Kassern (Archangels Creed) (22 page)

“What?” Devyn spun to him. “How is that good news?”

“It was a joke.” Sarcasm dried his words. “Thanks to my new humanity, I’d forgotten that important part. One of you has issues that need tending before my transformation can complete. Until then, my angelic strength and abilities are at your mercy. So, if you don’t mind, our next stop needs to include a little soul-searching.”

While Troy and Devyn were occupied with that, he would have to figure out how to stay away from Karly. But what if he couldn't? And especially, what if he didn't want to? He heaved a sigh, grateful his rank as Archangel allowed him to shield thoughts from
Uriel
and others. Since this mission began, a whole slew of blasphemous ideas had trotted right through his mind; ideas that would be grounds for stripping his rank, clipping his wings, and possibly even for sending him to visit in Hell for a few thousand years.

****

Karly wasn't an idiot. She could tell Kassern felt uncomfortable. He'd never experienced lust, never had a woman interested in him. His reluctance to return her physical affection, while difficult to take, was at least easy to understand. He was confused.

She, on the other hand, had never seen things so clearly. It was as if Kassern had lifted a heavy veil from her eyes when he healed her from the damage Jake and his
homies
had done. Removing the physical signs of the brutality proved rather simple. Taking care of her invisible injuries had taken more work from him. His willingness to give that much effort proved how
perfect they were for one another. It was just a matter of making him see it. But so far, that was easier said than done.

So far, while the rest of them had been focused on their mission, staying out of reach of those demon-things, and figuring out what to do next, Karly had allowed her feelings for Kassern, and his response to them, to keep her preoccupied. At some point she needed to take some action to settle things with Kassern. Maybe then she could help a little with the rest of their problems. All she had to do was decide what she could do to get through to Kassern.

****

Had they really just walked in on that? Troy couldn’t stop asking himself the question. He finally voiced his concern, despite how fragile Devyn seemed. And what was wrong with her? She seemed terrified, pacing up and down like a trapped wild animal.

“I don’t like this.” He didn’t know what else to say.

“Don’t like what.” Devyn’s voice shook with whatever had hold of her.

Troy watched her continue to pace. “I don’t like what we just walked in on, and I don’t like how you’re acting. What’s wrong?”

She seemed to only pick up speed. “
Ohh
, ho, ho, I don’t like it either. Those things are looking for us, our angel is-is-is falling, and one of us is staining the entire world with sin.”

Troy got up and intercepted her, holding her still by the shoulders. “What is wrong with you?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she shouted. “You think if I knew, I wouldn’t confess it? You think I want this? To be the stain? The damned whore just-staining everything good?”

Troy tried to embrace her but she resisted. “You’re not staining anything, we’ll talk to Kassern, maybe you’re right…I mean he’s part of the triumvirate, maybe…maybe he’s the one with the problem. I mean after what we just walked in on…” Troy gasped, still shocked, “yeah, maybe it’s him.”

Devyn looked at him, suspicion slowly taking over her features. “What if it’s Karly?”

“But she’s not part of it.”

Devyn jerked free and began pacing again, holding herself.

Troy began to pray. He didn’t know what else to do, something was wrong with Devyn and he needed to know what.

“I’m worried about you and Karly,” he said.

She stopped and stared at him. “Me and Karly?”

Troy’s gaze narrowed, not liking the accusation in her tone. “Yes, you and Karly.” He fought the helplessness assaulting him.

Devyn pointed to the door. “You know where she is, go take care of her. Maybe you and Kassern can both have a go at the whore.”

Shit. “Devyn.” Troy’s voice was careful. “Please. Stop.”

A knock sounded at the door and Troy hurried to it, listening with his new hearing. He opened it when Kassern murmured his name. But only a crack.

“Time to move now.”

With nothing to carry, the four of them followed Kassern’s hurried pace to the back parking lot and got in the car. Troy started the car. “Where to?” He looked at the time. 4:12 a.m.

“North. Right out of this parking lot, and left at the first light.”

“I’ll need gas.”

“Let’s make it as quick as possible.” Kassern mumbled the words, but Troy heard it fine.

“We’ll grab food and use the bathroom,” Troy suggested, getting no words of agreement.

The elephant in the room he’d anticipated weighed heavy in the car’s confined space. He glanced at Devyn, using his peripheral vision to see the status of Karly and Kassern. They sat at opposite sides of the back seat.

Pulling into a small gas station, Karly mumbled. “I need the bathroom.”

“So do
I
,” Devyn said. 

****

Karly scuttled off to the restroom like the little rat she was. Why the fuck did she
have
to try to get every dick in a ten mile radius in her slimy cunt? Devyn saw it all so clearly. How Karly always fucked up any chance Devyn had for a decent life.

Troy was already panting after her. It wouldn't be long before she started swishing her tail at him, like a fucking bitch in heat. And like any other male, he wouldn't be able to resist. That would leave Devyn with nothing. Yet again.

She ignored the small voice that said her tirade was unjust, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was Karly threatening her one chance at having something meaningful with Troy.

With several long strides, she caught up with Karly just as she opened a stall door. Devyn grabbed the skinny arm with bruising force, gratified to see the little red throwing blades materialize on her knuckles. Sticking one of them through Karly's black heart would feel fan-fucking-
tastic
.

Karly whirled on her, startled. "What is it, Devyn?"

Dark laughter poured from her throat. "Don't act like you don't know. I saw you. And you won't get away with it." She pulled a fist back, ready to mark up that innocent-looking face that always let the bitch get off scot-free.

