The Voice Of My Dark Angel Book 1 Angels of the Apocalypse

2: When Running For Your Life

I thought the Hell Hound got me. Surely it had torn a few hunks out of me, the way my body felt. That was the first thing running through my head when I woke up. My body screamed and stung and ached. I bit back a sob. My head throbbed as I tried to push myself up, my wrist was gashed open and blood had coated my sleeve and hand. I tried pushing myself up again and realized I was dizzy. I whimpered, the shelving was hard to get a grip on. It was slick with my blood. Or maybe it was because I was slick with my blood, and the way it was lying all twisted and broken, the sharp metal edges pointed up..

A trickle along my forehead let me know my head probably had a gash in it as well. A twinge on the underside of my right upper arm had me gasping and I forced myself to take note of the flesh laid open, sickeningly. A pale yellow layer, almost white, was exposed. I assumed it was fat. I hoped it was fat. God I hoped that’s all it was and not something worse. Infection couldn’t set in this quickly, could it? Either way, I would need to find something to treat it, or risk infection. I shoved backwards, feeling more skin tear on my palms and legs, and winced as I got a good look at my torn up shins. That was possibly worse. I didn’t even want to imagine what I was seeing there, where the skin and fat layers seemed so much thinner.

Woozily, I crawled to my feet. One whole side of my leg had been scraped raw, the top layer or two of flesh just..gone. It looked like raw hamburger meat or something. It was disgusting and nearly made me gag. When I moved it, it pulled uncomfortably, like the skin was too tight, which made me laugh hysterically. There was no skin. I stumbled around the tumbled shelving, figuring the only reason I was alive at all was that I was covered in so much blood, the Hell Hound didn’t want to play with me anymore. Hell, maybe it even thought I was dead. I giggled. ‘Hell’. Now that was funny.

Somewhere it registered in my mind that I needed to find my sister. If the Hell Hound abandoned the hunt for me, chances weren’t good for her. I stumbled and nearly fell, my mind going temporarily black. I might have hurt my head pretty badly too. Or lost a lot of blood. I couldn’t know how long I was out of it. Was it the same day, even? Was the Hound still in the store with me? I froze, suddenly terrified.

Deciding it wouldn’t do me any good to stand in one place and bleed, I continued towards the front of the store. Passing the book section on my way, something I caught out of the corner of my eye made me go cold, and my body and mind shut down all at once. Someone was standing among the bookshelves. No, not someone. Something. I knew it was not human, because it was too clean, too immaculately dressed. Too beautiful. It didn’t blend. He turned a page of the book he held, and my heart completely stopped. Now I knew why the Hell Hound didn't kill me. It did have a Master, and it looked like my time was up.

He closed the book, and I noticed the title mentioned something about the apocalypse. A desperate laugh escaped me. My mind broke completely, fear swamped my system, and the Demon turned eyes that briefly flashed slitted pupils at me. For a moment, he looked surprised, and then I collapsed. The last thing I saw was a rush of dark feathers before I let myself check out gratefully.

Hot, then cold. I couldn’t stand it. My body sweated, then froze, teeth chattering as I searched for warmth. In the next instant, I was trying to strip off my clothes as the heat was too much.

“Stop. You have an infection, and you’re in shock. I can’t do anything about it here.” Hands held me down and a delicious voice purred in my ear. “We need to get out of their territory before I can help you, but you have to stop struggling.” The hands became restraints, only there were too many of them. Or was that a scaly tail? Oh my God did it have tentacles? I began to laugh, losing my mind again, and when I heard an apology in that beautiful voice right before a sharp pain in my head, I couldn’t have been happier to lose consciousness.

Awareness slammed back into me like a train going two hundred miles per hour. I jerked awake, my consciousness protesting at the sudden change in venue. Hovering over me was that beautiful dark haired Prince Charming of Hell. I yelled and swung a fist that he caught embarrassingly easily with a frown. Removing his hand from the side of my face, he reached for my other hand before I could swing that one too.

“Calm down. If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead by now, wouldn't you?” His words were almost a song, they were spoken so prettily.

“There are worse things!” I bucked, trying to get free, and he pegged me with a glare, eyes changing to the golden, slitted gaze of a predator. The color almost reminded me of a bird of prey, like an owl. Or maybe a wolf. But with the slit of a reptile. Or a snake. I froze.

“Ah.” He said softly, his voice washing over me and making me shiver. “I see.” He released me abruptly and was across the room without moving.

“Wha-?” My mouth fell open. Color me confused.

“I don’t want you for that, either.” He stated, looking away. “You’ve been hurt. I didn’t mean to.. I only wanted to help.” He walked from the room, leaving me to gape after him. What the Hell just happened?

I spent the next several moments unsure what to do. It was long enough to abruptly realize I didn’t hurt anywhere anymore. It was also long enough to realize I had been stripped and redressed. I blushed furiously, hauling at the long white gown to see if I’d been further injured, only to find out.. I’d been healed. Completely. I tumbled out of the bed I was in and rushed to the window, trying to get a glimpse of my reflection to see if even my head-wound had been healed. I found nothing, except that the window wouldn’t open. I cursed. I may have been healed by the Demon, but that didn’t mean I trusted him.

