Page 17

Annoth

Theo and Ben have selected pizza for dinner, covered in some type of spicy vegetable that they call peppers.

I devour several slices while we watch The Guardians of the Galaxy .

When the green-skinned woman dances with the annoying human man, the strange stirring sensation returns to my chest. I try to ignore it, but it is quite distracting.

“I should like to watch something with more…violence,” I tell Ben when the film ends.

He just laughs, but Theo shakes his head.

“I told you, nothing that’s gonna give her ideas,” he says, but he is smiling and appears slightly more relaxed than he has since I arrived.

“Ok, how about…something more on the fantasy side,” Ben muses. “Oh, I know! You’ll like this one.” He scrolls through movies and selects one with a creature that I think is called a dragon.

“ Reign of Fire ?” says Theo. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen that.”

“You can’t breathe fire, can you, Annie?

” Ben asks. “I mean, Annoth. Sorry.” I glare at him, but my flesh-and-blood heart skips again when he grins back at me.

For a human man, I suppose he is handsome, and he does not seem to be afraid of me anymore, which I find intriguing given his abject terror when I revealed my shadow form the day before.

I try smiling back. “Fortunately for you, I cannot.” From the corner of my eye, I see Theo’s face twist with disgust. Ben and I being friendly toward one another appears to bother him.

I consider, for a moment, that I could use this to force another emotional reaction from him, but then I remember my promise: that I would not attempt to take control of him again, as long as he worked to find an exorcist. He is upholding his end of the bargain, and I will admit that what he did this morning, walking toward that bus, left me shaken.

I had imagined that he was far too cowardly to follow through with his threats of self-harm, and I could not gain control of him in time to pull him back.

If his friend had not been there, Theo and I both might have perished.

On the other hand, this particular tactic might prove far more subtle and effective than anything I have tried previously.

If I can thread the needle between enjoying Ben’s attention and upsetting Theo, my mission could still be a success.

This disgraced priest might just be the perfect way for me to break my host down slowly, a little at a time.

Perhaps, if I can use Ben to reach my goal, I may even get to have a little fun of my own.

I have been told that it is often far more pleasurable to toy with human victims before snuffing out their life, and I can think of a number of things I would like to do to this particular human prior to killing him.

Only an hour into the film, my plan is already beginning to work.

Ben’s arm is stretched behind me on the back of the couch, and our bodies are very close to touching.

I can feel Theo’s suspicion and displeasure through the tenuous connection we share.

Unfortunately, it is still masked by the overarching emptiness dulling everything he feels, and it is not enough for me to find a foothold, but I am a patient creature.

On the television screen, a dragon sets a human aflame, and I turn to look at Ben with a wide grin.

“This was an excellent selection,” I purr. Human males are so transparent. I can practically see him salivating, and all I did was lower my vocal tone slightly. It is a wonder that this technique did not work on Theo, who is quietly seething across the room.

When the film ends, he quickly stands up and snaps, “Bedtime. ”

“Goodnight, then,” Ben says.

“No, you too.”

“Ok, abuelita .”

“My apartment, my rules. I don’t trust her alone with you.”

“I’m a big boy,” Ben replies, winking at me, “I can fend for myself, I promise.”

Theodore groans. “She’s literally a demon! Come on!” Ben sighs and looks back at me. I try to appear slightly hurt.

“Will you at least choose another film for me, then?” I ask him. Theo grits his teeth, and it is all I can do not to laugh.

“Yeah, alright,” Ben says. “What would you like?”

“You may pick,” I say sweetly, eliciting a smile from him.

“Well, I guess since you don’t sleep, you can’t go wrong with starting the rest of the MCU.” He scrolls through the films and selects one, apparently about a man made of iron, then asks Theo, “You don’t happen to have a printer, do you?”

“What for?”

“I was just gonna give her a list so she can watch them in the right order.” Theo huffs and motions for Ben to follow him. They retreat down the hall, and I crawl to the end of the couch so I can eavesdrop again.

“So, are you a professional cock block or is this just a hobby for you?” Ben asks, his voice thick with amusement.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Theo snarls back.

Ben just chuckles. “I’ve been told I have a very disarming personality. Forgive me if I use it to disarm the fucking demon that’s possessing your body.”

There is a long pause before Theo responds, “You’re playing her?”

“Yes,” Ben hisses. “Do you think I’m that stupid? I figure if I can split her attention, distract her, it’ll buy us some time, and maybe we can even figure out a way to get rid of her without the exorcism.”

“Ok, well…just…don’t fall for your own con, please. I don’t need that. ”

“Yes, sir,” Ben laughs. A minute later I hear some very strange noises from the office and then he emerges holding a piece of paper.

“Start with Iron Man and work your way down the list,” he tells me, setting it on the coffee table and bending over to point to the film names.

I lean forward so our faces are only a few inches apart.

His breath hitches, so I press my arms into my chest, giving him a good, long look down the front of my t-shirt.

