Trinity spoke up in a tiny voice. “You said your mom passed away. How old was she when she died?”
He didn’t look up at her, but stared at their clasped hands. “4,375.” He noticed her subtle flinch but chose to ignore it.
“How long are you going to live?”
“Until God seems fit to take me, just like everyone else.”
“You know what I mean.”
“We can only be killed when our hearts are destroyed. My mother stayed away from civilization, so she stayed alive the longest.”
“We? Who’s ‘we’?”
He inwardly groaned, not wanting to get to that part yet. “My team, we belong to an organization that has numerous nephilims all over the world, fighting against all things evil.”
Her eyebrows came together. “So…you don’t work for a protection agency?”
“Yes, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“You mean the way you lead me to believe?” She was angry for his deception and he couldn’t blame her.
“Yes”
“Was anything you told me the truth?” With this, she tried to pull her hands away, but he wasn’t letting go.
“Yes! I tried never to outright lie to you if I didn’t have to. I am still the same person you fell in love with, and I was not lying when I told you that I loved you.”
“Ok, and how many women have you told that to in all your, what is it, 328 years?”
“One, two as of last night.” He was not going to lie to her anymore. “I was twenty and thought the sun rose and set around her. Now I know that I was being young and stupid, because I can never remember feeling this out of control with her. It feels like I’m spinning at warp speed with nothing to hold onto. All it takes is one look from you to make my heart speed up. That’s how you make me feel.”
She gave one of her shy smiles he loved so much, and took a deep breath before returning her hands to his.
“I need to know. When you say, evil of all kinds, what do you mean?”
He hated to inform people about that. This is one of the situations where the saying “ignorance is bliss” is actually true. Deciding he had already gone so far, he couldn’t stop now. “There is a war of good versus evil going on as we speak; God and his army, Satan and his. You’ve probably heard all about it in church, but it’s no joke. Demons of all forms terrorize mankind in the hopes to turn people over to their side; it’s the whole “evil breeds evil” thing. They possess people or corrupt souls that were already close to crossing over. Sometimes they even cross over and change forms to blend in and cause havoc that way. The corporation I work for assigns nephilims on different missions to prevent this as much as possible.”
“Wow, there are so many questions to that.” She thought for a minute. “So all your team members are nephilims too? How old are they?”
He laughed. “Let’s just say, I’m the baby of the group.”
Her mouth formed a perfect “O” until it transformed to one of confusion. “No offense, but how did you become head of the group, if you’re younger than everyone else. Wouldn’t age be a factor in that?”
“They like to have an exalted nephilim as leader of the groups.” The bitterness was not something he could hide. He liked being head of the team, but sometimes wondered if he really deserved it, or was it just his DNA.
“How is that different?”
“An exalted one has one parent that is a nephilim and the other is an angel or a demon. Only Gideon and I are exalted.”
“Why is he not in charge? Once again, no offense.” She added quickly.
Malachi sighed. “It’s not for his lack of trying, but it’s because he has a demon for a parent while I have an angel. The people in charge consider him a more volatile risk.”
“Your father was an angel?” She asked in definite shock.
“Yeah. I don’t remember him. He met my mother when he saved her from a pack of wolves one day. They saw each other here and there after that. He never stayed long enough on earth to be overly corrupted. Anyway, she became pregnant with me. When I was five, she gave him the option to finally stay with them or not to come back.” Malachi shrugged his shoulders, trying to show indifference. “He chose heaven.”
Trinity’s voice was entirely sympathetic as she reached up to caress his face. “Malachi, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I don’t even know his name. All he told my mother was that he was a prince in God’s army, and his name was not important. She was okay with that, so whatever.” He shrugged again. “Plus, who wouldn’t choose heaven if given the choice?”
“Me. Not if my family was somewhere else.”
He gave her a small smile. “That’s nice, but you have no idea. I heard it’s very alluring.”
“How did your mom take it when he left?”
Malachi tried to pull away, but it was her this time that held onto him.
“What happened?”
“She didn’t take it well.” Closing his eyes, he tried to fight the memory. “She snapped and decided to raid the nearest village, killing as many people as she could. Eventually they stopped her though. Once they got her unconscious…”
“They burned her.” She finished his story and looked utterly taken back.
“How did you know that?” He looked at her warily.
“I dreamt it. I was hiding behind a tree next to the village.” She pulled her hands away to bury her face in them. “That was one of the worst ones.”
Malachi stared in disbelief. She had mentioned this in the hospital, but it wasn’t the same as her describing actual events from his past. Snapping out of it, he grabbed onto her and pulled her up as he stood. He then turned around so he could sit and place her on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. It was awful.”
“Yes it was, but it was a long time ago.” As the silence stretched on, he hoped she wasn’t remembering all her other dreams and realizing that they were all his memories as well. Unlikely, he thought. It wouldn’t be long before she caught on. He found himself feeling utterly exposed. She now knew more about him than anybody ever has, and probably ever would.
