by Alexie Aaron
“Cid and company have vacated the homestead. I put my foot down, and sent them all to Orion’s to hang out while we got things sorted. They will, however, be back in force in two hours.”
“That’s hardly enough time,” Mia complained.
Ted picked her up and ran with her.
~
“What the hell did she do to my closets?” Mia asked, standing naked, trying to locate her comfy clothes.
“Sabine means well, but she messed with my stuff too,” Ted said, exiting the shower. He walked over and kissed Mia’s neck and moved his hands over her body.
“When you’re ready, let’s destroy this body by putting another baby in it. It’s like brand new. I feel like such a pervert. Miss how these used to sag,” he said, caressing her breasts.
“How about we put a baby in your body,” Mia threatened. “I’d like to get a handle on our boys before we start adding to the group.”
“I want a sweet little girl that looks just like you,” Ted said.
Mia flashed back to Abigor’s apartment.
“Give me permission, and I shall put a beautiful daughter in your belly.”
“Let’s wait. I need time.” That’s what she told Ted, but what she thought was, “I need time to forget Hell.”
“No problem, I’m not going anywhere,” Ted said, pulling her towards the bed.
The front door slammed and feet pounded up the stairs. Mia ran into the bathroom before the door burst open.
Dieter and Mark stood there, too excited to notice Ted was just in a towel.
“I have to talk to Mia,” Mark said.
“Give her a minute to get dressed. Go and wait in Dieter’s room,” Ted instructed.
Mia pulled on her clothes, wondering what was so important for the boys to burst in on them? She brushed her hair, noticing silver strands. She flipped on the light. “Ted, is this gray?” she asked.
Ted walked over and looked. “No. Whatever it is, is shiny. Platinum?”
“I hope so because if Michael gave me gray hair, I’m so going to smite him.”
Ted broke out laughing. “That I’d like to see. I haven’t attended a good smiting in several centuries.”
“Go ahead and laugh, but he had such a look of amusement on his face before he kicked me out for asking too many stupid questions.”
“Wait. Look,” Ted pointed. “No more scar where you cut off your leg.”
“I didn’t cut it all the way off,” she reminded Ted. “I thought that couldn’t be healed.”
“Maybe it couldn’t, but now it can.”
“I can’t keep track. As it is, I should be carrying a maintenance logbook,” Mia grumbled. “Now where are those boys?”
“In Dieter’s room,” Ted said, leading the way.
They knocked before entering.
Dieter yanked open the door and froze. “Mom…” he said, walking around her. He poked her a few times.
“Ouch.”
“Your soul is different. It’s you but… it’s got an emerald green aura emanating from the center.”
“I’ve had a little work done. My heart’s been fixed. Turns out it was an electrical problem or something like that. Okay, we’re here, Mark. What’s so important?”
“Long story short, Sabine asked me to look at Luke, Orion’s and Audrey’s baby.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Anyway, she saw something or felt something. She’s not really good at explaining it. She wouldn’t tell me what, but she really wanted my opinion first.”
“And…” Mia led.
“Luke’s an angel.”
“Are you sure?” Mia asked. “Angels aren’t born. They’re made. They’re made by God. Maybe there’s just angel wings, like I had,” she suggested.
“I asked Sabine why she thought Luke was an angel. She could hear the angel song in his head. He was singing along. I saw what will be his wings when he grows up. I saw a vision of him. Mia, he’s the real deal.”
“Ah damn,” Mia said. “He’s going to be studied by the others. I can’t do that to him. He’s just a baby.”
“Who do you know who can help and keep a secret?”
“It used to be Altair, but he blabbed about Hell. Tell you what, we’re going to keep this to ourselves as long as we can. Angels are made full grown. And their angel/human offspring have a lot of problems but…”
“It could be a miracle,” Ted said.
Mia, Dieter, and Mark looked at Ted, the scientist, in shock.
“Come on, you guys, miracles happen. Dieter, I got your mom to marry me. That’s a miracle.”
The boys seemed to be calming down.
“Sabine knows…” Ted said. “Mia, you have to tell Michael before he finds out you know something important that he doesn’t.”
“I just got back. Let me talk to Orion first.”
“Fair enough,” Ted said. “Do it now.”
Mia nodded and left the room.
“Dad, she gave you the stink eye,” Dieter warned.
“Better I get the stink eye than your mother getting her wings torn off.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
“Mia?” Audrey said, surprised, as she opened the door. “You should be in bed.”
“I’ve just had my heart looked at by Saint Michael, and it’s fine. Just an electrical thing. Can I come in and talk with you and Orion?”
“He’s inside giving Luke a bath. Come on up.”
Mia looked around as they headed for the stairs. “You have a beautiful home, Audrey. I love what you’ve done with this place. You’ve done the impossible. You’ve made a mansion feel cozy.”
Audrey blushed. “Thank you, Mia. Ted saw the place and remarked on the lack of superhero posters.”
Mia laughed. “It’s the nerd life, Audrey.”
They heard giggles and splashes as they approached the bathroom. Mia took a moment and watched her grandfather interact with his child.
Audrey saw the joy on Mia’s face and felt a bit calmer.
