by Azure Boone
She remembered how words accompanied each blow. "…Hit your mother… Took the last dollar a mother had to feed her child…Stole from the woman who protected you…Introduced children to drugs and violence…" Karly'd thought she must've died, because it sounded as if Jake and his boys were being accused of their crimes, judged guilty, and punished, all at the same time. Like the giant was some kind of avenging angel or something.
She'd passed out and when she finally managed to open her eyes again, the bloody giant freed her from her restraints with a touch, lifted her gently, and carried her safely out of hell.
With a moan, Karly shifted to sit on the bed at his side, while looking around. Troy offered her the pizza box. As hungry as she was, she wanted to cram the food and get back to snuggling next to this man who'd calmed her with strange words when she found herself trapped in the nightmare of Jake. This man who smelled of things not of this world and made her feel eternally safe.
****
Kassern woke with two things on his mind. Figure out when and where to move the triumvirate. And Karly. But only one of those thoughts troubled him. And it had little to do with the triumvirate. Without looking, he felt her, once again nestled all soft and warm into the length of his body.
He’d been in and out of sleep for a while. She’d eaten again, showered, then reclaimed her spot exactly next to him, molding his body to hers with a complex operation of wriggles and squirms, alternated with delicious temptations begging for a hand to rest on them.
Convincing himself he actually needed to get up, and leave the guilty pleasure of having her snuggled up to him took longer than it should have. Sighing with regret he shouldn't, couldn't, feel, Kassern carefully removed her limbs from his body. More like tentacles with suction cups.
He froze when Karly stirred. Her leg locked around his and her arms re-attached to him. A disturbing noise purred up her throat as her fingers stroked over his bare chest and sent mini-shockwaves racing over his skin.
Angelic speed launched him from the bed, heart pounding.
Karly stared up at him, fully waken from the jolt. Kassern noted her clear blue eyes held that new hope and pure joy one experiences after being touched by an angel. But then her gaze lowered to his chest and the color that filled her cheeks had little to do with angelic touches.
Before Kassern could finish thinking he needed covering, a red T-shirt materialized on his body.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
She nodded, chewing her lower lip. “I feel…amazing actually.”
Kassern couldn’t resist the wave of relief that washed over him. After she'd been so brutalized by those animals, she deserved to feel good. The memory of what they’d done and how that made him feel plagued him.
That was nothing compared to the memory of how he healed her, though. Why did he have to go to such an extreme? She’d needed physical comfort, that’s why. She was near dead, that’s why. She was utterly broken in every way imaginable – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – that’s why.
So why did he have the overwhelming urge to punch a hole through the cement walls?
Maybe because normally he would’ve healed her with just one finger, not his entire body.
That bastard, Uriel kind of neglected to mention this extremely distracting part of the triumvirate exchange. How was he supposed to accomplish the mission while managing his new humanity? Felt like he’d picked up a terribly nasty disease and the urge to get clean of it crawled over his skin.
“Thank you,” Karly whispered.
Her words were barely audible but Kassern felt every syllable through his bones. Maybe his angelic hearing was returning to normal. Thank Father.
A knock on the outside door extinguished that hope. Not only had Kassern not heard anybody approaching, but he couldn’t even sense who or what waited at the door. He quickly dressed for company; floor length cloak created from a mesh of small cut rubies set in titanium chain mail cloth, matching jeans with nearly microscopic rubies, sword-feathers ready.
He cocked his head and listened.
All he got was the beat of Karly’s pulse drumming in his head. Damn, these fluctuations in his powers were dangerous. How long were they supposed to last? And why didn’t he know that answer? More importantly, why had Uriel not warned him of the possibility? That was some thorough research Uriel had performed, if he'd revealed all his results..
Kassern glanced at Karly, huddled in the middle of the bed, covers clutched under her chin. Terror pumped off her like sonic waves. He brought one finger to his lips, signaling her to silence. Her wide clear eyes remained riveted on the door as she gave a rapid nod.
