On Wednesday, she called into the clinic and told them she’d picked up a bug from one of the patients and wouldn’t be in for the rest of the week.
When his temperature was down and he was lucid, they talked.
“What was it like, having wings?” she asked.
He hesitated, then pantomimed a listening ear.
“I took your phone to your house,” she said.
He pointed at her and cocked his head.
She turned off her phone, then carried it into the bedroom and stuck it beneath her mattress. When she returned, she told him what she’d done.
He looked around the room, his face still worried.
“I don’t have a computer,” she said.
Then his eyes fell on her television, an old analog set she’d never bothered to replace. A tiny smile curled his lips and his shoulders relaxed.
“Wings were incredible.” His face filled with longing so intense her chest ached in sympathy. “Imagine being able to soar and see the Earth drop away beneath you, to glide and feel the currents holding you up. We had this game where we’d dive into the ocean, deep, deep, deep, and then shoot straight up, spraying water everywhere. The sun would catch the droplets and make them sparkle, like a shower of diamonds.”
Except for a single blister between his dark eyebrows, his face was free of the disfiguring pox. Memories of his time as an angel made it radiant. She caught her breath at the sheer beauty of his features. Why had he abandoned all that? Why hadn’t he remained on the side of good?
Not that it made any difference. In one guise, he was off-limits. In the other, out of reach.
“If DemSec can make you into a doctor, why can’t they fix your scars?”
“The scars are supernatural wounds, symbols of our betrayal.”
“The God I was brought up on is generous with forgiveness.”
“‘To him whom much is given, much is required.’“
“You’re saying God gave angels a lot more power than he gave humans, so he expected more of them?”
“That’s always been my belief. Or maybe he just mellowed over time. Despite what the televangelists say, no one really knows what’s in his mind.”
Then his temperature rose again, and soon he was tossing and muttering about that lake.
The next day was more of the same. Dara snatched sleep whenever she could, wondering what she would do if the tub stopped working. How would she explain a dead body in her bathtub? Especially when an autopsy revealed that body to be other than human? She made broth for him, taking far too much pleasure in his gratitude when she spooned it into his mouth.
On Thursday, she called Mercy Care and asked for Nana.
“Where have you been, girl?” Nana’s worried voice filled Dara with guilt.
“I caught a bug from one of the patients. I don’t want to give it to you.”
“What’s going on with that demon?”
“I don’t know,” she lied. It was better than having Nana fret herself into a stroke.
She got off the phone with promises to take care of herself and come visit as soon as possible.
“What was it like in Heaven, before you fell?” she asked Ben the next time he was clearheaded.
He grew wistful. “It was very beautiful, very serene. God doesn’t allow any bad juju in Heaven. It’s also very structured. Everyone has an assigned role.”
“What was your role?”
“I was a Virtue. I helped humans realize their dreams.” He sounded sad.
“Why did you leave?”
“I was ambitious. I wanted to be more than I was, and I knew that would never happen there. I saw Heaven as a very unfair place, where some got rewarded while others didn’t.”
“But you don’t think that anymore?”
“I think God knew I had it within me to betray him, long before I ever did.”
“That’s how Nana and Granddad saw God,” Dara said, “as totally omniscient.”
“You don’t believe that?”
“I’ve always been a little skeptical. If he knows everything before it ever happens, doesn’t that pretty much eliminate free will?”
“Good question,” said Ben.
“And if he’s omniscient, why didn’t he see what Sataniel was about to do?”
“Everyone has their blind spots.”
The next time, she asked, “What’s it like, working for Satan?”
“About like you’d think.”
“You mean awful.”
He shrugged. “It has its pros and cons.”
“Tell me one good thing about it.”
“I’m a better poker player than he is.” He looked smug, shades of the old cocky Ben.
“And you’re proud of that? I guess you take what you can get.”
“Not everyone has the luxury of being self-employed and not answering to anyone.”
“Are you kidding? Being self-employed means answering to everyone.”
He shrugged. “I guess you take what you can get.”
Another time, he asked about Matthew. “Did you love him very much?”
“I did,” she said. “He was a wonderful man and a wonderful doctor and a wonderful husband.”
“And yet you can only spare a single adjective to describe him.”
She shrugged. “What can I say? He was wonderful.”
He picked up a picture of her and Matt that was sitting on the end table. They’d gone down to Epcot for a day, and another tourist had snapped their picture outside The Land exhibit. The agricultural experiments there fascinated Matt, so she had arranged for a behind-the-scenes tour.
“The car accident that killed your husband killed your child, too,” he said, “and left you barren.”
She snatched the picture from his hands.
His face turned a dull red. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
And there it was again. An apology, this one clearly sincere. When she’d asked about his wings, he’d been honest, without attempting to pretend or glaze over the truth. She took a deep breath.
