Taking Angels (The Angel Crusades)

by CS Yelle

  “So how do you feel?” Mom asked, seemingly more willing to circumvent her doubt in favor of a believable explanation.

  “I feel fine, just really tired,” I said as a welltimed yawn stretched my jaw, slurring my words.

  “No more out of town excursions for a while,” Dad ordered, holding my gaze until I nodded.

  “Deal,” I said, relieved at the simple solution.

  “Night, Britt.” Dad moved back in to take me into a one armed hug and kiss the top of my head.

  “Night,” I said as Mom hugged me again and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I climbed the stairs, pausing to look back at them as they turned to each other still in a palpable state of shock.

  I flipped the light on in my room, shut the door, and flopped down on my bed rolling my eyes. I wasn’t sure they bought that entirely. Still, they hadn’t questioned me too heavily; they wanted easy. Who wouldn’t after their years of fear and stress spent worrying over my well-being.

  I rolled over and it hit me. Hit me hard. Tears streamed down my face as my loss finally hit home. Allister, Angelina, and even Taylor, gone. There one minute and the next, vanished.

  I reached for the house phone on my night stand, dialing quickly. “Come on, come on, pick up, pick up.” I willed.

  “Hello?” the voice I needed to hear.

  “Trish,” I cried into the phone.

  “Britt, oh my God, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, but I need to see you. Can you…?”

  “I’ll be right there,” she said.

  “Elisa and Cassie?” I questioned.

  “I’ll call and pick them up on the way, bye.”

  My parents took little convincing to allow the girls to run up to my room and check on me and, minutes later, true to her word, Trish, Cassie, and Elisa walked into my room. We all instantly fell into a giant group hug then sat down on the bed so they could hear all about my nightmare. This time, the nightmare hadn’t come in a dream, but while I was wide awake, every second of it.

  I shared everything. Kendal’s twisted

  proclamation of feelings for me, his letting me go, the dead convenience store attendant, the battle, and the Eternals disappearing and not coming back. Everything.

  They listened intently, gasping, moaning at all the appropriate places, their faces animated. When I finished they stared, at a loss; something I never witnessed from them before.

  I glanced from face to face searching for some answers; some explanations. Desperately, I hoped for some suggested course of action, yet got nothing but blank stares.

  “What do I do now?” I pleaded. “Throw me a bone, girls.”

  Trish shrugged. “I’ve got nothing.”

  “Me either,” Cassie sighed.

  We turned to Elisa, our last hope for some glorious revelation showing us a way to right this wrong.

  “He made you promise not to put yourself in harm’s way or follow him to Greece?” she gaped at me.

  “Yeah,” I replied.

  “You agreed to this?” she asked, dumbfounded.

  “Yeah, but,” I began and she raised her hand, stopping me.

  “We need to think this through,” she said. “There is still a chance this Bastion will try to find you and kill you?”

  “Right,” I sighed.

  “And if he does find you, the three of us and your parents might be in danger as well?” She met my eyes steadily.

  “Right,” I moaned, dropping my head to my hands.

  “That leaves very few options.” She sat up straighter as we all looked at her. “We need to prepare for a trip to Greece on a moment’s notice.” She pressed her lips together and nodded with resolve.

  “What?” I frowned as Trish and Cassie stared in shock.

  “If Bastion comes here we need to be prepared to flee to Greece. It’s the only way to keep Grand Rapids safe, possibly save Allister and his parents, and clear your name as an abomination.” She finished her summary and suggestion for a simple course of action with a nod.

  We looked back at her, eyes wide in amazement. Her logic sounded reasonable; it even made sense.

  “I’d say we go with that.” I nodded.

  We all agreed and the girls headed home for the night. They wanted to take shifts staying with me, but I made them all go home, assuring them of my safety.

  “My parents are right downstairs. I’ll be fine,” I told them closing my bedroom door behind them and they showed themselves out.

  I slipped between the covers of my bed…my bed. That sounded good and felt even better. I couldn’t help smiling just a little at the thought.

