Celeste looked up at him. “Excuse me?”
“Your eyes turned a little red and you blinked very quickly, what were you doing?” Celeste was left speechless, and had to remind herself she wasn’t around people that new or understood her. She was something none of them had ever come across before, nor ever would.
Her defenses immediately went up. Her father’s words pounded through her head. “They will not understand you. They will use you to help them find and kill Calliope. They have no other choice, but don’t for one second let your guard down. They will use that against you, possibly kill you the moment they have the chance and the moment you are no longer necessary.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you,” Celeste said pulling her cloak around her shoulders, imitating a stance she had seen her brothers and father use a million times.
The only reaction from Marcus was the flare of his nostrils. Then he leaned down so only she could hear his next words. “We are to work together, are you sure you want to start this out by keeping secrets from me?”
It wasn’t the words so much as they way he uttered them that jarred her. It was as if he were asking how the weather was.
She let the blood of her Demon side bleed into the iris of her eyes. Marcus’s nostrils flared again and she knew her next statement would be drawing a line in the sand. That was okay with her. The things she felt for this Fallen were forbidden. And the more they could maintain a distance between themselves the better.
She spoke slowly as if he hadn’t understood her the first time. “I have nothing to explain to you.”
****
Marcus had never wanted to strike a woman more than he did at that very moment. The Demon was pushing her luck and she needed to learn her role on this team.
He grabbed her by her arm, she tried to pull away, but he only tightened his hold on her.
“If you’ll excuse us, we have something we need to discuss,” he said to Ryder and Kyra.
She stopped fighting him when they were out of sight of the others. He picked a side room and, throwing the door in, he shoved her into the room. Following her, he slammed the door behind them.
He leaned back against the door, crossing his arms over his chest. He took several breaths to maintain his calm. There was something about her. Something he recognized, but couldn’t seem to put his finger on it. He must have come across her in the Infernos at some point. He spent a great deal of time there. There was just something about her that pulled at him and tightened his gut, made his blood run a little hotter. He realized suddenly he was aroused. The fury that caused boiled through his body astounded him. In less than two hours this tiny thing had wound her way through five hundred years of sexual defenses.
He couldn’t control the growl that erupted from deep in his chest. He glared at the woman. Her forehead would barely touch his chin.
Marcus had to admit she was beautiful, but also dangerous has hell. Shaking it off, he stared at her. Waiting for her to blink. Because he wasn’t about to back down, she had some explaining to do and she would do it. He was a very patient man.
****
Celeste looked around the room, it was lined with books.
She watched Marcus out of the corner of her eye. He leaned against the door, arms crossed over his chest. He looked like he was waiting for something. She had no idea what, so until he explained she would have to wait. But she could smell his fury. Of course she would know that from tasting his blood. She could tell things about him that not everyone else would be able to. Celeste was about as in tune with him as he was with himself. It was something she didn’t think he would appreciate knowing. However, she was amused because at the moment he was sexually frustrated and totally pissed. Two totally opposite emotions. She wanted to shake her head. He was a mess.
She finally turned to him, forgetting she had want to wait for him to speak. After all, she had been raised with Reapers and Dante. They spoke what they felt and be damned if your feelings were hurt in the process. Her change and puberty had driven them all close to murder.
“What?” she demanded from Marcus.
“Are we partners?” he asked his voice calm and quiet almost to quiet.
So, he was going to be reasonable was he? She wondered if he ever lost his composure. “I think partners would be a very broad classification of what we are.”
“Then why don’t you narrow the definition down for me?” he demanded without even raising his voice.
“We are being forced to work together, Fallen. It’s not something you or I obviously want. So let’s just make the most of it. Would you like to go to New Orleans or Australia?” she moved over to the book shelf. Unable to stop herself, she turned and started reading the titles. Acting like she wasn’t completely aware of the the man at her back or the fact he was going from mad to furious. She wondered if he struck woman, but a sideways glance at him reassured her he wasn’t really the type. His arms had come uncrossed and he fisted his hands at his sides. His green eyes sparkling, she was glad to see something in them other than pain and delusion.
After several minutes of silence she turned to him. “Australia then?” she crossed her own arms over her chest staring him in the eyes.
“Be ready in two hours,” he ground out between clenched teeth.
Celeste gave him a bland look. “I’m ready now.”
He growled.
Celeste took several breaths through her nose so he didn’t see the distress she was suddenly in. Because the sound he had just made, was causing the Sex Demon in her to scream out with desire. She turned from him so she could look out the window, knowing her eyes had gone red. If she didn’t control her reaction, her skin would take on the same red hue. She would attack him against the door. She was sure she had no way of explaining that type of action to him. Gods, she wouldn’t be able to explain it to herself. “Wait here,” was all he said. She heard the door slam behind her. Celeste lowered herself into a chair and put her face in her hands. This was going to be harder than she thought. Everything in her wanted to run screaming back into the Infernos. Fighting dead, evil souls was preferable than being stuck with a man she desired. She shook her head. She thought briefly of going back and trying to convince Dante that they should formulate anther plan. But her father had been clear, he wanted her out of the Infernos and he trusted no one, he said that the Fallen and the Trackers would protect her or pay his price. That way, he and her brothers could regain control of the lost levels of the Infernos. Plus, she was the only one who could wield the Black Sword and everyone knew it.
