Mercy for the Fallen (5 page)

“I wish I could tell you.  I haven’t seen him in a while, not since Evie’s birthday over a year ago.”

“You saw him then?  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to feel the way you’re feeling right now,” I answered honestly.  “Daphne… you have to let him go.  Move on and find happiness with someone who’ll be there for you.”

“I know, it’s just hard.  Don’t you miss Adam sometimes?”

It wasn’t hard to bring back the flash of desire for Adam.  I could feel his Grace out there, a tether going from his heart to mine.  “Sometimes.”  I deliberately cut off the longing, forcing myself to remember how great I had it before I let myself get carried away.  There was more to love than a rush of hormones.  “But Parker’s the man for me.” 

“Don’t get me wrong, you know I love Parker too, but don’t you sometimes think…”

“What?”

“I couldn’t still feel this way after all this time if it wasn’t real.”

“I never said it wasn’t real, Daphne.  It’s just not meant to be.”

“What if moving on is just a way of giving up?” 

I wasn’t sure how to explain that it wasn’t enough, those fleeting moments of happiness were too heavily shadowed with misery for me to consider it a viable future.  Not for me at least, not with Evie to think about.  And Daphne would never find someone to be with if she kept wallowing over losing Sam. 

“It’s not giving up to want to be happy.  You deserve happiness, and so do I.  On our terms, not theirs.” 

“Right, I know.”    

“You have to let him go, Daph.  If you keep obsessing about him, you’re only going to end up hurting yourself.” 

“Thanks, Mercy.  I know I can always count on you to understand.  It must be tons harder for you to put Adam behind you when he keeps popping up though, right?”

“I can handle it.”  Before too long he’d be gone again and things would get back to normal.  Well, as normal as it got for us.  “Listen, I’d better go.  I’ll see you on Tuesday for our movie fest.” 

No sooner had I hung up, when the phone buzzed again, an unknown number flashing on the screen.  “Hello?”

“You’re picturing me naked right now, aren’t you?”  Adam’s voice slid over me like dark honey, rich and sweet.  Somehow I managed to combat the mental image that went along with his words.

“Not really, no.”

“But you
are
thinking of me.”

“Actually, I was about to go to bed.”

“Already?  It’s barely eight o’clock.”  Scorn dripped from his voice for such a ridiculous plan before he found the seductive purr again.  “Want me to come over and help you fall asleep?”

“No thanks, I want to be well rested for Parker when he gets home.”

Silence reigned for a few moments.  “Are you in bed now?”

“It so happens that I am.”

“You miss me there beside you, don’t you?”

“Goodnight, Adam.”  I hung up before it turned into something more intimate than chit chat.  I wasn’t going to play his game.  I had way more with Parker than a few fleeting memories of a love that couldn’t stand the test of real life.  But as I drifted off to sleep, images of a certain fallen angel slipped in.  And damn if they weren’t naked…

Chapter Five

Parker surprised me the next morning by having the coffee ready and Evie fed by the time I got out of the shower.  I could hear singing coming from her bedroom with Nelo, playing along with her See ‘N Say. 

“Morning, darlin’,” he greeted me when I stepped into the kitchen, pressing a mug of coffee, the way I liked it, into my hand.  A cinnamon raisin bagel smeared with peanut butter waited for me on the breakfast bar. 

“Wow, you should stay up way too late more often if this is the treatment I get.” 

“I didn’t sleep long, but I slept deep,” he grinned, pulling me closer by the belt loops of my jeans when I set down the cup.  “Totally worth it.”

“I agree, we should definitely do that more often.”  I noticed the empty bowl next to my plate.  “Did Bunny eat all of her breakfast or did you let Nelo finish it up?”

“Nope, she ate it all herself.”  Parker let go of me to pick up the bowl, depositing it in the sink.

“How did you manage that?”

“I bribed her.” He looked like he was about to explain his genius parenting skills but I waved him off.

“Wait… the less I know about it, the better.  I’m just glad she ate for once.” Sometimes I wondered if it was the Grace.  Did she even need to eat at all?  I hadn’t noticed much of a change in my appetite since receiving the Grace, but she was something different. 

