Lilly's Curse by Tashia M. Garrett (books to read to get smarter txt) 📕

“Roses are red. Violets are blue. Mortals think I'm sweet, but it aint true.” Damien joked as his captive awoke. He knocked her unconscious when she re-fused to follow him.
“Let me go you wicked, pain in the rump, or all hell will break loose!” Lilly spat at Damien as he walked to stand in front of her. She was bounded to a chair at her hands, feet, and waste. Lilly was scared but wouldn’t show it, if she did he would pray on it.
“And here I thought you were an Angel of Mercy. Don’t the Bible say we aint supposed ta judge one another? Yet, you judge me to be wicked.” Damien laughed cynically. His southern drawl was like liquid fire on a cold winter’s day.
“It’s kind of ironic aint it, an Angel of Mercy judging. How unholy, of you to do so. Though, you’re right. I am wicked, cruel, and unscrupulous.” Damon walked around his captive with his finger trailing along her body, as he rotat-ed around her like the earth rotates around the sun. Damien leaned in close to his captive angel and smelt of her hair.
“You’re beautiful, intellectual, and compellin, yet, I don’t believe you ta be all angel. Angels smell of honey sickles, not of roses, and freedom. They’re nor-mally nine to 10 feet tall, while you may be 5’6”. Not to mention, an Angel would have be torn into smithereens crossing the threshold of hell. Yet here you sit in Hell’s seventh layer.”
Lilly glared at Damien, for she took this as an insult, and despised being called short.
“Yeah, I see the resemblance; hard piercing ice blue eyes that can see through ones soul, pristinely arched eyebrows, long thick eyelashes, softly chis-eled nose that tilts up at the end, high cheekbones, sun streaked blond hair, and a shapely tanned body. I can’t place the smell of freedom though, I’ve smelt this before. It was a long time ago, but the smell is still the same.” Damien paste back and forth contemplating how he knew this aroma.
“How can you be so cruel? Why did you abduct me in front of all those chil-dren? You scum, do you realize how traumatized you have made them? You could've waited until after school let out. Dang it Damien, I would've followed you to your house, and listened to anything you had to say. Of course after-wards I would've imprisoned you. Oh, why such a long face? After all of the people and mythical beings that you have killed, shouldn’t you expect to be im-prisoned?” Lilly’s voice was a little rough from the struggle to get a way as a human would in her situation. She tried to bite Damien when he caressed her face.
“I was born a demon, it’s in my blood. Unlike angels, demons can’t control anything, except for their bodies. Every sin written in the Bible is demon. We are lust, greed, envy, anger, glutton, and sloth. What lets you be free of all these?”
“Just because I’m part angel it doesn’t mean I am free of sin, but more aware of it. HOLY WINGS, You are so typical! “I’m a demon. I have to sin, oh poor me.” If you can quote the Bible so well, then you should know that lying is a sin. Yet you told me what you believe to be true.” Lilly spat in Damien's face out of disappointment. Damien wiped the spit away and frowned.
“It looks like I found another typical, whiney, dependent demon. “I feel so bad I killed all those people because my body felt like it.” That is complete BA-LONEY. You my friend are PATHETIC!
“What do you mean by, “Believe to be true”?”
“Oh poor baby can’t put two and two together. Ha-ha this is rich. Fine I’ll tell you, all of your life you’ve been lied to. You have the free will to make your own choices, and to decide to be who you wish to be. So stop bellyaching and demon up! Do you wish to be cowering, little, and pathetic all of your life, or do you wish to be strong-willed, and do as you want. Think about it, all by yourself, Damien. Can you do that anymore, you know, think for yourself? The devil A.K.A. Michael is like Hitler, He used his knowledge and his voice to brain-wash all that would listen to bring them under his control. All because my king, Jesus, made a prophecy that one of his minions will defeat him with the power of love and bravery. Damien you may well be that demon, the one who is to rival the devil. You would be able to outwit, out maneuver, and out love him with God on your side. You already know that the meaner the demon the smaller the space there is for love and hope. With all the years that you have lived, have you ever noticed how love always conquers in the end?”
“Lilly, how can I even begin to contemplate the demise of my King Michael when I can't even control myself?” He walked away, and then turned back to look at her. He stood like a god staring at Lilly. “Heck I can’t even control these feelins. Whenever I see your luscious blonde curly waves of hair, I want to wrap my fingers in it, pull your face to mine, and kiss those angelic lips.” Damien acted on impulse, he stalked towards Lilly then trailed his fingers down and behind her neck, pulled her head close, let his lips hover over, and then ever so gently brushed them against hers, making Lilly gasp. Damien looked deeply into Lilly’s curious gaze, she was breathless.
