The Order Ch. 06

He knew that he wasn't supposed to care about her insignificant human feelings, but that didn't stop him from wanting to comfort her. Seeing her in pain did something to the pit of his stomach he didn't understand; unused to feeling anything other than anger or amusement at the stupidity of others, Andraemalek was in uncharted territory. With every other mark, he was able to concentrate on the mission, no matter how attached he became. But with Nadia...

Andraemalek growled in frustration as he increased the pace of his walk. He told himself that the only thing to do was to focus on the mission, to acquire the information he needed before he killed her. Finding out what he wanted to know wouldn't be a problem; it was the thought of killing her that left a hollow feeling in his chest. Nadia was... Different. So unlike anything he'd come across in his many years of life.

He stopped when the cold burn slowly traveled down the length of his spine. Added to the faint scent of rotting fruit, he knew that he wasn't alone. "Back again, Nyx?"

"I told you I could not leave until the human was dead, half breed."

"Then I guess I'll have to kill you instead." Andraemalek remained still, using his extraordinary senses to locate Nyx's exact location. The task proved difficult as the demon shimmered to a different location every few seconds while under its invisibility cloak. Balling his fists, he waited for the inevitable.

Nyx laughed at the bold statement one full second before he launched his attack. Still invisible, he landed a powerful blow that would have killed a human as well as most demons to Andraemalek's midsection. He almost laughed when the half breed only coughed in response. Unrelenting, Nyx followed the move with a left uppercut that forced Andraemalek off the ground. While the larger demon hovered in the air, Nyx quickly maneuvered to give a roundhouse kick that sent Andraemalek flying into the side of a building. Nyx smiled in satisfaction when the brick crumbled under the half breed's weight. Quickly shimmering to stand two feet in front of the larger demon, he administered a series of kicks that could have dented the toughest metal. Satisfaction wafted through him as he listened to the grunts and painful breaths taken by Andraemalek. The half breed was nothing compared to him.

Andraemalek patiently waited for his moment to strike. Nyx was faster than he'd originally anticipated, making the wait a trying experience. But he knew that there would be a moment when he thought that he won, and it was in that moment that he would show the coward demon that he would do what it took to protect Nadia. Her life was in the balance and he would do anything to ensure her survival.

Andraemalek's moment came when Nyx stopped his assault for the briefest of seconds. Ignoring the searing pain that hummed throughout his body, he swept his leg out, tripping Nyx. The smaller demon jumped back to avoid the move, giving Andraemalek the time and space he needed to gain his feet once more. "A real demon would show his face when trying to prove a point."

"But a smart one uses all available aides to ensure the win."

Andraemalek stood still and smiled inside when he heard the deep even breathing. Swiftly turning, he threw a right hook that both launched Nyx five feet back, but also dispelled his invisibility cloak. "Now the real game starts."

"No, the game starts when I kill your precious human," Nyx coughed out.

Rushing forward, Andraemalek lifted the smaller demon who chose to remain in his human disguise by the collar of his jacket and delivered a series of punches that would have crushed an actual human's head. That did not stop him; his rage and Nyx's audacity enabled him to throw the demon clear down the street. He rushed forward once more to relieve himself of the threat but only growled in anger when the invisibility cloak was used once more. Andraemalek continued forward, hell bent on killing the demon before he got his hands on Nadia. Rage replaced calculation and reason; her protection came first. That way he could kill her himself.

Andraemalek stopped when the sharp burn penetrated his side. This, he hadn't expected. Staggering back, he took a breath and stared down at the hilt of the knife protruding from his side. This was no ordinary blade; the familiar figure of a raven atop a grinning skull was unmistakable. "Son of a bitch..."

"That should slow you down long enough for me to complete my mission." Nyx returned the half breed's earlier roundhouse kick and laughed in amusement when Andraemalek lay unmoving on the ground. Walking to the still form, he dropped down onto his haunches and dug the blade in deeper as he slowly twisted it. "Picked this up when I killed a Zepar demon. Imagine my surprise when found the Blade of Abraxis in his very extensive collection of weapons." Nyx smiled at Andraemalek's tortured groan as he continued to twist the blade within him. "You know how the story goes."

