Broken Butterflies (23 page)

The hall curved and Damon peered around the corner. “Stay here,” he whispered bending to Ilisha’s ear.

She pressed herself to the wall, but leaned forward and peeked around the corner. Two more demons were blocking another door. For the first time she noticed their legs resembled that of a horse’s hindquarter. Hooves clapped against the concrete floor as they moved. With arms as thin as bones, their legs looked out of place with the huge bulge of muscle.

As Damon approached them they spun around. A feral growl came from one. It bore its teeth like a dog and leapt. Ilisha flinched as the sharp daggers dug into Damon’s neck. He didn’t scream or flinch, rather he looked mad as hell. He grabbed the demon by the patch of white hair on its head and yanked it off. Silver blood ran down and soaked into his shirt. Damon turned his head at the stain and glared. Swift and silent he broke the creatures neck. The second one quickly met the same fate.

He motioned for Ilisha to come to him. She looked down at the creatures, trying not to step on them.

“You have a thing for breaking necks.”

Damon smiled. “It’s quick and silent.”

She couldn’t argue.

They pushed another door open. What lay before them made Ilisha want to vomit. The room was filled with cots, each had an angel tied down and hooked up to machines that drew out their blood. Some looked weak and on the verge of death. Canisters collected the silver blood. It dripped at a rapid rate, quickly filling each container.

Ilisha made a move forward. Damon grabbed her arm. “We aren’t here for them.”

“I can’t just leave them to die.”

“Yes you can. If you want to get Bram we need to leave them. If you unhook them most will die anyway and every guard around this place will know we’re here.”

“But…”

“Listen to me.” He took her head in his hands and forced her to look up at him. “The angels that run this place are very powerful and know lots of people. If you think Bram is in trouble now there will be hell to pay if we cause them to lose out on their profits. They also have no idea I’m here. We need to keep it that way, for now.”

Ilisha nodded. She didn’t like it, but had no other choice.

They walked through the rows of beds looking for Bram. Every angel had string laced through their lips, ensuring they could not scream. Their eyes widened when they took in Damon. It was a mixture of fear and surprise.

None of the beds held Bram.

“He’s not here. We need to go.” Damon took her hand, but she planted her feet.

“What else is in this building?” she asked looking around.

“Angels that will kill you. We need to go. If he were here he would be tied to one of these beds.”

She still resisted so Damon picked her and carried her out. He was much stronger, so fighting was a moot point.

When they reached the door in the hall he shifted Ilisha to one side and grabbed the two demon bodies he left. He gathered their clothes in his fist and dragged them as if all the weight had no bearing on him.

Once back at the house Ilisha drilled Damon.

“Why do you say those angels don’t know you’re here? I’m sure Azriel told them.”

“Even Azriel wouldn’t be that stupid.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just spit it out.”

He smiled crooked and cocky. “I’m more powerful than most angels because of my rank. Azriel knows he would die.”

“So why haven’t you killed him for coming after me. Apparently you can just snap his neck.”

He sat on the couch and placed his long arm across its back. “There’s a slippery slope I’m walking on. You’re my wife and he wants to kill you, so yes I could easily kill him. On the other hand he has every right to kill you. Bram interfered with fate and he has the right to get justice.”

“You’re mind boggling.”

“Like what you see?” He raised his eyebrows at her.

“That wasn’t a compliment. You’re basically saying if it benefited you I could die and that wouldn’t be a problem.”

He slid off the couch in a blur. Standing close to her he said, “You think I would let someone kill you?”

“Yes. I do.”

“You have never been more wrong in your life.”

“Oh please do explain.” Her hand was on her chest as she spoke, giving her best breathless expression.

He grabbed her by the waist and tossed her on the couch.

“Hey,” she said forehead crinkled in irritation.

Damon came over her. “Don’t resist me,” he whispered in her ear.

She pushed against him to no avail.

“I won’t have sex with you, trust me.” His breath brushed against her neck giving her goose bumps.

Damon waited until her body relaxed and his lips covered hers. They were soft and urgent. She could feel that he was more than ready to take her clothes off, but she trusted that he wouldn’t. His fingers rested on her temples and he continued to kiss her. As his body pushed her into the couch a vision played before her closed eyes. “This time I show you my memories.”

Once again she was with Damon in her other life. He was telling her he didn’t want her to go and live a human life, but she had to. “It’s the only way I can protect you.”

“I’ll have Bram with me. I’ll be fine.” She smiled despite the fear she felt. “Why is this happening?” She took his hand and pulled him down to the cool, green grass.

“My father is a fool to think I would marry anyone but you.”

“Maybe she would be better for you.”

He took her chin. “Don’t ever say that.”

“Sorry, but…”

Damon’s hand pushed against the center of her chest, and she laid on her to the ground. He removed her shirt and placed his mouth over her bare breast. She moaned in the vision and in real life. Ilisha felt his lips curl in a smile.

When he entered her Ilisha’s eyes bulged. She didn’t think he was actually going to let this play out. Damon chuckled and let the vision change. Ilisha knew he only showed her this to get under her skin.

In the next vision, she wasn’t with him. He stood in a stone building facing a much older angel.

“Father, don’t do this.”

