Fall From Grace Part 15

He peers into my eyes and takes another drink from his next beer. "Give it time. Just give it time." He turns back to look at the barman and orders us two more.

The conversation was actually quite easy as we chatted about nothing and everything. He had some great stories from the 60's and 70's which came about as the playlist on the box ran through a whole bunch of songs relevant to his past. It seems Mr. Will was quite the roadie to a lot of celebs back in the day. A bad boy to the core, if only he could write a book about it.

The drinks were going down quite well for me too with no thought to how I would actually get home. It didn't seem to bother me though, I guess I had my all night pa.s.s from Dad so who cares if I had to sleep in Murries' backseat.

"So tell me Will, what sort of magical know-how do you possess?"

"Ahhh, can't tell yet can you? I forget that it's more of a developed ability as you get more experience under your belt. I have to admit though that you, in particular, are stumping me as well. Now that is a surprise to say the least." His raspy voice coming out more like a gravelly whisper.

"Well, I like to keep some secrets to myself, you know." I say coyly as he leans in a little closer to me, his beer breath exhaling in my ear.

"I bet you do sweetheart," he says with a wink. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks in response. The panic set in as it dawned on me that perhaps I have gotten a little overly flirty and he won't be content with an innocent good-bye hand shake after all. He takes my blush as an invitation and places his huge left hand on my thigh, pushing down as he moves his palm up and down my leg.

Let the back pedalling begin.

"Whoa there, big fella, be gentle on me, it's my first night out in like, ever," I nervously sputter which makes me even more tempting as his innocent conquest. He licks his lips and stares me down. I feel intensely embarra.s.sed as my whole body flushes and a heat fills me up.

"Gentle isn't in my nature, but then again, I guess you might know that by now."

"Geez, it's getting quite late." I fake a yawn and pull my arms up in a stretch. "I had better get moving, but it was really nice to meet you Will." Attempting a simple slide out from his hands didn't quite work, he had me pinned in a powerful grip.

"C'mon now Stella, I thought we were getting along quite well, I don't think it's bedtime yet, or rather, sleep time. Bedtime would suit me just fine."

Ok, time to run. My pulse is racing as I realize the hole I have dug myself in this stupid, stupid move. I scan the room to see if anyone would be a good candidate for saving my sorry a.s.s, but fall short as I notice most of the bar has left, including the old lung cancer humans. I hastily grab his arm and struggle to remove it from it's iron grip on my leg when my flush turns into a flame burning in my shoes.

It started with a simple heat, sort of like warming your toes by a campfire, but it quickly began to race up my legs, into my waist, thighs, torso, until it was enveloping me completely. The panic was evident in my face as big Will finally pulled his hand back and looked at me with a mixture of confusion and fear. I stumbled up and grabbed hold of the bar stool, searching for some answers to this unbelievable pain and seeing my hands turning bright red, like my body was filling with lava.

Suddenly the chair I was grasping burst into flames as I jerked back and stared at my hands in horror. Did I do that? I could feel my hair lift up and fly around me, whipping my face in what felt like heat lashes. Will stumbled back from the flaming stool as he continued to stare, realization setting in.

"How the... How the h.e.l.l did you do that?! You're a fire demon? No. Impossible! I would have known if you were like me... unless... unless you somehow took my power... " he trailed off as the bar counter started to catch fire and the booze began to pop off the shelves behind it, fuelling the blaze. He's staring at me in surprised awe and fear, when suddenly he storms through the inferno and out the front door. Thanks buddy.

The flames seem to have caught on like wildfire, pardon the pun, as the building quickly emptied out of the final patrons, leaving me to fend for myself. I can't move at all, paralyzed with this all consuming heat. I guess it's every demon for himself.

I continued to stand feebly, losing strength, stunned and alternately staring at the burning bar then back to my body as the heat licked through my clothes singing them. It was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt; like the fire was within my soul, burning me from the inside out. My blood boiled and the pain finally doubled me over sending me flailing back onto some tables and chairs, crushing them as they became fresh tinder for the fire. The sweat poured down my body in waves and I began to lose my mind. THIS is how I was going to die?

Consciousness slowly ebbed from me as I began to float away, oblivious to where I was anymore. I had thoughts of Dad and Gabs and Ash, and how this must be a dream. A big long dream in which I will wake from and be sad it was over, but glad that things are normal again. As my eyes shuttered closed for the last time, I see a flash of feet pounding towards me. Hmmm cool converses, I thought, before shutting down completely.

