by Deena Remiel
Jared approached him, pupils dilated.
“What is it you would have me do, Agremon? I shall obey.” Jared spoke with reverence.
“Come here, my brother, quickly!” Agremon shouted impatiently. “Come stand before me and rest your hands on my hands. I need comfort. I am wrongly accused of a misdeed, and as you can see, am awaiting judgment locked in this cell.”
“Yes, Agremon. Anything you say. Will I be rewarded for this deed I do for you?” Jared asked hungrily and licked his dry lips in anticipation of a quick fix.
“Oh yes, indeed, you shall,” Agremon asserted dramatically. “Now come, fast, before I lose all sense of reason and completely break down.”
Jared lumbered forward. His stringy blond hair fell like a ripped curtain across his pock-ridden face. He flicked it back and laced his hands with Agremon’s. Agremon tightened his grip and immediately spoke, in a hushed tone, “I am you and you are me.”
Jared gasped as his soul left his body and floated above the two of them. Standing there, helpless to do anything else, his bag of bones waited for repossession. Agremon’s damned soul was released and floated as well, and as the two souls passed in the air, Jared could hear Agremon’s triumphant laughter. The transfer complete, Jared found his soul bound not only by the demon he was forced to possess, but by the shackles securing Agremon in the cell.
“What have you done?” Jared cried out, wrenching his arms against their bindings. Agremon, now in possession of Jared’s body immediately drew back his hands from Jared.
“What’s the problem, Jared? When I called, you came. You told me you’d do anything. Well, I need to get the hell out of here, so you’re taking my place, naturally. Now, I gotta run, so sorry buddy. Sometimes you get the shit end of the stick.”
“Agremon, you’re coming back, right?” Jared shouted crazily. “You’re gonna switch me back, right? What about my reward?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back. You’ve got an expiration date. Don’t think I want to get stuck in a rotting vessel. No, I’ll let you have all the fun. About that reward….” Agremon snickered. “You die.” He laughed heartily as he watched the first flaying occur and then vanished.
Agremon approached the boundaries of Emma’s property very carefully. He would stay on the outskirts until opportunity presented itself, then go inside and snatch the girl right from under the bastard angel’s nose. Talisman, be damned! He itched to win this battle over Michael, just like he had done so many years ago. Rubbing salt in that wound would give him orgasmic pleasure. Hunkering down in the protection of the trees beyond the property line, he waited. He was a patient demon. He’d been patient for six months. He could be patient for a few hours more.
***
Emma, determined to keep as much normalcy for her daughter as possible, ushered everyone out back to witness the sun’s spectacular descent. Given the monumental task set before them all in the next few days, no one spoke but all looked at the ever-changing colors of the twilight sky.
“Remember, the sun also rises,” Hannah whispered vehemently. “And we shall rise to this latest challenge and be victorious. Am I right, my Warriors?”
“Yes, Great Warrior Child!” The Warriors roared in response.
“We have a strong plan,” Urie pointed out. “We have trained hard and as well as we could, given the lack of time. I am confident we can succeed.”
“Well then, I’m tired. I’m going to bed. Mother, Mama, will you tuck me in?” Hannah asked, and reached her hand out for her to hold. The intermittent switching of souls was unnerving, but Emma smiled lovingly at her daughter nonetheless.
“Of course, sweetheart. Excuse me, gentlemen.” She grabbed her daughter’s hand and squeezed it as they walked back into the house.
***
The Brethren fanned out to the positions they had held the night before. Michael stayed out as well, just beyond the back porch. He couldn’t help feeling hesitant about what was to come. Images of Beth and their unborn child swam through his head. They were innocents, not involved in the least with his duty, and he couldn’t protect them from evil. Now, he had Emma and Hannah. He loved them as much, if not more. And they were headed to the frontline. He couldn’t even begin to contemplate what he would do if anything should happen to either of them.
Self-doubt was dangerous. He needed to get over it, and quickly, if he was going to be successful protecting the ones he loved.
