Divinity: The Gathering: Book One (61 page)

“Glow? What are you talking about?” I narrowed my eyes at her innocently and continuing to play the game.

“I think you know. Your eyes glow…” She began.

“Alright, surf and turf and the rosemary lamb.” We both heard the waitress say loud enough to garner our attention from out here on the balcony.

              I glanced over my shoulder, and then we both headed back inside as the waitress, along with help from another waiter, set the serving tray down beside our table. They began placing our appetizing dishes onto the table next, by which of us ordered what.

“On second thought, can we get this to go?” I then stated with a glance over at Star.

She looked at me with those big, beautiful dark blue eyes in both surprise and curiosity, but I noted that she made no attempt at a counter against it either, because she knew why I was requesting to take the food to go.

“Oh, okay…sure not a problem.” The waitress replied with feigned cheerfulness.

I glanced at my watch, not sure I cared to make note of the time. It was going on eight forty two now. Though the waitress had given a quick, curt nod, and both an envious and jealous glance at Star with a pressed lipped smile, her overall expression conveyed both disappointment and  a: ‘I was wondering when you two would decide to get a room’ look between

the both of us.

              The smell of steak, lobster and the lamb was potent, and wafted into the front from the backseat while I drove down the curving road towards the farmhouse.

We needed privacy.

She was asking questions, she wanted answers and I just wanted…her.

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“My place,” I told her.

She paused and licked her lips
, and I heard her inhale deeply and then exhale with apprehension, “I take it you want privacy for a reason then. I might have given you the wrong idea about me. I’m not that kind of girl…I mean I don’t usually behave in that way.” She then told me.

“So you’re a tease?” I smirked.

She seemed offended, “No. At least, I don’t believe I am.” She then said.

I laughed a bit, “You are.” I said softly.

              She pursed her lips and shot me a glare, knowing I was only messing with her. She was growing hip to my sense of humor, I liked that.

I smirked and glanced over at her this time, “Are you afraid to be alone with me?” I told her.

She took a moment before answering, “Should I be?” She then asked.

I
laughed a bit, “It depends on what frightens you I guess.” I smiled at her.

She gave me a wry look and then chewed her lip again
, gazing out of the window at the blur of dark trees whizzing by for a moment, before fixating her eyes straight ahead again.           “Were you the one who left the feather in my room?” She then asked softly.

             
This time my pulse raced. I couldn’t deny or confirm it, so how would I respond?

She was looking over at me now, expectant and patient.

Now, she didn’t ask if it was my feather, she simply asked me if I had left the feather.

“Yes.” I admitted.

Her brows furrowed, “When and how did you get in? And, why a feather?” She then asked.

“Feathers are used for luck and protection. That’s why the Indians use them in dream catchers, dream catchers are supposed to catch the bad dreams.” I coolly lied.

Her face then turned into confusion, and she gave a questioning look this time.

“Did…did you clean up my room too?” She then asked.

I licked my lips this time. No way to lie about that one.

“You’re a slob.” I then said.

Her mouth dropped in disbelief, and I don’t know if it was because she was offended by that or she found it weird and scary…or both.

             
There was another long pause, but she was clearly thinking about things that have happened and now.

“How did you get in?” She asked, turning her e
ntire body towards me in her seat now, her back against the passenger door.

My jaw worked, I couldn’t tell her
, and lying about that would be pointless and ridiculous.

She spoke again, “The picture China took, there’s an outline of something behind you. It looks like wings to me.” She then said.

Now that piqued my attention and interest. I hadn’t even looked at the photo yet.

That couldn’t have been possible…well, not po
ssible for a normal person to see, but at the same time I was still shocked that the image of my wings had been caught on an electronic imagery device. Had they been out still? I felt like an idiot, the equivalent of not realizing your zipper was down, and having someone else point it out to you.

“Wings?” I repeated.

“As in…angel wings. I mean I guess it could just be a random shadow that looks like it, and this probably sounds silly, but I need to know because I think I already know what you are.” She then said.

I remained silent
, thinking of how I was going to explain that one off as I gave her a sidelong glance to await her next question, all the while not realizing my grip on the steering wheel had tightened considerably and I was driving faster.

She
was going to realize what I was before I could have her the way I wanted her. I was going to have to end up killing her after all. She’d be too afraid or disgusted to be with or even around me, and that would leave her vulnerable for the others.

“It’s…your feather,
isn’t it?” She then asked softly, as her eyes flicked to my brandings, and then back to my face.

