by Holly Vane
She heard his breath catch.
He dashed over and swept her up in his embrace. Holly leaned into him. She felt sheltered in his arms. “Are you okay?” He asked her gently.
She nodded not wanting to speak in case her voice betrayed her. She was far from okay. If Caleb hadn't stopped the boy, what might he have done to her, to Jo?
Caleb inspected her hands. Then pulled out a cloth, embroidered handkerchief from his jacket pocket, and pressed it against her more damaged right hand. Red bled through it in seconds.
“Holly, I am so sorry.” He said.
She looked up at him. “Why? You saved me.”
He stepped away from her. Shame shining in his dull eyes. “I should have been quicker...I just never thought they would try anything in such a public place....”
Holly felt the cold seep into her bones. “Who's they? You knew him?”
He looked at her. “Yes.”
She swallowed hard and backed away from him. Caleb knew her attacker, he had admitted that he had known what the boy was here for. For the first time since she had met him, Holly was scared of Caleb.
“I think I should get home now...” She stammered.
He made no attempt to block her path. “Holly you can't go home...at least not tonight.”
“Why not?” Her voice sounded braver than she felt.
“Because they'll be waiting for you.”
His flat voice made her stop. “What?” She whispered horrified. “There's more than the boy?”
Caleb crossed the gap between them that she had created. “Yes. We have to leave. I have to get you some place safe.” He looked around the park.
“Where is Dominic?”
Holly's mind was hurtling. Struggling to catch up with Caleb's words. She looked at him blankly. “Jo was hurt badly...Dominic took her....” Her eyes flashed. “Caleb! My parents!”
She ran over the grass, she needed to get home. If there was more of them, and they were watching her house, her parents were in danger.
Caleb grabbed her shoulders and swung her around, she found herself buried into his dark jacket.
“What are you doing! I have to get home!” Holly struggled to free herself from his embrace.
“You're parents are not in any danger.” Caleb said soothingly. “They are after you.”
Why did people keep saying that? First Dominic now Caleb. Holly broke down. Her head hurt, her chest felt heavy and her hands stung. She was tired and in shock. The tears rolled down her cheeks. Her legs buckled. “I can't breathe.” She gasped.
The ground come up to meet her. Her vision blackened.
***
Caleb stood there.
In the middle of Cherry Falls park. Holly's body slumped against him. Her head lay on his chest. His hands gripped her waist keeping her unconscious body upright.
“Can't leave you two alone for a minute, can I?” Dominic joked. He was propped up against a tall, nearby tree.
“Jo?” Caleb asked him.
Dominic cocked his head. “Will live. A mild concussion. She's travelling by ambulance to Green-fields General as we speak.”
Caleb let out a heavy breath. “Good. Everything arranged?”
“Yeah. You should have seen the look on Mr Woodborough's face when I showed up. I thought his heart was going to give out. He wouldn't have believed a word I'd said if I hadn't had Jo with me.”
“Quit wasting precious time. We need to leave.” Caleb scooped Holly up into his arms.
Dominic held her hand and in a blink, the three disappeared in the early evening dusk.
Chapter Six
∞
Be Careful What You Wish For
Holly awoke in blackness.
At first she thought that she was still dreaming. But then she heard the whoosh of the ocean. And the fresh salty sea air drafted through an open window.
The darkness peeled back from her vision, like a curtain.
A single lantern hung from the rafters, spreading light into the little room.
Holly looked around. She was lying on a small pull out cot. The wooden walls of the room shined dully, there was a small chair beside the cot, and a chest of drawers. That was the all furniture the room contained.
Holly tugged off the sweat soaked covers and placed her bare feet onto the cold wooden floor.
Where were her shoes? Where was she?
She had had the nightmare again. But this time it had seemed more lifelike.
She looked down and found that she was still dressed in her blue jeans and white sweater, that she had worn for school that very morning.
Her hands hand been tended. Wrapped up in thin bandages.