“Please come get something to eat. You look malnourished, and the healing takes a toll on the body. You will still need to replace the calories you lost regenerating cellular tissue.” That voice, that honeyed, masculine voice that was almost enough to make me do what he said just by suggesting it, rang out. Enough to get my body to react as well. I crossed my arms over the flimsy white gown. It might as well have been a negligee, really. And I was wearing no underthings.

“I don’t bite!” He called again, but I swore I heard a muttered ‘unless you want me to’ following it. I jolted. Said in that sinful voice, it was horrifyingly erotic, and I could swear things got a little damp between my thighs. I had to get out of there. No matter what he said, Demons only wanted humans for a few things.. And I was not comforted.

“It’s getting-cold..” The Demon stepped into the doorway and looked me over, eyes sparking that golden color again. “It suits you. I’m afraid I’ll have to provide some more clothing for you. I had nothing on hand, and..” He ran a hand almost nervously through his hair, looking at the floor. He did a decent impersonation of a human. I’d give him that. His eyes suddenly snapped to mine, golden and slitted.

“Not all of us are like.. them you know.” He waved a hand vaguely at the window, then spun and stomped down the hall. Taken aback, I followed after him mutely. This Demon had more mood swings than a spoiled, temperamental teenager.

Rounding a corner, the smell of bacon and eggs hit me, and my stomach betrayed me, growling so loudly it nearly made me nauseous. The Demon threw a smirk over his shoulder and motioned for me to sit at the island in the center of the kitchen on a stool.

“You have electricity?” I gaped as he scraped eggs and bacon onto a plate, then placed two slices of buttered toast beside them.

“It’s a generator. As long as I can come up with the fuel, which for my kind..” He shrugged, placing the plate before me and sitting on the side adjacent to the one I was seated on. I tried to ignore the way his voice made me squirm in my seat. He slid a napkin towards me with a utensil set placed neatly upon it, though I was surprised that he so willingly offered me weapons.

“Speaking of your kind, and what you said earlier..” I pushed the offered fork through the eggs as I spoke.

“It’s not poisoned, you know. Even if I was going to eat you, that wouldn’t help me any.” The Demon said with amusement. “Besides, why would I have healed you, only to poison you?" The slight lilt in his voice made it all the more delicious. I glared at him, more angry at myself than anything, and stabbed some eggs onto the fork tines.

“You see, that right there.” I pointed the fork at him, eggs and all. “Why did you heal me?” I shoved the eggs in my mouth and nearly died. They were perfection. Or maybe seasonings were just so scarce these days, I had forgotten what a little bit of salt and pepper could do. I moaned, and the Demon’s golden gaze pinned me in place. I felt suddenly very self-conscious. And very much like prey.

“You were hurt.” He stated simply after letting me fidget under his stare.

“But you don’t know me.” I argued, taking an angry bite of bacon. His stupid voice!

“So?” He shrugged. “Wouldn’t you have helped another human if you’d stumbled across one? It’s the same for me.” It was my turn to stare. Even without the silky-smooth voice, the words were a shock.

“But..you’re not human.” I pointed out almost breathlessly. His expression hardened and I flinched. He sighed and his hand tousled his hair. The color flitted through a dozen shades before settling on black.

“No.” He stated simply.

“You’re a Demon.” I reiterated, and he gritted his teeth. I noticed they had become longer, thinner.

“Yes.” He growled. Damn, even his growl was sexy. But that didn’t stop my brain from flashing danger messages all the way to my toes. With the hair at the base of my scalp rising, I laid my fork down slowly, planting my feet on the ground and my butt on the edge of the stool. Readying myself to run if I needed to. He sighed again. “Sit down and eat. I won’t harm you.” Exasperation. No sign of anger left to tighten his expression or voice.

“But-” Why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut? He glared. That helped, my mouth snapped shut of its own accord.

“You humans. So judgemental. So forgetful.” He spat. The venom in his voice couldn’t change the sultry tone. It somehow just made it all the more dangerously sensual. What was wrong with me? I was definitely feeling some wetness between my thighs now, and wiggled in my seat, hoping it wasn’t going to show when I stood up.

“I don’t..understand.” I informed him quietly, and he slammed his hands on the island countertop, rising to his feet.

“Of course you don’t! You’ve forgotten. Your species has dismissed the old stories as myths or fairytales, long before we broke through on this plane! Why do you think it was so easy..?” He took a look at my carefully closed expression and slowly lowered himself back to his seat.

“I’m sorry. Eat before your food gets cold.” He was silent the rest of the time I ate, only his eyes sparking gold every now and again. Taking my dishes once I’d finished, he motioned with a glass. “You know the way back to your room?” I nodded, mutely. I guess that was my answer on whether he was letting me go or not. I had to find a way out.