Unfortunately, that meant she was the only one who could kill Calliope, and that price could very well be her soul. It was something only she, Dante and her brothers knew. She could wield the Sword, could hold it without it taking anything from her. But when she used it to kill Calliope, the backlash of his evil could and probable would kill her. Or worse, stain her soul with his darkness, which would result with her in Lust for eternity, with the rest of the Sex Demons tortured by empty desire and longing. What her brothers and father didn’t know was, she was prepared to die. Her existence had come down to this mission and her life taking on some meaning before she left the world.
Celeste closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. She could do this. She could fight this evil. This was her destiny and if it meant giving her life for those she cared about she would do it. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the black steel at her back. Directing herself on her surrounding she stroked the buttery soft leather of the chair she sat in, and saw the light that surrounded this house. It brought a smile to her face. This was a safe haven. A place where love and light flourished. It warmed her to know Marcus had a place like this. Calm again, she waited.
Ten minutes later, the door was thrown open and one of the Trackers she hadn’t been introduced to poked his head in. “Let’s hit it.”
She stood, assuming that meant they were ready to go. She was going to have to pay close attention to the way ever
yone spoke and their movements or she was going to make herself look the fool.
Celeste didn’t see Marcus again until she climbed on the personal jet. He tossed her a blanket, his anger radiating through him.
“There’s a bed in back, and it’s a long flight. You might want to get some rest.”
Celeste shrugged. He obviously didn’t want her anywhere near him. Well that was fine with her because the Sex Demon inside of her wanted nothing more than to climb on him and show him how fast this flight could go by with the right type of entertainment.
Instead, she took the blanket and went to a seat. She pulled the Sword off and laid it in the seat next to her. Celeste watched out the window as the plane taxied and then took off. It was an amazing sight and feeling. Her stomach gave an excited jolt as the wheels left the ground. She had never traveled by plane. She always Flashed or used a Portal to get everywhere she went.
The rumble and hum of the giant engine vibrated through her, making her smile. It was a strange and exhilarating experience to fly, she decided. As they flew up into the clouds, she wondered what it would feel like to be able to take flight, to have wings of her own, just lift up into the wispy clouds. She knew these were whimsical thoughts she didn’t have time for.
“So, why Australia?” Marcus asked after an hour or so.
Celeste turned to him. They were alone on the jet. Celeste had contemplated what she should and could tell him about fighting Calliope.
“Like Dante explained, he has assimilated himself to our time. This was not something we had expected. He believed Calliope would go to ground and stay, unable to understand modern ways. Or outright attack either the Angels or the Infernos. Taking the time to assimilate, he now understands who are allies are, who the Reapers spend time with. That means he knows about you and the Trackers. He knows you are stationed in the United States. For that reason he will strike as far from there as humanly possible. I doubt he thinks we have the means to fight him in a global sense.”
Marcus seemed to relax slightly and his smell changed just a little. “That would make sense. How assimilated is he?”
Celeste shrugged. “To be honest, I have no idea.” That was about all she was willing to admit. She hadn’t actually fought him after all.
“So he could just be waiting for us when we get off the plane? Or attack us in the air?” Marcus snarled.
“You should work on controlling your temper,” Celeste offered.
“Excuse me?”
She looked him dead in the eyes. “You should work on controlling your temper.” She emphasized each world. “I can fill the hostilely rolling off of you. Plus, I smell your irritation. It’s something you should work on. If I can smell and sense those things, then Calliope will be able to as well. It will be a weapon he will use against you.”
His mouth opened and closed so many times it reminded her of a fish out of water. Celeste actually thought for a moment his head might explode. As the vein at his temple started to throb.
She leaned back in her chair, easing closer to the Sword. Celeste had her two short swords tucked into each boot, but she wasn’t giving up any weapon. Especially with how pissed the Fallen looked at the moment.
“And just how the hell do you know those are weapons he will use against me?” Marcus ground between his teeth.
She really wanted to ask him how he was able to talk with his teeth clenched together so tight. But she changed her mind and gave him what she hoped looked like a casual shrug.
“Because I would and with that information you wouldn’t stand a chance. I would cut you down before you even knew I was there, what with all your senses focused inwardly like they are.” She ignored his reaction to those words by flipping out the blanket and curling into a ball, one hand on the hilt of the Black Sword. She pretended to sleep, as he huffed and puffed for several minutes before stalking off. She couldn’t help but smile, he was easily irritated, something he would have to get over very quickly. Like her brothers loved to tell her, she worked a man’s last nerve with her outwardly calm attitude.
