Demons Shemons

by K. B. Draper

  He lifted his head, defeat and pain filling his eyes.

  “Hey there, big guy. Bad day? Fighting with the ex? You know domestic violence is not a gender-exclusive problem, and there are hotlines.”

  “Hoyo Abi,” he rasped.

  “AJ.” I moved to him. “She still here?” I asked as I cut at his bindings.

  “No. She took our child a few hours ago.”

  It took me several minutes to release his wing, having to get the web off my blade before cutting again. “You have a name?” I asked, trying to distract him from the venom that was eating away at his chest.

  “Michael,” he replied.

  I paused. “You have got to be shitting me. Like THE Michael? As in Michael, Michael, not Jackson but Archangel Michael?”

  Michael let out a raspy chuckle, which caused a coughing spell. “The Michael is my father,” he finally answered.

  “Oh, damn. I bet Daddy is seriously upset with you, Junior. Knocking uglies with a demon?”

  “That is a safe conclusion. I have not spoken to him.” He winced in pain as his wing was released with the last cut of my blade.

  I caught it as it dropped heavily with fatigue and pain. I helped fold it behind his back, its normal resting place. I flicked one of his black feathers. “But I take it he would still know about you going all darkside Criss Angel on them.”

  “Of that I am sure.”

  “Want to tell me the backstory to this little heaven and hell romance, while I …” I swirled my knife at his breastplate, indicating where I was going to start next. I cut the leather straps holding what was left of his chest plate.

  “I hunted her for many nights. I found her here, this last eve. She lured me in with promises.” His head dropped back against the wall, wincing in pain as I lifted his right wing and his broken arm. He took a steadying breath and continued. “Promises of allowing me to see my son.”

  I looked around for something to remove the venom from his chest. Finding nothing but discarded web, I moved onto his other wing and the last bit of webbing holding him upright. “Wow. So did you take the slow bus in angel school? Seriously, they don’t teach ‘Thou shall not knock boots with demons’ or ‘Thou shall not trust demons’? I’d think that was like day one stuff up there.” I released his leg and he dropped to the ground, unsteady. I caught him around the waist, a little too close to the venom for my taste. He steadied himself. “You good? I just need to get this last bit.”

  He nodded, finding purchase on a rock protruding from the nearby wall.

  I made my final cut, releasing him fully. He caught himself before dropping to his knees. I hitched an arm around him and helped him to a nearby stone that could serve as a bench.

  “Sit. Let’s see what we can do about getting that shit off you.”

  “Thank you, Hoy-” He paused at my look. “AJ.”

  “No problem. Just don’t make me regret saving you.”

  “I shall not.” He winced as he brought his wings in to him and with a cry had them disappearing completely into his shoulder blades.

  “Neat trick. Probably helpful when riding the subway.”

  “They will heal faster this way.”

  I cut the sleeve off the shirt I was wearing and wrapped it around the blade of one of my knives. Then like a carnie, I spun a cotton candy-like ball of spider webs. “I assume this stuff is venom tolerant?”

  He nodded.

  “This is going to suck big time,” I said.

  “I understand.”

  I removed the venom from his wound as best I could. Michael took the pain, unflinching when I had to cut into muscle to get the worst of it.

  With a new clean web serving as a makeshift bandage, I stepped back. “So, you ready to get this bitch?”

  “I am.”

  Wingless, at least for the moment, we made our way out of the cavern and back through the forest. Though I trusted him, or at least trusted that he knew I could be useful in returning his son, I still wasn’t comfortable in leading him to Ashlyn’s house. Instead, I led him to our campsite. As we walked, he told me the story of his and Reyna’s meeting. He had been visiting this realm as God’s errand boy. He didn’t expand so I chose to believe it wasn’t a miracle trip but more of a Starbuck’s run. God seems like a double shot espresso, caramel macchiato, extra whip kind of guy to me. Anyway, he first saw her sitting by the lake playing the whole damsel in distress routine. Blah, blah most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, blah, blah. I tried really hard not to eye roll. I failed.

