Falter

  Droplets of water all over the room crashed to the floor, freed from their static state, and gathered into winding streams that rolled along the floor then disappeared between the floorboards.

  Finding the courage and strength to move, I slowly eased up on my elbows, grimacing at the pain that remained in my back. My eyes darted across the room where Gavyn was propped up against the bar stool behind him, peering up into the pool above. The demon crouched on the floor convulsing, stalking me with its black eyes. George’s corpse lay motionless, pinned between the futon and the leather chair that smash against each other during the chaos.

  The room was eerily quiet. No painful moaning, no screeching, no whistling wind. Nothing. The invisible power was harnessed for the moment, but a building tension in the atmosphere indicated it would not be contained for much longer.

  Through the silvery water above, I saw the blurry figure on the other side growing larger. It was almost here. I crawled across the floor towards Gavyn, realizing that I didn’t really want to be that close when the thing came through after all.

  My eyes settled on Gavyn’s mouth when I reached his side. He was yelling at me, but I couldn’t hear him. Had I gone deaf from the noise? He repeated something again, but finally gave up when he realized I wasn’t getting it.

  The moment I tucked myself against Gavyn’s side, something broke through the glassy surface on the ceiling. My eyes focused on the object, and my mouth fell open.

  The water gave way to large, bare feet. Ten toes, high arches, solid heels. They were human—not at all what I expected. Then, toned calves and strong muscular thighs slipped through. The figure lowered one section at a time from beyond the shiny liquid, each part as human looking as the last.

  The being wore a tightly fitted, brown leather shirt with the front laced up by a leather cord, barely covering the chiseled blocks of muscle beneath the fabric. His bulging arms strained though the sleeveless openings of his shirt and twitched as he tightened his fingers into powerful fists at his sides. Wide strips of leather, reaching from his waist to his knees, fastened to one another with metal studs in a skirt-like pattern. Hints of soft, red fabric peeked through the slits of the heavy leather when he spread his legs slightly, anticipating the landing.

  My gaze drifted to the gleaming sword fastened to his right hip. It was heavily jeweled with a gold-plated hilt that looked worn in some spots where his fingers likely rubbed during use. He wore a short dagger on his other hip, plainly decorated on the handle but ornately beveled along its sharp, waved edge. He reminded me of a Trojan warrior, down to the protective clothing he squeezed himself into, the weapons on his belt, and the fierce confidence he conveyed.

  When the descent was complete, a dangerously masculine and unnaturally attractive man stood in the middle of Gavyn’s living room, studying his surroundings carefully. Surprisingly enough, I wasn’t afraid—I wanted to get closer. I wanted to touch him.

  A strange serenity radiated throughout the room and masked the fear I probably should have felt. I could feel the weight of Gavyn’s eyes on me as I began to crawl toward the man, but I needed to get closer.

  The sight of the warrior conjured a heat that raced through my veins. The smell wafting from his skin was intoxicating. I gulped tasting the dense, bittersweet odor on my tongue while my eyes feasted on the alluring details of his physique.

  I was irrefutably attracted to the form in front of me, but I couldn’t help feeling like I was being deceived by my emotions. He was just a man I assured myself—a man from another world. But, there were other things I sensed that made him much more.

  My body pined for him. His very presence drew me in. It was lustful, but on a far different level than I’d ever experienced. There was another emotion blending with the lust, something more pure.

  My heart and body wanted him—yearned for him to want me and accept me. My soul, however, hungered for the man to praise, love, and protect me. Through all of these emotions, though, my brain was caging fits of rebellion against the figure invading our home. In my mind, I knew the man was not mine for the taking. I knew something was off with the whole situation, but I couldn’t resist.

  My head tilted back, my eyes tracing a line from his bare feet upwards. When my gaze roamed over the chestnut hair resting upon his shoulders and the stern features of his face, I noticed what made him more than human. His tall frame stretched about six feet, four inches tall, but there was a portion of him that reached even higher and was still concealed by the pool.