I looked over at her and sighed in
defeat internally. I wasn’t going to affirm that, but I somehow believed that I wouldn’t have to. My mere silence and lack of denial was all the answers she would need, she was an intelligent girl. I then turned my attention back to the road.

She paused for a long time this time
, and I wished I knew what was going through her mind right now given the way she was looking at me, and the sound of her quickening heartbeat.

At least
it wasn’t in fear or repugnance — yet.

“Are you going to answer any of my questions?” she then asked.

“I can’t.” I stated.

Her eyes widened at my simple reply
, but I think she took it just as she should have—affirmation that what she was asking, saying and thinking, were all correct so far.

“Even if I already know?” She then asked softly.

“What do you think you know?” I asked her.

There was momentary silence.

“You don’t smell like or look like the others I’ve seen at all. I don’t get sick to my stomach around you, and your feather is still pure white but…” she then deduced.

I waited for the beat of a few seconds as I exhaled slowly.

“But what?” I replied.

“Drake is th
e angel, isn’t he?” She finally concluded.

             
I could literally feel my spirit breaking at the fact that she did know. Saying it aloud was much different that her simply knowing it, and I felt anger, shame, regret and sorrow all weighing down upon me at once.

We weren’t far from the farmhouse, maybe about
a mile or so, but I pulled the car over to the shoulder and parked the car anyway. She instantly tensed, keeping her eyes on me cautiously.

“Why are you pulling over?” She then asked.

I looked at her then, unsure of what I wanted to say.

             
The rules had long since been broken, but I hadn’t been the one to do it. And I technically never revealed to her directly what I was at any given time.

Drakael’s voice entered my head just then, i
nstantly pissing me off. He had his nerve to not only be watching us, but to have to gall to speak to me telepathically — and now of all times.

“
Don’t you dare do it
.
You’ve gotten away with quite enough already.”
He warned.

“Screw you! She’s already called you out as you’ve just heard. I told you she would figure you out soon.”

Good, if he was still watching now, then he would watch me kill her too, just like I had wanted.

“You don’t seem afraid,” I said softly
, while eyeing and listening to the vicinity around us for Drakael or any other being for that matter.

“I am afraid
, but not of you.” She then answered.

             
Her response shocked me, and I looked at her curiously to gauge just how serious she was. Her heart beat hadn’t increased and her posture remained somewhat relaxed…she was telling the truth about that.

“Then maybe you really don’t know or unde
rstand what I am.” I told her.

She leaned forward a bit with a s
erious expression as she regarded me and that statement, “Well, I know what you’re not. The fact that you haven’t tried to drag me off to some portal, tried to physically hurt or kill me and that you’ve been protecting me all this time from all of those others…tells me you’re nothing that defines a demon. You’re fallen, but not a demon, at least not to me. Aren’t you the one that told me that in the first place? There being a difference in the two? We all make mistakes but if we never get the chance to redeem ourselves, what’s the point in trying to ever do the right thing? You used to be an angel, I thought God was forgiveness?” She then said in questioning awe.                                               I smiled, “It’s a bit more complicated than that.” I told her, and it was. It wasn’t for her to understand or know especially right now.

“It shouldn’t be,” She shook her head
, as if refusing to accept that as universal law.

I know knew why she was so special, why she had been chosen to become a divine warrior. Her spirit was the epitome of what they were supposed to be and represent
, not to mention her aura being similar to the first woman on the face of the Earth, the mother of all human beings.

I had a sudden fleeting thought in that r
egard but I quickly discounted it.

“I guess asking why you fell is out of the question then right?” She wanted to know.

I instantly tensed and clammed up. Even if I had been allowed to tell her everything, that part I wouldn’t have.

“It’s irrelevant.” I simply said with chagrin.

I turned to face her, and in a flash my feelings of benevolence and pure lust towards her were replaced by something deeper…more profound, yet formidable and way stronger than lust itself had ever been to me since I had fallen.

I was truly in love with her. The deep sorrow of knowing that she would soon die and never know me again except to hate me after this night was beginning to well up inside of me.

At the same time, I was frustrated now…I couldn’t kill her even if it would save her... not anymore.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted towards me, leaning over the console between the seats.

“
Cam`ael!”
Drakael’s voice warned again.

Her delicate soft, cool hand embraced my cheek and she licked her lips before they softly met mine.

“
She already knows what we both are, the rules have already been broken, conditions no longer apply and she kissed me first.”
I answered back.