“A penny for your thoughts.” Emma sidled up next to him and snuggled close.
“Hey! I didn’t hear you come back out.” He swiftly shielded his thoughts from her, slid his arms around her shoulders, and kissed her lightly on her forehead.
“Well, should I guess what has your mind so completely occupied?”
“Oh, it’s nothing really. So, did Hannah settle down quickly to sleep?”
“I think she was asleep before her head hit the pillow. I’m concerned, Michael,” she admitted, fatigue evident in her voice. “About the toll this is taking on her physically and emotionally. I can’t wait ‘til this whole thing is over and done with. I still sometimes think I’m dreaming this elaborate dream, and at any moment I’m going to wake up to find everything back the way it was before—before she started having nightmares.”
Michael was concerned, too, and gave her a squeeze of reassurance that he truly didn’t feel. Maybe if he faked it, he would come to believe it. He couldn’t shake this apprehension he’d had since sunset, but was also confident that if anything were wrong, his Brethren team would have alerted him. He fixed a smile on his face.
“She’s going to be fine, honey. Come on, let’s head inside and see what we can do about these pre-game jitters. I think I know the perfect solution.” He lifted Emma right off her feet so they were eye to eye and kissed her. It started out innocently enough, but quickly escalated to one filled with passion. He put everything into that kiss—his need, his desire for her, his doubt. And he knew the instant his thoughts had traveled down the threaded connection they now shared. His shields had fallen. She tore herself away and shook her head, leaving him aroused and edgy.
“Seems I’m not the only one with concerns,” Emma chided. He grabbed her back to him and rested his head on her shoulder, then let her go gently.
“Guilty as charged,” Michael declared, kicking his foot at an imaginary pebble. They walked up to the house, hand in hand. “I’m going to have to be more careful around you from now on. Your powers are real good, honey. Healing and reading minds. What a great combination.”
“Yeah well, when you got it, you got it,” she joked. “Now, about those doubts—” She became serious. “Don’t go there, Michael. Don’t second guess your powers. You know you can see this through to a successful end. I know you can.”
“Yeah, yeah….” He shuffled his feet in the dirt, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Sweetheart, do you know you’re brooding?”
“I guess I am. So do you think Mama can make me feel all better?” he asked, stopping before they entered the house.
“Oh, honey, that’s what Mama does best. I promise.” With a smoldering glance, she reached both hands up, grabbed him by his hair and pulled him down for a kiss so scorching it was a wonder the entire house didn’t go up in flames. Without missing a step, he scooped her off her feet and carried her to the bedroom. With the door closed behind them, their passion play continued.
He eased her down to stand before him, and looked deeply into the caverns of her eyes, seeing his reflection and finding her soul reaching out and connecting with his. Lost in the deep pools of chocolate that stared wondrously back at him, he found home. His gaze shifted to her lips, those luscious lips, then to her throat, where he could see her pulse quickening with each moment that passed.
“Emma, I can’t stand it any longer,” he panted in breathless anticipation and ripped his shirt open. He took her hand and brought it to rest on his chest. “I gotta have you. Touch me. Know me again.”
She stepped forward and replaced her hand with her tongue, leaving trail marks of seduction all the way to his navel. Michael nearly came right then. He cradled the nape of her neck, leaned over her, and kissed her with all the ardor of a man who’d lost all control. They released each other long enough to hastily shed their clothes. As if they were magnets, they came together in the center of the room, arms entwined, hands feverishly seeking to reacquaint themselves with each other’s bodies, becoming one.
“Oh Michael, I’m gonna touch you, and feel you, and know you like no one’s done before.”
“And you’re gonna make it all better, right?” Michael pleaded through the kisses he traced over her lips and throat and down her body to the very core that made her a woman. “You promised you’d make it all better.”
“Oh, God! Yes, I’ll make it all better, baby.” She moaned and dug her nails into his back. As close to the edge as he was, he was still holding out on her.
