Listening to Milo talk about her was like listening to someone you really like gush about how great his ex-girlfriend used to be. But the new revelation opened my eyes. It forced me to realize how fragile humans were. How would our relationship work? If it ever got that far, I’d grow old while he remained the same beautiful Milo? We were heading down the road to heartbreak. I was human. He was a fallen angel cursed to roam the Earth for eternity. We were a tragedy waiting to happen.
“What happened to her?” I asked as I fought back guilt.
“She grew older.” In other words, she died, I thought.
I could tell by his pained expression it hurt him to talk about her. I didn’t press him with any more questions.
We sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. The only sound was the soft, warm breeze that kissed my face. I could have stayed like that all day, but my wet jeans were beginning to cause a rash on my skin.
“I’m all wet.” I frowned.
“I have a dryer,” Milo offered.
“At your house?” I asked.
He nodded.
My breaths quickened. A tremor of excitement ran through my body. I’d never been to a guy’s house.
Especially one I liked. I was curious to see his room, excited to get a glimpse into his private life. It was the perfect opportunity to snoop around for clues of Priscilla’s whereabouts.
“Okay,” I replied.
The sky slowly vanished as we walked further into the woods with only a few fragments of sky peeking through the auburn leaves. Milo led the way up the treacherous hike as I cautiously tried to avoid the tree branches above me and fallen logs below. Milo looked back to me to make sure I was keeping up, I smiled in return showing no signs of weakness.
On the path I came upon a decaying tree with a lotus flower bursting with color, it was growing on one of its smaller branches. At first, I was confused by the location of the lotus, I always thought they only grew in water. I stared at its glimmering neon violet petals that seemed to be glowing. Its colors reminded me of a beautiful summer sunset, golden on the inside with a fiery red rim. Specs of silvery white resembling glitter seemed to float around its petals. I was immediately hypnotized by its brilliant fluorescent beauty. The lotus was pleasing to the eye—desirable even. There was a buzz in my fingertips as I slowly reached for it aching to touch the soft petals. My fingers were only an inch away from the lotus when I heard Milo’s warning voice.
“Don’t move,” he said sternly.
My eyes fell on the blackest snake I had ever seen in my life coiled on the branch above the lotus silently waiting to attack. I stood very still. With one blow to the head, Milo killed the snake with a large rock. Milo looked around the woods nervous, almost as if he knew there was someone out there…watching us. My breathing became shallow and sped up. What was a snake doing out so late in the season when they should be hibernating?
“We need to get out of here,” Milo said quickly grasping my hand.
CHAPTER
22
It was dark out when we arrived at the two-story brick bungalow style house Milo shared with Eli, Dylan, Lee, and Trent located near fraternity row at Georgia Tech where the houses were so close to each other you could reach out with one foot and touch the neighbor’s yard. And while the other houses were well kept, Milo’s resembled more of a frat house than a family home. The angels were having a party. The music thumped through the open windows and the broad porch—furnished in old worn out chairs and couches—was full of college-age girls in clusters drinking beer.
Eli was on the porch roof with a funnel in hand welcoming his guests. He pointed a finger at us when we arrived and said, “You two have some catchin’ up to do!”
Eli threw a beer to Milo so fast all I saw was a blur of color trailing behind. Milo caught the beer with one hand, opened it and chugged it in a second.
“I’ll never get over how fast you are,” I said in awe.
“You’ll get used to it,” Milo replied.
“The neighbors don’t mind the music?”
“It’s nothing but college students around here.”
Just as we walked down the concrete pathway, Lee stopped two frat boys dressed in Chubbies and pastel colored Polo shirts who reminded me of Mason and the jocks from Dixon High.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Lee asked.
“Yeah, no pussies allowed,” Eli yelled from the rooftop. “Go back to your house daddy!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
The music grew louder as we stepped inside. The smell of stale beer and pizza wafted in the air. The house was sparsely decorated with shabby furniture, a fifty-two-inch television took front stage hung above the fireplace with a game console connected. Trent was playing a video game of zombies while two angel groupies cheered him on.
The house looked like it hadn’t been remodeled with the exception of the open concept floor plan. Built-in wood cabinets on both sides of the fireplace were full of party trophies: empty alcohol bottles of different kinds. From where I stood, I could see into the kitchen. A pool table replaced the dining room table where there was a serious game of beer pong happening.
Milo nodded at his roommates as soon as they noticed us, I smiled politely and waved as my way of saying hello. Thankfully, Dylan wasn’t around. He was probably out with a new conquest.
“Let’s go to my room, it’s quiet,” Milo whispered into my ear.
Everyone in the house exchanged looks and smiles as if to say, ‘they’re about to get it on.’ I shifted my focus away suddenly feeling uncomfortable. They probably thought I was just like the quill lovers the angels brought home every night: loose and easy. I let out a soft curse under my breath wondering why I decided to come to Milo’s house. My clothes dried on the bike ride, so a dryer wasn’t necessary.
When we reached the top of the stairs, Eli came out of one of the rooms.
“Goin’ to the love shack, ey?” Eli said. “I’ll let you two be.”
Love Shack?