Chapter 27.

Forgive? Yes, but never forget Opening my eyes has never been more difficult. I thought heaven was supposed to be all magical and happy and la la 'ish? I had to be dead, there would be no other way for me out of that mess. So why did I feel like I had been run over by a transfer truck? I attempt to roll onto my back which sends every muscle, nerve, hair follicle, hang nail, screaming in protest. I seem to be on a bed but my vision is still so blurry. Blinking away the film and focusing on the movement above me seems to help. It takes a minute to reveal it as a ceiling fan. Why would heaven need a ceiling fan, can't they get air conditioning? Oh c.r.a.p, did I end up in h.e.l.l?

From what I can see of the room, it certainly looks like h.e.l.l. Cracked ceiling paint, peeling floral wallpaper, a very old tube TV bedecked in faux wood panels and rabbit ears atop an old c.r.a.ppy dresser. h.e.l.l indeed.

I'm laying in a bed with nothing but an old t-shirt on and my undies. I don't recognize the shirt at all, but it seems clean at least. I pull my arm up to run my fingers through my hair, away from my face and lick my sticky parched lips which are screaming for liquids. I slowly turn my head to the right and see a gla.s.s of water on the night stand, eureka.

Pulling myself up on my elbows was harder then I thought but I persevered. I flip my legs over the side of the bed and reach for the water, downing it in three gulps. Ok so it appears I'm in some sort of c.r.a.ppy motel room, which sends too many vividly horrific images through my brain. Definitely not heaven, but some divey, rent by the hour, place on earth wins my bet. I've seen enough crime dramas to clue into the fact that waking up half naked in a sleaze ball motel never has a good ending. I've got to get out of here.

I spot an open suitcase, which has thrown up clothes all over the floor, sitting on a stand over by the bathroom; surely I can score some pants from it. Walking turns out to be harder then I thought as I grasp onto the other double bed and dresser for stability. Luckily there are a pair of sweats on top which I grab and too hastily pull on, sending me off balance and plummeting face first into the lovely s.h.a.g carpet.

I muster all my strength and pull back up on all fours, then semi straight up, using the bed for leverage. Screw the shoes, I'm just going to have to wing it. To my right, on the inside of what I can a.s.sume is the bathroom door I catch my reflection in a full length mirror. Taking myself in, I am hard pressed to find even one scratch on any surface at all. My hair doesn't look singed, my skin isn't red and I can't see a blister anywhere. Was it all a dream? Who cares, my internal alarm is ringing - get the c.r.a.p out of there!

Turning back towards the front door and shuffling as fast as I can, my body protesting every step, I make it only a few steps when the door in front of me fills with light as it's flung open. I look back at the person who brought me here, unable to speak, staring seems more my style at the moment. As he comes into focus after shutting the door, the startling bright sunlight spots fade from my vision, familiarity sets in with a giant punch to the gut.

"Well h.e.l.lo there sleeping beauty. Care for a coffee?"

The words that utter from my lips are a little too nasty to repeat, but it happens to rhyme with mother pucker. The last person I expected to have me confined to a cruddy motel room was Asher Grey, and here he was, standing in front of me, with a couple large coffees loaded into a tray and a greasy bag of G.o.d knows what for breakfast.

"I can see you are a little surprised to see me here, but believe me, it's one h.e.l.l of a story if you'll let me explain," he says so nonchalantly like it's completely normal that we are here together.

He walks over to the desk by the front window and plops down the food and keys, turning back to me with his hands in his pockets, waiting for me to respond. I find myself speechless for the first time in like ever, unable to say everything I want to cause it would just be too much effort. Instead I plunk myself down on the bed to gather my witty sense of sarcasm and give my screaming legs a break.

"How are you feeling?" he asks with what seems like genuine sympathy. PAH!

"What's it to you?" Ok THAT was my best come back? I am clearly traumatized into losing any sense of a good retort. I place my hands beside my hips on the bed, stabilizing my shaking limbs. Looking towards the floor in a death stare, Ash moves towards me slowly and that's when it hits me. His shoes. It's the last thing I remember from the bar, a pair of converses. It wasn't a dream.

Sitting down beside me, the bed goes all lopsided and I find it hard to not lean into him and take comfort in his warmth. The day he left I was filled with such anger and rage, but as any gushy love story goes, we always secretly yearn for them to come back, rescue us and declare their horrible mistake, never to leave us again. Bleech.

"You were there, weren't you?" I squeak out.

