Mystery's Choice (Vengeance Of The Fallen Book 1) (23 page)

She made herself stop and go downstairs to fix tea. She sat at the table, sipped tea and watched the sun come up. She wondered how she was going to make it alone in this huge house for two weeks. As far as she was concerned, a medical seminar wasn’t a good enough excuse for bailing for two weeks. She tried to understand and she just couldn’t find it in her. She knew Seth needed to pretend their life was normal, it was very important to him. But their life would never be normal again, even if she beat Cain, she would still be who and what she was.

Mystery swore when the doorbell rang and made her jump. She wiped spilled tea off her clothes and went to answer it. She yanked open the door to find Ryan standing there, accompanied by a suitcase.

“Hi.”  He stepped past her and hung his jacket on the coat tree. “Seth called this morning on his way out of town and asked me to stay with you while he’s gone.”

“Oh.”  Mystery shut the door and went back to the kitchen.

“I know it’s wrong for me to be here. I feel the same way about you” He sighed.

“What way is that?”  Mystery turned around and leaned against the sink.

“For the first time since I took my vows.”  He lowered his head, “I want to be with a woman…” he looked up and Mystery knew she was lost, “I want you Mystery.”

“What about your vows? What about Seth?”  Mystery closed her eyes, she knew she couldn’t look at him and resist.

“I don’t care.”  He crossed the room and stopped just in front of her. “Tell me you don’t want me.”  He stroked her cheek. “Tell me you don’t want me and I’ll go back to the hotel and forget this entire conversation.”  He bent to nibble on her ear.

“I can’t.”  Mystery moaned.

“Can’t what?”  He moved to her neck.

“I can’t tell you to go.”  She raised his face to hers. ”I want you.”  She kissed him.

Ryan kissed her until her knees went weak; he lowered her onto the kitchen table, knocking off her cold tea. Not wanting to give her a chance to change her mind, he ripped open her blouse and lowered his head to her breasts to suckle. Blindly she began to unfasten his jeans and push them past his hips. He pushed her flowered skirt up to bunch around her hips and yanked at the lacy panties until she was bare. He swallowed her astonished cry as he pressed into her waiting body. Together they rode over the edge into oblivion. Ryan managed enough strength to push off of her when he realized Mystery was crying.

“Did I hurt you?”  Ryan asked as he kissed her tears away.

“No.”  She sniffled.

“Then what’s wrong?”  He caressed her cheek.

“I love you.”  She closed her eyes and waited.

“I love you, too.”

Mystery opened her eyes and searched his, finding what she needed she leaned up and kissed him. He picked her up and carried her toward the stairs.

Mystery stood looking over the balcony as the sun’s rays bathed the valley below her in amber light. She sighed languidly and lifted the wineglass in her hand. She was startled to find it empty. Shrugging her shoulders she sat it on the railing and stared out at the sky. She didn’t turn around when she heard Ryan step out onto the balcony. He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. She put her hands in the pockets of her white terry cloth robe and rested her head against his chest.

“Are you okay?”  He asked her when she still didn’t say anything.

“Yeah. Fine.”  She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

“I thought we agreed not to think about Seth until we had to.”  He kissed the top of her head.

“He called while you were in the shower. He wanted me to know he made it to Dallas safely and he missed me. He apologized for asking you to come, but he didn’t want me here alone.”

“What did you tell him?” 

“I told him I was glad he was safe and I hoped he would have a good time. I told him not to worry about you, I was glad for the company.”  She shrugged. “We made polite chitchat and hung up without telling each other I love you.”

“Have things been okay, between you?” 

“He moved into the guest room awhile after you left.

“I am sorry.”  He turned her around and kissed her possessively. “But I don’t regret being with you.”

“I don’t regret being with you. I just wish a very nice person didn’t stand to get hurt because of all of this. Will you leave the priesthood?”

“Yes.”  He made sure she could see his eyes. “I’m leaving because I can’t be a priest anymore, not knowing how far off the church is with their version of the final battle.”  He tilted her head up for a kiss. “They could never understand the real battle, they are unequipped to handle it. I am not leaving because of us; I had already made the decision to leave. When I stop and think about how they have the whole story wrong from as far back as the Garden of Eden, I know trying to fight Cain while operating within church mandates, will just get a bunch of people killed while I wait for permission to act.”  He kissed her nose. “So, don’t try to take on more blame. I am not leaving the priesthood because of you.”

“I love you, Ryan.”  She nibbled and kissed her way across his chest. He moaned when she stopped and sucked not so gently on his nipples. She rolled her tongue around one and then rolled her eyes up to meet his. When she saw they had gone wide, she switched to the other nipple.

“I love you, Mystery.”  He reached inside her robe.

She pulled him over to a deck lounge and laid down parting her robe for him. He knelt beside the lounge and gently flicked his tongue across her abdomen, when she moaned he twisted her around so he could put her legs over his shoulders. This time he didn’t stop when he got to her navel. Mystery felt herself soaring to the few twinkling stars in the early night sky. She writhed and shuddered as her release stole her breath. When she could breathe again she slipped his sweats down.