Troy and Devyn crept in from the adjoining room. They knew something. And he didn’t? Troy pointed to the door and shook his head, hurrying Devyn toward him. “Something’s wrong.” His voice was barely perceptible next to Karly’s blaring heart still beating through his head and body.
It was good Troy had gained some of his powers but Kassern sure as hell didn’t appreciate his end. Like they’d entered through the triumvirate gate and exited out a hellish celestial blender, being parts all wrong.
Karly's magnetic pull on him demanded his feet back toward the bed, and her.
Another hard knock and Karly flew off the bed and ran behind him, clutching at his cloak like a toddler clutching its mother's skirt. His right hand reached for her, needing to calm her. At his touch, her heart rate slowed. But a touch wasn’t enough for Kassern. He pressed her close and yet needed her closer.
Kassern felt Devyn’s curious gaze lock on him. She hurried to Karly, prying her off. Hopefully Devyn sensed his predicament, pulled between the need to stay at Karly's side, and the need to investigate and protect them all. At Karly's wordless protest, Kassern was nearly floored by the urge to inflict pain on whatever or whomever made her uncomfortable. Fuck, this was bad.
Troy stood before Devyn, his concerned gaze ranging from Kassern to the door.
The outside door imploded inward with a spray of bullets.
With the flick of a finger, Kassern threw up a ruby wall to shield them, and Troy spun toward Devyn and Karly. Flames crawled along Kassern's wings as he stepped through his shield to meet his prey.
A heavy jolt hit square in his chest and slammed him through the hotel wall leaving him stunned. On his feet instantly, he gripped his weapon of choice for close range – a custom automatic handgun in his right hand, and his staff in the left, while his ruby gaze zeroed in on the one who’d blasted him.
What the hell was he? Kassern slowly circled toward Troy where he hovered over Devyn and Karly. Careful, he looked over the normal-seeming human with the colorless eyes. Maybe not human.
Or maybe human under serious influence. But of what? Kassern didn’t like not knowing that answer.
“Move! She’s mine. I’m going to kill that bitch.” The familiar voice approached the door, and Kassern’s blood boiled. Jake. How the hell was that scum still alive?
Kassern blasted his gun into the little group at the door while somersaulting himself above the expected return fire.
Before landing, Kassern used his staff to slam for the strange one, but he disappeared. Kassern spun the staff behind him, satisfied with the nice crunch when it connected with flesh.
Fingers bit into Kassern’s neck and he jerked to find Jake's eyes glaring into his with otherworldly fury.
Flashes of Karly in that bed hit Kassern. Using his wings, he deflected the bullets of raw power being torpedoed from the odd one behind him.
He latched his own hand on the jugular of the bastard before him. Pain erupted in Kassern’s neck when Jake’s fingers shot out bladed fingernails.
Kassern hissed, exhaling a mist of burning lava onto Jakes face. The pain in his neck persisted as Jake thrashed in agony.
Jake slammed his clawed hand into Kassern’s abdomen and let out a demonic roar when his bones shattered against ruby armor.
The other being released a sonic b
oom of power that rocketed Kassern and Jake outside. Karly screamed, raising an oddly powerful bloodlust in Kassern. He formed treble hooks from the fingernails latched to Jakes throat. One yank and Kassern dropped the lifeless body.
Tossing the bloody chunk of jugular, Kassern spun toward Karly’s screams. A bright light covered the three of them. Troy and Devyn’s combined powers. Thank Father.
Kassern leapt on the being in a blink and wrapped it tight in his wings and shot into the air with him.
“Kient tech hon.” Kassern's muttered words made the strange creature roar and thrash in desperation. Kassern held on grimly, keeping his enemy locked in his wings as liquid ruby filled all the veins in the struggling body.
Kassern solidified the liquid with a thought and released him. He fell to the ground, shattering on impact.
