by Jen L. Grey
The ground appears to be one large fluffy cloud. The sun is high above in a light purple sky and it sparkles against the moisture of the ground giving it a magical appearance. Angels fly from place to place as they go about their business. It’s almost as if you’re looking at a picture of someone’s depiction of heaven.
“Any day now.” Becca mumbles.
Shit, what’s going on with me. My parents’ lives are at stake and I’m over here just staring at where I need to go. I reach out and touch Becca’s arm pushing the picture towards her.
She takes a sharp intake of breath. “Wow.” She clears her throat. “Okay, got it.” She tightens her grip on my hand and then lifts her other hand out in a circle. As her fingers make the motion, a trail of purple color follows her fingertips. When she connects it, the purple begins to swirl and shift. She drops my hand. “Let’s go”
It’s strange. I’ve been wanting her help for weeks, and now that I have it, I’m not sure it’s for the best. She has to go with me, but she’s not the same. At this point, I don’t have a better option. “I’ll go first.” I step through the portal as fast as I can. Maybe some distance from Damien will do Becca some good.
The instant my foot steps down on the other side, I sink. Holy crap. Am I going to fall through? Is that why all the angels were flying instead of standing? I search around for something to grab onto but there is nothing there. However, my body is going forward at such a fast speed, I can’t prevent the rest of me from falling through. I land in a puff as some clouds catch my fall. Oh, thank god, I didn’t fall through. There is no telling how far I would fall.
A second later Becca comes through the portal and slips face first.
I scramble up and waddle my way over to her. “Hey, are you okay?”
“What the hell is this?” She attempts to push herself up.
“It’s clouds.” I shrug. “I guess.” I grab her hand and help her up. “It has a little give, we just have to get used to walking on it.”
We both take a few minutes and make a slow trek to the white building in the distance. It looks just like the one where the vial should be. After a few minutes, the sinking begins to feel more normal and we stop struggling as much.
“You okay?” I shouldn’t care with her bad attitude toward me and all, but I still feel responsible for how everything turned out for her.
“Yeah, let’s keep going.” She groans.
Sometimes I forget she’s still human and this is harder on her than me. Just as we get to the building, I notice there aren’t any doors to the building. The entire place is wide open. Anyone can get in or out. What the hell is up with that? If I had a precious artifact, I would have it guarded. And speaking of which, I don’t think there has been one angel I’ve seen.
Becca walks into the building and sighs. “What a freaking relief.” She bounces on her toes. “At least the floor is normal in here.”
“That might be the only good thing.” Something is wrong. We’re missing an important piece to this puzzle.
Her gaze follows mine. “What’s wrong?”
“Have you noticed any angels since we’ve been here?” Please tell me you have. Even though, I’m sure someone would have stopped us and asked questions.
She bites her lip. “Actually…. No.”
“Me neither.” I sigh. “And this place,” I glance at the non-existent walls. “If you were housing a rare, powerful object, would you hide it here?”
“Are you kidding me?” Her hazel eyes harden. “Did you bring us here for no reason?”
“No, it’s here.” It has to be. One, my seeker abilities brought me here and two even the guy with the crystal didn’t want me to come here. It has to be, but what am I missing? “It has to be here.” I turn and find the pedestal I remember seeing it in. It has to be some kind of illusion. They are angels and arrogant. I take off toward the container.
“Where are you going?” Becca stomps.
I climb the stairs and make my way to where the vial should be sitting. “It has to be an illusion. I’m going to get it.” I reach out and cup my hands and scoop up…. Air. My heart drops. No.
“Will you just stop it?” Becca pulls at the ends of her hair. “I’m not an idiot. Will you just stop messing with me?”
What is she blubbering about? I don’t have time to deal with whatever tantrum she has going on. “Can you just be quiet? I’m trying to figure this all out.”
“Stop messing with me.” Her hand shakes as she points at me. “You think I’ll take the Angel’s Breath back to Damien, don’t you?”
Is she wanting to do this now? I glance down, and she has both hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed at me. Yep, she does. I guess there is no time like the present. “Yes, I do think that. You guys seem awfully buddy-buddy here lately.”
“You left me with him.” Her mouth drops open. “You freaking put me in his care until he gets his piece of the deal, which so happens to be the crystal. I don’t give a rat’s ass if he gets the Angel’s Breath, so you don’t have to worry about me stealing it from you.” She waves her hand around like a crazy woman. “So, you can stop whatever charade you have going on.”
“I didn’t want to put you in his care, Becca.” I drop my hands. Is that what she thinks? “I didn’t know what else to do. If you were away from a reaper, then the council would just assign you as someone else’s target. I thought he was our only option.”
“Well, you aren’t stuck with him and away from your family.” Her body tenses. “I can’t get away. I need to get the crystal, so I can get away.”
Oh, wow. I thought she had fallen for his charms, but maybe it’s the exact opposite. Has he been hurting her? “Has he been doing something to you?” My stomach turns. “Has he hurt you in any way?”
“It’s not that.” She sighs and takes a step back. “I mean … he hasn’t. It’s just … I want my life back.” She rubs the back of her neck. “I want to spend time with my family when I can and hang out with my friends.” She shrugs. “I just want my old life back.”