“Michael, let them out. Let your wings out, angel. I want all of you. No more hiding.”
She rubbed her silken body sensuously over his, igniting little fires along the way, from bottom to top, nearly climbing him like a pole. He groaned and released his wings in all their glory. They were glowing from within, something she hadn’t noticed the first time she’d seen them. The feathers quivered gently in a nonexistent breeze, and all she could think of doing at that moment was touch them. She stroked them delicately with her fingers, remembering its affect on him before, and she found herself lifted up off the floor.
In midair, Emma found herself cradled in his wings and watched in hazy delirium as he ravished her. Feathers traced teasing trails along her ankles to her calves, and came to a fluttering halt on her breast. His hand took the same path, but lingered at the juncture of her thighs. She opened for him while her hands sought to discover every hill and valley of his well-hewn body. Her fingers traversed across the wide expanse of his shoulder blades and down to the crook of his lower back, making small circles along the way, until she froze suddenly and caught her breath.
Michael entered her while they spun in a slow, sensual spiral. She had never known ecstasy such as this. Her moans and sobs were smothered by his possessive kisses. As they climaxed together, crying out each other’s names, a shroud of light so brilliant and pure emanated from their bodies and lit up the room. Emma looked about them, her eyes filled with wonder and awe, and he kissed her cheek. The light slowly dimmed as they finally came to rest on her bed, drenched in sweat and replete beyond measure. The coolness of the sheets eased the fire still burning inside her, and she nestled against him, not willing to disengage from their entanglement. And then finally, she succumbed to exhaustion.
He had wanted to say so much, but found no voice. What more could he say that hadn’t been said already? He could tell her he loved her more than his immortal life. But if, no, when they survived their confrontation with Namirha, what would become of them and their love? Was he to go through their lives watching as she grew older and eventually died, and he didn’t? He hadn’t thought about that with Beth. He’d been in denial, turning his back on what he truly was, an angel, an immortal. He was destined either to be alone without pain, or with someone he loved, and feel the pain of that ultimate loss forever. The answer was clearly before him as he lay in the strong yet tender arms of the woman he loved. He would stay with her as long as her forever was.
Chapter Eighteen
Resolve clear in Michael’s head, he turned his attention to the unsettling feeling that wouldn’t go away. Since making love with Emma didn’t seem to dampen it, he knew better than to disregard it any longer and figured it had something to do with Agremon. Agremon hadn’t shown up for a long while, and that bothered him. What was he up to? There had been no sign of him around the property, no threaded signature to give him away. Michael was confident that the Brethren guarding the property would be able to smoke him out with the smallest of indicators of his existence.
He got up from bed, and she immediately reached out in her sleep. Instantly deprived of what had become so essential, her, he grimaced, tucked his wings away, and got dressed. He had a job to do that he mustn’t forget; protect the Great Savior Mother and the Great Warrior Child.
So, he decided to take a walk around the house. Maybe cruising about would help him pinpoint the origin of his concern. He peeked in on Hannah who lay silently sleeping. He passed through the guest room, opening up the closet. Nothing. He skulked down the hall to the family room, kitchen, study and playroom. Again, nothing. Not a thread to indicate anything was wrong. He quietly returned to Emma’s bedroom. What time was it anyway? He looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. Three thirty-three in the morning.
And that’s precisely when all hell literally broke loose.
***
Emma roused from her sleep by the lightest touch of a hand to her cheek. She smiled drowsily with her eyes still closed and purred, “Come back to bed. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, pretty Mama,” the stranger mocked, while reaching behind her head and pulling her upright. “That’s why I came back for you.”
“Came back for me? Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?” she asked incredulously as she twisted and squirmed under his strong hold.
“Oh, that’s right,” he said, tightening his grip. “I forgot. I bet you don’t recognize me after my makeover. It’s me, Agremon, lovey.”
“How? How were you able to get to me?” She was confused and frightened, and pissed.
