Chapter 8: Is a kiss just a kiss?

Bree:

Oh my gosh, oh man, I kissed Fallon. I kissed Fallon. What the hell was I thinking? I rub my swollen lips and close my eyes as I recall how delicious it felt.

As I lie in my bed, I rewind to every moment of the kiss. What do I do in the morning? Do I pretend that it never happened? Do I apologize? I feel so stupid. But I also regret that we didn’t go further.

Come morning, I’m feeling terrible from lack of sleep. I also concluded that I need to be honest about my feelings. I don’t think I can handle letting him walk away from me the same way he did last time.

Since it appears that my encounter with the demon was coincidental, I consider going back home. All I have to do is what I had been doing before I went on that idiotic date. I’ll stick to going home after class and if I go out, make sure that I’m in a well-lit place with large crowds.

Determined on my path, I pack up my things and search Fallon out.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take much effort to find him. When I see that he’s not in his office, I head to the kitchen staring out the large patio doors. His broad back is to me, which allows me to ogle his gorgeous façade. Per his usual, he’s wearing black jeans and a black Henley. I have to wipe my drool when I see how well the jeans mold to his muscular thighs and firm ass. The Henley drapes like a second skin, emphasizing the dent of his spine and pectorals. His dark hair is tied back, highlighting his high cheekbones, strong jaw, Roman nose, and piercing eyes.

As if he can sense me, his back stiffens, and he carefully turns around. Not wanting him to notice my gawking, I clear my throat and move confidently across the room until I’m standing in front of me. “Good morning.”

He gives me a wary nod and quirks a brow when he sees my bag. “You have packed your bag?”

I nod and push my bag forward. “Yep. I figure I can go home now that we know that I just happened to be a convenient victim for the demon and not a specific target.”

He doesn’t reply at first, which worried me.

“Look, I know that you feel that you have to protect me for some reason, but I’ll be fine. I’ll be more aware of my surroundings and only go to places during the day. I can even text you every night if it makes you feel better.”

His lips tighten, but he eventually gives me a reluctant nod. “Very well. Shall we go?”

My throat constricts as my confession threatens to choke me. Taking the coward’s way out, I reply, “Sure, thanks.”

Once again, I find myself awkwardly sitting in his passenger seat. Neither of us says a word as he drives me home.

To my delight, he had someone fix the damage the demon caused in my apartment. Fallon waits by the door while I drop off my bag and gather my school bag. “I’ll take you to school since I am going in that direction.”

“Thanks,” I mumble gratefully. Trying to bring us back to a more comfortable level, I ask him about his plans.

“I spoke to Mathias Black last night. He agreed to meet with me and discuss any possible leads.”

As I gaze out of the window, I think about a way to keep him from cutting me off again. It saddens me that we only talk when I’m in danger.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I’d rather you stay out of this altogether. The last thing I want is for anyone to catch wind of your status as the bringer of the Erue.”

I bite my lip and slump back in my seat, feeling deflated. “You know, I’ve heard about the prophecy from you and Creighton, but I’ve never really read the whole thing.”

His head snaps toward me with surprise. “You really haven’t read it?”

I shake my head. “It’s kind of hard to do, considering that it’s in a different language. Plus, there are so many interpretations that I wouldn’t know which one is the right one.”

He looks forward thoughtfully as he drums his fingers across the steering wheel. “I concede your point. However, I can vouch for the one that I’ve read because I’m the one who wrote it.”

I jerk in surprise. “Really? But how did you know?”

He inhales deeply before he replies. “Because an Oracle told me of the prophecy before I skewered her with my sword.”

All color drains from my face at his blunt confession. “You…you killed her? Why?”

His jaw pops, and his fist tightens around the steering wheel. “Lilith has always wanted to kill my father and take his crown. However, she needed to find a prophecy that would…I assume, validate her victory. Regrettably, Oracles were not on friendly terms with Lilith due to her proclivity to kill first and ask questions later. Therefore, Lilith took matters into her own hands, captured a very powerful oracle, and forced her to prophesize Lucifer’s doom,” he looks at me and smirks. “Unfortunately, the Oracle told her exactly what she wanted to know. When Lilith got all of the information she wanted, she called for the Oracle’s execution. Before I executed her, the Oracle implied that I would be an important player in this prophecy. I didn’t want to hurt her, and I believe the Oracle could sense my reluctance because she told me that she knew she had to die and readily accepted that it would be by my hands. Even as I impaled her with my sword, she held no resentment toward me. However, I couldn’t say the same for myself. Even though I felt very little emotion back then, somehow, I felt deep remorse for what I did.”

It saddens me to hear him recount such a painful memory. I can’t imagine making a choice like that.

“I’m sorry,” I mutter sympathetically. I can’t believe that his mother could be so hateful as to order him to kill someone.

Fallon disregards my pity and continues with his story.

“After I scribed the prophecy, I asked a Seer to interpret it. Centuries later, Lucifer heard a similar version of another Oracle’s prophecy and had it interpreted. Most of the interpretations out there are similar to the one I had deciphered. I’ll send you a copy of the English interpretation that I had translated several years ago.”

I nod. “Yeah, that’ll be great.”

Once we reach the school, he lets the car idle in the lot and faces me. “I programmed my number into your mobile. If anything occurs, call me.”

“Alright,” I fidget in my seat but quickly back down. I’m such a wimp. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I’m too afraid to tell him how I feel.

The moment is lost when Fallon mutters. “You should go. I’ll update you on what I find out and send you the information on the Seer after I am done.”

Deflating, I sit back and gather my things. “Yeah, I should…okay… thanks again.” I stutter like an idiot.

Fallon licks his bottom lip and nods.

Giving him one last look, I slide out of the passenger seat and hurry to my next class.