The Human Side (The Demon Side Series) (15 page)

As much as I wanted to chide her, I sensed a rift in the air of someone flashing in. Tightening my grip around her, I took us to Tristan’s house.

“Holy cow. That was awesome!” Etta exclaimed as we appeared in Tristan’s living room.

“Glad you enjoyed the cab ride.”

“Oh, don’t get your toga in a bunch. Where is it?” Etta said as she searched the top of every book on his bookshelf next to the fire place.

“Why are we here?” I asked when I noticed a trail of rose petals traveling from the front door up the stairs. The bastard thought he might get lucky with my girl after proposing to her. Demon or not, I wanted to rip his spine from his back right then.

“Had a special evening planned?” I shuffled through a stack of mail on a small stand next to the front door, acting as if I were helping her find whatever she’s looking for to help ease the knots in my stomach.

“Oh, those. Yeah. Tristan’s idea of being romantic.” She glanced at the petals and then turned back to her search.

“Does he do that a lot? Try to be romantic, I mean?” I shifted to look over at Etta, when I found her in front of me, hand drawn back. Snatching her wrist, I blocked the obvious threat of her slap, when without warning her other hand struck me across my cheek.

“If you want to know something, ask me. You of all people should know I’m not that kind of girl. And it’s that type of thought process that got us in this mess to begin with. You’d think you would have learned by now.”

The confusion back at her house was nothing compared to how clueless I was at this moment. How did I get us into this? It was Lucifer’s need for an heir that caused everything. And then, as if a ton of bricks had been loaded and fired from a catapult, it all hit me at once. The sense of familiarity, my deep connection to her, my undying love, the guilt I battle when I was near her, and her being drawn to me even as a Demon could only mean one thing.

But she can’t be
. No one had ever been released from Purgatory, not from lack of trying. A clause in the celestial laws prevented any soul being pardoned without Lucifer and Father agreeing on the release. Since they have never been able to come to an agreement, no one had ever gotten out.

But of course, they would both agree to release Abihail. Father would want her to have a chance to come home after being unjustly sent to Purgatory by me. Lucifer desperately needed Abihail, the Angel of Fertility to conceive an heir, even if it meant breeding with his own twin sister.

Chapter Eighteen

If Etta was truly Abihail, it might be that the veil had cracked so far that she not only remembered what had happened last year, but her life before birth. Could she be fully aware of our past and the happy centuries we spent together until I…I killed her?

Was that why she turned from my kiss? I had no trouble explaining my actions to Father, Michael and the rest of the Arches, but never did I think for a moment I would have to explain them to her. Even worse, I would have to ask for her forgiveness. The wrench in my gut caused me to collapse at the thought. Dizziness took over as bile rose in my throat. Unable to hold it back, the contents of my stomach spattered on a beautiful Persian throw rug.

“Are you okay?” Etta rushed beside me and put her hand against my back. Knowing I had been wrong before, I needed confirmation. My jaw quivered as I tried to sound out the syllables of her name.

“Abihail?” Feeling another round of vomit working its way up my throat, I quickly spit out her name before succumbing to a fit of dry heaves.

“Took you long enough. Heck, even I figured that out last time.” She calmly smiled as she rubbed my back through the heaves.

“How can you smile at me like Abihail after…after…?”

“Call me Etta. It’s better than Abihail. Abihail’s so…so biblical.”

“You’re cracking jokes?”

“Don’t mistake my smile and humor. You’re still in big trouble, but now isn’t the time for that. Right now I need you to pull yourself together, and get your game face on. So, stand up. The Arch I married would never be caught dead on his knees.” Etta looped her arm under my mine to try to pull me up. On the outside, I’d steadied my body, but on the inside, I was shaking.

“What are you looking for?” I asked, still unable to lift my eyes from the floor.

“Look at me. Rahovart, you look at me now.” Her tone resembled one I’ve heard so many times before. It seemed strange coming from Etta. She had always been so mousy and understanding. She had raised her voice to me before, but I always picked up a slight waver in it. Now she sounded similar to a stern mother scolding her child.

Abihail only ever used my full name when I’d gotten in trouble, so instinct told me to do as she said and maybe win some points. Father knows I tried, but I kept my gaze over her head.

