by Dale, Lindy
“My mum would never let me.”
“She can’t exactly stop you if you’re eighteen.”
Abbie’s lip twisted. “I guess not. But I couldn’t drop everything and race off around the world.”
“Why not?”
“It would be irresponsible. My mother has very high hopes for me.”
“Does that include never having fun?” Ty’s arms gripped her tighter. He began to tickle her ribs.
“Ty. Stop it,” Abbie squealed, turning and attacking his torso with her fingers.
“Stop it,” he mimicked, laughing.
“Tickling is not fun.” She let out another yelp.
“Depends who’s being tickled,” he replied and grabbed her for a kiss. Squealing, she ran off around the park benches, Ty in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Lacey and Zac had spread out the rugs and flopped down on them. Lacey organised the baskets into a neat row while Zac peered into the picnic basket and took out the plastic containers Aunt Beth had packed with leftovers and snacks.
“She’s a gem, your auntie,” he commented, taking out a meat pie. “I didn’t get time for dinner. I’m starved. My stomach’s been growling all the way from your house.”
Lacey leant over and took a slice of cold pizza. “Mine too. I always seem to be hungry lately, must be the weather or something.”
“What’s the pizza like?”
“Yum. Try a bit.” She handed him a piece and took another for herself. Then they started in on the jam tarts.
Having finished their tickling match, the other two sat down beside them. Ty reached into the cooler bag and took out a cold beer, tossing it to Zac.
“And for the lovely lady,” he said, producing a bottle of wine with a flourish, “a bottle of the best.” He filled a plastic goblet and handed it to Abbie.
Abbie giggled and took a sip. “I feel very posh. You bought me real red wine.”
“Don’t get too excited, Abs,” Ty laughed. “I pinched it from the wine cellar but at least we know it’ll be nice and it won’t make you vomit.”
“You’re such a charmer.”
“Only for you.”
Lacey watched their easy banter. Maybe she had been wrong about Ty’s motives. He did seem to be very fond of Abbie.
“You want lemonade, Lacey?” Ty asked. “I know you don’t go much for alcohol.”
Lacey watched him fiddle around in the bag with glasses and bottles. It was sweet that he’d even thought of her. It would be so easy to trust him.
“Did you bring another wine glass? I think I might like to join this little party.”
“Sure did.” Raising an eyebrow, Ty handed her a wine-filled goblet. “Your wish is my command.”
The group sat in silence for a while, devouring every last scrap of Aunt Beth’s fare. Then, when everything was packed away, they lay in a row, backs on the rug and notebooks before them, staring at the sky, plotting all they saw.
“This has been so much fun,” Abbie sighed, finally packing her pen and paper into her bag as her work was done. “It’s definitely been one of the better assignments we’ve had to do.”
Ty stood, brushing himself down. “Do you wanna go for a walk then, now we’ve finished? We’ll have to head home soon if we want to make your curfew. We don’t want to get in your Mum’s bad books.”
Lacey could see Abbie’s face colouring coyly. “Where?”
“Down round the back of the Maze, there. Maybe to the river,” he pointed. “Not too far.”
Abbie looked at Lacey, who gave a slow nod. “Go. I’ll stay here with Zac.”
Taking Ty’s outstretched hand, Abbie jumped up and followed him into the darkness. Lacey could hear her chatter growing softer as they wandered, hand in hand, towards the river.
After they left, Lacey rolled onto her back and stared up at the inky sky. She could feel Zac’s body, warm and close along her side but not touching. He waited until Abbie and Ty were out of earshot before he spoke.
“I saw that look you gave her. You don’t have to be such a worrywart. Ty just wants a bit of alone time. He’ll look after her.”
“He’d better.”
Zac rolled to his side, propping his head on his hand. His free hand laid a trail along Lacey’s arm. “What’s the deal? Why are you so down on everything?”
Lacey stared up at him. “I’m not. I don’t want to see her get hurt, that’s all. She’s desperate to fit in and because of that she’ll do anything he says. She’s never had real friends and being in the gang means everything to her.”