Andraemalek did. The Blade of Abraxis was one the few weapons ever created with the power to kill any demon. All it took was a strategically placed wound and the demon would die a slow, torturous death. He knew how the blade worked well; he'd been trying to get his hands on one for centuries.

"Unfortunately this won't kill you because you're a half breed. But," Nyx paused in his speech to listen to Andraemalek's pained gasp as he ripped the blade from his body, "it does buy me enough time to complete my mission." Glancing up at the still empty street, he shook his head ruefully. "She just had to live in a small town, didn't she? Not much of a challenge."

Andraemalek knew the second Nyx shimmered away; the cold burn traveling throughout his spine disappeared and the air around him became more fragrant. He fought for breath as the searing pain inched throughout his body. Because he was only a half demon, he would not die. The pain inflicted however, was enough to paralyze him. Lying on the empty street, he told himself that he needed to move, to ignore the pain. It would only be a matter of time before Nyx made his move on Nadia and his giving into the pain did nothing to save her. Forcing himself to stand, Andraemalek shimmered into Nadia's apartment. The apartment was dark, but his eyes were quickly able to adjust. He walked to the door and checked the locks; she'd forgotten about the deadbolt. Turning the lock into place, he turned when caught wind of the bitterly cloying scent that was Nadia's fear. Turning only his head, he watched as she methodically maneuvered her way through the apartment into the kitchen to grab a knife that rested on the counter. If he wasn't in so much pain, he would have applauded. "Nadia." Andraemalek blinked when the kitchen lights were turned on. Nadia stood near the kitchen entrance, no doubt waiting for the intruder to pass her by before she attacked.

Taking a few steps closer, Nadia stared at him in disbelief. She hadn't been able to sleep and had decided to fetch a glass of water when she noticed the dark shadow in front of her door. Immediately frightened and enraged that someone would try to rob her, she ran to the first weapon she could; the steak knife she'd forgotten to put away after dinner. To find him standing in front of her door after their argument was the last thing she expected. "Andrae? What are you doing here?" She frowned when he staggered forward but did not move closer. "How did you get in here?" When he only took another labored step forward, she frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I... I need your help." Andraemalek walked to the couch and dropped down on it, unable to support his weight. The pain had become unbearable and he was sure that he was soaked with blood.

Nadia walked to stand in front of him and turned on one of the lamps. The sight of his ashen skin increased her worry. "What's wrong?" She noticed the way he clutched his side and gently pulled his hands away from his body. When she noticed the blood, she gasped. "Oh, my God, Andrae! What happened?" Pulling his jacket out of the way, she lifted the hem of his blood-soaked shirt and nearly fainted at the wound that continued to bleed. "Jesus Christ, we have to get you to the hospital."

Andraemalek grabbed her wrist when she moved to grab the phone. "No. No hospitals."

"Andrae, this isn't a scratch. You can bleed to death." That wasn't if he wasn't bleeding internally, anyway. "What is this? A stab wound?" She frowned when the blood flow began to ease. How was that possible if she hadn't put any pressure on the wound? "Hold on I'm going to get a towel."

Andraemalek sighed in relief when she didn't turn him away. He didn't think that she would; her kind nature made her incapable of turning cold. But there was always the possibility of their argument hardening her heart to him. As he pulled his jacket off, he groaned and ignored his baser instinct to shift into his demonic form. When seriously injured, it was easier to deal with pain when in his base form because his pain receptors became slightly numbed. In the human world, shifting wasn't an option, especially since he was in Nadia's presence. Placing his jacket on the floor, he looked to make sure he didn't stain her couch. Why the secondary thought crossed his mind, he did not know.

"What are you doing? Sit back." Nadia rushed to his side and pushed him back to rest. Pulling up the hem of his shirt once more, she frowned again when she noticed that the blood flow had lessened even more. "We really need to get you to the hospital."

"I'll be fine. I heal quickly." With a wound from a normal blade, the blood flow would have stopped by now. Because of Abraxis' supernatural ability, it would take nearly three times as long for him to heal from the wound. He'd be fine by the end of the week, but Andraemalek knew that Nyx counted on his hiding while he healed, making it incredibly easy to kill Nadia.