“I know that trick. I do it to my dad all the time. Look at me.” She tugged my chin downward. “Do you remember what I told you earlier, about being forgiven even when you don’t ask for it?” Not wanting to break the touch of her skin on mine, I gave her a small nod.

“Ra, I forgave you a very long time ago. Father knows it hadn’t been easy for me when you were gone, but I can’t imagine how horrible it must have been for you either, being trapped in Hell, not knowing if you’re going to make it home or be sent to…you know. It’s a messed up situation all around. But, what’s done is done. It is what it is.”

“I’m so sorry.” Etta wrapped her arms around my waist as I let the dam release the tears that welled up inside. Between each press of my lips against the top her head, I repeated, “I’m sorry.”

Her fingers glided from my waist to firmly gripping my hands in hers. “The deal with Father had never been about us falling in love, or you and my dad learning to play nice with others. It’s about you, my father, and Gabriel finding a way to let go of the past. You can’t move forward if you’re always looking behind you.”

“Do I need to come back later?” Persephone appeared next to the fireplace. With no time to protect Etta and grab my newly acquired mace, I flung my right arm across Etta, shoving her far enough behind me to allow space for my wings to flare outward.

“Down boy. Did you get it?” Etta pushed my wing out of her path as she walked over to Persephone.

“Yep. Just as you asked.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Sorry it took so long. I didn’t want to risk being seen by Vetis and his lap dog, Pyro,” she explained as she handed Etta the box she had given me earlier.

“You made a deal with a Demon?” I didn’t want to believe after everything she had been through she would do such a thing. Etta sent a glare over her shoulder before returning her attention to Persephone.

“What were they doing?”

“I don’t know, but they ransacked the place looking for something. I’m guessing it’s whatever is in that box. Luckily enough, they didn’t think to look under the bed.”

“Now I have a way to fight.” Etta pulled the pieces of my wings from the box and gripped them tightly in her hand.

“Those are pretty small. You’re going to have to get close. And remember to aim for the soft spot under the sternum.” Persephone tapped Etta’s chest where a Demon’s kill spot is located.

“Thank you again. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.” Etta flung herself at Persephone, wrapping her arms around her neck.

“I have to go. He’ll be here shortly. Promise me you’ll make good use of those, and watch out. He sneaks up from behind.”

“I promise. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, baby girl.” Persephone kissed her forehead before turning to me. “You take care of my baby. Should anything happen to her, I swear to you, I’ll slowly rip out your wings and embed them in your skull.” And with that, she disappeared.

“Your mother is Lucifer’s whore?” The words came out before I could stop them. Etta’s head snapped over her shoulder, and she sneered.

“Don’t you ever, ever, ever call her that again, or I will kill you myself. Do you understand me? She’s only doing it for me.” Etta poked the tip of the feather into my chest as she continued. “Besides, you wouldn’t say that to Abihail’s mother’s face, would you?”

“If he turned someone as high up as her, he’d want everyone to know. He wouldn’t change her name. Plus, your mother is way better looking than that heap of bones.”

“You’ve been checking out my mom? Ew.”

“No. Not like that.”

“Uh huh. Sure. He’d change your name if he didn’t want anyone knowing who you were. Of course he kept your name the same. You strike fear and terror in the hearts of all. Your name is its own battle call. Raaaaaaa.” Etta giggled.

“Have I told you lately how much I love you and what a huge dork you are?” Pulling myself around her, I rocked side to side as I stared into her eyes. I had missed this goofy side of her.

“Oh look at you with your fancy human talk.” As our lips connected, a spark ignited between us. As she pressed against me, I knew nothing would ever come between us.

“Okay, enough messing around. It’s time for the next part of my diabolical plan.” Etta pierced her hand with the tip of my feather before pulling out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. Curiously, I watched as she smudged her blood on the corner of the paper and dropped it to the ground. Turning toward the dining area, she picked up a vase of flowers from the table, turned back to me, and threw it across the room.

“What the hell?” I exclaimed, narrowly dodging the vase.

“C’mon we got to tear this place up and make it look as if a fight went down,” Etta said, flipped the kitchen table over and smashed the back sliding glass door with a chair.

