Lavender Fields

by Natalina Reis

  That’s where I’ll find Caleb.

  Stealthily, I followed the angels carrying their charges in hopes they would lead me to the holding cells. After a few close calls, I managed to arrive at my destination undetected. The shock at what I was witnessing almost threw me to the floor. The room was narrow, but it stretched to impossible heights with walls lined with what looked like human-size glass capsules. The angels were placing the ghostly glowing souls into those capsules and locking them within. From where I was hiding, I could see the looks of agony on the faces of the unfortunate souls locked inside. They were like glass tombs, no room to move. According to what I’d learned in Angel Academy as a fledgling, they were made to stand for as long as it took for them to be released into the hands of the evil minions of the Dark One, the big boss of the dark side.

  Every muscle in my body cramped at the thought that Caleb may be one of them. No, he’s alive. I can feel him tugging at my heart. I scanned the room, trying to stay calm in spite of my accelerating heartbeat. The whole room was lined with the horrible capsules and seemed to pulsate with fear and pain.

  It took me a while, but my eyes finally homed in on a small door, easily missed amongst all the rest. There was a weird-looking lock on the outside, like an air lock on a submarine door. My breath caught in my throat. That was it, I was sure. The only place where they could keep a live human being. I had heard rumors in the past of dark angels such as Samael or Lahash taking still-living humans to torture for sport. At the time those stories had been frightening, but now they froze me with horror. What if Samael’s torturing Caleb?

  I waited for what seemed like an eternity, crouched along the wall, scared that the angels lingering around would hear my galloping heart. The moment finally came when the creepy, giant room became empty and quiet, save the muted sounds of moaning coming from the soul capsules. Quickly, I made my way to the door and, grabbing hold of the wheel-like lock, braced my muscles to pry it open. The lock turned easily, and a whooshing sound of trapped air being released echoed through the large space. I cringed, but it wasn’t the time to be afraid. I had to move quickly if I was ever going to rescue Caleb. The door swung open and I peeked inside, afraid of what I may see.

  Caleb was curled up in a corner of the black room, and at the surge of light coming through the open door, he looked up with blind eyes. “Who’s there?” What had they done to him? With relief I realized his eyes, immersed in total darkness for a while, were simply adjusting to the light. He blinked a few times as I approached quietly, afraid to make any sound. “Sky? Is that you?”

  Forgetting he couldn’t see very well, I placed a finger in front of my lips. “Shh. Don’t say anything. They’ll hear us.” Caleb tilted his head like a bird. “The angels outside. We have to move fast. Can you walk?”

  Caleb stood up, supported by the wall behind him. “Yes. My legs are a bit wobbly, but I can move.”

  We were about the same height, his six-odd feet matching mine, but he seemed shorter right then. I realized he was slightly bent at the waist as if something were bothering him. “What’s wrong? Did they hurt you?”

  Caleb shook his head. “No, I’m fine. Just cramping from sitting too long.” I didn’t believe him for a minute. I was very familiar with the body language of pain, and he was indeed in some kind of discomfort. There was no time to hesitate though, so I wrapped an arm around his waist and another behind his knees, preparing to carry him out. “Wait, wait,” he exclaimed suddenly. “What are you? Am I a damsel in distress? And if so, where’s your shining armor?”

  I was in no mood to laugh, even if he seemed inclined to make light of the situation. “I don’t have armor. But I do have wings.” With those words, I unfurled them to their full extent and watched him briefly as his jaw dropped, his eyes rounding like an anime character’s. Angels are strong, and I was no exception. My body may be slim, but my muscles were well-developed and capable of carrying extremely heavy weights. With a swooping motion, I picked him up in my arms and carried him out of the room. A quick survey of the capsule room told me no one was around, and after shutting the door behind me, I raced into the more sheltered space of the mazelike hallways. There I moved even faster, half crouched—as much as I could be with Caleb in my arms—all my senses trained on my surroundings, alert to any noise, any movement. The screwup in me wouldn’t be allowed to mess it up this time.

