Chapter 15

The smell of bacon drew me from sleep. My nose wrinkled slightly as I sniffed before cracking my eyes open as I felt a tugging on my arm. Through the gap in my lids I could see a blurry figure sitting on the edge of the bed. I quickly snapped my eyes shut when I felt the bed dip as the person moved closer and then I was startled when I felt large soft fingers smooth hair from my face before moving down my cheek and then stroking across my chin.

“Wake up sleepy, breakfast is ready.” A deep voice murmured and I couldn’t stop the small smile that graced my lips as I arched off of the bed slightly as I stretched my arms above my head and pulled open my eyes to stare into Lucius’ eyes.

“Morning to you too.” I mumbled as I dragged myself into a sitting position and Lucius pulled his hand from my face.

“You best get up and sort yourself out because we’ve got plans to make today. I’ll send my little blonde friend in with some clothes in a bit but you shouldn’t tell her anything that we discovered. Remember what He said only you, me, Gabriel and Ezekiel can be trusted.” He gazed into my eyes as he moved back slightly so that he could take in all of me. “I have to say that even with the bed head you look cute. And you’re looking much better today than you were yesterday.” He reached out and stroked my cheek as he talked before bringing his hand down and running across the bare flesh of my arm that was supposed to wrapped in bandages but all of the wrappings were gone and all that remained was flesh that looked like melted cheese, the surface wrinkled and discoloured where it had been red and tender the day before.

I reached down and brushed my hand over the scar tissue, shivering as I felt the uneven skin under my fingertips. A gasp escaped my lips and I looked up at Lucius with widened eyes.

“How?”

He just smiled down at me, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear before moving away. “You’ve been touched by the hand of God. You are his chosen, the protected one. Although he cannot restore what is lost, he can help heal.”

I nodded dumbly like I already knew all that when in reality, I had never been a big one on faith and now I am being forced into a world where demons and angels are very much real and I couldn’t stop feeling a little overwhelmed about it all.

“So…you’re the devil…” I trailed off not knowing where else to go, removing my gaze from his as I awkwardly shuffled towards the edge of the bed. Swinging my feet over the edge I started to stand only for warm fingers to curl around my wrist and tugged me back so I ended up sprawled on the bed with my feet in the air and Lucius leaning over me, his eyes boring into mine.

“I am but I am not what lore has made me out to be. I can be bad but so can any other being but if you think back to the stories which for once they got right, I used to be an angel, the only difference is I fell in love and to be with that person, I lost my wings. Bad things happened but lets just say my love was unrequited and in anger and rage I became a corrupted soul, barred forever from my home. He felt pity for me and allowed me some power back but only if I would hold dominion over those who were not worthy to be within the gates, he said that it was my chance for redemption so of course I took the offer.” Lucius’ eyes bored into me but at the same time it was like he wasn’t actually seeing me and I couldn’t help but wonder why he was giving me his life story.

Reaching out a hand I placed it on his arm and squeezing it whilst giving him a smile. “I am sure you have earned your redemption and I am sorry about the woman. She was obviously not worth your love.”

He gave a smile before backing off and closing up again, his face now looking more like gabriel’s as he shut himself off from the slip he just made into becoming more personal, not that he could become more personal unless we kissed and got married which is definitely never going to happen. He is already becoming a big part of my life and not in a romantic way but for some reason, I feel like I can rely on him and know that if something was to happen to me, he would make sure Danny was taken care of. It was bizarre because most of the time that I see him he is there with his tongue down someone else’s throat but I think because of the circumstances and that he has been there every time to save me, I just feel that he will always be there for me.

“Umm can you show me where the bathroom is, I really want a shower and I want to get out of these clothes.” I glanced down at my rumpled clothes and up to Lucius who was running a hand through his dark hair as he stretched and yawned, as if he was the one who had just woken up not me.

