Angels Soaring (Angels Rising Book 2)

by Harriet Carlton

  “It’s just a big one. Probably the biggest assignment I’ve ever done in my life, that’s all. I was hoping I’d be given a little more time for it, you know?”

  “I understand that completely,” sighed Amelia. “What do they want you to do? And why Linville Falls? That’s over half an hour away from here.”

  “It has unusual topography in itself and it’ll be a good spot to get a bird’s eye view, as Gabriel said,” replied Imorean. Inwardly, he kicked himself. He hated lying to his mother. He felt sick with himself. For the first time since his arrival home, he blamed the angels and was tempted to tear the feathers out of his wings. It would be better without them. His relationship with his mother was the cosmic price tag of his wings, it seemed.

  “Well, that’s true,” nodded Amelia.

  Imorean folded his hands in his lap and looked away. He knew what Gabriel was doing. The Archangel wanted him to tell his mother and Imorean knew that as a result, his mother would know about his wings soon. Much sooner than he wanted.

  “When’s your next day off work?” asked Imorean, turning back to Amelia.

  “I’m off for the rest of this week and the weekend,” she said, smiling warmly. “I saved up my days off to spend some time with you.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” replied Imorean, returning her smile. He only wished he could return it genuinely. How much time would she really want to spend with him when she found out that he was a freak? He looked away and pushed a hand through his hair. Why couldn’t he just be normal?

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Being driven along familiar roads felt surreal, like waking from a long dream. Imorean was glad that his mother. Paralysis was all Imorean felt as his mother parked the car in his grandparents’ driveway. What if they noticed something was off about him? He glanced out of the window. The sky was leaden and it was bitterly cold outside. He blinked and repressed a shudder. A shudder that had not been brought on by the chill. Passing through the spot where he had crashed his pickup truck into the Hellhound had been harrowing. A terrible, snapping bite of nervousness had risen up in his chest as he and his mother had passed through Valle Crucis. For the first time since getting his wings, Imorean wished he had been able to just fly to his destination.

  A deep sigh escaped his chest, and Imorean sat still for a moment, staring at his grandparents’ house. He wanted more than anything to go inside, yet at the same time, he wanted to stay exactly where he was. To do nothing. To not see them. To not let them assess if there was something wrong with him.

  “Are you okay, Imorean? You look pale,” said Amelia, unbuckling her seatbelt.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied. He resisted the urge to bite his tongue as he lied, “just jet lagged, I guess.”

  “I’m sure you’re exhausted. Here, we won’t stay long. I know Gramma and Papa would like to see you.”

  “Of course,” Imorean grinned. “I want to see them too.”

  He pushed his door open and waited for his mother to join him before walking quickly down the path. On reflex, he started to unfold his wings and wrap them around his shoulders for extra warmth. He froze as one of the white wings nudged his mother.

  “Did you feel that?” asked Amelia, brushing a hand over her shoulder.

  “What?”

  “I just… I thought I felt something.”

  Imorean forced a smile. “You work too much. You’re not used to being out in the real world.”

  “And thanks to your scholarship, I don’t have to pick up a second job.”

  Imorean bit the inside of his cheek and looked away. The scholarship. The lie. He barely noticed as his mother opened the front door and walked inside. She didn’t know just how much his life had been torn apart.

  “Imorean!”

  Imorean looked up as Leanne, his grandmother, called his name. There was a bright smile on her lined face that made him feel even worse. The lie he was upholding. Even when his family was so happy to see him, he continued to deny them the truth of who and what he really was. Leanne’s arms pulled him into a tight hug, and Imorean closed his eyes, tears pricking the back of them, shame burning his insides.

  “How are you?” asked Leanne, leaning back.

  “I’m okay. I’m just really tired,” replied Imorean with a smile that he thought felt more like a grimace.

  “I’m sure! Amelia told me how long the flight was. Do you want anything to eat?”

  Imorean’s stomach turned. “I’m good actually, thanks.”