****
She didn’t know how long she slept before Marcus roughly shook her awake.
“Why did I never meet you in the infernos?” He demanded.
Celeste was shocked at the question, and tried to pull herself together so she didn’t say something stupid like: You have you dumb ass. But she kept that to herself.
“I’m not generally introduced,” she said pushing hair that escaped her braid off her face. “Why do you care?”
“Because, I feel like I should know you. But for the last six hours I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out how I could have met you.” He lowered himself into the chair across from her. He looked tired. “And all I come up with is a blank. Care to explain that to me.”
She shook her head. “No.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow at her quick response. “Because I spend time, a lot of time, in the Infernos. Have for centuries. And never in that time have I been introduced to you.”
She noticed he didn’t say ‘see’ her, and she wondered if he was remembering the time she had spent tending his wounds.
“Like I said I’m generally not introduced. Why do you spend so much time in the Infernos?” she asked changing the subject with a question she had always wanted to know the answer to.
“You are a Fallen Angel,” she prodded when he didn’t answer right away. “I mean, I would think you wouldn’t want anything to do with Reapers.”
Marcus leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. She didn’t sense anything from him and couldn’t help but smile at him. He had taken her advice pleasure flooded her.
“And why would you think that?”
“Because Reapers would be the last thing a Fallen should be associating with.”
“And why is that?”
Celeste huffed and copied his posture crossing her arms over her chest. “You are asking a lot of questions, but not answering any of mine.”
“I just find it fascinating you think as a Fallen, I shouldn’t associate with your family.” “Don’t get me wrong, I love my brothers and father. But you’re a Fallen for God’s sake.” He was flustering her with his invasiveness and it was starting to upset her.
“And being a Fallen” he made quotation marks with his fingers as he said Fallen. “That I shouldn’t know a Reaper?”
“You’ve been in Heaven. I would think that you wouldn’t want anything to do with us.”
“Elysian Fields is different from Heaven,” he corrected. “Angels don’t get to go to Heaven. Heaven is for the souls of the worthy, not for Angels.” He wasn’t able to hide the frustration in his own words. “Have you been in Hell?”
Celeste choked and sat forward. “Of course not. A person does not just walk into Hell.”
He regarded her for several moments. “As one does not just walk into Heaven.”
His words made sense. “You’re an Angel,” she said more to herself than to him.
He chuckled. “A Fallen Angel,” he corrected. “Don’t put aspirations on me I do not deserve. And I feel for a reason.”
She had to bite her tongue to keep from asking why he had fallen. Because it really wasn’t any of her business. “So why cavort with Reapers?”
Marcus shrugged. “They are honest.”
Her brothers and father were many things and honest seemed to sum it up well. But why would a Fallen Angel, a being that knew such pure light and love find Reapers to be better company then Angels?
“Do you have any contact with them?” she asked. Using her index finger she pointed upward.
“No.”
Very succinct, it was a topic he apparently did not want to discuss. She loved a challenge. “Why?”
“None of your business.”
She smiled. “I thought you wanted to be partners. We should share,” she said more to irritate him than to get an answer.
“Because I am a Fallen and they consider me an abomination and
unworthy of attention,” he said with anger. “Now why don’t you share why I have never been introduced to you before?”
“No.”
“Ah I see when the shoe is on the other foot…” He shrugged again.
Celeste was confused and looked down at her feet. “That makes no sense.”
Marcus laughed and she pulled herself up short. The sound was rich and full of life, it wrapped around her making her belly jump.
“It is a saying Celeste.” She really liked how he said her name. Celeste forced herself to take several deep breaths but she smelled him and his growing acceptance of her as his partner. His pheromones were relaxed for the first time since she had come to the mortal plane. It was spice and rich and all Marcus. Her mind turned to dust, and her fingers itched to reach forward and caress his jaw, run her finger over his full bottom lip.
She was taking short gasps now and had to clamp her hands around the edge of the chair she sat in. Imprinting the feel of the course fabric against her palm. Forcing herself to relax. But her insides were in turmoil and the small plane they were on was folding in on her.
I can do this. She chanted to herself. “We should have Flashed to Australia. This mode of transport is too slow.” She could Flash out now if she wanted to, but with Marcus sitting across from her. And the mere fact this was the first real conversation they had shared she was loath to end it even if she thought she might pass out from the sexual awareness pricking at her insides.
“Why have I never met you?” he asked again this time quietly.
“Gah.” She threw her hands in the air in agitation. She needed to get away from him before she did something stupid. Before she blurted out she was an abomination too that she knew how he felt. That they were meant for each other. That she loved him. That she would give her right arm if he would just notice her, see her as a woman, and not a Reaper/Demon hybrid. Instead she bolted out of the chair and made to move past him but he grabbed her hand.
Celeste looked down where his hand held hers and barely controlled the whimper of pleasure his touch caused.
Lost In Time: A Fallen Novel Page 5
