The Fallen Part 17

The club was packed with pumping, grinding, sweaty bodies. Izzy sipped a c.o.ke, surveying the room. Shead pretty much been satisfied with her last encounter, and she wasnat really looking to score--which was one of the reasons she was sticking with plain c.o.ke--no alcoholic beverages tonight. She wasnat taking any chances she would fall for the next guyas line.

All the men looked basically the same to her: average, nothing special but nothing bad--just a boring. As she watched them, she kept thinking about the way Raphael had stood apart from the crowd in every way--just plain magnificent even before shead taken a roll with him.

And that had been mind boggling.

It was a d.a.m.ned shame head turned out to be like so many others, she thought with disgust--eat and run.

She was dwelling a little too much on Raphael, she realized.

d.a.m.n, Iave got it bad, she thought and then determinedly turned her attention back to the room.

As she looked out over the crowded dance floor, her gaze locked with a manas, as if magnetized.

He stopped and looked at her. The room seemed to disappear. The color of his eyes seemed almost electrical, like a glow jumping out at her across the room. Long blonde hair cascaded over his shoulders, and he was tall--as tall as Raphael. Despite the fact that he was as fair as Raphael had been dark, she couldnat help but wonder if he was of some relation to Raphael. Something in the bone structure of his face seemed familiar, and it couldnat be a coincidence that two extremely tall, well built men would frequent the same club within a week of each other.

Izzy swallowed a sudden lump in her throat when he moved, walking towards her. He stopped when he reached her table and pulled a chair out, sitting down.

She gave him a look, arching a brow. He d.a.m.n sure hadnat been invited to sit down. What b.a.l.l.s!

Tilting his head, he sniffed. aYou smell very good.a Goose b.u.mps flitted along her spine--not the happy kind. There was something wrong with this guy. She could practically see aggression oozing from his pores. She was probably just overreacting. She chuckled nervously. aI hope you couldnat smell me across the room.a His lids lowered. He caught her hand where it rested on the table and brought her fingers to his lips. aWhat if I told you I could?a Izzy raised her eyebrows and pulled her hand free. His accent perfectly matched Raphaelas. Where the h.e.l.l were these guys coming from? And why were they so f.u.c.kina weird? aUh. Then Iad have to worry my deodorantas not working like itas supposed to.a He sighed. aYou humans can be so crude.a Humans?

Her uneasiness deepened. Shead thought it was kinda cute when Raphael had informed her that he was human. This guy worried her--everything about him, but especially the reference to humans. aI think you better leave. My boyfriend will be back soon.a Her belly clenched as a slow smile curled his lips.

aI count on that.a He stood then, bowed, and left.

Izzy was feeling seriously creeped out by the whole episode by the time Diana came back to the table.

aHey, whatas wrong?a she asked, looking Izzy over worriedly.

aNothing,a Izzy said. aIam just ready to go home. Think youall be okay here?a aYeah. No biggie. Call me tomorrow, okay?a aSure.a Grabbing up her purse, Izzy pushed her way through the crowd. She was about halfway through the hallway that led out when she was suddenly grabbed. She reacted violently, expecting that creep had gotten hold of her. Whirling, she slapped at the hand gripping her arm, pulling up short when she saw it was Raphael.

aChrist! You need to learn not to grab people like that,a she said, clutching a fist to her racing heart. aYou just about gave me a heart attack.a He frowned, his gaze flickering over her a.s.sessingly. Catching her hand, he sniffed the backs of her fingers then lifted his head and cast his gaze around the room. There was anger in his eyes when he met her gaze again. aYou were with a--man.a Izzy gaped at him and finally s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand back. aI most certainly was not! Not that itas any of your business. I havenat even seen you in a week.a If anything, his frowned deepened. aYou are not safe here.a aNo s.h.i.+t, Sherlock.a At his puzzled look, she dragged in a calming breath and softened her tone. It really wasnat his fault she was upset. Well, it was sort of, because she was really p.i.s.sed that head banged her and disappeared, but he hadnat scared the s.h.i.+t out of her--which had on her edge and was why she was so snappy. aIam sorry, but Iam having a really bad night.a After studying him a moment, she moved toward him. Looping her arms around his shoulders, she leaned close as she looked up at him. aWant to come to my place?a His face remained impa.s.sive, but she saw his eyes still gleamed with anger. aYou are my woman. I protect what is mine.a She could argue with that--odd thing was, she didnat find it nearly as annoying as she wouldave thought she would--but right now, as much as she hated to admit needing anyone, she wanted some protection. Or at least the illusion of feeling protected.