  I flicked off the light and my thoughts turned grim. Images of Allister having his heart ripped out of his chest played over and over in my mind. The thought of losing him tore my own heart apart.

  And worse, I imagined Angelina being tortured to reveal my location; threatened with her life if she didn’t give me up. How I longed to see her smile at me in her disapproving way. To have her tell me I caused all of this like she did in the beginning. But she followed me when Kendal took me to Canada. She came with Allister and Taylor to save me. I cried for them, for the entire Parks family. They showed me nothing but kindness, and now they might all die because I existed. I rolled over, burying my head in my pillows, sobbing myself to sleep.

  I didn’t dream. Oddly, I yearned to see through Kendal’s demented eyes just to have a connection to an Eternal. Having failed, I woke the next morning feeling the loss, realizing the twisted reality I lived in.

  I got ready for school and the girls picked me up. I left the Camaro parked on the street out front, not having the heart or the will to drive it. I turned and stared at its black sleekness as we drove away.

  I sat in Calculus staring out the window, thinking about bumping into Allister in the hallway on our way to the next class. The substitute for Mr. Kinsley didn’t have any luck keeping my attention and my mind wandered all class.

  Lunch depressed me most of all. The girls and I sat at the table we’d shared with them and the boys slid in beside us. We told the boys Allister and Angelina had to go back to New York for a while and they joined us in our silent salute to their absence, not uttering a word just eating their lunch in silence.

  I was grateful for the company. The loneliness didn’t feel so oppressive when I shared it with them.

  We spent the evening together at one of our houses, googling Greece, finding out as much as possible about our next destination, should the need arise.

  On one such evening, Cassie Googled “greek gods” instead of Greece by mistake. She moved the mouse to click the back button and I froze where I stood behind her.

  “Oh my God get over here you have to see this,” I shouted. Trish and Elisa rushed up to peer at the images on the screen over our shoulders: pictures of sculptures in Greece depicting the Greek Gods.

  I began to shake, a chill running down my back as I stared at the pictures. I leaned heavily on the back of Cassie’s chair. Trish and then Elisa put a supportive arm around my waist.

  On the screen, the spitting images of Victor and Jennavia stared back at us. Under the pictures were the names Zeus and Hera.

  I lost all strength to my legs as Trish and Elisa eased me to a sitting position on the floor. They sat down next to me, still looking up at the screen on either side of Cassie’s chair.

  “Is it true?” I asked in a breathy whisper. “Are they gods?”

  “Do you really think Victor and Jennavia are the gods Zeus and Hera?” Cassie asked.

  “I don’t know what to think anymore,” I admitted.

  “Anything is possible with them,” Trish said.

  “Yeah, except coming back, it seems,” I sighed. Trish and Elisa put an arm across my shoulders.

  Trish dropped me off out front of my house and I slunk through the door. Dad stood in the doorway leading to the living room, leaning against the frame.

  “Still no Allister?” he asked, no hint of malice. “No.”

&nb
sp; “It’s nice you have your friends to keep your mind

  off him.” He nodded.

  “Yeah, they’re great.”

  “Honey, I didn’t approve of you seeing Allister,

  but I want you to know, I hope he comes back. I understand how much he means to you and I want you to be happy.”

  “Thanks Dad.” I walked over and wrapped my arms around him.

  He returned my hug and kissed the top of my head.

  I gave him another squeeze and turned to the stairs, climbing them heavily.

  Slipping into bed, I looked at the clock assuring I’d set the alarm. I closed my eyes, trying to picture Allister’s perfect face; sad when I realized the exact details eluded me.

  The images sprung bright and clear in my dream; I walked down a familiar street, close to the park by our house. I moved purposefully to my goal: a garage door open, the light on and the noise of someone working with power tools. I stayed clear of the light spilling out of the open door, keeping hidden in the shadows. I stepped back to assure my concealment when a twig snapped under my foot. I froze as the man’s head came up and looked my way.

