by Crymsyn Hart
Chapter Eight
Tris heard what Daniella had said to him, but he could not believe it. How anyone could love him? Lori was lying before him, and nothing he did had saved his friend. Joe had given up on him and taken Daniella away. It was probably for the best, because no one would want him. He glanced down at his hand and saw the tear glistening on his skin. No one had ever cried over him before. The impression of her lips still burned on his cheek and on his mouth. When Tris had looked upon her, the light inside of her had blinded him. That could only mean one thing. She was an angel, and he was not. When he glanced at his hands, Tris could no longer see the glow around his. When he opened his wings, some of the feathers fluttered to the floor. He was descending faster, and soon he would be the creature that he killed.
“Tris.” A sharp sting went across his face, and that made him focus. Marlon was standing before him.
“What?”
“Do you really want to become one of the Grigori? Do you want to give up Daniella?”
“No.”
“Then fight for her. Remember what you are. We used to be friends. If you don’t embrace that, then what Lori did will be in vain. Daniella loves you. Don’t you want to be with her?”
“Yes, but Joe has already cast me out. Why would she not do the same thing? She’s an angel now, and what am I but one who has lost faith? I’m nothing to her. She has a life ahead of her, and I have nothing. I am nothing.”
“You’re not nothing. If you believe that, then you’ll become a Grigori. Tris, she isn’t Caillech. Get over it. Remember who you are.”
Tris thought about what Marlon had said. There were too many things that he needed to work out. It would be easy to give in to the darkness. He would lose Daniella. He would lose everything. Joe said he was done for. Even if he could go back to being an angel, then he would still have to be doing what the Fallen did. If he gave up his wings, then he could not be with Daniella either because she was an angel. She was too good for him. He knew that now, and his heart ached without the thought of being with her. Lori had always told him to let go of the hatred he had in his heart. That was what had caused him to be manipulated. All he wanted was to hold her. Lori would want him to be happy. So many years of hatred had bottled up inside of him; he could not work through it all overnight, but he wanted Daniella. It didn’t matter what he was, he wanted her in his life. He had done and said horrible things to her, and he had to make it up to her. He had to show her that he was a better man.
He gazed back at Marlon. “She really said she loves me?”
“Yeah. If it wasn’t for that love, you wouldn’t have been able to break through the haze you’re in. It means that you love her too. But I already think that you knew that. Go, take Lori. Go.”
“What about you? How? What?”
Marlon placed a finger on his lips. “Not your worry. Leave a few of Lori’s feathers. I have to tell them something.”
Tris grabbed his weapons and picked up his friend. He hurried out of the house and felt the cool breeze on his face. Being outside, more of his senses came back to him. The darkness within him still lingered, but he knew that he could control it now. The anger was there simmering, but it was not so strong that the Grigori’s influence was not on him. Tris hugged his friend’s body close to him and went back to the house to tell the others what had happened and face whatever reckoning he had coming to him. It would be better than the alternative. I’ll make amends in any way that I have to.
Back on his property, he laid Lori, his friend, there. I should be the one lying there and not you. He gazed up at the sky and closed his eyes. All his thoughts drained away and he thought of the One lingering in Heaven.
Once I saw nothing but You and loved only You. Then I found something else. I thought it was love, and it became warped. I know I can’t go back into Heaven permanently. And I don’t want to become one of the Grigori. I really do love her. That was your gift to us. I’ve done wrong, I know. Lori gave his life so that Daniella could realize her purpose as an angel. I know you can’t give her back what was taken, but please spare her. If you punish me for my transgressions, I’m willing to take whatever you can give me. Help me with this anger I feel. Help me so that I don’t use it to hurt her. Tris bowed his head and felt a tear slide down his cheek. It had been a long time since he had talked to the One who gave him life. Hesphital said he had to have faith. Right now that was all that kept him going. Something soft landed on his arm. A small blue butterfly had settled on his arm. It fluttered its wings and flattened them into his skin. There it became one with him. It was a sign. He had been forgiven. A shaft of light hit Lori in the center of his chest. It spread outward and slowly engulfed his body until it dissolved and there was nothing left of his friend except a single feather. Tris picked it up, and the butterfly still did not move from his arm.