“Look, even if I hadn’t intervened you wouldn’t have your old life right now.” I’m being a little bit of a jerk, but it’s true. She would be dead. “I’m trying to make this right for you and my parents. I just need a little time.” Maybe she just needs to relax here and have some time to herself. “Why don’t you stay here while I go try to figure out a clue or something?”
“Actually, that sounds like a good idea.” She sighs and sits down on the floor. “I don’t ever get any time for just myself.”
I climb down the stairs and walk to the back corner that hadn’t been explored. “Okay, I’ll be back shortly. Let me see what I can come up with.” The room doesn’t look huge, but the further I walk the longer it seems to get. What the hell is going on? Is this even possible?
Maybe I should go back. I turn and startle. It’s as if I’ve traveled miles down this hallway. How long have I been walking? I pull out my phone, but it’s dead. I’m such a freaking idiot. Did I expect it to work up here? There is no telling how far up we are. I better get back to Becca before she gets alarmed. This keeps getting better and better. I close my eyes and shake my head.
As soon as my eyes close, the crystal pops to mind. You’ve got to be kidding me. This whole going back between artifacts is giving me whiplash. I’m freaking here in the clouds because it kept pointing here and now I’m here it’s going to show me the crystal. I’m so close to laying on the ground and thrashing around like a toddler. No one is around so it’s not like anyone would see, but what would that help?
Plopping down on the ground, I wrap my arms around my legs. Maybe I can check in with the guy who has the crystal before getting back to her. I had to cut off our conversation earlier. I lock in on him instead of the crystal. I zoom in on him and he’s in a sterile hotel room with his bags empty on the bed.
He turns so he’s facing me and glares. “You’ve really messed up.”
Like I haven’t heard that on
e before. “If you think that’s original, it’s not.” Maybe I should just roll around on the ground. It’s sounding like a better option than this. “What did I do now?”
“This is the problem with fate.” He lifts a sword from the bed and shakes his head. “Why are the clueless ones always the strong ones?”
“Okay, none of that is my fault.” Is he trying to blame me for that? If I had it my way, Beth would be alive, and we would be somewhere together doing what normal reapers do. “So … whatever you have going on is not helping.”
“Someone got the crystal.” He takes a step in front of a window which casts sunlight all over his body. His skin reflects it, causing a small shimmer to shine.
“What? How?” For some reason, I assumed it was safe with him. It’s absurd, but I just knew.
“Trust me.” His jaw clenches and body tightens. “I’ve been asking the same question.”
Holy shit. Wait … Is that okay to think in this realm? “Who took it?”
“Do you think I’d be standing here having this conversation with you if I knew?” Those dark, creepy eyes land on me and his mouth turns to a snarl.
Fair point. “Did you let the angels know?”
“No.” He digs through some papers on the bed. “You need to let them know. You’re up there with them anyways.”
“Not exactly.” We’ve been up here no telling how long and I still haven’t passed by a single one. It’s deserted. “It’s like they all are gone.”
“Did you expect to show up at the portal and they welcome you there with open arms?” His tone is full of arrogance.
“Well, no.” He has a point, but I expected angels to be around. “But I thought some would be in sight.”
He runs a hand down his face and groans. “See. This is what I mean.” He huffs. “They won’t appear until you prove your worth. So … figure it out. I have a crystal to find.” He turns his back on me.
Well, I guess we’re done here. I pull back to the Angel Realm and blink a few times before locking in on the crystal. Here’s hoping no one has blocked it this time.
My heart skips a beat when the all too familiar YOLO hat comes into view. The head rises, and Brad’s face comes right into view. He’s holding the crystal, which contrasts against the dark pair of gloves he’s wearing.
“What are you doing?” Please God let me be able to rationalize with him. Let him understand the council shouldn’t have this kind of power.
His footsteps don’t even pause as he continues the trek to his car. He’s rushing down the road into a parking lot, and he opens the trunk of a dark, black SUV. There is some kind of wooden box in the back.
“Brad, stop it.” Why is he ignoring me? Can he not hear me? “Brad.”
Not even pausing, he grabs the wooden box and looks around then over his shoulder. Then with shaky hands, he takes a key out of his pocket and opens the box. The inside of the box is lined with red velvet material. He places the Earth Crystal in the center and it fits in the slot as if it’s made for it. Then he shuts the box.
As soon as it’s shut, my vision goes black and I’m tossed back to the Angel Realm. How was he able to steal that from the guardian and what was that box? Did the council give that to him?
I’ve got to get back and figure this all out. I stand and glance around. It’s strange because now there are sparkles in the wall. They are all white and blink in sync. I head back in the same direction I came from, taking in the stark difference when something flashes.
A blue light amongst the white, similar to the color of the vial of Angel’s Breath, blinks in rapid motion. I take a few steps up to the archway that holds it and reach out. When my fingers touch it, everything flashes, and the world sweeps away.