Parker poured himself a cup as well and joined me at the breakfast bar.  “Hey listen, c
an we talk now?”

“Again?  We just talked last night.”

“That was not talking. That was…”

“Hey, you wanted awesome,” I pointed out.

“I did, and it was super awesome.  But sooner or later you’re going to have to talk to me about real stuff.”

“What is that even supposed to mean?”  My brows drew together.  “I talk to you about real stuff everyday.  And now we get to talk about
unreal
stuff too because we have to find another preschool for Bunny.”

“It’s fine,” he waved me off.  “I can stay with her during the day and you can watch her at night when I’m at the club like we’ve been doing before we enrolled her.”

“She needs to be around other kids, Parker.  You heard the lady, she’s creepy.”

A furrow appeared on his brow.  “She’s not creepy.”

“If she’s creeping out other kids, that makes her creepy by definition.”  My voice dropped to a whisper.  “She needs to learn how to interact with kids her age, not just Nelo, or she’s going to have a sad, lonely childhood.”

“Hey, you’re the one who thought it’d be a great idea to give her a demon playmate.”

“It is great for both of them,” I added softly.  “She loves him like a brother and you know he loves her too.  But sooner or later she’s going to have to figure out how to blend what she is with the real world.” 

“She’s only three.”

“And she’s already ended up on the evening news.”

Parker got up to pace around the island.  “Maybe we should hold off on school then, until she’s old enough to understand what’s appropriate behavior for being in public?”

“Fine, say we wait.  What happens when we take her anywhere?  To the store, to the library, the park…  We can’t keep her a prisoner in the house.  I won’t raise her that way.”

“I’m not saying we should.”  He stopped beside me with a comforting smile, hands settling on my shoulders.  “Mercy, we have time to figure this out.  What happened yesterday was like a wake up call, but we’re up to the task.”

“Then you’re not freaked out about this?”

“Maybe a bit, but I know we’ll be okay.”

“Then what did you want to talk about?”

His smiled widened, but Parker let go of me to go around to the fridge.  “Drink your coffee before it gets cold.  I picked up some bacon, I just need to nuke it…”  His words trailed off as he fished a piece of notebook paper out of the fridge.  Unfolding it, he read aloud.  “Mistress, there are two people outside by the azaleas.  They do not seem to be harming the house, but I believe it is the man you mentioned as he is most interested in our garbage.”  Parker looked up, brows knitting together.  “What the hell is he talking about?”

“I forgot to tell you, there was a guy poking around in our garbage last night.  Completely harmless, but I asked Nelo to keep an eye on the place at night.” 

“But now there’s two of them?”

“Apparently?” I shrugged, not knowing any more about it than he did.  I was grateful for the heads up, but I wished Nelo had led with the news instead of leaving it in a note.  How long had they been out there? 

“I’ll deal with it,” Parker sighed, slipping on a pair of shoes and a sweatshirt.  But when he emerged from the closet with a baseball bat, I inserted myself between him and the door.

“
No… you can’t do it like that.  The guy’s a little loopy, but he’s harmless, I swear.”

“I don’t care who he is, if there’s a guy lurking on my property, I have a right to chase him off.”

“Just… let me talk to him.  Maybe I can find out what he wants and get rid of him for good.”

“I’m not letting you go out there alone.”

“Suit yourself,” I shrugged, deciding it was easier to let him tag along than to argue about the fact that I was much better suited for defending myself than he was.  Without bothering to change out of my slippers, I went out the back door, finding Archbishop Steve before his makeshift altar, a woman in a fluorescent rain poncho kneeling beside him.  I couldn’t see much of her under the poncho, but she appeared to be in her forties with dark, horn-rimmed glasses.  Her aura was a peaceful blue with green at the center, and I sensed no danger from either of them. 

“Archbishop Steve,” I said by way of greeting.  “I see you brought a friend this time.”

“I have brought my first disciple,” he nodded.

