by Piper Hannah
I was blushing. I just know it. Instinctively, I tried to break the silence with more questions. Keep him talking, and maybe he won’t notice that my cheeks just turned a bright red.
“How old are you, anyway?” I asked, squinting so I can see his face in the dark. Unfortunately, squinting did not help me see better. I pointed my flashlight back up to his face. He leaned away from the light and raised an arm to cover his eyes. I turned the flashlight off.
“You mark your calendar by years,” he said. “We mark it by periods. Each period may consist of five hundred to about one thousand years.”
“And how many periods have you seen?”
“Five hundred and ten.”
“And that’s how many years in Earth-years?”
“A little over four hundred thousand years. I don’t really have an exact number.”
That little tidbit of information was a bit of a shocker. I always knew that he was much older than me. “Wow. That’s a lot of candles to blow out on top of a birthday cake,” I said. “You are so ancient. You must have guarded so many people.”
“I have,” he said sadly.
He didn’t have to say it, but the people he guarded – they were all humans - and they all must be dead by now. Sadly, I will be like them one day – dead – and Luke’s life as an angel will still go on. Eventually, he will move on to the next human to guard. Suddenly, I felt depressed.
“You’re the best one I have guarded,” he said. “You’re my favorite human, and I… dream about you sometimes.”
Really? That did make me feel a lot better. He didn’t outright say that he liked me, but maybe that was just a guy thing. Dreaming about me meant that I burrowed my way in his subconscious somewhere, and the way he said it made my heart melt… and my heart beat faster… and maybe I am blushing right now. It’s a good thing that it’s dark out here.
Still… I wasn’t ready to tell him how I felt and that I was falling in love with him. We can never be together. I know that, but it didn’t stop me from thinking of the possibility. It was driving me nuts, but I don’t blame Luke. I never blame him. It wasn’t his fault that he was angel or that he was perfect. Instead, I blamed another angel whose arrows must have pierced my heart - Cupid. I wonder if they knew each other.
“I see you all of the time from my window. You don’t sleep. How could you dream at all?”
“I do sleep. Rarely, but I do, and when I dream, I dream of the most beautiful things - things that make me happy.”
Like me. I smiled, and because I had no shame, I said, “You could sleep with me.” He looked at me in shock.
“I meant you can put your head on a pillow and just sleep,” I clarified because that was what I really, really meant. (Notice the two ‘reallys’ here. That’s because two ‘reallys’ always equals the truth. Honest. Scout’s honor.)
Luke laughed. “I don’t think I need that kind of temptation.”
I bit my tongue to prevent myself from saying something more. I decided to change the subject quickly. That was my specialty lately, and let me tell you, I was a very good subject-changer. It kind of came naturally with trying to dodge the truth all of the time.
CHAPTER 16
It was a quiet Sunday morning when I left my house to walk Buffy around the block. As soon as I shut the front door, I felt a slight breeze from Luke’s large wings as he landed next to me. His footsteps were silent, just like his breathing, but I always seem to know when he was around.
Buffy made a quick abrupt change in direction and instead of pulling me forward, she turned around facing Luke. She wagged her tail and moved from side to side, begging for Luke’s attention. Luke bent down and patted her head, scratching behind her ears. Satisfied that she had been acknowledged by my angel, Buffy went on her merry way as she set the pace. She pulled me forward, and the three of us walked together down the street. This has become one of our routines in the last two months.
I’m still amazed that Buffy could see Luke when nobody else can. As Luke explained, the senses of animals are often sharper than humans. Apparently, humans weren’t that sharp. Well, actually, I am.
“Can you do something, like carry a spoon in front of Emma, so she would believe me when I tell her about you? I mean, how else would she explain a floating spoon? She would have to believe me.” Emma was getting relentless in her attempts to meet my ‘zing’ guy, also known to her as Bruce Wayne, and honestly, I just wanted her to know.
“It doesn’t work that way,” he said. “Humans aren’t supposed to see us, and I cannot do anything to prove that angels exist. There are rules I need to follow.”