  Caleb tried to talk once, but I shushed him by placing my lips on his and literally speaking into his mouth. It was imperative he made no sound. He understood and remained as quiet as he could from then on.

  Negotiating the twists and turns of the hallway leading to the main room wasn’t easy. Every turn looked the same and many ended—as in a real maze—in dead ends. It took a lot longer than I had hoped, but eventually we arrived at the end of the maze. It was the hardest—and most dangerous—part of this rescue; to leave the slimy, dark structure, we had to come out of hiding for a few seconds and throw ourselves through a very visible wall. With my complexion and white wings, I stood out like a sore thumb. I looked around for inspiration and my eyes locked on the slimy material that oozed from the walls.

  Gently, I set Caleb down. “Help me cover my wings and hair in this mess.” I was already scooping handfuls and rubbing it all over my blond hair. “I can’t reach the wings. You have to do it.” For a fleeting second I cringed at the thought of the goop covering my pristine and glorious wings—my only pride and joy.

  We finished our camouflage mission within a minute or so as Caleb needed no disguise, his black hair and dark clothes blending well with the rest of the building. “I’m going to pretend to be dragging you.” I placed my hand under his arm with a viselike grasp and, gingerly at first, stepped into the main room, dragging him behind me. I kept my eyes—too blue not to be noticed—on the floor and walked faster toward the closest wall where I surrendered my hold on him.

  “Follow me no matter what.” I wasn’t sure he heard my hushed voice, but when I determinedly walked through the oozing surface, he followed me without hesitation. As soon as we were outside in the overwhelming heat, I scooped him back into my arms and flew without as much as a look behind me. Space, and lots of it, was what we needed between us and that place.

  The goop dripping from every inch of my wings weighed me down slightly, but we reached the portal in no time. On the other side, the air was lighter and more breathable, making my flight easier.

  “You’re an angel too?” It was the first time I’d heard his voice since rescuing him from the horrible sensory deprivation chamber, and it startled me. “Like the guys who took me?”

  I found my voice, even if I was avoiding his eyes. “Not like them. They’re dark angels. I’m an angel of light.” Flying through the clouds made me shiver a little, the moisture in them sticking to my skin like spiderwebs.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Would you have believed me if I did?” Besides, you already knew, fool.

  For a while, the only sound I could hear was the subtle flapping of my wings and not-so-subtle beating of my heart. Caleb was thinking. “Probably not. But then again, I have seen one of you before….”

  “I know. Joan—”

  His body tensed against my chest. “Joan! Is she okay? They did something to her.”

  “She’s fine. They put her to sleep, that’s all.” Well, it was a little more complicated than that, but why explain? She was indeed in good health and that was all that mattered. I took a look behind me to make sure we weren’t being followed. We weren’t. I breathed a little easier. “Are you freaked out? About me being an angel?” Please, don’t be.

  His lips pressed against the bottom of my neck, and the overwhelming heat returned in full force. “You have always been an angel to me and my sister.” His warm tongue flickered across my skin, sending millions of tiny electric shocks through me. “The wings are new, but man, are they sexy.”

  I almost dropped him.

  Together

&nbs
p; ____________

  Making Love

  “Watch it, girl. You’re going to pluck me like a chicken.” Joan was busy cleaning my wings. Neither of us knew exactly what to use to remove that awful gunk from my feathers, but we figured what worked for the fuel-covered ocean animals should work for me as well. Once in a while she became a bit too enthusiastic and I would lose a feather or two. We were like the lizards of the heavenly world; we could grow back our wings almost overnight. Repairing them was more complicated.

  “Stop fidgeting. This isn’t easy, you know.” To give her due credit, she was right. Joan was doing a great job and showing a facet of her personality I didn’t know existed—her patient side. She cleaned each individual feather with the patience of a saint—which was largely overrated, by the way—and never once complained about how long it was taking.

