Another shudder shook her body. “Did you choose a hotel by the water just to torture me?”
He turned and met her gaze, his stare neutral. “I doubt we’ll have to seek out Rancor. Rumor has it he’s extremely possessive of his harem. He’ll show up to claim you, sooner rather than later, but not here by the saltwater. This way, you can rest first. You look half dead.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, bewildered that he gave a rat’s ass how she felt.
“You’re welcome,” he said, his tone emotionless. “Feel free to call for room service.”
Room service. The words rang in her ears like bells. She snatched the phone from the table and ordered the first items she saw on the menu. The corners of the angel’s mouth curved upwards as she spoke into the phone.
She hung up and tapped her fingers on her knee.
“Eggs and bacon for dinner?” His grin broadened.
She scowled. “I’m so glad the fact that I’m starving amuses you.”
His smile vanished and he stared at her for a long moment. “I’ve never seen a demon act so human.”
“I’m human now, damn you. It’s not an act.” She lifted her chin.
His grin returned. “What’s your name?”
“Rhea.”
“Not a very demonic name.”
She folded her arms. “I chose a new one.”
He cocked his head to the side, his gaze steady, thoughtful.
“Stop staring at me.”
The angel shrugged and turned back to the window. “We’re going to the beach first thing in the morning.”
She tensed. “Why?”
“If you’re truly human now, you have nothing to fear.” He glanced at her and arched an eyebrow. “The saltwater will tell me all I need to know about the state of your soul.”
Her stomach in knots, she went into the bathroom, washed the grime off her skin, and checked her back. The cut hurt, but appeared minor. The food arrived a few minutes later and she polished off every last bite. The angel didn’t budge from his position at the window, his face in profile, his arms folded, his silver feathers brushing the floor.
Rhea studied his face and the appealing contrast of his brown hair and gem-blue eyes. Heat rose to her cheeks as she remembered being crushed against his bare chest. She had been busy fearing for her life at the time, but murderous intent aside, his arms had been the first warmth she’d experienced on Earth. What would that embrace be like if he didn’t want her dead?
She set the tray aside. “Did you mean it?”
“What?”
She stood and looked him in the eye. “Before, you said you’d consider leniency if I cooperated.” She swallowed. “Did you mean that? Or will you kill me if I fail the saltwater test?”
Unprecedented kindness filled his voice. “I promise I’ll spare you if you really have started your life over as a human, Rhea.”
A promise, from an angel? She took a step back.
He leaned forward and his gaze darkened. “I also promise that if you’re deceiving me, I’ll rip you to pieces before I deliver the fatal blow.”
A distant, ear-splitting howl filled the air. Rhea rushed to the window and craned her neck, searching for the source of the hellish sound. No demon in sight. She let out a long sigh. A human couple walked hand in hand along the hotel sidewalk, oblivious to the preternatural screeching. “He wants me to hear him. He’s threatening me.”
Or, is my soul still demonic, allowing me to hear him?
The angel shut the curtains. His arm brushed hers and the contact sent a pleasant shock up her arm to her chest. He shivered and met her gaze, his eyebrows pressed together.
A long silence passed.
He cleared his throat. “Don’t worry. He won’t come within a mile of the shore. Get some sleep.”
Despite her exhaustion, her gaze shifted to the blade strapped to the angel’s waist. “You want me to trust you? My back still stings from you almost killing me an hour ago.”
“I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt for now, so I need to make sure you’re safe, as I would for any human in a demon’s path.”
For any human. Why did the words fill her with acute disappointment? She let her gaze travel down the angel’s body. He was lean and sculpted, no surprise considering he hunted demons. His wings curved and trailed behind him, the embodiment of physical power and elegance. A few small, silver feathers stuck up here and there, as did his unruly hair. She fought back a smile.
“I didn’t ask you your name,” she whispered.
“It’s Daniel.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance, Daniel.” She turned and got into bed.