  Are those…? No, they can’t be.

  Wings.

  The being squatted down, dragging the remainder of two large, white masses out of the water. He rolled his shoulders once, readjusting the weight hanging from his back.

  An angel? He’s a freakin’ angel.

  Massive, billowy limbs flicked out around his shoulders then reached for opposite ends of the room before neatly folding against his back as if he were a bird resettling its graceful wings to their proper places.

  The angel turned and glared down at the demon cowering in a dark corner. He marched toward the monster, trailing long feathers along the floor behind him. The city lights shined in from the window and glinted off thin, golden plates heavily dispersed throughout the white of his wings. I squinted, eyeing the intricate gold pieces. They mimicked his other plumes, but seemed to offer a kind of armor woven in with the rest of his silky down.

  Clawing and scraping at the floor, the demon hefted its charred body toward the wall, eager to escape. The angel confidently claimed the last few steps separating him from the monster, lifted his foot, and then stomped down on the demon’s throat, pinning it to the floor. He leaned over, wrapping one strong hand around the underside of its bony jaw. In one sudden motion, too fast for me to register, the angel hoisted the tall demon into the air, dangling it from an out-stretched arm above him.

  The winged being stared up into the evil, mouthless face and spoke, but I couldn’t make out anything he said. The eerie silence still filled the room, stifling my ability to hear.

  Frustrated, I looked over my shoulder at Gavyn. His eyes darted from the angel to me. Understanding my questioning expression, he held out his hand, coaxing me back to him. The calm look on his face said he would explain and that everything would be okay. As my hand reached his, he pulled me to his side and huddled me under his arm. Then, we waited.

  The angel shook the beast violently and slammed it against the wall. Dust and pieces of plaster fell around the two large bodies as they wrestled for what seemed like an eternity. He leaned his shoulder into the monster, pressing it harder into the wall while punching it in the abdomen. The surface dented and cracked under their pressure.

  Trembling and jerking, the demon slapped its decomposing hand against the plaster. Beams of light erupted from behind its long fingers and morphed into a pulsing, red glow. The angel’s bicep and forearm muscles strained as he struggled to wrench the demon onto the floor, but the monster sunk its talons into the plaster, refusing to budge.

  The wall weakened to the same rubbery state it was when the demon entered Gavyn’s apartment, stretching from the demon’s attempt to push itself back through. Its evil face glared at me over the angel’s shoulder with a hint of satisfaction just beyond the pain it endured from harvesting George’s soul. Fragments of white-hot light shot out from rips in the thin surface, and the new hole swallowed the monster’s body, yanking it from the angel’s grip.

  The opening slammed shut. The glow ceased.

  It was gone at last; but so was the spirit of the only father I knew.

  Gavyn’s hand slipped under my arms and tightened around my waist. He tugged on me twice to get my attention. When I looked up at him, he dragged me over his leg so I sat between his thighs and scrunched his face up, squeezing his eyes closed with urgency.

  The angel spun around to study us. All I could do was peer back into the peridot-green eyes measuring me. His once fierce and determined features were now soft a
nd inquisitive. Deeply bowed lips spread over his pearly teeth into a wide, charming smile. He winked at me.

  What the hell? A cocky wink…that’s what he’s giving me in response to this whole situation?

  With the clap of his hands, an echo of energy exploded from the winged warrior, rippling out towards us.

  Gavyn hugged me to him suffocatingly tight. We smashed backwards into the barstool which crashed into the bar. I clenched Gavyn’s pant legs and pulled, trying to pry myself off his chest, but the force was too strong. His hands gripped my hips and pushed but failed to alleviate the weight of my body against his. The overbearing energy kept us glued together.

  Walls creaked around us from the shift of buckled drywall retracting to its usual smoothness. Dust that had fallen during the scuffle trickled in reverse through the air, sealing the cracked surfaces. Gavyn’s furniture skid across the floorboards to their original spots, scraping the floor like nails on a chalkboard. I grimaced from the uncomfortable sound, suddenly able to hear again.

