by K L Ogden
He turned his head to the side and she was there curled next to him. Obi’s jaw dropped and he couldn’t hold back a sharp intake of breath. She looked pale and he immediately frowned. He rolled over onto his side, his abdomen tearing in protest to the movements. But the pain was the least of his concern. He reached up and rested his hand against her cheek. Her skin felt frigid and the rosy color of her cheeks was gone. His body trembled as he feared the worst until she drew in a shallow breath.
Obi let out a staggered sigh and closed his eyes in relief.
“She used most of her energy,” a voice said. Obi tried to look up. “Don’t move around.” The voice moved closer. “She saved you. Hitomi saved your life,” Guri peered over him.
“Guri,” Obi said relieved. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to see you.”
“You’ve definitely had better days, although not lately.”
“The plan didn’t work. I wasn’t able to defeat Domitori.”
“Yah, I know. You’re lucky I was there.”
“Is he dead?”
“No,” Guri shook his head. “Just immobilized for a little while. Which means as soon as you’re up to getting out of here, we need to go.”
“I’ll be ready in a little bit.” He turned his gaze back to Hitomi. “Is she going to be alright?” He ran his thumb along her chin.
“She’ll be fine. She just needs to recover her energy with some rest. She was quite determined to save you, once she realized she could.”
“Why?” Obi stared at her. “Why would she want to save me? I was sent here to kill her.”
“But you didn’t,” Guri shot back.
“But I could have.”
“No you couldn’t have. You protected her.”
“Guri, what is going on?” he turned back to him.
“I don’t know everything. But what I do know I will tell you once we get out of here. We need to hide because Domitori will eventually be searching for us.”
“And where are we going to go?” Obi shifted back to Hitomi.
“I got a motel room for a few nights. It’s not too far away. Domitori will be expecting us to be on the other side of the Earth. We’ll figure out something from there. You should be okay to move soon and I can take Hitomi.” Guri sighed.
“How did she do it?” Obi practically whispered as he scanned her face. “I should be dead.”
“I’m not sure. I’ll be back in a few minutes. You might want to start trying to get up. We really need to go.” He listened to Guri’s footsteps stop at the doorway. “Oh, and by the way, she’s going to have some questions. She saw my wings.”
“What?” Obi pulled his hand from her face and twisted, sitting up and glaring at him.
“It was unavoidable,” Guri shrugged and smiled, then shut the door.
Obi groaned and fell back onto the bed, immediately worried that he had disturbed Hitomi. He grimaced as he turned back to her. Her chest rose and fell very slowly. He moved some hair from his face and ran the back of his hand along her cheek. He continued along her jaw to her chin and brushed his fingertips the length of her mouth. He had been drawn to those lips. He wanted so badly to know how they felt and tasted.
He pulled his hand away from her. He knew he was being foolish. There was no way she would want anything to do with him once he revealed what he was or the terrible things he had done. Placing his hand over the bandages on his abdomen, he rolled away from her.
He let out a groan as he forced himself to sit back up. He swung his legs over the side of the bed letting his feet hit the floor as he withheld another grunt. He gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up from the bed.
“Obi…” Hitomi mumbled and he turned back around to her. She flopped her arm over to where he had been laying. He reached down to take a hold of her hand, but stopped himself. He squeezed his hand into a fist and turned away.
He was going to have to tell her what he was. He couldn’t keep it from her any longer. His face went through the emotions of anger, frustration, hurt and fear. She was going to hate him.
He shook his head and noticed his bag lying on the floor by the closet. He went over and dug out a change of clothes. Slipping into his jeans and then grabbing a t-shirt, he pulled it on. He moved over to the desk chair and laced up his boots. He tried to keep his eyes on the floor, but they eventually drifted up to Hitomi and wondered how she had the power to save him. He had never heard of a human with healing powers. Even if she wanted nothing to do with him, he knew he still needed to protect her.
“Obi?” Hitomi mumbled again, but this time her eyes opened. Her gaze settled on him sitting across from her and he looked away from her.
“We need to leave soon,” Obi stated as he got up and went over to the window. He peeled the curtain back somewhat and peered out.
“You’re okay,” she sighed.
Obi let out a faint hum of acknowledgement and closed the curtain.
“I couldn’t let you die because…” her voice trailed off. Obi glanced over at her wanting her to finish her sentence. Her eyes were closed again.
“Because, why?” he whispered.
There was a light knock on the door and Guri appeared in the doorway as Obi looked over.
“Everything okay?” Guri asked.
“Yes. We should go.”
Guri entered the room. “Good. We’re running out of time. Are you sure everything is alright? I can sense frustration in you.”
“Everything is fine. Can you pack some things for her?” Obi walked over and moved past him towards the doorway.
