by A L Williams
Corbin glared at her. “Can we get this over with? I have to get to the bank tomorrow.” He looked at me as if he had forgotten I was there. I met his gaze. He played with his hands in front of him and quickly looked away.
“Sure thing. I’ll ask a few questions, and then we’ll be out of your hair,” Skyler said, inching closer to Corbin who tensed and walked around the couch and sat down.
Skyler walked to the couch and turned, leaning back against it. “So, tell us everything.” I nodded and moved closer, being sure to keep distance between Corbin and myself. I owed him that much.
“She was the first woman created by Father. A companion for Adam.”
Hayley sat on the arm of the couch. “Wasn’t that Eve?”
“No. Eve was the second.”
Hayley looked away and then back to me with a wrinkled forehead. “Is she trans?”
I shook my head. “Intersex. Eve was created from Adam’s rib, but Lilith was created from the same earth that Adam was. I do not know how or why she came out as she did. Only Father knows.”
Hayley scoffed. “And he’s not going to offer the information.”
“Don’t be so hostile. God has his reasons. If this Lilith person is intersex, then that is what she was meant to be,” Corbin said. I stared at him. He was a Christian man. That knowledge made me feel even worse than I already did.
“Alright. So, the first woman is intersex,” Skyler said. “Why were you so surprised to see her? You looked like you had seen a ghost.”
“I thought she was dead. She was human.”
Hayley crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Apparently not.”
“Yes. She has also acquired some powers.”
“Do you know where they came from?” Skyler asked.
“No,” I replied. “It felt wrong. Evil.”
“Why is she taking children?” Hayley asked.
I met her gaze. “It’s possible she saw that Eve had children and became jealous. From what you saw, she wasn’t gifted with that anatomy. At least not the way Eve was. She was something between.”
“So, she is taking children because she can’t have her own?” Hayley stood up straight. “How is that those kids’ problem?”
I opened my mouth to respond and then closed it, unsure of what to say.
“Sometimes people are blinded by their own pain and do things they shouldn’t,” Corbin said, walking over to Hayley.
“That’s not an excuse,” she said, glancing at me.
“It’s not, but it’s the truth.”
Detective Skyler cleared his throat. “So where is she taking them?”
I frowned. “I do not know. It has been millennia. She could be anywhere.”
“The branch! Lucy said it was from Eden, right? So she must be there,” Hayley said.
“She was banished.”
Hayley narrowed her eyes. “Well, then, where did she get the branch?” I looked at the floor. She had a point. When and how did she get back in? She had not been there when Lucifer defeated the darkness and sent it into the abyss.
“Okay, so even if she isn’t there, we have a place to start. How do we get in?” Skyler asked.
I clenched my jaw. “I do not have that power. My wings…” I trailed off, unable to continue.
Skyler studied me. “Okay, so we need a way in. I’m going to call Andy.”
“No! If you do, he will cancel the trip. Jamie and Lucy need this,” Hayley said.
Skyler sighed. “It’s the only way to get into Eden. We need Lucifer.”
Hayley bit her lip. “You said she wants children of her own right?” I nodded, wondering where she was going with this. “She won’t hurt Bobby, then. Let’s just wait for her to come back. She didn’t get the girl like she planned.”
“She also wants me back. If I don’t come to her soon, she will come looking for me,” I added.
“How do you know?” Skyler asked.
“She always gets what she wants. She does not take no for an answer. Ever,” I replied. Throughout our time together, I watched her and Adam bicker up until the day she was replaced by Eve. When she was with me, I did whatever she wanted. If I ever denied her, all hell would break loose.
Skyler rubbed his chin. “Okay. We need to keep a close eye on you.”
“They can stay here,” Corbin said.
I blinked and gawked at him. After what I did, why was he offering? It did not make any sense.
“Cory! They—”
“It’s fine. You’re not planning on a repeat?” he asked me.
I shook my head, unable to find the words.
“Good. Stay. You can have the guestroom,” he said and turned to Hayley. “Don’t give me that look.”
“They can’t stay here.” She glared daggers at him.
“I pay the bills, and this is my house. I can let whoever I want stay here.” Corbin glared back at her. She clamped her mouth shut. I had to admit the face and expression he was giving was not something I would argue with, either.
I turned to Detective Skyler who was looking at the back of Corbin’s head with something I could not place in his eyes. A moment later, it was gone. He pushed off the back of the couch. “Well, it looks like it has been decided. Call me if she shows up and be safe. She is dangerous. I will keep an eye out at all the group homes around town. I have some shifter friends who can hang out and watch.”
He walked to the door without waiting for a response and left.
I turned back to the other two who were watching each other. Hayley was fuming, and Corbin was tense. At that moment, I saw the family resemblance.
“This is fucking bullshit, and you know it, Cory,” Hayley said before storming from the room. He watched her and sighed heavily.
When he turned to me, he smiled. “She can be a bit much, but she means well.”
“She has reason to feel as she does. I did hurt you.”
“True.” He walked over. “Something tells me that you’re not that person anymore.”
“You do not know that.”
“Also true, but I hope so. I believe so. You are an angel of God, and God makes no mistakes. We aren’t that different, you and I. We are both flawed and make bad decisions.”