“What was that?”
He looked over and saw Daniella standing in the sun. Another ray flowed over her mocha skin, and he saw the outline of wings. Seeing her in the light was something else that he thought he would never see. Tris was being given a second—no, third—chance, and he could not blow it this time. Daniella was so magnificent. She was a goddess. She was the sum of everything, and Lori had given her what remained of his spark, his heavenly life, and it had molded her into what she was now. Both the dark and the light auras swirled around her. On her cheek now was a small pale pink butterfly that he was not sure if anyone else could see.
“That was him returning to Heaven. He gave up what he is so that you could become what you are meant to be.”
“There’s another butterfly on your arm. It wasn’t there before.”
Tris ran his fingers over it and felt the power race up his skin. The One had granted him another chance. Now he had to prove to Daniella that he was worthy of her, that everything he had said to her was wrong, and it did not matter that she was a vampire or an angel. “I’ve been given a second chance. Although I’m not sure if that means I’ve also been given another chance with you.” Tris dared a gaze into her dark eyes. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ve said horrible things to you, done unspeakable things, and didn’t believe in you. I don’t expect you to forgive me right away, but I was hoping that you might be able to.”
She trailed her fingers down his cheek, and he could not suppress the tremor that ran through him. “You do have a lot to make up for. It won’t happen overnight. You might have to show me over and over again how sorry you are. Do you think you can do that?”
He smiled and nodded, then he heard Joe clear his throat. Tris stood slowly and brushed his lips over Daniella’s mouth. He walked to the other angel, his leader, and waited to be judged. Tris knelt down and let the weight of the world settle onto his shoulders.
“Get up, Tris. The punishment you seek is not going to come. Your redemption is already starting. You have already been given another chance by the One who rules over all of us. There are times you might wish you had given up and gone with the Grigori, but for now you are granted a reprieve. Only you can show Daniella what it means to be an angel and balance her vampiric nature.”
“What does it mean?” she asked. “I don’t feel exactly how I did before. But I don’t feel human either.”
“You’re still a vampire, but the angelic blood in you has awakened so it gives you the ability to walk in the sun, at least for a while. You will hunger. You will find that your taste will only be for angel blood. There are ones that you might want to drink from, or maybe from the one you are already involved with. Tris will be your guide in your calling.”
“So I can feed from other angels, but you would prefer I feed from Tris?”
Joe smiled. “Yes. You could say that. For now, I’ll leave you to kiss her feet or whatever you were going to do.”
“What about Horatio? What do I tell the other two H’s?” Tris asked.
“You’ve all been taken off of active duty for now to heal and rest. Look after Daniella, Tris. If I
hear or see one bad thing even uttered to her, then your wings come off. I don’t care if you have been given another chance. I’ll take your wings. Do you understand?”
He nodded. “More than you know.”
“Good. Daniella, don’t take any lip from him.”
“I don’t plan on it,” she answered.
Joe nodded and disappeared.
Tris looked back at Daniella. “I meant what I said. I want to make amends for being an ass. But I have so much pain inside, it’s not going to be easy for me to get over, so please bear with me.”
She stood up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “I plan on it, but this time, if you say anything horrible about me, I’m going to kick your ass. Is that understood?”
Tris realized how much he could have missed out on without her. “Yes, ma’am. I definitely deserve some ass kissing...I mean kicking!”
Daniella jabbed him in the ribs, and he felt the force behind it. “Kicking, yes. And you’ll be kissing mine. I have an idea on how you can start making it up to me.” She walked her fingers down his chest and tugged on his waistband.
“I like how you think.”