“Don’t you want to stay with her?”
“No.”
“What is your problem?” Guri grabbed his arm. “That girl just saved you. Do you think she’d do that if she didn’t care about you?”
“She’ll never care about me once she finds out the truth,” Obi growled and pulled his arm away and pushed Guri back.
“How do you know?” Guri called after him as he walked down the stairs and into the dark living room. He rubbed his face and sat down on the couch.
Within a few minutes, Guri came down the steps. “Are you alright to fly?”
“I’ll make it,” Obi replied and stood back up. He looked at Guri, who had Obi’s bag and a bag for Hitomi secured across his body. Wrapped in a blanket, he had Hitomi tucked in his arms.
“Well, I hope I erased all traces of us being here,” Guri commented. “Ready to go?”
Obi gave a nod and they cautiously walked outside. They both scanned the sky and then Obi pressed his hand to his throbbing stomach. He tried to ignore it as he spread his wings and followed Guri up into the sky.
He still felt weak and his senses were dulled, but he kept up with Guri constantly searching the night sky. He periodically snuck peeks at Hitomi bundled next to Guri. It wasn’t long before Guri motioned down and Obi trailed after him as the ground became closer. They touched down each with a thud in the motel parking lot. Obi turned and followed behind Guri to a ground level room. They stood outside the door.
“What are we waiting for?” Obi asked.
“Well, you can either take Hitomi or you can dig in my pocket and get the key,” Guri raised an eyebrow. Obi huffed and reached into Guri’s back pocket pulling out the key. They went into the room and Guri tucked Hitomi into the bed.
“One bed?”
“Hey, I was only able to get a bit of human money. I’m not a millionaire like Rediisu,” Guri replied. “If you have a problem with one bed, go get your own room.”
Obi moved over and sat down in one of the chairs, resting his hand over the bandages under his shirt.
“You should lie down.”
“I’ll lay down when you’re done telling me just what exactly you know,” Obi sighed and glanced over at Hitomi snuggled in the bed. Part of him could wait for any information if it meant he could be next to her, but he needed to know what situation he had become tangled in.
“She’s not going to hate you. She’ll unders
tand,” Guri commented. “But you need to make her understand.”
“Guri, stay out of it. Just tell me what you know.”
Guri shrugged and sat down on the floor leaning against the foot of the bed. “It’s not much. I’m just the errand boy, so to speak. But what I do know is that everything has happened for a reason. Hitomi ended up on your list for a reason.”
“What do you mean?” Obi asked turning back to him.
“From what I’ve gathered, you were created for her. You were meant to protect her. I don’t know anything about your creation though.”
Obi grumbled. “Who put Hitomi on my list?”
“Everything was arranged by someone within the Juydisu. One that does not agree with Laebosu and apparently has never agreed with him since he came to the afterworld. There is another in the Savetto too. And don’t ask me to tell you who they are. They will not reveal themselves until they are ready.”
Obi thought back to his appearances in front of the Savetto. There had been one among them that seemed to be on his side. He wondered if that was the one working against Laebosu. However, Guri still wasn’t answering any of his questions.
“But, why was I meant to protect Hitomi and who is she?”
“All I know is that your true self was hidden until the time she needed protecting. Well, I guess that time came and you were sent to her. I don’t know her importance. But it has something to do with the Heavens.”
“Is she some sort of angel?” Obi glanced over at her. She definitely looked like she could be an angel. At least she looked like how he thought an angel should appear.
“The angels were said to be exterminated or taken to serve in the afterworld. I assume some hid and survived,” Guri sighed. “And healing is one of the traits of angels.”
“How did you know she could heal me?”
“I sensed her powers. I can get inside other’s minds, remember? That’s how I immobilized Domitori on the roof and that’s how I know that you’re upset…”
“I’m not upset,” Obi snapped whipping his head around.
“She’s not going to reject you.” Guri tapped his forehead. “Senses feelings. Did you suffer a head blow? Because if I have to tell you that again I’m going to get worried.”
“Just shut up Guri. And get out of my head and her head.”
Guri smirked. “I just took a peek. Your mind is much more interesting lately.”
Obi let out a slight groan. “You said I was meant to protect her. What does that make me?”
“We’ll get into that later.” Guri got up and started digging in his pockets.
“Later? No, you’re going to tell me now.”
“Nope. You need to rest. I told you enough.” He pulled a bunch of change out of his pockets and started counting it out.
“I need to know more.”
“I’m going to get some onion rings.”
“What?” Obi replied irritated.
“Onion rings. They’re sliced onions with breading stuff on them. They’re tasty. I’ll be back in a little while.” Guri shook his head as he walked to the door.