Tapping my foot I waited until he faced me again and when he did so, there was that smirk on his face that I knew was going to lead to me wanting to thump him in the face. “Well Savannah,” he paused as he purred out my name making it seem like it was filled with innuendo as he started around the bed. “I was just about to go and take a shower but you are more than welcome to join me.” He winked at me whilst I just folded my arms over my chest probably looking like I had been sucking lemons. I glared at him some more until he relented and held his hands up. “Sorry. I will send someone in with clothes in a moment, the bathroom is behind that door.” He pointed over my shoulder and as I turned and looked I saw that the door was slightly ajar and through the gap I caught a glimpse of white tiling.

“Thanks,” I mumbled before making my retreat.

Stepping into the bathroom was like stepping into another world. Whereas the bedroom was still very much medieval castle, albeit a luxury castle, the bathroom was the epitome of modern bathing and I couldn’t be more grateful as I stared at the glistening shower that was calling my name. Quickly stripping off, I found myself before a large mirror and that’s when I noticed the true extent to my injuries. I knew it had been painful the day before but now the entire left side of my body was covered in scarring from the burns.

Tears welled in my eyes as I ran my fingertips over the scars. It was painful to bear because even I was slightly repulsed by my new appearance and I had always prided myself on not being vain but right now all that I can think about is I will never be loved by a man again, at least not with the kind of reverence where they worship every inch of my body. No, now I was damaged goods.

 I started to turn away, a look of disgust on my face, a mixture at disgust at my marred body but at the same time for caring. I had Danny and he was proof that someone had loved my body before that should be enough. That was enough. It would have to be. Shaking my head side to side whilst whacking myself lightly on the temple as if to remove such thoughts from my head, I stepped forwards and reached forwards to turn the shower on only to hear a gasp behind me.

I turned my head just in time to see Lucius and the blonde goddess in the doorway. Hastily I wrapped my arms to cover my body and the marred skin but they were staring transfixed at my back. “Incredible.” They both whispered with wide eyed awe as I shifted from foot to foot, hoping beyond hope that I could escape their scrutiny.

Craning my head awkwardly, I tried to see what they were seeing but it was out of my line of vision. I noticed Lucius step forward out of the corner of my eye with his hand outstretched towards me. Squeaking I stepped away, hastily grapping a towel from the rack as I passed but it did nothing to stop his approach as no sooner had I wrapped the towel around my body that it was torn away by Lucius. His little girlfriend took slow footstep towards us, her heels clinking and she stared transfixed on my back. Eventually though she tore her gaze from my flesh and looked up to Lucius.

“So it’s all true then. She really is the one, the one who has come to save us all.” Her voice that was usually sultry and seductive sounded uncertain and she looked up at Lucius as if she was a child wanting reassurance.

“We can only hope young one, but this configuration of markings, I have never seen it so, and it’s a perfect blending of the three. Angelic, Demonic and human.” As he said each race, he stroked a finger across the bare flesh of my back, sending shivers down my spine as he traced the patterns that I still couldn’t see.

“what is it? I can’t see anything.” I questioned as I craned my head as far as it could go before pulling back when I pulled something in my neck.

“You won’t be able to see it, you do not have the sight but upon your back are symbols that are revered among all races but they have never been put together and here they are on your beautiful skin.” He swept his hand once more across the skin, the pads of his fingers softly stroking across my bare flesh before I felt something warm and soft kiss me at the top of my back in the dip where my spine was so tingles of desire spread throughout my body and I rocked slightly on my feet before realising what had just happened.

I hastily stepped out of his touch whilst as I looked back at him and I saw that he kept flickering his eyes between me and the woman who had started to glow and had her own head tilted back in muted  ecstasy. He opened his mouth to say something, the familiar glint of innuendo filling is eyes but I banished that as I grabbed the other towel before turning and grabbing the pile of towels from glowing girls arms and hastily backing away. I didn’t get very far as her buttery skin wrapped around mine and unnatural desire ripped through me making me look at Lucius in a light I never wanted to think about.

“What’s going on?” I asked but my voice came out husky and erotic, the hairs on the back of my neck rising as every part of me yearned to get closer to him.

“Harmony stop.” He barked though his own gaze was becoming lusted over as he stared intently at me his whole body rippling as he tried to restrain himself but looking greatly pained at the effort. I looked at the girl but she was terrified.

