“Yes, she almost died and Bram healed her.”
“I know. That I can’t blame him for; I would have done the same thing, though he didn’t really heal her.”
Ilisha and Damon walked over to Dena’s house. She was dressed and had makeup on, which was a great sign to Ilisha.
“Hey, honey.” Dena opened the door and Ilisha came in. When Damon followed Dena looked him over quizzically.
“Mom, this is Damon.”
“Hi, Dena, nice to meet you.” As soon as their hands touched in a shake Dena recognized he was an angel. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. She continued to shake his hand until he forced her to let go.
“Ilisha, can you help me in the kitchen for a second?”
Rolling her eyes at her mom’s lack of subtlety she followed her mom into the kitchen.
“Who is that and where is Bram?” Dena asked as soon as the door closed behind them.
“Bram is gone. There’s a lot going on and it’s complicated.”
“He left you?” Dana asked appalled.
“Yes. He didn’t even say goodbye.”
“Well good riddance. How do you know Damon?”
“It’s a long story, mom.”
“Okay, I know you think I’m prying.”
Dena loaded a tray with glasses and a pitcher of tea. She added a plate of cookies and carried it to the living room.
“Thank you,” Damon said taking a glass and a cookie.
Ilisha could tell that this wasn’t his thing. He sat awkwardly on a chair. Unlike Bram, Damon was not addicted to human food. Dena had loved Bram’s appetite.
Damon took a bite of the cookie. “Very good.”
Ilisha bit her lip and tried not to chuckle. Damon looked like a sexy version of the Terminator trying to blend in with normal folks.
“I need to pee, I’ll be right back,” Ilisha said standing up. She looked down at Damon, who looked like he may be attacked at any moment. His eyes begged her not to leave him alone.
“You need to excuse yourself, honey,” Dena corrected.
Ilisha rolled her eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
She listened to the muffled conversation as soon as she closed the bathroom door. When she was finished she opened the door silently and listened for a second.
“Did you know Bram?” Dena asked.
“Unfortunately.”
“I don’t know you, so don’t take this wrong—don’t hurt my daughter. I think she’s been through enough.”
“I would never hurt Ilisha,” Damon responded.
“Her dad died a few years back and recently her grandmother, now this thing with Bram has happened.”
Ilisha flushed the toilet and hurried out.
When she sat down she gave her mother a stern look telling her to shut up.
“Mom, do you need anything?”
“Oh no, honey.”
“I think we should go. Are you ready Damon?” she said.
His shoulders relaxed a little at the prospect.
“It was nice to meet you,” Dena said at the door.
“You too, Mrs. Morrison.” Damon leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“Well, that was really awkward,” he said when they were a block away.
“You looked like you would rather have your eyes gouged out.” Ilisha chuckled.
“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t your mom. I’ve had about enough talking about Bram.”
Damon took her hand as they walked. “If I ask you something will you be honest?”
“Yes.”
“Why haven’t you asked me to break our marriage bond like you did Bram?”
“Bram deceived me. I would think that should be pretty self-explanatory. As for you, I feel things so powerful that I can’t explain them, and quite frankly it scares the crap out of me.”
“What you feel is through our bond, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
“It’s too strong to not be real. I guess I don’t understand why I didn’t feel it before.”
As soon as they arrived at Ilisha’s house, Damon scooped her up and carried her inside and up the stairs. He laid her down on the bed and found a spot beside her. His fingers gripped the zipper on her jacket and he slid it down.
“You didn’t remember anything about me. Now I’m here helping you remember, so it’s only natural you would start to have the same feelings as before.”
She slid out of her jacket and tossed it across the room. Ilisha turned onto her side so she could continue the conversation. “It still doesn’t make sense. I believe that distance would not erase memories of such a close bond, to the point that I would not remember anything until I saw you again and instantly fall in love.”
“Are you saying you love me?”
“I… no… I mean.”
Damon chuckled. “I know you do, you don’t need to tell me. This is also a different situation. If you break up or move away from someone who was your lover you still remember them. The reason for the breakup will always be part of your memory. With us we’ve been together for so long and loved each other so deeply that time doesn’t change that.”
“So far you haven’t betrayed my trust. And what I’ve seen of our past makes me long and burn for you. As long as something doesn’t change I don’t see why I should walk away from you or break our bond.” Ilisha rolled onto her back as she spoke.
“I took a big chance coming here. You could have rejected me. I’m glad you didn’t.” Damon blew out a sigh.
“Sadly at the moment I’m kind of leaning on you,” Ilisha confessed.
“I’m your husband, that’s what I’m here for.”
“Thank you for not thinking I’m weak.”
“Ilisha, you’re the strongest person I know.”
Ilisha smiled at the compliment.
Damon’s hand slid under her shirt and down the waistband of her jeans. She bit her lip and smiled as his long fingers explored. It only lasted a minute and she wanted more. Damon smiled and stuck his middle finger in his mouth.
“You will remember everything without my help if you drink my blood again,” he said leaning on his elbow.
Ilisha made a face. “I don’t think I can do that.”