“She isn’t the one for you. That girl must not come back.”

“You’ll curse her with an earthly immortality to spite me?” His eyes flashed anger.

“It’s best for everyone.”

“No, it’s best for you!”

Damon lunged at his father and brought him to the ground. The two men punched and kicked each other, moving fast as lightning. Damon broke away and stood.

His father scrambled to his feet. “You dare disobey me!” he screamed.

Damon’s neck veins popped out and his face went red. He gripped his father’s shirt and shoved the old man into a stone wall. His hands pulled something out of the back of his father’s pants. Damon knocked his father’s feet out from under him. With the old man down on the ground Damon held a large dagger to his throat. “I love you father, but I can’t let you take her from me.” Damon shoved the blade deep into the angel’s trachea. Silver blood poured out of the wound and the old man gurgled before his eyes closed.

Damon rose. His hands were shaking and he wailed. Tears drenched his cheeks. He extended his wings and picked up the limp body and he flew quite a distance carrying its weight. He landed in a forest of giant pine trees, their strong scent laid heavy in the air. Utter silence filled the forest as his hands dug into the earth. Once the hole was deep enough he placed his father inside. He took a large ruby ring from his father’s finger and began to sob again. It was several minutes before he could compose himself enough to fill in the hole.

Meticulously he evened out the dirt and covered the spot with pine needles. It looked as though the ground had never been disturbed.

The vision shifted again. Damon bowed before a woman.

“Mother, here is his ring. It’s over.” He reached up placing the ring in her palm.

The woman fell to her knees and took the ring into her shaky hands. She held tight to her son and cried onto his shoulder.

Damon’s fingers left Ilisha’s temples and the vision faded. He was still kissing her. Losing herself in the vision, she didn’t realize their lips were still locked. Ilisha was kissing him back with tons of passion. Forcing her mind to focus, she pulled away.

“You killed your own father?” she asked softly.

“I had to in order to protect you. So, please don’t tell me I would let you be killed by some psycho like Azriel. If you were coming back to me because of your fate from Azriel’s hands, then yes I would. He messed the contract up, so this is a completely different situation. I came because I saw what Bram was doing and was enraged. He put you in danger, not to mention the fact that he’s banging my wife.” The last part was said with such venom, spit flew from his lips.

“Why would you risk so much for me?” Her hand went to his cheek and she rubbed it with her thumb.

“My father was wrong. There is no limit on love. He was also very corrupt, it was better for everyone if he died.”

“Couldn’t he just be cast out?”

“Yes, but he was still loved by some in the kingdom. Killing him was the most merciful thing I could do. Our kingdom was being turned into a corrupt state, those that followed him would seek revenge if I cast him out. I just wanted it to end.”

“Who did he want you to marry?”

“He wanted me to marry the daughter of Duke and she only wanted me for the power she would gain as my wife.”

“Who was my family? Why didn’t your dad like me?”

“Your father was my dad’s biggest enemy. He had more power and a larger kingdom.”

“How do you and Bram still have wings and powers and I don’t?”

“Because I sent you here to live as a human to protect you. I put the veil across your eyes. That’s why only I can help you remember. Bram chose to fall and come to live in this life. I didn’t need to fall. I came in all my glory.”

“Can you go back?”

“Yes, if I chose to. My kingdom is still mine. As far as I’m concerned I came here to take care of Bram, who betrayed me.”

Ilisha fidgeted with her shirt. “Are you really going to kill him?”

Damon pushed himself up from her. “I don’t know what will happen yet. Why, do you love him?”

The question caught her off guard. She sat up and turned to face him on the couch, crossing her legs. “Because for the first time in my life I felt like someone truly loved me and genuinely cared for me.”

“The first time in this life,” he corrected.

“Right.” She looked down at her legs.

Damon slid closer.

“I thought he saved my life. I felt strong with him and protected,” she continued.

“And what do you feel with me?”

She looked up at him. “I can feel everything.” A few tears trickled down her cheek. “I feel our life together, even though I can’t remember it. Your essence and spirit fills me. I can’t seem to get the smell of you out of my head. I’ve tried to ignore it, but I feel our bond. I felt it the moment I saw you.” She paused. “Bram asked me if I believe in soul mates. He was the closest thing I could come up with, that was until I saw you.”

Damon slid her up onto his lap. She sat back on his knees trying to keep some distance. His index finger ran down her cheek, followed the curve of her neck, over her clavicle, and circled around her breast. “I won’t have you until you want me, but I want you to know how hard that is.”

He put his hands around her butt and slid her down his legs. With their chests touching he said, “At least let me kiss you.”

Damon moved her hair to one side and ran his tongue across her lips. Ilisha’s mouth parted. He sucked on her lower lip, then brought his tongue to meet hers. Ilisha didn’t resist him.

He stood up from the couch and she wrapped her legs around him. He took her to the living room rug. She raised her arms as he pulled her sweater over her head. As soon as it cleared her face she brought her lips back to his.

He tossed the shirt aside and his fingers traced up the undershirt she was wearing. He gripped her tank top in both hands and pulled. The fabric ripped from her torso, but she continued to kiss him. When his lips left hers they found her chest. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel.