“Things are never as they seem. Read the book, Max,” he whispered in my ear before walking away. I stood frozen watching his departing figure. His robe covered his feet, and his white gray hair shone in the darkness of the night. I hadn’t even cracked that book open since he gave it to me. Maybe I should have.
We climbed onto the boat and the same two crew members were there waiting for us. I pocketed the tea potions Jeremiel slipped me and sat back on the deck for the ride home.
“I’m going to protect you, no matter what anyone says, I won’t let anything happen to you, Black Falcon.” I released a light chuckle and looked at Jones distressed face.
“I know, Sweet Buns, but don’t worry, I’m ready.” Whether it was to fight or give up, I hadn’t figured it out yet. I just hoped I could make it the rest of the year and spend the holidays with my family. I only had to last a little less than three weeks. If I could be granted a final dying wish, I wished for that. I hoped that the big man upstairs was listening to me.
Clearing my mind of all the craziness, I changed the subject.
“Are you guys coming over for Christmas dinner?” I asked.
The only sounds were the splashing waves and Jones was deep in thought, probably trying to figure out how to lock me in my room so I wasn’t in danger. The poor guy was going to get an aneurysm thinking so damn hard.
“If Angela isn’t going to put my head on a stick when we get back then yeah, that’s the plan. I don’t even understand why you humans celebrate these holidays. They’re so foolish.” This was the first time I’d ever heard him separate himself from non-angels. The word human was weird for me to say. Angels looked too much like humans that I really didn’t get the difference beside the whole supernatural thing. Maybe I did see the difference. Whatever.
“So you’re not one of us anymore? Say it ain’t so, Jones! Say it ain’t so!” He nudged me with his shoulder and a smile threatened to come out. “We humans like to party and if I recall there was a certain angel who was a wannabe human that used to party a lot too. Just saying.” I shrugged as I sarcastically heaved.
“For real though Jones, we haven’t been to Anthony’s in months, we should go this weekend. For old times’ sake.” I hadn’t realized how long it had been since we’d been to a party. We went from going every weekend since eighth grade, to not going at all. Anthony (who was usually so drunk to even notice if we were there or not,) had asked me why we hadn’t been. Now that was sad.
I pouted my lips and clasped my hands together.
“Come on Sweet Buns, please please please.”
“Alright, alright. We’ll go,” he sighed and put his hands up in surrender, “but under one condition.” I should have seen this one coming.
“No chicks, so that means no Angela or Melanie. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Since we figured the cavalry awaited us, we bypassed the park and headed straight home. Time to face the music I guess. Jones parked the BMW next to the Jeep and crossed the front lawn for my house. The kitchen light was on and it was past three in the morning.
Instead of avoiding it and heading upstairs, we made our way to the kitchen. Sitting at the table were my father and Angela. Not a big shocker. My mom was most likely asleep upstairs, not that she would be if she knew we were missing. Which was why I made sure she was knocked out before we left. If she would have known, this would have been a million times worse.
Jones went to the refrigerator and pulled out some leftovers. Thinking I should follow his lead, I went to the cabinet and grabbed some plates and we started organizing a late dinner. A round trip to the Bahamas will work up an appetite.
“Are you two going to ignore us or are you going to tell us where you’ve been?” Angela didn’t waste any time. My dad grabbed her arm and motioned for her to lower her voice. She rolled her eyes and watched us expectantly. I was going to let Jones take the lead on this one—throw him to the wolves this time. He knew what I was doing after a while and he let out an exhausted sigh. Yeah, we were so going to be tired tomorrow, it was a school night.
“We had some stuff to do and we just lost track of time. No big deal. We’re going to eat and go straight to bed because we have school in the AM.” He was nonchalant and it put Angela on edge. Her eye twitched as if she was going to blow a fuse. Her midnight curls were wild like she hadn’t run a brush through them. It was the first time I’d ever seen her so disheveled before.
She turned to my dad like she couldn’t believe what Jones was saying. What did she expect, my dad to ground us?
“Sweetheart, calm down before your blood pressure rises,” my dad said, patting her on the back while she rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest and grilled us. Boy was she pissed.
“It’s time to fess up. Where have you been? Angela couldn’t communicate with any of you, which you Jones, know better than to cut her off. If something is to happen to Max and he closes her off to communicate, we have a problem.” Jones’ face dropped and after hearing what Jeremiel said, I knew he regretted showing me how to block her out because if the situation ever did arrive and he was not around, I’d be on my own.
Feeling as if I’d given enough silent treatment, I said, “Jones isn’t the only one at fault here. We know we screwed up, but to be honest, you guys have been acting a bit strange and we think you’re both hiding something. That’s why we went in search of our own answers. We went to see Jeremiel.” I paused, gauging their reactions. Dad threw his hands up, exasperated and Angela’s jaw dropped as the color drained from her face. I hurried to explain, “Don’t worry. Whatever secrets your both hiding are safe. He wouldn’t tell us anything.”
They looked at each other with cautious relief. These past months have been a series of secret after secret. I wondered when it would all stop. When would this all end?