“You’re thinking of how your own blood tastes, coppery, or metallic. Angel blood tastes very sweet. That’s why my breath smells so good to you. Drinking my blood would also restore you to a full angel.”
“What, I would all the sudden have wings and powers?”
“Yes.”
Ilisha thought of all her designer clothes she would ruin if wings burst from her back.
She sat on top of him. “I don’t think I’m ready to make such a drastic change right now.” Her hands ran up his chest and over his arms, sliding his jacket off.
Damon smiled. “I understand, but it would make things easier. It would also take a load off my mind knowing you can defend yourself.”
“All the things you’re naming are the pros, what are the cons?”
He flipped her over on her back and came over her. “If you were a weak minded person and your brain received that much of a shock, it would be disastrous. And, let’s face it, you are hardly weak minded.” He pushed his pelvis into her.
She undid his pants and slid them down with her toes. “What happens if you drink my blood?”
“Drinking human blood does nothing. If you return to all your angel glory it makes our bond even stronger.”
Ilisha slid his form-fitting shirt over his head. He looked down and chuckled. “Why am I the only one naked?”
“Because you let me strip you.” She smiled and admired the view.
He slid his pants the rest of the way off with his feet and kissed her. Ilisha’s arm reached across the bed where his jacket lay. Her hand twisted and felt for the inside pocket. When she grasped the dagger it slid out smoothly.
She twirled it in her hand and ran the blunt end down his back. His lips stopped and looked i
nto her eyes. “Does that mean you want to do this?”
“I want to remember our life, I’m not sure about the angel thing, but I guess I can’t have it both ways.”
“Tell me what bothers you about being a true angel again?”
“I’m going to ruin all my clothes.”
He burst out laughing.
“This is so not funny.”
“Yes it is.” He pressed his smiling lips together. “I will have clothes made for you.”
Ilisha had a pouty look on her face.
“I will have fashion designers make clothes for you. Besides, your wings only expand and retract when you want them to.”
Damon took the dagger from her and ran the blade down his wrist again. Ilisha hesitated, but brought his slit skin to her mouth. She expected it to disgust her, instead she drank heavily, closing her eyes in enjoyment. Damon moaned and his body throbbed against hers.
His blood tasted like cantaloupe. The longer she drank the more she could feel her body changing. Her muscles rippled and she felt extremely strong. Her memories opened and flashed before her so quick that it was as if she were watching a slide show. She would never see any images, but she remembered each one. Focusing on one, she watched as she entered Dena’s pregnant womb and inhabited her new human form.
Damon let out a grunt and she realized he had enjoyed this so much his body reacted. She looked down and smiled at the pool left on her stomach.
Damon cleared his throat. “Sorry, it’s an extremely powerful feeling.”
Ilisha pressed her finger to his lips. They were soft and full. Each tiny crevice was felt under her finger. “Don’t apologize.”
No time had passed between them and no absence of space. It was as though they just picked back up their lives where they left off. He was as familiar as if she never left. She was also now completely in sync with him. His thoughts and feelings were like her own.
Everything was clearer and brighter. Colors were vivid. Every pore and hair on Damon’s body was magnified. Each dust particle swirling around the room sparkled. Her nose danced with the sweet smell of his skin and breath.
“Tell me why drinking your blood is such a turn on for you?”
Damon took his thumb and wiped blood from her lips. “You’re taking in my life force. What’s hotter than the woman you adore coming back to you?”
He took her arm and turned her wrist up. She flinched as he brought the dagger down on her skin. Ilisha could barely feel the slice. Silver blood pooled and she looked at it, amazed. Damon’s lips encased the cut and he began to suck.
She could feel their souls joining, intact and complete. This was different than her bond with Bram. She only held part of him. Her breathing increased as everything from her waist down begin to throb. Just as Damon, she felt the excitement build and release. She wrapped her legs around him and her fingers entwined in his hair. He continued to drink and her legs tightened like a vice grip. She screamed louder than she ever had during an orgasm, yet he didn’t touch her.
His lips released her wrist and licked up the extra blood as the cut healed.
“What just happened?” she asked out of breath.
“Now you know what I just experienced.”
He yanked off her jeans and underwear at the same time. Taking her knees in his hands by the insides he pushed her legs to the bed and entered her.
Everything around them disappeared, they only saw each other.
Neither wanted to leave the bed, they laid there until nightfall, then fell asleep. When Ilisha opened her eyes the next morning Damon was curled up against her back. Bits of fabric and cotton were strung all over the room. She looked down her naked body; every blanket and pillow was shredded.
“What the—?” she said pushing herself up.
Damon groaned groggily and blinked his eyes open. “Morning,” he said stretching.
“What happened?” she asked motioning with her hand to the bed.
“Looks like we need to buy some new bedding,” he replied smiling.
“Yeah, I got that part.”
He took her by the waist and pulled her down. A plume of bedspread fabric and cotton came up around her with the impact.
“I’ll remind you what happened.” Without another word their bodies joined and before long Ilisha realized that she was digging her hands into the bedding and ripping it.
“You’re a lot stronger now,” he said as he lay on top of her breathing hard.