"You heal quickly? This is what you have to say to me when you might be dead in a few minutes? There is a chance of internal bleeding or even worse, an organ could have been touched too."

He liked her doting concern, especially since she used her medical knowledge. "No hospitals, Nadia. It's you or nothing."

"Is this a stab wound?" She gasped when he nodded tightly and asked, "Who stabbed you?" Placing a towel against the wound, she winced when he groaned in pain. "I'm sorry." What had he gotten himself into get receive such an injury? Nadia knew for a fact that she did not live in a dangerous neighborhood so she could not attribute the wound to gangs or thugs.

"It doesn't matter. I need to get this cleaned."

She pushed him down once more when he moved to stand. "Don't move. I'll go get..." Get what? A first aid kit? For a paltry scratch, that would have been sufficient. But a stab wound? "Just don't move." Running to the bathroom, she grabbed any and all disinfectants and the first aid kit for good measure and rushed back to his side. As she dropped everything on the couch beside him, she said, "I'm going to heat up some water."

Andraemalek nodded again as he inspected the wound. There was minimal blood flow, he was happy to see, but the skin gaped from Nyx's action of twisting the blade. As enraged as he was at the gall of the demon, he was more concerned about Nadia's safety. As he listened to her scramble to get what she needed to heat the water, he sniffed the air. There was the unmistakable scent of her fear; it was thicker than he'd been accustomed to but that was because there was an undertone of anger as well. "Why are you mad at me?"

Nadia paused in her task of filling a pot with water as she asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You're upset. Is it because of what we talked about earlier?"

She stopped and stared at the back of his head for a moment. Of all the times to bring up that conversation... "I'm not thinking about that right now."

"So why are you mad at?"

"What makes you think that I'm mad?" Deciding that there was enough water in the pot, she set it on the stove and lit a fire. With her arms crossed over her chest, she walked back into the living room to check on him. He seemed fine; other than the ashen skin and the occasional grunt of pain, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Nothing save the hole in the side of his body.

Andraemalek wasn't stupid enough to make a comment on the way she smelled; she was already suspicious of that. "You're tense."

"What the hell do you expect when I wake up in the middle of the night to find a stabbed person who doesn't want to go to the hospital standing inside my apartment?" Glancing at the door, she frowned and asked, "How did you get in anyway?"

"Picked the lock," he lied easily. It was smarter than mentioning a spare key she might not have had.

"So you break an entering instead of going to a hospital?"

"They would have asked questions at the hospital."

"And you think I won't be asking you any?"

"You haven't stopped asking questions since I've met you."

"And I won't either. The water should be hot enough now." Mumbling to herself, she turned the fire off then placed the pot on the counter. It took her a moment to find a bowl she never used and another clean towel. When the items were fetched, she placed the hot water in the bowl and brought her supplies to him. He seemed a bit more relaxed and nearly ready to fall asleep. "Oh, no you don't." Placing the bowl on the floor, she nudged his foot with her toe. "You are not going to die on me, mister."

If it wasn't for the genuine fear in her voice, Andraemalek would have laughed. "I'm not dying, Nadia. I was just resting my eyes. It's been a long day."

"It's about to get a little longer." Sitting on the couch beside him, she moved his hands and the towel they held in place. The wound had stopped bleeding. Touching the surrounding skin, she checked for any signs of internal bleeding and frowned when she felt none. It should have been good news, but she wasn't altogether sure she checked him properly, which meant that he could still be in danger. There was also the risk of infection. "You don't have to go to the hospital, but we can call the para-"

"You, or nothing, Nadia."

"Seriously, Andrae, you need a professional."

"All I need is you." Nyx could easily disguise himself as a paramedic or a doctor. With his abilities, the danger had only escalated.

As much as she tried, Nadia couldn't ignore the flutter in her stomach at his words. Taking a breath, she bent to the task of cleaning the wound, apologizing profusely whenever he grunted in pain. The water from the bowl burned her fingers, but she shrugged off the pain, telling herself that he experienced worse. "How did you get this?"

"Got into a fight."

When he gave no further details, she sighed in frustration. "That's all you have to tell me?"

