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Feather Page 29

by Laurie Lyons


  "Please," he begged at the clouds. "Tell me where she is." There was silence. Of course there was. There was always silence. What had he done? "Tell me where she is!" He raged at the sky. Nathaniel knew that he and Lucy were soul mates the moment he saw her. He should have left her that first night. He should have waited – she would have come to him eventually. Instead, he went ahead, fell totally in love with Lucy and allowed her to fall in love with him. How selfish could he be?

  Nathaniel knew he had ruined every chance Lucy had ever had for a normal life. If he got to stay, he would still be invisible and unable to give Lucy the life she deserved. If he left then it would destroy them both. The most responsible thing to do would have been to leave her on that sidewalk and go. But he couldn't have left her. The compulsion he had felt to be near her had been overwhelming. Because of that compulsion, now Lucy was in danger and he hated himself for that. If something happened to her he couldn't imagine what it would do to him.

  He sat at the top of the church steeple and waited. He waited to hear her voice calling his name. No matter how far Lucy was, Nathaniel could hear her say his name as clear as the church bell he sat beside. Then once she said his name, her location would pinpoint itself and he would be there in a moment. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he sat and waited. He was getting angrier every second, angry at Heaven for not helping, angry with himself for putting Lucy in danger but most of all, Nathaniel was angry with Roman. Roman would pay for this. He looked again at the clouds, his eyes full of determination. "Forgive me Lord but I am going to kill that Demon today."

  Lucy's eyes fluttered open. Roman she thought with hate. She was crouched on her knees on the dirt ground. It was still day but Lucy couldn't see around her because of her position. She tried to jump to her feet but the ground around her shook and thick leather straps erupted out of the soil. Acting seemingly of their own wills, the straps whipped about and fell over Lucy's calves, back and shoulders, securing her in the kneeling position with her face shoved in the dirt. Two more straps grew out of the Earth and wrapped tightly around each wrist. One more erupted and to Lucy's horror, wrapped around her neck. She froze in alarm.

  She tilted her head and glanced upwards and around her. She was in a fenced yard - a junkyard to be exact. Piles of debris and wreckage lay about her and the afternoon sun beat down on her shoulders. Lucy didn't know how long she had been there but her throat was dry with thirst and her muscles were cramped. She had never been to this place before. She wasn't even sure if it was in town. She lifted her head and looked up. The strap around her neck loosened enough to give her a marginal amount of space and allow her to at least sit up on her heels.

  There he was.

  Roman sat perched on top of a pile of scrap metal. Lucy remembered that Nathaniel had told her she could only love him if she saw his true form. Now she knew pure hate as she saw Roman's true form for the first time. He was shirtless and barefoot wearing only a pair of dark blue jeans. His eyes were sunken and dark, the veins in his chest and arms were black as though filled with crude oil and out of his back emerged a pair of massive black bat-like wings – leathery and thick. They were for more than flying though and like bat wings they each had a huge black claw on the front tip that dug into the scrap metal and held tight, balancing him. Lucy whimpered in fear. He grinned at her unease and hopped leisurely down to the ground.

  He walked slowly over to her. Lucy's breathing quickened and she tried to recoil pulling back from the straps to put distance between them. The straps held tight and she was trapped. Roman stopped inches from Lucy and crouched down in front of her.

  "I apologize for our less than hygienic surroundings," he cooed softly to her. "I feel the lack of nature gives me a small advantage." His breath was hot on her face and Lucy recoiled in horror. Roman reached out and ran his finger down the side of her cheek. Pain seared in a line through her face and she winced and pulled away. "Call him," Roman whispered.

  Lucy didn't have to be told twice. "Nathaniel, help me!" she yelled. The words weren't out of her mouth before she realized the mistake she had made. She saw the elation on Roman's face and she knew she had been tricked. Roman wanted her to call Nathaniel so he could kill them both. How could she be so stupid?

  It would prove to be the biggest mistake of her life.

