Soul Stealer (23 page)

“Understandable. You loved him.”

“He was all I had.”

He ran his hand in circles on her back. “You are such … a beautiful soul.”

She snorted, reaching for a tissue. “I bet.” She blew her nose carefully, like she didn’t want to offend him. Her face was red, her eyes wet, and she was still so beautiful.

“Patrice … is it too soon to be in love with you?”

She brought her hands down. “What?”

“Is it too soon for that?” He couldn’t say it again, not with that look on her face.

“Way too soon. You don’t know me.”

“I feel like … all I need to know I already do. And anything else is just … a perk.”

She shook her head. “I’m all you’ve known since you woke up. Your memories are gone. That’s what you’re feeling. We’re both new to each other.”

“Can I make love to you again?”

She opened her mouth to protest, likely, but at the same time he saw her cheeks flush and her eyes dropped down to his body, eyes moving down along his form under the sheets. He was hard as her eyes got to that part.

“I’ll take that as a yes?”

She leaned over and kissed him, and he rolled to his back, taking her with him. She sat up, hips straddling his as she pulled the shirt off over her head. “That’s a yes,” she said before cutting off his reply with her lips.

Chapter Twenty-Two

After the Sin Eater-hybrid had left, his own Sin Eater had tossed and turned on his sofa for a couple hours before finally drifting off to a fitful sleep. Praesul had thought Sin Eaters didn’t sleep, but then again everyone needed to recharge from time to time.

The Sin Eater-that-wasn’t had made sure every word could be heard so Praesul knew he meant to kill him. That was fine. He was hard to stop; it would be a good battle.

He was laying in the centre of Essum’s bed, on top of the covers, the new souls from the past evening surging and merging through his marrow, making them stronger. He could feel the fiber of bone and muscle knitting together still. Skin would come next. But it was risky to be seen in public as he was now. Perhaps the Sin Eater could bring the souls to him?

Yes, that was an excellent idea. Messy maybe, since they’d have to get rid of the bodies somehow. But preferable.

He still wanted another angel. He was, frankly, quite surprised they hadn’t descended upon him, ready to smite him, after he incapacitated their colleague. But maybe they’d learned something since the last time he’d been around. Or maybe it was hard to find him before he was in full strength.

When had that been? Too long to know for sure. Had they even counted time in years? Probably not. It had been a Gaelic village, he remembered now. They were offering him sacrifices. Yes, he remembered it all now. He’d been strong; whole, a breathing, walking God. Then he’d just gotten tired and let himself dissolve back in to a mist.

Coming to in this time had been a shock. Humans had sure made something of this simple planet – whether or not it was for the better he couldn’t tell. Didn’t care, either.

There were just so many souls to be had.

He could feel the potential of this huge city, these millions of souls giving off their energy in a vibrating, buzzing wave. When he closed his eyes and concentrated he could focus on one and see what they were doing, what they were thinking. Too bad he had to be touching them to steal their energy, though. It was like a billboard, each lit-up node contributing to the over-all brightness.

But it didn’t really matter. He wanted another angel. It was clenching his jaw and making him squirm a bit. That had been such a time-saver. Like a bolt of lightning to a light bulb; potential
realized and blown to hell.

As he let his built-in trickle charger do its thing, Praesul thought again of his Sin Eater in the next room. Essum was resourceful and useful.
But also very ambitious.

How to get rid of him? Sin Eaters, like him, were very hard to kill.

A worry for another time. Right now he needed Essum not only for soul hunting but also to navigate this world once he was whole.

Too bad Essum had no soul. That might have been a powerful booster. But Sin Eaters carried no souls, kept them from becoming neutral when they were forced to live among the humans. No real sense of right and wrong was an asset to that line of work.

He’d felt the same stirring he’d had when he saw the angel with the Sin Eater-hybrid that had been in the other room. The man had the same feel as the angel, even though Praesul knew very well he’d been a Sin Eater. He had vitality, more so than Essum. If
he’d
had a soul? Now then, that would be interesting. Almost as good as an angel himself, and a formidable foe. Praesul wondered if Essum hadn’t been scared of the other Sin Eater. He’d like to know the story. But first: he needed more “pep.”