“I don’t understand.” I humored her by tossing the couch against the stair railing. Etta smeared her bloodied hand against a shard of glass sticking in the doorframe before wiping more on the wall beside her.

“For weeks, Tristan’s been acting as you. I admit at first he came off pretty convincing, but one tale-tell sign that gave him away. When you and Gabriel came around, he tried to make me believe you were the Demon out to kill me. I had my suspicions from the beginning about who you were, but having been wrong about Tristan, I didn’t trust my gut. But now that you finally decided to join the program, I have no doubt of who is who. He just doesn’t know that yet.”

“A tale-tell sign? And what is it about me can’t he fake?”

“You always loved me in blue. He didn’t.”

“Loved? No. I
love
you in blue, white, yellow, burnt sienna—you name it.” Grabbing her by her waist, I nestled into her neck, snorting a bit behind her ear as I nipped at her skin with my teeth. Etta wiggled in my arms as her ticklish side took over, sending her into a fit of giggles.

“Okay. Okay. Uncle. Uncle,” she cried through her laughter. “We need to stay on task.”

“Fine. So what is the plan?”

“Tristan will come home, see I got into some trouble after bailing the hospital, and in turn, come rushing to save his bride. When he shows up, he’ll find me being held by Ramen and Benjamin. I’ll escape, running into his arms with these in my hand.” Etta tapped the pocket she had put the pieces of feathers in.

“A well thought out plan, except for one issue. We’re not human anymore. He’ll smell us a mile away.”

“I got that covered. Okay, I think our work here is done. Let’s get to my dad’s.” We surveyed the damage around us. She impressed me with her ability to redecorate a room from posh to a rock star’s motel room. Again, she snuggled into me, holding on tightly to my arms as I prepared to take off.

“Hold on. For just in cases.” As I knelt down to retrieve my mace, I noticed the piece of paper Etta had pulled from her pocket on the floor. It was the letter she had written to me. Picking it up with the mace, I hoped she hadn’t noticed.

Chapter Nineteen

I had yet to stick my landing when John’s fist collided with my jaw, knocking me back.

“Ow. Why does everyone keep hitting me?”

“That’s for not telling me you knew where she was. And you, young lady, just what were you thinking by leaving the hospital?”

“I’m fine. Look, Amy fixed me.” Etta lifted the back of her shirt revealing the scars left behind from the night’s accident. John glared at Amy as he embraced Etta.

“Okay. You can let go now. Dad, I can’t breathe.” John released her before turning his attention to the pattering of feet upstairs.

“Illusion, now,” John snapped as Rene came running down the stairs, flinging her arms around Etta’s neck.

“Oh, God bless America, you’re okay. We’ve been looking all over for you.” Rene held out Etta’s arms and inspected her.

“I’m fine, Rene. You’re getting just as bad as my dad.”

“We were so worried. Don’t you ever do that to us again!” Rene gave her another firm hug. “Can I get you anything?”

“Coffee would be great. I have the feeling it’s going to be a long night.” Etta winked.

“Anyone else?”

“I’ll take a cup, babe,” John answered with the rest of us in agreement.

“Six cups of coffee, coming right up.”

“I’ll give you a hand.” Etta followed Rene into the kitchen.

My butt had barely hit the seat of the sofa when Rene and Etta returned with coffee.

“Sorry, I only had instant. I’ll run to the store tomorrow,” Rene explained as she set a tray on the coffee table.

“This one’s yours. Four sugars, just the way you like it,” Etta said nervously as she quickly grabbed a cup and handed it to Rene.

“Oh, thank you, sweetie.” Rene took a swig from her cup before sitting next to John on the loveseat. Etta squeezed on the couch next to me, never taking her eyes off of Rene. As I reached for my cup, the sound of breaking glass startled me. Rene slumped over in John’s lap.

“Etta Marilyn Divad, what did you do?” John jumped up.

“Let’s just say the gown wasn’t the only thing I took from the hospital. Dad, get Rene in bed. Amy, I’ll help you with the candles. After that, you get upstairs with Rene. You two start moving this furniture into the kitchen. We’re going to need more room.”