The Price of Exorcism

by Dakota Brown

  "Might want to talk fast, Ezra." I glared, clenching my fists as my heart thudded in my chest. Fucker.

  "Surely you didn't let him possess you? That seems unusual but is the only way he could have marked you without your knowledge and permission. I can sense your protections. They would have stopped him."

  Ezra cleared his throat and shifted his feet uncomfortably.

  "Yeah, I was dead," I said, still glaring at the prince, who wilted under my stare.

  "Oh. That is why you seem familiar."

  That brought my attention back to Death. Familiar? Chills ran down my spine and I forgot to breathe for a moment.

  "I see. Ezra is the one who pulled you from my grasp." He narrowed his eyes as if displeased before he shrugged. "Just as well. We are going to need someone like you in the coming conflict."

  I gaped. What the fuck?

  Ezra finally let out the breath he'd been holding.

  "I will explain," he said softly, putting a warm hand at the small of my back.

  I didn't shrug him off only because his touch dispelled some of the soul chilling cold that had frozen my limbs.

  "Talk fast, or I'm going to send your ass back to hell," I growled.

  "You can't," Ezra replied just as softly.

  "Want to try me?" I replied darkly.

  "You bear my mark." He winced as he said it. "You can't banish me."

  "Want to try me?" I repeated, more force in my voice.

  Ezra took a breath. "No, because if anyone could figure it out, it would be you," he answered.

  Azrael, the angel of freaking death, laughed. "I like her. Tell me, Chris Price, can you ride a horse?"

  Completely thrown by the shift in topic, it took me a moment to reply.

  "Yeah. In a pinch, anyway. Took a few lessons when I was younger. Not good at it, but I would be okay on a well-trained horse. Why?"

  Death had the most enigmatic smile.

  The chill was back and though I cursed myself, I stepped closer into Ezra's warmth. He slipped an arm around my waist. I let him for a moment, needing the familiarity of his touch, but then I remembered I was pissed, and stepped away.

  "Azrael, Famine, Plague, nice to see you again. War, a pleasure to meet you. If you will excuse me, I need to explain some things to my exorcist."

  "Your exorcist? I don't think so, and you don't need to explain things, mate, you need to fucking grovel, or I will never be your anything."

  Ezra's gaze hardened. "I am a demon prince, Price. I don't grovel."

  "I've got a dagger you can't even bloody well touch strapped to my thigh and a whole lot of pissed off rage I'm all sorts of happy to direct at sending your demonic ass back to hell," I hissed at him. "And I'm standing awfully close. Think you can dodge in time?" I was quite certain I could get to the knife and stab him before he could do much about it. I was determined.

  Ezra blanched again, before he sighed. "Perhaps I can learn." He touched the small of my back with just enough pressure to be a suggestion instead of a command, so I let him lead me away. Not fast enough to avoid overhearing War and Azrael talk, though.

  "How on earth did a demon prince get an exorcist into bed with him, anyway? And why would he risk it?" War spoke quietly enough that I didn't think she meant for me to hear.

  "She must be quite powerful," Azrael replied. "He's a little worried about her being pissed at him. Interesting. I don't think they're sleeping together. Yet, anyway. He possessed her to save her life, then left her intact when he departed. She's going to be comfortable with him because he's familiar, if nothing else. The same goes for Prince Ezra."

  Whatever else they were going to say was lost to my merely human hearing and shortly Ezra had me in the elevator and headed back to our suite. We didn't talk until we were there.

  "Chris," Ezra said as I pulled away, heading for my room.

  I held up my hand and he fell silent and didn't follow. I needed a few minutes alone. Once I was inside, I slammed the door and slid out of the dress. I wanted clothing I'd chosen instead of the dress I left pooled on the floor. Mayhem hopped up on the bed and I buried my hands in his thick fur for a moment. He went so far as to lick my cheek.

  Darius' words came back to me. "You're getting in deep, Price." He was right, and there was no way out of this one. Demon marks were permanent as far as I knew. Damn him, anyway. I wasn't sure which him I even meant.

