The next morning, they got up and got dressed. They went to check on the Dellings and horses first, and none of them showed any desire to go outside. Angel couldn’t really blame them. The slate grey sky held the promise of snow, and when they got back inside, she checked the news, and they were calling for a foot to a foot and a half. If she could get through the next two days, she couldn’t care less if it snowed ten feet.
“You want some breakfast?” he asked, but she shook her head, barely nibbling at a granola bar. He took her hand and squeezed it. “It’ll be okay,” he said in a low whisper. She tried to smile, but it only made it halfway. It was already noon, with about two hours left until the viewing. Sathe had brought some clothes to change into, and she took a shower. While she was getting dressed, he took his. She had on a simple black dress with black shoes and simple jewelry, and she let her hair hang down in gentle waves.
Sathe met her downstairs, and they headed to the funeral home. The viewing lasted almost three hours, and he stayed glued to Angel’s side. She kept it together on the surface, thanking everyone for coming, but he could feel her trembling like a leaf in the in the wind. Finally, they could get home, and after changing, she spent a few minutes with Sepherino and Donay before going to bed early. She ended up crying in Taylon’s fur most of the night, Sathe doing what he could to comfort her. When she got up the next morning, she felt less rested than she had been the night before, and she knew today would be the longest day of her life. She never dreamed she’d have to bury her mother at only seventeen.
Broken and Mended
Selene’s funeral was at one of the biggest churches in New York City, but people still packed it to the point there wasn’t anywhere to stand, and more were outside on the steps in the wind and cold. The service was long, seeing how not only her own people and Elagonians had liked and respected Selene, but many, many humans.
Again, Sathe was her rock, otherwise, she felt she would have drowned in a heavy sea of despair. Finally, it was her turn to get up and say something, and she spoke of things she was going to miss, but then she went into the amazing things they’d been able to do. “I know while so many others have spoken of my mother’s many professional accomplishments, there weren’t many who got to see the side of Selene Storm I knew, the side that embraced life to the fullest, because she never knew when this very day would come. She was never afraid to try anything once, even though ‘a second time might be a problem’.” There were a few sad chuckles, as that had been one of Selene’s favorite sayings. Sathe felt as if his heart would burst with pride. Even though tears trailed down her cheeks, there were only a few times her voice betrayed her.
She ended with a song of Solaris she had painstakingly translated into English. The song spoke of sorrow and loss, but also the joy of a life filled with light and love. Despite her voice shaking earlier, and the tears still flowing, her voice was strong, her pitch true, and it carried clear across the great room and even outside. There wasn’t a dry eye left in the room as the last note faded, and there were plenty of handkerchiefs being pulled out.
Sathe, Damien, Michael, and Neo all stood as pallbearers, and they carefully and solemnly carried the ornate white and royal blue trimmed casket outside to the waiting hearse. The long procession of almost forty cars began with a formal police escort, and if anyone noticed every single one cop in the front or back had blue star pins on their uniforms and looked even more anguished than another cop would have, they said nothing. The cemetery where Daniel laid was about thirty minutes outside of the city, and fortunately, that part didn’t take very long. Angel lingered as they lowered her mother into the ground. I love you, Mother. Be at peace with Dad. I’ll make everything right again, if it’s the last thing I do.
They made it back to the house, and it seemed like everyone Angel had ever met, however briefly, came by. The Solarians and Elagonians all bowed slightly as to not attract too much attention to themselves. Finally, after a couple of hours, she felt she would scream if one more person told her they were sorry for her loss or offered her their condolences.
* * *
Sathe and Damien could see her coming apart at the seams, and they began politely showing the visitors to the door. Finally, the last one left, and Angel sank into her favorite chair with a heavy sigh. “I just want to sit down for a few minutes,” she whispered.
Diamonique shook her head, touching the back of her hand. “Don’t worry about anything else, Angel. We’ve got it. All of it, okay?”
She and Damian began cleaning up the kitchen, putting away the food that just about everyone had brought. Angel wouldn’t have to cook anything for at least a month unless she wanted to. Sathe looked at her, and she was staring out the window. “Angel? Why don’t you go change and go for a ride, help clear your head a bit?”
She turned and smiled. “That might actually be a good idea? You want to come with?”
He shook his head. “After the past couple of days, some alone time just might be good for you.”
She kissed him gently. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, love.”
She did a quick change, and Sepherino met her at the fence. She didn’t even bother with tack, jumping up onto his bare back. The Delling instantly picked up on her mood, and he knew she didn’t want to just stroll through the forests. Urging him on, they raced through the forests as fast as the ground would let him go. They rode like the wind, cutting around trees, jumping large fallen tree trunks. She felt at one with the Delling, as if his muscles were her muscles, her lungs were his lungs. Tears flew from her cheeks as soon as they left her eyes. It was over an hour later before they stopped at the edge of an enormous cliff, and the Delling was blowing. For the first time, he was winded.
