“I think they’d have a riot if they tried that,” said Roxy, copying his small smile.
“Let’s just be relieved we’re going home,” said Imorean, looking between his two friends.
“Good point,” nodded Toddy, grinning.
“Tar Heel State here we come,” smiled Mandy.
Chapter 23
Imorean was immensely happy to finally be almost home. He had been the very last student to leave Gracepointe, escorted as he was by Gabriel. It had been strange to him to fly without using his own wings. The roar of the plane engines would normally have lulled him to sleep, but this time he was too excited to close his eyes. Only a few more hours and he would be home. Home. Familiarity. Safety. The world he knew. He was almost back. He would be able to be normal for a few weeks. Very little contact with the angels and over an entire month with his mother. Nothing could have been better. He was jerked from his thoughts only moments later.
“We’re about to land,” said Gabriel, nudging Imorean gently.
“I know,” replied Imorean. “I wasn’t asleep.”
“Good.”
Imorean returned the nod, then turned his gaze back out of the plane’s window. The flight was almost over and even though Imorean knew that they still had a few hours left in a car to drive, he could barely contain himself. He was almost home. Almost home. He was back in American airspace. Soon he would touch back down on American soil. He couldn’t have been happier. For the first time in many months, the world was in his favor.
Imorean’s heart felt as though it was swelling in his chest as he felt the plane’s wheel’s bump down onto the runway. The first time he had been on a plane, he had braced himself in the seats during the takeoff and the landing. Now, however, he embraced the feeling of speed and exhilaration. It was second nature to him. Perhaps, he thought, Gracepointe had changed him. Maybe even more than he had originally thought.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As soon as the seat belt sign was turned off, Imorean was on his feet. He almost scrambled over Gabriel to get to his carry-on bag which was stored in one of the overhead compartments.
“Easy, Imorean.”
“Sorry,” said Imorean as he settled his bag on his back. “I’m a little excited.”
“You don’t say,” replied Gabriel, looping the strap of his own bag over his shoulder. “You’ll be home soon.”
Imorean beamed at the Archangel and turned on his heel, leading the way off the plane and into the airport.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Even though it was too dark to see his surroundings, Imorean spent the entirety of the car ride back to his hometown pinned to the window. He was home. He was home. Imorean bit his lower lip. He felt as though his entire body was vibrating with excitement. He was back in North Carolina. Gracepointe, Michael and the demons could have been worlds away. That is until Gabriel spoke, jerking Imorean back to the realization that he was still in the presence of an Archangel.
“Only about fifteen minutes more,” said Gabriel. “Think you can wait that long? Or do you need me to teleport you?”
“I’m pretty sure I can wait,” replied Imorean, beaming at the angel. He furrowed his brow a moment later and turned away from the window for the first time. “Why did you choose to come with me and not one of the other students?”
“Well, I know you the best out of all of them. Michael said specifically that at least one of the Archangels needed to be here in the States with all of you. North Carolina is in the middle of the three states we brought everyone from, so I figured that it would make the most sense to go with one of the students from there.”
“Why didn’t Michael come?” asked Imorean, knowing he was venturing into what could be sensitive territory.
“He’s still away.”
“Where is he?” Imorean swallowed as Gabriel darted a suspicious glance in his direction. Imorean was surprised when the Archangel answered.
“He’s in Eastern Europe. Romania to be exact.”
“What for?” asked Imorean. Romania wasn’t exactly the first place he had imagined the Archangel being.
Gabriel shrugged, his emerald and tawny wings moving with his shoulders. “He’s suspicious of something going on there.”
“Has he found Uriel?”
“Stop probing. You’re not supposed to know about that anyway. I’ve already given you far more information than I should have. Michael would have my head if he knew half the things I tell you.”
“Then, why do it?” Imorean’s heart skipped a beat as Gabriel took his eyes off the road and locked him in an unreadable, hazel gaze for a few seconds.
