Broken Butterflies (13 page)

“You’ll never have her, Azriel,” Bram said, moving his nose back into place and spitting blood.

“We’ll see about that,” he screamed. I have a contract to fill!” He then disappeared.

“Why did he call him Azriel?” Ilisha wondered aloud to herself.

Bram’s imaginary room turned back into white nothingness. He opened his eyes and sat up in bed, almost knocking Ilisha over.

“What’s happening?” she asked frantically.

“Just had a conversation with Damon.”

“What?” Ilisha’s head furrowed in forced confusion.

“He came into my dreams again and this time it got physical.”

“I saw your nose slide to the side of your face.” Ilisha’s eyes were worried.

Bram turned his head to the specks of silver blood in the pillow.

“Fun, isn’t he?” Bram stuck his finger in his mouth and winced as he yanked a blood-stained tooth out.

Ilisha ran down the stairs and got an ice pack. By the time she got back, he stood in the bathroom in front of the mirror. He spit the rest of the blood out and threw cold water unto his face. Ilisha handed him the ice, but his face already looked normal, and beautiful.

She ran her fingers over his cheek and said, “If he can inflict pain in a dream, can he kill you?”

“No. That’s why he chooses to confront me there. A Death Maker has no power to kill me in the subconscious.” His eyes met hers. “He’s just tormenting me.”

“But he’ll kill me,” she whispered.

“I told you, I won’t let him have you.”

Bram extended his massive, white wings. They furrowed and twitched at the relief. Ilisha wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. The wings wrapped around, surrounding her in velvet. She looked up and kissed Bram’s chin.

“I think it’s time to get with Father John,” Bram said.

“Why?”

“Because he can help me.”

Ilisha kissed him again before stripping down and jumping in the shower. As she looked back through the shower glass, Bram’s eyes scanned her fondly, taking a few seconds to admire her before climbing in.

He ran his fingers down her back, and her skin erupted in goose bumps. A feeling of euphoria filled her. Bram turned her around, bringing her close to him. He buried his head in her wet hair and hummed softly, swaying.

“You’re everything I never knew I wanted,” she replied.

“I have to admit your outlook on relationships was pretty grim.”

“What does that mean?” She stepped back a little.

“You just assumed every guy will step out on you. You gave way to compliance, accepting it for fact that relationships can’t work the traditional way.”

“I was never proven otherwise.”

“And now?”

“I would have never told you I love you if I thought you would be the same. I feel alive around you, almost like I can feel every nerve in my body firing when you touch me.”

She wrapped herself around him, her lips meeting his. As he brought her up to his hips their bodies combined. Ilisha inhaled deep, loving the feel of him. Her lips ran over his, parting them with her tongue. Bram turned off the water and walked her to the bed. As she hit the mattress he whispered, “My heart only beats for you.”

Ilisha kissed him, frantic for more, tears pooling in her eyes. Bram cupped her breasts, moving his mouth to take them in. In response Ilisha arched her back and laid her head back. He took his time with her, stopping when necessary to ensure her pleasure. Afterwards, they showered again and left to see Father John.

Behind a vale of trees sat a cobblestone church. It was tiny in comparison to modern churches. The front doors took up most of the front of the building. Bram shoved them open and they creaked eerily. Just inside the door was a fount of Holy Water. Five rows of pews separated by an aisle ran to the front of the room. Two small confessional booths sat to the side. The wood looked as though it would crumble under the slightest touch. There were carvings of angels on top of each door, laden with red velvet in the windows. Along the ceiling were carvings of gargoyles. They each had a different face, but all were posed as if they would launch themselves from the walls. Pigeons cooed in the rafters, randomly flying in and out an opening in the roof. It was cold and silent.

“This place is just wrong,” Ilisha said quietly.

Just as she gripped Bram’s hand, a middle aged man appeared from the shadows. She expected to see him in a black suit and white clerical collar; instead he wore jeans and button down shirt. He was slightly balding, with sporadic gray hair. Walking with a casual gate, his hands in his front pockets, he smiled.

“This must be Ilisha.” He held out his hand to shake hers.

“Hi,” was all she could say. Her eyes darted around the creepy building.

“This used to be a Catholic church. It has sense fallen into disrepair. Don’t let it get to you,” Father John said sitting on a pew.

Bram and Ilisha followed.

“So what’s up?”

“I have a problem with her death maker. This seems to go beyond a normal death sentence,” Bram started.

A pigeon swooped down from the ceiling and Ilisha yelped.

“Let’s take a walk, shall we.” John got up and walked to the back of the church. The door opened up into the forest. “You knew this wouldn’t be easy.”

“I’m telling you this is different.” Bram insisted.

“As soon as they found out you loved her it started. What do you expect out of a prideful demon?”

Ilisha piped up. “Excuse me? What does that mean, Father?” she said not knowing how to address someone of religion.

He smiled. “Call me John.”

She nodded and waited for an answer.

“A death maker doesn’t like to lose and you chose to trust Bram that day. He’s been following you for quite some time.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this?” Ilisha asked Bram.

“Because I didn’t think you wanted to know a demon has been stalking you, every minute of everyday these last few years.”