A beam of morning light streamed in through a gap in the curtains. Rhea stretched and opened her eyes. Daniel sat on the dresser, his wings extended to either side along the wall, spanning the length of the room.
Daniel got to his feet and handed her a bottle of water. “We need to go to the beach now.”
She finished half the bottle in a few quick gulps.
“Rancor’s screams have been getting closer.” He gazed toward the curtains. “I have no doubt he’s going to come for you, proximity to the beach be damned. Assuming you pass the test, the closer you are to the water, the safer you’ll be. Come. Let’s go.”
A garden path led from the hotel lobby to the deserted beach. A cold wind blew from the north. The rising sun bathed the sand in red and gold. Rhea sucked in a breath as they approached the waves, old instincts urging her to flee the saltwater that would burn demon flesh like acid.
She fisted her hands at her sides. You’re not a demon anymore. You have nothing to fear.
“Go on,” Daniel said, tension in his voice.
Hesitating a yard from the waves, she sighed. “When I took my first steps away from hell, I really didn’t care if I lived or died, so long as I escaped a life in the harem.”
“And now?”
“Now, I’m…scared.” She took a step closer to the water, every muscle tense. “I very much want to survive this.”
“So human.” The angel took a step closer and his feathers brushed her arm. He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Touch the water, Rhea.”
Rancor bellowed, the sound much closer than before. Too close. Rhea spun around, her pulse pounding in her ears. Daniel’s feathers stood on end as he gazed toward the bluffs.
Blond and pale skinned, Rancor stood where the sand met the grass, dressed in dark, metro-sexual clothing. He blew her a kiss with one hand as he grasped himself with the other.
Daniel spread his wings and flew at the master demon. Rancor snarled, revealing jagged teeth. Flames erupted along his body.
A blur of feathers, Daniel twisted in midair and kicked the demon in the ribs, the crack of breaking bone loud enough to reach Rhea’s ears. Rancor’s hands morphed into claws and he slashed at the angel, drawing blood across his shoulder. Daniel didn’t even flinch and drew his blade.
Leaving a hole in his defense, the demon stabbed his lengthening claws at his opponent’s stomach. Daniel evaded the strike and raised his blade for a killing blow, but Rancor released an explosive blast of hellfire that swallowed them both.
“Daniel!” Rhea whirled around and faced the waves. If he wasn’t dead, Daniel needed the saltwater to heal. But what if it kills me?
Her feet frozen in place, she glanced back. The flames had diminished. Rancor stood over the angel’s crumpled form and turned in her direction. He pulled Daniel’s blade out of his shoulder and threw it to the ground. Rhea took a step back toward the waves.
The demon held out his hand. “Come, Serpine, enough of this foolishness.”
“My name is Rhea.” She lifted her chin. “And I’ll never be one of your whores.”
Rancor snarled and sprinted toward her. A movement drew her attention back to Daniel. He lifted a blackened hand to his face. He’s alive. I have to survive and help him. Please, let this work…
Rhea pivoted and dove into the waves. Aside from t
he cold that shocked the breath from her lungs, no pain accompanied the water. She lifted her hands and stared at her unharmed skin. Yes!
Rancor staggered to a halt at the edge of the wet sand, his face twisted with fury. “You can’t stay in there forever, my darling.”
“I don’t intend to.” Daniel doesn’t have long.
The demon’s black eyes widened as she sprinted out of the water. She threw her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist.
Rancor screamed and his skin sizzled. He shoved her away, but he stumbled in the loose sand and fell. A wave crashed over his body.
Rhea turned away from the quivering remains of the demon and rushed to Daniel. Severe burns covered his body and only blacked stubs remained of his feathers. He breathed slow and shallow.
“Daniel.” Her voice shook. Still soaked with seawater, she rested her hand on his shoulder. “God, I hope this works…”
She lifted her fingers. His skin healed before her eyes where the seawater touched it. Eyes closed, he turned his burnt face toward her and mumbled, “Rhea?”