Montgomery, Alabama
1837
31
The heat was unbearable and the silly fans women used to keep cool only pushed the hot air around. I didn’t even want to complain about the corset I had to wear. I could barely breathe standing up and we’d been sitting in this carriage all morning. If we didn’t get to our destination soon, I would put my blade into this contraption of a dress.
“Goodness Xavier, when are we to arrive? I hate how these women dress and can’t take this heat any longer.” He laughed at my complaints and if it weren’t because I admired him like a father, I’d curse his name, but I could never do that. I owed him everything.
“Relax, Angela. You’ll be able to put your trousers on when we return to a more secure location. We just have to find this young boy who’s been killed.”
I had crossed the pond to the new world thinking I could get a break from all this. I hadn’t had a human to guard in months and was enjoying this break. Two hundred years passed since I’d last seen Xavier and he hadn’t changed a bit. Then again, we never did.
I received permission from him to leave Europe, but so far I’d been disgusted with this place they called The South. The people were cruel and I wished they would evolve already. I had been in America for a couple of days and Xavier had recruited at least twenty guardians; and those were only the ones who had accepted. Not counting the ones who preferred to stay dead.
The carriage slowed to a stop and I waited for Xavier to exit first so he could help me disembark. Even though I could do it myself, it would be suspicious if he wasn’t a gentleman.
I held up my skirt so the hem wouldn’t drag through the dirt and followed him toward the plantation. Esther was already waiting for us on the porch with a pitcher of sweet tea. The last time I saw her was on a slave ship leaving Europe about thirty years ago.
She was an angel fronting as one of the cooks on the plantation.
“Oh good, Lord, is that young Angela I see walking behind you, Xavier?” she said with a smile on her face.
“Yes, Esther, she’s decided to help us out over on this side of the world.” Xavier put his arm around me and
gave me a gentle squeeze. I rushed toward Esther and gave her a tight hug. We had spent many good times back home.
“Oh Esther, I’ve missed you so much and your cooking.”
She pinched my arm. “Is that all you’ve missed? My cooking? Humph, that’s all I get.” The smirk on her face told me she was joking and I loved her for it.
“Esther I don’t want to ruin this reunion, but where is the boy?” Xavier gave me an apologetic smile, but I knew we had to get to work before we were caught. Esther was still a slave and she would get lynched or hung if she was seen talking to us in this manner.
She recognized the urgency and nodded. We followed her around the main house, down by the fields to the small shacks and huts scattered around the plantation where the slaves lived. I didn’t need anyone to tell me where the young boy was. A beautiful woman with sleek black hair was hunched over a mound on the ground. She wailed and pounded on the dirt. She must have been his mother.
It was about mid-day so everyone was out working which would make this a lot harder to accomplish. Now with the mother involved, we would possibly have to wait for nightfall.
“Delilah?” The mother turned around and I was met with the most amazing hazel eyes. They were golden as the afternoon sun, shown brightly. Her face was flawless and if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought she was an angel.
Her glossy eyes roamed over us and I saw the panic in them. She was scared. I walked closer to her and knelt down beside her; handing over Xavier’s handkerchief that I always carried with me. She hesitated for a moment but I sent her an encouraging smile and she took it from me. As she wiped her face, I ran my hand through her hair and it was so smooth, not a knot in sight. She looked to Esther with a questioning stare but I didn’t give her a chance to answer.
“Hello Delilah. My name is Angela and the gentleman behind me is Xavier. We mean you no harm.” She nodded but there was still panic in her. She was scared and I couldn’t blame her. On the way here, Esther warned us about the lynching and I wished I could take this woman away from this abuse as well.
Xavier came by my side and whispered in my ear, “I will start to draw the rune.” I nodded as we walked to the tree by the boy and he began to draw a privacy rune. We didn’t want to attract anyone’s attention. I looked back at the mother and she was studying me.
“We’re not from here, Delilah. We’re here to bring your son home.” Her eyes went wide with desperation. She looked to Esther behind me for confirmation and once her heart started to race, I knew she had confirmed it.
“You can’t take him Miss, please don’t, he’s all I have.” Her words were like knives stabbing me in the stomach.
“I’m sorry Miss Delilah. He needs to be at peace.” The tears started to flow but she didn’t sob. She knew what needed to be done.
“Please take care of him for me, Miss.” I nodded and she went over to his grave and put her hands over his body. She was praying. I didn’t want to listen as I felt it was invading her privacy. We let her hug the mound on the ground and kiss him goodbye. She turned her tear streaked face toward me and I knew she was done. I waved my hands in the air and everything but Xavier, Esther and I froze in time. We picked up the shovels by the tree to dig him back out. Before we began, I looked at the handmade cross that stood as the head marker for the grave.
Loran Jones was his name.
Present Day
32
I flipped through December’s issue of Entertainment Weekly while I sat at the register at Tina’s. We had been losing a lot of business lately since a Wal-Mart opened in the next town over. Even though it was an hour drive, people went there and bought in bulks. With not much to do, Brittany came in early and pulled off her wig as she stopped in front of me.