Angels, angels, angels. If he could just snag another angel … it would all be so much easier.

Voro watched Claudia’s long legs and backside work her up the staircase. She was the reason skinny jeans were back in vogue, he’d bet his life on it. He didn’t have to grab her. He knew what she felt like already. He just wanted to get her naked again.

She opened the door to her corridor, and he was swept back months to when he first trod the carpet in the hallway. He’d been after another woman he could never have. Now, as he passed the door to what he knew was Iola’s apartment, his heart did not skip a beat.  He didn’t strain to catch a whiff of her unique scent: jasmine and vanilla. It was just another portal in the hall. Now he turned back to Claudia as she opened the door and passed into her apartment, leaving the way open for him.

He stepped into the dim room, the scent of Claudia washing over him, an exotic and erotic déjà vu. She tossed her purse and keys on the table next to the entry, and he shut and locked the door.

“Would you like something to drink? I don’t have any booze but I could make some lemonade or something.”

“Sure,” he said easily, following her like he’d always lived there with her or something.

She flicked on the light that was part of the range hood and opened the fridge, pulling out a sweaty can of lemonade concentrate. Fuck that, he didn’t want lemonade.

Voro strode up behind her as she tried to pull the tab to open the can.  He reached around from behind her, catching how the directional light lit half her back, her shoulder blades momentarily very feminine, until she pulled out the tab and all the muscle tightened up again. Claudia was so many contradictions. And yet she was the most uncomplicated relationship he’d ever had.

His hands covered hers, putting the can down on the counter. One stayed to keep her hand on the counter while the other pulled her hair over her shoulder out of his way, pressing his lips to the skin behind her ear. Her head fell back to his chest, and he caught the swell of her breasts as the skin faded out under her shirt. He gave a more substantial nibble to her ear, and he caught her cheek rise as she smiled.

Voro buried his face into her hair, inhaling deep. She smelled of the woods, patchouli, with the unmistakable chaser of female human arousal. Chocolate melting under his very hands as he slid them around her stomach, pulling her ass against his groin. It nearly hurt, likely would have, if the need to get her horizontal wasn’t so immediate.

Claudia rolled her shoulders back, turned her neck towards him, capturing his lips with hers. It was just a brushing of skin, but it was hot and it was more than enough to make him moan low in his throat.

He ground against her again, and she made a lovely sound in response, too. He spun her around forcefully, backing her against her cupboards as she wound those long and lovely arms around his shoulders, offering him her mouth. He took it, picking up where they left off the last time, or so it seemed.

She stretched up to press against him completely, and he slid one hand down to grip her backside. It made her roll her hips against him, and his body fell right back to being hers completely.

He hefted her weight upwards and she helped, wrapping her legs around his hips as he found the way to her bedroom in the dark. It was a return to Claudia completely. The room smelled of nothing but her. His entire body was straining to be in her but he didn’t want to rush. What if they never had this chance again?

As soon as he set her on her feet, she pulled her shirt and necklace off, dropping it to the floor. She didn’t look at him as she reached around to unhook her bra. He dropped his jacket and tore the shirt off over his head. When Claudia fell against him again she was topless. He couldn’t see much, but memory filled in the spots between the shadows. He palmed her breasts just because he just had to; they were there and he knew how perfect they were. She wanted his mouth, his tongue. He satisfied them both, sliding his tongue in her mouth and running his thumbs over her nipples, her entire body quaking as she moaned at that touch.

Get her in bed,
his dick was screaming. This was the real thing. Novices may have been lovely female perfection but this was so real. The kiss was sloppy and wet, she was having trouble undoing the button of his fly. He got hers open no problem, sliding a hand down the front because that’s another thing he had to do. Wetness through cotton. Perfect.

He undid his own pants and they fell onto the mattress, pulling back the blanket and sliding against cool sheets in a desperate, panting tangle of naked limbs. She pulled some manoeuver to get him on top.