“I am his disciple,” the woman echoed, rocking slightly, forward and backward. 

“Okay, nice to meet you, disciple…”

“Patti.  She is Disciple Patti.”

“I am Disciple Patti,” she repeated.

“Uh huh.” 
’Cause that made sense.
  “Look, I thought we told you last night to get out of here.”

“We?” Parker frowned.

“Adam stopped by again, it’s not important.”  I let out a short breath.  “You were told not to come back, Steve.”

“But I am worthy, don’t you see?”  Fervor lit Steve’s face.  “Salvation is at hand, and I have divine purpose!”

“Praise His name,” Patti murmured.  At least she was capable of more than parroting him. 

“What makes you think you’re worthy?”

“Because the Angel of the Lord spoke to me.  I am his conduit on this Earth.”

“I don’t think so,” I scoffed.  “See, that’s
my
gig.  And nobody said anything to me about you forming a commune on our property.”  I was the Clarion after all, shouldn’t I be the one doing the calling if he was truly chosen for something?  “What do you want?”

“We seek the divine knowledge, to understand as God intended.  He has promised to reveal all.  And then we shall be as one.”

“As one,” Patti mumbled.

“Only that was the other guy, remember?  The devil was the one promising full disclosure.  That’s what got us kicked out of Eden in the first place,” Parker said, surprising me with his knowledge of the bible. 

Was Lucifer Eve’s secret visitor?  “What did this angel look like?”

“He was glorious to behold, and the light of truth spilled from his every pore.”

“Uh huh, that doesn’t help me,” I muttered.  “Let me guess, tall, blonde, good looking enough to be a movie star, sorta full of himself?”  Of course that described about half the angels I’d encountered so far. 

“He is the bringer of truth.  He will reveal the path to the light.” 

We weren’t getting anywhere with this.  “What did he tell you to do –
exactly
?”

“He bade me gather an army to keep the child safe.”

“He told you to keep her safe?” I blinked.  What the hell was Lucifer up to?  Didn’t he get that he was exposing her with all the attention?  How was that supposed to keep her safe?

“Keep her safe, praise His name.”  Disciple Patti rocked. 

“Hey, it’s real sweet you want to take on this supposed holy mission and all, but you can’t do it here.  You’re going to have to leave.”

“We can not leave the path to understanding.”

“Back off or we’ll call the cops.  You understand that?”  Parker stepped forward, smacking the baseball bat against the palm of his hand.

“We shall fear no evil, for ours is a just cause.  Will you let us see the child?”

I started to see Adam’s point the night before.  There was no use trying reason on a crazy person.  “Ugh, I didn’t want to have to do this…” I muttered, producing my sword with a flick of the wrist.  “I am the Bringer of Life, and
I
will keep the child safe.  You are not to approach her, lest you incur my wrath.”  The sword gleamed in the morning sun and I hoped like hell none of the neighbors were watching at that particular moment.  At least I kept my wings out of sight, the sword would be far easier to explain. 

“Hail to the Bringer of Life!”  Steve bowed low, Patti following right behind him.  “What is your message, holy one?”

“Leave us in peace.  The Child of Light is innocent and should remain so until His purpose is revealed.  Whatsoever you do… do it somewhere else.”  That was about the extent of my bible-speak.  Anything else and I intended to use the sharp end of the sword to make my point.   

“It shall be as you say, Holy Mother,” Steve edged backwards, on his knees.  “We will gather our army in secret, awaiting the day when all will be revealed.”

“You do that.”

“Come, Patti, there is much work to be done.”

“Praise His name,” she murmured, awkwardly backing away on her hands and knees. 

We waited there, me with my sword and Parker with his bat until they reached the sidewalk and started down the block, still backing away slowly.  Finally, I opened my hand, letting the sword disappear as we shuffled back to the house.  Neither one of us said a word as Parker took the bacon out of the fridge and popped it in the microwave to heat up.  My coffee was a smidge cooler than I liked, but still warm enough to drink, and I drained the mug.  Neither of us spoke until Parker set the plate of bacon on the counter between us.