Chapter Fourteen
The air swirls around me and then it slows down and begins to focus. As the room comes into view, I take in a shaky breath. It’s the same as before but yet not at all. It has the same white walls with blinking white lights, but it’s not open. The walls extend all the way down to the ground losing the open and airy feeling from whatever I was in before. But that’s not what the stark difference between then and now is.
It’s the angels that surround me.
I turn in a slow motion and find angels everywhere. Some are flying by on their way to somewhere, and there is a group of four standing in a corner staring at one another not saying a word. Holy shit, how did I get here? Is it that freaking blue light?
Now is the time to get back to Becca. I face the original direction and come face to face with five angels whose eyes are locked on me. If I thought the demon was handsome before, he is ugly compared to them. The man in the middle has porcelain skin and eyes the color of starlight with wings white as snow. He’s two inches taller than me, but his presence is commanding.
There are two men flanking him on each side. The one on the left has two inches on him. He has olive skin and his dark blue eyes stare at me. His wings are white but have a blue shimmer reflecting the light off them. The angel on the right of the man in the center has a large sword in his hand. His chocolate skin is a deep contrast to the other two, including his stark white eyes. His wings are all silver and a tense jagged form.
Two ladies are on the edge of the group. The one next to the olive toned angel is running her hands through her silky blonde hair. She has a smooth complexion and bright blue eyes. The woman on the other side has bright red hair and a matching top. She has her arms crossed and her pink toned wings are out behind her.
If I thought I felt inferior in front of the council before, I was wrong. I feel as if I’m two feet tall in this room. The weight of their stare feels as if they can see everything I’ve ever done wrong inside me. The frowns on their face almost confirms that they can.
The man in the center with snow white wings steps forward. “Hello, Christina. I’m Jerab. Welcome to the Angel Realm.” His voice is strong and echoes through my head.
How do I even respond to that? I mean I have to say something, right? “Uh … Thanks? Look…. We have a problem.”
“Yes, we already know.” He holds a hand up and glances at the angels on both sides of him. “Someone has stolen the Earth Crystal.”
Wait, how’d they know that? “How long have you known that?”
“Just now,” He tilts his head, “We’ve been watching you.”
Are they freaking insane? “So, you’re telling me I’ve been wandering around while you’ve been just standing there watching me?”
“Yes.” He blinks which causes his eyes to shine brighter. “You are not an angel after all.”
Yeah, that’s not news to me. They truly are arrogant. “Well, I hope you got what you were looking for.”
“Not really,” Jerab scratches the back of his neck, “it wasn’t very telling.”
What does that mean? “Well, I was lost and not sure where to go so I’m sure it was rather boring.”
“What are your intentions?” He tilts his head and stares deep into my eyes.
Wow, straight to the point, huh? “If you were watching me, wouldn’t you know what my intentions are?”
“No, we do not.” He taps his fingers to his lips. “All we know is you want us to know about the Earth Crystal, but why?”
“Because the council shouldn’t have it.” I throw up my hands. Are they freaking serious? They should have heard that part.
“But who should?” Jerab crosses his arms and leans back.
That is a loaded question and I don’t know the answer. Just not them. “I… I don’t know.”
The male angel on his right with the dark skin steps forward with his short knife in hand. His mouth twists into a grin and his silver wings spread out. “Let’s see if you’re worthy.”
Oh, hell no. He’s going to fight me. I glance around and there is no escaping. There are angels everywhere and the other four in the group are now circling me, so I can’t leave.
“It’ll be fast.” He raises the sword over his head and swings
down.
Letting my training slide into gear, I twist out of the way and the sword hits air. I’ve got to get him to drop it or I’m going to be out before it even begins. “So, you have to use a big sword against a reaper? Can’t have an even playing field?”
“What?” His eyes widen and his nostrils flare. “No. I can take you bare handed. I don’t need a sword.” He throws it down and on the side.
Thank god. That at least saved me some injuries.
His wings begin to flap, and he lifts off the ground. He flies up in the dome to the point I can just make out his outline.
Is he just going to drop out of the sky or come at me at an angle? I scan the area and listen to every sound.
Soon something sounds as if it’s falling out of the sky. I look up and there is a dark silver bullet circling out of the sky. Holy shit, that has to be him. I keep my eye on him and it’s hovering right above me, barreling down on me and every time I move, it follows me. I wasn’t trained for this. He presses right down on me and I lay on the ground. I don’t know why but my instincts kick in. At the last second I roll, and he hits me right in the side, causing pain to course through my side. Holy shit.
I check my side and blood is pouring out. I touch it with my fingers and there is a stab wound there. How is that possible? I glance over to him and one of his feathers is drenched in blood.
He smirks. “Feathers can be sharp as knives when needed.”
What the hell? Aren’t angels supposed to be good and holy? That is not the case. I reach down and put pressure on my wound. It’s warm and wet to the touch. I stand and walk over to him. “It’s good to know you have no morals.”
“You think this is no morals?” He laughs. “I was up front about what I was doing, and you had a clue what was going to happen. There were no surprises. I can’t help it that you are weak, but you are from Earth after all, so it’s to be expected.”
Wow, he’s a charmer. Not wanting to hear anymore, I charge him and go to elbow him in the face, but he dodges, so all I get is arm.