“But wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone believed that angels existed? Religious people will be more religious and non-religious people will believe.” So simple. No big deal… and the world’s problems would be resolved.
“The little miracles that happen everyday are enough for the world,” he said.
I sighed. “But I see you, and it’s killing me inside knowing that I’m the only one who can. It’s making me think that I’m crazy all over again.”
“You’re not crazy.”
“How do I know that? I mean, you could be a delusion telling me you’re not a delusion. So, I don’t think you’re very credible right now. ‘You’re not crazy.’ Yeah. That’s probably something delusions are trained to say before a crazy person throws herself off the side of the building.”
“You are not crazy, Paige,” Luke insisted. His lips tightened into a straight line. “Do you ever feel crazy?” he asked.
“Real crazy people never do.”
“But, when you are with me, do you feel crazy?”
All the time… and I don’t know if it’s because I’m falling in love with you, and feeling crazy is what love is supposed to feel like. All I know is that I’ve never felt this way before, and it is driving me… yes, I’m going to say it, crazy.
Luke stopped walking all of a sudden, and he looked up at the sky. Buffy looked up, too, and started barking. I stopped to see what the commotion was all about. That was the only warning I got before I saw a male angel with dark golden hair and golden skin shoot down from the sky like a rocket and land three houses down the street. He landed on the sidewalk with his black wings extended, with one knee and both fists on the cement, his gaze on the ground. This one was a dramatic one - I could tell. In the last couple of months that I’ve known Luke, I’ve never seen Luke land like that. This golden, black-winged, drama-prince got up, and his wings retracted behind him. He approached us slowly as if he had all the time in the world. Drah…mah.
I paused, my eyes wide, and not knowing how to react. The happy days of running away seemed to be gone. After all, I had my very own guardian angel standing beside me, my personal bodyguard who can protect me, but I still couldn’t stop my body’s natural reaction to black wings. It’s a basic human response. My body tensed automatically. The black wings signified danger somehow, and by looking at him, I thought that maybe I had something to fear from this one. He came from that hot place, my mind reasoned, the place with fire and smoke. Instinctively, I pulled Buffy’s leash closer to me and leaned closer to Luke.
Even from a distance, I could tell that this new guy was also very handsome. His features were very similar to Luke, except for his dark golden hair, and he was wearing the same brown pants made of a similar material; linen, I think. No shirt, no shoes, and definitely a big problem. He was closer now, and I could tell that he was as tall as Luke.
“Who’s the devil?” I whispered. The words were brave, but my voice quivered.
“That would be Joshua. He’s a friend,” Luke said softly as we watched his devil ‘friend’ approach us.
“Greetings,” Joshua said. His voice was very deep and gravelly like rumbling thunder. He looked at me directly, and I saw that his eyes were also purple. “You could call me a demon, but you could not possibly confuse me with the devil. That would just be evil.” He smirked, touching his forehead. “
See, here. I don’t have any horns… yet.”
Luke chuckled, and I cringed. Aside from being afraid of the demon, I was also embarrassed that the demon heard me. I should have known that he would have super hearing like Luke.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “The black wings kind of threw me off.” I felt sick to my stomach. Apparently, I was seeing demons now. I think I would rather see dead people. Hmmm. Well, come to think of it, not really. The thought of seeing dead people was just as appalling. But demons? Come on… Really? I was just getting used to seeing one angel.
Joshua turned his attention to Luke. “It’s getting harder and harder to find you, brother,” Joshua said. I was a little confused since Luke said he was a friend. I didn’t know that angels had brothers, or even family.
Looking at Joshua, I could see the grimness in his face. It was very plain to see because of the dark shadows around his eyes. It was as if he was badly in need of sleep.
“You should get a cell phone,” Joshua said, smirking. “Humans certainly find those things very useful.”
Luke laughed. “I don’t think we can get reception where we’re from.”
The demon turned towards me. “So you are the one keeping our Luke busy,” he said.