“She is kinda naïve.”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re worried Ty will take advantage of that?”
Lacey frowned. “I’ve met his type before.”
“William?”
“Among others.”
“Is that why you don’t drink and stuff?”
Lacey pointed to the half empty glass of wine. “Uh, hello?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Look, when my Mum died, I went off the rails. I’ve never told anybody this and if you dare repeat it, I’ll never speak to you again. After Mum died, I got in a bad scene -lots of drugs. Stuff like that. William had a lot to do with it but I let it happen. I could have said ‘no’. Anyway, I ended up failing last year - I spent a lot of time drunk or wasted and I learnt the hard way that boys don’t always mean what they say. I’d been on the Accelerated Education Program, skipped a year before it all happened. Now, not only do I have a reputation for being a bad girl, I have to repeat Year Twelve so I can get into Art School.”
“That’s why you want to protect Abbie?”
“Yeah. I was innocent and she is too, way more than I ever was. She’s so trusting of him, of you all. It would hurt her so much more if Ty let her down.”
Zac shuffled closer. His head leant in so that Lacey could feel his breath on her cheek. “Abbie is stronger than you realise, Lacey. She’s a big girl. She’s already proven to us that she can take care of herself. Now you….” his voice trailed off as he began to plant tiny kisses along the line of her jaw and down her throat. “You may require a little more love.”
Lacey looked into his eyes. “I never really thanked you properly for saving me the other night. So… thanks.”
“It was the least I could do. You’re very important to me.”
“I… I,” Before Lacey could finish Zac’s fingers settled on her lips, quieting them with the gentlest of caresses. A tingle of desire shot into her brain.
“I like you, Lacey. And for no other reason than you’re a cool chick. I wish you’d just believe it.” His voice was low and smooth. Captivating. “We could be so good together.” His red brown eyes gleamed in the dark and a crooked smile bent one corner of his mouth causing the dimple to form in his cheek.
“Um….I…I s’pose we could.”
“I know we could.” Zac slid his fingers under her chin and bent to replace them with his mouth. A mist swirled around them, sending all thought of denying him into oblivion. The tingle of desire, she’d felt before erupted into a feeling so powerful, Lacey was consumed. Strong hands flew over her skin, tender words filled her ears. Soft lips pressed into the nape of her neck.
Oh God, he was so hot. Literally.
Lacey closed her eyes. The scent of him was overpowering. It filled her lungs and permeated her skin, sending waves of desire through her like she’d never felt. Her body was a furnace and only Zac could quell the flame. Why had she been waiting? She liked Zac, he liked her. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t in control of herself. And he’d be gentle, she knew he would.
Suddenly, a violent wind swept up around them, sending the plastic glasses flying and tipping the empty beer bottles over. From over Zac’s shoulder she saw the shadow of two, huge, powerful wings flapping against the silhouette of the moon. Closer they came until the being hovered right above them in the moonlight. Jesus, was she hallucinating? Her mind was fuzzy, blurred with the speed of what was going on around her. Ha
d Zac put something in her wine, too? Stilled with shock, Lacey squeezed her eyes shut and pushed them open, trying to focus on the unbelievable thing before her.
A voice roared from out of the thing. “Get away from her!”
Zac stopped. Two hands grasped his shoulders, lifting him bodily from Lacey and tossing him like a leaf to the grass beside her, where he lay, motionless but unharmed. Lacey looked up in horror. What the hell was that thing?
Right about then, she fainted.
*****
When she came to, Lacey discovered that she was at her front door. The security light was on, as always, and everything was back to normal except for the fact that she was being carried. By Cam.
Chapter Thirteen
Lacey had been laying, prone for hours on her four poster bed, staring at the tiny cracks in the ceiling and trying to make sense of everything that had gone down in the last week. Some things she knew for a fact - Firstly, Abbie was now a member of some crazy gang that did hell knows what in their spare time. Second, there was no way she was getting involved even if Zac begged, and third, she liked Zac more than she cared to admit. Oh, she knew all about the type of boy he was, but she was sure she could handle him. He was cute and funny and he could be hers. All she had to do was let down her guard.