"Yeah. Got you out right before the ceiling collapsed, we were lucky... "

"Why. How?" Confusion layering my thought process.

"It really is an interesting story, but Stella, I think you might want to rest a bit before... "

"f.u.c.k the resting Ash, how did you know where I was? Was it a coincidence? Why did you bring me here? Is this some sort of sick game to you?" I turn my face towards him, unable to keep staring down, unable to not feel that familiar pull towards him that I always do, unable to not want to look at him and see him again, even if it's for this short encounter.

When he looks back into my eyes, I see it. I see a very different person that left those few weeks ago. This guy seems older, worn out, eyes full of worry, dark circles etched with a very visible story of how he really has been doing, and my guess would be about as good as I have been. Turning his head down towards the floor, and leaning his elbows on his knees, he heaves a big sigh, leaving his shoulders slumped and hunched forward.

"Stella, look, I deserve everything you are going to sling at me. Really I get it, I mean I REALLY get it." Turning back to look at me he continues. "I don't deserve your forgiveness after what I did, I know I don't, but I really need to tell you some stuff and even if you can find it in you to forgive me a little bit, I'll take it. I'll take anything I can get from you at this point. This is a little beyond me right now, way out of my comfort zone, h.e.l.l, I think it's out of the hemisphere for me, but I need you to listen to me fully and let me try and help you."

"What gives you the idea that I would ever let you into my life again Asher? What do I owe you in the slightest bit?"

"You don't owe me anything. Nothing. But I think you owe it to yourself to hear me out."

"Me?" I scoff. "What does your d.i.c.k behaviour have to do with me anymore."

"It has to do with you Mother Stella." He sits back up and looks me right in the eyes. Pleading with me to listen.

I can't form any words to this. This was the last thing I expected him to utter. My Mother? My mind reeling, my body still hollering in protest, I get up and turn towards the spot where I woke. Climbing back into bed, curling into a ball and closing my eyes for a second seems the most I can manage at this point. Ash understands and leaves me a moment to collect myself. I feel the bed shift as he stands up, grabs the food and walks over to sit on the other double bed across from me. I squint open my left eyelid to grab my coffee from him, craving something hot and caffiene-y on the A-SAP.

Turning on my back and propping up against the rickety headboard I let the hot and heavenly drink pour down my throat while I stare straight ahead at the c.r.a.ppy artwork.

"I got you some food too, some sort of egg and cheese concoction that I remember you liking from before... " Without looking at him, I let my stomach win as I grab the bag from his outstretched hand and rummage for my breakfast. After I've eaten a little and finished the coffee I feel I'm ready to let him speak his peace.

"Ok Ash, let me have it."

As I sit in silence and hear him out I feel like I'm in some sort of movie of the week montage. I can hear some strange indie song that sends me into a trance while you zoom in on a close up of his lips, and hear faint key words from the story he's telling me. I find the details hard to digest but I don't interrupt. I let the words fill my brain and try to make sense of what he's trying to say.

My mother was a demon - yes I knew this. She claims to have thought me a human, even loved me - yeah right. She has been watching over me all these years - what? She thinks Ash and I have some sort of connection to each other - well duh. She thinks I am special. Special. Strangely I laugh out loud at this stopping Ash in mid-sentence. It's funny really. The words all lost souls want to hear. You are special. Words every child wants to hear a parent say to them and really mean it. Something everyone searches to be in their dull and dreary day to day lives. This plus the fact that it's coming from my estranged mother who left me when I was three weeks old. It's too impossible to take in.

Ash is waiting for me to say something. I'm numb all over and I can't really figure anything out right now. I need to shut down for awhile.

"I'm going to take a nap."

"A nap? Now? Ok, um, can I get you anything?"

"Nope." I say as I roll away from him and shut my eyes. I'm asleep in 4 seconds. My dreams are vivid and crazy. Crumbling buildings, earthquakes, fire ravaged rooms, demons playing poker amidst the falling walls? Me searching frantically for something, I can't tell what. Gabs screaming, Ash laying under the rubble bleeding profusely, looking pallid and dead. Really crazy stuff. I'm surprised I didn't show up to school naked and late for a history test. I wake up in a breathless sweat, panting and sitting straight up on the bed. The room is dark, pitch black, I guess I've been asleep for quite awhile.

"Stella, are you alright?" A tense voice emits from the far corner of the room. It's still pretty dark so I don't spot him until my eyes adjust. He's sitting in the far chair over by the desk which feels like miles away. I crawl out of bed, breathless and dizzy from the dream and the events of the last twenty four hours. At least I think it's 24 hours; I don't have a clue what day I'm on anymore.

