Good Side of Sin

by Haigwood, K. S.

  I turned then to look at him. I figured his sandy colored eyebrows would be drawn together in an angry scowl, but instead he was grinning at me. I felt the corners of my lips turn up and didn’t try to hide my smile. I rushed to him and threw my arms around his neck, happy that Sammy wasn’t here to ruin my hug this time.

  “Believe in me, Isaiah. I can do this, but I need you to believe that I can. I won’t let you down. I promise.”

  He hugged me back. “I believe in you, child. Be careful fleeting with the humans. I am going to travel with Thoros to make sure the demon does not interfere with his journey home.”

  I nodded, and then pulled out of the embrace. I knew he would see the panic in my eyes if I looked at him, so I avoided his stare. “Be careful.”

  A soft chuckle echoed through my mind. “I won’t let the demon hurt him.”

  I glanced at him then, but didn’t bother correcting his assumption that I was referring to Thoros’ safety. We both knew I would be lying if I told him I wasn’t worried about the half-souled immortal. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, it was now obvious to me that Thoros was my soulmate and, as much as he irritated me, I didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

  I nodded to him, then turned and bumped right into Thoros’ chest. “Oh—”

  “My apologies, ma’am,” he said with a smirk and pointed to Isaiah. “I was just trying to get to my escort.” Before I could respond to his comment, he walked around me and took Isaiah’s hand. Without looking back, they disappeared into the air as if they’d never been there at all.

  I huffed as I stared at the empty place where they had been. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

  Chapter 20

  Josselyn

  Isaiah was waiting for us when Baddon, the humans and I arrived in the foyer of the mansion.

  “I will take our guests into the living quarters to get comfortable,” Isaiah began. “The young seer requested to return to her home to retrieve a few things, but she wanted us to hold off on having the meeting until she could return. I believe she has useful and valuable information, and I feel it wise to include her in our decision making. From what I understand, she knows a great deal about us and can see the future.”

  I nodded in agreement. I hadn’t met the seer yet, but I had felt her energy before we’d traveled to help Thoros defend himself against the demon. “Sure. We’ve waited this long. What’s another hour or two gonna hurt?”

  “Fallis and Marcus have gone with her, so I’m quite sure we won’t have to wait long. I would think there is time for you to freshen up and collect your thoughts, if you cared to do so.” His eyes flicked to the top of the grand staircase and I turned to see Thoros, hands resting on the banister and looking down at us—well, actually he was just looking at me.

  I swallowed, and then turned and started up the steps without replying to Isaiah. I felt the link between us fade and knew he was giving me my privacy back. I was grateful but suddenly afraid. As I stared up into the eyes of the man I approached, it was clear that we were very much going to be all alone soon. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but his eyes told me that he was just as frightened as I was. But of what? I wondered. Me?

  He held my eyes with his, but moved over to the top of the stairs to greet me, his well-built frame coming into full view and stealing the breath from my lungs. I suddenly felt like the innocent little girl I had been only three months previous, the girl I had been the very first time I had ever laid eyes on the Prince of Lust. That girl had been terrified of what this man could do to her mind, body and soul. That girl was still afraid.

  I was taken aback by his magnificent presence and had to stop five steps from the top. He waited a brief moment before holding out his hand.

  “Come to me, Josselyn.”

  My eyelashes fluttered away the immediate moisture that blurred my vision and I glanced to the banister on my right to keep from looking at him. I wanted to do as he commanded, but I was afraid of him. I couldn’t trust him, but above all else, I knew I couldn’t trust myself with him.

  As I stood there, thinking of running back down the stairs and out the door, not stopping until I had at least reached the East Coast, I heard him take a step down the stairs, and then another. I closed my eyes and tried to mentally talk my pounding heart into slowing down. I even tried bribing it with empty promises, but it only picked up its pace when I heard him take the next step. I knew he was close enough now that he could reach out and touch me if he so wished, but he didn’t. He took the last step and I could feel him all around me as if I was already wrapped in his strong arms.

  A shiver ran up my spine at his closeness. I shuddered under the intensity of it. Goosebumps prickled on my arms and I remembered feeling the sensation once before. I had experienced the same feeling the first time I had met him at the home of Kendra Chamberlain, and had chalked it off to the fact that he was evil, a demon. But that wasn’t the case. I hadn’t felt it in the presence of any of the other demons after that; only him. Was it because he was my soulmate? Did I have the same effect on him? I looked to his forearm and noticed goosebumps graced his flesh. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  “Don’t be afraid of me, Josselyn,” he whispered. “I would never hurt you.”

  I felt the brush of the curtain of hair that hid my face as it was pulled aside and tucked gently behind my ear. His hand stilled and I sensed him stop breathing. I knew he had seen the wet trails on my face where my tears had betrayed me.

  Opening my eyes, I looked up at him. “How can you stand there and lie to me? You are the only person in my life that has ever hurt me.”

