Chapter II

Chapter Playlist

Chasing Cars By Snow Patrol

Life For Rent By Dido

Sorry By Buckcherry

Hero/Heroine By Boys Like Girls

Know Your Enemy By Green Day

The way to the expensive district where the party was at, except for the persistent purring of Asher’s ride, was a quiet one. He owned a pearl white Audi TT upholstered with luxurious tan leather over the plush seats. He’d don a shirt by now. It was made from a sheer-like fabric, so no big improvement there. We drove out of Old Town and into the modern half of Bone Key. Minimalist condos ran the length of North Roosevelt Boulevard to the left and opposite to it roared the Atlantic Ocean. The TT turned into 17^th street, away from the murky shoreline. The houses gained on ostentatiousness the further we went. Two blocks in and we halted on the driveway of a contemporary, two-story high, cube. It was the only structure wholly visible from the sidewalk. The rest of the neighbors hid their mansions behind tall fences and thick trees. The cube appeared innocent enough, until I realized there was a small-sized parking lot concealed by the hedge.

 

Asher shut off the engine, seriousness personified. I studied his face while he reached for the door handle oblivious to me.

“So, what’s the plan?” I hurried out the words before it clicked open.

“We go in. Investigate. We get out.” Easiest thing in the world. Riiight.

“Together? Isn’t it better if we go our separate ways?”

“No. I want them all to know you are with me.” Possessive, aren’t we?

“Wait, is that good or bad news for me?” The faintest trace of a smile peeked out at me. Carnelian glints ignited the darkness as he gave me an amused glance.

“Let’s go.” He climbed out like a big graceful cat.

 

We strode side by side up the concrete steps and into an inconspicuous white door. A thick man was planted at the entrance hall. The notion of having arrived at a VIP room from an exclusive club was uncanny. Colored spotlights from the next room bounced off the plain walls and the electronic music drowned all other sounds. One look from Asher and the bald hulk nodded nervously. I watched the color drain away from his face as his widened eyes followed the predator ahead of me. All I got was a suspicious look. I still couldn’t decide if I was impressed or distressed about it. My client walked away all confidence. If I wouldn’t have known better, I’d have thought he owned the place.

Asher paused at the opening to a rectangular room. He scanned the partial shadows with that panther surveillance of his. I took a similar posture, giving it my own version of an energy-sweep. Wow. There were a few of my kind of creatures around. I couldn’t tell exactly how many, but enough of them to matter. Some of them turned to us. They alternated looks between me and Asher, apparently not sure who held more interest. An ‘us vs. them’ sensation griped my guts. And yet there was something familiar here. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. My body’s fight or flight instinct was alive and kicking inside of me and Asher chose that particular moment to lower his lips to my ear.

“Stay close, Raven.” He breathed. I shuddered. And it had nothing to do with all the curious faces watching us. One glance at his devouring eyes and he’d stripped me naked in front of the crowd.

 

Inhale. Exhale. Be still my heart. The son of a gun was already on his way to a lounging area where people laid on velvety sofas. I was alone. In a dark place. With strangers. Again. Maybe I should reconsider drinking on the job. The room had a long bar set up against the wall closest to me, bartender and everything. These people sure knew how to throw a party. There was Tequila, Chivas, Johnnie, Heineken, Jude… Jude? I knew something felt awfully familiar in here! So drinking on the job it was.

 

Jude sat, very much like his unconcerned self, enjoying a lively exchange with the woman tending the bar. He wasn’t even aware of me sitting next to him for a minute or so. And when he did he tried a professional where-the-heck-did-you-come-from look on me. Until he realized who I was, that is.

“Piper, what are you doing here!” It was less of a question and more of a scolding, really. I thought both, his good eye and the screwed up one, were going to fall off their sockets. I chuckled in spite of myself. Jude was so naïve sometimes, I had to love him for it.

“Just working.” I answered offhandedly, asking for an ice cold Heine, while he got over the shock.

“Working, here? With who?” The edge in his voice told me he knew exactly what some of this people were.

