Chapter Four
Limos
Ilifted the demon by his neck, the stolen mortal form turning to ice.
An angry hiss escaped his lips before he fled it, seeking refuge in Hell.
With a grunt, I released the mortal and his lifeless body hit the ground with a thump.
Heat washed the ice away, and after a few seconds, he took his first breath.
Not dead. Good. I couldn’t risk Thanatos finding me here. Not until I found Ares. Then I could aid in protecting her human and stopping the apocalypse.
From my assessment of both Thanatos and Zelus, we’d have the power of four to ensure it didn’t happen. This soul was only necessary for as long as it took to track down Ares, then it wouldn’t matter what happened to her.
With a quick glance at the rest of the street, I casually strolled back to the building that housed my Counter Soul. I ignored the prick of emotion in my chest at the thought of talking to her again.
A mortal who could see me despite my cloak. One who could see my familiars, and who my familiars relished the attention of. Was this the power of a Counter Soul the others insisted was the case over the last month?
Very few things derailed my carefully curated plans. I was meticulous. All variables considered. All outcomes planned for. But when she’d caught sight of me following her, I hadn’t been prepared. I’d nearly lost my calm.
But like Ares, I’d learned how to pivot.
I couldn’t keep her out of harm’s way long enough to find Ares if she didn’t know exactly what lurked around her.
It was worth it to explain and answer her questions.
The more she knew, the less danger she’d unintentionally put herself into.
I only had to keep her alive long enough to do what I must. But navigating the mortal experience was difficult and would take time if past experiences were anything to go by.
I rarely dealt with mortals, so when she read my hesitation, I’d been shocked in ways I hadn’t been before. The cleverness of a Counter Soul had taken me off guard.
Only Ares could depict some of my moods, though they were rarely anything more than boredom, and it’d taken her centuries. But this human had read me on day one, and for the first time in what felt like my entire existence, I was uncomfortable.
After ensuring no others had come to claim the mortal’s soul, I entered the building again. The attack came quicker than I anticipated. I’d expected to have at least a few days to get her settled with the idea of demons and angels, but they’d found her the same day I had.
Had Michael not been eager for the end of the world, I’d suspect her intervention, but she wouldn’t want the soul at risk. She’d want me to ripen it and collect. So how then did they find my Counter Soul so quickly?
Wandering back into the room where the mortal was, I took inventory of the space. She lived rather minimally. The building was worn and at risk of crumbling if there was even the slightest earthquake.
Her home might be cozy, but it was far from the luxury sought by the greedy humans I’d met over the years.
Her fridge was barely stocked, her cabinets relatively empty, and the most expensive things she owned were a PS5 and laptop.
Everything else seemed thrifted or cheap.
Her bed didn’t even have a proper frame.
It sat on a simple box spring that was made of recycled wood.
“That you, Ghost?” she called out, her voice sleepy.
The nickname Pestilence called me instead of my name was oddly nice in her soft, raspy timbre. It never bothered me that Zelus called me Ghost, because the impression I gave most was that of one, but with her…
It was a feeling I couldn’t name.
I froze in place. She’d sensed me without looking over. So few could find me when I didn’t want them to, yet she did it without effort. This mortal had even seen through my impenetrable mask of indifference, picking out emotions I didn’t immediately understand until she mentioned them.
My familiars had taken to her chest. Water saturated her pale flesh and was a shiny gleam across a long stretch of freckles. Little streams flowed off the lifted mounds of her breasts, saturating her pink shirt and defining her shape in ways that made me oddly fascinated.
I lingered closer, and her pale blue eyes followed me.
Despite her friendly personality, one I noted the moment we met, those staggering eyes of hers held such a depth of sadness it dulled the color.
Pain lurked inside them that was soul deep.
Most surprising was how much I wanted to uncover what had tainted such a vibrant spirit.
Crouching, I cocked my head to the side, noticing the tired lines of her face, the crow’s feet of both laughter and pain, and the years spent suffering and in the glow of affection. I’d never seen such an expressive face. Or maybe the truth was I’d never wanted to look this long at one.
But for some reason, my gaze strayed to where her pulse flickered at the side of her neck, faster than normal.
Where her chest rose and fell, not in fear but excitement, aware of my gaze and presence.
