Fallen Venus: 7even Circles (7even Circles Series Book 4) Page 4

  An hour later, she breathed a sigh of relief when they finished their food and stood up to leave. The other two girls went outside, but Tara stood at the door, staring at Cass. She knew that the woman wanted to speak to her. All Cass wanted was for her to leave. She walked over to the door.

  “Was there something else you wanted?”

  “I don’t know who or what you are, but if you come near Ari, I will make sure that you take a long trip and never come back.”

  Cass gave her a smile and moved in close, invading the other woman’s personal space. “You can try, succubus, but come near me or my friends again and it will be you who’ll disappear into dust.”

  Tara shoved the door open and stormed out, cursing as she left. Cass watched as the three women climbed into a red convertible and sped away. Leeza came up and wrapped her arm around Cass’s shoulders.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  Leeza was upset on her behalf. “What the hell does Ari see in that cow?”

  Cass laughed. “God, I love you.”

  Her friend squeezed her. “Love you, too. Now, let’s finish this shift, close up, and go get us a pint of ice cream to eat.”

  “Yes, please.”

  *****

  Raphael sat in the hospital bed, the pain meds they had given him wearing off. He was grateful because he couldn’t take being so out of it. The feeling of being helpless lying there in the bed was something he just wasn’t used to.

  He lifted his hand and growled at the weakness in his body. An IV tube was still connected to his arm and they were monitoring his vitals. Raphael was used to visiting others in the hospital, saying prayers, healing where he could, and giving last rites. There were three things he couldn’t use his powers for: one, heal himself; two, heal a demon; and three, bring the dead back to life. Hospitals were always a test.

  “Are you doing okay?” Michael asked from the doorway.

  He looked up and frowned. “Fine, ready to leave. Why are you here so late? Didn’t the visiting hours end several hours ago?”

  Michael strode in and pulled a chair from the corner. “As your future nephew-in-law, I’ll be staying with you tonight and helping to take you home in the morning.”

  Raphael shook his head. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “I just want to make sure that you weren’t attacked.”

  “Michael, I’m just old. My body is slowing down. Eventually, it will shut down. This is what happens to humans. I know it’s hard for you; you’ve never suffered anything that you couldn’t recover from.”

  “Let me take you to Sanctuary to recharge yourself.”

  Shaking his head, he closed his eyes. “No, I can’t break my banishment for my own selfish reasons.”

  “You’re the least selfish person I know.”

  Raphael smiled. “I’m one of only a handful of people that you actually know. How’s practice going with Cassandra?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “Good, she’s getting much better.”

  “Is she ready to face a full demon on her own?”

  “She’s done that before. Did you forget? Is your memory affected?”

  He glared over at Michael. “I didn’t forget, but she had others there to help her. She doesn’t have full control of all her powers. We don’t even know what all her powers are.”

  “Truth is, we may never know. She has dormant powers that may remain dormant.”

  It was a truth they all needed to face. Raphael nodded his agreement. “Then let’s make sure the powers she does have are perfected.”

  “She seems determined to do that. At least she has accepted that she must train.”

  “What about the demi-demon?”

  “He hasn’t come around much, and she has made no effort to see him.”

  Raphael should have been relieved and happy about that. “How is she emotionally?”

  “Sad. Even when she smiles, I can feel her pain and sadness. She’s good at hiding it from others, like that human boyfriend of hers, but I can feel the truth.”

  “The human, is he good?”

  Michael made a face. “Yeah, he’s good. He’s probably the safest person for her to be around.”

  “Good, maybe the human will help her get over the feelings she has for the demi-demon.”

  Michael narrowed his eyes at Raphael. “Do you really believe that?”

  Raphael sighed. “No, I don’t.”

  “What do I do?”

  “Just be her friend. We both need to show her that we’re sorry for hurting her and that she can still trust us.”

  Michael ran a hand through his hair. “They don’t exactly train soldiers in the angel army to handle human feelings.”

  Raphael chuckled. “Half the soldiers would fail.” They continued to talk until Raphael felt exhaustion overtake him.

  He didn’t feel the blankets being pulled up to cover him or hear Michael as he whispered, “Sleep well, my friend.”

  Chapter 6

  The next morning

  Cass walked into the hospital room and smiled at seeing Father Raphael sitting up trying to pull on his shirt. “Let me help.” She rushed over and helped him with the sleeves. A weird bear-like noise caught her attention. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted Michael slouched in a chair, head hanging down and snoring, loudly.

  “What in the world?”

  Raphael chuckled. “Michael wanted to guard me from the perils of being in a hospital.”

  She straightened up and looked at Michael. His hair was a wavy mess, drool was noticeable at the corner of his mouth, and his big, bulky body looked like it was about to crush the tiny chair he was sitting in. Overall, he looked very human and beautiful.

  “He stayed all night?”

  “Yes. I didn’t realize he cared, but that’s Michael. He never shows his true feelings.”

  She couldn’t agree with that. “He’s always been very vocal about his feelings on demons, demi-demons, and the fact they should all be destroyed. His disgust at the demon blood in my veins has been made perfectly clear.”