“I know him as Asher.” The glacial liquid slid down my throat complementing the soothing effect of a friend in the mist of the battlefield.

 

Jude took a long calming breath before he fixed his odd eyes on mine again.

“Guess I shouldn’t be so darn surprised, you really are the best after all.” I put the bottle down on the counter.

“What are you talking about?” Even though I asked, part of me didn’t want to learn the answer to that question.

“Look Pip, I’m sorry I brought you into this whole mess. I swear to God it was unintentional! You know I always end up talking more than I should…” I held my palms up between us, the full meaning of his words picking at my brain.

“Slow down Jude. I have no clue…”

“He didn’t tell you?” He interrupted.

“Tell me what!” I was so darn close to losing what little I had left of today’s quota of patience.

 

“I put my big foot in it Pip! I was trying to help them catch the freakin rogue… then one day out of the blue I mentioned you were the real deal with energy Working. We had a lead, I thought they weren’t paying any attention to me, but of course he was. Nothing gets passed him, Pip, not one stupid mistake. Darn my big mouth!” While Jude was painfully explaining away, all the pieces of the puzzle were falling magically into place in my mind. Asher knew, he was almost sure, of who I was when we met. He identified my energy at the alley, my own senses being too confused with Kit around to notice his. Then he confirmed it at the bar when he extended it to me and I reacted. Why hadn’t I suspected something was up before? Kit was his lead, and mine. It had been a real coincidence. However, he wanted to keep the upper hand, not telling me the truth. He wanted to hide what he knew about me to play his little games. Keeping me in the dark so I wasn’t aware of the serious crap he was dragging me into. And I fell head first into the trap. I was so astonished at the energy part, I was blinded to everything else. Stupid, stupid, Piper!

 

I pulled hard at the bottle in my hand emptying its content in one swig. Frustration didn’t begin to cover my mood. I was so looking forward to telling Bennie she had been right all along. Wouldn’t she rejoice from the knowledge I was into a binding contract to catch one of those creatures she liked so much. This just kept getting better and better. Jude waited quietly for my thoughts to rearrange themselves into coherent speech. His features radiated guilt.

“It really isn’t your fault, you know.” I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. The idiot I was.

“Of course it is! If it wouldn’t have been for my screw up this would’ve never happened.” Arms spread about him, he spat the words in disgust. I shook my head softly.

 

“No Jude, it was a coincidence. I went after the same lead myself, we met there by chance.”

“He wouldn’t have paid any attention to you, Piper. He couldn’t care less about us.” I ignored the ‘us’ part for the moment. Had enough dealing with the rest of it for now.

“He recognized my energy. We were after the same guy, it would’ve happened sooner or later. Save yourself the guilt trip and give me the 411 on Angra.” Either I focused on the task at hand, or ran from the monsters as fast as I could. And I sure as heck was done with running away.

“He’s a darn rogue, that’s what he is! A devil with delusions of grandeur. He thinks he’s the Big Guy Himself! Started small. Little fights here and there. Stealing from his employers. Then he killed the first woman.” His gaze rested sadly on the girl tending the bar four stools from us.

 

“The first? How many are there, Jude?” My index nail dug sharply on the hardened cuticle surrounding my thumb.

“Three. One of the girls’ sister is missing too.” Still not looking at me. Suddenly I forgot how much I despised Asher and all I could think of was the suffering of those poor massacred girls.

“Sick piece of crap!” The words escaped my mouth and right on cue all the muscles in my body were ready to get some action.

“Someone in here has to know where he is. Most of them are probably the same kind of scum anyway.” Jude was going to say something, but his cell phone’s ring cut him off

“I’ll be right back Pip. Don’t move!” He hurried out of the room.

 

Was it me, or were they all trying to babysit me? First Bennie with her over-protectiveness. Then Asher, giving his express orders not to be disobeyed. And now even Jude thought he could tell me what to do. Forget them. I’d reached the end of my rope. I could take perfect care of myself alone and I had a job to do. The murders and the thefts weren’t going to go unpunished. I’d find Angra and when I did he’d meet his fate in the hands of Asher, but I’d be the one to hand him over. My butt lifted from the seat and I rose determined. Glancing back at the spot Asher had approached when we had first come in, he was nowhere to be found. Perfect. The coast was clear to do some investigating, Piper style.