  “So shape-shifting is in her grab bag of powers? Otherwise, I assume you would’ve picked up on, you know, her creature-of-hell scent, fangs, that she spits venom, has tal-”

  “Yes,” he said, cutting off my “Duh, she’s a demon” hint list. “She appeared to me as a beautiful human woman.”

  “So when did you figure out the truth?”

  “We had been meeting secretly by the lake for several weeks. When she didn’t show, I went in search of her. Concerned she had been hurt or-”

  Again, I tried and failed. Michael saw my eye roll this go-around.

  “I was in love. We do irrational things when our hearts get involved.”

  Now that I could get behind. “Understood. What else?”

  “I found her in the woods. A clearing. I went to her but stopped when a man, woman, and child approached her. I thought maybe it was her family or … I don’t know. But then she started to tell them a story that she was with child; that she was an angel, that they were chosen to raise him as their own, that he was the son of God and-”

  I held up a hand. “I get the picture. When was this?”

  “It has been many weeks in my world. Many years in yours.”

  I knew time was different between planes. It was hard to keep a daily calendar for eternity. “Like twelve years in Earth time?”

  He thought for a moment. “I would say that is accurate.”

  “So what happened next?” I asked although I already thought I had an idea.

  Michael’s head lowered. “I saw who she was.” He let out a heavy breath. “The woman questioned her words and then told Reyna she did not believe what she spoke was true. And Reyna killed her where she stood. And I did nothing.”

  “I’m sure there was nothing you could’ve done,” I said.

  My words didn’t help alleviate the guilt as he simply moved on with the story. “Another Hoyo Abi arrived and fought her. I offered no assistance. Not until I heard him cry out in pain was I jarred from my paralysis. She found me in the trees, and when I blinked she was gone.”

  I knew from the sorrow in Michael’s voice he carried guilt. But if I had to guess, his presence was what actually saved Grand’s life, not Grand’s assumption that she already thought he was dead. “Then what?”

  “I should have gone after her, but instead I ascended. I was weak. I was-”

  “We’ve already established we do stupid shit when we’re in love, so let’s fast-forward through the pity party and move on to the “catch her demon ass” part of this show. Cool?”

  He gave me a slight smile. “Agreed.”

  We walked in silence for the remainder of our trek, as I pondered the fill-in-the-blank info Michael had provided. My suspicions had been close; I now knew that Reverend-Mayor Cline was most definitely involved. I could just imagine his big-ass ego eating up the belief “he’d been selected to raise the … What, next savior?”

  By the time we reached the edge of the lake, the wound I’d created in his chest had sealed and was only an irritated red scar. “I take it you heal quickly?”

  “I do.”

  “How long until you’re good to go?”

  He looked at the sky, then back to me. “By dusk.”

  I nodded. “I need to do a few things. Can I trust you to let yourself heal and then we go after her together?”

  He was uncomfortable with the idea, hesitant to agree, to delay the search of his child.

  “She needs the child so
she won’t harm him.”

  “She could flee.”

  “She could. But if that was her plan, she would’ve probably headed out two seconds after she ‘boy band postered’ you to the wall of her room back there. So she’s either gone or she’s still here because she’s too invested in her plan to desert it. And I don’t think I have to remind you how you fared going after her alone.”

  He dropped his head and gave me a resistant nod of agreement.

  “Give me until dusk. I’ll figure out her plan and we’ll go after her then. How do I get a hold of you?”

  “Call my name and I shall hear it.”

  “Okay. I’ll come back here and call for you.” I started to leave but turned back. “Rest. Heal. I’ll help you get your son back.”

  “Thank you, Hoyo Abi.”

  I nodded once and took off at a run for Ashlyn’s house.

  Ashlyn was at her kitchen counter, absently stirring a cup of coffee. The intoxicating aroma seduced my senses. I knocked on the side door and watched nervously for Ashlyn’s reaction to the sight of me. I was curious whether during the course of the night she’d changed her mind about me and who I am.