She pulled off her soaked shirt, held it over his body, and wrung it out. He shuddered as the water ran over his skin.
“More,” he whispered.
She squeezed every drop out of her shirt and did the same with her pants. She didn’t care that she stood there in her black bra and panties. Burns still covered most of Daniel’s body.
“Can you walk?”
He pushed himself into a sitting position, but failed to stand.
Rhea grasped his arms and dragged him back across the sand and into the waves. He sank under the surface. Shivering, she lifted his face above the surface. “Daniel?”
He opened his eyes and shot to his feet, every inch of his skin healed. “Where is he?”
“He’s dead.” She pointed to the few bones that remained.
His gaze traveled over her body. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” She lifted her arms, seawater dripping from her skin.
Daniel moved back to shore, extended his wings, and shook out his intact feathers. Rhea followed and threw her arms around his shoulders.
His fingers trailed from her neck to her bare back, sending an electric current down her spine. “So, you’re truly human.”
She nodded against his chest.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. And you saved me. Thank you.” He sighed and released her. “I didn’t block the hellfire when I should have. I was too focused on making the kill.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “The idea that he’d touch you ignited a rage in me I’ve never felt before.”
She fidgeted. The silence lengthened. “I passed the test. Am I free to go?”
He frowned and shook his head.
“Why not?” She took a step back.
He cocked his head to the side. “You have no money, no place to stay, no legal identity. I think you should stay with me while you build your human life.” He paused. “Yes, you are free to go. But I hope you won’t.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered. “I’m just one of many humans now—”
He leaned down and stroked strands of wet hair off her face. His fingers lingered on her jaw. “You’ve left your demonic existence behind. You’re as fascinating to me as you are beautiful.”
Daniel slanted his mouth across hers, his icy blue eyes open. Holding his gaze, she eased deeper into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body flush against his. She sank into the embrace, relishing in the skin-to-skin warmth.
He spread his wings and pulled her down to sit in the sand. She leaned against his chest and the waves teased their toes.
“Yes.” She pressed her lips to his shoulder. “I’ll stay.”
NC-17
by Debra Anastasia
Trixie was ridiculously excited even though she was only buying one ticket for Sterling Steel’s newest 3-D motion picture. She tried to keep her head down as she ordered her wagon-sized popcorn with extra butter and a giant vat of soda. She would’ve checked her watch, but she could never keep a working one on her body. Her knitting group called her a serial appliance killer after one too many electronics gave its life because it dared to exist too close to Trixie. Cars, cell phones, and laptops all died horrible deaths whenever they were in her possession. Her parents blamed her problem on the four separate times she was nearly struck by lightening as a baby.
“That’s why you have such curly hair, my love!” Her mother thought Trixie’s abnormality was an interesting quirk. Her mother also had a working watch.
After purchasing her ridiculously large snacks, Trixie stood in line behind a busload of kids from a local camp to wait her turn for the ticket ripper to do his worst. Unfortunately, the ticket ripper was a chatty bastard that had soul-sucked a bored usher into his diatribe about the Steel movies.
“I’ve no idea how that franchise stays afloat. And now they have money for 3-D? That production company must be drug runners to keep ol’ Sterling on the payroll ‘cause he ain’t pulling in the numbers at the box office.” The usher nodded while the ripper loudly snorted and continued, “There’s like one chick in the whole world that sees his ‘masterpieces’.” The ripper put the word masterpiece in pretend air quotes. Trixie wanted to beat him to death with the air quotes after his next comment. “And that chick? She comes here. I swear she must have 100 cats and no life at all. What a freak show.” He ripped the last day camp admission and half-heartedly held out a hand for Trixie’s ticket. She had it poking from between her pinkie and ring finger while juggling her containers.
She met his eyes as he tore her ticket. He swallowed his embarrassment at being caught in the act of talking about Trixie while she listened. His words laid in between them like a load of crap at a dog show --obvious and unexpected.
