Elixxir (The Brethren Series) (12 page)

“You weren’t kidding when you said he liked puzzles, were ya?”

“Nope. God, reading his words, I…. It’s like I can almost hear his voice again.” She shook herself from her reverie. “Well, I know exactly where we need to go. It’s a place we used to go all the time as a family. The Big Cats Safari Refuge. It has a lion habitat in it. We have to find the right marquee and wait until a quarter past noon to retrieve the next clue!”

“Respectfully, I must say that as much as your father meant for this to be a game, it’s not. Your life is in danger. I’m sure with my skills I can get the next clue regardless of time and without a problem.”

“Okay, well I’m really bushwhacked and my brain could use a break for a couple hours. I’m gonna turn in for a bit. You must be tired as well.”

“Angels never sleep.”

“What? That’s crazy! How do you keep your energy up?”

“We meditate for a bit every now and then, but that’s all we need.” He picked up a napkin and gently wiped the corner of her mouth. “You had some sauce on ya, sorry. Didn’t want you to be embarrassed later.”

“Thanks.” Callie brushed her hands off over the empty box and closed it. They’d polished the whole thing off in about fifteen minutes. “So what are you going to do while I sleep?”

“I’m gonna go work out. I’ve been carrying a lot of pent-up energy since the bus station incident and need to get rid of it.”

“Pent-up energy, huh?” She smothered a giggle.

“Yeah, I need to pound on something hard and long, or I’m gonna burst.”

“Nathanael, sweetheart, let me clue you in.” She shook her head. “You don’t go telling a girl something like that and then leave for the gym.”

“I don’t know what the hell you are talking about.” He got up from the bed and headed toward the door.

“Think about it as you’re heading downstairs, okay?”

“Whatever. Don’t answer the door or the phone for any reason. I’ll be back in about a half hour.”

“Okay. Have fun sweating it up, alone.”

He knew exactly what Callie had alluded to upstairs, but the energy he’d kept a lid on all day and night could not be controlled once let out. He’d hurt her. So he chose to call his friend to box him to a pulp instead. At least he would be able to recover from it, like any immortal. Joe showed up at the world-class fitness room, as requested, and Nathanael proceeded to pummel the immortal crap out of him. Joe returned the favor.

“Wow, you’re definitely wound up tighter than a jack-in-the-box. What’s up?” They sat on the floor, sweat pouring down their faces, guzzling water from their bottles.

“Had a little run-in with some jerk-offs at the bus station earlier. Laid them all out flat in like five seconds. Got my mojo going strong and had nowhere to put it. Nearly knocked Callie flat on her ass.”

“What? That’s no good, man.”

“I didn’t, Joe. She said my name, and I stopped. She pulled me out of my crazies.”

“You used to be able to do it yourself.”

“I know, I know.” He took a long draw on his water bottle.

“Dude, you don’t want to go there.” He put a hand on Nathanael’s shoulder. “Trust me. I didn’t turn from my demon ways because I’m a pussy. Nothing good can happen if you follow that path. It’s pure Evil, through and through.”

“I don’t know what to do, Joe!” He threw his bottle across the room. “I can’t just stop. I have a job to do. Not only the bounty hunting, but Brethren business. I’m a freakin’ Warrior and I kill evil people. The rush fills me. It charges me up. It gives me something I can’t get from anything else.”

“But you’re not in control anymore. It’s controlling you. That’s serious. That sounds like addiction to me.”

“Are you saying I’m a violence addict?” He shot up and started pacing back and forth.

“I’m saying you’re addicted to the rush of adrenaline you get every time you battle. And it’s getting worse. You gotta do something about it.”

“Like what? Go all peace activist?” He snorted. “That’s not realistic.”

“No, but you can cut down on the amount of scuffles and battles you engage in.”

Nathanael stopped abruptly and kneeled down in front of Joe. In a hushed voice he spoke. “He gets to me. When it’s over, Satan gets right to my heart and my head and toys with me. Teases me with promises of infinite power and glory, and an end to my guilt complex over my abilities. And I want to succumb. How the hell do I break away from that?”

“You need to stay away from violence. And you need a sponsor. I can be that for you. Think about it and get back to me. But don’t wait too long or something dreadful is bound to happen. Now, I gotta go. Time to scour the streets to save some possessed souls. Call me, bro. Sooner than later.”