Instead of arguing, she slipped an arm through his and led him outside. Shead parked her car in the back, and they walked around the building. The streets were devoid of people or cars--most everyone had settled into whatever club theyad chosen for the night, and theread be no great exodus until after last call.

A streetlight flickered above them. Sounds of bugs tinkling against the gla.s.s drifted down.

Raphael stopped abruptly, pulling her up short. Puzzled, uneasy for some reason she couldnat entirely fathom, she tugged his arm. aMy caras right there,a she said, pointing to the red Dodge.

A rush of wind ruffled her hair. Pulling free from her grasp, Raphael suddenly pushed her away, leaping back even as he sent her flying backwards with the force of his blow. Izzy gasped in stunned surprise and fell on her backside, instantly bruising her tail bone and sc.r.a.ping her palms.

Too stunned to feel anything at all, she looked up to find a man confronting Raphael, the same one that had bothered her in the club.

Oh f.u.c.k!

aI knew Iad find you here when I smelled you on your human wh.o.r.e, Raphael,a the man growled.

Raphael bared his teeth, circling the stranger in a fighteras stance, slightly hunched over, his arms held out on either side of him.

Abruptly, the man whipped a sword from beneath his overcoat. The blade gleamed wickedly in the light and Izzy felt downright faint looking at it.

Gasping, Izzy scrambled to her feet and looked around quickly for her purse. She found it, dug out the pepper spray buried at the bottom, then fought the urge to giggle hysterically as she thought about how ridiculous it was to use spray against a man wielding a five foot long sword.

Dismissing her misgivings, she shrieked, drawing the manas attention. When his head whipped around in her direction, she screamed again and sprayed him in the face.

aRun!a she yelled at Raphael.

It was right about that time that Izzy discovered that the pepper spray didnat seem to have any effect on him. He roared and charged her, raising his sword.

She couldnat move. Her brain and every muscle in her body seemed to shut down as she stared at the face of death.

Raphael tackled him from the side, knocking him from his path of doom and jump starting her brain into action once more.

Her heart pounded in her throat so hard she felt like throwing up. Gasping, she whirled and headed for her car, frantically trying to find her keys. She found them after a frantic search, jammed the key in the lock and looked around for Raphael.

The two men were locked in a deadly embrace, each one wrestling for dominance, but there was no doubt in Izzyas mind that this was no mere bar fight, but one each man seemed determined to take to the death.

Jumping into her car, Izzy started it, jerking the gear into reverse and flooring it as she backed out of the parking s.p.a.ce. She felt the b.u.mp and crunch as she connected with another car, but she ignored it, training the headlights on the fighting men. Theyad stripped to the waist, both of them--or torn each otheras s.h.i.+rts off and they pounded on each other and slung each other around. The blond guy had lost his sword somewhere in the rounds. If she had to, shead run that b.a.s.t.a.r.d down.

Gritting her teeth, she leaned down on the horn. A pathetic, tiny beep whined forth. She grimaced, revving her engine threateningly, turning on her brights.

They released each other at the same instant. Wings sprouted from the manas back and then Raphaelas.

Izzyas jaw dropped.

For several moments, Izzy wasnat certain she even breathed. Stunned, she watched as they disappeared into the night sky.

Oh my f.u.c.king G.o.d!

Still too stunned to behave on any level other than instinct, she punched the car into gear and hit the gas. The tires spun, squealing on pavement several seconds before the car finally lurched forward.

Izzy sped all the way to her apartment. Parking out front, she switched the car off and nearly broke the key trying to get out and climb out of the car at the same time. When shead managed to scramble out of the car, she ran inside, firmly locking the door behind her before she ventured any further. Still shaking, she grabbed the nearest thing she could find that looked like a weapon--a candle holder--and checked her meager apartment, making sure she was alone before she finally collapsed on the couch.