“We angels have a problem, Imorean. And I’m not sure how, but I feel you’re part of the solution. I don’t just mean through the fact that you are a new breed of angel either. There’s something bigger. You and all the rest of your classmates are all going to help us resolve what is happening in this world. There’s something different about you.”
“Different?”
“Don’t ask me how,” said Gabriel, turning his eyes back to the road. “It’s just a feeling, nothing I can put my finger on exactly.”
“I see,” nodded Imorean. Why couldn’t angels ever give straight answers, he wondered. It would make things so much easier.
Imorean’s thoughts were interrupted as Gabriel turned the car off the main road and onto a small, rutted, dirt track. Imorean’s mouth ran dry. His driveway. He was home.
“You’re sure no one can see the wings?” asked Imorean. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to quell his nervousness.
“Did you not see the people on the plane? They saw nothing. Your mother will see nothing either. Not until you want her to.”
Imorean took a deep, shuddering breath. He was about to see his mother after four months of separation. Imorean could see the lights on inside the house, the glow softened by drawn curtains. He was almost certain that all three members of his family were awake, waiting for him.
“Okay.”
“Come on,” said Gabriel, resting a hand on his shoulder and shaking him gently.
Imorean grinned and threw the car door open, moving quickly now. He couldn’t move fast enough. Imorean unfurled his wings and sprang into the air, landing lightly on the steps at the front of his house. He folded his wings again, tucking them in tidily behind himself, then rested a hand on the doorknob and pushed it open.
“Imorean!” cried two voices, catching Imorean’s attention. He looked up and spotted Rachel and Isaac bounding across the lounge to get to him. His mother was standing in the threshold of the kitchen and the living room, beaming at him. A dreamy expression crossed her face, as though she wasn’t quite believing what she was seeing. In spite of all the changes he had undergone himself, Amelia was unchanged. As though no time at all had passed. Her brown eyes, so like his own, were still the same. Her brown hair was still curly from having been up in a bun. Everything about her was bright and welcoming. Familiar.
Before Imorean could step inside the house to greet his mother, Rachel and Isaac had both wrapped their arms around his legs, rendering him immobile. He rested one hand on each of their heads, but one voice made him look up.
“Hello, Imorean,” said Imorean’s mother, Amelia, walking quickly across the living room to reach him.
“Mom,” replied Imorean, struggling to keep the shake out of his voice. Despite his best efforts, his lower lip trembled.
Amelia stepped around the twins and pulled Imorean into a tight hug. Imorean stiffened as she did so, forgetting for a moment that she could neither see nor feel his wings. Imorean drew a deep breath and released it in a sob, relieved and terrified both in the same heartbeat. He had missed her so much.
“Imorean, are you crying?” asked Amelia, leaning back and running her thumbs under his eyes.
“No.” Imorean shook his head and wiped his own eyes free of tears. “It’s just allergies.”
“It’s good to see you too,” said Amelia, pulling him back into a hug.
This time though, she released him more quickly.
“Come inside. It’s freezing out here,” she said. Imorean saw her glance up and catch sight of Gabriel who was leaning on the hood of the rental car. “Who’s this?”
“That’s Gabriel Archer,” replied Imorean, feeling automatically sick as he lied to his mother. “He was the one who escorted me back from Gracepointe.”
“Ah, yes, I remember meeting him at the airport now,” nodded Amelia, resting her hands on Rachel and Isaac’s heads and urging them away from Imorean so they could all step into the house. “You two wait here, all right? I’m going to help Imorean with his bags.”
“Yes, Mom,” Rachel and Isaac chorused.
“There’s really not very much,” protested Imorean weakly, the exhaustion of the journey finally catching him. “Most of my stuff is back at college anyway.”
“I want to help,” replied Amelia, stepping out of the house and making her way toward the car.
Imorean followed behind her and glanced nervously at Gabriel as he approached. The Archangel nodded encouragingly then turned to Amelia and offered her an award-winning smile.
