“Stay safe, Jerome, I couldn’t bear to think of anything happening to you,” Lucia said over his shoulder. He let her go, keeping both her hands in his own.
“You stay safe too,” he replied. “And thank you for your help. And for not believing what they are accusing me of.”
“Never in a million years would I believe you capable of harming someone.”
With that said, Lucia gave the girls a wave before vanishing into thin air. Jerome’s hands fell back to his side as he took a moment before turning to them.
“It’s begun,” he declared. “We’re going to get the village back and it’s going to be even better than what it was before.”
“I’m glad you’re so confident,” Leila replied, not meaning for it to sound as sarcastic as it did. “We should get home before it gets dark. I’m sure Shenay has better things to do.”
Shenay saw them to do the door. “Come by any time.” She said as they left. Leila made a mental note to invite her to the library or museum sometime, she would probably be grateful for the company.
Leila refused to fly home so walking was the only option. She didn’t want to be in the angel’s embrace, even if it was only for the few moments it would take to get home. She didn’t want his angel assistance, she didn’t really feel like taking anything from him.
They walked in silence for as long as Jerome could stand. He had to say something, it was impossible going over his thoughts for the hundredth time.
“Shenay’s in good hands with Lucia as her angel,” he started, wondering if Leila’s silence was perhaps caused by concern for the girl. “Lucia is a good protector.”
“I bet,” Leila replied.
“I just mentioned it, you know, in case you were worried about her being by herself. She’ll be okay.”
“Shenay survived the violence alone, I know she can look after herself.”
Jerome nodded, fearing he had misread her. Judging by the emotions he was feeling from her, he guessed he had made her angry in some way. What he didn’t know, however, was how to find out exactly what he had done.
“Right, sorry,” he replied, deciding just to be direct in his approach. “Have I done something wrong?”
“No.”
Every instinct he had inside him screamed she was lying. “I’m sorry if I did.”
Leila started walking faster, trying to escape the conversation. Jerome fastened his pace too, ensuring it wasn’t going to happen. “You didn’t do anything, okay?”
He nodded, sensing her anger levels were only growing. He changed the subject, trying to ignore the daggers she was shooting his way. “I appreciate your help today. I hope I didn’t get you in too much trouble with Reece.”
“Reece is a good guy, he doesn’t normally act that way.”
“I imagine he doesn’t see an angel every day either,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood. “You never told him about me?”
“There wasn’t anything to tell. And you told me not to.”
“Right.”
They continued their walk in silence. When they were almost home, Leila couldn’t hold it in any longer. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face Jerome.
“What happens when this is all over? Do you go back to your village and I never see you again? Is that how this is going to go? Again?” She stood with her hands on her hips, demanding answers. Seeing him with Lucia had riled her much more than she had expected. Suddenly the entire situation was beginning to be more than she could bear.
Jerome was taken aback. At least he now knew what was bothering her. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any of the answers she wanted. If he told her how much he worried they would fail in their mission so it would never be over, he wouldn’t be able to take the look of disappointment in her eyes. But yet he couldn’t lie to her either. There was only one thing he could say to her honestly.
“I don’t know.” It pained him to only give her three words when he wanted to give her so much more. But he couldn’t get her hopes up, he would never be able to forgive himself for the crash of disappointment if he couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t do that to her. Better she be angry for the time being than live in disappointment for the rest of her life.
Leila threw up her hands in exasperation. “Just what I thought.” She turned and started walking again – this time with far more stomping in her feet.
They made it back to the Sinclair’s house. Leila went in first to check the coast was clear before smuggling Jerome in. She was happy to introduce him to Maree and Toby but he refused, insisting he remain a secret. It only served to annoy her further, yet another secret to keep from a loved one.
Overcome with fatigue, Leila got ready for bed and slid under the covers. She watched as Jerome sat on the seat in the corner. A small part of her anger subsided just by seeing the forlorn look on his face.
He was far from home, and being hunted by a whole band of council members. She should be nicer to him, she told herself. The situation was not ideal, it wasn’t a good time to be worrying about her own feelings when his entire future was at stake.
And if Jerome was banished, like they threatened, what would that mean for her? Would she spend the rest of her life without the protection of a guardian angel? Would something horrible befall her because she was left exposed? She didn’t know, but her insolence wouldn’t be worth the risk.
“You can lie on the bed if you want,” Leila said as she shuffled over. He looked far from comfortable in the small chair with his wings pressed up against the wall.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“You won’t, it will be fine.”
Carefully, Jerome stood and approached. He lay down on the edge of the bed, trying to give her as much space as possible. His wings draped over the side of the bed, finally able to have some breathing room.
The situation felt too familiar to him, it only served to bring up the memories of their previous time together. They simultaneously made him happy and sad at the same time. Even though they were trying to save the world back then, in a way it had been so much simpler. They were on their own, with no help or reliance on anyone else but the two of them. Now, it was just complicated. Other people’s feeling had to be taken into account, others had to be trusted to help. It was far more difficult now to believe each other was enough.