“My turn.”

Felicity Ramirez let herself into her small apartment and picked the mail up off the floor, she wished for the millionth time the mail chute was somewhere other than the door. As she flipped through her mail, Felicity put her keys down and slipped out of her shoes. She took off the clip holding back her hair and put it by her keys. A huge smile lit her stern face when she saw the huge pink envelope from Mystery.

Ripping it open she pulled out a huge card with a pink and purple teddy bear reaching out for a hug. She opened it and laughed, “Here’s a big bear hug for you” was printed inside in shiny red balloon letters. She sat the card down and walked over to the sofa. She turned on the lamp and dialed Mystery’s number.

“Hello.”  A man’s voice answered, and it wasn’t Seth.

“Yes, is this the Parsons residence?”

“Yes. May I ask who is calling?”  Ryan asked suspiciously.

“I’m Felicity, a friend of Mystery and Seth’s.”

“Oh. Yes. I’m Seth’s brother, Ryan. Just a minute, I’ll put Mystery on.”  Ryan motioned Mystery to the phone.

“Hi, Felicity. Did you get the card?”

“It came today. Thanks. Are you doing okay?”  Felicity sensed some stress in Mystery’s voice.

“Yeah. I just… We’re just having some problems. Seth went out of town… Ryan’s staying here.”

“How long have you and Ryan been together?”

“Two days now.”

“I can sense the two of you love each other very much. Where does that leave you and Seth?”  Felicity could feel Mystery’s conflict.

“I don’t know yet. I know neither of us wants to hurt him. However, neither one of us thinks we should lie to him.”

“Tell him together, as soon as he comes home.”

“Oh God!  Felicity!  I don’t know how this happened. It’s like I just woke up one morning while Seth was gone and instead of loving him, I loved Ryan. We fought it, Ryan moved into a hotel so we wouldn’t be tormented with it every day. When Seth went to this seminar and Ryan came to stay. He was here all of five minutes before we were all over each other. Seth doesn’t deserve this. He has been through all of this mess with me. Even though he was gone part of the time, he was still being tortured by Cain.”  Mystery was crying.

“You’ll figure it out. You may have hit on why yourself.”  Felicity felt for her friend.

“What? How?”  Mystery sniffed.

“Ryan was there with you, fighting the attacks, spending his weekends looking for Seth. He has never left you. You can depend on him in a way you will never depend on Seth again.”

“I love Seth.”

“I think you love who you had always thought he was. Seth leaving for a medical seminar makes sense logically, but he still left you. If you are in love with Ryan the only thing you both owe Seth is the truth. Especially since your life comes with some dangerous attachments.”

“I know you are right about telling him. But I still think he won’t be safe even if we aren’t together. I can’t just casually ask him to move out.”

“If he has been safe at this seminar for the last two days, Cain and the rest have figured out attacking Ryan will hurt you more.”  Felicity curled up on the sofa and smiled when her plump gray cat, Luna, deigned to grant her the privilege of her feline presence. The cat jumped up on her lap and demanded to be petted.

“I still think they will come after him, he knows too much.”

“That may be true. And being in the house does offer him a measure of safety. But you can’t protect him not yet; you’re not strong enough. You can stop Legion when they come after him, but if any upper level demon or a devil comes after him, you won’t be able to stop them.”  Felicity stroked the purring gray fur ball in her lap. “I’m not saying throw him out into the street, but don’t stay with him so you can protect him. Only stay with him if you love him more than Ryan. And I think we both know the answer.”

“I feel obligation where Seth is concerned, but I can’t tell if there is still love.”

“Then you have your answer.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Remember, I’m always right.”

Mystery laughed a watery laugh.

“Thanks Felicity.”

“Blessed be, Mystery.”

“Blessed be, Felicity.”

Felicity said a quick prayer to the Goddess for clarity of thought and peace of mind for her friend. She picked up the purring cat and started for the kitchen to see what their dinner choices were. She opened the refrigerator and perused the various take out containers. She decided to settle for the five-day-old pizza she put it in the microwave and went to change her clothes.

She put on an old pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She gasped for breath, as the air in her bedroom got heavy. A dirty mist crept across her floor. She grabbed Luna and ran into her ritual room and empowered her circle. She called for protection from the guardians of the four watchtowers. The mist crept into the room filling every crevice, except for the circle. Luna leaned against her mistress’ legs and hissed.

A smelly, pus-covered, winged, troll-sized demon stood just outside her circle, snapping its jaws. It swung its clawed hands at her, but the circle blocked him.

“Nergal.”  Felicity recognized him from previous attacks.

“Time to die, witch.”

“I think not.”  Felicity sat and centered herself. “Nergal, demon most foul, I command thee in the name of Mother Earth, flee!”  He screeched in pain and threw himself at the circle. “Nergal, demon most foul, I command thee in the name of Father Sun, flee!”  Nergal howled in agony. “Nergal, demon most foul, I command thee in the name of Sister Moon, flee!”  He hissed at her and disappeared.