by S S Bazinet
Their friendship came to an abrupt and dismal end after that. For many years, both of them suffered. William had lost the one person he cared about, and Arel couldn’t find a way out of his cursed condition. It was only when Michael entered the picture that things changed. That substance called angelic blood was introduced. It did cure the virus, but William and Arel were still trying to integrate its other effects when Col showed up.
Sitting at Arel’s computer, William wondered if all they’d gone through had been for nothing. Was Arel dead? The answer to that question was available. Angels knew things. He could contact Michael or Carey. Instead, he began to go over Arel’s browser history. If Arel had finally done himself in, William wasn’t prepared to find out about it too soon. He’d play the investigator and retrace Arel’s steps instead.
A quick search of online sites that Arel had visited was fruitful. One rental agency in particular stood out. A property they had for rent caught William’s eye. When he called the agency about the condo, he was told it had been rented for the week, but it might be available later in the month. William quickly copied down the address. He was sure Arel was the person who’d rented the property.
Armed with a good lead, he decided Carey might be helpful after all. The angel could accompany him when they checked out the rental unit. William felt a little better after he called Carey. Carey didn’t give any indication that Arel was in danger.
William was about to pocket his phone when it rang. It was Rolphe’s ring tone. William quickly answered it and was surprised to hear Arel blurting out some gibberish. “Slow down, Arel, I can’t understand what you’re saying.”
Arel responded with a long pause. When he began to speak again, his words were slurred and hesitant. “Can’t . . . think straight.”
William’s hand tightened on the phone. “Is it Col? Did he attack you?”
“Yes, Col and—” Arel paused to take more gasping breaths.
William tried to tune into Arel’s mind and flinched when he saw Rolphe’s face and a fist slamming into Arel’s jaw. “Did Rolphe hurt you, Arel? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
Arel let out a gasping affirmative. “Rolphe’s with . . . Col.”
William’s face went instantly pale. “What? If Rolphe joins Col we’re in serious trouble.”
Arel’s voice became a whisper. “Trying to think, Will, but can’t—”
“Hang in there, my brother, Carey and I will get there ASAP.”
William ended the call feeling confused. He was relieved to know that Arel was alive, but why had he called Arel his brother?
William put the question aside and quickly headed for the garage. Elise had told him to use her car since Arel’s car was gone. As he started the engine, he wondered about his chances of surviving the day. If he had to go up against Col and Rolphe, he didn’t think he’d fare very well.
He couldn’t worry about any of it now. Instead, he had to clear his mind. He shifted the car into reverse and felt something shift in his psyche. A mental cloud gave way to a different part that felt lighter, more positive. Arel wasn't the only one who could shine. Supposedly they both shared an energy that was at the core of who they were.
The thought bolstered his strength. It was the strength he’d once had when he thought of himself as a vampire. He pulled the car out of the garage and saw Carey waiting for him in the driveway. When the angel smiled, William knew that Carey was trying to encourage him. In that moment, he made a decision. He’d failed miserably with Col the first time, but he had to take another chance on himself.
Thirty-Three
AREL LAY BACK on the bed after his call to William. He stared fixedly at the ceiling, hardly able to move his jaw. He felt too disorientated to get out of bed. To top it all off, he could tell his shields were down. It was a very distressing situation, and his mind was too muddled to do anything about it. He prayed that he’d get some help before Col got hold of him again.
A tall, youthful angel came striding into the bedroom almost immediately. “Can I assist in some way?” he asked in a cheerful tone.
Arel blinked back, trying to get his eyes working properly. He recognized Raphael. The angel wore casual jeans, sweatshirt and a smile. Arel still had a difficult time putting thoughts together. “Hard to think.”
Raphael came over and put a hand on Arel’s jaw and another on Arel’s forehead. “No need to think, just let your body relax.”
Arel had a sudden thought anyway. He needed to feel connected to his heart again. His brief experience with Col taught him that. No torture that Col could devise was worse than existing in a place devoid of love and caring. “I did something stupid,” he gasped.
Raphael seemed to understand. “It was all an illusion, Arel. The nothingness was an illusion. Your essence is love. You’ll never be anything but that.”
Arel couldn’t process the thought. He couldn’t keep his eyes open. He slipped into a peaceful sleep.
* * * * *
William decided to let Carey drive to the condo while he tried to tune into Rolphe’s physical whereabouts. After a few minutes of frustration, he turned to Carey. “I’m sitting here straining my brain while you probably know exactly where Rolphe is. Am I right?”
Carey kept his eyes on the road. “Maybe you should forget about Rolphe for the time being.”
“Forget about him? If he’s joined forces with Col, I’ve got to plan what to do about it.”
“Don’t you trust Rolphe?”
“Why should I trust him? He attacked Arel.” William paused and saw the slight smile on Carey’s face. “Am I missing something? If I am, would you simply tell me what’s going on?”
“I can say this much. Rolphe cares about both you and Arel. He has no desire to hurt either of you.”
William glared back. “Neither you nor Michael ever make things clear when you give your answers. I always get the feeling that you’re holding back.”
Carey’s smile broadened. “We find it’s always better for people to find those things out for themselves.”