“It’s almost ten
.” He replied.

“
Thanks for the update
.” I simply said.

With that I shut him out
, and pulled her to me more firmly; focusing my full attention and effort into the kiss I’d waited so long for.

             
Her lips were soft, like delicate fresh rose petals and her lip gloss was both sweet and minty as I nibbled and suckled her bottom lip. I eagerly probed between her lips with my tongue, searching for hers but her soft, agile tongue met mine before I got the opportunity. She moaned into my mouth, fueling the lust in me once again, but I wrestled more control over it this time. This time it had been easier. I wasn’t about to ruin and defile her, being that she was a chosen.

I caressed her jaw, her cheek and her throat, running my fingers through her gorgeous curls. She was pure and sweet and it was l
ike sucking the fresh dew from the flesh of a peeled, ripe succulent peach. I hungrily devoured her mouth, tongue and all, as if it were a rare delicacy. It was a bittersweet reward, and all I would ever get to savor of and from her on this night.

“
Cam`ael, where are you? I thought you’d be at the farmhouse.”
It was Edanai’s voice cutting into my mind.

I opted to ignore and block her out too
, but there was urgency in her voice that had me concerned considering the concert tonight.

“
Lousy timing.”
I spat.

“
What’s that supposed to mean?”
She asked slyly.

“
What is it?”
I answered back in agitation.

“
I can sense you nearby…are you with…”

“Yes, what is it? What’s going on at the co
ncert?”
I cut in.

“Nothing major yet
, but there is a hell of a lot of activity, something big is going to happen for sure but that’s not what I wanted to tell you.”
Edanai began.

“
Say it already, I’m in the middle of something.”
I replied irritated.

She paused.

“I hope for your sake it isn’t her legs.”
She stated flatly.

“Get on with it Edanai.”
I urged in annoyance.

“I found out what Toraen is
, and it’s a shame on us that we didn’t know. It’s not a name…it’s a word.”
She began.

“
A word? What word?”
I asked with interest.

“It’s
Hulzaectic, it means…Traitor.”
Edanai then said.

“Traitor?”
I repeated.

“Yep.”

Of course! How could I have forgotten one of the original languages of the dark fallen? Hulzaectic was one of many first languages of the Demons. No wonder I had never heard of another legion by a fallen with that name! I pulled away from Star abruptly, not meaning to seem rude or as if I didn’t want to sit here all night and make love to her mouth with my own.

She looked at me with a questioning gaze.

“What’s the matter?” Star asked.

“Nothing,” I assured her
, caressing her lip and her cheek gently.

“I’ll see you at the concert.”
I told her.

“You’re going after all? What do you think it means? Surely not Morning Star; we already know what he is.”
She asked.

“Toraen is in reference to someone and no it isn’t Morning Star. See you in a bit and be careful
.” I then said.

              Star shifted in her seat and watched me before pulling me by my shirt towards her and kissing me again.

For a virgin she certainly kissed like a whore…too much more of this
, and I’d lose what little bit of self-control I had left and jump her bones.

I kissed her tenderly again.

When we broke she licked her lips and sighed, “This is probably so wrong, but it doesn’t feel wrong. I mean I shouldn’t be…” She whispered.

I pushed a curl from her face.

“No, you shouldn’t be, and I don’t want to mark or ruin you,” I finished for her knowing what she was about to say. I didn’t want to hear her say it. That she knew she shouldn’t be kissing a demon and feeling this way about one, because by virtue and the Bible, I was pure evil; a being of the darkness to be destroyed, shunned and hated.

“With a kiss?” She smiled.

“The way you kiss makes me want to do things to you that would warrant you needing to scrub your soul clean. I already want you,” I confessed with a half grin.

Her mouth fell open with surp
rise as she raised both brows, and her face began to redden with curious desire.

“Scrub my soul clean?” She asked.

“And baptized,” I smirked to simply leave it at that.

She pursed her full lips in a sexy pout and eyed me.

“If you’re trying to make me believe you’re foul and perverse just because you’re a fallen — try another route.” She then said with a smirk.

I looked over at her enjoying the fact that she wasn’t fazed by my humor.

“Foul? I’m actually offended by that.” I told her.

She laughed, “No. You actually smell very good to me.” She then said
, biting her bottom lip.

I cast a sideways look at her when she did and I licked my own lips, shaking my head with a grin.

“And I bet you taste as good as you smell to me.” I told her while flicking my eyes down the length of her body. I was serious about that one.