‘Why us…?’ Purple said as I was about to open my mouth.
‘You know her better than anyone,’ Will replied leaning back in his seat. His back was completely straight. I was trying my hardest not to slouch on the uncomfortable wooden chairs.
‘Something doesn’t feel right,’ I said quietly. I was watching Will as he looked at me. A flash of something tiny in his gaze made me pause. His half smile returned and I looked away. What had that look been? Fear…?
‘There is one condition,’ Will said.
Artie stopped pacing as stood behind his chair. We’d been waiting for this part.
‘Hope and Purple stay here in the compound with Sandor.’
I couldn’t help the gasp that came out of my mouth. Purple jumped up and growled. His tall frame didn’t intimidate William. He sat completely still with his arms folded on the table.
‘No,’ I said, standing and turning to leave.
‘Hope, wait…’ Artie said, sitting back down opposite William.
‘Are you mad, Artie? I’m not going to be imprisoned. This was just a trick to get us over here. They’re basically arresting us too.’ I’d spun back and now started around the table. ‘You really think we’re that stupid?’
Purple grabbed me and pulled me away from William. My arm was shaking as a hot flush travelled from my feet to my head.
‘Hope, Purple, sit back down,’ Artie ordered. The tone in his voice was something I’d never heard before. We both sunk into our chairs.
‘That’s not going to happen, William, and you know it. Why don’t you tell me why we’re really here?’
William genuinely smiled as he looked at Artie. ‘Never could get anything past you, could I?’
They both started to laugh and I felt myself start to rise again. What the hell was going on? Were they in this together? Was Artie working for the Perfect government?
‘We’re after the rebel,’ Will stated.
I let out my breath and frowned at Purple. Sandor’s lover hadn’t been caught with her?
‘What have we got to do with that?’ I asked.
‘I can’t tell you too much, you know that, Artie,’ Will replied, ignoring me now. It seemed that all the flirtation was gone now that he hadn’t got the response he was after. Artie nodded and stood up. We all followed suit.
‘You have a choice to make, Will. These Avoidables will not stay here, but they will testify for Sandor,’ Artie said. I hissed and opened my mouth, but Purple pinched my arm. I growled at him but Artie put his hand up before I could do anymore.
‘In the meantime, I will try and find the rebel and bring him to you.’
I was trying really hard to keep my big gob shut. What the hell was going on? Will started to nod slowly. It seemed he was happy with this deal. Was he really going to give up that quickly?
‘I know how good you are,’ he replied, holding out his hand. Artie took it and they shared another laugh. Purple shook his head and smiled too. I knew I looked like an idiot as they all looked over at me.
‘Don’t worry, Hope, everything is as it should be,’ William winked at me again and I gasped. Was William…?
‘Okay, let’s go,’ Artie said turning and heading towards the door. William shook Purple’s hand and then came to me. As soon as our hands met my back started to vibrate and my shoulder started to grow.
‘Oh crap!’ Purple said, grabbing my hand and trying to pull me. It was too late, my wings burst through my top and my arm was suddenly there.
‘Sir, the chancellor is here to see you all,’ a guard called from the other side of the door. William just stood there staring at me. His eyes were wide and filled with awe.
‘I’ve never seen it done quite like that,’ he whispered.
‘Sir…?’ The knocking grew louder and we all looked around.
‘Put them away, Hope,’ William said, going over to the door, ‘Just one moment please,’ he called.
‘I can’t,’ I said looking around for an escape route.
‘Yes you can, close your eyes and pull on the muscles of your wings.’
I opened my mouth to respond but he shook his head. Was it really that simple? I was unsure if he was an angel himself or whether he was just aware of us. It seemed that he was one of us if he knew how to pull our wings in. I closed my eyes and concentrated. It took a moment but eventually I felt the muscles moving. My wings started to fold and retreat into my back. I then looked at my arm and did the same thing. It was such a weird sensation. I had to swallow a couple of times before I was able to look up again.