“Yeah, yeah….”

Working out should have done him well, but instead, after talking with Joe, he bristled like a caged lion all over again. Two by two, he took the stairs all the way up twenty-two flights. When he reached the door to his room, he slid the key in the lock and quietly opened the door. A shower was definitely called for at this point, so he entered the bathroom, stripped, and started the water running. When the steam enveloped the room, he stepped into the hot rain falling from the ceiling, closed his eyes, and wondered how long he’d been fooling himself. Every time he killed in the name of Brethren justice, Satan sneaked into his subconscious and tested his resolve, filling him with the sense of infinite power. And he reveled in it! But like a drug, the euphoria lingered only so long, and each time, it lessened in duration.

Frustration overwhelmed him and he banged a fist against the shower wall, letting the steady stream pummel his already pounding head. Why had E.L. refused to help him? Hadn’t asking him what he should do months ago been enough proof that he wanted to stay Brethren? Did he have to test his resolve now as well?

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the shower curtain undulate and heard the door click. Damn, he hadn’t heard it open!

“Nate? Are you okay?” Callie’s voice slid seductively in between the pelting water music.

He wasn’t.

And he couldn’t lie. He wouldn’t. Not to her.

“No, I’m not.”

She moved the curtain aside, but he refused to turn around, choosing to remain leaning against the back wall. He sensed her step in behind him and rest a gentle hand on his back.

“What are you doing?” His voice shook with restraint.

“I’m here to see what’s wrong. Nathanael, tell me what’s wrong.”

The insistent tone broke through his crumbling defenses. He reached behind him, grasped her hands, and pulled her close to wrap her body around his like a safety shroud. He held on, as though he would fall into an abyss otherwise.

“Jesus!” As she spoke, she clutched him even tighter. “What can I do? Just tell me. What?”

“Tell me I’m good.”

He waited. The crashing of water against his shoulders filled the space meant to reassure him of his worth. Even should she reply so, would he believe? Satan had been messing with him for so long now, he didn’t believe in much of anything anymore.

“Holy shit, Nate. You are! You’re all that is good and right in this world.”

“No, no I’m not. You don’t know me. I don’t know me. Not anymore.”

Callie pulled away from his grip and turned his body around to face her. She swiped his hair away from his face and caressed his cheeks. “What’s gotten into you?” Her gaze sought understanding from him, but he had nothing comforting to give.

“Evil! Evil’s gotten into me, and I don’t know how to get it out! Or even if I want to let it go!”

She stood silent and staring, her soaked T-shirt and boxers like a second skin, her matted hair streaming in wet bands of brilliant red, an oasis for his eyes. And then the unexpected came. She slapped him so hard across his face it stung.

“Snap out of it! You’re a freakin’ Brethren Warrior, for Christ’s sake! Kick it the hell out of ya!”

He rubbed his cheek, surprised by her tactics. “It’s not that simple. I could have hurt you today.” He rested his arms on her shoulders and clasped his hands behind her head. She lowered hers and then looked up at him with a sage’s eyes.

“Nothing ever is easy, is it? We just gotta fight the good fight every day. And you didn’t hurt me. You stopped.”

“But I could next time. I need help. I’ve needed help for a while. I’m an addict.”

“You do drugs?” Her eyes widened.

“No, I do violence. I fight and kill in the name of Brethren justice and get high on the rush. It’s gotten to the point where the high hasn’t been lasting as long as it used to, and I seek out more and more situations and people I can feed off of.”

“Do the other Warriors react the same way? Have you talked about this with them?”

“No, I haven’t, but I don’t see them behave the way I do after we battle. I tell you, Satan’s gotten to me. He wants me, and I don’t know how much longer I can fight him.”

“Let’s call his bluff, then. Find something that gives you the same thrill, the same rush, and one that is more acceptable for you.”

“I don’t have the first clue what that could be.”

“I do.” She slid her hands around his waist until they met, and rose up on her tiptoes. “Come here.” Her eyes fluttered closed, and he knew exactly what she wanted.