  “There’s chocolate chip cookies on the counter if you’d like any,” smiled Leanne.

  “Thanks,” replied Imorean. He coughed, hoping it would cover the disgrace in his voice. “Where’s Papa?”

  “He’s in the den. He’s been… a little antisocial since he had his accident. The doctors said this might happen.”

  “How’s he been overall? Any change since last time I was here?” asked Amelia, leaning on the kitchen counter and picking up a cookie.

  Imorean turned away, not sure if he wanted to hear the rest of the conversation. Instead, he made his way down the narrow hallway to the second living room. It was a quiet room, less used than the living room next to the kitchen. Quietly, he pushed open the den door and paused. The room seemed to have been frozen in time. Nothing had changed since he had last been in here. Only his grandfather’s book on the coffee table had changed. Imorean didn’t focus on it. His brown eyes rested on William, his grandfather. The old man was already looking at him.

  “Hello, Imorean.”

  “Hey,” replied Imorean, pushing the door closed. “Didn’t you hear us come in?”

  “I knew you were here,” said William with a strange smile.

  “Oh,” sighed Imorean, feeling oddly disheartened. There was an odd, cold tension in the air. It was as though no time had passed, yet in the same breath, so had an eternity. This was a deeply different greeting to the one his grandmother had given him. Imorean suddenly felt on edge.

  William stood. “How are you?”

  “I’m okay. Tired.”

  “Journeys tire one out.”

  “And you?”

  “They think I’m going mad.”

  Imorean blinked, waiting for his grandfather to continue.

  “I see the world in a different way. They don’t understand. They can never understand.”

  Imorean inclined his head. “Has this been since your accident?”

  “This has been since…”

  “Vietnam?”

  “Before. I suppose it’s all coming back now though. They’re gathering strength again.”

  “Papa, are you all right?”

  Imorean flared his wings very slightly as his grandfather turned to face him fully.

  “Ahh… I see.”

  A smile appeared on his grandfather’s mouth, and suddenly, William relaxed. The tension was flushed out of the room, and there was a new warmth to the air.

  “What do you see?” asked Imorean.

  “I understand now,” replied William, crossing the room and putting his hand on Imorean’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you back safe and sound.”

  Imorean flashed him a quick smile, but couldn’t shake a lingering feeling of suspicion.

  “So, they think I’m senile,” chuckled William, turning toward the den door.

  “Oh, yeah,” replied Imorean. He shoved his negativity to the back of his mind. He was with his family. Nothing was amiss. He had just been around Archangels for too long. He grinned. “Big time.”

  “I am as sane as you are. They just can’t see the world for what it is. You know what I mean.”

  A strange shock ran through Imorean’s blood and he felt as though he had been frozen. His grandfather’s words had somehow jarred him down to the very core. William’s hand slid from Imorean’s shoulder, and he exited the den. Imorean though, remained in the center of the room where his grandfather had left him. Something was amiss. But what?

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Imorean found himse
lf unable to sleep. His grandfather’s strange words still had him rattled, and the prospect of telling his mother was now hanging over his head like a dark cloud. Perhaps it would be best to just get it over with as quickly as possible. Bite the bullet. Restlessly, Imorean rolled over in bed and picked up his phone. He paused for a few moments before he dialed Gabriel’s phone number. After he and the Archangel had landed in the United States, he had been amused to find that Gabriel, one of the most powerful creatures in the universe, had trouble working a modern cell phone.

  “Do you know what time it is?” snapped Gabriel. It was the first time Imorean had ever heard him sound angry.

  “What happened to angels not needing to sleep?” Inside, he was slightly taken aback by Gabriel’s tone.

  “Imorean, I am exhausted. I have been teleporting back and forth all over these three states ensuring that all of your classmates are all right. This is the first rest I have been able to get for the past seventy-two hours.”

  “Right.” He was starting to feel a little guilty for not letting Gabriel sleep now.

  “What is it?” asked Gabriel, sounding less irritated.