As she watched a fly crawl over one of the cracks, around the ceiling rose and across to the other side of the ceiling, she let her mind wander further. The uncertainties outweighed the facts ten to one. For a start, where did Cam fit in to all this? The way he turned up everywhere, like he had a GPS on her, did her head in. It made her so angry, yet oddly, she realised that she sort of enjoyed the attention. When he was around, a bevy of butterflies took up residence in her stomach. He only had to look at her and the blood rushed to her head. She hated to think what her reaction might be if he touched her.
It was just his strangeness, his need to be her friend, yet not wanting to share as a friend did, that had confused her. Sure, he was sweet when you got to know him but there was that odd thing, that quirk she hadn’t been able to fathom until now. Could it really be that he was an angel or something like it? All the signs pointed so blatantly to it, she was amazed she’d never put two and two together before. He didn’t show up in pictures. He had a way about him that made her feel calm, even when she wasn’t and he’d healed that dog. She’d seen him. And what about the wings? She’d seen those wings with her own eyes before she fainted. She’d witnessed the force behind them as they flapped above her and seen his strength as he pulled Zac from her and sent him flying over the lawn. There was no other way to explain it. Maybe that was the missing piece of this puzzle, the thing that had eluded her. Cam was an angel. A very cute angel, one that could read minds and fly and all that stuff. And for some reason he seemed to be looking out for her.
But why did Cam hate Zac so much and how the hell had she ended up in his arms on the front doorstep? There was only one person who could give her answers about that and Lacey had to find him.
Pulling on a pair of track pants and a t-shirt, Lacey slipped on her sneakers and set off for the Maze. It was Saturday and the odds were that Cam wouldn’t be working but where else could she look? It wasn’t like she had his direct line or anything. Running along the path and into the park, she scanned the area. He wasn’t near the gravestones, so that only left the maze, if he was there at all. Out of breath, she entered the foliage walls.
After a few minutes, Lacey was hopelessly lost. Each turn looked the same and every piece of hedge was like the last. Running to find Cam had been a stupid idea. As an eleven year old on summer holiday, she’d traversed these green corridors with ease. Aunt Beth had shown her the trick - every maze had a key that unlocked its paths - but now after six years, it seemed that piece of information had left her memory. Even the path she’d taken to the centre the other week was eluding her. Determined not to give in, Lacey came to a halt and looked up, above the line of hedging. It was slightly lower here. Maybe if she jumped she could see over the top? She lurched herself a couple of feet from the ground, craning to see over. It was pointless. She couldn’t see a thing except more damn green. What about climbing? The hedge was old, the branches thick. They’d hold her weight. She stuck a foot into the side of the maze and tested its strength. It felt fine. It could work. Placing her foot further into the maze wall and taking a handful of the spiky conifer fronds, she began to climb.
Crack. The branch below her feet gave way, and she fell to the ground, catching the corner of her top and ripping it along her ribs. The scratch was only minor but enough to be uncomfortable when she moved and she winced a little as she adjusted her top to try and cover it. A spray of leaves fell as she did so, covering her hair and shoulders. Great.
Lacey sighed heavily and looked at the green stains on her palms. Now they stung.
“Cam,” she called. “Cam. Are you in there?”
Silence.
God damn it, he’d better be in here after all her trouble. And he’d better have some answers.
Standing up, Lacey brushed the leaves from her shoulders and started walking. There was nothing for it. She’d have to keep going, if it took all day. She would follow the row of trees she could see above the outside of the maze, and if she didn’t reach the centre she’d at least be able to double back on herself to get out. If only Cam would answer it would we so much easier.
“Cam, Cam! Where are you?” Her voice echoed along the edges of the wall and bounced back to her. “Cam, for God’s sake! This isn’t funny.”
More silence.
Twenty minutes more passed before Lacey stumbled, literally, upon a part of the path that looked familiar. The hedges narrowed somewhat in this section as if leading to something. Now she remembered. All she had to do was keep turning left and…
Holy fuck!!