  Roman grinned. "Thank you," he said triumphantly as he stood and walked ten feet away. He stopped and waited. His wings splayed out and the claws dug into the ground, ready for battle. Nathaniel appeared ten feet from Lucy and Roman each. His skin radiated heat and his eyes shone with an inner light. They created a triangle with Nathaniel at the peak and Roman and Lucy each at a bottom point. He looked at Lucy and fury filled his face. His jaw was tight and his fists clenched.

  "Release her Demon or suffer my wrath!" he commanded. Nathaniel took one step towards Lucy with his arm raised. Lucy expected to feel the binds loosed and fall. Instead she felt the whip around her neck tighten considerably, cutting off her oxygen. She made a choking sound as she struggled with her arm binds to free her hands. Black spots swam through her vision as she began to lose consciousness.

  "I will snap her neck Angel, step back!" Roman growled. Through her fading vision, Lucy saw Nathaniel look at her with angst and reluctantly take a step back. Immediately the whip loosened. Fresh air burst into Lucy's lungs and she collapsed on the ground sucking it in gratefully. "Release her!" Nathaniel demanded again. "This has nothing to do with her. Deal with me!"

  "Listen to me!" Roman yelled back angry and frustrated. "I will not hurt the creature if you hear me out!"

  "No more deals Demon. She goes free or you die."

  Roman put up his hands defensively. His wings released the ground and folded half behind his back.

  "Don't you understand that I don't want to hurt her?" he asked in a slightly softer tone.

  "You have a crappy way of showing it!" Lucy yelled. She felt the straps tighten in warning around her.

  "I have orders little girl," Roman fired at her. "And where I come from, orders are obeyed or there are dire consequences! I have been named Guild Prime and with that came the responsibility of taking care of this business. It is something I intend to deal with."

  Lucy did not respond. Roman looked back at Nathaniel and his mood softened further.

  "Look pal, I really don't want to hurt anyone here. I just have an order that's all. My Lord isn't big on excuses so listen up." Nathaniel didn't acknowledge the request – they both knew he had no choice but to listen. "Here's the thing," Roman began calmly. "I'm sure you have figured out by now that you have to cut that ridiculous umbilical cord you have to the clouds in order to stay on Earth." He paused. His wings shuddered involuntarily waiting for confirmation. Nathaniel nodded while clenching his jaw. "Sadly, as smart as the two of you are, you haven't thought of the most obvious solution." Nathaniel and Lucy looked at each other – no they hadn't. "You switch to the other side." Roman finished plainly.

  "No!" Lucy screamed trying to jump to her feet. The straps held fast and she bucked and struggled under them.

  Nathaniel squared his shoulders and jutted out his jaw. "Never!"

  "Now, now, now," Roman spoke like a teacher. "Hear me out." Lucy knelt on the ground waiting. "You don't have to do my job. That's why I'm here and might I say, I'm very good at what I do." Lucy rolled her eyes. "But you would be mortal, able to live a normal life - a life with lovely Lucy here. You can be seen and heard." He lowered his tone further, speaking with almost kindness. "You can have children with her, grow old together, have the life you two deserve because to be honest, not even I can deny the connection you have. Really it's extraordinary."

  Nathaniel did not answer.

  "They left you here my friend. Can't you see that?" Roman almost pleaded. "They abandoned you here, not being able to give Lucy the life she truly, truly deserves. Can't you see? They cast you down with no help, no guidance, nothing but your own wits. Who does that?"

  Nathaniel looked at
Lucy. His expression was unreadable. "Will I have to…"

  "Meet my boss?" Roman offered. "Of course not. You stay here with your Lucy and love her how she deserves to be loved. You share her life rather than just be a witness to it. Can't you see my friend that this is the only way?"

  Lucy's mind raced. Why the change in Roman's behavior? Why was he trying to help them? She rewound her memory over every confrontation that they had had with him. They were all focused on Lucy making Nathaniel leave, why now did he want him to stay? Then she thought back to the field in Kansas. When Lucy had assumed that Roman wanted her soul in exchange for getting her father back, he had replied, 'your soul is useless to me'. Now Lucy understood his motivation. He had been after Nathaniel's soul all along.