When her hand slid down his stomach between them just to hold his erection, he gave a grunt and stopped the kiss long enough to look down at her face, half-lit by the streetlights outside. Her lips were parted, her eyes shone, and her hand worked at him, causing them both to breathe harder. She got off on getting him off, and vice versa.

Right. His other favourite activity with Claudia.

“I’m going down on you,” his voice was so guttural he didn’t entirely recognize it.

She just nodded, not stopping with her hand.

In a minute,
his mind added on. Jesus that felt fantastic …

Not much longer. He had to think about her first.

He kissed his way sloppily and greedily down her stomach, not putting it off for anything. He tossed her legs over his shoulders, attacking before he could talk himself out of it. His tongue slid somewhere familiar, and the room got louder, Claudia not holding back on letting him know how he was doing. That just cranked him up more.

Voro just kept up that same pace, waiting it out until her entire body clenched tight, then released suddenly with her hips bucking wildly, but he held her in place to work her through it right. And right into another one.

She was begging him to stop after the second surge, so he did, prowling up her form, somewhat regretting taking her that far. He was likely so strung out he was going to finish before he started.

Their bodies were positioned. She was kissing him again, cradling his weight against those breasts and a pant-worthy stomach. He
savored the anticipation like a fine wine …

A throat was cleared in the room, and he froze, backing off of her.

He caught her frown. “What?”

Voro checked over his shoulder.
What the fuck …

“Stop this, Voro.”

“Is something wrong?” Claudia’s question came on a pant.

Voro was frozen like a rabbit in the wild, but so murderously angry he couldn’t answer her. He could only glare at the form in the corner.

Jehoel held out his hands, peace-maker style. “You know why. I’m sorry, but if you’re with us, this is only going to hurt her more.”

“Damien? Damien? Is something wrong?”

He exhaled slow, closing his eyes. When they opened the angel was gone.

He turned back to Claudia, not believing what he was about to day. “Claudia, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be here.”

She rose up on her elbows. “Why?”

“It’s not right. I might … I might put you in danger.” Maybe he could scare her off.

“With what?”

He sat up, reaching for his jeans. When he turned back he could make out her form. She’d sat up and pulled her knees up under her chin. The shadows mercifully spared him her expression.

“This was a mistake, and not because of you. You are so … everything about you is so right. And to keep it that way, I’ve got to walk away.”

He pulled his shirt on and picked up his jacket as she said his fake name. “Damien?”

“Yeah?”

“Fuck you.”

It still stung as he hit the hallway, and seeing Jehoel there turned the pain to complete anger. But the angel’s face did honestly look sorry.

“Voro, think what I told you. You’re an angel now. Well, more of an angel than what you were. And humans, even if they can handle touching us, can still go mad. Sometimes it takes a lifetime, something it’s just a month or two. Do you want that for her?”

Voro’s bravado was back, slightly. “So what?”

Jehoel smiled, and it was sympathetic. “She wasn’t just someone to lay with for you. Was she? She’s more than that. It’s okay. It makes sense.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It just makes sense, Voro. Trust me on it. And trust me that she’ll be okay as long as you’re not in her life. Like that
, anyway.”

Fuck. There it was again, a spike through his heart.  He could give up a lot, but could he give up Claudia?

“Okay. I’ll remember it. No fucking. Ever. At all. Thanks for the immortality. This deal just keeps getting better.”

Jehoel slapped his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Voro. I really am.”

“It’s fine. You cock block.”

“Name calling is a bit low for you. Now listen. We’ve noticed the presence in a downtown apartment -”

“I know. That place is the lair of a Sin Eater.”

He actually stunned Jehoel into silence for a moment as they passed through the fire doors at the end of the hallway.

“It’s an old acquaintance of mine, and he’s been recruited by your Psionic Vampire.”

“You made contact with a fellow Sin Eater?”

Voro had to chuckle. “It shocked the shit out of him.”

“Aren’t you worried he’ll turn you in?”

Voro shrugged. “Nah. He’s as scared of this thing as we are, I think. I think he knows that when that thing gets up to full power he’s just as fucked as the rest of us.”

Jehoel sighed. “I don’t know how you get through everything not being able to trust anyone.”