Angel's Curse (10 page)

“Change it back!” he yelled.

I let the combined scent become dominant again, overruling all of the others, then modified it slightly, by making the new code set dormant, to resemble what it used to be.

Danny sighed. He ran his hands through his hair and sat down beside me again, happier now.

“It seems you’ve assimilated the genetic code of demon blood,” he said

“Cool,” I replied. “Another scent I can recreate if I have to.”

“Not cool at all,” Danny said, shaking his head. “You’ll have to keep the
demon
in check.”

What the hell did
that
mean?

“I don’t think
you
understand, Danny.” I poked him in the chest. “I’m
not
the only one in this room with demon blood in my body.”

Danny’s eyes widened and his head jerked back in shock. It had never occurred to him that the blood of Amy could still be in him.

“Once in the system it’s there for life,” I told him, “and are you telling me you’ve been keeping the
demon
in check ever since Amy stabbed you? That you didn’t even realise her blood is a part of who you are?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, completely taken aback. “You see things so differently. I wouldn’t have thought it possible that the tainted blood was still in me. I thought healing also purged the body of all impurities. I think all angels believe that.”

“Don’t be silly, there’s nothing to be sorry about. But it’s nice to know,” I smiled smugly, “that even your perception of things has limits.”

8.
Another Nightmare

Danny sat on the couch reading and I lay with my head in his lap dozing, my strength slowly returning of its own accord, though I knew I’d have to eat in order to be in peak condition.

The sun streamed through the window and in between naps I watched the dust motes dancing in the light, sometimes colliding then dancing off in the opposite direction.

I sat up and leaned my chin on Danny’s shoulder. Eventually he turned to look at me and smiled.

“Come read in the garden,” I said. “I’d like to soak up some sun and swing gently.”

He kissed the top of my head and, being playful, scooped me into his arms and carried me outside.

“I’m not an invalid,” I protested, as he sat me down on the swing.

“I know,” Danny grinned, “but I like to put my muscles to good use sometimes. I have to admit I miss patrolling, tracking and hunting. I’ve done them for so long it’s hard to give them up for an extended period. Having a break is nice, but it would be nicer if we had our freedom.”

“Danny, your invisibility thing, how often do you work on it?” I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Every few years. When you’re immortal that’s enough.”

“If I asked you to practice every day, just a little, would you do it?”

“Why does it matter?” he asked.

“Have you ever heard of the saying,
practice makes perfect?
” He nodded his head. “Well, I think it’s the same for immortals as well. You saw how often I practiced with my sparring partners, and how quickly I improved. I think you could get better at your thing — the invisibility — if you practiced more.”

“Yes, but
why
does it matter?”

“I’d be happier for you to come with me if I knew no one could see you. Think of the advantage you’d have. Our enemies would be truly blind when you fought. You’d be even better than those ninja things that attacked me.”

“And how would you find me?” he asked.

“Okay, you’ve got a point there,” I conceded. “Perhaps when you’re practicing at extending yourself I could practice trying to find you?”

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow, after you’ve had something to eat.”

“Why does everything have to wait until tomorrow,” I mumbled.

Danny pretended he hadn’t heard and pulled me to him, leaning my head on his shoulder, and began swinging gently as he opened his book to where he left off.

A dozen or so butterflies had flown into the cottage garden and were busy flitting from flower to flower. One flew to Danny and landed on his knee, gently flapping its wings. I reached out to touch it and it flew away. Even butterflies kept their distance from me. I closed my eyes and breathed in the mingled fragrances from the garden, identifying a number of scents until my head lolled forward and I drifted into a light sleep. Danny moved me gently so my head was in his lap and my legs were on the garden swing — a far more comfortable position.

When I woke, the sun was low in the sky. I lay there, content to be rocked, watching the butterflies’ graceful dance and the flowers wave gently in the breeze, as though in time with the butterflies.

I let my eyes lose focus and my vision ranged out beyond the confines of the cottage and its garden, into the forest. Much had changed in six weeks. Many of the young saplings were now half a metre tall —
was it natural for them to grow so fast?
— and the ground was covered with smaller native plants and grasses. I noticed a narrow winding path had been worn through the grass. Some of the animals must have returned and were carving paths through the forest they called home.

Life goes on.

I found I could range out about three kilometres. That was triple what I’d been able to do only months before, when we watched the angels ravage the earth, and torture monsters for information.

Which of them were truly the monsters?
I thought.
Those that had no choice — labelled monsters because of what they had become — or those that did not resemble monsters in the slightest, but were just as cruel?

“The animals are coming back to the forest,” I murmured. “I can’t see them, but I can see their tracks.”

Danny closed his book and tucked it behind his back.

“You’re looking outwards?” he asked.

I nodded my head.

“I’m looking north, south, east and west, about three kilometres in each direction. Not bad considering I don’t actually have eyes in the back of my head, don’t you think?” I said smugly.

“Who said you
don’t
have eyes in the back of your head?” he asked.

I sat up quickly, my hands reaching to the back of my head, feeling my skull through my hair.

“You mean
I do?
” I must’ve sounded shocked, for Danny started to chuckle and I knew he was having me on. “I thought angels couldn’t lie!”