I don't respond; I make my way over to him and crawl upon his lap. I need to feel him next to me, I need to feel his arms around me. Even if it's for a few minutes, I hunger for his touch in a way I can't explain. When I do this he envelops me in a stronghold, fiercely clinging to each other without any lingering self consciousness. We sit entwined for a long time, unable to let go and unwilling to let words ruin this moment.

I won't be letting go of my anger any time soon, but I realize that pushing him away is pointless. I feel it in my bones that my looney mother is right; we are connected in a way neither of us can explain. I know from his touch and energy that he is just as confused and terrified as I am. I also know that he has been wanting this reunion is much as I have. I don't know what the future will hold but for now, this is enough.

"So what did she look like? Horns and a moustache?" I mumble with my mouth half full of pizza.

Ash chuckles to himself. "Uh-uh, she was beautiful, so so beautiful. She looks just like her daughter," he says with a smile. Kind of a lame line but it sounds sincere so I let it slide without comment. We'd been laying next to each other for a long while, just holding hands and chatting about nothing important, when my stomach made itself known that it was dying a slow death. So we ordered a pizza of which I am quickly making fast work of.

It's about 2 am and I'm wide awake now, ready to focus. I made an excuse to Dad when I woke up about reconciling with Gabs at the party and faking a sleep over tonight. He seemed ok with it, even though he was p.i.s.sed I hadn't called earlier, but didn't ask too many questions so I'm free to just sit and be with Ash until the morning at least.

"So how did you know I would be at that bar anyways?"

"I had a hunch. When Helena told me you had changed, I figured you might do something really dumb and that was the dumbest thing I could think of," he said with a smirk and nudging my shoulder with his.

"What were you thinking Stella really? I mean, going back? You could have been killed in the very worst way, you know."

"Ugh, enough with the parental cross-examination. You left remember. I had no choice but to go back to where it started and try to figure out where I fit in."

A dark cloud pa.s.sed over Ash's face. "I am so so sorry Stella. I freaked out, literally. Leaving you that night was horrific and absolutely unforgivable. I know you will find this hard to believe, and at the time I fought the feelings, chalking them up to guilt, but it was like I was pulling against some magnetic force leaving you there. I resisted going back, but I still couldn't seem to get away completely. I didn't go back to New York. Couldn't go back to the house I rented. I only stopped when I got here and I just couldn't move any further away from you. Now I know what your mother said seems odd, but in a way it makes perfect sense to me. I have changed Stella. I've changed so much since I've met you. Whether it was my own doing that changed my direction towards being a 'better' demon, or you have done it for me, I don't care anymore. I just want to be with you. That's what feels right."

My eyes start to brim with tears. Ash grabs me in a hug as I bury my face in his t-shirt. I breathe his scent in deeply, crying and creating a lovely wet spot on his chest. I suddenly feel the need to confess myself to him. My awful moods swings and vicious tirades.

"I've been a really bad person Ash. I've treated all my friends like c.r.a.p, yelled at Gabby, my Dad. How could anyone think that my 'destiny' is something good or special? I don't know who I am anymore? All I know is that I've acted like a real s.h.i.t to the people who actually love me. I just thought that I was acting that way because of my true demonic nature. It felt like a drug I couldn't get enough of. When I was in the moment I was euphoric. The more I rebelled the higher I was. Then that moment would pa.s.s and it would change to something that felt completely wrong. How is THAT possible? Shouldn't it have felt really wrong to me all along? Shouldn't I have known better?"

Ash continues to stroke my hair heaving a sigh.

"I don't know. I really don't know. I know we crave chaos, and believe me I've felt that way before too. Doing bad things would excite me in the past. Lately, though, for the past few years, I think I can safely say that I have felt remorse which is a foreign feeling to our true demonic nature. Being around humans does make you more sympathetic, but that was never me. Or at least I didn't think it was. After hearing your mothers theories, I'm not really sure who I am anymore either."

I peel back from him and look up into his eyes. It would feel so good right now to lose myself in him, let him get close to me, touch my skin and forget the uncertainty for awhile. I can tell he's thinking the same thing as his pulse quickens and he gently brushes the tears from my face and down my neck, sending shivers up my body. I lean in and close my eyes, ready to feel his heat melt me from the inside out, but instead a swift breeze rushes my skin and whips my hair back as I snap open my eyes to the door being flung open by someone I have never seen before.

