22. Hail Mary
Deyva
“N ow there’s a guy,” I lifted my chin, “who can help juice up your holy water.”
Azariah lounged on the front steps of the church, talking to an elderly couple. Next to me, Zach looked at the ground and laughed lightly to himself.
I poked Zach’s side as we made our way across the grassy lawn. “Has the angel been giving you shit? Because if he has, I will happily pluck his wings bald.”
“No, it’s fine.” Zach’s hand bumped into mine, the brush of affection not quite hand-holding, but just enough for me to taste his amusement. “It’s a good idea. We’ll add it to his job description.”
We walked up the steps just in time to catch the tail-end of the conversation between Az and the elderly couple, the man who was now frowning.
“Oh, I don’t know…”
“Now the first time can be nerve-wracking, but once you get started, you’ll wonder why you never did it before!” Azariah sounded like he was trying to make a sales pitch.
“I don’t think it’s for us.” The woman’s eyes flicked away nervously.
“Martha, I wouldn’t be suggesting a threesome to strengthen your marriage if the success rate wasn’t overwhelmingly successful.”
I couldn’t hide my snicker, while Zach coughed awkwardly. “Good morning, Azariah. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson.”
“Ah, good morning!” The angel spun to face us, feathers whooshing softly from the movement, while the elderly couple took the opportunity to shuffle away. “How is Bethel’s new opposites-attract power couple?”
“We’re fine, thank you,” Zach answered smoothly, standing taller. “Did I hear right that you’re trying to get in bed with the Nelsons?”
“Not me !” Azariah gasped dramatically and slapped a hand to his chest. “Lovely couple, but they aren’t my type. No, I just felt their need to rekindle some passion through their prayers and offered some suggestions.”
“A threesome?” I repeated what he said, another giggle bursting through.
“Don’t act like you wouldn’t suggest something similar, First Daughter.” For once, Azariah’s teasing wasn’t grating on me.
“Hence why you’ll never see me giving marriage advice.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Long relationships are not my strong suit.”
Zach scoffed, his fingertips grazing along my lower back as he leaned in to nuzzle me. “You’re a pretty great girlfriend so far.” He brushed a kiss along the base of my horn, the sensation and affection in his voice making my insides flutter.
I put on a smile, meeting his eyes as I leaned away. “Just give it time.”
My tone was joking, but a sense of dread stamped out any highs from his touches, his sweetness.
The realization that I might have to break up with my boyfriends sooner than I imagined was so incredibly human, I nearly laughed.
I was fucking immortal—I’d seen generations of men live and die.
And still, the mere thought of cutting things off with these priests just made me want to cling to them more.
Zach, oblivious to my inner turmoil, just made a dismissive sound at my self-deprecation. Az however, missed nothing, his eyebrow lifting slightly.
“I’m about to make a batch of holy water,” Zach announced, changing the subject. “Want to help?”
“With you?” the angel grinned. “I would love nothing more.”
“Keep your hands to yourself,” I said in a mock growl. “No touching.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Azariah clasped a dramatic hand over his heart again. “But if you two are looking to spice things up with a threesome—”
“We’re good, thanks.” Zach breezed past him into the chapel, heading down the aisle to the pulpit.
Azariah laughed softly, watching him stride between the pews. “The little lamb is growing some horns of his own.”
“Confidence is a good look on him,” I agreed.
“You’re good for him, Deyva.” Azariah leaned against one of the open church doors, his wings spreading out to the sides. “I mean that with no underhanded spite at all.”
“Good, bad,” I snorted. “What is with everyone trying to fit me into one category or the other? You, of all people, should know better.”
“Oh, I do know. Good for him doesn’t necessarily mean good in general.” He smirked. “There’s just no denying the effect you have on him, that’s all.”
I shrugged off this information, stepping inside to follow Zach, but not before Azariah’s whisper reached my ear. “He would be devastated if he lost you. They all would.”
They’ll get over it, I thought, gritting my teeth. They had to. Sure, they might remember me fondly. Sex with other humans would never compare, but they would move on with their lives. The sooner I cut ties with them, the faster they would recover.
It still fucking hurt to think about, though. A type of hurt that had nothing to do with facing an eternity at the whims of Kimaris and King Belial.