“I’ll have to remember that, otherwise I will be buying new bedding every day.”
“At least three times a day,” he corrected.
Ilisha and Damon were sitting on the hammock in the back yard. His long leg hung over the side rocking it back and forth at a relaxing pace. The cool crisp air blew in a slight breeze. They were huddled together under a blanket, looking up at the sky.
Suddenly, Damon jumped off the hammock almost knocking it over.
“What’s wrong?” Ilisha asked startled.
“It’s John. We need to go.”
Though she had the ability to fly she clung to him and tucked her face into his chest as always. They landed in the forest outside the run down church.
Damon walked slowly to the back door, Ilisha following. She looked down at her feet amazed that she made no noise.
Damon opened the back door silently. John’s apartment under the church was pitch black. A soft yellow light from the bedroom drifted across the floor. Shadowy movements could be seen in the space.
Ilisha’s skin prickled, she knew something inherently evil lie on the other side of the door. Damon kicked open the door and what their eyes beheld made them both gasp.
Father John was tied to the wall, naked and bleeding. Across his body was a pentagram drawn from his own blood. In the corner of the room stood a demon. His black wings were spread and his eyes blazed yellow. This was different; she could feel the power emanating from him. He was one of the kings ruling the underworld. The demons right hoof dug at the floor like a bull ready to charge. He was much larger in stature than the demons Ilisha had seen previously. Muscles rippled down his body and he was almost as tall as Damon.
In a blur Damon was across the room preventing the demon from fleeing. Ilisha ran to John and fought to untie him with shaky hands. His body slumped over her shoulder and she groaned slightly under his weight, but carried him to the kitchen floor and lay him down.
In the room behind her glass was breaking and wood splintered. She ran back in to get something to cover John.
Damon’s body was wrapped around the demon’s back. Smoke rose from its skin where Damon’s own skin touched it. Its head cocked and he stared at Ilisha when she entered. It backed up quickly and ran Damon into the wall. A large hole was left, but Damon still clung to the creature.
With its passenger attached, it charged Ilisha. Damon jumped from its back and flipped in the air landing between them. The creature’s hand went out at the same time and dug into Damon’s stomach. Damon had taken the blow for her.
“Aahh.” Damon yelled and slumped over. He blew out loud sharp breaths out.
Ilisha stared in horror. Thinking fast, she looked around her. Father John had a baseball bat sitting beside the dresser. She gripped it and readied herself. The demon sprinted forward and Ilisha hit it square in the face. It growled, baring its teeth. As she went for another swing its teeth sunk into her neck. She screamed and dropped the bat.
Damon was up in a flash. He grabbed the creature by the back of the head and ripped it from her skin, causing her to scream again. Damon’s hand balled into a fist and he shoved it through the demons torso. It briefly came out the other side and went back in. The creature’s heart came out in Damon’s fist. Its blood dripped from the still beating muscle in a dark blue stream.
The demon fell and hit face first inches away from Ilisha who was huddled in the corner. Damon fell to his knees, his hand opened and the heart fell out and splat against the carpet. He turned his head up toward the ce
iling. He pulled his shirt off and Ilisha watched as the large bruise where the demon punched him healed.
Ilisha’s fingers went to her neck, the bite had healed as well. She stumbled forward and fell onto Damon’s lap. He bent his torso and collapsed into her chest. He wrapped his hands around her butt and closed his eyes.
Ilisha stroked his hair as tears ran down her cheeks. Several minutes passed and she heard John moan in the kitchen. She lifted Damon’s head. “Are you okay?” He closed his eyes and nodded, giving a weak smile.
She ran to the kitchen. John’s cuts were healing, but black skin formed thick scars.
“What did he do to you?” she asked running her finger over one of the scars, surprised that they were hot to the touch.
John coughed. “It’s a curse.”
Damon stumbled out of the bedroom, gripping the door frame. He dropped to the floor beside Ilisha.
“He says it’s a curse. What do I do?”
“The dagger,” Damon coughed.
She ran back to the bedroom and picked up Damon’s shredded leather coat. Pulling out the dagger she ran back and thrust it into his hand.
Damon gripped it tight in both hands and used the last bit of strength he had to bring it down into the center of John’s chest.
“No!” Ilisha screamed.
Dark blue blood oozed out of the scars, followed by a white light bursting from the hole the dagger made.
“Wipe him clean,” Damon said and collapsed on the ground.
Ilisha yanked at the paper towel roll and ended up pulling the whole thing from the wall. She ran water over it and sat back down next to John. Meticulously she wiped all the dark blood away.
The dagger still stuck from his chest. John’s fingers crawled up her knee and she turned to look him in the eye. “You’re alive.”
John’s arm moved to his chest and his hand gripped the hilt of the dagger trying to pull.
“Oh my gosh, no don’t do that.” Ilisha laid her hand over his.
“Yes,” he whispered.
She swallowed hard. This went against all medical training she had. Closing her eyes she gripped the handle and yanked. John sucked in a breath and the dagger fell from her hands clanging against the floor.
Broken Butterflies Page 17