‘Well done,’ Purple said patting my back.
William opened the door. There was a short man with very blonde hair waiting on the other side.
‘Chancellor, you’ve missed the meeting, they were just leaving.’
The man looked over at us and cringed. I didn’t hide my own disgust as he walked into the room. This was a genuine Perfect.
‘And is everything sorted with these…?’ He gestured towards us. His handsome lip was curled up and I had to laugh. He glared at me as he looked at my shoulder stump.
‘Yes, everything is sorted. You may go back to work.’ William’s face was screwed up, but I couldn’t tell if he was doing it for his benefit or because he found the man as repulsive as I did. The chancellor spun on his heels and walked away quickly.
‘It’s time you got out of here,’ William said, leading us out of the room.
Chapter Four
‘What are you doing?’ Jason said as he watched me from the stage. We’d brought him out into the open room so he could move a bit.
‘I’m practicing,’ I replied, pulling my wings in once again. I’d done it a few times since getting back from the meeting. I was getting the hang of it quickly.
‘You didn’t know that William was one of us?’ Jason asked. I walked to him and sat on a chair that I’d pulled up next to his.
‘No, in fact, I don’t know enough. It shocked Artie too. I want you to tell me everything.’
He frowned at me and took my hand.
‘Hope, I…’
‘Hope, we need to go,’ Purple said, rushing out from the back of the stage. I jumped up automatically. It had been a few weeks since we’d had a job but I knew Purple meant business.
‘Wait,’ Jason called as I turned to leave.
I turned back to him and looked down into his gorgeous face. His hair was sticking up and his face was still pale.
‘Hope, there’s something you need to know…’
‘There’s no time. The rebel is in the city and we need to act fast.’ Purple grabbed my arm and pulled. I sent an apologetic smile over my shoulder. I tried not to think about what Jason had wanted to tell me. Was it something to do with the women that Artie’s brother had mentioned?
As we walked outside I pulled my arm in so no one else could see it. In the Lower Side everyone knew me. If I all of a sudden showed up with two arms they’d freak out.
‘I don’t know what you see in him,’ Purple said as he wrapped his arms around me and lifted us into the air. I relaxed and allowed the motion to take us. We flew south, away from the river and to the very border of the Lower Side. What did I see in Jason? I’d spent hardly any time with him. I didn’t know a lot about him. Yet, every time I saw him, or even thought of him, my heart went funny.
‘There he is,’ Purple shouted.
In the distance, the wilderness stretched away from the city. A small car was speeding away across the dirt. There were several red lone mountains dotted between the cities. Rebel and roamer camps were often set up at the base of these mountains.
‘Where the hell did he get a car from?’ I shouted.
Vehicles in Lower Side had been destroyed long ago. Riots had taken place and the Avoidables had been so stupid that they’d torched all the cars we’d had.
‘Purple, we can’t really go…’
‘Yes, we can,’ he shouted back, ‘Use your wings, Hope, we’ll get there quicker. Just make
sure he doesn’t see you. I’ll grab you when we get there.’
I pushed out my wings and Purple let me go. Flying out here was so freeing. The wilderness was deserted apart from our stupid friend. We were slowly catching up with him. Purple went ahead. He was more experienced at flying and his huge wings took him further than mine did. We started to get nearer the car. It was going really fast. The dirt was billowing out behind it which was good as it gave us some cover. I caught up with Purple and he grabbed me. I pulled my wings in and he swooped us down towards the car.
‘I’m going to drop you on the bonnet,’ he called.
‘What!?’ I shouted back. He was going to kill me if he did that.
‘Okay, the roof then. You can grab on to the roof.’
‘Are you mad?’ I screamed. We were getting nearer and I started to panic. I squirmed in his arms and he grunted.
‘Stop, Hope, you’ll be fine.’
