"Let me in, Mandi! Open up!"
Oh God, she knew that voice: the psycho with the knife was pounding at her door!
"Go away or I'm calling the cops!"
But she knew she couldn't do that. Her phone was lost on the street somewhere. Besides, he'd killed a demon, and he'd tracked her to her home. He was obviously not a man, and what had Virta said? There was nothing the cops or any other humans could do.
Her already frazzled nerves were screaming in distress.
"It's Mick... from the alley. I'm a friend of Virta's." His voice was softer but just as impatient.
"Please, go away!" she called.
The pounding and the voice went silent.
Mandi waited and listened for a while.
Then, she carefully opened the door a crack, gasping as sky blue eyes filled her vision. She tried to shove the door closed, but his arm was already through and he forced his way in.
Mandi froze as the door slammed shut behind him. Mick leaned against it as if it could keep out some evil that was chasing at his heels. He was panting.
"I had to see you. I need to find Virta, and -"
He was cut off when she released pepper spray into his eyes.
"What is that shit?" he asked, wiping fingers across his eyes. He stood there looking down at her without so much as blinking. "Why did you do that?"
Mandi clenched the canister in a tight fist. The stuff hadn't even phased him.
"Its... it's a weapon," she stammered. "You spray it in someone's face and it... hurts them a lot. So you can get away."
Mick wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve. Mandi realized he was shaking with laughter. She listened to the beautiful, rich tones. But her amazement turned to anger when she realized he was laughing at HER.
"What's so funny?" she snarled. "You forced your way in here, what was I supposed to do? I have to try to protect myself."
"Sorry," he said, wiping his eyes on his shirt sleeve.
"No, you're not."
"Here, don't be scared, little human. I'm not going to do you any harm."
"Don't talk that way to me, goddammit."
He chuckled some more, apparently amused by her anger. That made her all the more upset.
"You say you're a friend of Virta's, but I bet you're really nothing but a... nasty old demon."
He wasn't laughing then.
He dropped the messenger bag at his feet. It startled her when it hit the floor. He probably had that huge knife in the bag, among other weapons... She took a step back.
"I prefer the term 'recently displaced angel', but yes, technically I'm a demon." His voice sounded controlled, measured.
"I knew it."
"You know, Virta's boyfriend is a demon as well. He didn't hurt you, did he?"
She shook her head.
"And Virta herself is a Fallen angel by now."
Mandi gasped. "What? Oh no. My guardian angel is a demon? Why? Did I do something to deserve this?"
"No, of course not. You're just a human. These things are above you, beyond your control."
The way he looked at her like she was so beneath him, that tone of voice that talked down to her - it made her angry.
"Because I'm a lowly human, right? You think I'm supposed to be helpless and have no control?"
He nodded his head a little. "It's true. Your kind has very little power."
"That's the kind of attitude... I don't know what you'd call it... species-ism? that will get you thrown out onto the street, buddy."
He started to speak and she knew just what the pompous ass was going to say: that it was impossible for her to make him leave if he didn't want to. She was sick to death of arrogant, supernatural jerks on power trips.
"I can't believe Virta is friends with a jerk like you."
He cleared his throat. "Is it supposed to bother me that a human thinks so poorly of me? Well, it doesn't."
She crossed her arms at her chest and glared up at him.
He went on: "I'm not used to interacting directly with creatures such as yourself. What can I say? This has all been thrust upon me without my consent. I never wanted to leave Heaven, never wanted to come down here of all places."
"You're too good for Earth, is that it?"
"I was always content remaining behind the scenes in Heaven. The human part of our... uh, projects, wasn't that fascinating to me. But Virta loved it. I just don't get all the fuss about humanity." He was peering down his nose at her again.
"So, you have a human body now. What does that make you? Could it be HUMAN?" She hoped the sarcasm in her voice was loud and clear.
"My body is essentially human, yes, but it's filled with a highly superior, angelic spirit, and not subject to all the limitations of YOUR human body. Especially since I'm Fallen, and not under any control from Heaven."
He removed his bullet-proof vest and dropped it to the floor. Underneath he was wearing a thin shirt that seemed to fit against every muscle. It reminded her of the under armour that football players wore.
He must have worried that he'd be attacked by angels and demons alike down here, Mandi thought. He came here well prepared for anything.
Despite his conceitedness, she couldn't stop herself from admiring the lean, toned body underneath those clothes.
He glanced at the pepper spray still in her hand. She hadn't realized she was still clutching it until then.
"This human body I'm wearing is SUPER human. Your man-made weapons won't kill me."
He stepped forward and she stood her ground, though her body trembled slightly at the nearness of him. He looked deeply into her eyes, and she dropped the pepper spray. But she just didn't care.
"Can I touch you?" he asked, surprising her with the gentle request.
She didn't know why he wanted to touch her. Perhaps Mandi was the first human he'd had any real contact with since he came to Earth. It surprised her more that she actually wanted to feel him touching her.
When she looked into those bright eyes, she wasn't afraid like she'd been with Heath. She was curious about what Mick would do. Hey, at least he was asking first, before he put his hands on her.
She slowly nodded.
He reached out with one finger and began tracing it down the curve of her face, then moved his hand up to run his fingers through her hair, down her face again, and on down her neck and shoulder. He squeezed gently there and began caressing down her upper arms. Mandi shivered and felt hot moisture between her legs.
She thought maybe this Mick guy wasn't so bad after all. She'd cut him some slack since he was a newbie to the planet. He was just out of his element and trying to put on a brave face. Besides, his touch was melting any anger she had toward him. Oh yes, she had definitely forgiven him.
"So fragile," he said in a quiet voice full of pity. "No wonder you need to be watched over... protected."
That's when she hauled off and punched him in the face with all the strength in her body.
* * *
Virta dropped her spoon on the floor and reached down for it. When she came back up, Athan was sitting across the table from her.
She dropped the spoon again.
"I startled you. Sorry."
This was just too good to be true. Was he really there? She blinked and he was handing the spoon back to her. She took it from him, but she still didn't speak.
"Do you want me to leave?"
Virta found her voice. "Leave? God, no. I never want you to leave again."
Suddenly, he was sliding into the seat right beside her, pulling her against his large, warm body. She had no time to react, other than to register how good it felt to be in his arms again.
"Damn, I've missed you." He nuzzled his face in her hair.