“Hello, Luke,” Mia said softly. She listened to his burbles and squeals of joy enjoying bath time. She also heard the chorus of angels just faintly in the background. Mia started humming the tune.
Orion looked at her sharply and then nodded his head.
“What’s going on?” Audrey asked. “Is there something wrong with my child?”
“Come, let’s let them finish. Orion, bring him into the nursery when you’re done,” Mia instructed.
“What?” Audrey asked, clutching Mia’s arm.
Mia led her into the large room appointed with colorful pictures and furniture picked out for the several growing stages Luke would go through. She sat Audrey on the bed and sat down beside her. “You know how Brian and Varden are different from the other children?”
“Yes, they have birdman DNA, superhuman, and genius genes. I expect Luke has a lot of birdman genes mixed with mine,” she answered.
“Sabine noticed something when she first met Luke. Now, Sabine is a very talented listener. She can hear things I can’t unless I target my mind. She also can feel the emotions of those she loves from hundreds of miles away.”
“Is Luke unhappy?”
“No. But she picked up on something she wanted confirmed.”
“That’s why Dieter came over?”
“Dieter and Mark.”
“Mark, what is it about Mark again?”
“Audrey, Mark is an angel hunter,” Orion said. “He can see even a trace amount of angel in people.”
“So, there’s angel in our background?” Audrey asked.
Mia took a deep breath. “I’d like it confirmed by an angel you respect, Audrey, but Luke is showing signs of something that is so impossible, I don’t know how it will be received.”
“What?” Audrey asked in fear.
“You and Orion have made an angel.”
“No, you’re wrong. It’s impossible.”
“Audrey, I’ve been hearing angel song since he was born. I
just thought that maybe a guardian angel was near.”
“According to lore, you can’t give birth to a true angel. They are made full grown by God,” Orion said.
“Your uncle is half angel,” Audrey said. “Maybe your grandmother…”
“His father was one of the fallen. He’s a Nephilim. Luke is an angel. I’m eighty percent sure.”
“He could just be a listener, like Sabine,” Orion said.
“That is also a possibility – why I said eighty percent sure,” Mia said. “I only know of one angel I would trust with this information.”
“Altair?” Audrey asked. She liked his easy manner.
“No. Michael.”
“But he scares me.”
“Yes, but he will be able to protect your son from those who would try to corrupt him. He puts up with me. He would know the minute he held him.”
“Would he take him away?” Audrey asked.
“I hope not, but I can’t answer for certain. All I know is that Luke has been listening in on the angel song. Soon he will join in with the song, and one of the chorus is going to become curious enough to find out who the new voice is. Luke will rock their world.”
“What about your maternal grandmother? She’s mostly angel,” Orion asked.
“I don’t know her well enough to trust her,” Mia admitted. “My advice is to take Luke to Michael.” Mia got up. “Let me know, and I’ll set up a meeting.”
“Are you going to tell him?” Orion asked.
“No. You’re his parent. I expect you’ll do what you think is right. I wouldn’t share this with Angelo though. You know how he feels about angels.”
“He’s his godfather,” Audrey worried.
“Then he’ll make an exception,” Mia said.
~
Mia pulled into the drive and slowed down as she passed the woodpile. She saw that the axe was imbedded in the stump. She had a blender full of emotions move through her, settling on a nice memory she had shared with Murphy. She left it at that and drove on and parked near the office. She noticed that Burt’s car was there. She smiled. She got out of the truck and stopped as Mike sped into the lot. He slowed down, looking out the window, surprised to see her standing there.
Mia waited for him to pass before she went into the office. Burt and Patrick had dominated the conference table with their maps and research. Burt looked up and gave Mia a smile that seemed to be attached to both ears.
Patrick looked over. “Girly-girl, aren’t you supposed to be off your feet?”
“No. I have a clean bill of health. How’s the treasure hunt going?” she asked, changing the subject.
“We’ve scouted out the areas we think most likely to have a place to hide treasure, but so far, no luck.”
“The locals started to get interested in what we were doing, so we backed off,” Burt said. “I think the idea of doing a PEEPs investigation is a brilliant cover. Everyone knows the island is haunted, but hopefully, no one knows about the treasure.”
“Could you use my help?” Mia asked.
“Are you up for it?” Burt asked.
“I’d love to. We still have a week of free babysitting. Put us to work.”
Ted walked in from the garage. “Heads up, Mike’s on his way in with Sabine.”
Patrick’s face clouded over. Mia felt sorry for him. Her cousin didn’t know what she wanted and probably couldn’t see Patrick’s worth in her confusion.
Ted looked at Mia and asked, “Mind if I borrow you for a minute or two before you get entrenched?”
“I’m all yours,” Mia said, following him out to the workshop.
“Orion called. He wants to see Michael now.”
“Now. K,” Mia said, opening her wings and tapping the side of her neck. The roof disappeared, and she shot upwards at an incredible speed.
“Whoa, Mighty Mouse 3.0,” Ted said.
“Didn’t I see Mia step in here?” Mike asked.
“She just stepped out. She’ll be back for the meeting. I hope,” Ted added.
Mia closed her eyes and sought out Michael. “I need to have a private audience with you. It’s very important.” She drifted for a few seconds before Michael joined her. She looked upon his magnificence and understood why someone as devout as Audrey would be fearful.
“Yes, didn’t we meet before?”
“I’m eighty percent sure you need to come with me, and a hundred percent sure we need to keep it quiet.”
“You have me intrigued. Where are we going?”
“To Orion and Audrey Stavros’s house. This is why,” Mia said, moving close to him and placing her forehead on his.
His eyes snapped open. “It’s improbable but not impossible. I don’t want to get my hopes up,” he said. “Lead the way.”
The doorbell rang, and Orion opened it up to see Mia and a handsome, suited man standing there.
“Come in.”
“I hear him singing,” Michael said as he walked up the stairs. “He could be a listener or a hunter like Mark…” he stopped talking when he saw the child Audrey had clutched to her chest. “Do not fear, I bring you tidings of joy,” he said.
Audrey looked over, and instead of the fearsome archangel of her school days, she saw the angel above the shepherds in all the Christmas pageants she had seen.
“This is my wife Audrey,” Orion said. “We’ve met.”
Michael nodded. “May I?”
“His name is Luke,” she said, lifting him up.
Michael took Luke, turned him around, and lifted him so that his forehead would be even with his. Michael hummed the tune Mia could not get out of her head. “You are a miracle and a prophesy realized. God told us, when our numbers dwindled, to look for angels hidden in the human race. This is why Mark Leighton is so very important. But of course, you knew that, Orion. We need to get to these children and silence the song until they are old enough.”
“You’re not going to take him away from us?” Audrey asked in fear.
Michael handed Luke to Mia and gathered Audrey in his arms. “No, he is safer here. Raise him in your faith, but let him be a normal child. We’re talking skinned knees and baseball games. He will hear the calling when it’s time. For right now, I’m going to silence the song. It could confuse him and others. Mia, hold him tight,” Michael instructed.
Orion put an arm around Audrey as the angel that towered over them placed a gentle finger on Luke’s forehead and spoke in Angel. Luke clapped his hands and burbled, but he seemed to be listening. The child calmed down, smiled, and kept still.
Mia felt the power surge through Luke from Michael and, in turn, felt Luke’s power return to the archangel.
Michael took a moment and looked into Mia’s eyes. She felt his gaze and looked up and smiled. He had done right in her eyes. She would support his decisions without question from now on. He had earned her respect.
“I don’t hear the song anymore,” Mia said.
“Besides keeping him hidden,” Orion started, “Why do you silence the song?”
“We have found with the listeners that they just hear the song and don’t thrive. The sound is so beautiful that it’s mesmerizing. The angels he hears do nothing but sing God’s praises. A child needs to experience life, grow, date, learn a few cuss words - not as many as Mia knows - but a few. Luke won’t be distracted anymore, at least not by angel song,” Michael said. “If you have any problems, pray. I will appoint a worthy mentor for your child if there is a need. Come, Mia, we must leave now.”
Orion watched as the roof opened up. Mia handed Luke to Audrey and opened her wings. She shot up, being pulled in Michael’s wake.
Audrey looked at her husband. “Pinch me, I just met Saint Michael.”
Orion pinched her.
“How can Mia leave that and find joy weeding the garden?” Audrey asked.
“Mia’s not an impressionable person. It’s comes from her hellish youth. I bet she could only tell you five angel names,” Orion mused.
“You did well. Now take me to Mark Leighton.”
“I think he’s at football practice.”
They arrived and sat in the stands.
“He’s not playing.”
“He’s small for the position he wants to play. They are probably not cutting him right away because it would upset Dieter.”
“Bring him over.”
Mia wanted to say, “Yes, mister bossy pants,” but instead just smiled. She moved quickly across the field as to not embarrass Dieter with his mom being there.
“Mark!” she called.
He looked up from his statistic clipboard and smiled. He walked over.
“Someone wants to meet you.”
“Sure,” he said, doubting he would be called to run any plays until the scrimmage at the end of practice.
Mark walked around the end of the field, and Mia pointed to the man sitting up in the stands.
“My God, it’s an archangel. He’s your Michael.”
“He’s my boss,” Mia said. “You were right about Luke. I think he wants to talk to you about him.”
“Yes. Ah, hold this,” he said, handing Mia his helmet. He took the stairs two at a time.
Michael knew the history of this child. He was a prophesy that Mia turned around with her kindness. He was now one of the good guys. Michael reached out his hand, “Mark.”
“Sir,” Mark said, grasping the large hand.
“I wanted to thank you and alert you that there will be more and more of these children out there. You will be drawn to them. I would appreciate a… heads-up when you find one.”
“I will.”
“Now why aren’t you playing?”
“I’m too small,” he admitted.
“Seems to me you’re going to grow, but in the meantime, if you have to block, pull from here,” Michael said, patting Mark’s chest, “and send it through here.” He indicated his hands.
“I’ll try that, sir. Any other suggestions?”
“If you must scramble around someone larger than you, mislead them, send them false signals, and when they bite, you can blow past them. You have the speed.”