Mesmerized, he obeyed. He leaned down and captured her lips with his. They were welcoming and a gateway to promised peace. His hands had minds of their own, and each found a sweet spot, one cradling her head, and the other caressing her back, bringing her closer so their bodies were as one. She deepened the kiss and, feeling the coolness of her drenched clothes, he brought her under the cascading warmth of the shower. Releasing his mouth, she focused on kissing the edges of his lips and jaw line. A hopeful thought caused him to smile.

Callie opened her eyes and frowned. “Do my kisses amuse you that much?”

He laughed and kissed her hard. “Not at all,” he said heatedly. “In fact, I think Satan may have met his match with you.”

“You won’t know, now will you, until you put my theory to the test.”

Without further delay, he pulled the hem of her T-shirt over her head and tossed the sopping mess on the floor of the shower. She stepped out of her boxers and opened her arms to him.

“Come to me.”

A goddess stood before him, he could have sworn, with rivulets of water making paths down her body that he longed to re-trace with his tongue. He took a step toward her.

“You’re so beautiful, Callie.”

“Ariana. Can you call me Ariana, please?” she asked quietly, and peered up at him with a combination of innocence and fortitude. In return, he put his immortal life in her hands. Hope bloomed where just a short time ago, darkness filled his soul. Astounded by her strength and courage, he dared to believe, at least for now, that he might be able to keep his angel soul from flaming out and falling irrevocably into the depths of Hell.

“Save me, Ariana.”

Nathanael gathered her in his arms, feasting on her lips as though they were a succulent treat. She found, awakening within her, the woman she thought had long since died by a kiss so diametrically opposed to this one. A healthy, untarnished sensuality blossomed. She feared it as much as she embraced it. Her heart thrummed as his need pressed against her belly and his kisses blazed a trail down her neck.

He stepped back from her, knelt down, and pressed feather-light kisses along her ribcage. One hand cupped her breast, massaging and teasing her into an involuntary moan. His tongue traced the path of one water droplet inching its way down her body. And he took his own sweet time as well, nipping and lapping along the way, creating little explosions of pleasure, until he arrived at her core. And there he lingered.

“I’ll save you,” she murmured deliriously. “I’ll save you. Oh, God.” His tender touch created goose bumps, and frissons of excitement skittered across her skin.

He worked his way back up again and swept her off her feet. Moving the curtains aside, he stepped out of the tub. “Open the door for me, would you?” he asked, his voice husky and deep.

She fumbled with the knob, but finally pulled it as he took a step back. His chest expanded as he breathed in deeply, and suddenly, she saw his wings peek out over his shoulders and unfurl. Breathless with anticipation, waves of ecstasy threatened to drown her. The thought of making love with an angel compounded the thrill.

The bed seemed a million miles away, but in the blink of an eye, they were hovering together, bodies entwined, just beside it. She watched as a wave of doubt washed over his face. Emboldened, Ariana spoke. “Don’t be shy with me now. You won’t hurt me. Let me show you how good you really are.”

Mesmerized by his wings’ iridescence, she moved to touch them. As she did so, individual feathers fluttered, his grip tightened around her waist, and he moaned. She combed her fingers through the outer feathers and he shivered in her arms. She continued to stroke his wings, and while watching his control fade away minute by minute, hers did as well. Little bolts of energy fired throughout her body, sending heated impulses straight to her womb.

“Lord, I need you inside me. Take me now!” Holding on to his shoulders, she jumped up and locked her legs around his waist.

“Oh, God! Yes!” His feverish eyes spoke of his need as he eased her down onto him.

“Oh!” She gasped, overwhelmed by the fullness and completeness of him buried inside her.

They rocked in unison, as though they’d been created for each other. His heart pounded against her breasts in a synchronized rhythm to hers. As he moved them over to the bed, they consumed each other with kisses and breathed as one. Never before had sex been like this to her. In her passionate haze, a thought entered her mind.
This isn’t merely sex. This is making love
.

Faster and harder she pumped while straddling him until she crested the peak of rapture. He cried out her name, and his whole body trembled beneath her, even his wings. And then he stilled. She fell upon his chest, panting and smiling, amazed, and totally sated. His arms came around her, shifting her to his side, and held her tenderly as his wings enclosed them in a protective cocoon. Lulled by the soothing touch of feathers against her skin, she fell asleep.