by KD Jones
Abraham used his soothing voice as he added, “It would count as work-study, considering that I’m already paying for your education.”
What the hell! Ari had never told her who his friend was that had been paying her tuition. She should have known there would be strings attached. Nothing was ever free. She was about to refuse, but his voice cut in again, soothing her.
“One day a week, just a couple of hours of your time shouldn’t be too much to ask. I want to show you so many things, things that will one day be yours. I won’t be here forever.”
So the guilt trip began. “Fine, I can commit to one morning a week. I’m usually free on Wednesday mornings.”
“Perfect, I can pick you up on the way to work.” Abraham seemed way too happy.
“I really need to go.”
“I’ll have Bingley bring the car around,” Abraham said, taking out his cellphone.
Cass looked around the bedroom once more and realized there was something else she wanted to know. She turned to Avenia. “What kind of demi-demon was my mother?”
“She was an air demi-demon, just like me. All the females in our family inherit the air powers.”
“What is Abraham?”
“He is a lure demi-demon.”
“Thanks.” She would have to search what a lure demi-demon’s powers were.
“The car is waiting downstairs,” Abraham announced, motioning for the ladies to exit the bedroom first.
“Thank you for dinner,” Cass told them as they headed down the stairs.
“I look forward to seeing you again next Sunday,” Avenia told her, giving her an awkward hug. Thankfully Abraham didn’t try to hug her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be that close to him. Something about it bothered her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
As she came out of the house, she found the limousine with the door already open and Bingley standing next to it. She hopped inside, feeling restless. She looked back as the house grew smaller and smaller. She didn’t want to go home right away.
“Bingley, could you drop me off in downtown Detroit? I want to visit a friend of mine.”
“Yes, miss. What’s the address?”
An hour later, she got out of the limousine a block away from the nightclub.
“Are you sure this is the right address?” Bingley closed the door but was looking around skeptically at the dark streets.
“Yes, that apartment there is where I’m going.”
“Should I wait here for you and take you home once you’re done visiting?”
“That’s sweet of you, Bingley, but I’ll be fine.”
“Goodnight then.”
“Goodnight.” She watched him drive away before turning to walk the couple of blocks until the nightclub came into view. She went to the building she had used the night before and climbed the fire escape to the rooftop. She didn’t care that she had on a dress but was sure Leeza would have something to say about the dirt and smudges when she got home. She had to admit, it was a beautiful night. The air was cool and there were stars shining down.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away,” a voice called out of the dark.
She turned to face the man behind the voice. “Ari, you have some explaining to do.”
Ari walked toward her with his cocky, sexy stride. “What do you want me to explain?”
“Why didn’t you tell me that Abraham was paying for my school?” But then she waved that question off. “That’s not even the most important question. What’s a lure demi-demon?”
He smiled at her. “Found that out, did ya?”
“Yeah, Abraham basically used it against me to get me to work one day a week in his office. A little heads up would have been appreciated.”
“Sorry about that. He was happy to volunteer the money to help you.”
“I’m sure he was. What’s a lure demi-demon?”
“They can use their powers of persuasion to bend others to their will. They are excellent at doing business deals and can talk people into pretty much anything. Lure demi-demons are usually con artists, but a full lure demon can convince people to end their own lives. Their voices are their main source of power. The best way to defend yourself against one is to kill them before they utter a single word.”
And that blood was running through her own veins? Great, just freaking great!
Chapter 14
“I knew you couldn’t stay away, just like I can’t stay away from you,” Ari said as he stepped out from behind the tree. They were in the park, where it was dark and the stars were the only witness to their meeting.
Cass shook her head, “I shouldn’t be here.”
Ari took her hand and pulled her to him. “This is exactly where you should be.”
He leaned down and kissed her. She couldn’t resist, and the truth was, she was tired of fighting her desire for him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back with everything she felt inside.
All the years of seeing him come into the diner and flirt outrageously with her but she had never done anything about it came pouring of her. She kissed him and the world faded; he touched her and her body caught fire.
The next thing she knew, he was laying them down on the grass and their clothes had disappeared. She felt the heat of his skin covering her, warming her. She was never cold when she was close to him, and right then she was skin to skin.
Ari kissed her chin, then her neck, making his way down her body until he hovered over her breasts. “You are so beautiful, Cass.”
“You make me feel that way,” she whispered arching her back to give him better access.
His hands traveled down her waist to her hips, lifting her up to him. Then his cock slowly began to enter her. He breached her maidenhead with only a brief flicker of discomfort. Then he was inside, all the way. She had never felt so complete in all her life. Colors blinded her and those flames of desire soon consumed her. She felt like...she had come home.