Right… to keep me away from demons like you, but whatever. I shrugged. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to a demon, even a friendly one. The good-old me would have just done the good old-thing and run away. Nowadays, I’m sticking around, trying to figure out what’s up with this demon. What was I doing?
I glanced up and found Joshua staring at me with a frown. “Your aura,” he said as he waved a hand towards me. “It’s really bright.”
Joshua rubbed his chin with one hand. He was deep in thought, and I felt Luke stiffening beside me. Luke had said something to me about my aura before. I wonder what my aura meant to a demon.
Joshua shook his head.
“What are you two doing?” he asked.
“We’re walking the dog,” I said when I finally found my voice.
“Yes, I could see that, but what are you two doing… together?” he asked.
“Walking the dog,” Luke said, and I almost giggled. I appreciated the back-up.
“I know you understand what I am trying to tell you, and you,” he pointed one finger at Luke, “should really know better.”
“What brings you here?” Luke asked. He said it softly and still in a friendly way, but there was something else in his voice that indicated that he didn’t want to be bothered. As interesting as this Joshua demon-fellow seemed to be, he made me feel uncomfortable, and I was quickly sensing that he didn’t like Luke being with me at all. I think it had something to do with me being able to see them.
Joshua sighed. “I wanted to give you a message,” he said, “just like the good old days, I suppose.”
The demon looked at my dog. Buffy growled on the ground. Joshua bent down and patted Buffy’s head. Buffy yelped, tilted her head, and bit the back of his hand. Joshua pulled his hand quickly, and I saw the blood on his skin. Before the blood had a chance to ooze out, his wound closed as it healed.
I pulled Buffy’s leash and picked her up to protect her from the demon. I didn’t know if Joshua would retaliate for the bite.
“She’s just a little Chihuahua,” I said, “No harm done.”
“A Chihuahua?” Joshua scoffed. “That is not a Chihuahua. That is the ugliest looking long-haired rat I have ever…”
“Joshua…” Luke interrupted, “please tell me why you’re here.”
Joshua growled at Buffy, and Buffy whimpered as she looked away. I clutched her tighter to my chest.
“Can’t I just visit an old friend?” Joshua asked as he rubbed his post-injured hand. “Well, there’s that, but I also wanted to warn you.” He looked at me this time. “Adra is looking for you.”
“Why?” Luke asked. “She’s stayed away from me for the last thousand years. Why now?”
“Who knows? Maybe she’s bored. Hell is boring. We demons don’t have better things to do than look for Guardians to harass.” Joshua gestured towards me with a wave of his hand. “And when she finds you, she is going to see this. Good luck with that.”
I didn’t know who Adra was, but I sensed that it bothered Luke to know that she was looking for him. Whatever it was, it can’t be good. My life suddenly became a little bit more complicated.
With a slight nod in our direction, Joshua quickly turned around. He took three quick steps away from us, leaped in the air, and his black wings flared away from his body. His large wings flapped twice, which carried him higher. I watched him fly in the sky, his black wings stunningly visible. He flew up, up, up, and away, until he was completely hidden in the clouds. I couldn’t look away. Watching demons fly, I found, was just as riveting as watching angels fly.
When I was certain that he was gone, I gently lowered Buffy back to the ground and faced Luke. “So, who’s Adra?” I asked. My voice was light and laced with indifference, but I was agitated. I wanted an answer badly, but I didn’t want to sound like a jealous girlfriend. Adra sounded like a girl’s name, and as the demon said, she was looking for Luke. Why?
Luke ran his fingers through his black hair, clearly exasperated. Was it that bad? I waited for a response.
“She’s a demon,” he finally said. “It’s not good that you can see me. To demons, you’re an anomaly, and you shouldn’t exist.”
I’m not sure I liked the sound of that. It sounded like my life was in danger.
“And I am violating the rules we live by because what I should have immediately done, when you first saw me, was get you a new Guardian - one you could not sense. If the demons cannot violate the rules, they will certainly not let me get away with it. Adra will certainly not let me get away with it. Demons live for something like this - causing chaos. It’s what made them demons in the first place.”