Her mind seemed to be set on pause. No actual thoughts ran through it--tumultuous emotions but nothing she could grasp. After a few minutes, her mind s.h.i.+fted gears, replaying the scene outside the club over and over again. Wings--both of them. A sword. Strange accents.

They werenat human.

They were angels.

Chapter Four.

Isabel shuddered and rubbed her arms to warm herself. The movement produced pain. Her palms hurt. She looked down at them in surprise, soaking in the sc.r.a.pes and bruises. Shead forgotten that Raphael had pushed her out of the way just as the man leapt toward them and shead fallen. She was filthy from the pavement and sore. She needed a shower.

It took several tries to get up because her knees were so weak they kept buckling and dropping her back onto the couch. Finally, she managed to lock the watery joints and peeled her clothes off, heading toward the bathroom. She turned the water on until steam filled the cubicle.

Stepping in, she let the water course over her skin, was.h.i.+ng away the dirt and ache in her muscles. Her skin turned a bright pink under the onslaught, but she didnat care. It felt good, and she didnat leave until shead used up all the hot water and her muscles felt like jelly.

Exhausted but at the same time rejuvenated, she dried herself off and slipped into a camisole and panties before leaving the bedroom.

Raphael lay on the couch.

Shock made her take a step back and lean weakly on the door jam. Her heart skipped a beat--stopped dead still in her chest, actually, for several moments.

Battered, bruised, and dirty, he was perfectly still on the couch, lying with his arm draped over his eyes. Something blue trickled down a slash on his arm.

Blood. Blue blood.

aHow a how did you get in here,a she asked, more than a little weakly.

He moved his arm, lifting up his head to look at her. aThere is no lock on Earth that can keep me out--any Elumi for that matter.a Oh G.o.d. What the h.e.l.l did he mean about locks anyway? Was he that good at picking them? aSo you are an alien?a It was more of a statement than a question.

He frowned. aI am Elumi, from Pearthen. High Earth. It isa.a He paused, as if considering how best to explain it. aaanother dimension of your planet, but a part of it.a aLike heaven? Yaall looked like angels out there. Except, not any angels I ever heard of.a Izzy stayed by the door. She wasnat sure what to expect out of him now, but she felt better having the distance between them at the least.

He waved her words away. aYou humans and your preoccupation with the heavens and deities.a Pus.h.i.+ng himself to his feet, he strode across the room toward her.

Izzy squeaked and backed into the bathroom, locking the door and backing up until her legs. .h.i.t the toilet.

Raphael moved through the door into the bathroom with her.

Her legs gave out as blackness swam across her vision.

The next thing she knew, she was on the couch. Raphael was looking down at her, a half smile curling his lips. aThe babe has taken root. I suspected but wasnat certain I had succeeded.a Izzyas eyes rolled around in her head. aWh a wha a what?a She sat up as his meaning hit her. aWhat baby? What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?a He took a seat on the couch beside her drawn up legs. Leaning toward her, he rested a hand on her knee. She slapped it until he pulled it away.

He frowned. aI gave you a baby.a aNo h.e.l.l you didnat.a He looked perplexed. aWhy do you yell?a aNo reason. I just like yelling when I hear news like that. How the f.u.c.k could you get me pregnant? I put a condom on you myself. If it comes to that, how could you even tell?a aIf I choose to go through a barrier, I can. It matters not where that barrier lies.a Izzy swallowed and touched her stomach. The image of Raphael pa.s.sing through the door without any trouble flashed in her mind. She felt queasy.

aAnd the pregnancy thing? Howad you know that?a aMy enemy found you. The change has already begun. My seed has taken root in your belly. He could smell my child within you, as can I.a Changes? Baby? Smells? Izzyas head pounded. She ma.s.saged her temples. aWhat about this guy?a she asked abruptly, her heart clenching in sudden fear. aIs he going to come hunt me down?a aNo. I killed him.a aYou what?a she screamed, leaping up from the couch.