Then he dropped me straight on top of the car. I thudded and flew backwards. Swearing in pain I threw my hand out to the side and managed to clamp onto the top of the door. Thank goodness the window was open. My body swung with the effort of trying to hold on with one arm. I was just about to fall off the side when Purple grabbed my legs and swung me back. I pushed out my arm and grabbed the other side of the roof. The car was stopping. The rebel was swearing and breaking hard. I was thrown forward as the car stopped beneath me. I landed on the dirt just in front of the car. Purple had landed and was pulling the rebel out of the car.
‘What the…?’ The man spluttered. He was a skinny short guy with a huge nose. He was staring at Purple as he held him up in the air by his t-shirt.
‘You okay, Hope?’ my supposed best friend called.
I wasn’t alright. I slowly began to rise and cried out in pain. Purple was beside me in an instant, the man still in his hand.
‘What is it?’
‘It’s my arm,’ I replied through clenched teeth. The pain sliced through me and I couldn’t quite work out what was wrong. I managed to sit up and look at my arm. I gasped at the same time as Purple did. It was bent the wrong way at the elbow.
‘Oh man, Hope, I’m so sorry, I…’
The rebel managed to kick Purple in the shin. The dragon half breed spun and threw him. He flew through the air and thudded against his car bonnet, landing on a heap on the floor.
‘What is it with you today?’ I asked wincing as I cradled my arm to me. Purple bent down and I saw a flash of anger cross his face. Had I made him angry because I couldn’t do the job properly?
‘No, it’s not you, Hope,’ he said, reading my mind, ‘It’s something else. I can’t tell you but…’
I swallowed and knew he was talking about Jason. This mystery was getting too much. I wasn’t prepared to be left in the dark anymore.
‘Tell me, Purple, I know something’s not right and I want to know now. You at least owe me that!’ I said, gesturing at my throbbing arm. He glanced over at our prisoner. He was quiet for a moment and I thought he might refuse to say anything, but when he looked back at me, I knew I wasn’t going to like what he said.
‘Jason is engaged.’
Episode Four
Chapter One
‘Jason, we need to talk,’ I said. He was sitting in a chair in Artie’s dressing room. Purple’s father had put a cast on my arm and I was not feeling so good.
‘Hope, your arm!?’ Jason sat upright in his chair. ‘What happened? Why didn’t you come to see me when you got back?’
I lowered myself onto the sofa on the other side of the room and avoided his gaze. Instead, I looked down at my not even dry cast. It was massive and went all the way down my arm, bending at the elbow. I let my dark shoulder length hair fall forward over my face.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ I whispered, fighting the knot in my throat.
‘I tried…’ he said, after what felt like forever.
‘No you didn’t,’ I growled. ‘It’s been months since we met.’
I jumped up and stood in front of him. When I looked into his eyes I could see the reflection of my pain. ‘How dare you be upset?’ I went to try and raise my hand to hit out at him but it wouldn’t move. Stupid cast!
‘Hope, listen to me. The angels advised that I did nothing to cause suspicion. Did you not think that I may have had a life before you came and stole my heart?’
I slumped back onto the sofa. I could feel the muscles in my face screwing up. That was hardly an excuse.
‘What else should I know? Do you have kids?’ I could feel heat running up and down my aching arm. I needed to calm down or else I’d end up breaking something of his.
‘No, I don’t have children. It’s to be a marriage of convenience, Hope,’ he sighed and looked away from me whilst I looked closely at him. Why couldn’t he meet my gaze? Did he just say…?
‘What do you mean it’s going to be a marriage of convenience?’
I tried to move away but he reached out and grabbed my waist, pulling me so tight to him that I ended up standing against his knees. God! I wanted to extend my arm and punch his beautiful face. His hand locked around my knees.
‘Look at me,’ he whispered and I couldn’t help but let my gaze meet his. Tears sprung to my eyes when I saw unshed tears sitting in his. ‘This has been arranged for a long time, Hope, it’s all part of the plan.’