  Angrily brushing a few tears away, I headed back for the door and jerked it open. Ezra stood there, hand raised to knock. I stared, trying not to get lost in the endless depths of his eyes. I thought about what Death had said. We were familiar with each other because of the possession. Was that all this was? Familiarity?

  "No," Ezra answered, reading my surface thoughts as he tended to do. He didn't elaborate further.

  "Show me." I wanted to see this mark and I was certain if it was visible Mal would have noticed during one of his often quite thorough explorations of my body. I shivered at the feelings those memories evoked. Great, now I was pissed off and aroused. I couldn't even blame Sabian this time.

  Ezra gestured for me to follow him. I did, frowning when he led me into his room and then into the large, attached bathroom.

  "Take off your shirt."

  This would separate me from my holy water, but after a moment's hesitation that Ezra patiently waited out, I slid out of my jacket. He took it and hung it on a nearby hook. My eyes on his, I pulled my shirt over my head. To Ezra's credit he didn't let his eyes roam. Not that he hadn't already seen and basically touched everything while he'd been in possession of my body, but I still appreciated it.

  Ezra grabbed me by the waist, and before I could object, lifted me until I was sitting on the counter.

  He handed me an ornate hand mirror that I didn't think had come from the hotel, nor did I remember seeing it on the counter as I walked into the room. Ezra stepped close and I spread my knees automatically, giving him space to get closer.

  I was still pissed, but my ovaries were apparently lonely because my arousal ramped up a notch and my heartrate picked up to match it.

  Ezra reached around and ran his fingers across my back roughly in a circle. Then I understood about the mirror he had summoned for me. I angled it until I could see my back. A design burned red and orange in sharp contrast to my otherwise pale skin. Bound by a circle, the sigils rippled across my skin as if alive.

  I shivered despite the heat Ezra gave off.

  "What does it mean?"

  "Let me explain."

  "Ezra, what does…"

  He grabbed my jaw and jerked my chin until I was focused on his face, now level with mine since I sat on the counter. His eyes narrowed in anger.

  "Price, I put up with your attitude because, abyss help me, I actually like you, but do not forget who I am. I am a demon, and I am a prince," he growled.

  I met his glare with my own, but his meaning was clear. I was close to pushing him too far. I might win in a fight, but he apparently had a significant advantage over me with that mark. I didn't back down, but he apparently took my silence as acquiescence which was fair. Mayhem, however, growled a warning at Ezra. The demon let go of my chin. I wondered if Mayhem would fight Ezra for me, and truly hoped I never had to find out.

  "He's yours. He will fight anyone for you."

  I clenched my jaw.

  "Possession leaves a host vulnerable if it is reversed. It also leaves a connection to the demon who did the possessing. Most of the time when a demon leaves or is cast out of a host that is likely to survive the process, they leave a mark like this." His fingers played lightly across my back.

  My breath caught and I cursed my damn hormones or whatever this was.

  "What this does is warns other demons off, typically preventing a new possession, which could lead to trouble for the demon. It's rare for a host to survive, but obviously it does happen. I went a step further to close off any vulnerabilities I might have left and bound you. If I'd had the time, I would have done things dif
ferently, but I miscalculated when I lent you all that energy and got myself banished along with everyone else. You are far more powerful than you know. It was the best I could do in the moments I had."

  His fingers were still caressing my skin. Everything felt tight and it was a struggle to keep from wrapping my legs around his hips. I was so fucking pissed, but goddess help me I wanted to fuck him so badly.

  He must have caught that thought because his gaze fixed on me and he licked his lips quickly before he jerked his attention back to the mirror.

  I remembered to breathe.

  "As to the meaning, this…" He deftly slipped the hooks on my bra and traced the symbols crawling across the top part of the circle that the strap had concealed.

  I might have whimpered, and I was instantly soaked between the legs.

  "This is the binding. It claims you as mine, however you want to take that."

