shit, she couldn’t afford to lose the clothing. Sighing in resignation, she tossed the sweatshirt away as well. Although the weather had warmed, it was relative in Denver. The nights were still freezing cold.

  If Lucian hadn’t swept into her day and caused a major distraction, it would never have happened. She could always sense where demons were and usually did a good job of avoiding them when she could and picking her battles when she couldn’t.

  The loss of Arabrim had caused a similar distraction. In her devastation, she’d been unable to focus on her internal demon radar and she’d nearly died trying to stay away from them. She’d learned then it wasn’t possible to return to a place after they found her.

  Morgan climbed to her feet and shrugged into her coat again then walked over to retrieve the backpack and umbrella. She couldn’t stay at the tower anymore.