* * * *
Daniella was still reeling from the changes going on inside of her. She could feel the angelic part of her and the weight of the new wings. Seeing Tris outside in the garden lifted her heart. She thought he was completely lost to her, but he had come back to her with a new purpose for life. His eyes were still troubled. Of course, he would have a tough time adjusting to his new lot in life and her new position. When he gazed upon her, it was as though he saw her for the first time. He was still riddled with grief and emotions rattling his heart, but it was apparent that he loved her. Daniella never thought she would fall in love, let alone fall in love with an angel. With all the information and changes going through the both of them, he was one constant. Together they would weather the storm that was going to come.
Tris rested his hand on her cheek, and a zing traveled through her from where he touched her. His caress made her remember the wonderful nights they had together before all of this had gone wrong. “Can I show you how much I care about you?”
“Does that involve ass kissing?”
He scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder before she could protest. Tris yanked her pants down and pressed his lips to her ass. Daniella squirmed to get away and giggled, but he did not let her go. “Is this good enough?”
“No! I want more. I need more of you.”
“That’s something I can grant.” Tris brought her inside of the house and stopped at the basement steps.
“Why are we stopping?”
“I don’t think you belong in the basement anymore.”
“Good decision. So where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
She wriggled on his shoulder as he walked upstairs. They got to his bedroom, and he opened the door. His bedroom was vast, and he had a lavish bed covered in a large, black velvet spread. He gently deposited her onto it. Tris straddled her. His cock pressed against her thigh, but before she could move, Tris leaned over and pinned her arms above her head.
“Going to tie me up now?” Daniella asked.
“No. I just want to look at you. How beautiful you are! The glow around you is amazing. It illuminates your skin. I can see the vampire in you, but....” He ran his thumb over her lip.
Before she could stop herself, she nipped on his thumb and felt the blood well onto her tongue. She sucked it into her mouth and watched his eyes roll into the back of his head. He lost his grip on her arms. Daniella grabbed his wrist and worked her lips from his thumb to the soft inner flesh of her wrist. The hunger rolled in her stomach, and her body still hurt from the heat and silver. His heart pumped the blood like a drum calling her home. She slipped her fangs into his wrist, and the blood flowed hot down her throat.
“Yes. Yes.” Tris ground on top of her.
With each swallow she regained her strength, and the burns on her arms healed. Tris rocked back and forth until she put a hand on his chest over his heart to steady him. Daniella released Tris when a shock electrified her entire being. She felt the weight of her wings once again. He propelled her off the bed and gave her the leverage to wiggle out from underneath him until she was straddling him. He pushed his hips into hers and turned his neck, showing her his jugular. Daniella kissed along the side of his throat. He groaned from passion, and the sheer wanting of his blood stirred her pleasure. It was easy to ignore the hunger, but with her arousal and the desire coursing through her, all she wanted was to give in to her urges. She nipped until she came to his ear lobe. “Do you want this?”
“Suck me. I’m yours. All yours.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes.”
Daniella studied the man underneath her. It was odd seeing him so vulnerable and yet so open and sexy. He turned his head toward her and stared. “What is it?”
“Can angels become vampires?”
“No. Why?”
She sighed and thought about the times she had been in bed with Balthus. They had always exchanged blood, and it brought them closer. It was something she had missed when having sex with Tris. “Would you be willing to try something?”
He nodded.
She glanced at her wrist and wondered how he was going to react. This would be a big step for him, knowing how he felt about vampires. Daniella bit into her wrist and held it out to Tris. A quick flash of emotions slid across his face. She saw the disgust in his eyes and the confusion. He hesitated at first, but brought it to his mouth. Once he drew in her blood, it was with an uncertainty. She was not used to this because Balthus drew out the pleasure of the moment. Tris was slow and unsure of what to do until the desire of it flowed through her, and she moaned. It was close to an orgasm, but on a different level. The connection between them was growing. Tris pulled away from her wrist, and his breathing had increased. His pupils were dilated, and his heart thumped a staccato beat in his chest. She felt it as if it were in her own.
He tried to sit up, but she forced him down and pressed her lips to his. Tris wove his fingers through her hair and forced his tongue into her mouth. Her lover now seemed imbued with a hunger that she too shared. His tongue coiled around her teeth. Even the slight touch fanned her desire. She felt his dick straining against the fabric of his jeans.