There was a large rock, and she sat and watched the clouds race across the sky in front of the coming snowstorm, the forest below her moving in unison in the wind. Whatever sorrow had been threatening to destroy her, she had left behind, and now, there was only a gentle grief that was much easier to bear. She knew those few bitter tears that had fallen would be the last ones she cried until the battle was over. As twilight set in, she remounted, and it was a much more serene ride home.
Back in the barn, she groomed the Delling thoroughly, then spent time with Donay. The stallion’s head still hung low, but by the time Angel left, he was almost back in his former spirits, nipping at her sleeve playfully. When she went into the house, the others were sitting in the living room with coffee mugs, and Sathe handed her one as Neo asked if she was feeling better.
“Much, actually. I think that was exactly what I needed, literally clearing my head.” She sat in Sathe’s lap, but she looked at all of them. “Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done if it hadn’t been for all of you.”
Neo shook his head. “That’s what we’re all here for, Angel. is to help each other out, especially in times like this. You and Selene were there for Sathe, Ari, and me on Solaris after they destroyed Elagon. I couldn’t imagine not doing the same for you when you needed it.”
Slowly, the others left one by one, then Michael stood. “Sathe, why didn’t you stay here? Just in case Angel needs something.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Michael nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll call you if something comes up. Are you going to school in the morning?”
Angel spoke up. “Yes, he’s going.” Sathe stared at her, and she raised an eyebrow. “There’s no reason for you not to go. I wish I could, I wish I could have some normalcy back in my life, but that won’t be until Monday. At least it’s Friday.”
“You have a point,” he said, and they got to their feet and she walked Michael to the door.
She hugged him, then kissed his cheek. “Thanks again, for everything.”
He smiled, giving a low bow. “My ear is always ready to listen, your Majesty.”
“You have no idea how much that alone helps, your Majesty,” she replied, and they said good night. She closed the
door behind him before going back into the living room.
Sathe already had a large plate of food weighed down and a glass of wine at the ready. Her shoulders sagged. “You must be a mind reader.”
He laughed. “Hardly, but I know I don’t think you’ve eaten anything other than that granola bar yesterday morning, so I thought you would be hungry, and I figured a glass of wine to dull the edges wouldn’t be so bad.”
She laughed, then sat on the couch, Sathe making sure that she ate every bite. “You did so amazing today, Angel,” he said.
“Thanks. My knees were shaking the entire time. I thought they were going to give out,” she said, draining her glass, and Sathe poured her some more.
“You never would have noticed,” he said, taking the empty plate from her and putting it in the dishwasher, then poured himself a glass of wine.
Angel was flipping through channels on the TV, and he saw behind her on the couch, leaning her back against his chest, and she gave a small smile of content as she felt his strong arms slide around her, and he kissed her hair. Finally, she settled on an all-night marathon of ‘Ridiculousness’, one of her favorite shows. He smiled to hear her laughing, which seemed to be a common occurrence with the show, and he found he was laughing along with her.
After an episode, she tilted her head back to look up at him, smiling. “You should probably change clothes. You can’t be all that comfortable.”
He just grinned. “I really wasn’t paying it all that much attention, to be completely honest.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Well, I want to change. I smell like horse.”
“It smells good on you.”
She just laughed, getting up and tugging him to his feet. “Come on and take a shower with me.”
“How can you expect me to say no?”
She just looked at him. “I didn’t expect you to.”
* * *
They went upstairs, and he still had a change of clothes from the other day. Angel got the water running, then got her own short silk see-through nightgown with lace, a low front and an even lower back. She stepped into the water, gasping at the heat. She slid her arms around her neck, kissing him, her mouth parting under his. He pressed her up against the cool glass block wall, pinning her hands over her head with one hand, the other exploring her every curve, nook, and cranny. He knelt in front of her, releasing her hands, his mouth trailing slowly down her body. She grabbed his shoulders as he went lowers, his hands curling around the back of her thighs before sliding up her back.
Her knees really gave out, and he steadied her as his hands took over where his mouth had been. He easily picked her up, pressing her up against the wall, and she wrapped her legs around him, unable to contain her quiet cry as he drove into her. Her nails dug into his back as she bent her head down to his, biting gently at his bottom lip. He held a hand on the wall to brace himself as he continued teasing her mercilessly. His mouth went to her chest as she tilted her head back, her eyes closed, then he set her down, bending her over the built-in seat. He grabbed her hips, bringing her back to him, and she braced herself, bringing one leg up into a standing split, her knee against his shoulder. She screamed out, tremors racing through her as he finished hard.
He gently lowered her leg, then turned her around and kissed her gently before laughing. “The water’s turning cold.”
She smiled impishly. “It’s served its purpose.”
They both washed off quickly, then turned the water off, and she handed him a towel so he could dry off. “Where’s Taylon?” he asked suddenly. “I haven’t seen him since he ate.”
She laughed huskily, and the sound sent chills down his spine. “He’s taken to sleeping out in the barn when you stay the night.”