“Oh, just a little matter of possession makes all bets and shields null and void, my dear. Don’t you like the new look? Young and lanky is more your cup of tea than old and gruesome, right? Now, Mr. Lovey-dovey Protector will be back shortly. Just so you know, he’s going to have to choose between saving you and your daughter. If he chooses wisely, you’ll live to see another day. If he chooses poorly, well, you’re more a master of your own terror than I, so you can imagine what’s in store. You get the picture, don’t you? A slow, painful, horrifying death for our Ms. Livingston.”
“Why, you son of a—” Emma spat and thrashed madly about. To her visible consternation, Agremon remained unfazed.
“Regardless of what our mighty Protector does, Hannah will be going on a little vacation, as it were, for a few days. While you’re busy vacationing in your hellish dreams, she’ll be getting better acquainted with her new father, Mr. Namirha. Oh, don’t worry about a thing. She’s going to have so much fun, especially on her birthday; she’s never going to want to leave!”
“If you so much as breathe in her direction I will fucking kill you, you bastard!” she shrieked and renewed her attack, pummeling him with her fists and kicking wildly with her legs.
“I’d like to see you try, love,” Agremon sneered as he tightened his hold on the nape of her neck and secured her legs with his own. “Parting is such sweet sorrow, my dear, but alas, I must go and fulfill my destiny. Have fun in your own little Hell.” Agremon placed his free hand over her forehead. She fought to remove it, but was no match for him.
“Oh God, no!” Agremon rested her head back onto her pillow, stared a moment at her seemingly lifeless body, and made his way to Hannah’s room. Success was moments away. He reached her bed and proceeded to lift her away from her cozy cocoon. He had to be extra careful. Hannah was a feisty one. She squirmed a bit in his arms and her eyes fluttered open.
“Mmm. What’s going on? Hey, you’re not one of the Brethren. Who are you and what are you going to do with me?” she asked, wriggling furiously in his arms.
“Relax little one, it is I, your old friend, Agremon, here to take you to your new father. He is anxious to see you and take care of you, and make a happy family together.”
“Agremon,” she whispered, her eyes widening in astonishment. Without warning, she let out a howl that nearly ruptured his eardrums. “Help!”
***
Michael heard blood-curdling screams coming first from Emma’s and then from Ha
nnah’s rooms. He stopped dead in his tracks, hearing a familiar voice surround him. Agremon. How the hell had he gotten to his women again?
“Which way should you go, Michael? Which way should you go? Will it be door number one or door number two? Here’s the tricky part. If you pick the wrong door, one will surely die tonight. So which will it be, Mr. Protector? Huh? I leave you to your decision. I hope you enjoy the music while you ponder your choices. I always find the musical shrill of people’s screams to be most helpful when I’m deliberating.” And his voice was gone.
***
Emma whirled around madly, looking for a place that would provide shelter against her fears and the unknown. There wasn’t a chance in hell that she would go back to the mausoleum. As she searched the cemetery she shivered, noticing every headstone had her name engraved on it.
Darkness fell upon the cemetery, along with a fog so dense she couldn’t see her hand outstretched before her. It made it increasingly impossible for her to find anywhere to hide. Her heart thudded against her chest and tiny beads of sweat condensed on her upper lip. Damn it! Not again. I can’t let this happen to me again. Hannah needs me.
At that moment, she refused to be paralyzed by her fears any longer nor be a victim ever again. Now was as good a time as any to beat down her fears of the darkness. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to let Agremon win. She took a deep breath and willed her heart rate to slow down. What had Agremon said? She was the master of her own terror. Well, she was now the master of her own fate and terror had no place in it!
She felt around some more and found a tall headstone that she decided was good enough to sit by, and then tried to figure out how to get out of the mess Agremon had wrought. How does one escape a nightmare created by a demon? She hadn’t a clue. That gave her time to think about other things. Hannah. What was happening to Hannah? Would she be able to hold her own against Agremon? Would Michael make the right choice? Of course he would. She swore on her own life that she would seek revenge should anything happen to her baby girl.