Jerome closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. He would need all the energy he could muster in the coming days and worrying about his own feelings weren’t going to assist him. He tried to quiet his mind as he drifted off.
When his breathing became rhythmic, Leila turned around to look at the angel. As tired as she was, she couldn’t sleep. Not when she could feel the warmth and weight of his body so close to hers. She studied his face, wondering what they were like together before her memory was taken from her.
More than anything, Leila wished she could remember. Perhaps there was a reason they couldn’t be together. Jerome had said the council separated them but surely they could have found some way? If their feelings were that strong, surely a council couldn’t get between them? Love always finds a way, right?
He looked so peaceful when he slept. It felt right having him there next to her. She wondered if they had shared a bed before. It would explain why she always stuck to one side every time she slept even now. She needed the memories, she just had to get them back.
Sometime in the night, Leila eventually fell asleep. As she sun’s rays peeked through the window, she could feel eyes on her. Opening one eyelid, she saw the face of the angel just inches away from her own.
“Good morning, Leila,” he said cheerily. It was too early to deal with his out of place happiness.
“It’s early.”
“It’s going to be a big day, we need to get a move on.”
She watched Jerome stand to wait for her, expecting her to spring out of bed with the same vigor he had. It wasn’t going to happen. She rolled over to face the wall. “I need more sleep.”
&nb
sp; “How about coffee? That’ll help you wake up,” he persisted. He lay a hand on her back, sending tingles shooting everywhere across her body. “Can I get you some coffee?”
She couldn’t speak until he removed his hand, the impact of the touch momentarily stunning her. “I’ll get up,” she groaned. There was no way the angel knew how to make coffee, he would more likely burn the place down. She sat up in the bed, trying to find the level of enthusiasm needed. “Why’s it going to be a big day?”
“Because any minute now Lucia will give me the message that she has done her part and then we’re going to save the village,” Jerome grinned.
She couldn’t help but smile at his optimism. Obviously he had a better night’s sleep than she did. She pushed back the covers. “Wait here while I get ready and then we’ll go. We’re still going to wait at the library?”
“Yep, I told Lucia we would be there.”
Leila nodded and shuffled off to the shower. As much as she wanted to stay angry at Jerome, she couldn’t. Not for long, anyway. He had this inexplicable way of making her feel better, no matter how annoyed she was at him.
Within the hour, Leila opened the library and they went inside. The place was almost finished so she wasn’t expecting any volunteers. Just to be certain, she placed a note on the front door directing anyone to work in the museum if they showed up. They should have the place all to themselves to await Lucia’s return. Not that Leila welcomed her presence, but it was an inevitability anyway. Whether she liked it or not, it was going to happen.
“We may as well finish off the last of the books since we’re here and all,” Leila said as she picked up a stack of books. There was too much nervous energy in the air to just sit by and wait. She figured by keeping busy it would help calm her nerves. If everything went as Jerome planned, it was going to be a big day – a very big day.
They worked in silence, just as they had six months ago. It was a comfortable silence, they didn’t need words to keep the tension away.
When the sound of the entrance door slamming rang through the large room, Leila’s head shot up to see who it was.
The footsteps came closer, her stomach was in knots at who it might be. She looked at Jerome, just catching a glimpse of him as he ducked down behind the bookcases.
She breathed a sigh of relief when Reece rushed in. It only took him a moment to spot Leila and head directly for her.
“I hoped you were here,” he muttered, looking around. “Is he here somewhere too?”
Leila nodded to the shelving as Jerome stood up again. “I’ll go check on the second floor,” the angel said as he stalked away. He didn’t want to leave them alone but didn’t want to elicit more trouble from the human either. Best they kept clear of each other where possible.
Reece waited until they were assured their privacy before he started again. “Are you okay? I tried to find you yesterday and you weren’t home.”
“We had to get a message to someone, she lives on the other side of Aron,” Leila replied awkwardly, she suddenly didn’t know how to speak with Reece. Everything used to flow so easily but now it felt stunted. Something had changed and it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the angel.
“I hope he’s not putting you in danger.”
“He’s not, really.”
Reece took a few deep breaths, whatever had steamed him up previously was now down to a simmering boil. “Will he be going back soon? To wherever he came from?”
“He should be leaving today if everything goes to plan.” Leila could feel her heartbeat quickening, she needed to tell Reece something and didn’t know how. The thought of it made her palms sweat with anxiety.
“Good. The sooner he leaves, the sooner we can get back to normal.”
“Except we can’t.” Leila raised her eyes to look at him, trying to see his reaction. She knew he wouldn’t want to hear what she had to say and she knew he wouldn’t see it coming. To hurt someone out of the blue would be far more painful than if they had predicted it.
“What do you mean?” Reece shook his head, trying to make sense of the conversation.
Leila took a deep breath. “I can’t be with you anymore, Reece, I just can’t.”
“Is this because of him? Is he forcing you to do this?” He shuffled from foot to foot, trying to stay calm.