Her head ached less. She stood up slowly and peered out of the little window. She could see the blue of the ocean. But little else. It was pitch black. No street lights.
She found her black boots resting at the foot of the chair, she slipped them on.
When Holly steeped out of the room she found herself in a narrow, dark hallway that led to another door. She hurried towards it stumbling around in the half darkness. When she reached the door, she pressed her ear against it but heard nothing.
She opened it slowly.
And found herself in a large rounded room. It was finished in wood like everything else. In front of her a log fire burned, it threw out heat and light, Holly felt drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She was so cold. Before she could reach it a door to her right opened. A cold gust of air swept through the cabin making the fire crackle and spit.
Holly glared at Dominic who stamped his feet to drive out the cold, he shut the door behind him.
“You're awake.” He smiled at her.
“Dominic? Where am I?” She asked him.
“Scotland my lil' lassie.” Dominic informed her. Putting on a Scottish accent. Which he executed perfectly.
“Scotland? England?” She asked him, puzzled.
He nodded his head, crossing over to the fire and dropping a pile of logs, that he was carrying on the floor.
She let out a half mad laugh. “What's going on?”
Dominic was studying her. “It's probably best, if we wait for Caleb to come back. He's better at...explaining things than I am.”
Holly's heart leapt at Dominic's mention of Caleb. Even though she felt like she was going crazy.
“Caleb! Where is he?”
Dominic hesitated. “He's...taking a wander.” He passed her and vanished into the dark, that the light of the fire couldn't chase away. He re-emerged with a glass bottle of light brown liquid and two glass tumblers. He settled himself down on the floor next to the fire and patted the spot next to him. Holly perplexed by her situation joined him like a zombie, her mind was numb and her movements awkward.
Dominic filled the two tumblers a third of the way up, and handed one to Holly.
“Drink, it'll help drive out the cold.”
Holly watched as Dominic downed the entire contents of his glass in one gulp.
“What it is?” Holly asked him, examining the liquid.
“Whiskey, Scotland's finest.”
“What the hell,” Holly followed Dominic's example. The liquid burned her throat and warmed her belly. She coughed.
The door swung open again, “The coast seems....” Caleb appeared. He trailed off when he saw Holly.
“You're up.” Caleb said to her with surprise.
Dominic re-filled the tumblers. He passed one to Holly and she downed it again. She had never touched a drop of alcohol in her life. But she found the brown liquid quite pleasant.
“Dominic!” Caleb said sternly.
“What?” Dominic shrugged at him. “After what she's been through, I think she deserves it.”
Holly slammed the empty glass onto the floor. Causing them both to look at her in alarm. They seemed on edge.
The whiskey made Holly feel less shaky. “Would someone like to tell me what the hell is happening? Why am I in...” Holly looked around the room, trying to pluck the
forgotten word out the air.
“Scotland.” Dominic said.
“Right.” Holly pointed a finger at him. “Caleb what the hell am I doing in Scotland?”
Caleb and Dominic shared a look.
“Okay...” Caleb joined them on the floor. Inches from her.
“We brought you here so they couldn't find you.” He said slowly.
“Who?”
“Angels.” Dominic said simply. He downed another shot of Whiskey, unfurled his legs, stretching out. He looked quite comfortable.
Holly stared at him, then at Caleb, who looked annoyed.
“Angels.” Holly repeated. “What is that like a name of a gang or something. Are you two gang-bangers?”
Dominic laughed. “You could say that.” He giggled.
“Dom! You're not helping!” Caleb said to him sternly.
Dominic made a zipping motion across his lips, with his fingers.
“Holly.” Caleb took her hands in his gently, so he didn't aggravate the cuts underneath the bandages. Out the corner of her eye she saw Dominic stare at their joined hands. His smile died.
“You are in the middle of a war that has been raging since time began. And you're the only one who can decide how it ends.” Caleb said. His eyes trained on hers.
“What? What war?” He was making her head hurt.