  Ashlyn turned to the door and her eyes lit with relief. My heart did the same. She unlocked the door, opened it, and walked immediately into my arms. “I was worried that something happened and you-”

  “I went for a run. You were still asleep.”

  Ashlyn looked me up and down. I was sweaty, dirty, marked with Michael’s blackening blood, and my right sleeve was missing. She quirked an eyebrow. “It must’ve been one heck of a run.”

  “Interesting at least,” I stated moving to the sink to wash the interesting off my hands. “I couldn’t talk you out of some of that coffee, could I?”

  “I’m assuming you have clean clothes in your truck? Why don’t you go get them? I’ll get you a cup of coffee, and you can take a shower.”

  “That would be great.”

  I returned a few minutes later, my bag in hand. Ashlyn slid a mug to me. “Sugar? Creamer?”

  “Black is good. Thanks.” I leaned on the counter and lifted the mug to my lips, letting the warm dark magic run through my veins.

  “Want to tell me about how you lost half your shirt so early in the morning?” Ashlyn hopped up on the counter preparing to listen as if there wasn’t a possibility of me saying “nope.”

  I took another sip of coffee as my eyes took in the bareness of her legs. She’d changed out of last night’s clothes, apparently opting for comfortable shorts and an oversized T-shirt for her a.m. attire. The opening of her shirt exposed her collarbone, and something inside me growled. It wasn’t Norm. That would have been creepy, plus he went lights out in moments like this. This growl came from somewhere deeper, a need that I thought I had buried a long time ago. A need for a woman that meant something more than a naked roll around in some random bed.

  “AJ?” Ashlyn whispered.

  I left my mug on the counter and moved to the space between Ashlyn’s legs. “Information later. Kiss me now.”

  Ashlyn didn’t hesitate. She took my face in her hands and dropped her lips to mine.

  I wrapped my hands around her hips pulling her to the edge of the countertop. “You are too beautiful,” I whispered when our lips parted for a desperate breath. She kissed me harder, wrapping her legs around me, holding me against her. Her hands never left my face. Mine roamed underneath her shirt, up her naked back, along her sides, and then to her chest. She let out a soft gasp at my touch. I caressed her. Her moans of pleasure were feeding my growing desire.

  “AJ,” she panted, “let’s go to my bedroom.”

  Before I could answer, her mouth was back on mine. I lifted her from the counter, her legs wrapping tighter around my waist. The desire she shared in her kisses had my heart pounding; drowning out the sound of hers. I kept my footsteps slow, fighting the urge to race to her bed. As I took the first stair, she pulled back. “You can let me down. I can-”

  “I have you,” I growled.

  She smirked. “Noted perk of having a Hoyo Abi around. I bet you’re good at opening jar lids too, aren’t you?”

  “Among other things,” I offered with a nip at her bottom lip.

  I laid her on the bed, kissing my way up her stomach and neck, taking her shirt off as I went. She was magnificent. Smooth. Her toned body was flawless in its dips and valleys. My hands and mouth explored her, tasting and taking in every scent as her desire became more evident. She was intoxicating. I almost lost myself in the wave of need and emotion. I made my way back to her mouth, her face, her eyes. What I saw reflected there wasn’t her eyes but my face, which carried so much want and desire. “You know I’ll be leaving when this is over?” I asked, more to myself than her.

  Seeing something she didn’t like, she furrowed a brow, caught my face in her hands, searched my eyes, and then spoke softly. “You are here now. Be here with me now. Nowhere else. Just me. Just you. Here. Everything else is for another time, another place.”

  I nodded, felt the tinkle of tears threatening, and knew that I no longer feared how she would react to me walking away. I feared my response to leaving her.

  Ashlyn pulled me to her, her lips on mine. Soft and slow this time, but no less powerful. She slid my shirt over my head. Skin meeting skin. The rest of our clothes followed between kisses, between touches, until there was nothing left between us. I took my time with her body, memorizing every spot I kissed, every inch I touched. Our heated caresses found a rhythm of craving and pleasure.