He laughed. “I can’t say I blame him.” He pulled on a pair of sleeping pants, but his eyes widened when he saw the nightgown Angel had put on. It didn’t so much cover as it was to flatter what she had, and she hid her own smile at his face. They went back downstairs, and she bent to turn over the fireplace, and she heard his low groan as he got a good look at everything she had. She turned with an exaggerated motion to pick up the wineglasses, then took them into the kitchen.
He grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, his mouth hard on hers, but she didn’t back down, and she could feel how badly he wanted her, her own body responding. She jumped up on the counter and pulled him to her, his fingers grasping at the silk fabric desperately. He pushed her back, then pulled her to the edge of the counter, throwing her legs over his shoulders.
After a few minutes, while still locked together, he picked her up and sat her on the breakfast table. She laid back, her golden hair spilling over the edge like a waterfall. She locked her ankles behind his head, raising her hips to meet his thrusts. One of his hands slid up under the grown, up her stomach to her chest as she raised up on her elbows, neither of them noticing the table was slowly sliding across the floor. He grasped her gown in his fist, and it gave with a soft rip, falling away as they moved as one.
* * *
She cried out his name, sitting all the way up, and his mouth was hard on hers, his hands like warm iron around her wrists as he pushed her back down, her body arching up completely off the table, her hands clenching the sides in a white-knuckled grip.
Sathe still hadn’t finished, and he picked her up again, setting her on the floor in front of the fireplace in the living room. Angel turned, getting up on her hands and knees, and he didn’t hesitate. He had his hands on her hips, but one reached up, grasping her shoulder and pulling her back against him, and her head went back, her eyes closed, feeling as he went all the way inside her. His name came out in a whispered moan before she raised up on her knees, turning her head to him, and he kissed her before his lips went down her neck and shoulders, his hands all over her body.
Several minutes later, they both fell forward, shudders coursing through their bodies, and sweat shone on both their bodies. He detangled himself from her, rolling onto his side. She sat back on her knees, looking down at him, her eyes glowing in the firelight. She traced the muscles on his chest and stomach with a feather-light touch. “Are you exhausted?”
“Nearly,” he said, still trying to catch his breath.
She laughed, glancing down slyly. “Hmm…maybe, maybe not.”
They both got up and went into the bathroom off the living room to clean up, and she came up behind him, her arms around him, kissing his back. It didn’t take long for her to realize he might have exaggerated how tired he was.
“Jesus, woman,” he said with a low growl, and she laughed as she went back into the living room. He couldn’t help but stare after her. “What in the world has gotten into you?”
She laughed, shrugging. “I have no idea, except for maybe the fact I have you all to myself, and I’m going to make the best of it.”
Sathe glanced down, and he realized he understood exactly what she meant. He pulled her to him, his arms around her waist, kissing her urgently, and he felt her leg and foot climbing his. He turned her around, bending her over the chair, and she buried her screams into the soft leather, one of his arms under her, holding her tightly to him, his other grabbing onto the back of the chair for leverage. Eventually, her screams couldn’t be contained, and they echoed through the house, her eyes closed.
He gently set her on her feet, then caught her as her knees went weak, then kissed her softly. “Now, I’m spent,” he said with a weak laugh.
Hers echoed his. “Good, cause so am I.”
They cleaned up again, and she pulled some blankets out of the hall closet and spread them out on the floor. Before going to sleep, they set both their phones with an alarm so he could be able to get up in time to go to school. Sathe was asleep almost instantly as she laid with her back to him, his arm around her waist, and his breath gently tickling the back of her neck. She took his hand to kiss the palm, then laid it back on her stomach, and she was asleep as soon as her eyes closed.
&
nbsp; Ice and Snow
When Angel woke up the next morning, the smell of breakfast filled the house. She sat up, the blanket pooling around her waist. She grabbed her phone and saw it was almost noon. “It snowed like hell last night, and everything’s closed. The news said most of the roads were impassable,” Sathe said from the kitchen. She stood and stretched from the tips of her toes to the tips of her fingers, then went to the window. At least a foot had already fallen, and it was still coming down steadily.
She smiled to herself. “I love winter,” she thought out loud. “It’s so beautiful.”
She felt his arms around her waist, and he laid his chin on her shoulder. “You’re beautiful,” he said, kissing the side of her neck. “I thought you might be hungry. I don’t know about you, but I know I bloody well worked up an appetite last night, and this morning.”
She laughed, then turned to see he had already moved the table back to where it should be. “My poor nightgown,” she sighed, seeing that the remains of it were in the trash can. “It was one of my favorites.”
He laughed, but didn’t look sorry in the least. “My sincerest apologies.”
She knew he was lying, and she stuck her tongue out, then shrugged. “Oh, well. I wasn’t really expecting it to make it through the night.”
He took her hand. “You’re okay, right?”
Angel smiled, interlacing their fingers. “Last night was perfect,” she said.
After they ate breakfast, they threw on some clothes to check on the Dellings and the other horses, then they saddled Sepherino and Freya, and Donay was cantering in between them with Taylon, who would circle them wildly, then race far ahead before flying back. He and Donay were almost invisible in the snow.
When Worlds Collide: Solarian Chronicles I Page 13