“I was on my laptop, working on the budget for the new house we planned to build. Matt and I were arguing about the construction costs. It was raining, and he wasn’t paying attention. The car skidded out of control and hit a bridge abutment. My seatbelt gave way. The laptop slammed into my abdomen. They said the baby died on impact. The damage was so extensive they had to take my uterus and both my ovaries.”
“How far along were you?”
“Eight weeks. We’d only just found out.”
“And your scars?”
“My airbag caught fire.”
He shook his head. “How did you escape dying?”
“Some good Samaritans came along and pulled me from the car.” For a moment, she was back at the scene, rain dowsing the burning nylon that clung to her hands and chest, hearing the horrified exclamations of her rescuers at the trail of blood left in the soaking grass as they dragged her from the wreckage.
“You’re angry at God about losing your family.”
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “I was heartbroken, but I got past the anger stage fairly quickly.”
“If you weren’t angry, why did you stop going to church?”
She drew another deep breath. “I wasn’t angry at losing Matt or the baby. I was angry at never being able to have another.”
He nodded. “Because it felt like a punishment.”
“Yes.” How strange that she could tell this to a demon when she couldn’t admit it to her own grandmother. And that a demon would understand. “It felt like God was saying, ‘You are not worthy to procreate.’“ Shame bowed her head and filled her eyes.
He put his hand under her chin and lifted it, wiping away her tears with the edge of his thumb. “I think you misinterpreted the message.”
“What?” And why was she listening to him?
“I think he was just telling you that ramming a laptop into your gut at sixty miles an hour is a ba
d idea.”
Chapter 34
On Friday afternoon, Ben’s fever finally broke. She could almost see him healing as his hybrid body figured out how to deal with the microbe that had laid him low. His skin cleared up as if by magic. She considered taking him back to his house, but he lived alone. She didn’t like the idea of him being on his own if he relapsed or experienced follow-up complications.
They spent Friday afternoon on the sofa, with his feet in her lap. She hadn’t sneezed since he’d been here, she realized, even though she hadn’t taken any antihistamines. She shared Nana’s theory of demon allergy with him.
He told her about Abaddon’s experiments. “I’m too human to even make you sneeze.”
They watched reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer all afternoon. Every time Buffy offed some vampire, he’d snort and say, “No real demon would fall for that move.”
“Those aren’t demons. They’re vampires.”
He snorted again. “Why do you mortals persist in making up creatures to frighten yourselves? Isn’t there enough evil in the world to satisfy you?”
She realized he was healthy again when dinnertime rolled around.
“Let’s order a pizza,” he said.
“You can’t have pizza. They’re full of fat and grease. You’re still convalescing.”
“I’m well now. Get one with peppers and olives and onions.”
“What, no pepperoni?”
He made a face. “I don’t eat pork.”
“Why not?”
“I never developed a taste for it.”
He still followed the dietary laws laid out in the Old Testament. She stored that up to share with Nana.
“If you’re well, then I can take you home and have my house back.” She had enjoyed having him here, especially the long talks, but she wasn’t about to let him know that.
He flopped back on the couch and moaned. “I think my fever just spiked again.”
Dara placed her palm on his forehead. “Feels normal to me.”
He wriggled back to a sitting position. “Why do all women believe they can convert their hands into digital thermometers simply by applying them to someone’s forehead?”
“Do you want me to get a real thermometer?”
He pulled her back down beside him. “No, stay. I’m pretty sure I’m within normal ranges, at least for a demon.”
She didn’t want him to go when she wasn’t sure he was healed, so she suggested a compromise for dinner.
“How about we order Chinese?” she asked. There was a Chinese restaurant in downtown Alexandria that delivered. The owners had moved from Brooklyn and kept a kosher kitchen.
“Excellent idea. I love duck gan guo.” That was the spiciest dish on the menu.
“You can have egg drop soup and steamed rice.”
His face fell, but he didn’t argue. She ordered his food, plus kung pao chicken for herself.
While they were waiting for the food to be delivered, the phone rang.
“What’s going on?” Lilith asked. “I talked to Tia and she said you haven’t been in since Tuesday.”
“I picked up a bug,” Dara said.
“Bummer. Do you want me to bring you anything? Aspirin? Pepto?”
Dara imagined Lilith’s face when she walked in and found Ben half-naked on the couch.
“No, that’s okay. I’m pretty much over it, just giving myself a final day to recuperate.”
“Oh, good. I’ll bring over a couple of movies tonight. We’ll stay in and watch them.”
“Maybe another time,” Dara said.
“I should at least come and check on you. It’s what friends do. I’ll swing by after work.”
“No!” Dara cleared her throat. “That is, I appreciate it, but I mostly want to rest. Thanks.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Lilith sounded hurt.
“I appreciate the offer,” Dara said. “I’m just a little tired. I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
“All right. I’ll see you at ten tomorrow, then.”
“Tomorrow?”