“Oh really? I don’t understand your angelic attitude, and how closed-mouth you are when it comes to helping with a problem?”
“Look at it from our point of view,” Carey offered with a glance.
William only connected with Carey’s gaze for a brief moment, but it was long enough. It was like someone had changed the channel. His mind was suddenly free of his normal concerns, and he could see everything from an entirely different perspective. When his thoughts and normal mindset returned, he was intrigued. “Did I just get a look at how angels see things?”
“In a way, yes.”
“Everything looked brighter. And the things I’ve been worrying about didn’t seem that important. It was almost as if I knew everything was working out as it was supposed to work out.”
“Did the feeling remain when you came back to yourself?”
“No. Your attitude is too simplistic from my vantage point.”
Carey shrugged as he turned into a parking area. “Now you know why we don’t say much.”
Once they were parked, William got out of the car and looked for the unit number he’d written down. Carey was close behind when he knocked on its door. William could feel Arel’s presence when he let himself in. He began to quickly search the rooms, calling out to Arel as he went. He hoped Arel wasn’t too badly injured. He needed an ally to fight Col. And brother or not, Arel could put up quite a fight if necessary. “When he’s not thinking of checking out,” he muttered through clenched teeth. He found Arel in a back bedroom, looking like he was bruised and hurting.
Arel’s eyes lit up. “William, thank goodness you’re here.”
William couldn’t stop himself. “What in the hell were you playing at, Arel? Don’t you know how worried Elise is?”
Arel shrank back. “I think Rolphe nearly broke my jaw.”
William came over and inspected Arel’s face. “It serves you right for going off and acting like yo
u need to save the world.”
“I’m sorry, Will. I was trying to do the right thing, but—”
“The right thing? Really? How’s going off leaving—” William stopped himself just in time. He’d almost said, “leaving me.” He backed up. “Elise is in quite the state.”
“I thought I knew what was best for her, but things got out of hand.” Arel paused. “Oh never mind. You’re right as usual.”
William took a closer look at Arel’s jaw. “For a guy who sounded like he was barely able to talk, you’ve recovered quickly enough.”
“Rafael helped.”
“Where’s Michael?”
“I don’t know. After I talked to you, I couldn’t get my thoughts together. Then Rafael was here, and I fell asleep.”
Carey had been standing quietly near the door and stepped forward. “Michael is with Rolphe.”
William stared back at the angel. “Why didn’t he help Arel?”
Arel spoke up. “I told him not to interfere, another stupid decision.”
William’s brows narrowed. “That’s why you should talk to me before you go off on a one-man crusade.”
“You and I both know you don’t want any part of what I do.”
“What are you talking about?”
Arel looked away and shook his head.
William averted his eyes too. “I’m sorry if I’ve let you down.”
Arel ignored his apology and began mumbling, maybe to himself. “I wanted to make things better for everyone. But I guess I was totally wrong in my approach. When I closed down my heart—”
William’s eyes flared in Arel’s direction. “You did what? Closed down your heart? Why?”
Arel slowly turned his head and blinked back. His voice was a whisper. “You know why, William. When one’s heart is closed, it makes things easier.” He paused again. “The way I felt helped in some ways. I could understand Col a little better. But I accidentally let my shields go down.”
William leaned in. “What happened after that?”
“Col was instantly in my mind. Fortunately, before he could do much, Rolphe must have intervened. All I know is Col suddenly disappeared. Then I saw Rolphe’s fist slamming into my face.”
“You’re lucky you survived, you idiot.”
“Col agrees with you. He called me a dimwitted fool.”
William noted the flush of embarrassment on Arel’s face. He also thought about how he’d gone off on his own crusade against Col and nearly died as a result. “You’re not always an idiot. You did save me a couple of times recently.”
Arel looked away. “I’m glad I could be there for you, Will.”
William stepped back, wanting to change the conversation. “So let’s talk about what we should do next. There’s damage control with Elise—”
Arel drew back and pulled the cover close. “I can’t face Elise. Not after that note I left. She’s going to hate me.” He scowled. “If only I’d been able to keep my shields in place, she wouldn’t care if I was alive or dead.”
William crossed his arms. “About those shields. You don’t have any right to decide how I feel about our, our—”
“Our what? You still wish we’d never crossed paths again.”
William knew he couldn’t argue the point. “Whatever, we better think about more important things, like the Col situation.”
Arel threw back the covers and stood up on unsteady legs. After a brief glance at the scar on his palm, he put his hand out for William to shake. “After this is over, Will, I promise to sever any connection we’ve had. You’ll be free of me forever, how about that?”
William hesitated. First, he wanted to forget Arel ever existed. Then he was angry as hell when Arel threatened to go off and leave him behind. Only one thing was certain, he needed some type of resolution. He reached out and shook Arel’s hand. “Perhaps that would be for the best.”
Thirty-Four
ELISE TOOK A deep breath trying to calm her nerves. As she sat at the kitchen table, William’s latest news kept repeating in her mind. William had found Arel. It felt like a two-edged sword. She was glad that Arel was okay because she’d been worried that he’d acted out more of his craziness. However, if that wasn’t the case, why did he leave her? She frowned at Annabel who sat across from her. Her old bitterness about the ways of men was back. “So tell me the truth, Annabel, have I made a mistake loving Arel?”