“The war between Heaven and Hell.” Dominic said quietly, his eyes staring into the fire. Flames danced in his glassy gaze.
The room was eerily quiet.
“I don't understand...” Holly finally said.
“Angels, Demons and everything in between are real Holly Stevenson.” Dominic said, turning to her. She looked at him, and knew he was being serious. There was no cockiness, or teasing in his eyes.
“So...what does that have to do with me?” Her voice trembled. She didn't know why, but this all sort of made sense to her.
“You are the reason we fight...” Caleb told her gently.
“Me? But I'm just...” Holly froze. “Wait a minute did you just say we?” Holly got a sinking feeling in her stomach. “Caleb...what are you?”
He smiled at her. His gaze never left her. “I am An Angel of the Lord.”
“An Angel...” Holly repeated. Disbelievingly.
“Not just that though.” Dominic broke in. Holly heard a bitterness underneath his voice. “He's a guardian Angel.”
Caleb glared at him.
Holly pulled her hands away, getting to her feet, her breathing quickened. Caleb wasn't a... He couldn't be. They were on drugs or something.
Caleb got to his feet when he saw Holly wobble, his arms steadied her. Below them Holly heard glass clink against glass, as Dominic poured himself another Whiskey.
Holly pictured the first time she had met Caleb, in her mind. He way he had seemed to appear from nowhere. The sudden brightness....She remembered the feeling that Caleb had been oddly familiar even though she had meet him before. The way he had slotted himself into her life over a few days, evoking the feeling in her that she couldn't do without him. He made her feel so safe, protected. And the way he looked, the grace in which he moved with, Holly realized the truth had been staring her in the face. Caleb wasn't lying.
She faced him, her face white with shock as realization hit her like a freight train, her eyes filling with tears of pure awe. “You're my...Guardian Angel...”
Caleb closed his eyes, when he opened them his blue eyes shined so exuberantly that Holly had to shield her face. In fact a blue aura seemed to raise from his whole body. Instantly chasing away the dark that clung to the cabin like a cloak.
He looked heartbreakingly beautiful. She remembered Caleb saying the very same words to her at Jo's party.
“I have watched over you since the moment you were brought into this world. And I have loved you every second of it.”
Holly felt weak. Caleb loved her?
“You are the most...perfect...sweetest, kindest soul I have ever seen.” His cheeks were wet.
Holly felt something touch her heart so suddenly and so deeply that she knew, right there, in that instant, that she loved Caleb with every fibre of her being.
They were two sides of the same coin. Caleb completed her. Made her whole. He was her one.
“Caleb...” Holly moved towards him. But a cough made her stop. They both looked down in surprise.
“Can we get on with it. We don't have all night.” Dominic told them. Without taking his eyes from the flames in the fireplace.
Caleb's aura dulled and he grimaced at her. As if it was the last thing he wanted to do, but slowly he moved away.
Holly felt the warmness that swept through her body go with him.
“Dominic's right.” Caleb said stiffly. “You have so much to learn.”
He regained his sitting position and motioned for Holly to do the same. She gladly accepted her legs threatened to give out at any moment.
“If Caleb's an...Angel.” Holly's mouth had trouble saying it. Even the word made her heart beat faster. “Then are you one too?” She asked Dominic.
He kept his gaze on the flames. “No. I'm something...else.” He said slowly.
“Holly,” Caleb said. “Before when I said that you're the reason we fought, I think you should know why you're so...important.”
Holly nodded her head. Amidst all this she felt so blissfully happy. Caleb loved her. And she loved him. Nothing else mattered.
“You're the key.” Dominic said suddenly. He turned his body so that he was facing Holly. “The key to Lucifer's redemption.”
“Lucifer....” Holly mumbled staring at Dominic like he'd grown two heads.
“How much biblical lore do you know Holly?” Caleb asked her.