My march between the pews must have looked angry to the humans scattered inside now that my mood was thoroughly soured. I tasted the unease and apprehension, but kept my gaze straight ahead.
Who the hell did Az think he was? He probably faced the same consequences as me if Kimaris ever found us both.
But Hell had barely touched him, whereas it was deeply ingrained in me.
Kimaris probably couldn’t get into his head like he did with me.
The winged fool probably thought he was in the clear.
I never would be. Not until Kimaris got what he wanted. And if Belial got wind of me being hidden on earth, he’d punish Kimaris, who would, in turn, take it out on me. The longer I stayed here, the worse the outcome would be for everyone involved.
I slid into an empty front pew while Az walked up to Zach at the pulpit.
Buckets of water were already set up on the stage, with Zach muttering soft prayers over them as his fingers passed over rosary beads.
He looked beautiful and serene, completely in his element.
Moving from right to left, he paused at each bucket to say a prayer with the fingers of his opposite hand moving down the rosary.
I recalled those fingers tweaking my nipples this morning in much the same way.
Azariah followed him, hovering a hand over the surface of the water after Zach moved on to the next one.
His holy light was subtle, but still miraculous to the humans watching.
The angel’s palm and fingers glowed golden, like sunlight in late afternoon.
No one had seen the quality and color of such light since before Hell’s Rising.
The gasps and mumbles of the onlookers were filled with reverence, their faith and awe tasting sweet on my tongue.
Of course, Azariah’s presence didn’t cancel me out. I also tasted the uneasiness people felt about me being here, and no doubt some of those whispers were also about the evil, horned temptress who had been getting awfully close to their priests.
“May I sit with you?”
I looked up at the human standing at the end of my pew. I was caught off-guard, focusing on the holy water ritual while blocking out everything else.
“Will.” I didn’t bother to hide my shock. “Are you sure?”
He smiled kindly, the scrapes on his face cleaned and his hands wrapped in fresh bandages. “If you’d rather be alone, I’ll leave you be.”
“No, I, uh—it’s alright with me if you want to.”
He slid along the bench to approach me, ignoring the looks of shock from the family a few pews behind us. “I have a lot to be thankful for,” he said, easing himself down next to me. “One of them being you.”
I blinked rapidly, the emotions coming from him both pleasant, yet unfamiliar. “This is...gratitude you’re feeling right now?”
“Oh yes.” He leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the back of the bench in front of us. “Immense gratitude. A whole new outlook on life, you could say.”
“He’s sitting with the demon....”
Will whipped around, his hesitation nonexistent. “This woman is no demon! She saved my life. She’s saved all of us.”
The woman who’d whispered clutched at her throat, her eyes widening in shock.
I laughed, I couldn’t help it. The giddiness of being accepted by this one human I’d never done anything remotely sexual with flooded me.
It was quickly chased by the dread that sank into me since Zach and I got up this morning.
Now it wasn’t just the priests getting attached to me, but their flock.
Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. I’m sorry to say your names in vain, but I am so fucked.
Up on the pulpit, Zach and Azariah seemed to have completed the holy water ritual.
Zach now wore the rosary around his neck, his hands clasped calmly in front of him as he spoke with some parishioners.
Az had a small gathering of admirers as well, like usual.
I wondered if he was preaching to them too about the miracles of threesomes.
“Father, will you please pray with me?”
My gaze narrowed on a young woman, about Zach’s age, who had approached him. He met my eyes briefly over her head, a sheepish look crossing his face before he smiled at her.
“Yes, of course, Caitlin.”
Caitlin turned, her pretty, twenty-something face almost smug as she slid into a pew with Zach right next to her. I snapped my eyes away, only to find fucking Az staring at me with a knowing grin.
“Jealous,” he mouthed without speaking.
“Chicken wings,” I mouthed back.
His amusement at my expense filled the air of the chapel, more overpowering than any human flavor.
“I’m going to take a walk,” I muttered, rising from my seat.
“Have a good day, Deyva,” Will muttered, his forehead still resting on his clasped hands. “Don’t let ‘em get to you, sweetheart.”
I froze for a moment, like his words had physically restrained me. Who exactly was I supposed to not let get to me? My priests? Human women who took my priests’ attention? Kimaris?
I had no destination in mind as I walked along the perimeter of the chapel. Some cartwheels in the gym could help me blow off some steam. Or…