*****
Cass woke up breathing hard, her whole body soaked in sweat. The worst part was that she could still feel him—Ari—inside of her. She had never had sex with anyone before, so how come it felt so damn real? It felt so...right.
What the hell! She had a boyfriend—West. If she was supposed to have sex dreams about anyone, it should be about him. Not Ari. It wasn’t the first time she had dreamed about being with him, but somehow this time it felt different. She couldn’t explain it.
Throwing the sheets off, she got up and went to the window, opening it up to the cool night air. She sat on the window seat and leaned against the edge of the window. It was a beautiful night, but night was almost over and the morning sun would soon be up.
After going to the club area and seeing Ari, she had still felt restless, so she’d come to the church to check on Father Raphael. It had been getting late, so he offered for her to stay in her old room and she couldn’t say no. So here she was, back in the small room above the church looking out over the backyard.
If she had wings, she could fly out over the city like Michael. Of course, she could run, but running super fast had one downside: she couldn’t enjoy the view when everything went by in a blur. The faster she went, the more she had to concentrate on her final destination or she would end up in the next state, which had only happened—twice.
Looking up, she saw that the moon was at a lower place in the sky, which meant the sun would rise soon. Her body tingled where she swore she could still feel dream-Ari’s hands on her skin.
“I’m a horrible girlfriend,” she whispered covering her face with her hands. West deserved better than to be with someone who dreamed and fantasized about someone else. If it was simple attraction, that would be something she could deal with, but she had genuine feelings for Ari. Truth was...she was falling in love with the dark and mysterious demi-demon. It was taking a little time, but she was beginning to forgive him for having lied to her. Maybe she had been too quick in starting a relationship with West. Leeza had warned her that she wa
s falling into a rebound relationship and that it might not work out, but she didn’t want to listen to that. Now she had a wonderful guy who pretty much worshipped her, but her heart wasn’t in it.
“What do I do?” she asked a blue bird that flew down to perch on the tree limb outside her window. The bird chirped happily in answer. “That’s not helpful.”
She turned her back on the bird and stood up, crossing the room to the dresser. She pulled down the picture of her mother holding her as a baby. The only picture she had of her mother. It was faded and a little cracked from all the times she had held it and rubbed it. All the pictures in her grandmother’s albums were in pristine shape, like they had never been touched. Perhaps if she went to their house for enough Sundays, she could talk her grandmother into letting her take the album to be photocopied.
Shuffling on creaky floors downstairs let her know that Michael was probably up helping Father Raphael or something. All her senses were getting better as she used her powers more and more. She could see much better in the dark and she liked the enhanced hearing. What she was still trying to get used to was having to control the downside to those improved senses. Like smells could overwhelm her at times, especially when she was working at the diner. Loud pounding sounds could also give her headaches. The nightclub was not her favorite place to go because of that. Father Raphael swore things would get better as she learned to control her senses. She hoped that would happen soon.
Well, she wasn’t tired and she also didn’t want to chance going back into the same dream again. She pulled out her sweats and put them on. Then she reached for her tennis shoes on the floor next to the bed and put those on. An early morning run should help her forget the dream.
*****
Raphael sat up in the bed. He was finally moving around better, thank goodness. He hated having to call on others to help him do things like cook or even go to the bathroom. Michael had heard him stumbling to the bathroom a few minutes ago and come to help, but he was able to manage on his own. Now sitting back down, he felt like all the energy had been drained out of him from that simple trip. A door opening and shutting had him perking up.
“Who is that?”
Michael was lounging in a chair by the window. He looked out. “Cass is going for a run.”
“Isn’t it kind of early? Is she going to meet someone?”
“She hasn’t been forthcoming to me about her comings and goings.”
“I thought she had forgiven you.”
He shrugged. “She’s been holding on to her anger for what feels like a really long time.”
“Michael, you need to make amends with her.”
“I’ve tried apologizing.”
“Try harder. She needs you, whether she wants to admit that or not, if she hopes to win the upcoming battle.”
Michael sighed. “I will be there for her, but I can’t make her forgive me.”
“Just prove with your words and actions that she can depend on you.”
“I’m trying.” Michael looked pensively out the window. “I was wrong about her.”
“How so?”
“I thought that because she had demon blood in her veins that she was less than me. That she would always fall to evil unless a strong hand kept her in line.”
“Now what do you think?”
“She’s so much more than what the leaders planned. I understand their reasoning for doing what they did, but my perspective has changed after getting to know her.” Michael’s eyes searched his.
“Why would they think bringing a child into this world and throwing her at the demons would be a good idea?”
“Sadly, they were never born, never raised as a child to grow gradually into adulthood. They had no clue what they were doing...I had no idea what I agreed to be a part of. It took many, many years of working with humans to finally understand that. Why did you change your opinion?”