  "You must get some serious brownie points for convincing an Angel to sell his soul to the Devil huh Roman?" she yelled. He looked at her with hate. Nailed it. She thought.

  Roman sighed. "Fine," he admitted. "You got me." He looked at Nathaniel. "My Lord is furious that you are here. He is angry that Bael did not rectify the situation and went and got himself killed. He wanted me to destroy both of you," he said with his voice full of false charity, "but I thought of a solution that would make everyone happy. You can stay with Lucy, I get a pat on the back and Lucy's gets you."

  Nathaniel scoffed. "Of course you would benefit the most."

  "I disagree!" Roman countered. "I am willing to live with you in my midst in exchange for Lucy's happiness. I'm thinking of her here. And so should you." Nathaniel didn't answer. He looked at Lucy and then at the sky. Roman seemed to know what he was thinking. "Hey, listen," he said kindly to Nathaniel, "Your God will get over it… he always does. This is the only way. He would never grant you this kind of gift Angel." He paused. "And deep down you know it too."

  Nathaniel looked torn. He looked away and Lucy knew he was considering this option. She didn't know what to do. Was this what she wanted? She felt powerless. The only two things she had as weapons were her brain and her love for Nathaniel. If she combined the two, could she come up with the answer? If she used her mental search engine with her soul, would that tell her what to do? It was the only option she had. She looked down at the ground and focused her energy deep within her. How does one locate her own soul? She searched for that light that Nathaniel had found so easily inside her.

  Slowly, she began to sense the ball of light she pulled at it, coaxing it out of hiding. It grew and pulsed and she engaged her mental search engine immediately. She asked her brain the most random question she had ever asked, hoping it would understand.

  "What do I do?" she thought. She sent the question flying through her mind and felt her soul pulse and beat. Her mind flew into high gear powered not by nerves, synapses or blood but powered by her very own soul.

  "What about when I die?" she heard Nathaniel ask. He sounded very far away. Roman responded something about crossing that bridge but Lucy wasn't listening. Her mind flew at breakneck speed, searching, pulsing with her love for Nathaniel. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? The headache started immediately. The power of the search was almost too much for her brain to take. She felt her nose start to bleed and then her ears. Still she pushed and pushed knowing she was risking her life – she could have a brain aneurysm. Blood dripped from her face onto the ground beneath her creating a small river of blood and soil. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust – death might be preferable now. Lucy didn't have to dismiss any information. Her soul seemed to know what it was looking for and searched deeper and deeper into her memory for it. For the first time Lucy had no control over her own mind.

  It finished.

  Lucy's head snapped up. Her brain went silent and her soul retreated back to its spot deep within her. She had as much of an answer as she was going to get and her heart snapped with comprehension. Pain began to course through her but she stopped it and pushed it back. Later she thought. Her mind, well her soul, had come back with a random fact, one she had read at the age of ten. So random and yet when Lucy considered that her soul had delivered the answer, it was far more astute.

  "The average lifespan of a North American female is 78 years"

  Sixty years to go. Lucy thought. Could she? Could she survive sixty years without Nathaniel? No, no she couldn't. Well, she physically could – her organs would continue to function, her blood would pump and her lungs would fill and empty regularly. Inside though, Lucy would be dead. But it had to be done. Sixty years of Hell in exchange for an eternity with him. It was the only way to save his soul. He was considering giving his soul to Satan to be with her, she would not allow him to sacrifice so much. There were ways to shorten a lifespan without committing suicide. It had to be done. Sacrifices had to be made.

  Lucy felt the chasm of pain begin to creak open in her chest and she forcefully closed it again. There would be years for that pain to dwell. She focused on the conversation in front of her. It appeared Roman was making progress.

  "No!" Lucy yelled. They both stopped to look at her. It was apparent Roman had forgotten she was there. "No, Nathaniel." She said looking toward him but trying not to see his beautiful face and eyes. "You can't make that deal."

  "Lucy," Nathaniel's voice was anxious. "You are covered in blood."

  She shook her head to object to his comment. "You can't make that deal," she said again.

  Roman rolled his eyes. "You stupid creature, I am trying to help you here."