“Good evening, Amelia.”
“Good evening, Gabriel.”
Imorean frowned as his mother’s face broke into a bright, wide smile and he looked away. If his mother knew what Gabriel and Michael had done, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she would not be smiling like that at him. She would probably be in the process of tearing his head off.
“These are his suitcases,” said Gabriel. The Archangel had moved from the front of the car to the rear and was unloading the two bags Imorean had brought with him. Imorean knew he would have to leave to return to Gracepointe at the end of December anyway. There wasn’t much point in bringing a great deal.
“Do you have anywhere to stay, Gabriel?” asked Amelia, grabbing hold of one of Imorean’s bags before the latter had a chance to do so. Imorean stiffened and shot a horrified look at her back. Gabriel was not staying with them.
“I have made arrangements for myself,” nodded the Archangel, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Imorean took hold of his second suitcase before his mother could do so and glanced at Gabriel. Were it not for the huge pair of tawny wings that only he could see, Gabriel would have looked completely normal. Human.
“Well, you must come in for a cup of coffee,” said Amelia. “You’ve both had a very long journey.”
“Over seventeen hours. It’s been exhausting. I must say, I’m impressed with Imorean. He handled the trip very well.”
Amelia didn’t respond verbally, choosing instead to turn to Imorean and grin at him. Imorean did his best to return it. Now that he was home, he wanted Gabriel gone. He wanted to return to being normal.
“Come on.” Imorean cringed inwardly as he heard the tone of annoyance in his own voice. “It’s cold out here and I’m pretty tired.”
“Let’s get you inside,” said Amelia, resting her hand on Imorean’s shoulder and walking with him back to the house. Gabriel followed behind them more slowly. Imorean glanced over his shoulder to look at the Archangel and was surprised to see him glaring suspiciously at the trees and areas surrounding the house. Imorean considered asking him what he was so edgy about, but decided not to. He could venture a good guess.
“Well, this is it,” said Amelia, holding open the door for Gabriel to enter the house. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”
“It’s lovely,” said Gabriel, looking around the living room. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“You’re more than welcome. Thank you for helping Imorean with the journey back here.”
“My pleasure.”
“Who are you?” asked Rachel, looking up from the couch at Gabriel in confusion.
“My name is Gabriel,” replied the Archangel with a smile. He inclined his head and studied Rachel and Isaac for a moment.
“Like the angel?” asked Rachel.
“Now that you mention it, yes.”
Imorean stifled a laugh. A moment later, he shuffled his feet. He didn’t know exactly how he felt about Gabriel being in his house. It felt awkward somehow. He hadn’t expected his mother to invite the Archangel inside.
“I forgot you had siblings, Imorean,” said Gabriel, turning to look at the teenager.
“Yeah,” replied Imorean, offering his mentor a tired, half smile. He rolled his shoulders and resisted the urge to flare his wings. He wasn’t used to having them folded so tightly for long periods of time.
“You look tired.”
Imorean scoffed. “I wonder why … you can sit down, you know.”
“Thank you,” nodded Gabriel, dropping down into one of the living room’s chairs and breathing a heavy sigh.
“Gabriel, Imorean. It’s decaf, I hope you don’t mind,” said Amelia, reemerging from the kitchen holding two cups of coffee.
“Thanks, Mom,” said Imorean, taking his mug from her and sitting down on the couch between the twins. They moved as one unit and leaned on him tiredly. It was long past their usual bedtime and Imorean knew they must be exhausted. For the first time in a long time, Imorean felt loved. It was a feeling that sent chills all through his body. He had missed having this human contact. He released a breath he didn’t know he had been holding and smiled as he took a sip of his mother’s coffee. It was hot and sweet, almost polar opposite to the coffee Gabriel had given him as he recovered from his transformation. The drink in his hands now tasted like home. Home. He was finally home. The whole experience felt surreal. It wasn’t for long, but at least for a while he was here. It was a relief, a welcome reprieve from the chaos of Michael’s world.