  The pulsating pressure was subsiding. The room was clean and intact like nothing happened. Our bodies relaxed, and we both jerked forward, heaving breaths of relief. Gavyn’s hands slid to my waist and rested there, maintaining our connection. I was thankful for the comfort he offered, no matter how little it actually helped.

  A low rumble of laughter started from across the room. The angel placed his fists on his narrow hips and took two strides in our direction.

  “Gavyn, it’s been a long time.” The angel’s voice was smooth as butter with a velvety tone that sent a shiver through my body.

  “Ten years, Malach,” Gavyn replied coolly.

  I stayed silent, shifting my focus back and forth between the two, expecting one of them to throw in an explanation of what in the hell happened.

  “So…she can see.” The angel nudged his sculpted chin in my direction, his steel gaze settling on my confused expression.

  “Yeah, but it’s all very new to her,” Gavyn said, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles on my stomach as he spoke to the angel. “We’re not sure what gift, yet.”

  I glanced over my shoulder at Gavyn, searching for an answer to any of the millions of questions sweeping through my mind. Of course, he didn’t respond to a single one.

  “She doesn’t know anything.”

  Irritation outweighed my patience as the two of them observed my every reaction and talked about me as if I weren’t in the room. I’m sure I relayed about twenty different expressions portraying what I felt on the inside, but apparently my annoyance was lost on them.

  “How about one of you clue me the fuck in.” I flinched, realizing the harshness of my words, and wished I’d chosen a kinder vocabulary in the presence of an angel.

  They laughed at me. How could they laugh at a time like this?

  “Nevaeh, I’ll explain as much as I can. I think this is why you were brought to me.” Gavyn glanced at the being striding towards the futon for confirmation.

  The angel shrugged then flexed his wings to the side and sat down. They ruffled a bit before lying neatly along the back of the seat.

  I snorted at the ridiculous sight before me.

  The tall, heavenly being sprawled on the futon with his long legs tucked awkwardly against the edge of the cushions, and his bent knees opened wide. The leather skirt-thing draping over his lap barely hid the enticing parts beneath it, but he didn’t seem to care. And his freakin’ wings, they stretched beyond the ends of the futon by almost a foot in each direction.

  I never actually believed in angels before, but if I had, this would not have been how I pictured meeting one. Most people, I think, imagined them standing majestically on a mountaintop, towering over demons—not lounging on a damn couch as if he were on vacation.

  My eyes dropped to his feet, and to the right lay George’s vacant body. I could sense Gavyn tensing behind me. He was probably waiting for me to have a complete panic attack.

  I was devastated that George was gone. But I also accepted the fact that the corpse lying on the floor wasn’t George anymore. Nothing was going to change that.

  “Why don’t you go down to the kitchen and get something to drink. I need to talk to Malach for a minute…get some things straightened out.” A soft smile curled at Gavyn’s lips, but it didn’t hide the concern in his voice.

  I couldn’t believe he was asking me to leave. Especially when this seemed to have everything to do with George and me.

  Shoving my angry temper tantrum aside for another time, I swallowed my pride and pain. “Alright. But when I get back, I want answers.” I was surprised to hear the firmness of my demand; on the inside I was sniffling like a child. I took one last glance at the angel and headed towards the door, shaking my head.

  After surviving every pain-inducing step down the stairs, I paused at the bottom of the stairwell and stared into the black hallway leading to the cafe. Shadows remained unwavering in the faint neon glow of the cafe lights, but I couldn’t help feeling like I should run right back upstairs and beg someone to come hold my hand in the dark.

  I laughed off my reluctance to enter the hall and forced my feet to carry me forward. After a few snail-paced strides, I felt confident that nothing was lurking in the shadows and padded into the kitchen, flipping the switch on before I crossed the threshold.