“What bad decisions have you made?” I asked, tensing when I realized what I said. I forced him to relive the murder of his wife. He blamed himself, that was clear. His pain and guilt ate away at him.
His eyes grew dark. “Wanting what I shouldn’t.” His expression went back to normal. “Let’s get you settled in.”
Guilt curled in my gut, but I shook it off and followed him.
We went through the hall and stopped in front of a room. I looked across the hall, hearing running water through a door.
“That’s the bathroom you will be using. You will be sharing with Hayley. Sorry. There are only two bathrooms. If, for some reason, you need it and she is taking too long, just use mine. She can be a bit girly, even as crass as she is. It’s like living with a sixteen-year-old.” He chuckled.
“I will only use the facilities to bathe. I do not need it for anything else.”
He studied me for a moment and then opened the door.
When I stepped inside, I eyed the queen-sized bed that was neatly made with plain white sheets and a simple, thin, tan fleece blanket. There was a small light wood dresser and a matching end table. The walls were white and empty. I walked over to the bed and turned.
“It gets hot in here especially this time of year, and we only have a swamp cooler. I don’t think you’ll need a thicker blanket, but if you do, just let me know,” he said.
“What is a swamp cooler?”
“Evaporative cooler. Instead of pulling in air the way an AC unit does, it uses water to cool the house. The only downside is it’s useless during monsoon season. The humidity makes it blow hot air. I really need to upgrade, I just don’t…” he trailed off.
“You don’t like change.”
He looked at me in silence and t
hen smirked. “That’s what Hayley says. It’s true, just don’t tell her I said that.” My lip twitched, and I nodded. “Alright, well, goodnight,” he said, walking out the door.
“Goodnight, Corbin.”
When the door clicked shut, I turned to the bed and stared at it. I played the events of the night over and over in my head. Everything had started as mundane as usual. I took my usual walk to the park and sat watching the children play. I continued to sit even when the sun disappeared, and the park emptied. When I decided to take my leave, a strange yet familiar feeling hit me. I followed that feeling until it brought me to Lilith.
She was alive, and she had strange powers. None of it had made sense. I should have been happy to see her. It had been so long, but she was different. I could not shake the wrongness of her presence. I sat down on the bed and fell back, laying on my back and staring at the ceiling. I had to get through to her somehow. She was not a bad person. She just needed to be guided back to the light, as I was, and that was exactly what I was going to do.
Chapter Seven
Hayley
The next day, I was in the passenger side of Cory’s car. The insurance check had shown up in the mail yesterday, and we were going to deposit it and start the repairs. It wasn't a whole lot, so we couldn’t hire anyone. This morning, I spent almost an hour telling Cory that my studies wouldn’t suffer if I helped. Thankfully, he gave in.
I leaned my head against the door as hot air brushed my face, doing my best to ignore Gabriel. They were in the backseat, watching traffic as it went by. Silence filled the space as we moved along. I was furious with Cory. How could he let that overgrown pigeon stay in our home after what they did? I should have pushed harder, but the look Cory gave me last night reminded me of whose house I was staying in.
He wouldn’t kick me out. I wasn’t afraid of that, but he opened his home to me, so the least I could do was respect it.
That didn’t mean I had to like it.
I looked at Gabriel through the side view mirror, and they met my gaze. I turned away quickly. Their eyes were exactly like Jamie and Lucy’s, but there was something different. Something unique to them. I didn’t know what that something was, but it was there. I frowned.
Why do you care?
I turned my attention back to the streets. Traffic was thick, with vehicles bumper to bumper, waiting for the light to turn green. The sky was filled with scattered wisps of clouds, the sun weaving in and out behind them. I leaned back in my seat, the wind whipping my hair into my face.
“How did you sleep?” Cory asked. I turned, finding him peering into the rearview mirror. I followed his gaze to Gabriel who stared blankly.
“I do not sleep,” they said.
“James said something about that. Well, I hope whatever you did, was comfortable.”
Gabriel nodded, face still void of emotion. “The accommodations were adequate.”
Cory chuckled, but did not respond, and I rolled my eyes, turning back and slumping in my seat.
What was their problem? Did they ever feel anything? My mind drifted back to the night at the group home. When Gabriel had spoken with Lilith, it was the first time I had seen anything but indifference or anger painting their features. It was unnerving, but I found myself wondering where they hid all that pain.
Not that it was my business. I couldn’t care less what they felt. They were dangerous, and I had to keep an eye on them.
I glanced at Gabriel again, finding them looking at me with a hint of something in their gaze. I slumped in my seat and sighed heavily, sitting my chin on my arm that leaned against the door.
“You alright?” Cory asked.
“Yeah.”
“Things will be alright,” he said.
“I hope so.”
“I’m sure Gabriel and Detective Skyler have it covered.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Cory didn’t understand. This was my job—well, it was going to be my job. I couldn’t just stand on the sidelines and watch. Not this time.
Especially not with Gabriel here.
When Cory was in the hospital, completely unresponsive, I was powerless. I didn’t know what to do. After he was released from Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital, I tried to keep him away from all the angel nonsense, but he demanded to know what was going on.