  “I need to tell her. Can we do it tomorrow? Please. I have to get this off my chest.”

  “Yes. I support that. I can pick you both up mid-morning, around nine or ten o’clock. How does that sound?”

  “Perfect,” replied Imorean, his stomach dropping in nervousness. “The twins will be at school, then they’re spending this weekend at my grandparents’, so it’ll just be me and mom.”

  “Right. Can I go back to sleep now?”

  “Yeah. Sorry.”

  “You don’t need to apologize, Imorean,” replied Gabriel with a chuckle. “I’m glad you’ve decided to go ahead and get this over with. After this it’ll all get easier, I promise.”

  “Me too, I guess. I hope you’re right.”

  Chapter 25

  Imorean bobbed one knee anxiously as he sat on his bed. He had barely slept the night before. His grandfather’s odd words had haunted him until the small hours of the morning. Desperately, Imorean shoved them to the back of his mind. He had much bigger things to worry about today. His wings itched and felt cramped. They were ready to be back in the sky. He ran his hand along the primary flight feathers of his left wing, trying to soothe his nerves. He was afraid, pure and simple. This could be even worse than his first open air flight. At least then he had been acting out of sheer instinct. This time he had to think and explain what was going on. He took a deep breath. Gabriel would be with him to act as a buffer if things went badly. But even if Gabriel did act as a buffer, what would the fallout be? What if his mother didn’t want him anymore…?

  The white-haired teenager looked up as he heard the sounds of his mother sending Rachel and Isaac off to school. He still didn’t know whether he should tell them or not. Perhaps they were too young to know. What about his grandparents? They deserved to know about the situation as well, but Imorean wasn’t sure how to even breach the subject with them. It was going to be hard enough to bring it up to his mother. He shuffled his wings and let his breath out in a shudder. He needed to remember to take this one problem at a time. His mother would know first. Then he would move on to the other members of his family. He felt as though a cold stone had come to rest in the pit of his stomach.

  Imorean nodded to himself and stood up, making his way across the house to where he knew his mother would be. He found her in the kitchen, finishing some of the washing up. He breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw she was already dressed for the day. At least they would both be ready to leave when Gabriel arrived.

  “Need any help?” Imorean asked, leaning in the doorway. He kept his wings tucked tight against his back, determined not to knock anything over with them.

  “You’re up,” said Amelia, looking up and beaming at him. “I told the twins to leave you alone for at least one morning. They’re already on their way to school. I thought you’d probably be tired.”

  “I was,” nodded Imorean. He felt the familiar taste of self-revulsion when he couldn’t talk to his mother properly. It felt as though an invisible barrier had been cast up between them and Imorean suddenly felt isolated in his own skin, more alone than he had ever felt in his life.

  “Are you feeling all right?” asked Amelia, drying her hands.

  “What?” asked Imorean, surprised.

  “You look really pale all of a sudden. Are you sure you don’t need to go back to bed?” she asked, pressing a damp hand to his forehead.

  “No. No, I’m fine. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

  “Care to share?”

  “It’s complicated,” said Imorean with a sigh. He shuffled his wings as he spoke, almost half wishing she could see them.

  “What’s wrong with you?” asked Amelia. There was a note of frustration in her voice.

  Imorean looked at her, hoping his hesitance wasn’t reflected in his eyes.

  “What do you mean?” asked Imorean, not answering her question. He felt his own spirit shrinking.

  “You’ve been different since you came back. You’re much quieter now, more pensive. Are you sure everything is all right at college?”

  “Like I said … it’s complicated.”

  “Well, help me to understand. Tell me what’s been going on,” pleaded Amelia. “You’re my son and if there’s anything I can do to help you I will do it.”

  “I know,” nodded Imorean, smiling at her with what he hoped was a genuine smile. His smile fell from his lips a moment later.

  “So?” prompted Amelia.

  “Do you want to take a trip to Linville Falls today? You know, for my … project.”

  “Linville Falls?” asked Amelia, taken aback. “Well, I suppose so, but why do you need me to come with you for you to do your project?”