  I didn't reply. I wasn't quite sure I could manage anything coherent at the moment. How I had gone from murderously angry to ridiculously turned on…well, I couldn't blame the incubus unfortunately.

  "This," he traced the next line of symbols, "is a very strongly worded warning to stay the fuck out." He stepped closer, his other hand going to my hip.

  I was barely breathing by this point, though my heart thudded in my chest. I wanted to object to his word choice, but I couldn't get the words to form on my lips.

  "These are all the protections I could lay in the time I had." His fingers danced over sigils in the lower half of the circle.

  "And this is my crest and the name all the inhabitants of hell know me as." His breath tickled my neck and my free hand curled into Ezra's shirt as if of its own accord.

  "Were you going to tell me?" I asked, voice rough.

  "Yes, before we went to hell. Though I hadn't figured out how I wanted to broach the subject. Most, except other demons, wouldn't have been able to sense the binding, especially as readily as Azrael did. I should have known he would sense it. Azrael is exceptionally different, even by our standards."

  I let out a breath and tried to unclench my shoulders. Fuck.

  "If you will let me, I will improve upon these protections later."

  "Why not now?" I managed to gasp out.

  "Because right now," he leaned closer. "I want to see if you taste as good as you smell."

  This time I did whimper. The hand holding the mirror trembled, and Ezra took the glass from me before I dropped it. Then he traced both of his hands up my back, fingers burning across my skin. His lips touched my neck and I forgot how to breathe.

  This was a tipping point. I was either in, or I was pushing him away. He had to be willing to share.

  "I don't share what is mine," he breathed against my neck.

  I tensed, trying to find the willpower to push him away.

  "But if that's what it takes…"

  He bit me gently where Mal had left a slight bruise the night before, and I melted in his arms.

  "I might have to thank the vampire for that reaction," Ezra said before kissing his way up my neck.

  I couldn't even reply, though I was sure he caught a few of the sarcastic thoughts that went through my mind before his lips on my skin chased them away. I gave in to my desire. There was no denying the pull Ezra had on me, and he was clearly just as interested. Sliding one arm around his back, I pulled him closer and wrapped my legs around his hips.

  Someone pounded on the door.

  We both froze, and my heart skipped a few beats. Mayhem growled.

  "I'm going to kill whoever that is," Ezra snarled out.

  I took a few breaths before letting go of him.

  The demon prince stepped away from me and I shivered in the air conditioning, no longer basking in the warmth of the heat he radiated.

  Ezra headed for the door, Mayhem following him, which I thought was interesting.

  For a moment I just shivered, trying to get a hold of myself. Then I quickly slipped my bra back on and pulled my shirt over my head. Mayhem leaving me to go with the demon worried me and helped me focus on something other the lack of Ezra's hands on my bare skin.

  I heard Ezra say something, presumably an annoyed greeting, and I hurried out of his room just in time to see Ezra go flying backward. Mayhem, now in hellhound form, charged the person. At the last minute the man turned and repelled Mayhem, flinging him backward.

  The hellhound didn't yelp at the blast of energy, instead glowing red briefly as he absorbed it.

  I dove forward, throwing myself in front of Ezra, who was prone on the ground. Our assailant turned his attention back to us and I had moments to figure out how to shield myself and Ezra before he attacked me.

  I was pretty sure using my aura to ward off attacks was a bad idea, but it was all I could come up with. I held up my arms, bearing down under the onslaught as he blasted me with some sort of spell.

  Sweat broke out on my forehead and my arms shook as his attack depleted my aura.

  "Fuck," I muttered. I'd definitely made a mistake, but I had no idea what else to do.

  Fortunately, Mayhem had charged up, or whatever it was he did when he absorbed someone else's energy, and he opened his mouth wide. Demonic hellfire erupted from the creature's mouth and slammed into the attacker, flinging him back.

  The man screamed in agony.

  I collapsed, shivering, partially on top of Ezra. The demon groaned, before startling awake, his hands burning into me when he grabbed me.

  "What did you do?"

  "What did I do? What the fuck was all of that? Why'd you let him in?"

