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Brood of a New Age

78.

"Does it hurt much?"

Grace smiled at Luca. "Every time you ask, a little less."

"I'm so sorry I couldn't help. Couldn't help at all." Luca couldn't look at her. Not because, having done the same with her arms, he was now highly concentrated on wrapping gauze around her bare lower legs, or because he was sitting on the floor with her gorgeous legs right in front of him to do so, but because he felt so pathetic and powerless. He couldn't appreciate the fact that his beloved, whom he pined for so much, had discarded her ruined jeans and was now sitting here in her runaway brother's boxers.

The woman he loved had been hurt before his eyes. And there had been nothing he could do. He sniffled though he wasn't threatening to burst into tears at all- he was far too emotionally drained for that. But Grace seemed to interpret it differently. He felt her warm hand stroking his head. If he had had hair, she would have combed it comfortingly with her fingers. So he only got goose bumps all the way to the tips of his toes.

"Oh Luca. My best Luca. Humans should never interfere in a fight between gargoyles. That would be madness - and there is madness enough here. I was never in danger at any time. And these are just scratches. I don't even want you to throw yourself in front of me protectively."

"I know you don't. But ..." he looked up at her, into her deep black eyes that sparkled with affection. "... I want to be a support for you. Even if I can't protect you. Even when I'm weak."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.

"You are strong, after all," she murmured, "stronger than I am. Your strength is mental where mine is physical. I need you. You complete me."

She broke away from him and only when he opened his eyes did she avert her gaze shamefacedly. Her mouth was twisted in affliction.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't okay," she whispered.

"I need you," he said without hesitation, meaning it not as a repetition of her words but as a statement of his own.

"I need you!" He gently placed his hands around her calf, which was wrapped in gauze, brought his lips to her knee directly in front of him. He kissed the skin just above the bandage. Again a kiss, a little higher. Then directly to the spike on her kneecap.

"I need you, Eva. You complete me too." Once started, Luca couldn't stop plastering that soft skin with the underlying muscles with kisses. He forbade himself any higher thoughts, because he knew they were his downfall in this situation. He did not want to take advantage of this latest traumatic event. He really didn't. But his loved one's words burned away any safety net he had built up over the last few months. And when Grace sighed, and there was something lustful, spurring in that sigh, he became brave enough to run his hands along her thighs.

"I need you," he whispered, wanting to tell her he meant so much more than the physical. But suddenly strong hands pulled him onto the bed by the waistband of his jeans. He blinked in surprise as he saw the face of his lady love right in front of him and her smile had something maidenly where her eyes shone with the dark passion of a grown woman. Without waiting for the inevitable awkward silence, Luca's lips found hers. And she returned the kiss urgently. Her fangs scratched him a little but he barely felt the pain. Instead, he felt claws brush over his ribs and he went along with the motion, helpfully raising his arms as Grace pulled his shirt over his head in a movement so frantic he heard seams rip. His hands slid under her back and over the fabric of her swimsuit top while her arms wrapped around his naked torso. He felt the slightly rougher fabric of the bandages stroking his back muscles as his lover eagerly ran her fingers over his body.

And all the while they kissed, stopping only a few times to take a new angle, to get to know a new millimeter of each other. Luca's hands had moved between Grace's wings as if of their own accord, and as he pressed his fingers there he heard the female growl into his mouth. He feared he had hurt her and wanted to let her go, but suddenly her strong legs wrapped around his abdomen and he felt her tail wrap around one of his legs to not only hold him in place, but to press him against her. She was completely turned on all at once - her body as well as her movements leaving no doubt how much she wanted him. She had let go of his mouth which gave him the opportunity to press his nose into her raven hair but also her to guide her tongue over his jaw as if she now needed to taste this piece of him. She made animalistic sounds between grumbling and chirping and Luca learned just in this moment that these sounds aroused him completely. Her entire body was now pressed against him and Luca knew exactly she felt his massive erection through the fabric of his jeans and the boxers she wore herself. Every piece of fabric was too much and Grace seemed to think the same, because she tore the scarf from his neck to explore this part of him with her tongue.

And suddenly her hands stopped on his back and the excited gargoyle-esque moans died away. Luca lifted his eyes and saw her gaze. Which was on his neck. He grabbed that part of his body and noticed the missing scarf. He sat up and her legs, which had let go of him, allowed him to slide off her. His erection was still there. But his lust quickly faded at the horrified speechless sight of her. He felt like a child who had been caught lying by his mother.

"Grace. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Who did this?" she whispered.

