Dark Deliverance

by Tamela Miles

  Patrick lifted her limp body to the bed, checking her over for bumps and bruises. Her face was the worst. A distinct dark mark spread across her cheek. He fussed over her as she lay there, placing a frozen bag of vegetables he had found in the freezer on the bruise. She ached from the abuse, but she reached out her arms to him.

  “I’m…a little shaken. I knew it was a demon, but I never expected something so hideous. And so damn powerful.” She rested her head on Patrick’s shoulder, drifting off as he held her. “I think we may lose.”

  ****

  Patrick had been awake for the past hour, watching over Elle as she slept peacefully, in spite of her minor injuries. Impulsively, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. The decision had been made, after turning things over in his mind as he lay there holding her in the stillness of the winter night. He would ask God for His forgiveness and mercy, as was required, and tap into his holy power. Seeing Elle slapped around and knowing that it was his fault for not doing it sooner ate at him. Her light would be extinguished in the fight if he didn’t do this. Losing was not an option at this point. They would either beat Pyro and his beast, or they would die.

  He eased her back onto her bed and covered her with the woolly blankets, stroking her bruised cheek gently. Many demon hunters used candles while they communed with God, and he found hers, along with a matchbook, in the bottom dresser drawer. She seemed to be at peace with her calling, no longer running from God, and he needed to experience that inner calm again.

  He lit the thick candle, the vanilla scent wafting around him, and set it down on a small table in a far corner of the warehouse. He took off his tank top, tossing it on a chair, and kneeled, bowing his head. He closed his eyes, murmuring ancient words that only the heavens understood. He formed a cross on his chest with his hand and began a silent, urgent pleading to God, knowing instinctively that he was heard. He repeated the chant over and over, keeping his voice at a whisper. He waited in disappointment. God was refusing him, obviously. He thought of Elle having to fight both Pyro and his demon on her own because he was powerless. He imagined the demon sucking the life force from her while Pyro watched with dark glee.

  He shook his head, speaking to God again. “I’m not giving up on this. If you don’t restore my energy, Elle and I will both die in the fight. She’s strong but not strong enough to win. She needs me. You need me, O Holy One.” He had barely spoken the last word before the hum and vibration began all through his body. Patrick smiled, his eyes tearing up. A bright light exploded from his chest, rocking him back on his knees. He extended his arms in a familiar pose, his blood singing with renewed energy and strength. The skin and muscles of his back rippled, fluttering white wings suddenly extending. He felt a light touch on his shoulder and turned quickly.

  ****

  Elle gasped in wonder as she looked into Patrick’s eyes, now two large orbs of black staring back at her. She marveled at his wings, not as big as Tagas’s but beautiful to her all the same. She reached down to stroke one, and he grabbed her arm.

  “Stay back,” he growled. “It’s not over.”

  Elle backed away, unable to take her eyes from the sight of an angelic Patrick. During their time spent together, she had come to know his different moods and welcomed his ironic humor. This was far from that. In this moment, she knew that he was completely God’s vessel. He may not even have known she was there. She watched, awestruck, as the light from his chest spread across his entire body and he closed his eyes, collapsing to the floor as the loud hum increased in volume before gradually fading. The light dimmed slowly, fading after a few moments.

  She ran to him before she could stop herself, gripping his shoulders. He didn’t stir and her heart beat faster. “Patrick?” He didn’t respond, and she leaned down to whisper softly in his ear. “Why did you do this?”

  He spoke without looking at her. “That thing tossed you around like a doll and…I couldn’t do a damn thing to help you. This is my fault, from the very beginning. You shouldn’t even be involved in this fight. If this is what it costs to keep you safe, then that’s the way it is.”

  Elle’s eyes were bright with her tears as she hovered over him. She pressed a tiny kiss on the back of his neck. “Thank you. You sacrificed your freedom from the holy wars, your life of humanity, because I was in danger.” She wanted to show him the depth of her caring, but the words wouldn’t come. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her head on his. “Look at me, Patrick.”