  Mr. Geffre? The man who taught me piano lessons years ago. His hunched shoulders lifted as he scanned the shadows for the origin of the sound. Satisfied with his inspection, he turned back to the project on his wooden work bench.

  I slipped closer to the opening, still deep in the shadows. Sliding up along the siding of the garage, I peered around the corner.

  At that point I was fully aware of the dream’s origin. I saw through Kendal’s eyes again. Screaming with all my might for him to stop, “Don’t kill Mr. Geffre.’”I watched in horror as he moved forward without hearing. I tried to force myself awake, like the night Kendal attacked me, but my effort proved futile. I screamed within the prison of my dream, trying to connect to the Eternal planning to kill someone I knew. Someone I cared about. Someone close to me. Guilt weighed on me at the thought. Should I be more appalled if the victim was someone I knew rather than someone I didn’t? Had I become that callous?

  Kendal’s hand reached out of the darkness, touching Mr. Geffre on the shoulder. The man’s face turned pale, his spirit drawn out, his scream forming, but never escaping his throat. He fell to the cement floor, dead before he rolled to a stop.

  I sat up in my bed, tears rolling down my face as I cried hysterically. Mr. Geffre, gone. Then, something bigger hit me. Kendal was back.

  I rested my face in my hands, my sobs coming so hard my body shook, the spasms racking me. Then I stopped; I realized what I must do. Find Kendal and convince him to stop killing people. I understood it bordered on impossible, like trying to stop a meth addict from his addiction. Yet, if we held interventions for human addicts, why not Eternal addicts? I don’t know why, but the thought sounded reasonable at that moment. If Kendal really had feelings for me, wouldn’t he want to impress me? I smiled with confidence; I could do this. I curled up in my blankets and forced myself to close my eyes even though I feared what I would find there.

  In the light of day, the idea to have an intervention for an Eternal hooked on human spirits, seemed ludicrous. I packed my things in my backpack for school and headed out the door, gloomy over the possibility of Kendal killing more people in my small town. The girls told me each victim of Kendal’s had shown symptoms of heart attacks and they were ruled natural deaths. It gave me little comfort his crimes continued to go unnoticed.

  The horn of the Jeep sounded and I walked out the door, pulled it closed after me, and hurried to the Jeep. I slowed as I passed the black Camaro, abandoned at the curb since the day I returned from Canada. The memory of my time spent with the three Eternals, now AWOL, stung like a dagger to my heart. They had to be in Greece by now. Gone from my life, possibly for good.

  I hopped into the front seat of the Wrangler with a nod to Trish while Cassie and Elisa talked in the back. Both gave me a tap on the shoulder in greeting as we drove to school, the wind too noisy for us to talk when Trish had the top off. The weather, an Indian summer, was warmer than usual this year. Trish pulled the Jeep into a parking spot, we gathered our things, and walked in the main entrance.

  “Did you hear.” Cassie turned to look at us as we walked. “They’re going to start bussing the Calculus classes to the community college for the rest of the year.”

  “Great,” I sighed. “Now I have to endure a bus ride every morning.”

  “You might find a cute college guy,” Elisa said, quickly putting a hand to her mouth, her eyes opened wide.

  “Yeah, like I need that,” I shot back, offended she would even say such a thing.

  “I’m sorry,” Elisa apologized and placed a hand on my arm.

  “Forget it.” I shrugged, trying to brush it off, but the thought of someone taking Allister’s place tasted bitter in my mouth. I walked away as Trish scolded Elisa. It didn’t matter. Allister faced an angry council, over me. His fate hung in the balance. The thought of him not coming back to me hurt more than I ever imagined; an ache deep inside chewed me up.

  I walked into Calculus as the rest of the students stood by the door with their bags.

  “Get in line please,” the substitute instructed. “We’ll be boarding the bus in a minute.”

  I fell in at the back of the line, wanting nothing more than to go home and hide in my room away from all of this. I trudged along with the group like first graders going to lunch on first day of school. We boarded the bus and rumbled through town to the local community college, Itasca Community College, ICC.

