Kassern (Archangels Creed) (10 page)

"
What…are we supposed to do? Why are you here? For prayer?
"

Kassern met Troy
'
s terrified gaze. The boy knew he was there for more than prayer.

"
I need a human base, from which to operate while in th
is
realm.
"

Troy
'
s relief was palpable.
"
Like…my home?
"

Kassern agreed to that partial truth with another nod.

"
Will…will it be dangerous? These girls don
'
t need more trouble.
"

Kassern
was impressed
with
Troy
'
s
immediate concern for Devyn and her friend.
"
Trust me. They
'
re
safer than they've ever been in their lives.
As long as they're here
. Where I am.
"
Kassern studied Devyn for a second then leveled his gaze on Troy, seeing he needed more convincing.
"
The fate of the world depends on the success of this mission. If we fail, Satan will destroy mankind. Within a year
.
"
Kassern
kept
his voice even.

"
He-he can do that?
"
Devyn's voice
trembled with fear
.

"
If we don
'
t stop him, yes.
"

Kassern watched Troy weigh everything. Watched his faith kick in.
"
It-it would be an honor…of course. Do what you need. My home, my life…belongs to God.
"

A slow grin bloomed on Kassern
'
s face as he studied the man-boy before him, admiring the sudden power rippling from his spirit in soft white waves. Faith had never looked quite so beautiful. But he needed them together in this.
"
Devyn?
"

She locked her wide gray gaze on him.
"
Why does my vote matter?
"

Kassern gave a slight shrug.
"
The man you
'
re standing next to has staked spiritual claims on you. Your agreement is required.
"
Keep it casual, he warned himself, or she might bolt.

She glanced from Troy to him, looking as offended as she was curious. Troy barely looked any different. Except for that little tiny knowing in his spirit.

Kassern grinned.
"
When a man like Troy prays for a woman the way he has for you...bonds are formed. I
t was designed that way
.
"

Devyn
'
s eyes narrowed at that round-about info and Kassern propped an arm on the table, drawing on his angelic patience. She finally looked at Troy
,
and Kassern stilled at the sudden admiration in her eyes. That
'
s it…trust him
. Start building the foundation
.

"
Troy
'
s the man of God here. What he decides is fine by me
. W
hat do I know?
"

Kassern
wanted
to clap. Her words quipped with feigned casualness but fear surrounded her like a cape. Kassern
removed it with a
wave
of
his hand
,
leaving only her
caution, a far more useful emotion
. Now that he had their agreement, he could use his powers. All that remained was to watch them grow fonder of each other. And once they consummated, the next portal would open. And the biggest part of his job would be accomplished.

Chapter Nine

Devyn lay in the bed beside Karly, listening to her friend
'
s steady breathing. What a day. They
'
d had nice guys, asshole maniac boyfriends, and a visit by an
Archangel
. And even though that last one had her in a state of euphoric impossibility, that wasn
'
t what was responsible for the hum in her body. Troy
'
s kiss. My God, he was…so damn hot. For the first time in her adult life, she'd felt
real
sexual excitement
– the kind that made
every nerve sing with anticipation
.

As she drifted to sleep, her thoughts filled with the sensations Troy had created in her body, and wondering what might have happened if they hadn't been interrupted.
What had he said? Something about her deserving romance and flowers and time? Did that mean he wanted to be the one to give her those things? Or was it just a unique way of letting her down gently?

Sometime later, Devyn woke, needing to pee. She fought her way free of the unfamiliar sheets and stumbled to her feet. Where was Karly? Probably starving and went to find food. Devyn
'
s heart jolted when she remembered that stupid rig
Karly
'
d
found. What if she
'
d woke
n
up dying for a fix, and left to find a connection? Fuck.

Devyn hurried to the bathroom before she peed on herself.
T
he light was on.
Relief slammed into her as s
he entered the
steamy
bathroom. Wow, nice.
Real
hot water
.
Karly needed that.
It was good she sought to wash some of the poison out of her system when she woke up.
Before Devyn could say a word or pull her shorts down, a muffled, strangled noise froze her.
It d
idn
'
t sound like one person.

Confused, scared, sick to her stomach, nothing could stop her from pulling that curtain open.

She
stumbled back in shock. There was Karly, naked, plastered to Troy, likewise naked, her mouth over his.

Karly dropped her legs from around Troy's waist and he firmly shoved her away.

Despite the blind fury surging through her, Devyn noted some details. Karly's pinpoint pupils and slack mouth. Before she could see if Troy was affected, he
'
d yanked the shower curtain and covered his groin.

Devyn couldn
'
t speak. She was so fucking torn between fury and pain and confusion over the pain.

The blank look on Karly's face broke with a sneering grin. "I wanted to fuck." She shrugged loosely, mouth going slack again. "He was here."