“Damien, what the heavens are you doing? Stop touching me!” She yelled. “You must control yourself.” Lilly was irritated that Damien was able to punch through her emotional barriers with just one kiss. He was able to make her feel everything she wished to forget. He made her feel like she did before her mother died; wanted, safe, and warm.
“Shit! I don't believe it, you, why you? It can't be!" Damien looked at Lilly in astonishment, with his mouth agape, while Lilly looked at Damien like he had just lost his mind.
“Okay demon boy, what in the world do you mean, are you trying to insult me?!”
Damien just stared at Lilly, mouth still hanging open. Shaking his head as if he was completely dumbfounded about what just happened.
“I don't believe it. You kiss me, yet you're the one acting shocked. What did you think? That you wouldn't like it? You did, didn't you, men, ahhh, so infur-iating!” Lilly didn't know whether to be furious or to be just plain appalled. Tears welt up in her eyes.
Damien snapped out of his trance at the sound of her sobbing.
“Why are you cryin? Stop cryin dammit!” If there is one thing that Damien can’t handle it is a woman's tears.
“Wow, not only do I get insulted, but you weren’t even listening when I rant-ed about it.” She growled.
“Well, what the hell am I supposed to do, when I meet my life mate and she is a freeken angel?”
“What did you just say? Did you seriously just call me your life mate? That’s impossible. Demons don't have life mates.”
“Well, doll, sorry to bust your bubble, but I AIN'T a full-fledged demon. Be-lieve it or not demons do breed with other species. I happen to be demon, Wolf, fairy, and warlock. Now what would you have to say to that?”
“SHIT!! I can't be your life mate. There's no way, none at all!” Lilly hanged her head in defeat. She felt the pull to him so strong there was absolutely no disregarding it. “Yes. I did feel the spark and a connection that happened when we kissed; it’s just difficult to accept. What now Mr. All knowing, do you try to run off into the sunset with me?” Lilly said sarcastically.
“Whoa how do you know about the reaction between a wolf and his newly found mate?” Damien asked shock, backing away, and placed his hands on his temples to get rid of his throbbing migraine.
“Why don't you use that tiny brain of yours, and think for a second. Never mind, you’re a man, so I’ll just tell you what to do. Try using your nose, what do you smell?” Lilly was mentally shaking her head; she couldn't believe how slow witted Damien was.
“Look I’ve done told you already; roses, sweet honeysuckle, and freedom.”
“What else do you smell? I want to test that knows of yours.”
“Fine, I’ll do it, if only to appease your sensibilities.” Damien leaned close to her neck, and sniffed gently. “Freedom, roses, sweet honeysuckle,” He sniffed some more. “Pine Needles, water, and sweat. Wait, no, seawater. What are you?” Damien said more to himself than to Lilly.
“How about I cut you a deal, I tell you what I am, and you set me free.” Lilly says as she tries to free her bound hands from their ropes. She knows if she uses magic he would immediately know what she is, and would try to subdue her.
“No deal.” Damien contemplated all the smells he detected as he paced back and forth. A good 30 minutes past before he spoke. “Okay, honeysuckle is your Angel sent, roses, you are also part fairy. The Pine Needle is your Wolf sent? Yes, definitely your Wolf sent. I’ve heard legends about people who live underwater. I never disregard a legend; I believe seawater to be your mermaid sent. Free-dom and water, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know what they are.” Damien stopped pacing, turn to look at Lilly and received a left upper hook to his jaw.
 

“Man he scared me.” He was so close to figuring out exactly what she was, if he were to find out, he would be forced to kill her.
Lilly paced back and forth trying to figure out her next move. He said that she was in the seventh layer of hell. The Bible says nothing about the seven lay-ers, but she remembered reading “Dante's Inferno”.
Lilly looked around and saw fire raining down, the centaurs watching over the river that contained the dead souls who were trying to escape, and there was the tree that held the convicted sinful souls for all eternity. So Dante had told the truth. In a way all 12 layers were just an elaborate labyrinth. In order to get out Lilly would have to use magic, and magic is the one thing she hated using most of all.
“Okay, let’s get this over with.” Lilly walked over to Damien, picked him up and positioned him in the chair that she just vacated. She opened his eyes with her fingers and began to chant.
“You will do what I say as I