She sniffed into his neck. “Do you have a sword?”
Damn! “It’s called a falchion, a cusped falchion to be exact.”
She said nothing, but gripped him tighter. Dammit!!
“How is this possible?” Her voice was so muffled by his neck, he almost didn’t understand her.
“Terah thinks it might have to do with…” How was he supposed to tell her this? She could hate him. Sure he saved her life that day, but at what cost?
“What?” This had her sitting up to look at him.
Malachi sighed in resignation and proceeded to tell her about what was discussed in the hospital; the river, his essence, her and him being connected…everything.
“This is insane.”
“I wish I could tell you it was, but there are things…”
“What sort of things?” Her voice was filled with wonder and mixed with a little bit of panic as well.
“There are times when you talk to me with your thoughts.” Malachi rushed on to clarify. “It hasn’t happened that often. I usually can only do it with the other nephilims I’m close to, but I can hear you as well. Not all the time, just when you had unknowingly addressed a thought to me.”
Trinity gaped at him, but then he heard it.
No you can’t.
He looked at his lap and started to play with a stud on her jeans. “Yes I can.” He mumbled, not wanting to upset her, but still needing her to know.
“Holy shit! That’s kind of an invasion of privacy you know?” All he did was purse his lips, still not wanting to look at her. It took a minute, but he felt the aggression slowly melt away from her. “Do you do it on purpose?” Her voice was considerably more controlled.
“Never! It’s just as if you were talking to me.”
“Wow!” She b
reathed out. Trinity sat for a moment, deep in thought, then she laid back against his chest. “It’s a lot to digest, isn’t it?”
He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. He was glad that she finally believed him, but this next part was not going to be easy for her to hear. Once everything was laid out in front of her, she would finally understand why she was better off to steer clear of him. “There’s more.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. What more could there possibly be?” She asked in a sort of comic disbelief.
“It’s important.”
The tension was back in his body, and she must have caught on because she quickly sobered up. “Okay.”
“There were around two hundred angels that “fell” that day with my great grandfather. Out of all of them, he was one of the worst, defied God the moment his feet touched earth. It was even said that he defeated the archangel Michael in a fight. No one beats Michael, that’s how strong he is.”
“Was, how strong he was. You talk as if he’s still around.”
“No, I meant what I said; because he is, Trinity. That’s why I was raised into a life of constant combat. I’ve been training, since I was found at the age of five, for the day that I go up against him. Trinity, his name…his name is Azazel.
She immediately pushed up and off of his lap, and he let her go without a struggle. Obviously she needed space, but he was not expecting what did happen. She rounded on him and snapped. “If this is your idea of a joke, Malachi, you have a twisted sense of humor!”
He stood up right in front of her and grasped her upper arms. “It’s no joke, and everything he’s been doing to you is my fault. Obviously, he knows we are connected and he’s tormenting you to get to me! It was him that blew up the fucking bridge you were on. I have no doubt that you were the sole purpose for him doing it, knowing that I would be there! I’m also pretty sure that it’s been him working the puppet strings on your old friend, Masters. Someone had been leaking information about us to him…”
She pushed against him with her hands, but at the same time grabbed ahold of his shirt. “I don’t get it. Why you? Or better yet, why doesn’t God do something?
“God always has a plan. All the fallen angels are stuck on earth till their judgment day, when they find out if they’ll be allowed back in heaven or not. Some are lying low, biding their time, while others either don’t care or can’t help themselves from the evil things they do. The last ones are the ones that have to be contained, until the day of God’s choosing. That’s where I come in.”
“Years ago, the angel Raphael, was told to chain him inside a pit; a place to spend the years waiting for his judgment. The plan failed. That was when they found out that only a blood relation can accomplish this. My falchion was blessed by the almighty himself and tossed from the heavens, meant only for me. It’s indestructible and burns the skin of anyone besides me that tries to wield it.”
“It’s also the only thing that can send Azazel into that same pit as before, chained and no longer able to hurt people.” Malachi looked pointedly at her, hoping she got what he was trying to say.
Trinity closed her eyes and shook her head. “You have to understand how impossible this all sounds.” Taking a fortifying breath, she opened her eyes to look into his eyes. “If I hadn’t had the dreams I did, it would be harder to believe, but it all boils down to one thing. I trust in you, Malachi.”
He already had his arms wrapped around her in a crushing hug by the time she finished speaking. He couldn’t think of anyone in his life that has ever had this much faith in him. It was humbling.
“So, do you have a plan?” Her voice caressed over his skin as she spoke into his chest. He couldn’t help the reaction his lower body had to her being this close.
Knowing that she was talking about Azazel, and not what he wanted to do to her, he brought his mind back to the here and now. “Not for today, I don’t. Today it’s all about us, so…what would you like to do?”
She ran her hands up the sides of his body and he gave a low groan. “I could figure out a few things.”
“Mmm, I like how you think.”