Darkness swam in Kassern’s vision. He fought through it, seeking out more threats. Seeing none, his darkening gaze met Karly’s frantic one. She fought Devyn’s embrace to get to him, hand reaching as he plummeted to the Earth.
His last thought, his last sensation, was the warmth that encased him when their eyes connected. And how extremely good it felt. How right…
Chapter Eighteen
After Kassern passed out, Troy examined him. Having no experience or references, the best they could manage was to conclude he had lost consciousness, and hope he would come around soon. Devyn helped Troy wrestle him into the front seat of the little hybrid. Because of the bastard's size, he couldn't fit through the gap into the back seat, and the front seat had to be adjusted all the way back and almost prone. No one could sit behind him, leaving her and Karly crowded into one-third of the back seat, with Kassern's head and massive shoulders taking up the remaining two-thirds.
They'd traveled for hours, always on back roads. Seemed like they should have crossed the state line into Georgia, but as far as she could tell, they were still in Florida. It'd be great if Kassern would just wake up and decide what the hell they were doing and where. Maybe then Troy could quit driving them in circles. This must be how passengers felt on a jet in a holding pattern waiting to land.
Troy let the car roll to a stop at a four-way intersection. When he paused as if undecided, Devyn glanced around. The sign to the left said Munroeville 7 miles, while the other two choices were more than twice as far.
"You said we needed gas, surely there's a station in Munroeville, right? And it's the closest." She bit her tongue on any more, but honestly, what in the world was the great hesitation for?
"I know, but I have to take us where Kassern says. It's too dangerous, and I'm barely getting directions out of him." Troy referred to the something-like-telepathy between him and Kassern that seemed to have switched on when the archangel lost consciousness. Apparently, the link's strength wavered at times. Even at its best, the link only passed along immediate instructions, and sometimes those were so vague Troy just had to hope he interpreted them right. But Devyn was pretty sure that's what had them going in circles.
Devyn sighed, seriously considering hanging her ass out the window to pee, since Troy had already vetoed stopping so she could squat in the grass beside the road. Well, not really vetoed, but he'd asked if she could manage just a little longer until they made it somewhere safer to stop. Uptight damn preacher. Cute, but uptight.
Troy finally spun the wheel left and hit the gas. Devyn would have sighed with relief, but her bladder was too full to take a deep breath without leaking.
Karly was too tied up stroking Kassern's hair to even notice whether they stopped or started or stood on their heads. That had to be one of the oddest things she'd ever seen. No sign of the junkie whore she'd always known. That bitch had given way to a young woman love-struck on a man who'd changed her life. They'd have to wait and see if that turned out a miracle or a tragedy.
"We'll have a few minutes for gas and to grab something to eat," Troy announced as the scattered homes along the road gave way to small subdivisions and trailer parks. "I think we can take about an hour, rest a few minutes, before we head north." He glanced up to smile at Devyn in the rearview.
She smiled back. Then it hit her he'd said north. "North, where?" Nowhere cold, she hoped. She seriously didn't like cold, dark and wet, though she'd never really experienced it, as a lifelong Floridian.
Troy shook his head. "I don't know yet. Just north."
The subdivisions and trailer parks faded away, leaving actual residential cross streets. An occasional corner held a little market or small store, but nothing with gas pumps or fast food. Devyn looked around in near-panic. "I still don't see a gas station. Can we just stop at a convenience store? I really need the bathroom."
Something in her voice must have made him aware of her desperation. "Oh, I'm sorry, when you mentioned it earlier I didn't realize it was urgent. I'll stop at the first place that might have a public restroom."
She looked around as he braked for a red light. "A gas station!" She pointed, squirming in the seat.
Troy punched the gas across the two lanes of oncoming traffic, and the bump at the parking lot entrance nearly broke Devyn's control over her bladder.
Seemed like forever and a day by the time he pulled up to an available pump. When Troy didn’t open his door immediately, Devyn rose up and reached over him for the latch, the pain in her bladder do or die. Troy tried to help but ended up eating steering wheel when she gave the seat a monumental shove to gain that damn exit crack.