 This room would be my last choice to start searching. It simply held too many people in the same place. No. I had to get up close and personal to work my magic. Quitting the party room through another exit I found myself at a long hallway. It appeared as impersonal and plain as the rest of the house. I followed the glossy tiled floor to a glass sliding-door. Exactly what I was hoping for. Just a little push and I stood on a small concrete porch. Rows of massive trees casted long shadows upon the dimly lit area. There was nobody visible, but once I let the energy flow it told me otherwise. I took a deep breath to steady my increasing heartbeats. Regardless, I was relieved to be in the open. Just then I realized the amount of constraint those walls had imposed on me.

 

Stepping on the trimmed grass I found my way circling the tree trunks. To my right a couple of branches ruffled. While not turning directly to it I examined the energy around, at the same time using my peripheral vision. There was nothing visible, but I had no doubt something was watching me. The most effective strategy was to play bait. Once the thing got enough confidence to come near, I’d be ready to exert my control over it. Faking a few nervous glances, I started back towards the house. The next events happened way too fast. One minute I was walking expectantly away and the second a steel grasp squeezed my neck. I fought desperately to take charge of the man’s energy. A hideous laugh coming from him shattered my concentration to shreds.

 

He dragged my helpless body, pressing hard against the closest tree. The hold on my throat was strong to keep me from screaming. It verged on suffocating as I squirmed to be released. His new position showed his features under the moonlight. A scowl deformed his otherwise euphoric face. Terror filled the empty space left by the ebbing energy wave. A paralyzing certainty that I would be the next victim seized every fiber of my being. Victim. This one word triggered an all too familiar emotion. The rebel inside of me overcame every obstacle and brought the world into focus once again. I froze beneath the deadly grip.

 

I summoned back all the previous energy, and more. It floated back to me in a neat electric current, unlike the disorganized attempt just seconds ago. My body seemed to expand beyond human capacity to accommodate the ever increasing flow, even though I knew it was physically impossible. Eyes burned holes into the rogue’s. Angra jerked his head revealing a crooked grin that accented his wild demeanor. He sensed I was working on something, maybe? I let the incredible build-up of energy enveloping me explode. The rogue staggered back releasing his hold of me. It took me a few seconds to relearn how to breath properly.

“So many girls, so little time! Until we meet again Worker…” I gathered my bearings in an urgent effort to defeat his defenses, but he glided unbelievably fast into the night.

“Sick Animal!” I shouted to thin air.

 

Bending over a fit of coughing, caused by abusing my already strangled vocal cords, I saw two pairs of shoes hurring my way. A friendly voice called my name.

“Piper!” The voice belonged to Jude, however, it was Asher who appeared in front of me first. Quickly assessing my damage, or lack thereof, he took off in the same direction as Angra. Were those white feathers I caught a glimpse of? It must have been the spinning in my head. Jude’s hands rested on my shoulders, as he searched for any sign I was indeed still inside my body.

“Pip, are you okay?” I sank to the ground, holding my head in both palms.

“Pip?” He lowered himself for a better look. I nodded still unsure I could talk normally.

 

“He’s gone.” Asher’s voice had traded its usual richness for a flat dead sound. My eyes rolled up to meet his stare. The tightness of his jaw matched the tense chest muscles giving shape to his shirt’s cloth. An orange fire consumed most of the gray storm that were his irises. As he stood just feet away I was relieved he was here. I felt secure because he was. Genius. I almost got killed because of him and all I wanted was to be in his arms. Arrgh! I knelt in an effort to stand without help. Both males took a step forward, but I ignored them getting to my feet on my own. The trees had stopped spinning at last. All I had left was a sense of disorientation.

 

“Feeling better, Pip?” Jude earned bonus points in my book by staying where he was.

“Mmhm.”

“I’m taking you to the House.” Stated Asher leading the way to the car.

