Infernal Father of Mine (6 page)

She doesn't recognize
me?

"He's my servant," David said, voice smooth,
even as he cuffed me on the back of my head. "I must apologize. The
lackwit doesn't understand he cannot speak unless spoken to." My
father snapped his fingers. "Keep your mouth shut, boy." His eyes
flared with warning.

I backed away, bowing apologetically like I'd
seen a dancing monkey do after someone put a quarter in its little
red hat.

"Now, where were we?" David said. He reached
out as if to touch Daelissa, but the circle prevented his hand from
crossing.

"What is it?" she said, face
blushing.

"Your servant put a barrier between me and your
beauty," he said. "I long so much to feel the warmth of your fair
cheek beneath my hand. To feel your supple lips press against
mine."

"You do?" she said, sounding like a girl on a
first date. "You have changed your mind?"

"My heart has never wavered, my sweet Daelissa.
My mind, likewise, never thought differently. Necessity and fate
tore choice from my grasp and made a poor life for me." He took in
a deep shuddering breath. "Lovesick, I yearned for your fair sight,
but lost hope as centuries passed I would ever see such beauty
again."

"Oh, Davidius," she said, a tear sparkling in
her eye. "I knew your heart chose me, and not Alysea. The others
corrupted your mind. But now we can have what should have been ours
millennia ago."

Millennia?

Holy French fries in a milkshake. How old was
my dad?

"It is my dream, fairest of the fair," David
said. "Everything is but dust and ashes without your beauty." He
pressed a hand to his heart. "I feel naught but lovesick in your
absence."

Daelissa heaved a longing sigh. "I knew you
loved me then." She twirled like a princess. Her silky white dress
flared wide. She stopped, looked at him. "Then and
forevermore."

A longing growl escaped David's throat. "Were
it not for this barrier, I would take you now, my love." He ran his
hand down the invisible shield, sighing with such longing I thought
he might burst into tears of pure testosterone.

"Make it so," she said, raising a
hand.

"Help!" a man screamed. Two Exorcists dragged
him into the sanctuary by a chain manacled around his neck. "Who
are you crazy people? Help!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Daelissa cried,
teeth bared like a lioness ready to pounce.

"We have found another of the pure ones,
blessed Divinity," said one of the Exorcists. His face blanched
when he saw the expression on her face. "Montjoy said you desired
sustenance, holy one."

I noticed David's eyes flare with something
akin to alarm. "Foolish servants," he said, slashing a hand through
the air. "We will have our fill of each other first, my love. Then
you can have your way with this food."

The angel's eyes turned back to him, widening
as if suddenly remembering their conversation. "Leave the human
chained here. I will feed after I have my love."

A smile touched David's lips. "Already do the
flames of desire taunt me unto madness, most desirable of women.
Loose me from these confines so I may taste your sweet
skin."

"Oh, yes," Daelissa said, raising her
hand.

"Almighty Divinity," Montjoy said, peeking
around the corner of the partition to the right of the sanctuary.
"I regret the intrusion, but this pure specimen will soon expire
unless you use him now."

"Suffice it to wait!" she screamed, fists
balled, face red like a girl throwing a tantrum.

He offered a forced smile. "I do not wish fear
to pollute the specimen's purity."

Daelissa flung out a hand toward the chained
man. His body jerked, hands flying straight out toward the angel.
White tendrils flowed from each digit, streaming into Daelissa's.
He made a horrible moaning wail, splitting the air with a cry
wavering between pain and pleasure.

I grimaced and clamped hands over my ears so I
wouldn't have to listen to the animalistic sounds tearing from the
poor man's throat.

David clenched his teeth and glared at Montjoy.
The Exorcist narrowed his eyes, lips widening in a greasy
smile.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"She's borderline insane unless she feeds," he
said. "Montjoy just brought her back from la-la land."

White light blazed in Daelissa's eyes. She made
a soft moaning sound as the man's skin writhed with dark veins.
Smoky shadows roiled from his body, and his eyes rolled up until
only the whites remained visible. With a croaking scream, he
collapsed to the floor. The angel shivered, and gasped. She turned
toward us, skin suffused with an alabaster glow. Her eyes
narrowed.

"Davidius Slade," she hissed, voice crackling
with fury. "You tried to fool me."

David sighed and shrugged as if pissing off the
crazed angel was no big deal. I backed away slowly.

The movement caught her eyes. "Justin Slade."
She spat the words. White fire filled Daelissa's palms. Without
hesitation, she hurled the crackling infernos at me. They splashed
against the magical barrier, dissipating with loud
whooshes.

Montjoy appeared behind her. "I did not realize
Slade was meeting his son, but I captured both for you."

"You did well," Daelissa said, glaring at me,
another deadly inferno boiling in her hand. "You have made quite a
name for yourself, boy. But you failed to fulfill Foreseeance
Forty-Three Eleven. Your sister is the Cataclyst, and she is still
loyal to me and my servant, Conroy."

Apparently, Jeremiah hadn't told the angel the
truth about Ivy's current whereabouts. I didn't even know what to
think about this Cataclyst business. Another Seraphim had referred
to me as the Cataclyst—someone who would bring about great change.
I decided it would be a bad idea to correct Daelissa.

"I may have failed," I said, trying to come up
with something to get her off track, "but you still won't
succeed."

Her fiery eyes narrowed. "You are still the
blood of Alysea. Perhaps you can help me." She made a tutting
noise. "Unfortunately, Ivy is too young, her voice not yet
mature."

Dad and I exchanged confused looks.

Mature voice? Does she want me to make prank
calls with her?
"I won't help you with anything," I
said.

The angel laughed. "Oh, but you will have no
choice."

"Would you prefer to kill the boy?" Montjoy
asked.