  Caleb, who had been napping in the living room, stared at us with a frown. We were in the kitchen, Joan standing by me while I sat on a barstool. We must have looked almost comical, me with half-white, half-black wings—and let’s not even mention my poor hair—and she with a dripping sponge in one hand and a blow-dryer in the other. Norman Rockwell would’ve had a field day with us. I noticed Caleb was still slightly bent at the waist but chose not to say anything so as not to worry his sister.

  “So, let me get this straight. Joan knew you were an angel all along?” He sat down on the next barstool, grabbing another sponge and joining his sister in cleaning my wings. The mere idea of his fingers touching my feathers made me shiver in pleasure.

  “I’m not as thick as you.” Joan never wasted an opportunity to ruffle her sibling’s metaphorical feathers.

  Caleb threw the wet sponge at her and an all-out sponge war began. By the time it was over, we were all soaking wet, as were the floor and every wall around us. My wings were whiter though.

  While they were finishing the cleanup, I grabbed the bottle of Dawn and marched to the bathroom. “I’m going to take an old-fashioned shower and see if I can get rid of this gunk once and for all.” No one protested.

  There were still some blackish spots here and there, but after the hot shower I was fresh and cleaned of the evil goo. I had been careful to wash it all down the drain and then pour the bleach I found under the sink after it—there was no telling what that stuff could do. I dried myself with a large fluffy towel, put a pair of clean joggers on, and left the bathroom within a cloud of vapor mist.

  Caleb was watching me from the end of the short corridor, his eyes devouring every inch of my body. My stomach clenched, as did my more intimate parts. I gulped, the first stirrings of desire taking a firm hold of me.

  “Where’s Joan?” My voice broke and stuck in my throat. If his eyes could do that to me, I trembled at the thought of what his hands could do.

  “Study group for the next couple hours.” Caleb uttered the words with a half smile. “And if I know her, ice cream afterward. We have the house to ourselves.” Like a caress, his velvety voice brought a shimmer of heat to my skin.

  “What do you propose we do, then? I was looking forward to a quiet movie afternoon.” I’m not sure where I found the strength to make a joke. My whole body shook in anticipation of what his eyes were promising.

  Caleb treaded forward, his eyes never leaving mine until he stood in front of me. “I can think of a thing or two we could do.” He lifted his hand and swiped it slowly from the bottom of my neck all the way down my bare chest. I swallowed a moan and swelled at his touch. Lavender and green followed his hand down until his fingers dangled from the low waist of my pants, hooking into the drawstrings. A devilish smile stretched across his lips and crinkled the corners of his eyes. I loved that smile.

  “Hell, Caleb. You’re driving me crazy.” I covered his hand with mine and brought it to my lips. “Are you sure you’re okay for this?”

  Fanning his fingers across my mouth, Caleb caressed my face, neck, shoulder, and down my arm. I felt as if I were glowing like a star. Incapable of standing still any longer, I slid my hand under his T-shirt, then across his sides and along his ribcage. To feel him shiver at my touch was as exhilarating as the fluttering of his fingers around the waist of my joggers.

  With a groan, Caleb, hand flattened on my chest, pushed me backward until my back was against a wall. His lower body, crushed against mine, left no doubt as to how much he wanted me. There was no hiding my desire either as our bodies rubbed and tugged against each other. I pulled on his shirt and he raised his hands high above his head, inviting me to undress him. As I stripped him of the T-shirt—slowly, enjoying every inch of naked skin I revealed—my whole being vibrated as if a current of electricity raced through me. I hadn’t felt so alive in a very long time, and I realized I missed it.

  Our lips connected again in a hungry kiss. I couldn’t get enough of his flavor, his heat. Our tongues entangled in a delicious, exciting dance. My muscles clenched and released to the rhythm of my heart beating at the speed of light.

  Without realizing it, my feet floated above the ground, my white wings flapping gently as I gripped Caleb’s waist, supporting him. He chuckled against my lips. “You’ve swept me off my feet. Literally.”