  He embraced her fiercely, burying his face in the crook of her neck in the silence. This Patrick didn’t make jokes to ease the tension or make light of his bitterness at odd moments. He was all heated emotional intensity, and it spoke to her heart. She didn’t move away as he planted kisses on her neck, across her cheek, and finally on her parted lips. She knew what was surely inevitable from the time they met was happening now.

  She caressed his face, deepening their kiss. His tongue stroked hers, and she drank him in, her body aching for so much more of him. He stood up, lifting her in his arms without breaking the kiss. He carried her across the space to her bed, laying her back on the plush comforter. She reached her arms out him, and he took both of her hands in his.

  “Is this really want you want, Elle? I won’t make you a bunch of promises about a future together because we probably don’t have one that I can see. There is a big part of me that is still in rebellion against my calling. I can’t say that I won’t go back to embracing my humanity and trying to live a normal life. You…you love your life with all the danger and uncertainty that comes with it. All I can say is that I care for you more than you imagine. You and I will always be at odds, but I can promise you that I’ll always have your back.”

  She was overcome by his words. He cared for her as she had begun to care about him. If the end result was just this one night with him, she didn’t care. She would hurt later, but this night was all about exploring the connection between them. She raised up, teasing his fingertip with her tongue. She smiled as his eyes narrowed in passion. “I want you tonight in every way, with no empty promises. I need to know what it is about you that makes me confused but makes my heart pound at the same time.”

  He leaned down, trapping her body between his muscled arms. “Let me clear up that confusion for you. Even though we had a rough start, you need me. You’re in denial about how deep this thing between us goes. You don’t want to care about me but you do.” He bit her pouty bottom lip before raising up slightly to meet her gaze. “Honestly, I don’t think you can handle me, honey.”

  Elle’s voice was breathy. “Only one sure way to find out.” She tremored as his breath fanned her cheek, his eyes pinning her for a long, tense moment before his mouth came down roughly on hers. He demanded a response, his tongue tangled with hers, tasting and savoring. She twined her arms around his neck, parting her lips with a deep moan, to encourage him to continue his sensual assault.

  Patrick broke the kiss, and she murmured her disappointment. He shushed her with a small smile playing on his lips, grasping both of her arms in one hand and pinning them above her head. “I need to see every part of you naked without your touch distracting me.” Her breasts felt heavy and swollen as his free hand stroked their curves, lightly brushing each hard nipple poking through the cotton camisole. Her core tightened at his touch, her panties dampening. She gasped in need, trying to draw a deep breath. She closed her eyes tightly because looking him in the eye as he played with her body was so damn hard.

  “You’re everything I imagined you would be.” His voice was hoarse as his hand moved beneath the camisole, stroking her belly. “So fucking soft everywhere.” He grabbed the bottom of the cotton top, pulling it over her head.

  She felt no embarrassment as he took in her generous breasts, nipples hardened from his touch. She was pleased at his reaction, reveling in the fact that she could bring him to a place of deep arousal. She was on fire, not thinking, simply reacting. She arched her back, and he groaned. He c
upped her breasts in his hands, his thumbs brushing lightly over the tips. She marveled at the beauty of his pale skin against her brown skin, his male strength in contrast to her womanly softness.

  “That taste I had of you in the backseat wasn’t nearly enough.” Patrick leaned down, teasing her nipples with rough flicks of his tongue. Her breath came out in ragged pants, and she called out his name. He tugged at her with his teeth, and she caressed his face with gentle fingers, lost in the heat between them. He took his mouth away long enough to ease off her sleeper shorts and black lace panties. Stripped down to bare, he came back to stand at the foot of the bed. His gaze swept over every inch of her naked body, and he cursed softly under his breath.

  Elle felt enticing and utterly feminine, her lips curved in a sinful smile. “Is tonight just about staring, then?” She looked him over from head to feet in appreciation of his gloriously sinewy body. “The view from here is fantastic, but I was hoping for more of a hands-on session.”