"Does it sound like I want to kill him?"
Daelissa shrieked. "You idiotic toad! We will banish him. Send word
to Serena and have someone waiting."

"See it is done," Montjoy said to one of the
Exorcists. The hooded figure scurried away. "Your Eminence, perhaps
we could send them to Kobol until Serena is ready to receive
them."

"I will not give them another chance to
escape." She flashed teeth at David. "Davidius is most
slippery."

The Exorcist who'd left the room a moment ago
returned. "It is done. She will be ready."

"Excellent," Daelissa said. "My mind will rest
easy with this abomination no longer soiling Eden's fair
lands."

"Why are you so intent on ruling again?" David
said. "The cost was staggering last time, Daelissa. With your
power, you could usher in a time of peace and serenity."

A low, growling laugh rose in Daelissa's
throat. A cold, malicious smile spread across her lips. "What good
is peace and serenity when there is no one to share it with, hm?"
She paced outside the ring, eyes never leaving David. "You, of
course, have someone. You chose her over me, I might remind
you."

"I'm sorry—"

She cut him off with a slash of her hand. "Tell
me, Davidius, and tell me true. What does Alysea have that I do
not? Am I not more powerful? More beautiful?"

"You are the fairest of all," Montjoy
exclaimed.

Daelissa backhanded him across the floor, and
continued to speak as though she'd just swatted a fly. "I offered
you the world. I offered you myself, and you
refused me
."
Her last words emerged in an angry hiss.

"There was never a choice," David
said.

Her blonde eyebrows rose. "What do you
mean?"

"My choice never wavered from Alysea." He
shrugged. "I thought I could stop your mad conquest with deceit and
treachery. I failed."

"Lies!" Daelissa screamed. "You are lying to
me. I know you loved me. Alysea poisoned your mind against me." A
bright glow formed around her body. The air shimmered with heat.
Any nearby Exorcists backed away, eyes wide.

"Maybe we could get you a subscription to an
online dating site," I suggested, figuring the situation was far
beyond reason at this point. "I'll bet there are plenty of guys
looking for an angel who's into world domination."

"Enough!" Daelissa screeched. One of the wooden
pews behind her smoldered. She spun to Montjoy who was only just
now recovering his wits after the blow she'd dealt him. "Begin the
ritual, you lazy swine. I want these two banished and in my service
immediately."

"Y-yes," Montjoy said, staggering to his feet
and promptly falling flat on his face. "Gather the others for the
ritual," he shouted at the Exorcist he'd sent on the errand earlier
as the other man helped his boss to his feet.

"Talk about melodramatic," I said with an
offhanded wave of my hand. "Banishment doesn't sound so bad as long
as I don't have to see either of you two again."

"I assure you it will not be pleasant, boy."
Daelissa's eyes flicked to David. "Do you see what choosing Alysea
has cost you, Davidius?"

"I'd say it spared me your constant bitching,"
he said.

"Fool!" Daelissa shouted. "We could have united
our kingdoms and ruled together. You squandered it all for a silly
girl whose fondness for these animals"—she indicated the still form
of the drained human behind her—"cost us everything!"

"You," David said in a calm voice, "are a
crazy, maniacal bitch."

"Quoted for truth," I said.

Daelissa's eyes flashed. "Your precious wife
may be out of my reach for now, but I still have your daughter well
in hand."

Thank god she doesn't know the
truth.

David tensed, whether for show or because he
didn't remember I'd told him about Ivy living with me, I didn't
know.

"She will do anything for her Aunt Daelissa."
The angel sneered.

David blew out a breath. "You think if I cared
about her I wouldn't have taken her from you already?"

"She is your daughter," Daelissa
said.

"She was a mistake," he said back in a flippant
voice. "I gladly let the Conroys take her."

My stomach clenched at hearing his words. Did
he really mean it, or was it a ruse?

"I knew you were cold when you spurned my love,
Davidius." She arched a blonde eyebrow. "I see now you still care
only for yourself with one exception." Her lips curled into a
sinister smile. "Alysea, the dimwitted little fool, somehow touched
your heart. You may not care for your daughter, but she
does."

"What's your point?" David said.

"I can use Ivy to draw Alysea into the open."
The angel tapped a finger to her lips. "While you waste away in
exile, I will find and kill Alysea." Her lips peeled in an ugly
smile. "I welcomed the pathetic creature back after the Conroys
found her. She repaid me with yet another betrayal. I will enjoy
tearing off her wings."

My father shrugged. "What makes you think I
care? Do you really think I'd arrange to marry one of my own kind
if I cared at all for Alysea?"

Daelissa bared her teeth. "You are obviously
once again using your talents as you used them against me." She
looked at Montjoy. "Proceed."

David clenched his fists, even though his face
remained passive. Desperation filled me. Daelissa didn't appear to
know Ivy was living with me, but if she managed to contact Ivy and
lure her into a meeting, I wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.
Where are they sending us?

Exorcists filed into the room, some of them
limping from the previous battle with the possessed and that blue
smoke from my father. Without a word, they formed a circle around
the silver ring. Montjoy took his place atop the tall podium, the
effort of climbing so many stairs causing him to huff and puff with
each step. He reached the top and took a moment to catch his
breath.

"Better stop with the fried foods," I said,
trying to think of some way to delay this banishment. If we could
only stop it for a day, it might give Elyssa time to realize
something was wrong and find us.

Daelissa backed away a few paces. "I will enjoy
this."

I had a distinct feeling I would not. "Can't we
talk about it?" I tried to smile. "Daelissa, I know we haven't
always gotten along, but deep down inside, I think you're probably
a really cool person."

Her upper lip curled into a sneer. "Shut your
mouth, pathetic worm."