Harlee POV
I was dreaming I was fighting. No, not me-Zeev. Josh was there too. And that Arch Angel whose arm we had eaten. And we were in the house, it was a mess. Wait, this wasn't a dream, was it? I jerked awake, sitting up and looking around.
"Zeev?" I called. No, I knew he wasn't here. The ache in my chest told me the distance was greater than a room or two. I touched my Mark and sent my thoughts out towards him. I felt his teeth crunch into something wet, slimy, the hard snap of bone in the middle, and then the gulp as he swallowed the disgusting mess down.
'Harlee! Please turn your thoughts away. A lady should never have to see this.' Zeev mentally covered my eyes and turned my head, but I could still hear the crunch and smell the blood as he bit again. I withdrew from the link quickly.
"Please be safe, and hurry home to me Zeev." I whispered. I heard a soft 'yes, my Lady' in my head.
Zeev POV
"Was that Harlee just now? You kinda blanked out for a minute." Josh growled, fending off a strike by the Fallen. The Fallen had lost his arm again, thanks to me, but he was proving to be less than ready to give up.
"Yes." I grunted and shifted fully into my Demon Form. Time to end this.
Harlee POV
I sat huddled in the middle of the bed, my head was aching as I got snatches of sporadic images from Zeev. My stomach felt queasy as more slimy material slid down my-Zeev's throat. I gulped and raced to get a drink of water.
Zeev POV
"That's just wrong man." Josh complained as I swallowed the hunk of flesh I'd ripped from the Fallen's side.
"Unlike you-his body is entirely composed of Divine and Demonic Energies. Yes, we can take Form and bleed, but every bit of matter is a nice little power boost for me-unless you care to relinquish your soul?" I turned my orange eyes on him.
"Naw, I'm good man." He held up his hands with a nervous chuckle. The Fallen panted.
"Where'd you get the Sword boy?" He snarled.
"Does it look familiar to you?" I taunted, circling. Come on, give me an opening.
"Not anymore-it has Bonded to you boy-but how?" The Fallen stepped forward. Ah perfect. I slashed at his achilles while he was distracted. The blow landed on his weight bearing leg and his leg began to give. The Fallen stumbled and Josh lunged with his Sword. I pounced at the same time. The Fallen emitted a terrible shriek.
Harlee POV
I covered my ears, but I knew that the shrieking I was hearing was coming from inside my head, not outside of it.
"Harlee!" My head snapped up and Josh rushed at me, covered in blood. "Oh my God! I'm so glad to see you! Are you ok, but..oh..you're really not entirely human anymore, are you?" He pulled back from me swiftly. I grimaced.
"Thanks for the status update Boy Obvious." I replied, letting my slitted pupils show. Josh's mouth gaped.
"Wooow-now those are cool! I'd wear those out all the time! Tell people they're contacts or something. Dang!" Josh seemed genuinely excited and sat on the bed next to me. I looked over at Zeev. He was also covered in gore, but for the first time he seemed relaxed, a small smile on his face. While Josh prattled on about what had just happened, Zeev held my gaze and all I wanted in that moment was to tell him how much I loved him and to kiss him.
"How are you doing?" I asked with concern, interrupting Josh.
"Oh Zeev was a total badass! He totally ate that Angel up." Josh crowed.
"There was.. A surprising amount of Grace left within him. I'm actually feeling quite well." Zeev's eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Oh that well, huh?" I asked. Josh coughed nervously.
"Maybe I should be getting home.." He offered.
"First, you should probably clean up. I'll bring you some fresh clothes. Thank you, my friend." Zeev clapped him on the shoulder and disappeared from the room. Josh looked at me, shocked.
"He called me friend!" He whispered.
"I know. And he meant it." I shrugged. "Now go-you're getting my sheets filthy.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Josh bounced off the bed.
"Bathroom's through there." I pointed and he sprinted off. I heard him shouting in the distance about the size and features. I shook my head.
"Harlee." Zeev said softly from behind me, his weight making the bed move as he crawled nearer and wrapped his arms around my waist.
"You're disgusting." I told him, but relaxed into his arms anyway.
"Then we'll both just have to shower together." Zeev murmured against my neck.
"Is it over?" I asked quietly and he sighed.
"It'll never be over-but I think we can return home now, if you'd like." Zeev whispered, his lips brushing the Mark on my jaw, making me shiver. "I think having an Arch Angel Fall, and the leader of the group moving against us in Hell destroyed, will make both Heaven and Hell pause for a little while to regroup before making their next moves. Fallen Angels are a big deal to Heaven, and a Fallen Arch Angel-well, that's going to cause a big stir." Zeev kissed the Mark and I could feel how excited, and yet finally relaxed, he was. It was an odd balance, but he no longer felt like our lives were in immediate danger. I turned my face to him and kissed his lips. Cinnamon and blood, but not human blood. This wasn't anything I'd ever tasted before. I darted my tongue into Zeev's mouth for another taste and he pulled back slightly.
"It's Angel blood." He said with something akin to embarrassment.
"I.. um.. kinda like it. Is that weird? I feel like it's horrible, and I'm saying something gruesome." I covered my mouth like it had betrayed me. Zeev pulled my hands away.
"You're not entirely human anymore Harlee, and you will find yourself craving the Divine. It comes with the territory. Let me share a little with you, hmm?" He leaned in and kissed me deeply, opening his mouth and encouraging my tongue to explore. I ran my tongue along his lips and moaned lightly as his tongue met mine. I tasted the inside of his mouth again and found myself gripping the sides of his face, plunging my tongue deeply into his mouth, trying to lick up all the sticky sweet goodness. He gripped me tightly in return, allowing me to explore his mouth, as his hands traced over my shoulders, my back, my hips. I captured his light groans with my mouth.
"Ahem.." Josh cleared his throat loudly. I backed off Zeev slowly, licking my lips. "No Rosemary's babies." Josh scolded and tossed the flat of his Sword on his shoulder.
"Is that a threat?" I asked, tilting my head to the side, eyes glowing.
"Well, no. I.." Josh stammered.
"Good-cuz.." I turned to Zeev "Zeev-I want to have your baby." Josh yelped and dropped his Sword. I smirked and Zeev looked like somebody'd told him he could be human.
Zeev POV
"What? Now?" I exclaimed and Harlee pouted.
"Well obviously not right now-you have to take Josh home." She sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"But we haven't even talked this over-and your house is a mess, and there's so much preparation that must be done, for both of us! And there's no guarantee that it'll be successful, so we'd have to have sex-like a LOT of sex, but I'd need recovery time in between since I'm ripping off pieces of myself for that, and I'd probably have to keep well fed, and while that Angel's Grace will keep me going for a while.."
"HooooKaaaay-it's time for me to go now!" Josh yelled loudly over me. Harlee grinned.
"Yeah, go on, take Josh home so we can discuss private things privately." Harlee purred, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me again. Was this all a ploy to get rid of Josh?
"Yes Harlee." I replied and stood. Josh griped bitterly about the state of my clothes and hands as I grabbed him to step him first back to his hiding spot for the Sword, then back to his home.
"No use returning to work now. Hope I don't get fired." He shrugged. "Thanks man, by the way-that extra bit of power? Yeah that was awesome. I might be interested in taking you up on some actual lessons one day. If, you know, you won't eat my actual soul for it." I smirked wickedly. Josh turned solemn.
"But seriously Zeev. This baby thing. Be careful ok? You know it's dangerous." Josh turned and walked slowly towards his house.