  The bright kitchen light stung my sensitive eyes, strengthening the nagging headache I’d recently acquired. I pulled a glass from the cupboard, filled it with water, and leaned my hip into the counter next to the sink. I ignored the cup in my hand and instead contemplated what was left of my life. So much had changed in the blink of an eye that it was hard to wrap my head around it. My goals of getting a good job, maybe one day going to school, and having a normal life seemed so unimportant now. I couldn’t even plan my next twenty-four hours because I hadn’t the faintest idea of what was real anymore.

  I dumped the entire cup of water into the sink and slammed the glass down on the counter. They had enough time to figure out what they were going to tell me, and I had enough of the waiting.

  I marched toward the kitchen door and turned off the light. As I stepped into the hallway, something moved in the café.

  “Hello?”

  No one answered.

  A shadow darted across the floor, drawing my attention to a silhouette peering in through the window. I edged along the wall towards the front of the building, straining to see who lurked outside. The amber glow of the street light shined on her golden hair like a halo, but I knew better.

  My body stiffened when I saw the face on the other side of the window was Layla’s.

  What was she doing out there?

  Her emotionless gaze beamed in my direction. The emptiness in her stare made me feel as transparent as the window she was pressing her nose against. I waved to let her know I saw her. Then, something in her eyes changed, darkened. Her hand rose to mimic my wave, and her perfect pink lips curled into a mischievous grin, tainting her innocent beauty.

  Though the woman outside looked like Layla, she was no longer the Layla I knew. The ill-intent oozing from her rattled my bones. I immediately ran for the light switch a few feet ahead, flipped it on, and then looked back at the window.

  She was gone.

  I entered Gavyn’s apartment, once again amazed at the sight of the angel’s human-like actions. His oversized frame glided through the kitchenette. His wings twitched behind him while he rummaged through the cupboards. Gavyn ignored Malach’s invasion of his home and sat on one of the bar stools, sipping from a beer bottle.

  I observed quietly as the two acted like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. At least, I was quiet until I sneezed from the dust still swirling through the air. They stopped in their tracks, their eyes locking on me.

  “God bless you,” Malach said, grinning.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the angel for a moment. “So, who’s ready to give me some insight about tonight?”

  Gavyn c
rooked an eyebrow and peered over at Malach expectantly.

  “Dammit, just tell me already!”

  “Guess I should be going, then.” The angel reached for a box of Twinkies in the cabinet. He popped open the end of the cardboard, pulled out the yellow treat inside, ripped off the wrapper, and then stuffed the cake into his mouth. He sucked in his well-defined gut and shoved the Twinkie box behind his leather belt as he chewed. “Mm, you guys really know how to indulge in good food down here.” He held up one last bite of cream-filled cake in a toasting motion, then crammed it in his mouth. “Thanks, Gav.”

  Gavyn rolled his eyes and drank his last sip of beer. “You’re gonna make me fill her in by myself, then,” he dead-panned.

  “I have every bit of faith in you. Have fun.” He patted Gavyn’s back then strolled toward George’s body.

  Malach bent down and gently picked up the corpse that lay on the floor. The being cradled the body in one arm like it was weightless and lovingly caressed its cheek with his other hand. The angel’s eyes searched the hollow face for a moment and mumbled some words in a low foreign language. Then, as quickly as his tender demeanor came, it left—reverting to the somewhat comical version of a heavenly soldier.

  “What do you think you’re doing with George’s body?” I demanded, stomping across the room to stop the angel.

  He winked arrogantly, unfazed by the clear anger in my eyes. “I’m taking it with me.”

  “You can’t do that!” I protested, stopping just a short distance from the angel. I became very aware that the fewer steps between me and the winged man, the more my body wanted to bow down and praise him.

  George deserved a proper burial. That was for me to do. I needed to take care of him—or, at least, his body.

  “Relax, Nevaeh. I will take it to the Heavens with me for safekeeping,” he responded, I think a little intrigued by my brashness toward him.