“No, it’s got nothing to do with him. I just-”
“Don’t lie to me, Leila. I know it’s got everything to do with him. He’s an angel, he isn’t even human, he’s a beast. Whatever feelings he’s impressed upon you, it isn’t real. I’m real. I’m here. You have to choose me.”
Leila could feel the tears starting to sting her eyes, she blinked them back. The last thing she needed to do was get all weepy, it wouldn’t help her get through the conversation like she wanted to.
“It’s not about Jerome, he doesn’t even like me that way. I just realized I needed some time to breathe. I need to be on my own for a while,” Leila muttered, wishing she could make her reasons clearer. In truth, she wasn’t exactly sure why she was breaking up with Reece. All she knew was that she didn’t feel for him like she did the angel. And even if he didn’t reciprocate those feelings, she still deserved to feel them. If not about the angel, then for someone else. Unfortunately, Reece didn’t make her feel that way.
“But we were happy. We were going really well until he showed up,” Reece moaned, almost in a whine. No matter how much he tried to negotiate to restore their relationship, it wasn’t going to work. Leila’s resolve was strong, she wouldn’t back down.
“I know, but it’s just bad timing, Reece. Please try to understand this isn’t about you.”
He stared her directly in the eyes but realized he was getting nowhere. Without another word, Reece turned and stormed out of the room. The entrance door slammed shortly afterwards, hard enough to make the windows rattle on the ground floor.
Leila stood here, letting the wet tears roll down her cheeks. She felt horrible for doing that to Reece. He was a nice guy, he didn’t deserve to be hurt the way she had harmed him. She hadn’t hurt anyone that way before.
When she next heard footsteps approaching, Leila assumed it would be Jerome returning. She turned away from the entrance and wiped at her tears. She didn’t want him seeing her crying like that, she would only have to explain why.
“Good morning, Leila,” the cheerful voice echoed in the room. It wasn’t Jerome, but Niall. She took one last sniffle and turned around to face him.
“Hi Niall, what are you doing here?” She asked, making her voice sound as cheery as possible. With any luck, he wouldn’t notice the red rings to her eyes. “All the volunteers are working in the museum today.
“I know, I was just there. I noticed you were missing so I thought I might find you here. I guess I was right.” He smiled happily, she couldn’t help but return it. It was difficult to stay sad around someone so happy.
“Did you need something?” She asked, wondering how long it would take for Jerome to return. She couldn’t have another person knowing about his presence. As much as she trusted Niall, he was still someone who might let the angel’s existence slip.
“Just checking on you. It makes a nice change, doesn’t it? You’ve looked after my welfare for so long and now I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“That’s sweet, but I’m fine, really.”
“Then why are you hiding in here? Could it be-”
Niall was interrupted as Leila stopped listening. She faced the entrance instead, her eyes wide as she tried to wave to Jerome to go back. He didn’t understand her hand gestures and entered anyway, not noticing the human company.
“Is Reece gone? I hope he’s not-”
“Jerome, I think you should wait for me upstairs,” Leila said quickly, cutting him off. The angel stopped in his tracks and started to retreat, but it was too late. Niall turned, seeing the angel in all his glory.
“Do I know you?” Niall asked, not even fazed by the sight of hi
s wings.
Instead of leaving, Jerome hurried closer. He did know the older man, he knew him very well. He just couldn’t believe he was staring him in the eyes.
“Jerome, this is Niall, he’s one of my volunteers,” Leila made the introductions. She looked between the men in confusion as they stared at each other.
“His name isn’t Niall,” Jerome insisted. “It’s Michael.”
CHAPTER 17
“No, his name is Niall,” Leila corrected him. “You must be confusing him with someone else.”
“I’m not,” Jerome countered.
“How do I know you?” Niall asked, to himself and not to the others. He shook his head, trying to force himself to remember. “Did we work together?”
Jerome turned to look directly at him, momentarily ignoring Leila and her arguments. “Your name is Michael, you are a member of the Grand Council of Guardian Angels. You have been missing for quite a while.”
“What? I don’t understand?” Niall couldn’t understand it at all. He looked at Leila pleadingly, silently begging for all the answers.
Jerome was far from understanding either, but he was determined. He placed his hands on the man’s shoulders, holding his attention directly. When they made contact, white sparks flew from Niall’s shoulders under the touch. It was like being struck by a bolt of lightning as every one of his memories came flooding back.
Leila stood back, seeing the sparks and hardly believing her eyes. After everything that had happened, she didn’t know how she could still be amazed at the sight but she was. She had spent countless hours with Niall, at times shared her deepest concerns. And now to find out he was an angel? She wondered if anything was actually as it appeared anymore.
“I’m Michael,” he stuttered, testing the name on his tongue. “I am Michael. I remember now, I’ve been hidden here. All this time. He tried to get me to leave and I said I wouldn’t.”
“Who tried to get you to leave?” Jerome asked, frantically trying to work out what had happened. The councilor didn’t have any wings, whoever had taken away his memory had also stripped him of his angel identity. It was a major crime, one you didn’t see in the village.
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