Milo opened the door to his room. It was impeccably clean with minimal furniture. A large king-size bed with gray sheets took up most of the room. A tan hand-woven rug covered the floor. So, this is where the magic happened, I thought. I brushed the thought away. I didn’t want to think about the countless girls Milo had taken to his bed. My attention shifted to the empty white walls, only a large oval mirror hung near the closet to my right. A bar stool replaced the traditional side table with a small reading lamp. Near the only window in the room, there was an old record player with a small collection of vinyl records.
“Sorry about them,” Milo said closing the door.
“Your room is…tidy,” I noted.
He opened the closet door where his clothes were neatly organized by color; blacks, grays, whites.
“OCD much?” I teased.
“I like everything in its place. It’s much easier to find,” Milo said as he rummaged through a chest of built-in drawers where he fished out a white t-shirt and pajama shorts.
“The bathroom is the first door to your right,” he said handing the clothes to me.
I opened the door located right next to Milo’s room only to be surprised by a couple who was making out inside.
“I’m sorry,” I said horrified as I shut the door.
I waited outside the bathroom for a few seconds before the couple came out adjusting their clothes. Once inside, I changed out of my clothes and into Milo’s. I allowed the white t-shirt to hang over my face for a few seconds as I sniffed and inhaled the scent of fresh linen. I smiled. Milo was a clean freak, and I loved it. Looking in the mirror, I brushed out any knots in my hair with one hand and pinched my cheeks to make them appear rosier. I lifted my arm to smell my armpits, they didn’t smell bad, they smelled of lake water and sweat. I opened the medicine cabinet in search of anything to spray myself but only found aftershave. Good enough.
“What are you doing?” I asked the girl in the mirror. A line of worry
crossed her face. “Don’t do anything stupid you might regret.”
Back in the room, a mellow, hazy song played on the record player shifting the mood. The lights were low and somber, almost dreamlike. I found Milo sitting on his bed. He hadn’t taken his eyes off me since I walked into the room, which only made me more nervous. Thankfully, he got up, took my clothes, and excused himself downstairs to wash my clothes.
While I waited, I went straight to Milo’s closet where three pairs of clean shoes were stacked on a shoe rack; a pair of leather boots, running sneakers and shower sandals. Milo was a minimalist at heart. I counted only twenty pieces of clothing hanging in the closet. Opening every single drawer looking for clues of anything that could connect him to my sister, I found Milo’s shirts immaculately folded, but found nothing out of the ordinary. No receipts, box of personal items, books, journals. You’d think Milo would at least have a few photographs of himself or his motorcycle lying around but I didn’t find any.
I strolled over to the record player and settled on the floor and flipped through Milo’s collection of vinyl records: Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Creedence Clearwater, AC/DC, Queen. Milo was the classic rock type.
When Milo came back into the room, I said, “You’ve got great taste in music.”
He flashed me a lazy grin then found a comfortable spot in front of me. Milo subtly sniffed the air then narrowed his eyes.
“Are you wearing my aftershave?”
My face blushed. “Yes.”
“Smells good on you.”
I looked around the room trying to pick something to change the subject until my eyes landed on a small box under the record player.
“What’s that?” I asked pointing at the box.
Milo grabbed the wooden box. “It’s an old tattoo device I brought with me from Eden.”
“Wow. Really?” I said fascinated. The box was about the size of a shoe box. There was a carving on the lid of what I thought was a dragon, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a snake. My excitement vanished. I thought back to the snake I’d encountered earlier today. I shuddered.
“The ink was blessed by Seraphim angels,” he explained. The golden hinges lightly groaned as he opened the box. From it, he unfolded a muslin cloth and placed it on the rug. He drew out three ancient looking tools with needles poking out and neatly placed them over the cloth.
“The tattoos protect the Archangels in battle.”
“In battle? From what? I thought evil didn’t exist in Eden?”
Milo looked me straight in the eye. “Maybe it’s best you don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t think you can handle the truth.”
My body suddenly became cold and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know. “I can handle it,” I lied.
Milo stayed quiet for a minute, considering his answer, then his face turned serious. “There are unseen evil forces that live among you.”
“Unseen evil forces?” I echoed.
“Demons,” Milo growled with dark eyes.
The word demon caused my insides to tie in knots. “Demons exist?”
“They’re the spirits of the Nephilim. They roam the Earth hunting humans for their souls so they can’t reincarnate. Once the soul is devoured by a demon, it’s gone forever.”
I’d seen the portrayal of demons in many movies and read about them in books, but never in my wildest dreams did I believe they existed.
“You’re joking, right?” I let out a nervous chuckle. When Milo didn’t answer, I knew he wasn’t lying. The idea of an evil demon roaming the Earth freaked me out. My eyes frantically searched the room for any signs of them.
“Don’t worry,” Milo laughed softly. “There are none here.”
“That’s reassuring,” I said, and I looked down at the row of needles. “So how does the tattoo protect you?”
“They keep you alive,” he said.
“Does it work?”
“I’m still here,” he answered in a smart-ass tone.
“Can I see your tattoos?”