A big smile spreads across his face as he looks from me to Ash and our impending positions on the crumpled bed sheets.

"I haven't interrupted anything now have I?" Dude is dressed head to toe in worn black leather and holding a motorcycle helmet on his right hand. His hair is unkempt and almost pitch black with the beginnings of some s.e.xy stubble on his chin. He's sporting a very familiar crooked grin and has 'bad boy' written all over him. Ash relaxes his grip on me and heaves a big sigh.

"Yes Hunter, of corse you are. But what the h.e.l.l are you doing at my doorstep at 2 in the morning?"

I look to Ash and this Hunter guy whose name rings a bell in my back memories. Definitely demon by the way he looks and holds himself; he has that aura about him that screams c.o.c.ky jack a.r.s.e but what we women are suckers for.

"We've got problems my friend. Big ones. You're lucky I'm here to save your a.s.s. Again." He slams the door behind him and plops himself down on the bed while flinging the helmet on the bed beside us. "Ohhh, meat lovers, my favourite."

Chapter 28.

Hunted I can hear some intense conversations in the next room as I try to tidy myself up a bit. I roughly brush my teeth with my fingers feeling quite grateful for the interruption as my breath was not so minty fresh. I don't have any female clothes besides underwear anymore as mine were practically incinerated off of me; I have yet to query Ash on how that all went down while I was unconscious. All I can say is thank G.o.d I wore matching under garments that day. I found a fresh t-shirt and sweats to put on and an elastic band in my purse, which thankfully Ash grabbed before he hauled me out of the pit. As I pull my hair into a messy pony I pause and lean my ears to the door, hoping to hear a little of what they're discussing. I can only decipher a few words though. Demon dimensions. Bounty. Destruction. Nope can't be a good thing that's going down.

Apparently Hunter drove straight from L.A. when Ash didn't answer his cell these last few days. My first impression of him is still dead on. Charismatic, charmingly a.s.sholish, extremely s.e.xy, confident and I would a.s.sume a great s.h.i.t disturber. I can see a lot of broken hearts in his wake and definitely a lot of Ash in him, or him in Ash, I'm not sure which yet. Their body language and brotherly banter is a dead giveaway that they've known each other for a very long time. His presence unnerves me. I slipped to the bathroom shortly after he arrived to give them some privacy to talk.

When I emerge from the bathroom all eyes pull towards me and conversation stops abruptly. Looking from Hunter, whose still lazily perched on the bed finishing his pizza, and Ash, who's stopped mid-pace in front of the main window, I can tell they're arguing and Ash seems to be losing the battle.

"Um, did you want me to go outside for a walk or something?" I ask.

Hunter playfully pats the bed with a big grin and motions for me to come on over. "Certainly not sweetheart, I'm afraid this concerns you and your 'abilities' that have been getting quite a bit of lip service lately."

"Stop it Hunter. Let me handle this ok?" Ash snaps.

Hunter shrugs and winks at me as he takes another large bite of his slice. His eyes rake me up and down, probably a.s.sessing what the h.e.l.l Ash sees in me.

"Ok, lay it on me Ash, it can't possibly make my day any more complicated? Can it?" I say placing my hands on my hips.

Ash is standing with his arms folded in front and looks like he might be sick. He lifts up his hand to nervously nibble on a hang nail. Ok definitely more complicated.

"Stella, I think you'd better sit down for this." Ash speaks as Hunter picks up the bible from the side table and starts leafing through, smiling, as if it's an Entertainment Weekly.

My heart is in my throat as I come over sit down on the bed in front of him. He kneels down on his knees and grabs my shoulders, sliding down my arms and pulls my hands into his.

"Ok, now you're scaring me, just spit it out already," I mumble as my nerves are starting to take over. Hunter laughs from behind me, clearly enjoying the 'book'.

"Sorry, ok, so here's the thing." Ash sighs before continuing. "Remember your 'friend' from the bar. Well, apparently he's pretty connected but not in a good way. He seems to know a lot of, well, to put it delicately, d.i.c.ks. So when he left the bar last night, I guess he got on the horn and told a few other a "

"d.i.c.ks!" Hunter blurts out still reading.

"Yeah. He told quite a few of them actually, about what you can do." He looks intensely into my eyes, as if waiting for me to catch on.

"okkkkaaaayyyyy. I don't get it?" I say, clearly confused.

Ash drops my hands with a sigh, sits back on his feet and and rubs his stubbly chin. Apparently shaving wasn't something he's been doing a lot of lately.