Broken Butterflies (31 page)

“Won’t everyone wonder what the shaking was?”

“Yes, but they will assume as you did, an earthquake.” Damon walked to her and pressed Ilisha’s back to his chest. His lips ran down her neck as he spoke. “We need to go invisible and head out there.”

“If you keep bushing your lips on my neck we won’t get anywhere today.”

His hand slipped under her pajama bottoms. Ilisha grabbed his hair.

“Scream for me,” he said in her ear.

When she began to do just that he spun her around, knocked everything off the table, and laid her down on top of it.

Damon had both their pants off in a flash.

“I’m going to ravage you,” he said as he thrust himself inside her.

Anything left on the table was knocked off when Ilisha threw her arms over her head. Damon gripped her knees, which were bent and close to his face. Kissing her knee cap he said, “I love you.”

They both hesitated, but knew they needed to go. Damon watched as Ilisha got ready. He leaned against the bathroom door and smiled.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

“Don’t start, I just showered and we will never leave this house.” Ilisha waved her index finger at him.

“I wasn’t saying it to get back in your pants, though I could handle that, it’s very true.”

When she was done with her makeup Damon took her hand. “Let’s be invisible.”

Ilisha concentrated on disappearance and her body followed.

Damon took her hand as they walked out the back door.

They flew hard and fast to the location. Once they landed they let the clearness of their appearance fade.

The forest smelled of pine and rain. Their feet sunk slightly into soft dirt. The place where the facility stood was barren. Ilisha’s eyes bulged as they walked toward the spot. No signs of demolition, an explosion, or that a building was once built into the mountainside was left.

Ilisha rolled her foot along loose ground. The only thing that showed was more black earth.

“This is amazing,” she said.

“Eric knows what I expect of him.”

Just then the large angel emerged from the tree line. He bowed when he got to Damon.

“You did well, Eric. How many casualties?” Damon asked picking up a rock.

“There were ten victims of draining and twenty workers.”

“What about the hierarchy?”

“They are all dead, except for the leader. He’s secured over there.” Eric pointed to the trees he walked from. “I thought I would leave him to you.”

“Good,” Damon replied with cockiness in his voice.

Ilisha followed the men. Bound to a tree was a man in a tailored suit. As Damon stood in front of him the angel refused to look up.

“Where is Bram?” Damon asked smooth as ice. No emotion crossed his face or body language.

The angel remained silent.

“I’ll ask you one more time, nicely. Where is Bram?”

The angel remained silent with his head down.

“Look at me when I speak to you!” Damon’s voice echoed around them and his face filled with anger.

As the angel looked up Damon grabbed his face. His fingers curled and dug into his skin. Smoke rose where their skin connected.

Damon looked at the smoke and tilted his head. “Made a deal with the devil did you?”

The longer Damon held onto him the more the man began to squirm, until finally he screamed.

“What’s your name?” Damon asked.

“Capricious.” The angels jaw started to shake under the pain.

Quick as lightning Damon untied him. He tied the rope around the angel’s ankles and threw the rope over a large limb. Capricious hung upside down, his hair dangled in spikes.

Damon ripped the angel’s suit jacket and shirt off. “Apparently you want to do this the hard way.” He laid his palm against his chest and the angel cried out as his skin smoldered and burned. His body flopped around like a bug trapped in a spider web.

“You know what I want.” Damon took his hand away and it left a perfect, red, hand imprint on Capricious’s chest.

“He paid me to drive him out of town and stage a kidnapping,” he answered while hyperventilating

Damon circled him, his arms behind his back. Capricious’s eyes darted around trying to follow him. When he was at Capricious’s back he plunged his hand onto his skin again.

“Where did you take him?”

“I took him to a small hunting cabin with a green roof off Kneale Road.”

Damon got down on his knees and twirled the man around to face him. Just inches from his face he asked, “Have you seen him since?”

“No, I swear.”

Damon stood, dusting himself off. “You’ve made wrong choices, Capricious.” His hands gripped the angels face on both sides and once again his skin burned. “The more corrupt you become the more you will change into a full demon; I can’t have that.” He snapped his neck like a twig, which caused Ilisha to shudder when she heard the crack.

Capricious’s eyes rolled up into his head and stared at the ground below him. His hair was soaked with sweat from the pain Damon inflicted. Along his torso and face were perfect hand prints.

Eric untied the rope and let Capricious’s body fall to the ground. He fished inside his jacket and pulled out a can of lighter fluid and squeezed the contents on the body. Eric handed a lighter to Damon. He flipped the top open and ran it against his pants. Kneeling down he held the silver lighter to Capricious’s pants. The flames spread quickly and trailed the stream of lighter fluid. Soon his entire body was engulfed in flames and it only took a few seconds until he became ash.

Ilisha once again dreamed of Bram, but this time was different. He called her name, his voice echoing with pain. He was filled with distress and panic. Ilisha searched her subconscious for him.

She walked through the dark forest, barefoot in her pajamas. The night was cold and a mist formed in the air. Her breath came out in a fog. She looked up as a cloud passed in front of the full moon. The light glowed against the dark trees.