He must have been lying to Theo about his true intentions with me.

Sin is my job, and I know true lust when I see it.

At least one part of this plan will be easier than I first imagined.

“This is perfect, thank you,” I say softly, turning my face up. He hovers there for a moment, his eyes darting down to my lips and back up.

“Fuck…you’re good,” he murmurs. I move even closer, letting him feel the heat of my breath on his mouth. For good measure, I let a few tendrils of shadow out too and twine them around his throat, then watch as his pupils grow wide. What others might mistake for fear, I know to be desire.

“You seem like an intelligent man, Ben,” I whisper. “A man who knows how to strike a good bargain. I can see that you want me, and you are not weighed down by so much ridiculous human morality, are you?”

“That’s open for debate,” he replies. “Are we talking about murder or breaking the speed limit?”

“Help me with Theo,” I whisper, “and I promise I will make it well worth your while once I get control of him.”

Ben lets out a soft, breathy laugh. “Why would I trust you? What’s the promise of a demon worth? We’re just your little toys. What motivation is there for you to follow through after it’s done, hmm?”

“Pleasure,” I say softly, adding the edge of a moan to my voice.

“I have never tasted a human man before, Ben. Never had one…inside me, and I have waited centuries for the chance. If you behave, I may even let you call me Annie while you fuck me.” I swear, his soul is about to leave his body as I tighten my shadows around his neck.

“That’s a hell of a deal,” he mutters, “but I don’t think either of us really want Theo involved in this, do we?

That pesky moral compass of his just complicates everything.

So, I’ll make you a deal, Annie, mi amor .

Help me figure out a way to separate the two of you, get him on his feet, and out of the way, then you can have me instead.

Body and soul, no resistance, no fuss. I’ll come quietly. ”

I pull my shadows back and examine his face.

A human offering themself to a demon is not unheard of, but Ben does not seem like the type.

He could have some ulterior motive I cannot see yet.

Then again, if I return to the Seventh Tower unsuccessful, I may not be given another opportunity at this.

Helping Theo hardly seems like an appropriate use of my skills, but I win either way: if his emotional state improves, I may still be able to take him, particularly if I can continue playing this little game with Ben; if he does not, then I shall be free of him soon enough, and Ben will be mine instead.

“You have a deal, Father,” I say with a smile, “although you do not strike me as the type who comes quietly .” Before he can reply, I place a hand on his chest, lean in, and kiss him.

It feels like burning, or falling. It is wrong, but not wrong enough for me to stop.

He reaches around and grips the back of my neck, hard, so I tighten my shadows around his neck.

That does not deter him. In fact, he kisses me harder, digging his teeth into my bottom lip until I experience a twinge of physical pain.

When he releases me, he gives me a grin which is somehow both devious and sweet.

“Let me know when you want more,” he says. “Oh, and unless you want Theo finding out about this little deal of ours, you’re gonna let me call you Annie whenever I want. Alright?”

He walks away, and I am left alone on the couch, one hand on my lips and the other still holding the television remote.

The vaguely-human heart in my chest leaps and glimmers like a spark freed from the flames as I wonder if I have met my match.

Once he is gone, however, frustration surges through me.

I must continue to bide my time and feign cooperation and this is not what I was built for.

I was created to torment the souls of the damned, not to try and outwit these foolish, sentimental human men.

Closing my eyes, I allow myself a brief moment to relive the kiss.

As much as I hate to admit it, Ben was right–I do want more from him.

Only, I am not certain exactly what it is I want.

Demons are not immune to experiencing lust. Were I back home in the Seventh Tower, getting what I need from one of my own kind would be all too simple.

But this is a different sensation altogether.

The burning inside me now is less of a raging inferno at my core and more of a glowing ember, sitting just behind my breastbone–soft, aching, and insistent that I be near him again.

After waiting as long as I can stand it, I slip off the couch and move silently down the hall.

The door to the office is closed, so I dissolve my body into shadow and slip beneath it.

Ben is asleep on an inflatable mattress, shirtless, his lips slightly parted and arms thrown above his head, moonlight illuminating the hard, muscular lines of his body.

Theo did tell me to keep an eye on him. Battling the urge to brush my fingers over his exposed skin, I crouch beside the bed and use a shadow tendril to examine the small silver medallion around his neck.

On the front is a bearded man holding a shepherd’s crook, identified by the text above his head as Saint Jude.

The inscription on the back reads ‘Patron Saint of Lost Causes, Pray for Us’.

Either someone’s idea of a joke, or Ben truly believes himself to be a lost cause.

My mind cannot help but run through the litany of awful things I could do to him right now.

I could take out my frustration and my desire on his vulnerable human body.

I could punish him for awakening something inside me that I do not understand and do not want.

I could do all of these things. That is what I was made for.

That is the very core of my nature. I hold back, however, and tell myself it is because I need him alive and intact to complete my mission.

But in truth, it is because I desperately want another kiss.