  “A lot of that is not his fault. It’s simply a product of his training. Angels are not born like humans as children. We are born fully grown, with powers and a sense of right and wrong, but also with a blank slate. It is up to the leaders of the angel army to fill in that blank slate with the knowledge of how to use our power and who to use it on.”

  “I don’t believe in blaming the parent for the adult child’s bad behavior. At some point, the adult child has to take responsibility.”

  “Even humans, if raised in hate-filled environments and lacking education about other cultures, will grow up to hate what they are taught to hate and don’t understand. However, with patience and lots of education, those people can overcome how they were raised and make their own decisions about what is right or wrong.”

  Cass bit her bottom lip. “Maybe. So you’re saying I should give Michael a chance and help him overcome some of his hate?”

  “It’s a worthy cause and I think Michael is worth the effort.”

  She sighed. “I’ll try.”

  He patted her hand. “That’s all I can ask for.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  He groaned. “I’ve already had two nurses and a team of rounding medical residents ask me that this morning. I’m fine. Where’s that nurse? I want to leave already.”

  Cass smiled. “I’ll go see if I can speed up the process. I’ll be right back.” She walked out of the room, glancing once more at Michael’s sleeping form. It was hard to stay mad at him when he did something as sweet as guarding Father Raphael all night. She would try to get along with him, to give him a chance.

  *****

  “She’s gone now, Michael, you can stop pretending to be asleep.”

  Michael opened his eyes and slowly stood up, stretching his limbs. He looked out the door and spotted Cass at the nurse’s desk. She had her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing black skin-tig
ht leggings with a large sweatshirt that went to mid-thigh. When she leaned over the counter to sign something he got a glimpse of her finely toned ass. His body was immediately hard. He wanted her, but she would have nothing to do with him now. I blew it.

  “You didn’t blow it completely,” Raphael responded.

  Damn, he had said that out loud. He turned to look at his friend, deciding to change the subject. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Like I’m going to shoot the next person who asks me that question.”

  Michael took a small step back. “Being in a hospital does not suit you. It seems to make you slightly volatile.”

  “I’ll show you volatile…” Raphael tried to stand up, but his legs were a little too week. Michael had to catch him before he hit the floor.

  “Take it easy, you can kick my ass later when you’ve got your strength back.”

  “I’ll take you up on that. If I can’t, I’ll have Cassandra do it.”

  Michael chuckled, “Deal.”

  *****

  Later that afternoon

  Cass carefully carried a tray with a bowl of soup and glass of water to Father Raphael’s bedroom. He was sitting up in bed, awake, but she could tell the move from the hospital to home had exhausted him. He had been on the phone for hours trying to find another priest to come and give Sunday’s service tomorrow morning.

  “Any luck?”

  “No. Several churches have closed down and the priests were redirected outside of the Detroit area.”

  Cass sat the tray on the nightstand. Michael walked over to sniff at the bowl. “Did you make that yourself?”

  She looked at Father Raphael and Michael’s worried expressions. “No, Jerry delivered a couple of containers he made last night.”

  They breathed identical sighs of relief and she wanted to smack them both on the back of the head. “Hey, I can make soup. It’s no big deal, just cut up vegetables, throw it in a pot of water, and add salt. Easy!”

  Michael didn’t look like he believed her. “You’ve only heated up canned soups, haven’t you?”

  She laughed and admitted the truth. “Busted.” Both men laughed.

  Cass sat on the edge of the bed and dipped the spoon in the bowl, holding it out to feed Father Raphael. He shook his head and took the spoon from her. “I’m not helpless, I can feed myself. I just need someone to give the sermon or I’ll have to close the doors. I hate turning away the few parishioners I have.”

  “I told you that I could do it,” Michael said, snatching a piece of bread and dipping it in the bowl.

  Cass looked at Father Raphael. “That’s not a bad idea.”

  Father Raphael shook his head. “I don’t know…”

  Michael looked a little put out. “Don’t you trust me?”

  “I trust you to train Cassandra or to fight demons. What I do here at the church is much different.”

  “Right, you heal the sick,” Michael said.

  “No, I heal souls. The words I give in my sermon I spend a lot of time selecting. I practice what I say and how I say it, because they’re not my words, they’re God’s. If I say it the wrong way, I could give His words in a way He did not intend. Insensitive words could cause more long-lasting harm than a black eye.”

  Cass offered a suggestion. “What if you pick the passage and I help Michael practice giving the sermon? I’ll also come on Sunday to give Michael moral support.”

  “I was practicing the message for this coming service when I collapsed. It’s probably on the floor or under a pew. I guess, as long as he practices it, it should be okay.” Father Raphael still sounded doubtful.

  “I was top of my training class in the angel army, I’m sure I will be just as successful with this.”

  “I’ll pray that you are.”

  Cass tugged on Michael’s arm. “Come on, let’s go find that sermon and get you to practice.” She placed a small monitor on the nightstand.