Luke paused, and then, he muttered under his breath, “Demons love to fight, and you will give them a reason.”
Slowly, Luke pulled me against him and hugged me. My check rested on his chest. Our days are already numbered. I could tell.
“Paige, I am not supposed to be with you.”
“But I want you right here next to me,” I said.
We stood like that for a long while. I closed my eyes savoring his nearness. Other than when we are flying, Luke didn’t touch me at all. It was as if he was afraid to do so. Several minutes later, we heard a car coming around the corner. Luke released me, and we broke apart.
I still didn’t know who Adra was, and I didn’t know what to expect, so I decided to hope for the best. I wouldn’t worry about it right now. I trusted Luke enough to know that he wasn’t leaving me yet, at least, not willingly.
CHAPTER 17
The next day, after school, Emma went to her friend’s house to study - whatever that means these days. I always thought that studying was never a group activity, but then maybe that was what popular kids do these days.
Later that evening, since Emma hadn’t called at all, Mom told me to pick her up at nine p.m. My role today was that of a responsible, older sister, so I did what I was told. I found Emma at her friend’s house, and after much grumbling, I managed to drag her to the car. I had a hard time doing it because she was obviously drunk. I had to help her get in the car and buckled her seatbelt like she was a baby. She was sixteen going on three. She is such a baby sometimes.
As I drove home, Emma hiccupped and slouched in her seat. Although there were some cars on the road, there was no traffic, and our house was only ten minutes away.
“Why are you driving soooo sloooow?” she asked giggling. “You’re like going zero miles an hour.”
“How much alcohol did you have?” I asked, turning left onto the main road. “You are so drunk right now.”
“Nah. I only had some punch,” she said. “I didn’t know it had any alcohol.”
I snorted. “That’s the best excuse you could come up with?” I asked. “That’s suc
h a load of crap that there’s another load of crap piled on top of it. You are sooo going to get busted when we get home.” This was the reason Emma didn’t call. She was too busy getting drunk… on a school night.
“Oooooh…you’re so scary.” She giggled again.
“You are so going to feel the heat from Mom and Dad when we get home,” I said. “They’re going to be really mad when they see you.” I stopped for a red light. There were no other cars in front of me.
“I don’t believe you. They never get that mad. It’s why we picked them in the first place, remember?” she said with a grin. “Back when we were dead,” she added in a whisper. “Shhhh. It’s supposed to be a secret.”
At her words, I felt goose bumps all over my body. Remember that we were ever dead? How was I supposed to react to that? I stared at her not knowing what to say.
Then, the silence was broken by Emma’s loud laughter. I gritted my teeth. I just realized that Emma was more drunk than I first realized.
“Emma, what you said was so creepy even for a joke.” Sometimes, I scare easily, and Emma likes to scare me. The traffic light turned green, and I stepped on the gas again, keeping our speed at a steady thirty-five miles per hour.
“Not my fault you don’t remember. DRIVE FASTER!”
I snorted. Right. Like I was going to listen to a drunk sixteen year-old who still didn’t have her driver’s license. It was night-time, and I was just being safe.
“I don’t want to run over any ghosts,” I joked, trying to scare her as much as she had just scared me.
“Ghosts… ooooh… you’re so scary.” Emma giggled, which was abruptly halted by another loud hiccup.
“Okay. Here’s the plan,” I said. “I’ll go in first, and you go around the back. I’ll open the back door so you can sneak in. Go up the stairs quietly while I distract them…”
I stopped talking when I saw something in the middle of the street blocking our lane. I squinted and leaned forward. What the hell? It was a blonde woman in white, her long dress billowing in the wind. Through the windshield, she looked straight at me with curiosity, her gaze serene. I slammed on the brakes at the same time Luke swooped in front of my car, grabbing the girl. My tires screeched to a halt. Emma and I jerked a little bit forward, our seatbelts holding us in place. Emma gasped next to me. My hands gripped the steering wheel hard.