“I used to want your job, but now I just want things back the way they were.” Me too. “Can’t you dress up again?” She whined as she leaned over the counter, clearly frustrated.
“Sorry Brit, but there’s no way I’m doing that ever again. Talk to Tina, see if she can hire anyone else for it,” I said turning a page of the magazine.
“I did but she can’t. She actually mentioned laying off some people on the daytime shift. Things aren’t good, Max.”
I looked up and saw how upset she was. I knew the ladies that worked during the day and they were either older women or single mothers. Tina walked in while I was caught up in my own thoughts and I hadn’t noticed until I heard Brittany’s squeak. She was supposed to have been outside promoting, instead of inside socializing. I would have been nervous too if I hadn’t known Tina for years—she was one of my mom’s best friends.
She looked between the two of us and a smirk crossed her face. Wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater she didn’t look like the normally flamboyant owner of the store. I was used to seeing her dressed up with some neon-colored hair wig and flashy jewelry. Now she just looked like everyone else.
“Hey Tina, how’s it going?” I asked as I walked around the counter and gave her a hug. When we parted I saw the bags under her eyes.
“Hey kids. Things still slow?” We both nodded and with a nod back, she walked away to her office. I told Brittany to take my place at the register and I followed Tina to the back.
I startled her when I knocked and she dropped some papers. I tried to help but she just waved me away.
I took a seat in front of her and I asked, “Are you going to be firing anyone?” She looked up at me and her smile faded. There was my answer.
“Don’t worry Max, your job is secured. You’re one of the few that’s been here the longest and I only need two people for the evening shift.”
“What about the daytime employees?” I knew I was being rude with all the questions, but there was a purpose to all of this.
“Yes, I have to let one of them go. Things haven’t been that great and with one full time salary gone, it would help me out a lot.” Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned back on her chair, running her hands through her hair.
“I have a proposition for you.” She opened her eyes and motioned for me to continue. “Don’t fire any of the ladies from the day shift. Switch one of them to take over my shift and cut some of Brittany’s hours.”
“Are you quitting Max?” A smirk crept on her face and I didn’t think she took me seriously.
“Well…yeah. The part time hours that Brittany and I both do equal to full time. That can be taken over by one of the daytime ladies and Brit’s always complaining about wanting less work so you can cut her hours. It’s a win for everyone.” She pondered my solution and rubbed her chin.
“Honestly, I’d rather fire Brittany than you Max. You’re one of my best employees.”
“I know Tina, but I have a lot going on at home and the school year’s almost over anyway so I’d have to quit when I leave for college. It wouldn’t be fair for someone to lose their job when I won’t be here much longer.” Expressionless, she watched me and I didn’t know if I should repeat myself or wait. I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable under her intense glare.
“Maximillion, you are the most selfless person I have ever met and you’re only seventeen.” A smile stretched across her face and I think she was proud.
Leaning over her desk, she asked, “Are you sure you want to do this?” I nodded without hesitation and she said, “Okay,” dismissing me back to work.
Instead of relieving Brit, I started organizing the front racks since it was almost time for closing. Tina walked out before I locked the doors and told me my last day could be tomorrow, if I wanted. I agreed and with a hug from her, she left.
I came home with such exhaustion and I needed to reenergize. Jones was probably waiting for me in the backyard. He suggested we start training at night as well so I could learn to fight with my other senses.
I went to the kitchen to get water and found my dad there eating leftovers. He motioned for me to sit with him at the table and I took a seat. We hadn’t spoken much but I knew he was stressing o
ut over me. Although he was looking much better than he was before. The bags were light under his eyes.
“Tina just called,” he said. Did news travel fast. I couldn’t tell by his expression if he was upset or not so I just nodded. “That was very noble of you, Max. I’m proud to call you my son, but not just for that. These past couple of months have been hectic for you and I haven’t been the best at guiding you through this transition.”
“Dad, its—”
“No Max, let me finish. The only thought I’ve ever had was making sure you’re safe, that nothing from my old life could harm you. I was a fool for thinking that you could live a normal life, ignorant to the world and its secrets, but my own fears clouded my judgment. I didn’t want you to live your life constantly looking over your shoulder,” he paused and shook his head, “I should have spent this time preparing you instead of keeping you in the dark, and for that Maximillion, I apologize. Unfortunately I can’t change the past, but I can help shape your future. I know more about your origin than I’ve lead on and I want to share everything I know about the Nephilim with you.” His dark eyes held my gaze and the intensity of it kept me rooted to my seat. I couldn’t believe what he was saying and at the same time, I wasn’t surprised.
Jones said, leaning against the door frame, “Uh…sorry to interrupt this father son bonding time but we have a guest.” We kicked our chairs back and went past Jones and to the living room. I felt the immense power that radiated in the air as we saw the Archangel Samuel sitting on the sofa in all his glory, wearing the same robe he wore the last time I saw him. He stood up to greet us.
“Xavier, Maximillion, I hope you’re both doing well.”
“Of course Samuel, thank you. To what do we owe this visit?” Jones and I stood in the back as my dad spoke to the archangel.
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