  Father Raphael picked it up. “What is this?”

  “A baby monitor so I can hear if you need something. I have the other one with me.” She held it up to demonstrate.

  “I’m not a child.”

  She bent down and kissed him on his forehead. “Of course not. I’ll be back up to check on you and then Leeza is coming to spend some time with you.”

  Father Raphael smiled. “Jerry and Leeza are good friends.”

  “They’re the best. Just call out if you need something and don’t try to go to the bathroom unless someone is close by in case you fall.” Cass could hear him grumble as she left.

  Michael followed her down the hallway toward the pew area. “I found Father Raphael right here. Look around for see if you see an index card. He always uses index cards to write out his sermons.”

  “I know that. I’ve been to his sermons and seen him practice many times.”

  Michael sounded a little frustrated, but she chose to ignore it for now. They were all stressed. Dealing with demons was nothing compared to almost losing a loved one to something they had no control over.

  “So, how’s things with the human? Are you bored yet?”

  Glaring at him, she was tempted to kick his fine ass, which was currently sticking up in the air as he bent over to look under the pews. “West is sweet, kind, and generous.”

  “I can hear the passion in your voice,” Michael snorted.

  “I am passionate about West. He’s amazing, and the best part is he doesn’t judge me for the blood running through my veins.”

  Michael was across the aisle faster than she could blink and turning her to face him. “I’ve said I’m sorry and I’ll keep saying it until the day you believe me.”

  “You say that, but it doesn’t change the way you feel.”

  “I made a lot of mistakes when I first came here, but I am trying to make up for it. You’ve proven to me that your blood doesn’t dictate who you are.”

  “I shouldn’t have had to prove anything.”

  “You’re right.”

  It was his sincerity and, for once, humility that got to her. After finding Father Raphael unconscious, she didn’t want to hold on to her anger anymore. “I guess everyone deserves a second chance.”

  His face lit up. “Thank you. I won’t let you down.”

  “You better not. Now, let’s get back to looking for those index cards. I think I saw something white under that other pew.”

  *****

  Later that evening

  Leeza came over to stay with Father Raphael while Michael had to work and Cass went out with West. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  “Absolutely. Father Raphael and I have a chess game we need to continue playing.”

  “I feel guilty for going out dancing.”

  “You’ve done so much for Father Raphael. He told me he was worried about you taking on so much, too much. You need a little break.”

  “Okay, I’m going home to change.”

  “Wear a skirt and heels. Put some lipstick on, too.”

  “Ugh! Why did I agree to go dancing?” Cass grumbled as she left the church. She pulled on her inner powers and tapped into her speed to run home. She loved feeling the exhilaration of running super fast. It was by far her coolest power.

  Chapter 7

  At the club

  The music was loud and made it hard to hear any attempts at conversation. That was okay; she and West were spending most of their time on the dance floor, just enjoying themselves. A fast song was playing and West was showing off a little. He made her feel comfortable and relaxed enough to not worry about others watching her. The song ended and West pulled her to him and walked them to the bar.

  “Order us some sodas. I’m going to run to the bathroom for a moment,” he told her.

  “Okay.” She watched him walk away. She couldn’t help but smile at his confident stride. She felt warm and happy and all of that was due to West. He was good for her.

  Going to the bar, she leaned forward to place an order wit
h the bartender. “One Coke and one water, please.” A few seconds later, the bartender returned with her order, placing the glasses on the bar.

  “Are you working or on a date?” a voice whispered close to her ear.

  She closed her eyes, recognizing that voice. Shivers ran up and down her back. Turning to the side, she looked at him. “What do you want, Ari?”

  “I went by the diner and Jerry said you were supposed to go dancing.”

  “So what? You drove around Detroit until you found me?” Why did that excite her a little bit?

  “I took an educated guess. Where’s lover boy?”

  “Where’s your fiancée?”

  “She’s busy with her friends.”

  “Yeah, I met her and her friends. They came into the diner last night.”

  “Did they cause trouble?” Ari looked concerned.

  “They just wanted to get under my skin.”

  He reached out and gently touched her cheek. Electricity shot through her entire body at that simple touch. She jerked back from him. He looked hurt for a moment before masking his expression. Cass was about to tell him to go away before West came back, but she was distracted by a familiar tingling sensation. She knew what that meant.

  “A demon is nearby,” she said, looking around the club slowly.

  Ari also looked around. He spotted something. “Over on the dance floor.”

  Casually, she did a little turn while sipping her water. She spotted the demon dancing with two human women. She kept her eyes focused on him, drawing on her powers to help enhance her senses. This was something Father Raphael had been working with her on. She inhaled deeply and scented iron.

  “Blood demon?”

  He smiled at her with appreciation. “Yes, very good.”

  “How do I tell if it’s a full demon or a demi-demon?”

  Full demons would a bigger threat because they needed the kill, sucking their victim’s blood. A blood demi-demon could glamour their victims, but usually left them alive. She liked to think of them as kind of like vampires, except as long as they don’t harm their victims she was willing to let it go.