  I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, and then he shook his head. “I was trying to protect you—”

  “Protect me—” I shouted, and his hands came up to cradle my face, cutting my words off in mid thought. His breathing escalated and those green eyes were in a frenzy as they stared into mine, begging and pleading, but for what? I was there, in Hell, and witnessed it with my own eyes. Surely he wasn’t dumb enough to think he could lie to me now and actually think I would believe him when he said he didn’t betray me!

  “Please,” he said with a quivering voice, and I noticed the tremble wasn’t only in his vocal chords. His whole body was visibly shaking. “Just let me explain—”

  “Explain what, Thoros? What do I need to understand that I don’t already? I was there through all of it. I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss anything.” I counted the events off on my hand, starting with my index finger: “You mind-fucked me.” I threw up another finger and my voice went up an octave. “You forced yourself on me—more than once!” Finger number three made itself present. “You used me so you could get information that could be used against Murry.” Finger four went up. “You blackmailed me and made me promise to kiss you before you would tell me how I could save my friend.” I added my thumb and wiggled all my fingers in front of his calm and emotionless face. “Then, after I kissed you, you acted like it was the worst experience you had ever had. You sure know how to make a girl feel good, Thoros.”

  I held up a finger on my other hand, and was about to continue on with my list when he grabbed my hand and got in my face. “That was the best experience of my life, Josselyn. The. Best.”

  My eyes grew wide with shock. He couldn’t possibly mean that. I recalled the way he had acted: he shoved me away from him and walked off, and then said it should never have happened. What kind of dummy did he think I was?

  I jerked my wrist out of his grasp, but didn’t back down the steps away from him. I wasn’t afraid of him anymore. At that moment, I think I could have put Lucifer in his place without even breaking a nail.

  I blinked, but held his gaze. I didn’t want to miss the guilt cross his features when I said what I was about to say. I knew I would be able to tell if he was lying if I looked hard enough. “I remember every moment we spent together. It was extremely difficult to convince myself that I had been deceived, that you had tr
icked me, played me for the fool that I am—that I was.” He started shaking his head again, but I didn’t stop, nor did my tears as they leaked from my eyes. I smiled and held my head up high, despite the traitorous tears, and continued. “I was standing outside Lucifer’s chamber and heard you. Lameria made sure I heard every word you spoke about me to Lucifer. Those words are branded on my mind and I hear them like a record off track, repeating themselves over and over and over again! ‘My aim is to claim another pure soul for you, master, but I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure I could accomplish such a task. Our last visit together wasn’t what I expected, but I have no doubt in my mind that I can get her to give it to me willingly with only one more visit.’ Then, to put the icing on the cake: ‘She’s cute, but one woman cannot keep me satisfied for an eternity. I may play with her for a while, and then give her to someone else that might enjoy a taste.’“

  “I was lying—”

  “And you actually expect me to believe you are telling me the truth now? That you lied to Lucifer and expected him not to see right through it? I may be naïve, but I’m far from stupid—”

  He threw his arms around me and I fought to free myself, but the five souls I had extracted from him and pulled into my body had begun to take their toll on me. I was starting to feel the way Thoros had looked upon my arrival: horrible.

  When I couldn’t get loose from his strong, vice-like grip, I gave up and broke down. I didn’t try to hold the tears back anymore and the sobs tore from my chest without warning. He held me tighter and I cried even harder. His hands rubbed my back in comfort and I struggled against him again.

  “Josselyn, stop. Stop, damn it!”

  I screamed and pushed with all my might, but he growled and held on tighter. I felt air beneath my feet and knew he had picked me up and was running, so I started kicking, not caring what my feet connected with, only that they connected with parts of his body.

  I vaguely remember him rushing through his bedroom door, and then I was flying through the air. As soon as my body fell onto his mattress, I sprung up to my feet and kicked a pillow at him.

  He caught it with one hand and threw it to the floor, and then pointed his finger at me and roared, “I said stop!” I glared back, but forced myself to calm down a few notches. “I let you speak what was on your mind, and you are damn well going to listen to what’s on mine! Now, sit down!”

  I pulled oxygen in through my nostrils and let it all back out in the same way. “I think I’ll stand.”

  “Fine!” He flung his hand through the air. “Stand on your head for all I care, but you are going to listen.”

  I rolled my eyes and then stepped off the bed to the floor. I sat down on the edge of the mattress, crossed my legs and gave him my best uninterested expression. “I’m waiting.”

  He ran his fingers through his brown hair and began to pace in front of me.

  “Thoros, I don’t have time for this. You’ve had plenty of time to come up with more lies. Let’s hear ’em.”

  He stopped and looked at me, but all the anger had since faded from his features. “I did mind-fuck you, but that was before I knew you. I did force myself on you—more than once, but when you objected I always stopped and let you have your space. I’m not a rapist, Josselyn. I did use you to find out information to use against Murry to get his position as a prince terminated, but you used me to help out Abigail’s soulmate, so I refuse to take the whole blame for that one. And as for information about the status of your friend’s soul… I in no way demanded a kiss as payment. I simply told you of the information I knew, and then asked if I could have one. You said yes.”

  I looked away from him. He was right. He had justified every accusation so far, but I didn’t see how he was going to smooth talk his way out of the last two.