Annabel lowered her gaze and shook her head. “No, but I know you’ve been hurt by what he did.”
Elise felt the bitterness hitting harder. “I’m not just hurt, I’m shocked by how my world has been completely dismantled. I was going along thinking I was the luckiest woman ever. Arel and I couldn’t have been happier these past months. Then, out of the blue, he comes home from London and tells me crazy stuff, stuff that belongs in a fiction book, not real life. But that wasn’t enough. I wake up and find a note saying he’s left me.”
Annabel quickly looked away mutely.
Elise could see her friend was hiding something. “Please, Annabel, if you can help clear up this horror show I’m facing, tell me what’s going on.”
Annabel finally stared at Elise straight on. “I don’t know how to do that.”
“What do you mean?”
Annabel clasped her hands and put them on the table. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but crazy or not, Arel’s confession wasn’t fiction.”
Elise stared back at Annabel with her mouth hanging open. She didn’t think she could feel any more confused than she already felt, but she was speechless. When she regained her ability to talk, she blurted out her fears. “What? Are you crazy too?”
Annabel let out a little laugh. “Maybe I am. I keep trying to make sense of my life, but sometimes I don’t know how to feel about anything.”
Elise crossed her arms. “Arel said you used to be an angel.”
Her accusation seemed to make Annabel cringe. She pulled back and swiped at her eyes. “Whatever, I’m no angel now.”
Elise was immediately sorry she’d said the wrong thing. “Annabel, please, forgive me.”
Annabel’s cheeks were already wet with tears. “I’m sorry too. I’ve tried to be brave, I really have. But I’m petrified most of the time because I love a man who’s always doing things that frighten me to death.”
Elise stood up and hurried over to Annabel. In spite of not having a clue about Arel and the current state of her life, she did know she cared about Annabel. The woman was as gentle and kind as she was beautiful. She put her arm around Annabel’s shoulder. “Please don’t cry.”
Instead of heeding Elise’s plea, Annabel hugged herself and began to weep more openly. “Oh, Elise, we might lose both of them.”
Elise pulled Annabel into an embrace. “Exactly who are you talking about?”
“William and Arel! There’s a monster on the loose, and he wants them both dead!”
“Monster? What monster?”
Annabel pulled back, her eyes flashing with alarm. “That man you saw in your dreams, Elise. He’s the man who attacked Peggy. He’s not some dream image.”
Elise’s legs felt suddenly weak when she remembered the man Annabel was talking about. Annabel was right. He did look like a monster. She put his cruel sneer out of her mind when Arel slapped her cheeks and woke her up. Now, the man’s black, merciless eyes came back in a flash. “But Annabel, he couldn’t get to me. He was just some dream weirdo who was trying to scare me.”
Annabel started crying again. “You have no idea about any of it. He couldn’t hurt you because Arel was protecting you.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re not making sense. How could Arel protect me in a dream?”
Annabel shook her head. “I shouldn’t be talking to you about any of this. Arel should be explaining it all.”
Elise thought about the note Arel left and felt her temper flare. “In case I have to remind you, the scoundrel ran out on me!”
Before Annabel could reply, the doorbell ran
g. Freddie had been asleep in his basket, but he woke up, instantly alert and ran for the door barking.
Elise started for the door too. “I think that’s Peggy. She called earlier and asked if she could stop over.”
Annabel hurried after Elise. “Elise, please don’t say anything about Arel telling you he was a vampire.”
Elise turned and glared back. “I draw the line at people being vampires, Annabel. I refuse to believe in such a thing.”
Annabel nodded vigorously. “I agree. He wasn’t really a vampire. He had a virus that made him think he was. It was a long time ago.”
The doorbell rang again, and Freddie began to bark more excitedly.
Elise stopped and faced Annabel. “And how long ago are we talking about?”
Annabel rubbed at her forehead. “Please stop asking me questions, Elise.” She started for the stairs to the lower level. “I’m sorry, but I have to lie down. I have an awful headache.”
Elise could see Annabel was distressed, but the doorbell rang a third time. She decided she better answer it.
* * * * *
Peggy stood at Arel’s front door biting her lip and trying to be patient. Tim had wanted to come with her and bring along little Sara, but she convinced him to stay at home and babysit. She needed to talk to Arel alone. When she’d called his home phone earlier, Elise had answered. Peggy could tell Elise wasn’t herself, but Elise got off the phone so quickly. Peggy didn’t have time to find out what the matter was.
Peggy rang the bell a third time. When the door finally opened, Elise stood in the doorway. She was trying to hold on to Freddie as the pup squirmed in her arms. He was determined to welcome Peggy in. Normally, Peggy couldn’t resist Freddie, but she was too upset to pet him. “Elise, please, I need to talk to Arel. Could you tell him I’m here?”
Elise invited Peggy in and hesitated. After she put Freddie down, she took out a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “Sorry Peggy, I can’t tell Arel anything. He’s gone.”