“I’m going home.” I declared in a raspy voice, still, saturated with conviction.

“It wasn’t a question, Raven.” His fierce stare went from 0-60 as he opened the car door for me. I hid the chill in my blood slamming the door shut at his face.

“What are you doing?”

“I can’t start a screaming contest right this minute, but there really is no need for one, unless you count the stink of your lies floating in the air! We have a contract…” Another round of coughing made my eyes water and left me voiceless again.

 

His stubborn fingers supported my upper arm and my waist as I doubled over, thinking I would puke my life out. Thankfully nothing but spit came out, but I still feared getting away from him and falling flat on my face. Jude inched closer to keep his voice down.

“Pip, Asher’s right. It’s not safe for you to head back home after what happened. He could follow us there and mess with you after we leave. I’ll follow you to the House so we can talk there.” The pleading tone surprised me a little, but as much as I hated it he had a point. My anxiety eased a bit knowing at least I wouldn’t be alone with the hypocrite.

“I have to make a call.”

 

Convincing Bennie I was fine, and that it was safer to spend the night with Asher and Jude, took some serious work on my part. Finally she agreed when I suggested she could call me whenever she wanted and track down my cell phone’s GPS if I didn’t answer. By that time we were well on our way to the so-called ‘House’, which I had no idea of what it was. Jude had said we’d talk there and I was counting on a long detailed explanation of this whole thing. Neither Asher nor I had spoken a word since I hung up with Bennie. He had that other-worldly vibe about him, suggesting he was anywhere but here. I didn’t care much for talking, it was hard enough with my brand new chicken voice, not to mention I was still furious at him. 

“I never suspected you tolerant of the jealous-controlling type.” Was he for real?

“She is my best friend and professional contact. And you don’t know me at all.” His teasing eyes left the road a little too long for my peace of mind. He was wearing that naughty half-smile that made women melt on the spot, again. Arrogant bastard. It would take more than pure charm to make me forget I almost died tonight. For my own good, I just wished I truly believed that.

“No boyfriend, then?” Not that he bothered hiding the smirk anymore.

“That’s none of your business, remember?” Would I honestly have to carry around a copy of the contract to correct him constantly?

 

The TT pulled up at a dead end street. A fort-like hacienda dominated the space. We were still in Old Town, but I had never been so close to the military base. In fact, I’d bet the side fence separated the huge grounds around the military building from this structure. There was a small forest in between the fort’s fence and the base’s outer fields. Jude pulled up right behind us. The three of us walked to the arched entrance in silence.

 

Asher keyed a code into the alarm panel and we were inside. The country motif continued throughout the decoration. Everything was reduced to comfort and practicality. As we moved further in I felt others here. I heard their voices from the hallway just before Asher opened the door. A woman and two men sat around a round table in the middle of the room. The woman’s skin was a glowing caramel color, deep in contrast with the very pale man sitting to her side. The other one was younger; boyish even. He was grinning widely at me. And I had no idea why. Asher made his way directly to a bar in the corner. Adding casually while he paced there,

“Isn’t it passed your bedtime, Zackary?” The kid made a visible effort to muffle a chuckle.

 

The other man cleared his throat putting forth a diplomatic smile. Finally the woman stood and everyone stopped moving.

“Hello Ms. Grimm and welcome to our House. My name is Eve, this is Luke, and of course Zackary. On behalf of our group I’ll like thank you for your help in resolving this matter of upmost importance to all of us. Jude.” She had a trusting air about her. One that assured me I could confide in her, because every other person in the room did. I dismissed the notion for the time being. There were more pressing questions I needed answers to. If Asher would not tell me, then one of them would. I forced my head to assent to her words. I wasn’t nearly satisfied, but this was their house so I would play by their rules.

 

“Please make yourself at home. If there is anything you’d like…” Offered Eve.

“Just a glass of water, thank you.” I winced at the sound of my vocal cords. I still talked like a hoarse old man. Zack was on his feet searching for a glass before I’d finished the sentence. Asher gave him a curious glance, bordering on annoyance, from the way his mouth twisted.