"It doesn't hurt. It's just a few bruises. It was a misunderstanding."

"Who did this?" she asked louder, straightening up on the bed.

"Grace. Eva. It was a mix-up. Goliath is truly sorry."

The red female sucked in a sharp breath. Then she jumped up and headed for the door. Luca jumped after her and clasped her upper body with his arms. She stopped and he felt her body and wings quivering with rage against his naked torso.

"Don't do it!" he pleaded. "Don't."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because that's not who you are. Not anymore. You don't have to be like this anymore. You have a choice. You're smart and you're kind. That's why I love you."

She gasped again - at the same time as he did. Her tense posture loosened and he let her go. Slowly she turned to him and her face was full of question marks. But not full of sheer revulsion. Luca thought of the ring in his nightstand drawer. The ring that was responsible for the bruises on his neck. Thank God, they weren't as bad as they had been a week ago, because then they probably would have spurred Grace on to a crusade against this whole clan.

There was a knock at the door.

"Grace? "

Angela's voice.

Luca saw his lady of hearts turn her head toward the door, her full upper lip raised and her teeth bared. She reached for the door and Luca grabbed her wrist even though he knew she could shake him off like a fly.

"Don't do anything rash, Eva."

"THEY do rash things all the time! Why is everyone allowed to be an impulsive jerk around here but me! I'm Catholic, I can at least try to pray my sins away."

"You swore to yourself not to bring more sins of this kind upon yourself. Eva, please," Luca whispered as she pulled the door open a crack and Angela actually took a step back. Grace didn't know what a sight she was. With the bandages, the missing jeans, her body still heated from petting and perhaps Angela could smell the arousal, and her eyes moist but glowing red with barely fading loathing. But it gave her little satisfaction to see Angela flinch, wide-eyed, struggling for words. Behind the door, unnoticed by the other female, Luca had grabbed her hand and squeezed it pleadingly.

"Grace?" said Angela uncertainly.

The Italian female took a deep breath and her voice sounded almost normal.

"Yes, Angela?"

"Are you - are you all right? You both? You and Luca? Do you need anything?"

Grace wanted to snap back. Scream back at her that she and Luca needed everything else but not this madhouse. But all at once she felt something other than Luca's fingers. She lowered her eyes and saw the rosary in her hand. She looked up at her favorite person, who was just closing her fingers around the cool dark beads and smiling up at her. And when she looked back to Angela, she was so filled with affection for Luca that her disgust for this American clan, this whole country, and her desire right now to attack Angela and challenge the clan leader to mortal combat faded.

"It's not all good. But it will pass," Grace said. "Are you here for Broadway?"

The purple female's beautiful face showed wrinkles of sorrow uncharacteristic of her age. "He left right after Goliath broke up the meeting. I ... haven't found him yet. But I'm sure ... when he calms down, he'll apologize to you!"

Angela, because of the situation, now didn't show the underlying fear of her as she had after their unequal fight. She looked embarrassed, of course, but somehow more conciliatory. As if her mate's outburst had in some way been a leveler in terms of violent outbursts. His outburst was of a completely different kind than Grace's. No dark determinate bleakness that broke bones - freezer burn on command. Broadway's outburst had been fiery and consuming like a wildfire. Quickly ignited and quickly extinguished. Maybe she had realized something tonight. Life was never black and white. Relationships were never easy, and each brought its own weight of burdens and traumas that could complicate living together.

Grace smiled wearily. "Apologies don't change anything, Angela. If Broadway is truly sorry, it would be more important for him to reflect and try to change."

"He's really not like that. He ... I'm sure he's reflecting on his behavior right now. I'm going to help him with that. We'll help each other. It just takes time and-"

"What else can I help you with, Angela?" interrupted Grace impatiently. She wasn't really in a hurry to do anything else but she just didn't want to deal with her anymore. Her lust for Luca had been inappropriate and sinful, and a tiny part of her was glad Angela had interrupted.

Briefly, Angela looked to the side as if she needed to sort out her thoughts. Then she nodded soberly and her expression had lost all uncertainty - probably because she had already thought carefully about the following sentences.

"First of all, I wanted to thank you. Thank you for stopping Broadway. I don't think he would have really hurt Graziella if he had reached her. He probably would have just held her down. But just doing that, he could have hurt her little body. You know how that is."

Grace narrowed her eyes and let the beads of the rosary in her hand click against each other like a wordless mantra.

"Yes, I know it," she admitted.