One hand on the pavement outside the door, Devyn wriggled, crawled and grunted her way out of the back seat. "Fuuuuck!” Scarcely paying attention to her surroundings, she trotted across the parking lot and slammed through the entrance door. The scent of fresh coffee and fried food assailed her nostrils simultaneously and sent her stomach into a spastic, growling frenzy.
The universal Ladies Room sign hung over a rickety looking door at the back of the store. Devyn took the most direct route and tried the door with a desperate hand, sighing when it swung open with a nails-on-chalkboard screech.
She crouched over the filthy toilet just in time. Her bladder still cramped painfully when she finished, like she'd stretched the damn thing permanently out of shape. She worked her jeans back up and washed her hands without benefit of soap. Fuck it. She'd made it without pissing her pants.
Exiting the piss box, a quick glance identified the food counter at the far end of the store and Devyn took off toward it, squinting to see the menu sign. Deluxe cheeseburgers, large orders of crinkle fries and large chocolate shakes for each of them. Hell yes. While she waited for the order, Devyn snagged a plastic hand basket and began scooping snack foods into it. By the time the pimply faced teenager set her bag on the counter and gave her the bill, Devyn had the basket nearly full of chips, sausages, crackers, chocolate, and then some.
The teenager grinned as he watched her struggle to gather up the fast-food bags and hang onto the basket. She ignored him and stacked the bags precariously on top of the basket and stalked toward the cash registers.
The thin woman with what looked like meth-mouth started to ring everything up. "Just put it with the gas on pump three." Hopefully Troy wouldn't mind. "Oh, and add on a case of that water stacked outside, and one of the sweet tea." Devyn looked around. "And one of those Styrofoam coolers and a bag of ice."
The woman nodded and added the items on. "That'll be seventy-eight forty-nine."
What? "Damn! That's too much, I'll have to put some of it back." They really needed the water. "Take the tea, ice and cooler off."
"Sixty-five thirty-seven."
Cheeks burning with shame, Devyn started to sort through the snack foods in the bag.
The bell over the door rattled. Shit, she needed to hurry.
"What are you doing?" Troy's voice wrapped around her like a warm cloak. He slid one hand along her forearm to her hand and laced his fingers through hers before bringing her hand to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles, then rubbed them gently against his lips, his warm breath raising goosefle
sh along her arm.
"I got too much stuff. I'm deciding what to put back." Embarrassment burned her cheeks.
"How much was it all to start with?"
The woman gave him the first total, and he took a hundred dollar bill from his wallet. "Just leave it at that. We'll take it all." He started to gather bags while he waited for his change.
"We don't really need all that, Troy." She couldn’t believe he’d just handed over a hundred bucks for junk food like it was nothing.
"Maybe not, but it'll come in handy. None of it will go bad if we don't use it right away, and we don't know how long this is going to take." He held his hand out for his change.
That much was true, but it was still a LOT of money. Devyn caught up the bags with the burgers and fries in one hand, the cup carrier with the shakes in the other, and waited for him.
He held the door for her, and she went through, waiting for him to walk beside her. Just as they reached the car, a skinny brunette rounded a gas pump. The pretty girl’s eyes widened when she saw Troy and she altered her path to intercept them.
"Oh, hi, Troy!"
Troy stopped as she came close, sidling into his personal space. “Hey.”
A slim hand with blood red nails and lots of cheap jewelry touched his arm, lingering. "Thank you just so much for helping with my gas cap! Thing always gives me trouble, I can never manage it alone."
The fakey Southern Belle accent made Devyn's blood boil. She looked a little closer. The woman wore a nearly transparent top over a lacy bra that revealed dark nipples. Her super low rise Daisy Duke shorts were open at the front to show matching lace thong underwear. The strings of the thong ran up high over bony hips, higher than the so-called waist of the shorts, and the lace at the front clearly displayed a strip of dark pubic hair.