"That's all you need to know." The last thing she needed was to learn that he got into a supernatural battle in the middle of the empty street. With what she knew about demons, she'd most likely finish the job Nyx started. He groaned when she prodded a bit too hard and said, "Easy."

"Sorry."

"Sure you are." Andraemalek held in a smile at her aggravated glare and watched as she continued to doctor his wound. Though she was obviously upset with him, the care in her touch told him how she really felt. The concentration on her face as she took care of him made him ache to hold her, to care for her. "Thank you. For everything."

"Yeah, sure." Nadia frowned at the wound. The bleeding had officially stopped, but she was now concerned about the size of the wound and the risk of infection. "You should really get stitches for this."

"You got a needle and thread?"

She looked at him with surprised eyes as she asked, "Are you shitting me?"

It was very rare that she swore, but when she did, lust flared throughout his body. Ignoring his growing desire, he nodded slowly. "I have no problem leaving it alone until it closes itself but if you want it stitched up..."

"The more you talk, the more I want to beat you with a frying pan."

"Kinky."

Nadia couldn't keep herself from smiling at the blatant flirtation. "Shut up." Concentrating on the task at hand, she dried then patched the wound as best as she could. She said nothing when he pulled his shirt off but did raise a brow; of course he would remove the item after she tended to his wound. At the sight of his muscled chest and arms, she paused. Nadia had seen plenty of men with drool-worthy bodies, but none could ever compare to his magnificence. Ripples of muscles enhanced every nuance of his physique; with arms as large as her claves, it was no wonder he was easily able to carry her around. His pectoral muscles made her hands itch to feel them again and when she glanced at his stomach... Good lord, he made the term "washboard" sound inadequate. This was the first time she'd seen him topless; the night of their play, he'd covered her with his body, only allowing her the sensation of that corded body against hers.

"Nadia."

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she blinked then looked into his glittering eyes. "What was that?"

"I said I should get going." Andraemalek resisted the urge to reach for her. The hot stare she gave him made his blood boil and the light scent of her desire made him shudder. Unsure of the extent of his control, he didn't know if he had what it took to keep from taking her.

"No, you can't go." Nadia stood to hover above him and placed her hands on her hips. "You don't get to come here and have me fix you up then leave so that you can die of infection in your sleep."

"It won't get infected."

"I plan on making sure of that. You're staying."

As much as he would have loved to argue with her, Andraemalek decided to give her what she wanted. It was, after all, an optimal chance to protect her. "I guess I'll take a blanket then."

Smiling in victory, she said, "Because I'm in a good mood, you get a pillow too." Nadia quickly bent to the task of cleaning up before she fetched a pillow and a blanket for him. As a second thought, she rummaged through her drawers for an extra pair of sweatpants in the event he wanted to change. When she returned to the living room, she stopped short at the sight of him standing in nothing but his underwear. His thighs and calves were works of art; each muscle was only emphasized by the next. Boxer-briefs never looked so sexy. "I, here, um..."

Andraemalek smiled at the look on her face and quietly accepted the items in her outstretched hands. He noticed the sweatpants and put them on, not for warmth, but because traces of her scent still clung to the garment. "Thanks."

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Nadia stepped forward and quickly made a makeshift bed. She didn't want him doing anything to aggravate his injury. "I hope it's comfortable enough."

Her scent clung to the blanket, the pillow, and the couch; he couldn't have asked for more. "Thanks." Making himself comfortable, Andraemalek said nothing when she adjusted the blankets around him and again resisted the urge to pull her to him. Even in his wounded state, he was ready to drown himself in her sweetness. "Will you stay with me a while?"

The random question surprised her. It was very rare that he was anything but dominant with her; to hear him genuinely ask for her company was new. "Uh, sure." Moving to curl up on the loveseat, Nadia scratched the back of her head. Were they going to have an actual conversation or would she lose her temper again?

"I don't know if this is enough evidence, but you're going to make a great doctor."

Actual conversation it was. "Thank you, but I'm not all that interested in trauma."

"What do you want to practice?"

Tilting her head thoughtfully, Nadia focused her attention on the far end of the room. "I haven't fully decided yet, but I'm interested in pediatrics and reconstructive surgery. I might combine the two."