  His jaw set tensely. “Don’t move an inch, and I’ll show you hands-on, Elle.” He took her thighs in his hands, stroking the soft skin as he spread them. He rested her legs on his broad shoulders, planting soft kisses on her belly, slowly moving lower. He buried his face in her core, his tongue finding her sensitive bud and tormenting her with maddening flicks. He suckled gently, and she grabbed a handful of his hair, begging him not to stop. The pleasure was almost more than she could handle. She bucked, near orgasm, when he slid one finger deep in her warm, soft sheath.

  He raised his head, kissing her supple thigh. “Had enough? Just tell me when you’ve had all you can take.”

  Elle rose up on her knees, shaking slightly but determined to toy with him as he had done with her. She pushed him back onto the bed, sliding down his body. She nibbled his thighs, inching upwards. Her tongue played on the tip of his hard cock, circling wildly, before sliding him in her mouth with a light suction to please him without bringing him to the edge too soon. He shouted a curse word as her mouth put him in sweet agony. His hand caressed her hair, as he whispered for her to keep going, his hips thrusting. She removed her mouth after long moments, wanting him to keep him right on the very edge, and straddled him, his hard cock at the juncture of her thighs.

  The look in his eyes was smoldering. The intimacy of the moment struck her and she hesitated. “Um, maybe…”

  Patrick shook his head. “Please God, no ‘maybes’ from you right now. I need you so much.”

  He traced the line of her neck with his fingers, drawing her in to tease her parted lips with his tongue before devouring her. He deftly slid a hand between their bodies, finding her warm, moist core with teasing fingers. He slid one finger deep inside while playing with her bud with his thumb. The sensations of his intimate caresses drove her out of her mind, and she held on to his shoulders, feeling herself sliding deeper into heated arousal. He nibbled her ear lobe.

  “Tell me what you want, Elle. Stop this right now, or keep going until we’re both satisfied.”

  She lifted herself up a bit, placing him at her entrance, rubbing him against her warmth as she kissed his chin. “No more ‘maybes,’ Patrick. I think we’re far beyond that now. I had a moment of uncertainty. I’m over that. You’ve made me feel so damn good. If you stop, I’ll kill you.”

  He nodded, sliding deeply inside her sheath. She gasped as he filled her completely, every inch of him a delicious torture. He stretched her soft, intimate walls with every slight thrust. She knew he was thinking of her comfort by not outright pounding into her and could see the strain on his face as he held back.

  “More, Patrick. Go deeper—it’s okay. I can take all of you.”

  The dam broke, and his controlled, shallow thrusts became far deeper and more intense. He grabbed her hips, pushing her down on him so that she rode him. Their breathing was harsh in the silence of the warehouse, punctuated with her loud gasps and moans. She leaned back a little, giving him better access to her neck as he lightly bit her.

  She could feel her body close to climax and rode him harder and faster until she reached the end, crying out. His thrusts were deep and wild as he neared his finish, whispering in her ear. His hips moved in a strong, steady rhythm to please her. A moment later, he spilled into her with a satisfied groan. They remained locked in their embrace for a while before he stretched on the bed, wrapping her in his arms as she rested on his chest, her lips curved in a smile.

  ****

  Patrick was seated on the bed, his back to her, when Elle awoke. The morning sun coming in through the large windows lit his dark hair like a halo. She touched the angelic mark on his back with her fingertips, but he didn’t face her. “I know this was no strings attached, but are you freezing me out already? I don’t expect pillow talk, but a good morning greeting would be good.”

  He turned around, stroking her ankle. Seeing his face as he touched her on the morning after their night of passion had her pulse racing. She had become attached to him emotionally, even while knowing that no good could come of it. He spoke softly.

  “I don’t have words for you, so I’ll just lay it out as best as I can. Last night wasn’t a mistake, and I didn’t use you, Elle. We shared something unique and…beautiful. But it shouldn’t be repeated. You deserve someone who understands and fits your wild life far better than me, and I won’t tie you down for my own selfish reasons. At some point soon, you’ll forget all about me and our special friendship that somehow involves a whole bunch of wild physical attraction. You will carry on in the crazy life you live until something deep inside of you finally heals and the instinct for self-preservation convinces you to leave it behind. I’ll always care about you, but you won’t be mine.”