“What exactly happened at this party?” She settled herself once again on her seat. Jude took the opposite chair, eyes glued to each other. They were really flirting! I sat next to him. He was the only one clearly on my side, so I would not take any more chances tonight.

“We went searching for Angra and Raven found him.” Answered Asher sprawled on a nearby love seat.

 

Eve arched a questioning eyebrow at him.

“I went to speak to some of the outcasts. Raven had found Jude. I left them at the bar. The others didn’t know anything about Angra, of course. I had not much time with them. There was something wrong going on, so I went back to the main room and they weren’t there. I met Jude on the way out. We were both looking for Raven. Out the back door, I found her when she shouted after Angra. The coward had already fled when I reached her.” How did he know there was something wrong? He couldn’t possibly have felt my fear, could he? Eve’s features waited expectantly for my version of the story. I tried to concentrate and leave the guessing for later.

 

I told what happened, excluding most of the terrific details. I had to tell them about the energy I mustered to free myself, which they knew me capable of already. There was no point in hiding my gift from them at this point.

“If I understand correctly, you Worked your energy to make Angra release you.” I dipped my shin forward. A dead silence fell in the room. I felt as if everybody was in on a big secret they were keeping from me. This routine was really getting old. And I was really getting tired of it.

“Look, the only reason I agreed to come here was to get someone to answer my questions. So, who’s it going to be?”

The room remained quiet for a moment. Eve sought Asher’s attention. He fed her a long harsh stare before he marched out of the room. An invisible hand crushed my insides into pulp as he left. Why the heck did I care about his opinion? I had the right to know!

“I am. You deserve to be aware of the reason you are risking your life for. I will respond to all of your concerns to the best of my ability.” Stated Eve with an evident strain in her tone. I had to will myself to believe I was doing the right thing, because if I didn’t remorse was going to choke determination out of me. They all masked their emotions perfectly behind blank faces. Only Zackary had a worried frown as he watched the doorway.

 

“What are you? I mean those at the party, Angra, the three of you, Asher…” The name almost caught in my throat, but I dragged it out with mere willpower. They all looked at me, only as promised Eve alone answered.

“Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?” She smiled at me, then at Jude. And there was that spark between them again.

“The world was created for Humankind and we were created to protect you. We have shared the Earth with you since the beginning of time. Living alongside each other in secrecy. From the moment both our races were born a certain mix was inevitable. We started evolving. Taking little bits from each other in the evolutionary process. There were some born from unions between our kinds, as we are genetically compatible. These children have the same probabilities of inheriting from either side, or in some rarer cases from both.”

 

“Some of these humans developed a certain affinity with the unseen forces dealt with by us. As an unavoidable part of growth both of our species obtained a few abilities from each other. Humans learned to manipulate the supernatural, as we gained some humanity from them. There are references to us in such stories as the Bible’s. Michael, the leader of God’s army. Gabriel, the divine messenger. Raphael…”

“The Archangel… Angels…” The word rolled out of my tongue, but my mind was still unable to process it. It wasn’t possible. It was crazy!

“You’re messing with me, right?” I turned to each of them for a hint at the joke they were obviously playing on me. Only nobody was laughing. Jude pressed my hand reassuringly.

“It’s… they are only myths… legends…!” I stumbled out of my chair and away from the room. I stalked outside not knowing where the heck I was going.

 

There wasn’t enough air in the planet to fill my lungs. Asher had to explain this to me. He had to show me! It was him who’d brought me here. Him who got me trapped in this nightmare. Where the heck was he?

I crossed a doorway leading out to the patio. Except for the moonlight, complete darkness covered the grounds. The wild beast inside my chest thudded loudly, desperately. At first I saw nothing. Then shadows began to take shape in the gloom. A few steps away from the House I saw a pearly white outline.

 

A pair of huge wings, with cascading ashen locks in falling in the middle, rested on a heavy rock. My knees shook more violently with each step I took to confront him. He sat as massive as the boulder itself. His face was expressionless, but his eyes… they were solid black.