  Imorean hesitated and before he could reply, a sharp knock rapped on the front door. Saved by the bell, almost literally.

  “I’ll get it,” said Imorean. He already knew who it would be. As he walked to the door, he could feel his mother’s angry, confused eyes boring into his back.

  Imorean opened the door and gulped as Gabriel stepped inside.

  “Good morning, Gabriel,” said Amelia, pushing her hair out of her face and clearing the look of irritation from her eyes.

  “Good morning,” said Gabriel, with a disarming smile. “Now, I am your chauffer to Linville Falls for the day.”

  “You’ll be taking us?” asked Amelia.

  “I will indeed,” nodded Gabriel. He flashed his broad smile at Amelia again and Imorean noticed her relax visibly.

  “Let me just grab a coat then,” said Amelia, her voice sounding dreamy.

  “You did something. What was it?” asked Imorean as his mother exited the living room.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve just helped her worry less. One of an angel’s many powers is helping people to relax. In this case, it’ll make her a little less suspicious.”

  “That’s wrong. You shouldn’t be interfering with people’s emotions like that.”

  “I didn’t hear you complaining any of the times I used my powers on you, Imorean.”

  Imorean curled his lip slightly. “You’ve used them on me?”

  “Well, yes. On the plane during your first trip to Gracepointe. Several times in my office and when you woke up after discovering your wings.”

  “That’s invasive.”

  “You say invasive, Imorean, I say kind.”

  “Different definitions of kindness. How do you think she’ll react?”

  “I can’t say. All the parents who know have had different reactions.”

  “Great,” sighed Imorean, not feeling encouraged. Gabriel put a comforting hand on his shoulder. His train of thought though, was interrupted by his mother’s return.

  “Are we ready?” asked Amelia, clad now in a thick, winter jacket.

  “Indeed we are,” nodded Gabriel, turning and leading the way out of the house.

&nb
sp; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Imorean was jerked from his thoughts as Gabriel turned off the engine of the car, signaling the end of their car ride. It had been silent and tense despite Gabriel’s efforts to make conversation. Imorean had almost been too wrapped up in his own worries to notice they had arrived at Linville Falls. The gloomy, overcast sky outside seemed to echo his mood.

  “Let’s go,” said Gabriel, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror.

  “What are you two doing? I feel like you’ve been conspiring,” said Amelia, zipping up her jacket as they all got out of the car.

  The Archangel spoke before Imorean could. “Just follow us.”

  Imorean swallowed hard as they began to walk along one of the hiking trails. He looked down as his mother locked him in her gaze. She was disappointed, confused and irritated. He didn’t blame her. He understood where her feelings were coming from. He was certain too that Gabriel’s emotional interference hadn’t helped.

  The group of three emerged from the woods onto a large, fenced in platform of rock, just above the drop of the falls. Their platform jutted into the small lake above the waterfall and on all sides, heavily forested mountains towered up around them. Imorean inhaled and could smell the bite of winter air. It was loud here, the pounding noise of the waterfall creating a dull roar.

  “Imorean has something he needs to show you,” said Gabriel. The Archangel turned to Imorean and the teenager swallowed hard. The stone beneath his feet felt as flimsy as paper. His sole stronghold of normalcy in a world of unreality was about to be demolished. He couldn’t back out now, could he?

  “What?” asked Amelia. “What did you have to come all the way out here to show me? Nothing you couldn’t have shown me at home?”

  “I wish.”

  “What is it? Tell me. Please, Imorean.”

  “It’s not exactly something I can tell you,” said Imorean, looking up and meeting his mother’s confused gaze. “It’s something I’ll have to show.”

  In the next few heartbeats, Imorean knew what to do. Gabriel had chosen this place for a reason. The Archangel was giving him the opportunity to really show off and show his mother what he could do and he was determined to take advantage of that. Imorean was torn between feeling proud and terrified. There was nothing for it but action. The stillness was killing him.