“It was a question, not a statement of fact. It’s the only way I have found to get around telling the truth,” he chuckled. “I’m beginning to understand mortal humour now, but there’s so much from your memories I don’t understand. Sex, for example, was one thing I did not understand, not until I had tried it for myself. Even then it was different to what your memories showed it to be. It’s so much
more
.”

“It
is
much more with you, and
only
you,” I said. “Before you, sex was only an occupation, or to be used as a bargaining chip.”

I thought of all the times we’d had sex since a werewolf had attacked me six or seven months ago, and it only got better. I had imagined we’d fall into a routine, like many couples did after the initial passion had worn off. Nothing had waned. Perhaps it was all part of being immortal.

Thinking of sex with Danny made me
hungry,
and I tried to think of anything to take my mind off it. Things like Brussels sprouts —
why did Danny’s blood have to smell so good and taste so awful, but it was a good thing it did taste gross
— the disgusting way vampires copulated, biting each other savagely until their bodies were covered in wounds and slick with blood — how I’d killed my mother — she’d attacked me, and my instinct for survival kicked in before I could contain it. The burning desire to feed my hunger simmered to a dull throb. If I kept thinking about crappy things I should be fine.

Danny was gazing intently into my eyes and I wondered how much he could tell from them.

“You look like you’re fighting some internal struggle,” he said.

“You don’t want to know,” I mumbled.

He chuckled and I noticed a familiar glint in his eyes. “Perhaps it’s the same thing I’m struggling with?”

He leaned towards me and kissed my lips. My heart started racing and my body ached. I pulled him to me and was instantly lost, all the hard work undone in one moment of pure pleasure. I hadn’t realised how much my body had missed his touch, how much it must have craved for him while it could do nothing but wait for me to resurface from the darkness.

He picked me up again and carried me back to the cottage, our lips still locked together.

Danny was restrained and careful, not wanting to sap me of the strength that was only beginning to return. I was so eager, so willing, caution and restraint quickly lost out to my needs, not once, but twice.

Afterwards, totally exhausted, though blissfully happy, I lay in Danny’s arms and let sleep take me …

A voice boomed through the forest and all around us.

“Our Father has commanded the prodigal son be forgiven and welcomed back into our arms.”

Danny sat up next to me, the sheet falling to his waist to reveal a sculpted chest with firm pecs and abs —
absolutely delicious
— not overdone like a body builder’s, but well-toned and defined. Just how I liked them. If I didn’t stop looking at his chest I’d be in trouble again, and I really needed to eat
before
doing anything else.

I rubbed his arm lovingly and smiled. “Sounds like someone has been campaigning on your behalf.”

“Yes, the truth has been revealed.”

“But what of me?” I whispered sadly. “There’s no mention of me.”

“If they know the truth, then you are safe, and we are free once again.”

He sounded so confident, so elated, I didn’t want to burst his bubble. If people didn’t change, and mortals lived such short life spans, what made him think
some
angels that had been hunting down and killing my kind — earth-bound angels — since the fall, would suddenly turn the other cheek and welcome me with open arms.
Once a spiteful angel, always a spiteful angel.

“You go,” I said. “Go and talk to your superior and see what he has to say. I don’t think I’m ready for a trip to your world yet. Besides, I smell like
sex,
” I laughed. “What sort of impression would that make in a place where they don’t do that sort of thing? I need to shower, and I need to eat.”

“Are you sure?” Danny asked. I could tell he was keen to report in and find out what had happened.

“Go,” I said, kissing him on the cheek. “I’ll be gone most of the day anyway. I’m
really
hungry.”

He pulled me to him in a hug and kissed me hungrily on the lips.
Be still my beating heart!

“We’ll celebrate tonight,” he said excitedly. “Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, we’ll do it.”

Danny was dressed before he’d even gotten out of bed —
man that was a handy talent to have
— and walked backwards, blowing me a kiss as he did so. With each step he took his body become more transparent until after the fourth step he simply disappeared.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that came over me.
Women’s intuition?

“Angels can’t lie, Helena, get over it,” I said out loud, trying to convince myself everything was okay.

I ventured out into the sunlight with my constant companions, Death and Danny’s feather — my good luck charm — strapped to my arms. I transported myself to the treetops in an area of the forest that was untouched by angel fire, in what used to be Amrael’s territory. On the roof of the world I crouched down and let my eyes lose focus, to allow my vision to range outwards and see where my possible quarry might be.

My hunt was good and my hunger satiated, until I felt I’d explode from all the blood I’d consumed. The rush and buzz of the blood carried me on such a high that I killed for the sake of killing, using Death on any vampires I found, revelling in her song.
The blade was a she?
I thought.

I stretched my arms towards the sky, enjoying the final rays of light as the sun set. Something knocked me to the ground and I was up with Death in my hand, ready to fight, in a heartbeat. It was only Danny. I sheathed Death and relaxed.

“Danny, you almost scared the crap out of me. Don’t do that!”

His head was down and he was looking at the ground.

“Danny, I’m not mad at you,” I laughed. “It’s just that’s
not
your usual
playful
tackle.”

He was still looking at the ground, clenching and unclenching his fists now. I was concerned. I’d never seen him like this.

“Danny, what’s wrong? Was the news about me bad?”