Fear flushed Karly's cheeks. "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything wrong." The whole in-
ya
-grille tough girl act Karly always put on when she felt threatened failed to appear.

Devyn laughed again. "You can't possibly be that stupid." Karly's poor academic performance through adolescence had always been a sore point, and Devyn didn't even hesitate to use it. "We're stuck here, with those things chasing us, and you're all getting down to business with the fucking
angel
! You're corrupting our only chance out of all this. The bad guys—Jake and others like him and those
things
—are going to
win
! Because of
you
."

Tears rolled down Karly's cheeks, showing the depth of the wounds Devyn's words left. Her normal response to such an attack would have been to strike back without mercy. Crying looked completely foreign on her. Rather than fight back, she just turned away.

Devyn wanted to drag her back and force her to fight, but kicking a dog that refused to bark didn't have much
appeal. Still furious, Devyn stomped away. She wasn't finished with her.

While Karly licked her wounds, Devyn stalked out into the main part of the store and headed to the counter with soft drink bottles for everybody. Movement in the alcove at the side of the counter, where the restrooms were, caught her attention. Troy. When she reached the counter, the person he spoke with came into her line of sight.

Of course. Karly.

Chapter Twenty One

“Say what you need to say Troy.” Kassern couldn’t take another dirty look from him in the rear view mirror. He knew what he thought but he wasn’t going to say it for him.

Troy finally turned in his seat. “Just what exactly is going on between you and Karly?”

Kassern looked out the window. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking. I know she’s vulnerable right now, I know you’re an angel, I know a lot is at stake.”

Kassern met his gaze, surprised with how hard it was to find the right words for his human condition. “I had to.” Well, it was a start.

“You had to?”

“Just like you did,” he said. “With Devyn.”

“But that was you, you—”

“No,” he shook his head. “That was all you. I just removed a few blinders.”

“So wait, you’re saying—”

“I’m saying, like you, I couldn’t keep from giving her what she needed.”

Troy’s gaze narrowed. “Sex?”

Kassern bristled. “Is that what you call it with Devyn? Sex?”

“But I love…”

Troy’s words faded with Kassern’s quirked brow.

“You’re telling me you…
love her?”

Kassern looked down. “I’m telling you…she loves me.” He met Troy’s gaze again.

“And what about you?”

The crushing sensation in his chest was annoying to say the least. “What about me? I’m an arch-fucking-angel, a warrior over the Seven Universes. What do I know of human love?”

“So, you’re…” Troy turned more in his seat. “What are you saying? Are you leading her on?”

“I’m trying to help her.”

“By leading her on?” Troy’s voice grew harder.

“Until we get to the sanctuary and I…” Kassern took a deep breath.

“And you what?”

“And I make her forget.” Kassern ignored the weight of his humanity that screamed he’d better never fucking touch the memory of what they shared.

So this is what the flesh warring against the spirit felt like.

Troy’s brows slowly softened. “You can…do that?”

“Yes.”

“Wow. Okay, I had…no idea.”

Kassern wanted to snort at that understatement while wondering what was taking the girls so long. “Did Devyn confess?”

The way Troy looked at him meant he hadn’t known for sure it was Devyn that was the one needing to confess. “No, nothing in particular.” Troy leaned his back against the driver door and peered at Kassern between the seat and the window. “Can’t you just…tell us what it is?”

Kassern shook his head slowly, eyeing the store. “She has to confess it. I am not allowed to interfere with that.”

“Great. We could be on the run for a long time. I’m going to go check on them.”

“I’ll try and contact
Uriel
while you’re gone.”

****

Troy headed toward the store. Kassern would know if there was danger around, he kept telling himself as he scoped the half empty parking lot. He opened the door and saw Devyn at the cash register then scanned the store for Karly. He finally spotted her leaning against the wall at the back of the store. He hurried over, wondering what was going on.

“Are you okay?”

Karly jerked red-rimmed eyes up at him, startled. “Oh, yeah, I’m…I’m fine, it’s…” Her mouth tightened and a sob escaped her.

“What? What’s wrong?”

She glanced down the hall way then back down at her feet. “I just…I really like Kassern and I know…I know he’s an angel and I’m a…I’m a…” her words trailed off in a wordless cry.

Troy’s heart ached for her and he pulled her in his embrace. “Stop it. You’re beautiful and sweet and you can have anybody you want.”

She sobbed into his chest. “But I don’t want anybody, I want him. Why doesn’t he love me? Why is he…is he using me like…like they all do?”

Troy’s jaw hardened with sudden fury. “No, that’s…I don’t think that’s what he’s doing.”

Troy looked right and froze at seeing Devyn standing there, with murder in her eyes, watching. Oh shit.

She stormed out the store.

“Come on Karly, it’s time to go.”

****

Kassern turned away from the pain marking Karly’s face as she approached the car. Seeing her that way did things to him not even his angelic powers could control. He sat rigid in
the back, wondering over what happened to Devyn and Troy now. Just what they all
needed,
another fight. He was already running on empty and their spats were off the fucking emotional charts. And how close was Devyn to confessing? Not close enough. He needed to find a way to help with that.

“Where to?” Troy eyed Devyn who’d just slapped his attempt at affection away.

“Nowhere.”

Devyn was the first to turn and meet his annoyed gaze.

“As long as the two of you are fighting like children, we may as well sit right here and wait for the end to arrive.