She started to lightly caress his chest with her lips, talking in between the small kisses. “So. do. I, but. do you know. what I would like. to do first?”
“Anything.” Malachi could barely form the word.
“Go on that motorcycle ride you promised me.” It took a moment to realize that she had stopped kissing him and was looking up at him with that mischievous smile of hers. What a little vixen!
Looking outside, he saw the sun was out and it was an abnormally warm day for the end of October.
“Fine.” He grudgingly agreed.
No sooner did he agree, than she jumped back and let out a loud squeal, while clapping her hands. Her happiness was infectious, and he soon found himself laughing with her.
He started walking past her to get to the kitchen. “You go get some suitable clothes on, while I finish up in here.” He couldn’t help giving her delectable derriere a slight slap as he passed, marveling in the yelp she let out.
Malachi walked into the kitchen and looked around at the cleanup that still needed to be done, but he couldn’t get the feel of her tight little ass off his hand. Thinking about it, she might not know what clothing is suitable for riding. He should go help.
He reached Trinity by the time she had made it up half the stairs, and he scooped her up to toss her over his shoulder.
“Hey! What are you doing?” She squealed.
“Helping, what does it look like?”
“Helping with what, exactly?” He heard the delight in her voice and had to smile.
“I can do it all, Baby. First I can help you out of these clothes.”
There was that infectious laughter again, as he made his way into to bedroom and unceremoniously dropped her onto the bed, before lowering himself onto her.
******
Almost two hours later, he was helping her onto his Knuckle to go for the ride she had been begging for.
It took a while to finally leave her house, but they eventually made it to his, to grab a bike. He had every intension to take her out on the Springer, but she took one look at the Knucklehead and deemed “that one” as the one she wanted. Looking into her excited eyes, he found that he could deny her nothing.
Years ago, Malachi was at a job and was getting his ass handed to him. The attack was unexpected and took him completely off guard. Just when he didn’t think he could take anymore, a complete stranger, human, jumped in front of him to take the brunt of the attack. No human could withstand what the demon dished out, and it didn’t take long before the man was on the ground. The delay ended up giving Malachi the resolve he needed to finish off the demon. Afterward Malachi tried, but was just too weak to heal the man that had saved his life. He apologized, but the man just smiled and shook his head. Reaching into his pocket, the man pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Malachi, with his promise to “take care of her.” Needless to say, he wasn’t expecting the ‘her’ to be a motorcycle, but he’s been taking care of it ever since. Anytime he gets discouraged about the direction humanity is going, he works on the bike and remembers the man that gave his life when he didn’t have to.
He had never taken anyone out on it before, as it was always something he reserved for himself. Today, he guessed that all changed.
Placing a helmet on her head, he strapped it under her chin and moved to get onto the bike. “Don’t you need one?”
Malachi gave her a look that basically said, “You’re kidding right?”
“Oh, right.” She actually started to blush. “Isn’t it the law, though?”
He swung his leg over and sat down. “Not in Illinois, it’s not.”
“Then why do I have to wear one?” Was that a pout in her voice he heard?
He helped her climb on behind him, before turning to look at her. He clasped her behind her neck and brought her closer so he could kiss her. “Because I coul
dn’t take it if anything happened to you.”
“I trust you to keep me safe.”
“And I love that you do, but I can’t control everything out there. Mother Nature can be a bitch and so can other stupid drivers. I’m not taking any chances.”
Just when he was about to start it up, he felt her small hand touch his back.
Can you hear me?
His heart sped up at the thought of her using their connection to speak with him. He turned his head so she could see his affirmative nod.
Can I hear you?
“No, it’s just the one way.” Even though he wished she could.
“Okay, just wondering.”
“Hold on tight!” He yelled as he started up the engine. It was loud and sounded mean, just the way he liked it. Trinity wrapped her arms around his chest as he slowly drove the bike out onto the street.
From there, he just started to ride. They rode all around town slowly, but when he got to an open road on the outskirts, he opened up the throttle. He instantly felt Trinity’s grip tighten and he was about to slow down, thinking she was scared.
Holy cow Malachi! This is AMAZING!
His grin had to of reached his ears, and he lightly squeezed her knee to let her know that he heard her. That my little firecracker, he thought.
They managed to ride into the city and were enjoying the day together. He stopped occasionally so she could stretch her legs, but she couldn’t wait to get right back on. Throughout the day, she projected to him to look at certain things and to tell him again how great it was. He loved it. He loved that she not only acknowledged their bond, but embraced it as well.
It was early evening by the time they made it back to town, and the daylight was starting to dim. They were just outside the town limits when he got a different sensation coming off of Trinity. All day long he had gotten a mixture of excitement, joy, relaxation, but this was different. This was carnal, she was aroused.
That was the only warning he had before her hand traveled seductively lower on his body, stopping just above the waist of his pants. Her arousal soaked over him, and he felt the blood rush to his already semi-hard erection.
Celestial Beginnings (Nephilim Series) Page 31