“I know what onion rings are. You need to tell me…”
“Yah, yah,” Guri interrupted and dismissed him with a wave. “You need to heal up quickly. Go get some rest. I’ll be back.” He hurried out the door and it shut with a thud.
“Irritating,” Obi mumbled and got up from the chair. He flipped the lock on the door and went into the bathroom. The light flickered when he turned it on and he lifted his shirt up. Pulling back the bandages, he examined the gash in his abdomen and then covered it back up. He looked up into the mirror at himself as he lowered his shirt.
He stood there staring at his face. Who he was for the past 17 years was no longer who he saw in the reflection. His need to protect her had changed him. But he didn’t want to just protect her. He wanted to touch her and hold her. He wanted to be the cause of her smiles. He wanted to make her laugh.
Obi rubbed his forehead and walked out of the bathroom after flipping off the light. He watched the sleeping girl in bed and then moved to the empty side of the bed. He carefully laid down so not to wake her. The wound was throbbing, but he instantly seemed to feel better being next to her. He closed his eyes exhausted and was on the verge of falling asleep when she started moving.
His eyes shot back open and he turned towards her. He rolled onto his side as he noticed her visibly shivering. Obi tried to fix her covers, but she continued to shake. He sighed to himself and then maneuvered one arm under her pillow and the other arm over her. Slowly he pulled her to him tucking her against the curve of his body. She let out a slight hum, nuzzling her head into the pillow. His entire body relaxed and he closed his eyes.
Chapter 10
Hitomi stretched her body and rubbed her eyelids. Her eyes opened to a grey room slightly lit from light creeping through the curtains. She glanced around the room recognizing it as a hotel room by the tacky patterned curtains and generic nature paintings. It could have easily been the same room that her mother and she shared when the heat went out in their house a few winters ago.
She let out a yawn and rolled over towards the door. Suddenly the events of last night flooded her mind and she shot up. She looked around the room searching for any signs of the winged boy or Obi. As soon as she thought of Obi her stomach ached. She had passed out after her hands had been illuminated. Hitomi wondered if Obi was still alive or if something awful had happened while she lay sleeping. And if he was alive, she pondered where he might be.
“Hello? Anyone else here?” She eyed every corner of the room and pulled the covers back. She realized she still had her dress on as she got up. As she poked around the room, she discovered a bag on the table. Reaching to pull back the zipper, she noticed the dried blood covering her hands. Obi’s blood. Filled with nausea she ran to the bathroom and immediately started scrubbing her hands. She glanced up in the mirror finding blood caked in her hair and on her face.
She turned on the shower and stripped off her clothes. The hot water was a welcome relief to her tired body. She ran the provided bar of soap against her skin and in her hair trying to get rid of any trace of Obi’s blood. She closed her eyes remembering how much blood there had been. The knot in her stomach tightened as she thought of Obi. She had been so scared to lose him. Obi had become so vital to her. He influenced every single one of her emotions. But what was he?
She sat down in the bathtub and let the water beat down on her as she curled herself into a ball. Hitomi knew that Obi was not human. She also knew that he had been sent to kill her for reasons she didn’t know. But he hadn’t killed her. He had watched over her, shielded her, and became the most important part of her life. Hitomi’s body trembled as the water cascaded over her skin. She had let herself fall entirely and utterly in love with him without even knowing who he was.
He had tried to keep her away from him. He insisted he was not a good person. But she had taken his actions with a grain of salt. Hitomi now realized that she had no idea what she was dealing with. She had no clue who she loved. And she gritted her teeth at the thought that she loved a being sent to kill her.
Her body shuddered again as she heard the creak of the door over the water pounding on her head.
“Hitomi?” Obi’s voice was suddenly in the bathroom.
She looked up startled and saw a blurry version of Obi through the shower doors. She noticed that he quickly turned his back to her, but she pulled her knees closer to her anyway.
“I’m sorry. I knocked.”
“I’ll be out in a few minutes,” Hitomi stuttered.
She watched him walk out and shut the door. Her body shook as she stood up and turned off the water. Instantly she felt cold and quickly wrapped herself in a towel. She really didn’t want to put her dress back on. She could smell the caked on dried blood all over the material. She pulled the towel tighter and cracked the door open.
“Obi?”
“Yes?” His voice sou
nded far away.
“Are there any other clothes of mine?”
She listened to him walking around and then unexpectedly he stood in front of her. Obi held a bag in his hands out to her. His eyes widened at seeing her and she swiftly shut the door.
“I’ll leave it by the door,” he mumbled.
Hitomi’s skin quickly covered in goose bumps. She hadn’t been ready to see him quite yet. And she really hadn’t been ready for him to see her clad only in a towel. Her back pressed firmly against the door, she tried to calm her rapid pulse. She could still feel him on the other side of the door waiting for her, but after a few minutes she listened to his steps walk away.