  The substitute led us into a building, up the stairs, and pointed us into a classroom. We walked in, taking the available seats as the college kids smiled knowingly. Being at the end of the line only one desk remained by the time I entered. Not looking up but staring at my backpack I set on the desk, I slipped into the seat at the back of the room.

  I prided myself with being able to see the glows around people only when I chose to, but when I looked over at the person next to me, the glow around him came unbidden, blinding me. I put my hand in front of my eyes, squinting at the radiant light flowing from all around him.

  Glancing around to see if anyone noticed, I proceeded to push the glow out as it tried to creep in around my efforts to block it. When I turned to the student next to me again the light shone back painfully.

  “Hi.” He turned to me after scanning the other newcomers’ faces. He didn’t seem to notice my discomfort. “My name is Gabe…” he faltered when his green eyes met mine. He stared for an uncomfortably long time and then forced himself to turn away.

  “I’d like to welcome all of you from the high school to our Calculus class,” the tall skinny teacher with a long beard and deep, monotone voice said from the front. “I am Mr. Brunson and I’ll be available outside of class to help you from 8am to 4pm. If you need further assistance outside those times, we have a student tutor at your disposal in the tutor room off the campus library. Gabe, would you please stand up.”

  Mr. Brunson motioned to the back of the room. Heads turned as the student next to me stood up. I turned as well and looked up at Gabe as he ran a nervous hand through his long brown hair and glowed brightly despite my efforts.

  I watched, my curiosity aroused by this college kid who shone brighter than a spotlight. I may need to stop by after school for some help, I smiled. Yes, indeed.

  After bussing back to the high school I steeled myself to go by and see Gabe that night. In my classes for the rest of the day I daydreamed about the reason for his intense aura, but the only reason I could fathom didn’t make any sense: he was an angel.

  I sat with the girls at lunch, lost in concentration as they took turns staring at me with worried expressions.

  “What?” I turned to them when I couldn’t take it any longer.

  “Are you alright?” Cassie spoke up.

  “Yeah, fine.” I tried to sound confident. The words came out feeble.

  “Don’t bullshit us.” Trish leaned closer. “You�
��ve been getting more depressed every day and …”

  “And we’re concerned,” Elisa finished for her.

  “Thanks.”

  “You have to realize they may not come back,” Trish started.

  I closed my eyes, desperately holding back the barrage of anxiety trying to burst forth. I opened my eyes, raising them to my worried amigos as I felt the pain tearing through me.

  “Britt, you have to snap out of it,” Cassie urged.

  “Not knowing anything is driving me crazy,” I muttered quietly.

  “We know, and you have to get a grip,” Elisa said gently.

  I glared at her, causing her to lean back in her chair with her hands raised defensively before her. Get a grip, what the hell did that mean anyway? The person I loved had vanished. His sister, vanished. His parents, vanished. Even the bodyguard who I didn’t feel any real connection to, vanished. I couldn’t wrap my head around it all, but the pain of loss didn’t have any problem messing with me.

  “What Elisa meant to say, is you need to keep talking, letting us in, and dealing with your feelings.” Cassie reached over to put a hand on my arm.

  I looked down at her hand and she slowly pulled it back.

  “You want in, fine. Kendal is back in my head, I saw him kill Mr. Geffre last night. I have such a void in my chest it feels like it’s going to crush me from the inside, and the college math tutor’s spirit glows so bright, I think I’ll go blind if I look at him again. There you have it, do you like to be inside my head?” I looked to each of them, my jaw set and determined.

  “I had no idea,” Cassie said, her eyes wide.

  “No wonder you’re going crazy,” Elisa whispered.

  “Doesn’t it feel better to let it out?” Trish asked flatly, her arms crossed over her chest.

  I stared at her. Yeah, I did feel better. I nodded with a slight smile.

  “Good.” She grinned, leaning over to put an arm across my shoulders. “Don’t lock us out anymore. We’re here for you.”

  I nodded again, thankful I had them, feeling better with a little relief from the isolation.

  “So what do you think is up with the tutor?” Cassie asked.