  Lucy ignored him. She looked at Nathaniel, the chasm fought with her trying to open and release anguish into her. She battled with it to keep it closed. You will have sixty years to suffer – wait.

  "There is no other solution here Nathaniel," she looked away because he was beginning to register what she was doing and it horrified him.

  "No Lucy!" Nathaniel almost yelled. "Please."

  "What are you doing little girl?" Roman asked with a warning tone. The fact that he was unhappy with the direction she was going made it a fraction easier. She sucked in a mouthful of air, opened her eyes and looked directly at Nathaniel.

  "I want you to go back to Heaven Nathaniel. I am sending you back."

  His mouth opened slowly, his eyes dulled, his hands unclenched and hung listlessly at his thighs, his wings sunk several inches. "No," he whispered. Lucy could almost feel his pain. It hit her dead in the chest like a cannon ball. She could taste it in the air and feel his agony on her skin. She looked back at him with pleading in her eyes. He would have sixty years to try to understand. What have I done? She thought.

  "No!" Roman screamed. His wings flapped nervously, he looked about him, his eyes black and bloodshot and pleading. "Don't you want him to stay?"

  "No," Lucy said, "not if it means that he has to sell his soul to do it." She looked at Nathaniel and saw tears forming in his eyes, "I will see him again...one day" her voice cracked.

  "I told him I could get you! I made promises! You don't make promises to the Dark Lord and then not fulfill them!" Roman screamed. "I will pay for your foolishness! Everything would have been fine if you had let him make the deal!" he raged at her.

  Lucy winced at his words. Had she done the right thing? Would everything have been fine? Should she have let Nathaniel sacrifice his soul for her instead of her sacrificing her happiness for it? Only time would tell. She heard a noise and looked up. A huge black crow landed on the pile of scrap metal a few feet above Roman's head.

  "Oh, no," he groaned putting his face in his hands. The black in his veins had faded to a light gray and he looked sickly and sad. "Look, I tried my best," he pleaded with the crow. "It's the female human's fault, blame her! Not me! She wouldn't listen to reason!" The crow stared at him impassively for a moment and then its black eyes narrowed in decision. It turned to Lucy then and let out a large, powerful squawk.

  Terror ran through Lucy and she braced herself for pain. Instead, the ties binding her lifted off her skin and retreated back into the ground. She knelt on the dirt, too frightened to move. Lucy heard a flutter and then
another. More crows arrived, silently, stealthfully until the piles of metal around Roman were bowing under the weight of hundreds of the massive black birds. Lucy looked to Nathaniel to see his reaction but he wasn't looking at the crows. He seemed totally unaware of their presence. He stared numbly at the ground, swaying slightly. Lucy's heart shattered.

  "It's not my fault." Roman pleaded to the birds. "Tell Him I tried. Please. I don't have to be punished. We don't even have to tell Him. I'm begging you. Don't bring me back there. Please. I've worked so hard to be here." Lucy almost felt some sympathy for him. He was terrified at whatever horrors awaited him back in Hell. The head crow looked at Roman again and almost shook its head with disgust. The crow looked to Nathaniel and squawked again.

  He nodded, looked at Lucy and said, "Time to leave."

  "Angel!" Roman screamed, "I won't be gone for long! Know that when I get back, you won't be here to protect her. Little girl will suffer for her mistakes here today!" The crow screamed at Roman and he flinched.

  "I doubt that Demon," Nathaniel said looking over the crows. He walked quickly toward Lucy and didn't break his stride to scoop her up, beat his wings and lift them into the air. Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. Suddenly, every single crow began to scream, it was deafening even over the wind. Lucy craned her neck over Nathaniel's shoulder to look at what was happening but he lowered his arms, restricting her vision.

  "Don't look," he ordered in a blank voice. Lucy heard Roman scream in terror and she tucked her head down into Nathaniel's chest as he put distance between them and the horrors of Hell beyond. Lucy could smell Nathaniel's skin and realized this was the last time she would touch him, smell him, feel him. She tightened her grip and a single tear dripped out of her eye and fell away into the wind.

 

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