“Thank you, Amelia,” said Gabriel, standing and taking his mug from her.
“You’re welcome,” she replied, turning and sitting on the arm of the couch.
“Imorean,” said Rachel, tugging on his sleeve.
“What’s up?” asked Imorean, placing his mug on the coffee table and turning his full attention to his younger sister.
“Why have you been gone for so long? What have you been doing?”
“I’ve been at school,” replied Imorean, smiling. As he spoke, he rested his hand on her head and ruffled her hair.
“Why do you have to go away to go to school? Me and Isaac go to school here.”
“It’s a different kind of school, Rach. It’s college. You normally have to leave home to go to college.”
“How far away is your school?” asked Isaac.
“It’s …” began Imorean. He stopped himself. He didn’t actually know how far away Gracepointe was from North Carolina.
“It’s over four thousand miles,” said Gabriel, obviously having noticed Imorean’s hesitation.
“Mom, I don’t want to go to Norway,” said Isaac, leaning over Imorean’s lap to talk to Amelia.
“I don’t think you’ll ever have to, Isaac,” replied Amelia, resting a hand on his head and stroking his hair. The living room lapsed into silence for a few minutes.
“What have you been learning?” asked Amelia. “I could never really tell from your emails.”
Imorean’s blood ran cold and he was pretty sure his face drained of its color. His mother wanted to know what he’d been doing. Learning how to fly and learning how to kill demons probably wouldn’t be the most acceptable answers.
“Imorean is currently engaged in his first year, basic classes. Basic college math, entry level biology classes, introductions to college English. That type of thing,” said Gabriel, maintaining his smile.
Imorean’s stomach turned and he looked away. How could Gabriel lie so blatantly, with such a straight face? It was sick. He used to think angels were allowed to do no wrong, but his time at Gracepointe had changed all his possible perceptions about the creatures. Imorean wanted Gabriel to leave. He felt even more awkward in his own home than he had at Gracepointe.
“I see,” nodded Amelia. “Sounds awfully boring for you, Imorean.”
“Amelia, this coffee is fantastic,” said Gabriel. Again, the wide, disarming grin. Imorean had to admire how he diverted the conversation. For all his flaws, Gabriel was a master at talking. “Far better than what we have at Gracepointe.”
“Well thank you,” replied Amelia, smiling at him.
Imorean ran a hand through his hair. The exhaustion from the journey was truly settling in now. Going to bed was sounding more and more like a good idea. He looked up as Gabriel said his name.
“What’s up?”
“I’ll need to speak to you at some point tomorrow.”
“Okay,” replied Imorean, too tired to even nod his head.
“It won’t take too long, will it?” asked Amelia.
Imorean jumped slightly as his mother rested a hand on his shoulder, but relaxed into her touch a moment later. Physical contact had become somehow alien over the last few months.
“It shouldn’t. I could actually come and speak with him here if that not an inconvenience. It’s nothing massively important. More of a time-sensitive matter, if you understand what I mean.”
“Of course,” said Amelia. Imorean was fighting to keep his eyes open now.
“I’ll take my leave of you for the evening,” said Gabriel. “I think someone’s a bit tired.”
Imorean narrowed his eyes at the Archangel as the man gestured to him. It felt as though Gabriel was being condescending. There was a certain Michael-ness in his tone that Imorean didn’t like.
“I think you’re right,” nodded Amelia, standing up.
“Thank you again for your hospitality,” said Gabriel, rising to his feet and making his way toward the front door. “Have a good evening.”
“Thank you,” said Amelia, following him to the door and shaking his hand before he exited.
Imorean looked up as the front door closed and he heard the engine of Gabriel’s rental car start.
“You need to go to bed,” said Amelia.
Angels Soaring (Angels Rising Book 2) Page 21