Where the water bled through the thin material of her shirt and exposed the dramatic curve of her breasts underneath, absent the telling sign of a bra.
Instead, her nipples had formed hardened points, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from them.
“Hey,” she whispered, and my gaze finally met hers. “I know this is a dream, but you don’t need to hold back. You can lay down with me, Ghost.”
I had to expel more effort than normal to keep the surprise from twisting my expression. “I’m only here to keep you protected, mortal.”
“Nomi,” she corrected, a soft smile lifting her mouth.
There was a slight flush to her freckled cheeks, and it took substantial effort not to lean in to get a closer look. My eye sight was sharp. I didn’t need to lean in, but the desire to was stronger than anything ever had been.
“And something tells me you can still protect me if you lie down,” her whispery voice teased.
Her pulse grew faster the longer I stared, but nothing like the discomfort most experienced around me. Hers was anticipation. But of what?
I wasn’t sure what possessed me to follow her orders—I rarely listened to anyone, even Ares—but I went around the bed and did as she asked. I laid out next to her, and she immediately turned her head to keep eye contact.
My gaze dropped to her mouth as her tongue swept across her bottom lip. “Sorry the bed’s not bigger.”
I hadn’t noticed. It took her mentioning it before I realized how small it was if I were to stretch out. And then my eyes traced her shape next to mine.
I slipped in closer, inspecting the difference, unable to contain my curiosity. I absently wondered if I wrapped my arms around her if she’d be the perfect shape and fit inside them. If her smaller frame would perfectly mold to mine.
Her breath caught, drawing my eyes to her face. The flush spreading across her cheeks had deepened, making the freckles around her nose stand out.
I was lost in the maze they made and how they reminded me of the stars in the sky. But she barely breathed anymore, her body stiff with the closeness of mine. I inched back in response, catching the tail end of disappointment in her expression as I did.
Still, she smiled it away. “I really should sleep, Ghost. I’ve got to go shopping tomorrow and make the most of my day off.” I didn’t speak because she wasn’t looking for a reply. “This has been a nice change of pace from the dreams about my father.”
My interest was snagged by her statement. I nearly asked about it, but I didn’t have to. She went on as if I’d already pried.
“He wasn’t a nice man,” she murmured, the smile fading from her mouth.
Something grew in my chest at the sight of her long-suffering pain.
“You mentioned demons and angels were out to kill me, right? But they’ll never be scarier than he was.
He’s dead now, but if he were to show up in my room like… ”
Her voice trailed off, and I watched the deeply-rooted hurt flounder in her pale eyes—fear that lived inside her every day no matter if the mortal was alive or dead. He still haunted her.
“Well, let’s just say I’m really good at getting away when I need to,” she told me, her smile rich with self-deprecation.
I’d never wanted to pry deeper into a mortal’s history until she went quiet. I waited for her to say more, uncomfortable with the silence. I’d always found the quiet relaxing. It was where I was at my best. But with her, it was the farthest thing from solace. It was the edge of anxiety.
She didn’t say anything more. The pink blush faded from her skin, and she yawned. It wasn’t long before those pale blue eyes fluttered, then shut. Her breathing evened out and Ignis burrowed closer to her neck as if seeking to comfort her while she dreamed. Glacies was quick to follow.
I’d never seen them take to anyone. They would flutter around Ares, but never touch her. And she couldn’t see them.
“Nomi,” I said softly, testing her name on my tongue.
I reached for the blue hair plastered to her forehead but stopped myself just before touching her. My jaw clenched as I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. An odd sensation was in my chest.
I couldn’t blame a mortal vessel the way others could. Mine, though built to mimic a human’s in some ways, was still much closer to my original form, and not once had I felt anything like this.
I didn’t like it.
I was already too fascinated with her.
The feline she called Fergy hopped onto the bed and meowed. I stared as the black creature stalked closer, eyeing my familiars. Then its copper eyes fled them for me, and it meowed again. Without waiting, it fitted its sleek body between us and snuggled its master.
Her nose twitched when the creature’s hair tickled across the tip of it, and I barely caught myself before my lips twitched upwards.
Frustrated, I bent one arm behind my head and considered what this power Counter Souls had over us. If it was this strong in a single day, I might need to reconsider how close this mortal and I got.
Because as soon as I found Ares, I’d leave her.