  Elle wrapped the bed sheet around her naked body and rose, embracing his shoulders from behind as she rested her chin in the crook of his neck. “I appreciate your honesty, Patrick. But, God, this sucks.” She moved away, clearing her throat in an effort to hold back tears. “Let’s not linger on this. It happened, and I don’t regret it. We still have to function as a team, so let’s get moving.”

  She was up and walking toward her bathroom without a backward glance at him.

  ****

  In the end, as Patrick had predicted, Pyro brought the fight to them. Elle had a deep feeling of dread as she parked the big SUV to the curb, the stench of sulfur permeating the air on her street. They had been out all night unsuccessfully hunting for Pyro and his beast. In spite of the winter chill, there was an unnatural damp heat outside as she cautiously let the driver’s side window down to better survey the area. The two small residences at the end of the block were pitch black, and the streetlights were dark. Only one light at the doorway of an abandoned warehouse directly across the street remained.

  “He’s definitely here,” Patrick said, stepping out of the vehicle as he looked around. “If he hasn’t killed your distant neighbors, they’re blessed.”

  Elle unfastened her seatbelt and got out, her hand instantly reaching in the top of her jeans for her dagger. “We can only hope that it’s a sleeping thrall he placed on those families.”

  “Welcome home! I made some necessary adjustments to your neighborhood for my comfort. I hope you don’t mind, of course.”

  Elle whipped around in the direction of the loud, jovial voice as Pyro emerged from the shadows of the abandoned warehouse. Patrick moved like a shot to stand in front of Elle, gripping his own dagger.

  “Enough of your games, Pyro. Let’s end this tonight. That thing you created from my energy is going straight back to Hell, and with any luck, we’ll send you back there, too, for at least a few decades. I think you killed those innocent families on this street, and that’s one more thing you will answer for.”

  Patrick suddenly exploded with white light, his renewed energy crackling around him as he advanced toward Pyro. The demon’s face contorted with fear and rage, and he shouted a few words in an ancient language.

  Elle’s body hummed all over from the force and energy
unleashed as a portal opened a few feet away and the beast entered the human realm, snarling. Patrick gave her a dark look, yelling.

  “This is my fight with this thing. You can’t handle it. Trade places with me and deal with Pyro while I destroy it.”

  Elle raised her dagger, stepping closer to an enraged Pyro, his human face twisted to show the demon beneath. He sneered as she smiled coldly. “Surprised that Patrick has his full strength back? Oh, you were going on and on about his weakness and separation from God and his fold.” She gestured as Patrick charged the beast, driving his dagger into its chest with a powerful howl. “God forgives, Pyro, which is something that you never expected to happen. I don’t think he’s going to lose this fight with that thing.” She flipped the dagger in her hand. “And I don’t think I’ll lose my fight with Cascadia when I finally find her. You have the superior strength and an eventual confrontation with you might cost me my life. But your lame hell-bitch is a totally different story. I almost took her down before, and next time, I’ll finish what I started.”

  “I’ll give her your warmest regards, hunter.” Pyro inclined his head. “I wish you the best in trying to destroy my demon. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to stay and watch. I have other important matters to attend to. I do, however, look forward to seeing you again.” He chuckled. “If you survive.” In the next moment, he vanished, leaving only a warm breeze.

  Elle turned her attention to Patrick battling the beast demon. She ran to the back of her SUV, grabbing up her bow and loading it. She expertly shot three sharp arrows in succession into its chest. It growled, stumbling as it tried to pull them out. Patrick used the distraction to move around behind it and leaped on its back. It tried to dislodge him, but he sliced the dagger across its broad, muscular neck. The first cut wasn’t deep enough, but the second slice left a gaping rip in its throat.