Fury won over her confusion. "You leave him the
hell
alone!" She grabbed Karly's arm, wanting to break it off and knock her in the head with it. "He's off limits! You got that?" Flinging the offending arm away from her, Devyn stepped back, trying to steady her breathing. Damn. She had no right to go all jealous
girlfriend
on Karly. She had no claim on Troy.
He could fuck anyone he wanted. But she certainly didn't want him to want anyone else.

And,
Troy didn
'
t deserve to be attacked in his own home by a drugged up whore.

"Devyn, please…
"
Troy yanked
a
towel from the nearby towel bar and wrapped it around his hips.
"
…I know it looks bad, but I didn't want this. She came in while I was in the shower." He turned and shut the
water
off.

All Devyn saw was how the
droplets
looked on his smooth skin. What a body. She forced her eyes to his but was no better off when met with the honest intensity of hazel eyes. "Troy, you don't owe me any explanations." She forced herself to look away. "Karly, get dried off and into the bed. You need to sleep that shit off. Who the hell did you get it from?"

Karly's face crumpled into tears. "I'm sorry, Devyn! I didn't mean to. It's just –"

Devyn's patience ended and she grabbed Karly
'
s arm. "Who did you get it from?"

"I'm sorry. I –" Karly's eyes rolled back and her legs crumpled, but once again, Troy was there to save her. Scooping her up in his arms without a word, he lifted her and stepped out of the tub and brushed past Devyn.

Following,
and fighting down resentment that Troy had just rescued Karly for the second time,
Devyn helped him get Karly on the bed and covered. It all seemed to take an eternity, and Devyn couldn't tear her eyes from Troy for even a millisecond. His smooth skin rippled with the play of underlying muscles, making water droplets glisten and reflect bits of light. For such a devout Christian, he seemed entirely at home in his skin.

As if he'd read her mind, Troy stepped back from the bed to rummage in a small closet, and come up with a fringed blanket in a dark color. He slung the blanket around his waist, right over the towel,
which suddenly left little to the imagination as the damp fabric clung
strategically
.
Had he
been aroused in the least bit by
Karly’s
sexual rampage
?
That bitch.
A pang of jealousy hit her stomach.

Even still,
Devyn's
insides
flip-flopped as his
unsteady hands t
ied
the
corners
of the blanket
.
She swallowed hard, almost wishing he hadn't
gone to the trouble
.

He was perfectly aware of her attention, if the flush of dark color over his high cheekbones was any indication.
Nevertheless, he met her gaze steadily.
"I'm sorry, Devyn. I didn't ask her to do that."

She sure wished her
heart
would quit
flipp
ing every time he
hit her with those intense eyes. "I know, Troy. It's just part of Karly. She's my best friend, the only person on earth I can count on to have my back, but sometimes…
"
Devyn lowered her gaze,
"
…sometimes she isn't
friend material." Thinking for a moment, she came to a realization and nodded a little. "Actually, most of the time." Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them back furiously. It wasn't as if it were some new revelation or something.

Troy came closer and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "No one is a hundred percent good. We have to take the bad, too, in order to enjoy the good parts of them.
C
ome on, let me make you breakfast." Sliding his hand down her arm he
left a trail of zinging sparks as he
took her hand and tugged her after him.

In the kitchen, he asked her to wait a moment, and disappeared into another room. When he returned three minutes later, dark blue pajama pants, of some thin, incredibly soft looking fabric clung low to his narrow hips. A snug wife-beater tank formed the perfect show-case for the rippling muscles and raw angles of his torso. God. And he seemed totally oblivious to the carnal image of perfect masculinity he presented. Very unlike his normal neatly pressed jeans and polo shirts. Devyn could easily get used to looking at him.

Hmph
. Who was she kidding? She already
loved
looking at him, and having her heart
skip
a beat before pounding her ribs.

He paused in the midst of setting ingredients on the counter, and turned to face her
with a mouthwatering grin
. "I hope you like pancakes and bacon?"

Transfixed by the way the faint stubble of beard emphasized the angle of his jaw, Devyn couldn't reply for an instant. Finally, she managed. "Uh, yeah. Of course. Doesn't everyone?"

The satisfied
smile
that crossed his face just before he turned away
of course
made her stomach do
another of those
funny little flip
s
. Good grief! She
was behaving like a thirteen year old with a
crush! She
vaguely remembered those, but
the real life nature of relationships and sex made itself known to her
and took care of
those childish fantasies.

And of all the stupid times to develop a crush! Karly's pimp/boyfriend threatening them, losing their home, an angel making them part of a war with Satan, and Karly back riding the needle. Not the best time to go all juvenile.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, during which Troy efficiently combined ingredients and a pan sizzled over a flame on the stove, Troy looked up at her and grinned. "My mom used to make pancakes every Saturday. It's the one thing I miss most about living at home."