Why did he have to be so damn stubborn? I was trying to keep him safe. He could get hurt again, or worse. He saved my life and gave me a home, and I wasn’t going to let anyone destroy that. Car horns honked around us as my mind drifted to the day when Cory and I first met.
“Hi, my name is Corbin, and I’m your cousin. Your mom was my aunt,” he said. He sat across from me in the visitation room filled with round tables and cushioned chairs.
I crossed my arms. “What do you want?”
He smiled. “I just wanted you to know my home is always open to you.”
I looked down at the table as the light shifted, cascading across the tables. I bit the inside of my cheek, rubbing at the needle bruises on my inner elbow. “I can take care of myself.”
“Do you have somewhere to go after you leave here?” he asked.
I tensed. I didn’t have anywhere to go. I didn’t have a home.
“My home can be your home,” he said as if he heard my thoughts. “You can trust me.”
“Hayley.” Cory said, pulling me from my thoughts. I blinked and looked around, finding us parked outside the bank with people walking inside, and others lined up at the outside ATM. I peered at Cory who was watching me with concern. “I’m going to run in and grab some cash, and then we’ll head to Lowes. Wait here?”
I waved him off and leaned my head down on the window sill, watching him approach the door and walk inside the bank.
“Are you well?”
I jumped at the sound of Gabriel’s voice. I had forgotten they were there. What the hell? They were always so silent; it was easy to forget. “Yeah, I’m good.”
When nothing else was said I closed my eyes, glad the conversation was over.
“Your cousin was correct.”
I tensed and opened my eyes again. “About?”
“Skyler and I will deal with Lilith.”
I chuckled bitterly. “Yeah, like you did last time.”
“I was in shock.”
“Ah, so you do feel things?” I knew I was being childish, but I didn’t care. They pissed me off, and the worst part was I didn’t know why. Yeah, I hated them for what they did to us, but the level of this hate matched... I shook that off—I didn’t need to think of him.
Something about this angel made me uncomfortable and that only made me madder. I was unable to keep my bearings every time they opened their mouth. Bastard.
“Listen—”
“No. You listen. I don’t like you. You don’t like me. Cory might be foolish in his kindness but know that I will be watching you. We’ll stop Lilith, get Bobby back, and you can go back to your life of solitude and brooding, and leave us the hell alone.”
Gabriel didn’t say another word after that. When Cory returned, we left the bank, making our way towards the shop.
I was grateful when we walked through the doors of what remained of Fresh N Hot. The trip to Lowes had been painless, and Gabriel did not bother me again, for which I was grateful. I looked around as Cory and Gabriel came in behind me.
The shop was empty except for wooden beams and boxes of tile scattered about. Large cans of paint were stacked high against the window. I inspected the building, missing the loud conversations and the fresh aroma of coffee. I hadn’t stepped foot in the shop for around two years, unable to look at Cory’s livelihood in ruins. It was a painful reminder of the agony Cory experienced when Gabriel attacked. I glanced at Cory as he went into the back, the slump of his shoulders apparent, but subtle.
Gabriel walked up beside me with the same blank expression except... Was that guilt? I blinked, and it was gone. Before I was able to process what happened, they stepped forward, and my eyes w
ent to their clothes. They were wearing a pair of tight jeans that hugged their ass perfectly, and a t-shirt. I grimaced. What the fuck, Hayley.
I dropped my bag on the floor and stalked into the kitchen, coming face to face with Cory. “What’s wrong now?” he asked.
“Why the hell are they here?”
Cory sighed. “We already had this discussion.”
“Well, we’re having it again. Do you not remember what they did to you? They tried to hurt you! They might even have killed you!” My heart was racing. I didn’t understand why I was so mad, but rage rolled through me like a tsunami on a rampage.
Cory moved in closer. “Breathe.”
I gasped, realizing I had been holding my breath. I inhaled and exhaled slowly as he ran his hand up and down my back. “I am not going anywhere. I am alive. I am fine,” he murmured.
My eyes burned. I knew what he thought. He thought this was about my mother. It isn’t…
He stepped back once my breathing was normalized. “They are trying to help. That shows they are changing. People make mistakes, Hayley.” I looked away. “People make bad choices. That doesn’t mean they are bad,” he continued.
I bristled, the memory of hands on my skin filling my mind. Anxiety vibrated through me. “Yeah, like with Laura?” Cory flinched. “I’m sorry,” I said. What is wrong with me? Cory didn’t deserve that. My problem was with Gabriel.
He released a long breath and met my gaze. “I love you, but you need to think before you speak.” I went to respond, but he pulled away and walked into his office, slamming the door behind him. Fuck!
I turned and froze at the sight of Gabriel standing at the swinging double doors. How much had they heard or seen?
“Is he well?” Gabriel asked.
“He’s fine.” Gabriel looked at me for far longer than was comfortable and then turned, returning to the main area of the shop.
Several hours later, I had changed into an old t-shirt that hung off my shoulder and a pair of old jeans. I stood in front of a wall, rolling paint onto it. When Cory had finally come back out, he grabbed a ladder and started to screw bulbs into fixtures.