Ilisha swallowed hard. “Even...” Ilisha pictured the grotesque demon watching her have sex with her ex-boyfriend.

Bram cut her off. “Yes.”

“Excuse me.” Ilisha put her hand to her mouth and ran behind a tree. She dry heaved a few times before spitting up acid and the glass of milk she had drank.

Bram’s hand rubbed her back. She wiped her mouth on a leaf and got a piece of gum out of her bag.

“Talk about fricken sick,” she said disgust filling her eyes.

“Yes, but demons are on the perverse side.”

“Did he watch us this morning?”

“No, I would know if he was around, and besides, he wouldn’t want to watch me have you.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Bram took her hand and kissed her gently. “Come on, let’s figure this out.”

John was seated on a stump. “You’re on a slippery slope. You need to watch her at all times,” he warned.

“I need to know what he’s planning,” Bram said.

“I’ve been around for a while. I’m sure I can find something out.”

“Why did you fall, John?” Ilisha asked, and then felt bad. “Sorry. It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me.”

“It’s perfectly fine. I was under the rule of a corrupt king. His power overtook him. After I fell he ended up dying at the hand of his own son.” Bram stirred uneasy beside her, but John continued. “I couldn’t take the politics any longer, so I chose to live a life of freedom here, on earth. I had a difficult time when I came, so I decided to join the priests that help the fallen.”

“Do you ever wish you could go back?”

“Sometimes. I know our particular kingdom is in a better place now, but you can never go back if you fall.”

“Sorry, I’m still new to all this. Kingdoms?”

Bram spoke this time. “The Heavens are endless. They are divided up into many kingdoms that are under the rule of a royal family. Even angels get out of line.”

“Do they become demons?”

“Sometimes. Other times they are just cast out to join the fallen. Depends on how wicked they are,” Bram added.

John turned back to the subject at hand. “I’ll find out what I can. You stay safe.”

Bram gave John knuckles, “You too.”

Ilisha felt numb as they walked back to the car.

“Are you okay?” Bram asked opening the door.

“No, but what can I do about it?”

It was time for Ilisha’s first shift at the hospital. She would be on the graveyard shift, which she preferred.

“I’ll stay invisible, but I’m not leaving you,” Bram warned.

“Great, now I have a baby sitter.”

He took her chin in his hand and brought her eyes up to his. “It’s not like that.”

“I know, but it’s just so ridiculous that you need to watch me all the time like some child that could drown.”

“I don’t mean to smother you, I’m sorry.”

“I know it’s necessary, but that doesn’t mean I particularly like it.”

Bram kissed her and walked her out to the car. He stood on the sidewalk as she drove away. Ilisha looked in the rearview mirror just as he disappeared leaving only an empty sidewalk.

The sun was setting when Ilisha parked the car and walked in. Rich was sitting behind the nurses’ station working on computer charts.

“Hey! Big day. Glad to see ya,” he said smiling.

“Thanks.”

Ilisha wheeled up a chair beside him. “So where do we start?”

She looked around the E.R. taking in her new surroundings while Rich finished typing. When he hit his last key he turned and said, “And now, let’s go on a tour.”

Ilisha followed as he walked her to various supply closets, and around the entire hospital. “Here is the lab and blood bank.” He pointed to a guy in a lab coat with a stool sample. “And that’s Marcus.”

Marcus held up the cup full of feces waving. Ilisha smiled and waved back.

“He likes his stool,” she said chuckling.

“That he does.” They continued walking. “Down this hall is the x-ray, and MRI.” He waved with his hand as if she knew the drill.

The computer charting system was pretty ancient. “Wow,” Ilisha said when she realized it was DOS based.

“Yeah, we don’t keep up with technology very well.”

The radio crackled to life with a call from the local EMT’s. They were transporting a suicide attempt. He had taken two entire bottles of Tylenol PM. Ilisha rolled her eyes.

“What, no sympathy?” Rich asked smiling.

“Um, no.”

Seconds later the siren could be heard.

“Let’s do this,” Rich said.

Doctor Vandor was on duty and he grabbed a pair of gloves. The nurses followed suit and waited for the patient to be wheeled in. Rich directed Ilisha and she grabbed the charcoal treatment.

The man was fighting the EMT’s. “I didn’t ask you to save me,” he yelled.

They transferred him to the hospital gurney and gave their report.

“We found these bottles beside him. He wouldn’t tell us how long ago he ingested, but from the way he’s acting I’d say it wasn’t longer than fifteen minutes. His ID said Jimmy Regan, which his girlfriend confirmed. She’s the one who called in the report and is being questioned by police.”

The EMT’s took one last set of vitals and transferred the patient to the hospital gurney.

“Thanks boys, we’ll take it from here,” Dr. Vandor said.

The Dr. turned to Jimmy. “Do you know where you are Jimmy?”

“Yeah, in hell!”

“Are you going to behave for us, young Jimmy?” the Dr. asked coyly.

“Kiss my ass!”

Vandor ordered a blood draw and sent it to the lab to get toxicity levels. Ilisha tried not to smile when they got the results. She had already started the treatment, but from the levels knew he would be swallowing a hell of a lot more
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