“What’s happening?” Tris asked.
“We tasted one another, and it forms a bond. It enables us to feel one another’s emotions. It heightens the experience. I used to do it with Balthus all the time. It gets us inside one another.”
He cupped her cheek. “There’s another way that can happen too. I wasn’t sure about doing it before, because I couldn’t open myself up that much. Nevertheless, I guess we’ll have to do it next time. Ahh....” Tris threw back his head and pushed his hips upward. “I need you.”
“I know. I need you too.” She pulled off her shirt and threw it on the ground. He cupped her breasts and ran his thumbs over her pert nipples, sending another bolt of pleasure through her, even with it underneath the lace of her bra.
Daniella kissed the middle of his chest and flicked her tongue over his nipple. She tasted the salt on his skin, and it tasted good. She bit down on his nipple and felt him jump. Tris arched his back. She reached around, undid her bra, and tossed it over his shoulder. Her angelic lover smiled and cupped her breasts. Daniella rubbed his cock through his jeans, and he squirmed underneath her. She squirmed on top of him and rode his cock. Tris grabbed her arms and dug his fingers into them. His face was locked in a mixture of desire and anticipation.
“God, stop teasing me.”
She giggled. “But it’s fun.”
“Not when I feel all of this coursing through me. I need...I don’t know. It feels like I need to bite something.”
If he felt the slightest bit of hunger that she suffered then, he had to understand what she dealt with every day. It was not just for blood; it was for sex too. She ra
ked her fingers down his chest, leaving claw marks in his shirt. He groaned, and she tore away the remnants of his shirt and flicked her tongue over his flesh. He leaned up and took one of her breasts into his mouth. His tongue flicked over her nipple, and it firmed in his mouth. He tried to take it all into his mouth and she slid her fingers through his hair, feeling the smoothness of the locks as he bit down on her nipple. She cried out and felt restricted being in her clothes. She held Tris down close to her for a moment and then shimmied off of him.
He groaned and fell back onto the bed. “Leaving me now?”
Daniella smiled. “Of course not! Unless you want me to walk out right now?”
“No.” He reached for her and then dragged his fingers over his face. It was nice to see him so out of sorts. “Do you always feel like this? Like you’re crawling out of your skin?”
“Sometimes, when I get really hungry, but mostly when I want to make love to someone. It feels like I want to crawl out of my skin. The desire only makes it worse.” She slipped off her shoes and shimmied out of her pants and panties.
“Are you going to get undressed too?”
His lips curled up in a devilish smile, and in an instant he was naked. Her eyes widened. “How did you do that?”
He got up on his knees on the bed and beckoned her forward. His cock stood out before him. Tris took it between his hands and stroked it. Daniella licked her lips and cleaned her fangs. The desire was so great to take him that she felt the weight of her wings, but she could still not see them, and it was more important to ease her desire to feel him inside of her.
“You just have to find out.”
“If it goes along with my new abilities, I guess you’re going to have to show me.”
“We can show one another many new things. I’ve been a dick, and I hope that I can make it up to you.”
She giggled. “You can by doing this. It’s a step in the right direction. Now come here, big boy!” Daniella stepped toward the bed, but Tris was no longer there. He disappeared, then she felt his hands around her waist. He nuzzled her neck and nipped at it. The sudden surprise made her jump. He bit down on her throat harder until she groaned. He trailed his fingers over her hips and slipped his hand lower until he found her buried bud. Tris rubbed her slowly until she threw her head back and leaned against his chest. His other hand rested over her heart. A warmth spread that raced within her. It brought her to an instant orgasm. It seemed she could see the light inside of her veins as well, and it was something she had never felt before. He did not stop his torture on her clit, and she was lost to the bliss. The light was behind her eyes, and it seemed that the sun was shining on her once more. It made her feel whole. She laid her head back and stared into his blue-gray eyes. His long hair was down and cascaded over her shoulders when he pressed his lips to hers. Daniella kissed him lightly.