She had reached the centre of the maze. Standing before her was the statue of Saint Michael the Archangel and dusting his body were the same huge wings she had seen last night. It hadn’t been a dream. She hadn’t been a victim of drugs. The wings were fully unfurled, and translucent silver with white tips. With a speed that could hardly be seen by the human eye, they fluttered over the statue, cleaning each crevice with delicate precision, making each side gleam as if it had been carved only yesterday. And more amazingly, the wings were attached to Cam.
Oh, this was too much. Thinking someone may be an ethereal being and actually witnessing it were two different things.
Sensing he was being watched, Cam paused in his ministrations and turned slowly and calmly to face her. He didn’t seem at all bothered by the fact that two massive wings were spouting from his shoulders or Lacey had seen them. In fact, he looked almost relieved to see her, even if her mouth was dragging on the grass in shock.
“So,” he said, quietly. “I see you’re up and about. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Lacey stepped further into the walled area that was the centre of the maze. Was he totally insane?
“Is that all you’ve got to say?”
“I guess you’ll be wanting a few answers then?”
Well, alleluia, at last, someone was going to tell her what the hell was going on. After she got over the shock of those, those…. wings, that was.
“You have wings.”
“Yep.”
“They’re silver.”
Cam gave a small smile. He preened a little. “I’ve always liked the colour.”
Lacey’s eyes travelled over the expanse. “They’re so big.”
“It helps if you want to fly.”
“So I didn’t imagine it, then?”
Cam turned slightly. The wings fluttered gently. A zephyr of breeze swirled around Lacey’s face. “Guess not. Anything else you want to know?”
“Um, yeah,” she replied. She gestured to the huge silver things. “Look, do you reckon you could put them away first? They’re sort of freaking me out a bit.”
Lacey watched as the beautiful gossamer wings disappeared into
some hidden place in Cam’s back. He gave a slow smile and ran a hand through his hair, making the dagger tattoo on his bicep flex. He really was beautiful, more beautiful than anything Lacey had ever seen. But the calm he portrayed was an act; she could tell. He was as nervous as she was at this discovery.
“Better?”
“Much.”
Moving to the stone seat that sat adjacent to the hedged wall, Cam brushed the dust down with his hand. “Sit,” he indicated, taking up a spot on one end.
Lacey obeyed, her hands folded in her lap, for suddenly she seemed to be able to find no other suitable place.
“So. What are you? Like, an angel or something?” she blurted, hardly able to believe that she was even entertaining the idea. Everyone knew angels and werewolves and stuff were a load of crap. Though, after all the weird things that had been going on in the last few weeks, she was beginning to wonder.
Cam swallowed and began to speak. It was a relief to finally be able to share. He wanted her to know. “Yes. My name is Chamuel and I am your angel, your protector.”
Lacey’s brow rose in accusation. “So where’ve you been for the last year?”
There was no denying she could have done with a bit of help, especially the other week.
“Technically, I’m not allowed to interfere in your life. I couldn’t fly down and tell you what was going to happen. Not even with William. Fate is fate for a reason.”
Geez, had the whole town known her former boyfriend had been lurking? “Then what’s the point of you being here?”
“I’m the angel of unconditional love and peace. My task is to help people lift their souls from the depths of sorrow by surrounding their lives in love and serenity. You have to admit, you’ve had much sorrow. I can help to heal your heart if you let me.”
“I’m over that now.”
“Possibly. You’ve certainly done much to help yourself, Lacey and I hope I can take a small piece of credit for setting you on the path.”
“How?”
“The pink roses over your mother’s grave - I planted the seed to buy them in your mind while you stood at the garden centre. I also made them bloom out of season. I wanted to see you smile. The photos of her you found hidden away in the attic - I led you to them. I gave Aunt Beth the idea of having you here and the butterflies of pleasure you felt in your stomach when you found the gravestones and had the idea for your exhibition - I brought you to them.”