He looked at her in surprise. aI could not let him live. He would only have returned, again and again until he killed me. I did not particularly want to die so I killed him.a aJesus f.u.c.king Christ! Whatad you do with the body? Did you leave it there? Are the police going to be hunting you? Or coming here to my apartment?a He gave her a look--as if she should know better than that. aThat is forbidden. Humans are not allowed to know of our existence and they would certainly know if we left bodies lying around. I placed it and the head inside your conveyance until I could heal myself and dispose of it.a aIt--and his head?a Izzy asked weakly, feeling faint and nauseated. aYouare saying--you didnat even have a weapon.a aI used his sword to cut off his head. That is the only way to kill an Elumi.a She stared at him in dismay. Slowly, something head said a few moments earlier turned in her mind and produced a fresh shock. aMy conveyance? My car?a Izzy wilted onto the couch again, fanning her face to keep from blacking out. aPlease tell me youare not serious. Am I on Scare Tactics? Candid Camera from h.e.l.l?a He held his side. She could see blood seeping through his fingers and her stomach clenched in sympathetic pain despite the insulation of her shock. He grimaced. aI could not leave it lying there. The laws aside, the others would a.s.suredly find me. As a matter of fact, I do not believe you should venture out until a suitable period of time has pa.s.sed. When the babe has consciousness it will be able to protect itself from detection.a aOthers? Thereas more of you?a He nodded. aMany Fallen.a A surreal horror engulfed her, mingling with sympathy. She could see he was badly hurt, but d.a.m.n his hide. She didnat need this s.h.i.+t.

aOkay, the first thing we need to do is get rid of the body while itas still dark a and before it starts stinking up my car. Then Iall take care of your wounds. You stay here and keep some pressure on them. I wonat be gone long.a He looked surprised and then disapproving. aI should go with you. You are too small to lift him and I do not want you to be alone--now.a She didnat know whether to laugh or cry that he was so worried about her when he was so weak he could hardly stand. Getting up decisively, she pushed him back, ignoring the smear of blue fluid on her brown leather couch. aNo. I mean it, Raphael. You stay here. Where Iam going, youall just be in the way. Think youall live until I get back?a He regarded her a long moment. aYes.a She nodded and went out to her car. There was nothing in the backseat. For a minute, she wondered if maybe head just been joking around, then she thought about the trunk. She popped it open.

Sure enough, there was the body.

Izzy gagged and slammed it shut, then ran back inside. Raphael sat up and gave her a quizzical look.

aYouare coming with me. No way am I touching that thing.a * * * *

By the time they got back from the swamp, it was nearing dawn. Raphael had pitched the head into the bog like a quarterback throwing a football. Head also easily disposed of the body. The dumping was comical in a grotesque kind of way. Almost as soon as he had launched the body into the bayou, a gator had bellowed and dragged the carca.s.s deep into the water--which was good, because she hadnat thought about bringing something along to weigh it down. She wasnat really in a state of mind to think about forensic evidence and the practicalities of weighing someone down so they wouldnat float to the top of the water.

Normally, she thought she wouldave been sick over the whole episode. She supposed it was the fact that the body wasnat human that allowed her to cope with it. The blue blood looked more like paint than actual blood. Or maybe it was because it simply hadnat seemed real at all? Shead always been a horror buff, so seeing a dead body seemed more like a bad gore movie than something real. Surreal, actually.

Or maybe it was because shead just had so many shocks already that she couldnat take in any more?

She was a nervous wreck by the time they got back to her apartment and exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, she still had to tend to Raphaelas wounds.

The first thing she got him to do was bathe in tepid water. He hissed initially at the coolness of the water as it struck his wounds, but fell silent and grim faced after a few seconds. She closed the door then cleaned up the couch and laid out a sheet and pillow for him, then gathered what medicinal supplies she could find--mostly band-aids and rubbing alcohol.

She was digging under the sink to see if shead stuck some peroxide under it when something touched her a.s.s.

