The Bound Angel (Sacrilege Rising: Book 1)

Chapter Eighteen

Eventually, the panting and moaning and drawn-out breaths fell silent. Hot, sweaty skin cooled and dried. Tired muscles, unused to being worked so hard, were massaged, and finally relaxed. The pair stood in the doorway. Like before, they were satisfied in more ways than one. Also like before, their future was unclear.

“That was…” Meredith began softly. Even in the dim light her eyes sparkled. She didn’t finish, instead gently waving her hand in the air, showing the scattered direction of her thoughts.

“I know,” Mike said. “Me too.”

Meredith searched his face. “I want to keep seeing you, Mike.”

Sensing there was more to come, he let her continue.

“Tonight was amazing. All of it. Really, you outdid yourself. But I think I still need some me time. There are going to be times where I want to stay in bed with you all day. But there are also going to be times where I want to be home, alone, to watch my shows and call my mom or whatever. And I don’t want there to be this obligation that you and I have to do something every night. I finally have this taste of freedom and I’m not ready to give it up.”

Her feelings weren’t exactly a surprise, but hearing them out loud was still hard. She wanted to see him, just not all the time. How did he feel about that? On the one hand, it stung. They’d had a nice night. She’d said so herself. It was more than just a casual hookup. Fancy dinner, dancing, it was the kind of date a serious couple went on. But on the other, he didn’t find himself disappointed.

Meredith had been watching. Seeing his hesitation, she jumped in to fill the silence. The words seemed to tumble out of her mouth. “I know that’s not fair and you’ve done everything right and I don’t want things to be awkward and-”

“Hey,” Mike interrupted. She’d been the sole focus of his entire night. He hadn’t thought about all the other craziness, not even once. The escape was welcome. But if they were dating? He’d have to fill her in on everything. He couldn’t keep that from her. And he’d have to stop seeing Allie. Mike wasn’t ready for the former, or, selfishly, to give up the latter. But there was something bumping around in the back of his mind. “I think that’s okay.”

She visibly relaxed. “You do?”

He nodded.

“Because tonight, well, it felt like a real date.”

“I know. For me too.”

“This was the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and I appreciate it. I appreciate you. It’s exactly what I need right now. But this obviously affects you too. So, you have to tell me if it becomes an issue. Okay?”

“Do you think you’ll see other guys?” The words came out on their own, but as soon as he said them it became clear that’s what was bothering him. He felt possessive. Being casual was fine, probably, but the thought of her with another guy was sour, even though that made him the worst kind of hypocrite.

Meredith took a long time to answer. “I don’t think so? I mean, I don’t want to say no for sure because that’s part of why I want this to be casual. I felt trapped for a long time. But I’m not planning on seeing anyone else. Right now at least. And if I do, I’ll let you know, and we can figure it out then. Is that okay?”

Mike nodded. “I think so.”

Meredith asked, “What about you?”

Should he tell her? She would find out eventually. They both would. But he didn’t want to ruin it. “Kind of. There is someone.” The way her face fell made him rush through the rest. “It’s very new, and very casual, and I hope that doesn’t mess this up. Last time you said you didn’t want strings attached, and I hope I didn’t read that wrong.”

Now she did look hurt, like he’d said her old family dog had taken a turn for the worse.

“I did say that. I… don’t know. But I know it’s not fair that I get to make all the rules. So, okay, I guess, for now. But let me think about it?”

“Of course.”

She tugged on his shirt, pulling him close until their lips met. The kiss was soft and gentle, dipping their toes into the memory of what came before. But she managed to sneak in a bit of tongue.

“I’ll just have to try harder next time,” she smirked. “Make sure you don’t forget what I can do to you.”

Mike chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about that. This was special.”

“Good answer.”

Then she was gone. She’d refused his offer to walk her home but accepted his insistence to pay for the ride.

The door clicked shut behind her. He lingered, staring at it, working through his feelings. What he said was true. He really didn’t want a relationship right now. While it would have been nice to have someone thinking about him, someone to share with and open up to, now was the worst possible time. There were things going on in his life he couldn’t tell anyone about, and starting a relationship with secrets was a bad idea under normal circumstances. Keeping secrets that rocked the foundation of the universe was an order of magnitude worse.

Plus, on a simpler level, the obligation just wasn’t something he was interested in right now. His feelings echoed what Meredith said she wanted, and it was reassuring that they were on the same page. But it was getting late, and the tired feeling behind his eyes told him he needed real sleep. He moved toward the bedroom. As soon as he crossed the threshold, Lana was standing there.

“Jesus Christ you have to stop doing that,” he said as he waited for his heart to stop racing.

She was leaning against the wall. Her warm blue eyes shone in the dark. “Michael,” Lana answered, “we have discussed this. Do not blaspheme.”

When he looked appropriately apologetic, she softened. “You handled that well.”

“How much did you hear?”

“Enough.”

She wore her armor. The gold was smeared with red stains. There were patches of dried blood on her arms, and one on her neck.

“Whoa. Are you okay?”

She smiled in response. Her wide, toothy grin reminded him of a shark. “I am fine. It has been quite an evening. As Jeremiah said, ‘For a destroyer has come. The Lord is a God of recompense.’”

“I take it you found them? The demons?”

“Oh yes. I found them. Several, including one you and I saw together that took the skin of a mortal mafioso. That one blubbered as I cut him down. The harlot escaped though.” She looked angry about that.

“Great. I think. And you’re okay? You look terrible.” Lana’s eyes flashed, and he decided he’d made a mistake. “Not terrible. You know what I mean. Hurt. Is that your blood?”

She glanced down, looking surprised to see the crimson stains. “Oh, that. No, it is not mine, mostly. Thanks to you.” She stepped toward him then, much like Meredith had earlier, and traced a finger along Mike’s jaw. Energy flooded through his limbs. He felt refreshed, like he’d just had a long nap, and was ready to throw her over his shoulder and carry her to bed. She must have noticed his reaction, because she took a step back. But her words still managed to seep in.

“What do you mean?” Then it hit him. “Oh. Right. You, um, felt that, then?”

She chuckled. “Yes. I felt that. It gave me the strength to carry on when the situation was most dire. The few times the mongrels were able to land blows, I was buoyed with renewed fortitude. Thank you, Michael. I truly mean it.”

There she went again, making him sound like a hero for sleeping with attractive women. Like it was some sort of burden.

“Right, well, um, sure thing. Any time.”

“Come. Sit. We must speak. But first, lend me your fingers for a moment.”

Lana turned and held her braid to the side, revealing clasps on the back plate of her armor. After he unlatched them, she pulled the plate over her head. It caught the fabric, and he tried not to notice how it dragged the hem of her shift up. Disappointingly, she adjusted, and they sat side by side on the couch. Would he ever be able to keep from staring? After the day he had, if he couldn’t keep himself from ogling now, he doubted he ever would.

“Although tonight was a success,” Lana began. She was watching him and judging the impact of her words. “There are more vermin in the city than I believed. The enemy has been busy.”

Mike thought back to the night of the warehouse. There had been dozens of robed monks, each carrying those wavy knives. Hundreds of captives. If each sacrifice brought one demon through, the city would be infested in no time. The city where Mom lived. Where his friends and family worked. The city he’d grown up in and considered like another relative.

Lana held his hand. “It is time to try again, Michael. As much as I have enjoyed our time together, this bond was not meant for you and me. Not meant for a mortal at all. We must find a way to break it.”

He could tell she would rather be out there fighting than here with him. He took a deep breath.

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“Good. Close your eyes and focus on the sound of my voice.”