I paused facing him. My mouth opened and closed a few times, but nothing came out.  Asher wouldn’t look at me. The severity of his pose conveyed the anger he was holding back. Still. He was breathtaking.

 

Not able to stop myself, I came closer, forgetting all doubts. My fingers brushed the silky inside of one of his wings. He shivered instinctively at my touch. And when he did raise his eyes to me the obsidian effect was gone. As my hand gently ran the length of his snowy feathers I saw his impenetrable mask slowly begin to fade. For an instant he wasn’t the self-righteous cynic I had come to know. He was transparent. Profound. For the first time he was himself.

 Time had stopped. The only disruption in the stillness of our bodies was a distant crashing of waves. In a few precious seconds I had discovered exactly who he was. The irony of firmly rejecting all previous explanations, but whole-heartedly accepting this angel wasn’t lost on me. However, I knew the resolution the moment it set in his identical thunderstruck eyes. He shifted his neck to gaze far into the distance beyond me and I sluggishly pulled my reluctant fingers away. The subtle movement of muscles behind his face produced a slight frown.

Asher’s back stiffened into a perfect line as he spoke,

“Now that you know, you need to hear the whole tale. Go back inside and let Eve finish her job.”

“You, coming?”

“No.” Icicles branched from that one word in an arctic swell. And just like that he transformed into an indecipherable marble sculpture once more. Every other thought about his real self was clouded by doubts. And what I felt a few moments ago turned into a figment of my hyperactive imagination. It wasn’t the first time I’d been deceived by forming notions about people that weren’t true. But I wouldn’t make that mistake with him too. Our working relationship was edgy enough as it was already. I took a slow resolved breath, heading back to the house.

 

My professional alter ego settled in her seat all business-like. The rest of the group brought their attention back to me. Eve and Jude stopped whispering to each other, while Luke and Zackary took their places back at the table.

“Sorry about that. Please, continue. I’m all ears.”

“Your reaction was perfectly normal, I assure you. It’s quite difficult to grasp supernatural concepts, even when you have been in contact with them all your life.” My brows went up at her knowledge of my experience, but she kept going.

“You, Ms. Grimm…”

“Piper, please.”

“Piper, you have the ability to Work energy. Furthermore, you can use that energy to influence angels.” She paused to let her words sink in.

 

“Only those who are weak and evil…wait, are they fallen angels?”

“You could put it that way, but no such kind can exist openly. They are persecuted by us and our human associates, like yourself and Jude, to be judged for their crimes.” I took one quizzical look at my friend for the first time since entering the room. A sweet smile stretched across his face. The warmth coming from him was a welcomed change to the serious topic.

“Can’t you do this on your own, I mean without us?” I asked.

 “Not really. You see, it was part of the exchange between our races that some humans acquired these abilities to aid some angels. Which brings us to the selective process. Not all angels, as neither do all humans, will find a specific partner on the opposite group. It happens at random, just like genetics does. Otherwise we only work with each other as a group collaboration. But once and if, an angel finds their human partner nothing can compare to their potential together. It is the partnership they were both designed for. Not only for themselves, but for the benefit of human and angel kind alike.”

“What type of relationship are we talking about, exactly?” I inclined my body forward with interest.

 

“Strictly professional, of course.” Answered a familiar male voice. Asher was leaning against the doorframe, arms hanging loose at his sides. He wasn’t smiling, but apparently his temper was back under control. Only the faintest hint of sarcasm played on his words.

“But that’s not really relevant here. That sort of thing is very uncommon. What is important to discuss is the more usual type of relationship between angels and humans.” A winning smile put the finishing touch on the mocking effect.

“As I was saying before you joined us, Asher, this is the ultimate purpose for a union. However, like you suggested, a human and an angel can have any kind of relationship.”

“It typically doesn’t work out very well, with the whole issue of age difference and all.” He cut in once again in the same ironic tone.

 “Are you… immortal?” For some unclear reason my heart’s pace picked up when I asked the question.

