Page 64 of Prayer of the Damned
“Only someone who tastes my blood can banish me from the lands of Adam…” Before I can even finish the sentence, I hear a weapon being cocked to my right. I want to react, but the bullet is already slamming into my shoulder full force. I’m thrown tothe ground and take a serious hit to the temple. The bullet’s whistling is still echoing in my dizzy head.
“What the hell?!” I shout, choking on the pain of the bullet and the blow.
“Oops, my mistake,” I hear Ellis chirp, but then he immediately gasps. I open my eyes with some effort and see him sprawled on the ground next to me, after Bar showed him what he thought of the little stunt. I make a fist and hit him right in the face. “In the name of all the saints!” he grabs his nose and cringes in pain.
I try to get to my feet; Bar pulls me into his arms and helps me regain my balance. “Thanks,” I blurt out, and kick Ellis in the side. “People just keep hurting me constantly.”
“Sorry,” Ellis gets to his feet. “I just didn’t believe a demon would have such powerful defensive abilities that not even the angels themselves possess.”
“Well, now you know.” I give him my sternest look, hoping the message is clear and that he won’t try that foolishness again.
“But your body is invulnerable, Belle, like Ellis was kind enough to demonstrate just now. How do we do it?” Bar asks me.
I feel my face heating up. “I managed to shed my blood once.”
Bar grabs me by the shoulder and shakes me. “How did you do it?”
“Well…” I bring my lips to his ear and whisper to him: “I broke my hymen.” I feel his body tense up, and keep whispering to him: “But if my body heals itself, I thought maybe it might’ve recreated the hymen, and maybe I could do it again…”
“Damn…” The hot air from his mouth gives me goosebumps, but I can overcome it, despite his closeness.
I take a step back and look into his eyes. “So are you ready to…?” I don’t dare blink as I wait for his answer.
“Fuck, yes,” he blurts out. Too quickly. Too eagerly. And my body tingles with… anticipation?
Chapter Thirty-Three
Bartimaeus
“Have you completely lost your mind? You can’t fuck the damned one!” We found an abandoned farm not far from where we and Ellis pulls me into it.
“Why not? Get in, get out, taste her blood and finish the story,” I grouse.
When Belle blurted the words in my ear, I felt my erection stand tall in an instant. I thought my jeans might split apart. Fuck, it was the last thing I expected to hear. My cock almost broke into a cursed demonic dance until I remembered it was an unforgivable sin.
But if that’s what it took to banish Lilith, I’d take the corruption unto myself. I’d sacrifice my sanctity for others. Many, many others.
“How poetic,” Ellis chuckles.
“What do you want me to say? It’s sex, I don’t mean to make love to her.”
“Damn you, Bartimaeus!” It’s rare for Ellis to curse, and he’s firing off a string of the worst now. I let him get it all out. If it’s a choice between curses and fists, I’ll always choose curses.
“I can’t even keep track of the number of transgressions you’re seeking to commit! Breaking celibacy is one thing, but damn it, you’re talking about the most severe ban here! We mustn’t fraternize with the enemy! I think that applies to sex with the enemy, let alone tasting her blood.”
“We have no choice. I’ll handle whatever comes.” My anger is growing. If the solution is right in front of us, why are we even discussing it? The weight of it will be as heavy as it will be. I’m the one who’ll ultimately be judged for it, not him.
“You can’t even handle the blood of pitiful demons, but you want the blood of the most damned of them all? You won’t survive! Your body isn’t holy enough!” He grasps my shirt and tries to shake me out of my resolution.
“So what do you propose? Letting the old Pope stick it to her? His holiness is much greater, but he still wouldn’t know what to do with his limp dick!” Did those words really spill out of my mouth? It’s blasphemy, for God’s sake!
“I don’t know you anymore, brother,” Ellis exhales. “Your time in Hell has contaminated you, you need help. Urgently.”
“I’m fine.” I shove his hand away and arrange my shirt properly.
“We need to bring this before the Church. They’ll know what to do. They have ways of—” He doesn’t finish the sentence, but I understand where he’s going with it.
“All they’ll do is lock her up and abuse her with all the experiments I already know will fail. She’s given us the answer we’ve been seeking for thousands of years, and I don’t intend to back down now.”