“I can’t, something is making me. I have to make it happen or I will keep trying. I am so sorry master.” The last words were choked out in a sob.

It became unbearable, I shook off her hand to try and get away from this animalistic need but the desire was still there, painfully so. I looked at Lucius and couldn’t help myself. I flung myself forward and devoured his lips, kissing him to try and ease the burning within my skin whilst I clawed my fingers into his bag so that he hissed in pain. I couldn’t stop myself but at the same time I was aware that I didn’t want this, I wanted him but not like this, he was my friend my protector.

Ignoring the desire, I closed my eyes and tried to focus on things not desire related, like Gabriel, Marianna, the end of the world, Danny. Slowly it seemed to ease the burning even with Lucius’ lips running up the length of my neck and when I finally spoke it was shaky and strained.

“Lucius stop.” My voice cracked as he reached a point on my neck that never failed to get to me. I tried pushing him away but at the same time I was craning my head so that he could get better access, hoping he would oblige and kiss my skin once more. It was so confusing, my mind and body were wrestling with each other but luckily for me, I didn’t have to consider it for too long because the doors were flung open and Gabriel and Zeke rushed in with swords drawn only to stop at the predicament we were in.

Zeke looked ready to flay Lucius alive but Gabriel as the calmer of the two, surveyed the room and after spotting the mortified girl in the corner, he whispered into Zeke’s ear who begrudgingly wandered off. Gabriel approached being careful not to touch as he circled around us just as Lucius swept me off my feet in his frenzy and pulled me tight against him.

“Help us.” I whispered but it sounded more like an invitation for him to join us that anything which made blood stain my cheeks but Gabriel must have seen the desperation in my eyes as he reached out a hand to pull me away only to jolt backwards like he had been shocked. He frowned at his fingers before resuming his circling only to stop when caught sight of my back.

“I can’t,” he whispered, his eyes surveying my bare skin like he was observing a science experiment rather than two people dry humping each other in the middle of the bathroom. “It’s a test but then the markings show that your joining is inevitable”

I stilled. It was one thing to tell me that I had this great destiny but it was another to tell me and force me to make love to someone. Anger started swelling through me, cutting through the desire as I used my hands that were in Lucius’ hair to pull him away. I stared into his eyes trying to cut through the haze that was shrouding him. “Lucius please, stop it. This isn’t right and you know it. Please control yourself…for me.”

He blinked a few times as his head moved back and forth and I could see it in the way his pupils kept dilating and undilating the he way undergoing a serious battle within himself. With a cry of anger he pushed us apart so that I fell to the floor butt naked and he backed up until he was on the other side of the room. The two of us panted, ignoring the others in the room whilst I grabbed the towel from the floor and tried to preserve some sort of modesty though in the current predicament there really was no modesty left.

“What was that?” Lucius choked out as his eyes darted around the room looking for danger.

It was Zeke who spoke looking less than impressed as he surveyed us all but at the same time he had respect in his eyes when he stared down at me. “It means that the war has started and they have the book. I can’t believe the two of you manage to resist the spell of the succubus, it is nearly impossible to break even to the Angelic and Demonic and yet you…” he trailed off. “Never mind, it just means that we need to prepare ourselves, that was a warning, next time the demon or angel that knocks on the door might not be so nice.”

I stared at him before looking at Harmony. What does he mean not so nice? I almost had sex with Lucius with no control over the matter and the next one might not be so nice?! If that was nice I really don’t want to find out what the not so nice ones were like. I looked up at the other occupants.

“Can you leave? I would really like to shower alone.” My voice was steady and calm as they all left but as I stepped under the sprays, the reality of the situation crashed down on me and I couldn’t take it anymore. I slumped to the floor of the shower stall and buried my face into my arms as tears leaked from my eyes only to be washed away by the streaming water. The one thought of my mind wasn’t about what would be coming next though; it was just the debilitating worry that in the end I might not be strong enough to save those I loved.

Sorry it's late and sorry about the contents. I wanted to show the power of the book without a blood bath as it's too early for a bloodbath. Anyways comment and let me know what you thought.