“No, we are not. Our lifespan depends on our place in the Hierarchy. We all start as Angels. From there depending on our individual capacity we will remain or ascend. If we develop exceptional skills we become Archangels, which extends our years. If one of us then is the best among us they will be chosen as our leader, lengthening again our existence. If furthermore, one of the Archangels has gained great wisdom they will ascend to the supreme post of Principality, again living longer lives. Logically the further up we go, the less number of us there are at the top.”

 

“See, when you don’t age, but your significant other does, it causes quite a bit of strain in your love life.” He pulled away from the doorframe and made his way to the liquor for the second time.

“It is a terrible fate for an angel to love a human and lose them, but the risk of losing is shared across all species. On the other hand, we have the gift of sharing all of our years if we find our human partner; which no other race has.”

“And which almost never happens, but Eve is still required to tell you. Like a surgeon has to disclose to his patients all the side effects from a surgery, even if they’re remotely rare.” I was getting the impression they weren’t talking about a random case. I made a mental note to find out more about Asher’s life later.

 

And so angels can share their long mortality with their ‘meant to be’ human partner…

“How does the aging process work for you, then?” I asked still mulling over all the new facts I’d learned.

“We age normally from birth into adulthood. We display unusual strength, healing abilities, sometimes overdeveloped senses, but most likely until early twenties to early thirties we don’t transform. These years are spent in training, until we are close enough, like Zack is, to do field work under supervision. This is the case for the majority of our children, unless they lose their parents and no other angel knows they are alive. It has happened, but is extremely uncommon.”

 

“After the first transformation our bodies regenerate constantly, practically pausing aging. Our causes of death are usually heart failure from old age, – however not apparent it might be due to our unchanging appearances and physical strength – beheading, or life-energy removal by the Archangel Council. Principalities only intervene in the greatest affairs.” My brain was completely crammed with information. To the point that if I stored one more thing in there the whole place would come crashing down on me.

“What time is it?” I massaged both my temples, careful not to smudge my make-up.

 

“Time for bed. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to satisfy your curiosity, I’m sure. Plenty of time for Eve to reveal every, single, detail of our existence.” Asher was already waiting by the door when he finished talking. Eve stood up too.

“Asher is right. It has been a long evening. Tomorrow we will examine our next course of action. Come Piper, I’ll show you to the guestroom.” I followed Eve on the way out of the room. He stepped aside to let her pass. We had a short moment of silent acknowledgement when my turn came. A second later he muttered,

“Sweet dreams.” I watched twin Carnelian flames flicker to life in his eyes. A quick nod, a few steps, and I was off the hook for now.

  

My room for the night was on the second floor. It had a simple double bed, a couple of night tables, and a dresser. Eve entered after me, closing the door behind her.

“You’ll find clean clothes in the armoire and toiletries in the bathroom.” I nodded again. It seemed that was all I was capable of doing among these angels. Nod away, Angel Girl! Wait. Where did THAT come from?

“Before I go, I would like to apologize on Asher’s behalf. Do try to overlook his impolite remarks. Normally he does not behave that way, but the subject of humans –especially those who are aware of us- is a sensitive one for him.”

“Why?”

“Perhaps he will answer that when he is ready, Piper. Have a good night.”

 

The turquoise waters of the ocean sparkled a million stars to life under the sunrays. White foam tickled my feet as they sank deep into the wet sand. The breeze embraced my limbs in a warm hug and my heart fluttered in my chest because I knew he was near. I whirled around and sure enough his stunning figure appeared in my line of sight. He was just standing there. Waiting. A beautiful, but sorrowful angel. A knot tied in my throat. I felt his pain pierce through my veins. He had been waiting so very long. Too long. The urgent need to be with him plucked one of my feet from the sand. Then the other. I began walking. Running. But it still wasn’t fast enough.

 

The anxiety of him vanishing forever sucked my breath away. At last my hand rested on the smoothness of his face. I lost myself in the thunderstorm raging in his eyes. Those eyes I’d just realized I couldn’t live without. The crisp scent of his skin seduced my mouth to come closer. Closer. A brush of our lips and the predator was loose. His unyielding arms pulled me against him in a frenzy. Suddenly he was ravenous for my mouth, for my body, for all of me…

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