  “Please look at me.” He knelt in front of me and I fought hard to fight the tears again as I looked back at him. I didn’t want to hear it. I thought I could be strong enough to listen to him lie to me and then move on, but now I wasn’t so sure.

  “Just don’t, Thoros—”

  He growled, shot to his feet and started pacing again. He stopped and turned to look at me again when I stood and started for the door. “You’re not leaving this room until you’ve listened to me! What I have to say isn’t easy, but I need to say it, regardless of whether you want to listen or not!”

  “You can’t keep me here! I—”

  “Maybe not me, but I know someone who can! Try to fleet and see what happens.”

  I tried to fleet, but I might as well have been human, because nothing happened. I started to run for the door and he moved in front of me, grabbed me around my waist and slung me back on the bed.

  If he wasn’t keeping me here, then who was? “How did—” I started to turn and question him, but stopped and screamed when I noticed he was airborne and about to land on me.

  On instinct, my knee came up the same time he landed, catching him right between the legs.

  His body folded in half and fell to the empty spot beside me on the mattress, both hands clutching his precious family jewels as he screamed out in agonizing pain. He lay there helpless and hurting, and I felt like a total horse’s ass.

  I covered my face with my hands and shook my head as he moaned. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to do that. It’s just that I can feel pain now, I reacted to keep from—”

  His heavy breathing calmed a bit and I felt his eyes on me. “You what?”

  “I said I was sorry—”

  “No, you said you can feel pain now. How is it that you can feel pain?”

  I sat up and so did he. I could feel him staring at the side of my head and knew I wouldn’t get out of the room without explaining in detail the jeopardy Heaven was in.

  I sighed in defeat. “When the minion came through the portal and possessed Malcolm, it tainted Heaven. The signs were barely noticeable at first, but now it’s clear we are heading straight for a catastrophe.” I looked at his hand, laid casually next to mine on the mattress, and then took it without putting too much thought into it. I placed his palm flat on the center of my chest and looked up to his eyes, waiting for him to feel the rapid beating beneath his fingers.

  His eyes widened in amazement and, instead of pulling away, he got to his knees and replaced his hand with his ear, catching me off balance with the added weight. I fell to my back, but he didn’t bother moving his head from my breast.

  “Uh, Thoros—”

  “Shhh. I’m listening to your heart. I wasn’t sure you actually had one.”

  Did he just shush me? “Seriously?” I said, and pushed him away from me.

  He had a smile from ear to ear as he quickly recovered from the shove and propped his head atop his palm. His other arm immediately crossed over my torso and then he pulled me to him, carefully molding my body to his. “You were saying?”

  Where the hell did I go wrong? I gave up. He was physically stronger than me now, and obviously he was getting help from others… Isaiah.

  I groaned out loud and he snuggled me closer to him. “I know about Heaven and Isaiah losing his status as archangel.” He pointed to his head. “He can talk to me, remember?”

  “Yeah, I’ve just recently learned that. How long have you known?” I snapped at him.

  He ignored my sharp tone and let his head fall to my shoulder, so his lips were only a breath away from my neck when he spoke. “That we are soulmates? Since the first time you kissed me.”

  My head whipped around to see if he was lying. It didn’t appear that he was, but he was really good with masking his emotions. “I don’t believe you.”

  He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “It’s the truth. It scared the shit out of me. Don’t be angry with me, but I wanted to keep you. I wanted you to agree to stay with me in Hell, in my private chamber in the Syde of Lust. I knew that I liked you and that I wanted you, but I didn’t know why I wanted you so badly until you kissed me. My plan totally backfired on me.
I wanted you to be my property, but the instant our lips met, I wanted to be yours. I knew then that you would never be happy in Hell with me and there was no way I was getting into Heaven, so I pushed you away. Lameria got into my head and realized the feelings I have for you; she used them against me. She told Lucifer and that’s why he sent her to kidnap you and let you overhear me lie to him; they both knew I would do anything to keep you safe. But they also knew you would hate me if you’d heard my words… which turns out to be true.” He sighed. “I knew if I told him the truth that he would use you against me to make Rhyan fail or perhaps even kill you right then and make me watch. I was only buying myself some time so I could keep you safe.” He was quiet for a moment, and then chuckled lightly. “Smart bastard saw the whole thing coming. I’m just proud it worked out for Rhyan and Abigail and they helped me get you out.”

  I sat up and looked back down at him. “Rhyan got me out of Hell. You had nothing to do with that. I know. I was there, Thoros. Don’t try to take credit that isn’t yours!”

  I turned and swung my feet to the floor, then just sat on the edge of the bed for a minute. My heart felt like it was shattered, but I couldn’t listen to his lies anymore. “I’ve listened to you. May I go now?”

  There was a long moment of silence, and then he huffed. “Yeah—get out of here.”

  With that, I stood and walked out of the room.

  Chapter 21

  Thoros

  He shoved another armload full of socks and t-shirts on top of jeans in a duffel bag, then turned to walk to the bathroom to retrieve personal hygiene items. He barely glanced up to acknowledge Isaiah, arms crossed over his chest in a comfortable stance, leaning on the doorjamb.