“I only have two cats. And they were rescues.” Trixie raised her chin a bit and her ocean of soda threatened to spill over. She didn’t bother telling the jerk that the kittens were sort of on the broken side --choosing to use a potted plant instead of a litter box.
“Theater fourteen is the last one on the right.” He dropped her ticket stub on top of her popcorn bucket.
Blushing, Trixie made her way to the theater. She couldn’t deny that the Steel movie phenomenon was unusual. The critics had great fun picking apart each film with gusto. Sterling was sort of a cliché. The actor that played the lead was never seen outside of filming.
But Trixie wasn’t here for the plot. She wasn’t even here for the popcorn, though that was a huge bonus. One of the things everyone mocked about the movies was Sterling’s tag line. His motto. The critics thought it was cheesy when Sterling looked dead into the camera and proclaimed, “The energy to do good is in you!”
But for years Trixie waited on the edge of her seat. Because when Steel said that? He spoke straight to her vagina. It was like her genitals had a conversation with the movie star every damn time. She would sigh and swoon at his perfect eyebrow cocked with the promise and a dare. The critics might hate it; people might not go to his movies anymore, but for Trixie? That moment was a connection as real as the rocking stadium seat she collapsed in. She arranged her purse, popcorn, drink, and 3-D glasses while the previews came on. Instead of watching the trailers she scanned her crowd.
There were three other patrons. A father and son were bundled together looking excited, which made Trixie smile. An old man was close to the screen snoring contently.
The lights went dim and the opening scenes of the movie were very dark. Just as Trixie settled back, ready and willing to get her girly bits roaring at the screen, a flutter of people pouring in the entrance caught her attention. The lighting was horrible, but it looked as if maybe fifteen people marched into the room.
The new people scattered around the theater. Trixie fell into the familiar rhythm of her favorite escape. It was such a predictable Steel plot, she felt like she was watching this one on DVD instead of fresh on the s
creen. The only difference was the addition of the 3-D technology. When Trixie finally got to see the bulge in Steel’s white tights, she thought her cooter would actually bust out of her jeans and hump the screen.
The evil Ragests were looking for the fabled Source, which held unimaginable power. They did this in every past movie and had always failed. They were determined little buggers though. Steel had to be witty and wise to thwart their devious plans. Always the Ragests found a fake Source. But this time Steel looked worried. Trixie wondered if the critics would finally hail Sterling’s obviously on point acting.
She glanced over her shoulder and was startled. All the late people were closer to her theater chair than she remembered from when they snuck in. She shook off her concern and slurped on her soda. Smiling, she wondering to herself if the 3-D glasses were making the objects in the room appear closer than they actually were.
In the movie, Sterling was working himself up into his tagline. Trixie tuned out the public setting and waited, squirming for her moment.
Sterling looked into the camera, his deep green eyes finding hers, like they never failed to do. Instead of the eyebrow and the smirking grin though, he looked intently at her.
“The energy to do good is in you!” he delivered his line like his life depended on it. He extended his hand and with the glasses, it looked like she could almost touch his fingertips.
She sat on her hands and let the warm flush of his dialogue creep down from her face and up from her toes until it hit her between the legs. She sighed. Sterling looked forlorn and dejected as he turned from the screen. Trixie fanned herself a bit, taking a cool sip of soda. She glanced up again and the late group was closer still.
Taking off the glasses, she assessed them. They had definitely moved. She could hit each with popcorn if she tried. She pushed her glasses onto her head and let her gorgeous Sterling go fuzzy. In a blink they were closer yet. After a quick glance around, Trixie noticed the father, son, and snoring old man were missing.
She stood to use the bathroom, needing some distance to think clearly. She trotted down the stairs and shuffled into the hall. After finding the bathroom, Trixie chose a stall in the empty ladies’ room and made some room for more soda.
Just One Bite Volume 4 Page 3