Holly shrugged. The temperature in the room had seemingly dropped suddenly. She felt ice cold. Even the flames of the fire had lost their warmth. Caleb and Dominic didn't seem to notice.
“I guess as much as anyone else.” She said, wrapping her arms around her. “I know that Lucifer rebelled against God, when he told the Angels to love mortals more than him, or something like that anyway.”
Caleb nodded, “the thing is, when Michael defeated and cast Lucifer out of Heaven. Lucifer didn't automatically land in Hell. You see Holly, there are doors separating the different realms. They seal Heaven away from earth and earth away from...”
“Hell.” Holly finished. Trying to grasp everything Caleb was saying.
“Yes. Stopping the different realms from merging. Keeping things in their rightful places.” He smiled at her, pride glowing in his eyes.
“But these doors are tricky little buggers.” Dominic carried on the narrative. “They can only be opened by their world’s natural inhabitants.”
“What?” Holly asked. “You've lost me.”
“Angels can only open Heaven's door, and mortals can only open earth's and so on. That was what we all agreed on. A balance must be maintained after all.” Caleb said. “If any Tom, Dick or Harry went willing around opening doors as they pleased, the realms would bleed into each other. Throwing everything out of balance. Without barriers, chaos would ensue.”
“But if any Angel, or mortal or whatever could open their world's door...” Holly said.
“That's just it Holly.” Dominic piped in. “Not everyone can. Only the most powerful of any one nation can actually see them never mind open them.”
“Only certain souls were blessed with the ability to open the doors between realms Holly. In fact there's only one from each world that is gifted with being able to open them.” Caleb said. “Anyway getting back to the story, the Angels needed a mortal to open earth's door ...”
“So that they could banish Lucifer to Hell. But surely God would have the power to open all doors. I mean he created them?” Holly asked.
“Not even God has that power.” Dominic smirked.
“God believed that no-one, mortal or otherwise, should have that much power over the universe. So he made the doors to be...God proof if you like.”
Caleb continued, trying not to let Dominic wind him up.
“Oh.” Holly said. Her mind spinning again.
“Are you okay? Is this too much at once?” Caleb asked her.
“No...I mean yes this but carry on.” Holly said. Still unable to get over that Caleb loved her. Wanted her. An Angel was actually in love with her.
Caleb nodded.
“The Angels had to find the soul who had been charged with the guardianship of Earth's door.” Caleb continued.
“A witch.” Dominic butted in.
“Witches are real too?” Holly asked him, her mouth open.
Dominic smiled. “You have so much to see.”
“Whoa,” Holly muttered. “What else is real?”
“One revelation at time Holly. We wouldn't want your brain to explode, would we.” Dominic teased. Holly didn't know if he was mocking her or not.
“Fine. Aren’t witches evil though?” She asked.
“Some are.” Caleb said. Flashing a warning glance in Dominic's direction. “But there is good magic too. It's very powerful, natural, it comes from Mother Nature herself.”
“But she didn't have enough juice to banish Lucifer to his prison.” Dominic said with pride.
Holly didn't know what Dominic was. He wasn't human that was for sure, no human could look that good and he wasn't an Angel. But the way he goaded Caleb and got behind Lucifer, left Holly with nothing but dread. He wasn't evil, was he? Her mind drifted back to the night in her garden. When he had finally told her the truth. He had used exactly that phrase to describe himself. But Holly couldn't, no wouldn't believe that was what Dominic was. How could she feel what she felt for him if he was.
“Holly?” Caleb's soft voice brought her back to the present. “Maybe we should take a break or something.” He said to Dominic.
“No. I'm fine. Really, just tired.” She wasn't lying. Her body felt like it hadn't slept in days.
“We'll be quick then.” Caleb said, moving a few loose strands of hair back from her face. She glowed at his touch, familiar warmth spreading through her body. She let out a contented sigh and knew Caleb was having as hard a time as her, in keeping his hands to himself.
He pulled back after a glare from Dominic. “The witch needed help. So Heaven agreed to...”