As the wind blew, the trees popped and groaned. Ilisha could also hear a deep whistle as if someone was blowing into a pop bottle. Her eyes scanned around her. Reflecting against the moonlight were wooden wind chimes rocking back and forth. She knew she must be close to the cabin.

As she followed the game trail the cabin came into view. It looked black as night. Smoke was billowing up from the chimney in white puffs.

Her fingertips pushed against the door and it opened with a creak. Sitting in a dark corner was Bram. His skin blended in with the dark surroundings. With his knees pulled up to his chest he rocked back and forth, tears streaming down his face.

Ilisha went to him and knelt down.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I can’t live like this. You need to save me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Look at me, Ilisha. I’m a ruined angel. I’ve been cast out and anger grows in me more every day.”

“I can’t help you.”

“My soul is filled with ice. Please. You’re the only one who can help me.” His eyes pleaded.

“Who do you think you are? You left me with nothing but deceit and scars. Why should I help you?” Ilisha stood and glared.

Bram shot up like a vampire rising from a coffin. His eyes stared deep into hers. “You may not be mine, but you are my only love. Only you, only you…” his voice trailed off in a whisper.

Shadows crept across the walls and caught her peripheral vision. Her skin prickled and stood up. Every sense was on alert. She wanted to run, but knew it was best to face a predator. Taking a few deep breaths she slowed her heart rate.

“I can’t help you.” She backed away from Bram. His hand took hold of hers. It felt rubbery. She looked down to see that it was covered in a gardening glove.

“Why did you bring me here?” she asked.

As the shadows converged behind Bram his neck flexed and his face went toward the sky. He shrieked so loud the windows shook. “You’re mine,” he growled.

“No, I’m not.” Ilisha yanked her arm free and turned toward the door. It slammed in her face. She let out a squeal and slid back.

Bram stood hunched, a soft rumble in his chest with each breath. He began to groan, as if in pain. As his sounds grew louder the shadows inched away from him and ran back along the walls. Once again he cried.

He was visibly shaking. “Help me.”

His pleading tugged at her heart strings. She lived to help others.
Snap out of it you idiot. Why are you even here?
Ilisha balled her hands at her sides. “Goodbye, Bram.”

“You can’t leave.” His nostrils flared as he spoke venomously.

She turned to go and he took her by the arms. He stood behind her with his mouth to her ear. “You’re not leaving.”

Bram yanked her back into the room. Ilisha whipped her head back and made contact with his nose, then ran her foot down his shin. A growl rumbled up his throat, followed by a screech. He let go of her for a second and she dashed for the door, using all her new speed. Bram landed in front of her and wrapped his arms around her torso, taking her hands in his he locked them at her sides. Ilisha’s legs thrashed trying to make contact with any part of him, but came up empty. In the flash of a second Bram carried her to a door and kicked it open. On the other side was a small bedroom. Inside was a single bed. He threw her down and whipped a vile out of his pants pocket. She clamped her mouth shut as he tried to force it down her.

Bram stuck his gloved finger into her mouth and pried it open. She bit down. Her teeth punctured the glove and drew blood. Bram screamed, and his face filled with anger. With his hand smoking, he socked her right across the cheekbone. When Ilisha screamed he dumped the vile in. She tried to turn her head and spit it out, but he pressed on the center of her neck causing her to gag. The liquid ran down. Within a few minutes the room began to spin. Her eyes became heavy and she passed out.

As the light of morning warmed the room Ilisha rubbed her eyes. She rolled over to where Damon slept and hit a wood plank wall. Her eyes opened wide. She sprang from the bed, and it responded with a squeak. “What the?”

The door opened and Bram walked in. “Sorry I had to bring you to me like this.”

“You mean last night wasn’t a dream?”

“It was a dream, playing out in real life.”

Ilisha glared and charged him. She flexed her fingers like claws, but he caught her arms with his gloved hands. Bringing her knee up hard and fast she got him in the groin. Pain filled his face, but he didn’t loosen his grip. His fingers dug deeper.

“That was completely unnecessary,” he growled.

“You deserve it for lying to me.”

“Ilisha, you can’t leave.”

“Watch me.” She ripped one arm from his grip.

“Don’t make me tie you up.” Bram shoved her back onto the bed.

“Damon is going to come, and when he does you’ll die.”

“I would expect nothing more.”

He looked away from her for a split second and she took the opportunity to run. Bram grabbed her hair as she passed. He dragged her out of the room and down the stairs to a small cellar. Ilisha’s hands gripped her hair, frantically trying to get him to let go. Forgetting any pain she may feel, she flipped her body over itself and landed on her feet. Bram ended up with a huge chunk of her hair, but she could already feel her head healing. Her foot landed square in his chest when he turned to see what happened. Before he could react again she punched him over and over in the face until he fell to the ground. Waiting for him to get up, she stood ready. He didn’t move. Ilisha took the opportunity to get out of the cabin.

She sprinted for the front door. Just as she was about to exit a rope encircled her. With one hard yank Bram drug her backwards. He had her body wrapped with rope before she knew what happened. He pulled her down the basement steps and tied her to the wall with chains and a metal collar around her neck.

“I told you not to force me to tie you up,” he said untangling the rope from her body and discarding it.