She jumped, grazed her head on the lip of the cabinet, and knocked over three half empty bottles of cleaner. aOw.a She gave him a look. aYouave got to stop a uh a whereas the big towel I put out for you?a Izzy looked up his gleaming wet body, standing above her like the Colossus of Rhodes. Water trickled down his thighs and calves and streamed in rivulets down the ripples of his belly, accentuating every lovely, muscled inch. His long black hair hung in thick, saturated locks around his shoulders, with tiny tendrils clinging to his forehead and cheeks. He had a small towel draped around his hips like a short Roman skirt, barely covering his groin area from her view.

aIs something wrong?a he asked, clutching his wounded side.

Izzy snapped out of her stupor. aNo. Nothing. Everythingas fine. Letas get you a uh a wrapped up.a She went back to the bathroom, grabbed the big towel, then draped it around his shoulders and pushed him down into a seat at the kitchen table. Now that he was clean--and naked--she could see his wounds werenat nearly as bad as shead thought. What shead thought were bruises must have been dirt, because there was no discoloration on his skin anywhere other than around the half dozen cuts, and those looked more like scratches. They were already healing. The gash in his side was the worst, and it had stopped bleeding. It probably needed st.i.tches, but even if shead thought she could stomach doing something like st.i.tching him up she didnat keep a needle and thread. She dabbed alcohol on his wounds, surprised that he didnat flinch since it had always burned the c.r.a.p out of her. When she was satisfied shead disinfected everything, she folded up some paper towels and taped them to his side with half a box of band-aids.

Izzy rubbed her tired eyes and straightened from her crouch at his legs. aOkay. You get to sleep on the couch. Iam headed for bed.a She walked to her bedroom door and stopped to look at him. aDo not disturb. Got it?a She didnat wait for an answer. She shut her door, locked it and then crawled into bed, praying that everything that had happened had just been one freaky nightmare.

It had been a very long time since Raphael had felt the elation of victory over an enemy. This was not because he had managed to avoid battle, or because he had lost his enjoyment of a good fight. It was because there had ceased, after a time, to seem to be any real point in it.

Tonight, however, he had protected his woman, and the sense of success and pride in his accomplishment had only been slightly leavened by the wounds he had sustained in his efforts. As the wounds healed and his strength began to return, his elation over his triumph had sent his blood to surging through his body, arousing his need to reaffirm his link with Isabel--his life companion, who had proven to him tonight that she was his in every sense of the word.

She had tried to protect him--just as an Elumi woman would have fought to protect her mate. He was so proud of her he could barely contain his pride, more so than he would have been if she had been Elumi, for she was so tiny and delicate, so fragile, and yet she had been brave, fearless in the face of death. She had not counted the cost to herself, not considered her lack of skill or strength in battling such a one as the warrior of Garyn.

He had adored her from the first, relished her beauty, her gentleness, her soft body and her glorious scent. Those things alone were enough to enslave his heart, but she was a far more wondrous creature than he had imagined. She was perfection. She was a G.o.ddess.

His G.o.ddess.

A hand slid up her thigh, roaming around and up her a.s.s cheeks to her lower back.

Izzy groaned and kicked backward, burying her face in the pillow against the bright morning light.

Not only was Raphael not human, but he didnat know how to follow simple directions.

aUnnnnhh. Go away,a she growled, her voice m.u.f.fled by the pillow.

A second hand followed the first, ma.s.saging her b.u.t.tocks, her lower back, up her spinal column. The covers fell off, exposing her skin to the cool air-conditioning. Gooseb.u.mps skipped along her spine.

Heat fluttered low in her belly, forcing her mind to awaken.

af.u.c.k off,a she groaned, attempting to roll away.

He caught her before she could escape, laying a leg across the backs of her thighs, an arm around her waist. He kissed the nape of her neck. aI would like to f.u.c.k you,a he murmured.

Izzy craned her head back to look at him out of the corner of her eye. aThatas so romantic.a aThank you. I am growing accustomed to human speech.a She chortled.

She felt him smile against her skin just before his tongue swiped the back of her neck. He nipped her earlobe with his teeth, sending shockwaves of pleasure down her neck.

aIam tired and want to get some sleep. Iam not in the mood, okay?a She was a sort of a but she wasnat about to let him know that. The man really was incorrigible.