  "I didn't," Ezra replied, getting to his knees and staring out the still open door.

  Mayhem came back inside, looking pleased with himself. Ezra got up and shut the door.

  I lay on the floor, too drained to move.

  Ezra knelt in front of me, and Mayhem nuzzled my shoulder.

  "What did you do?" Ezra repeated insistently.

  "I, uh, shielded us."

  "Chris, how?"

  "With my aura, mate. Only thing I could think of."

  He swore. "You can't do that."

  "Well, clearly I can." I flopped back onto the floor, unable to hold myself up.

  "You nearly killed yourself."

  I just gave him a thumbs up and stared at the ceiling.

  Ezra swore again, in demonic, extensively.

  At least I thought he was swearing. My vision wavered. "It's been a long day. Think I'll just pass out now," I muttered.

  "Chris," Ezra hissed.

  I jerked awake as he flipped me onto my stomach. His weight settled across my ass as he straddled me, and his hands burned against my back.

  I tried to squirm away from the discomfort, but he held me tight.

  "Oh no you don't," he muttered. "This is the third time I've saved your life," he grumbled.

  I tried to object, not wanting to owe him anything, but his power flaring through me drove all thoughts from my mind. It was possible I screamed, though I wasn't sure if it was in pleasure or pain. I finally got that mind breaking orgasm that had been teasing me for a day, but whatever Ezra was doing also sent tingles of agony through my limbs, as if they'd been asleep and were being forcibly woken. The combination of pleasure and pain nearly knocked me out, but I clung to consciousness, quite possibly with Ezra's help.

  "I'm recharging your aura with my energy," Ezra finally explained once I'd recovered. "I know it hurts."

  All I could do was whimper as the combined pain and pleasure tore through me. The heat and pressure built in my core, threatening to shatter me again. I dug my fingers into the ridge of fur that ran down Mayhem's back. At some point he had laid down in front of me. That he wasn't attacking Ezra led me to believe that the demon prince wasn't actually doing anything bad to me. That was a little reassuring.

  "And now I'm fixing the protections I laid down in haste. This is going to take a minute."

  It almost felt like Ezra's hands sank into my back, and from there into m
y very soul.

  I squirmed under him, but there was no escaping, and I wasn't entirely certain I wanted to. Mayhem hadn't objected and he was certainly a better judge of any danger I might be in than I was. I'd never had the best sense of self-preservation or I wouldn't have become an exorcist.

  My body shattered again as Ezra seemed to caress me from the inside as he did whatever it was he was doing to the bindings he'd laid on me.

  "Holy crap," I breathed out, as my vision blackened, and my head swam.

  "Not exactly holy," Ezra murmured as he worked his fingers through my body. Probably not literally, but that was what it felt like.

  I didn't have the breath to reply, body limp, all fight gone.

  "And now, I'm force-feeding you some knowledge because I really don't want to have to save your life again," he grumbled as he shifted so he could turn me over.

  He put his hands on my temples. I managed to move my arms, though they felt like wet noodles, and I grabbed his forearms. Ezra leaned forward and touched his lips to my forehead.

  "Fuck," I hissed as he jerked me away into that blank space we had used to communicate 'face to face' while he'd possessed me.

  There was nothing here but us and whiteness. Blank walls, blank floor, just me and the demon prince, dressed as we had been earlier that evening. Ezra's hands were on my shoulders and he stood close.

  I couldn't bring myself to move either toward or away from him.

  Mayhem showed up a moment later and leaned his shoulder against my side. Damn dog's head was nearly level with my own when he sat next to me.

  "What did you just do to me?"

  "You depleted yourself to dangerous levels and were fading away. If you didn't have the old magic running through your veins you would have killed yourself. As it was, I didn't know if you would recover on your own or not and we don't have the time to find out."

  "I was trying to save you."

  "I know and I'm grateful. You did save me a great deal of harm." He caressed the bare skin on my arms, and I finally took a step forward. Ezra wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. I fit nicely into his embrace and I didn't have the energy to object to anything.