  “We should start all conversations like that,” I said, wrapping my exhausted arms around Ashlyn and holding her tight against me.

  “Might get a little awkward in public, but I’m game if you are.”

  I chuckled. “Shower?”

  Ashlyn slid up my body. “I’d love one.” She gave me a quick kiss before rolling off, taking my hand, and pulling me along behind her.

  We made love again under the water, against the shower wall, getting way dirtier before we finally got clean.

  An hour later, we were down in the kitchen again, another cup of coffee in hand and the details of my morning encounter with Michael out on the table. Well, most of them. I didn’t really divulge the fact that if he had gone ass-kicky versus run home to daddy, her father might be alive. I didn’t think that fact would be good for anyone.

  “I can’t believe an angel, or Nolia, or whatever he is now is just chilling out in my forest. I mean, he-”

  I caught her hand when she made her next stomp-by. “Why don’t we get something to eat? I need food and some time to think it through so we can hopefully put an end to all of this.”

  “Right. Sorry.” She started for the refrigerator, but I pulled her back to me and kissed her. “Umm, I thought you meant real food?” She smiled before kissing me down my neck.

  “I did mean real food but …” I groaned in lieu of formulating nouns and adjectives.

  Ashlyn brought her lips back to mine, kissed me again, and pulled back. “I don’t have much in the fridge. Haven’t had much time to shop lately.”

  “That’s okay. I told Danny I’d check in with him this morning. You good if we meet him at the cafe?”

  “Sounds good. I just need to grab my things.”

  Ashlyn followed me in her patrol vehicle just in case she received a call. We met on the sidewalk in front of the café, and I worried momentarily that keeping Grand’s presence a secret from her would backfire. “Before we go in, how do you feel about surprises?”

  “Surprises?” She eyed me warily. “You and Danny aren’t … I mean you said … and we …”

  “Oh, good God no!” I coughed like a backfire due to the words shooting out of my mouth. “He and I … Yeah, way nooo!”

  She laughed at my response. “Okay, that’s good. As long as it’s not something else along that same line, then I like surprises. But you’re kind of making me nervous. I mean, there’s a wide range of surprise options coming from yo
u, considering the whole …” She circled a finger at me. “You don’t eat everything raw or … Please don’t say you put ketchup on your eggs ’cause that might actually be a deal breaker.”

  I started for the door. “No-go on the ketchup and since you’re oddly calm with all other options we’ll just go for it.”

  Grand’s back was to us when we entered. Danny stood when he saw us, a knowing smile lighting his face as Ashlyn stepped up alongside me. I was so never going to hear the end of the “I told you so”s.

  Ashlyn was waylaid before we reached the table by a hunter asking her questions about some rule or another. Another wanting the latest gossip on the missing persons. Knowing her trek across the restaurant might take a minute, I nodded toward the table and left her to her official duties.

  Danny greeted me with a hug. “The smile suits you,” he whispered before he released me.

  Grand started to stand as well but I put a hand on his shoulder and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek instead. “Good morning, Grand.”

  “Good morning, Hashi Ubi. I trust you slept well?”

  Danny snickered.

  I punched him in his side. “I did. Very well. Thank you.” I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. “I actually brought someone to see you. She doesn’t exactly know you are here so-” My words cut off as Ashlyn started our way. Danny stepped back as Ashlyn approached.

  “Good morning, Dann-” Ashlyn finished the rest of her greeting into Danny’s shoulder as he caught her in his embrace.

  After a twirl around, he released her. “Good morning, Ashlyn. You and I have some serious talking to do. She can be a little grouchy in the morning. And also if she doesn’t eat. Oh and never take her Or-” I backhanded him across his stomach. “-eoooos,” he finished on a rush of exhaled breath. “But otherwise, she’s super,” he coughed.

  “Don’t listen to him,” I offered as Ashlyn rubbed Danny’s back while he caught his breath. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”