“For our spa day.”
Argh. Their spa day. And since it was her treat to make up for destroying Lilith’s expensive blouse, Dara couldn’t very well back out.
“Right,” she said. “Tomorrow.”
Dara and Ben spent the evening watching Hellboy, which he found hilarious. At ten o’clock, she said goodnight and went to shower.
When she came out of the bathroom, there were noises coming from the darkened kitchen. Was Ben sick again? She hurried to investigate. When she flipped on the overhead light, he was standing in front of the microwave.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m ready for some real food.” He pulled the carton containing her leftover kung pao chicken from the microwave and sat down at the counter. He was dressed in the silk boxer shorts she’d laundered while he was in the tub that morning. She was wearing a thin nightgown suitable for a September night in north Florida, but her hair was loose and covered her almost to her waist. It seemed safest to ignore their lack of clothing.
“Do you want some?” he asked.
“At eleven o’clock at night?”
“I’m hungry.”
She sat down next to him and he offered her a bite off his fork.
“How’s the clinic doing without you?” he asked.
“Okay,” said Dara. “Tia had to cover all my shifts, and I hate to think of what my inbox will look like when I go back, but okay.”
“It’s probably good for them to function without you,” he said.
She swallowed. “I supposed that’s true. When I talked to Javier, he said he had to get creative to cover Thursday night, but he figured it out. And Kelsey’s pursuing a grant from the Family Foundation I never would have considered.”
“She has a lot of potential,” Ben said, “once she really gives up on being a dancer.”
“That has to have been so difficult,” Dara said. “To work and plan for something your entire life, only to have it snatched away in an instant.”
In the dim light of the kitchen, his eyes were gentle. “You would know.”
She started to shoot back an answer but stopped herself and nodded.
“That’s why I’m so patient with her,” Dara said. “Tia gets frustrated with me sometimes. She wants me to tell Kelsey to grow up or get out, but she has to deal with her loss in her own time and her own way.”
It was an oddly intimate moment to be sharing with a demon. What would Nana say if she knew? Dara winced. She’d have to see her grandmother soon.
After they finished up the leftovers, she rinsed the plate and put it in the dishwasher. The detergent packets were in the cabinet overhead. She stretched to get one out.
When she turned around, Ben stood in the doorway, watching her. Over the past few days, he’d stopped seeming like a demon to her. He was a patient, and a platonic friend. Now she became aware of his body again.
The front of his boxers told her he was equally aware of her. She leaned across the counter and flipped off the revealing overhead light, but it was too late. Quicker than any human could move, he was beside her. His arms encircled her and his mouth came down on hers and everything else in the world went away.
When he lifted his head, he wrapped his fist in her hair and used it to draw her closer. His lips hovered above hers. She was so tired of trying to resist him. Then his hand moved behind her head and he crushed his lips to hers, and it was the most pleasurable pain she’d ever experienced.
His scent filled her nose. The smell of vanilla and rainwater coiled around her in all its deliciousness, with only the faintest note of sulfur. She hadn’t taken an antihistamine since morning, but she didn’t sneeze. She pressed her pelvis against his.
He took her jaw between his long fingers, turning her face to his so he could claim her lips again. His mouth moved on hers until her lips opened and their tongues tangled in a thrust and parry that set her senses on fire. He searched
out her breast and cupped it from beneath, as though checking it for heft. Then he bent his head and sucked her nipple through the thin cotton of her gown. That felt so good her knees buckled. She clung to him for support.
Any concerns she had about whether he was healthy enough for sex were put to rest when he scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom like she weighed nothing. She wanted him so badly that even the idea of revealing her scarred body to him didn’t dissuade her.
He laid her on the bed and stood there for a moment, gazing at her with the moonlight streaming in through the windows. His glowing eyes reminded her that he was no mortal man, but before she could process that thought, his body covered hers and his knee nudged between her thighs to part them.
It was too soon. There was no way she was ready to accommodate what he had inside those boxers, but there was a part of her that wanted him to claim her that instant. Inarticulate with desire, all she could think was mine, mine, mine. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her.
“Gaaah!” There was a sound like fajitas sizzling, and the smell of burning flesh rose up between them. He rolled off her.
On his chest, the shape of a cross was burned into his skin. His face twisted into one giant wince. Garbled sounds came from his throat.
“Oh my gosh. I am so sorry.” Dara undid the clasp and tossed Nana’s ruby cross onto the nightstand. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, sliding his knee back between her thighs. He lowered himself to her body again, but the break was enough to bring her back to sanity.
“Condom.” She pushed at his shoulder. “We need a condom.”
He ignored her. His breath was hot and damp on her skin. His knee grew more insistent. She clenched her knees together.
“Condom,” she said again.
He stopped trying to spread her legs and stroked his hand down the side of her face.
The Demon Always Wins: Touched by a Demon, Book 1 Page 22