Milo slipped his white t-shirt off exposing a tan cut body. Even though I’d seen him shirtless before, it didn’t stop my heart from skipping a beat. I scanned his torso for any marks but found none. I watched as Milo closed his eyes and willed the tattoos to appear. Blue beams of light spiraled all around his arms, his chest and all the way up to his neck like a coat of armor. As I brushed my fingers over Milo’s chest, a tremor ran through his muscle, almost like I affected him somehow. I pulled away, surprised by my curiosity.
“They’re beautiful.” I beamed. “Does the tattoo work on a human?”
“I’m not sure,” he said with a smile that knew where I was heading.
“Try it on me,” I blurted. “Tattoo me.”
Milo narrowed his eyes with uncertainty. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I replied, trying to sound brave. “If these things are out there, I need as much protection as I can get, right?”
“Right,” he said with a smile that said, if you say so. “Where do you want it?”
I scanned my body searching for the least noticeable place to add my new act of rebellion. Even though it was invisible, I didn’t want the tattoo to suddenly glow in a spot that could easily be detected. It had to be completely hidden. The last time I showed interest in getting inked my mother told me, ‘over my dead body.’ Even though I felt bad for going against her wishes, it was my body, my decision.
“I don’t care,” I said. “As long as it’s covered.”
Milo’s lip curled into a mischievous smile. Damn, maybe I should’ve chosen a spot myself, but it was too late. Milo slipped a hand under my shirt, reached for my back and unhooked my bra.
“It’s hard to tattoo with it in the way,” he explained.
My breathing suddenly became short and unsteady as he slid the strap off my shoulder. I kept my free arm over my chest to make sure nothing bulged out by accident. Milo’s lip curved sensually, as I bit down on mine. The room was suddenly hotter than a sauna.
Gently lifting my shirt, Milo caressed the skin beneath my armpit for a second. My muscles tensed at his touch. Milo poured metallic blue ink into small containers then prepped the needles. He grabbed a lighter out of his pocket then proceeded to heat the needle with the searing flame before dipping it into the blue liquid.
“Just breathe. This might hurt a little.”
As soon as the needle touched my skin, hot waves of prickling pain shot down my skin. I jerked a little at the pinching sensation penetrating my flesh. Suddenly the idea of getting stabbed by a needle for twenty minutes didn’t sound so appealing anymore. But Milo’s voice soothed me.
“Just relax,” Milo said in a laid back, calm tone.
I closed my eyes trying not to focus on the pain. Commanding my body to calm down, my focus settled on the music instead. The slow, ambient rhythm wrapped around my soul like a warm blanket sending me into a dreamy stupor.
When I opened my eyes, they immediately fell on Milo who was still gently tattooing me. Being in such close proximity to him had me aching for something I’d never experienced before. I watched him as he carefully etched my skin, his muscles contracting with every move. He looked so damn hot doing it. The heat waves came back, only this time they were more pleasurable than painful. There was a desire I’d never felt with Eddie before. It was that same stupid involuntary desire that had me feeling so nervous because I was afraid of my inability to control it.
Before I knew it, it was over.
I marveled at the small tattoo. There was on O in the middle, with straight lines in different sizes radiating from the center with circles on each point. It looked like a star. Milo grazed his fingers over it causing the tattoo to glow.
“Whoa,” I said. “What does it mean?”
“Enlightenment”—he rubbed Vaseline over it— “you’ve become awakened to the truth.”
I sm
iled. “I love it.”
Milo’s fingers circled around the tattoo allowing them to linger until the blue glow faded and the symbol disappeared. When my eyes reached his, I could see the longing in his eyes. The same aching I felt.
“Can I have you?” he whispered.
I nodded involuntarily. “Yes.”
His lips crushed mine. He kissed me so vigorously it took my breath away. For the past few days, I tried so hard to repress my feelings for Milo, but I couldn’t help it anymore. I kissed him back hungrily, all the tension since the last kiss building up to this moment. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into him. I could feel the warmth of his body on mine as I straddled him digging my fingers deep into his back, feeling his solid muscles underneath.
Milo brushed his lips from my jaw to my ear and then kissed my neck. I shivered, his lips tickling my skin. My heart pounded endlessly. My body yearned for more. He reached for the hem of my shirt sliding his hands up my back caressing my bare skin. I didn’t stop him, even if the logical part of my brain was screaming for me to stop him.
In the background, the music switched from mellow to angry. The song Stupid Girl by Garbage played sending red flags all the way down to my gut. My first instinct was to push him off, this felt wrong, I wasn’t ready for a physical relationship, but my body told me otherwise. I was too weak to pull away.
He pulled my shirt over my head breaking our kiss for a brief moment. I pulled him back to me and raked my fingers through his long hair. His breathing became heavier. Milo reached down to pull off the pajama bottoms when suddenly, the black snake from the cove slithered from Milo’s back onto my arm. Panic rose inside my chest as I let out a scream.
Pushing Milo off me, I backed up against the bed and quickly picked up the shirt from the ground covering my chest. I scanned the room for the snake, but it was gone. I must have imagined it. Just like I imagined Mary’s face twisting into a demon. Or had I?
THE TRAGIC + DIVINE, Book 1 Page 21