“I’ve gotten to know Cass. She’s special, really special, and didn’t deserve to be used in this way.”
Raphael smiled. “Yes, she is special. It sounds like you’ve done a lot of soul searching about her.”
“I...think I’m a little in love with her. But it doesn’t matter how I feel, she will remember the horrible things I’ve said and hold them against me.”
“Maybe not. Cassandra is very caring and forgiving.”
“It’s too late for me, she’s already dating the human.”
“I can’t fault her for that. She’s been betrayed by both angels and demons, while humans are more familiar and less threatening to her.”
“Do you think she loves him?”
“It’s hard to tell, her relationship with him is still new.”
“I wish...I could start over with her.”
“What would you do differently?”
“I don’t know, be less of an asshole.”
Raphael chuckled. “That would have been a better start. Unfortunately, our gifts do not allow us to time travel. If they did, I would have gone back to protect Cassandra and her mother better.”
“I guess that’s why they say you can’t go back, only forward.”
“Exactly. You are becoming more human by the day.”
He stood up and pulled out his wings a little to stretch. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Go spread your wings for bit.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine. I think I’ll take a little nap.”
“Don’t go out of this room without me here to help you.”
“Yes, Father Michael.” Raphael smiled when he grimaced at being called that. Michael really had grown tremendously in his time there with Cassandra. It was a shame that she was in love with someone else—only it wasn’t with the human.
Chapter 15
Why had she come here? She should have run back to her and Leeza’s apartment to change. Instead, she had ended up outside of West’s dorm. It scared her, but at some point while running, she had realized that her heart wasn’t in this relationship. She needed to talk to West and be honest with him. Speaking of West…
The door to the dorm opened and out came a group of young men, West included. His whole face lit up at seeing her.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He took her into his arms and kissed her.
She didn’t know what to do, so she kissed him back. She was tense but his arms were familiar now, and safe. West meant the things he said and for his part, he hid nothing from her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t say the same.
“Good morning.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I was out for a run and just...happened by. Did you have an early morning class or something?”
“I was just going out to the dining hall for breakfast with the guys, but it can wait. Want to come inside?”
“What about your roommate?”
He pointed over to the group of boys watching them. “Hey, guys, I’ll catch ya later.” They whistled and made some rude comments that Cass chose to ignore. West took her hand and led her into the dorm. They went up the stairs to the second floor. West and his roommate had a room about midway down the hall. She waited for him to open it and then entered first as he flicked the lights on.
“West, I…” she was cut off when West surprised her by pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply and passionately. She wasn’t ready to defend against it, so she opened up to it and enjoyed it. West was a good kisser, the kind that made you feel the kiss all the way to your toes. So good, but not an Ari kiss that reached her soul. It was a kiss of warmth and trust and love. A love she didn’t return.
His hands ran up and down her sides, then slowly pulled her shirt up until his fingers touched her skin. Pressing his body tight against hers, he groaned in need. She felt his desire pressing against her belly. This was getting way too serious too fast.
Finding the strength to push him away, she turned and put some space between them. Her heart was racing and her breathing was rapid. The expression on
his face tore at her heart. She couldn’t do this right now, she couldn’t end things yet. Hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do. She knew she was being selfish, but she wanted to hold on to West a little while longer.
“I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.”
“Cass, what’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, no, you do everything right. It’s me. I’ve got some things to work out. I’ll talk to you later.” She left before he could talk her into staying.
She ran fast, using her powers. She wasn’t being safe about it either, she just had to get away. Oh God, what was she doing? Slowing down as she neared her apartment, she caught sight of Ari sitting on the steps. He was the last person she needed to see at that moment.
“What do you want, Ari?”
“I have been trying to get hold of you. I had some information for you about the blood demon. I called Leeza, but she said you hadn’t been home all night. I called the church and Michael said he didn’t know where you were.”
“I went for a run.”
“All night?”
“I crashed at the church for a few hours, then went for a run. Why does it matter to you?”
Ari moved so fast she didn’t see him until he was within inches of her. He ran his nose along her neck and growled. “Did you have sex with the human?”
She shoved him away from her angrily. “That is none of your business.” She tried to move past him but he grabbed her arm.
“You are my business.”
“You’re engaged, Ari. You have another woman, you don’t need me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I need and want you more than anything.”
“I can’t be yours!” Tears were coming down her cheeks.
“You will be, and I will be yours. I have belonged to you since we first met.” He kissed her and everything around her faded.
Her heartbeat raced, but it matched the beat of his. She wanted him like she did in her dream, hot, naked, and buried deep inside of her. Images of them naked and twisting against each other seemed more real than anything else.
“God, baby, the things you imagine.” Ari growled with desire as he lifted her and carried her away from the sidewalk, behind the building.