  I gently brought us down and pushed Caleb away from me just enough to look at his magnificent body. “I may be the angel, but you have a body that would put any angelic creature to shame.” My fingers sought the button on his jeans and struggled with it. “I’m really bad with buttons.” I laughed softly and almost cried out in relief when it finally came undone.

  My hands were shaking as I began pulling his jeans down. Caleb stopped me, his hand covering mine and his eyes burning. “Let me.” In a few seconds he was naked, and I was hyperventilating. Get it together, angel. You’ve seen more than your share of naked people. Which was true, of course. But they were mostly dead. Caleb was very much alive.

  “May I?” So intent on soaking in the artwork that was Caleb, I almost missed his request. He had hooked his fingers in the drawstring of my joggers and was gently pulling the knot apart. Having lost my power of speech, I nodded, half-dazed.

  Caleb followed my pants down, and I thought I would die of pleasure when he wrapped his lips around my arousal. I threw my head back and arched against his mouth in pure ecstasy.

  “Holy shit, Caleb. I may explode.” His hands were on my backside, caressing, bringing me closer. Afraid I couldn’t handle it anymore, I pulled away. I needed to be even closer to him.

  Shivering, I kissed him again, hard and long. Caleb whimpered against my mouth and I swelled further. Urgency colored my moves as I stumbled, still half wrapped around him, along the hallway and into the bedroom where we dropped onto the bed. Caleb fumbled with something on his bedside table. “Condom.” Not wasting any time, he unwrapped it and rolled the lubricated condom on me, his touch drowning me in waves of pleasure. I wasn’t going to last much longer.

  “You know I love you, right?” Shit. It came out without warning. I was scared I may have ruined everything with my sentimental crap, but Caleb smiled at me. A smile that lit up the room and made me throb with yearning. He turned his back to me, my arm curving around his hips to touch him. His moan of pleasure was all the invitation I needed; I plunged inside him and we were one. It felt better than good. Being one with him was right, like Heaven. Better than Heaven. It was like finally being home.

  In the aftermath of love, we lay together, my head on his shoulder, his hand playing with the loose curls of my hair. I couldn’t resist exploring his body in a fluttering of fingers across his chest, his stomach. I noticed an ugly bruise stretching from one side of him to the other. When I touched it, he recoiled lightly. “Where did you get this?” Even though his body had been badly bruised in the accident, I was certain that one hadn’t been there before. It looked almost like a burn, his skin blistered here and there along the bruise.

  “It’s nothing.” Brushing it off wasn’t going to work for me anymore. He was obviously in pain. I lifted my head and looked him in the eye. “
The angels used something on me, not sure what it was.”

  I sat up, my hand on his stomach. “They tortured you, didn’t they?” His eyes hid from mine. “Those sons of bitches. They’ll pay for that.” Even though I knew my angel DNA would never allow me to actually be violent, I meant it. Maybe I wouldn’t hurt them physically, but I would figure out a way of getting them back for what they’d done to Caleb. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you or my sister.” He sounded almost apologetic, as if the whole thing had been his fault. “It’s nothing. It didn’t last long. I’m just a little sore, that’s all.”

  Turning on my side, I allowed my wings to stretch out. I curled my left leg over Caleb’s and cocooned us in a cloud-like sheath with my wings. My lips pressed to his neck, I shuddered in sudden realization that his ordeal was far from over. It was all my fault. Drunk with love, I had precipitated a series of events that didn’t bode well for Caleb or me. Only I wasn’t worried about myself. Que sera, sera. It was what may happen to the man I loved that worried me sick.

  “How come you never talk about it?” The question came from nowhere. I had thought about it, but why was I bringing it up right then of all times?

  “Talk about what?” Caleb asked.

  “The other angel you saw the day of your parents’ accident.” I regretted bringing it up as soon as it was out of my mouth. How insensitive of me to bring up such a delicate, painful memory. I was normally a lot more aware of emotional boundaries.

  Caleb glanced over at me, a question in his eyes. “How did you know about the angel?”

  I chuckled. “Your sister told me.”