‘What plan? Do you love her?’
If he loved her, then I’d let him go willingly. He claimed we were soul-mates but if he married another woman then I’d know it wasn’t true.
‘No! I’ve never loved anyone until I met you. I asked you to read that book, Hope. I’m assuming you didn’t.’
I tore my gaze away from him. He was planning on marrying someone he didn’t love, when all the time he was having a relationship with me?
‘You know what, Jason, forget us,’ I said, ripping away from his grip and storming out of the room. He yelled out to me, but luckily he couldn’t follow.
‘Hope, where are you going…?’ Purple called. He’d been talking to Artie.
I ignored him and stormed out of the theatre, I needed some air. Pushing my wings out, I felt my top rip. I didn’t think I’d be flying anywhere, but in the end, I flew to our hide out and made up a bed for myself. Purple had managed to go back to the flat after the guards had left it and got our things. We’d stashed them in our mountain hide-out for safety. Digging into my bag, I pulled out the book that Jason had given me. Crawling into my made shift bed, I opened it. It was a journal. I hadn’t realised. Jason said that it was a history book that contained information about our mission on earth. He’d said that he knew quite a lot about it when I’d first met him. I’d been so caught up in our new love that I’d forgotten all about it. The first lot of handwriting was misshapen but small.
My Beloved,
Today we signed the contract to meet again in the next life-time. You and I shall be part angels and then become whole when we meet. How will I know you? Past lives have not gone quite as planned but this time we need to get it right. So much is riding on us and I want to help the angels bring more light to the world now. Earth will be destroyed if the discrimination carries on. We may only be a soul and not a true angel, but that’s why they chose us. We can cope with the harsh realities of the world easier than they. I know we can do it.
Your Beloved.
The scrawl on the page then became bigger and more feminine.
Dearest twin,
Today we did sign a contract and I’m so ready for our mission. You will recognise me, not by a physical trait, but you will see my soul. No matter what is happening in our lives, we will find a way to fulfil this mission. As we know from past experience, physical life is not easy and our thoughts control our lives. If we can at least try to wake up and see past our own agenda, we’ll surely succeed. No matter our experiences this time, know that I’m ready to save the world. I’m always your beloved twin and if you’re with another soul-mate in this lifetime, I will honour that and
wait until we are together again. We chose this mission and I have every intention of bringing the city that we’ve been chosen to heal, together again.
Your Beloved.
Tears were running down my face as I read our journal entries. Our handwriting was different and each letter was a declaration of loyalty to the mission and of the love we had for each other. There were no names which I found interesting. I stopped reading for moment and had a flashback to the first night Jason and I had met. I remembered sitting beside him in the bar and showing him my soul through my eyes. I’d never done that before but something in him made me want to. Jason asked me to read this journal so that I would understand our mission and what we had to do to achieve success while we were here. He’d said that he’d been researching his whole life and had been given the journal by a government official. I now knew he was taking about William.
‘Are you okay?’ A voice interrupted my thoughts and I jumped. Purple came into our cave and I swiped at the tears that soaked my face.
‘Go away,’ I grunted, curling up and turning away from him. I heard him come over and lay next to me. His huge arm wrapped around me and pulled me close. I rolled over and buried my head into his chest and just let the sobs explode from me. He didn’t say a word, just held me with that one arm. After a while I pulled back.
‘Didn’t I tell you years ago that love is…?’
‘Don’t,’ I sniffled, wiping my face.
‘You’re crying your eyes out and you don’t agree?’ He stood up and lifted his t-shirt over his head. It was soaking wet with my tears. He went over to his things and picked out another tight black one.
‘Love is the most powerful thing in the world and beyond,’ I whispered.
‘What’s happened to my tough nut? You’ve gone all soppy on me, Hope,’ he chuckled. He lit the pile of wood we always have ready for when we needed to escape.
Avoidables S1 Complete Page 5