"I know he's going to have a hard enough time forgiving himself for the tantrum he had. So ... thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Second. If you do something like that to him again. Or with anyone in the clan- I will hunt you down and you will regret the day you crawled out of your crate here in America."

"Okay."

Grace slammed the door in her face that she heard the other female gargoyle, who could have once been her best friend, cry out in dismay. But she also heard her footsteps moving away.

Luca sat down on his bed and looked at her with a wry grin.

"That last one was a bit rude," he said.

Grace stopped in front of him and shrugged.

"No, I didn't think so at all. I would have threatened her too if the situation had been exactly reversed. If she had cut off your air to stop you. Even if the end justifies the means you have to convey to the other person that you didn't agree with it."

She reached out her hand and gently stroked the bruises on his neck.

"Do you want to ... sit with me?" he asked, sounding so shy and sweet that Grace would have liked to comply immediately. But she shook her head. She was weak around him. And that weakness was too delicious for a poor sinner like her to resist when he was so close to her.

"I can't Luca," she whispered.

He took her hand and looked up at her. Dog puppy eyes.

"Why?"

"Your soul," she said.

He blinked, befuddled. "I'm an atheist, Grace."

"Yet ... I can't form that bond with you. It would be unnatural. Unchristian. I would be endangering your soul."

"But- ."

"Luca. As much as I want it. As much as you want it. Sex is the physical manifestation of the Sacrament of marriage. That physical aspect confers a spiritual grace. That's why a faithful Catholic cannot think of sex as separate from marriage. They go together."

"Grace. You are not baptized. You can't receive the sacraments and therefore you're not bound by them!" argued Luca, immediately regretting his words when he saw her hurt but knowing expression.

"I know," she said sadly. "I'm probably pretty ridiculous."

He jumped up and clasped her hands with his own. "No! You are not ridiculous! Your faith gives you strength. In you, faith is what it should be in every single person. Sword, shield, and warming mantle! What human being can say that about himself? But-"

She put her fingers on his mouth. She wanted to kiss him so much. Her dearest Luca, who desired her enough to put his own soul on the line. He was perhaps a self-chosen atheist. That's why it was all the more important that at least she cared about his salvation.

"You're right. I am not and never will be baptized. I will never receive sacraments. Not a single one. And I'm not even a member of your own species. I care about you Luca. For your immortal soul I care. You made the decision to stop believing yourself. But that doesn't really mean anything. I will not defile this sacrament, not corrupt it for my or our carnal desire. You would be considered fully culpable for this sin, despite your doubt of God's existence. Sexual intercourse would not do me, but you, real spiritual harm, and push you further and further from God, and that I will prevent as long as it is in my power."

She withdrew from him. He wanted to follow her again, to reassure her that he wasn't just about sex, and more than that, that he didn't give a damn about his damn salvation - something that would probably have completely outraged and agitated Grace.

The woman of his heart - the only woman he would ever be able to love, because all others paled beside her - stepped to the door. There was only a yard between them but that distance seemed infinite as she smiled at him.

"I'm going to withdraw a bit and talk to Dante on the phone."

"Are you going to tell him about tonight?" He lowered himself back onto the bed before his legs gave way beneath him.

"Absolutely not. He'd just have another reason not to come back to us. Or he'd be looking for conflict. Too much of a risk."

"Yeah, probably. Give him my regards."

"I will."

She opened the door.

"Grace?"

"Yes?" She turned and he decided to pretend not to see the glistening moisture in her eyes so as not to humiliate her.

"What's going to happen to us now? Here in America? And here with this clan?" he asked, because even though he wasn't a gargoyle and they had never spoken out that they were a clan, she was somehow his clan leader.

Grace's smile widened briefly. "I'll think about that."

She closed the door and Luca was alone in his room, which reeked of cold arousal and of disappointment. He couldn't really smell it, of course, but he imagined it. Luca leaned forward in pain, pulled his suitcase out from under the bed and pulled out the small bag containing Tiffany's velvet-covered box. Luca opened it and looked at the ring that had cost him $8,000 and had been worth every penny. That had been a stupid idea. Why hadn't he considered Grace's deep faith and her interpretation of this gesture/act when he had bought it or even afterwards? He was an ignorant idiot. The engraving seemed so ridiculous to him now, almost blasphemous. He was a grown man but his love made him a silly boy who believed in destiny and soul mates. He closed the box again and threw it into the trash can under the window.

Angela is such a cock-blocker -..-

The next few chapters include a lot of clarifying conversations and what Nashville experiences in the rookery, of course, I include. Don't get confused - everything will be cleared up in the end.

Thanks for reading, Q.T.