Far From Center

by Debra Dunbar

  That got his attention. “My fee is an eighteen-inch strand of ten-millimeter pearls, a two-carat VSV diamond ring, and a five-pound crate of these tomatoes.” He looked at the plate of them fondly. “I’ve got no idea where they get them, but they’re amazing. Venezuela? Brazil? I must have more.”

  “How dare you–”

  “The tomatoes, eight ten-millimeter pearls, and a voucher for the casino boat.” Nyalla interrupted Gabriel, who clearly had no sense of self-preservation or familiarity enough with demons to know that all things were negotiable.

  “What would I want with a casino boat? I don’t gamble, I’m a Gormand.”

  “They have one of the best chefs in the island cooking their meals, and rumor has it that their casino is particularly susceptible to robbery. Quick snatch-and-grab, and you’re only a mile from the Venezuela coast. Easy job, easy money, and all after a meal that would make Julia Child rise from the grave.”

  “Nyalla! That’s–”

  She jabbed Gabriel hard in the side and he grunted.

  The Gormand’s eyes narrowed. “Plus one hundred in chips.”

  “Deal.” Nyalla smiled her most innocent, human-who-had-been-an-elven-slave smile. “But I need additional verification of the artifact.”

  The Gormand scowled. “It’s already verified. The angel sigil, feather, and blood-mark is on the scroll.”

  “That’s–”

  Nyalla stepped on Gabriel’s foot in warning. “Well, yes, but there’s no guarantee that the artifact he verified is the one I’m receiving at the exchange. Angels don’t lie. I trust them. I want an angel to verify that the artifact you’re handing over is authentic.”

  A shadow flitted across the Gormand’s face. He’d been intending to screw her in the deal. It wasn’t like that was surprising. “How do you expect me to find that angel again? There aren’t thousands of them wandering around here.”

  There were. Not that he knew that, though. Nyalla shrugged. “I don’t have the skills to verify the artifact, and neither do my human friend or my two demon friends. I need an angel to do that. That’s non-negotiable.”

  He scowled. “I want an extra five pounds of tomatoes then.”

  She noticed that he didn’t mention the angel would want anything. “Deal. So…time and place for the exchange?”

  “It’s gonna take me a while to find an angel,” he confessed. “And I need to get clearance from my client.”

  “Thought you didn’t have–”

  Nyalla elbowed Gabriel once more and he glared at her.

  “So you’ll be in touch?”

  The Gormand stood, stuffing the last slice of tomato in his mouth. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Chapter 13

  “I think my ribs are broken,” Gabriel complained. “You broke my ribs, Nyalla. Are you sure you’re not a demon?”

  He was such a baby. But his complaining was actually rather endearing. “I didn’t break your ribs. You’re not used to dealing with demons. I am. I didn’t want you to screw things up any more than you already had.”

  He scowled. As intimidating as it was, his grumpy face was such a turn-on. “I saved you from being sexually assaulted by those two demons. How is that screwing things up?”

  She snorted. “That Gormand was more interested in my tuna steak than my breasts. And the skinny one would have run screaming if I’d so much as slapped his face.”

  “Hmm. Maybe. I don’t trust them. And I’m not pleased with you suggesting one of them rob a casino ship and swim to safety.”

  “Casinos aren’t easy to rob, even the floating ones. I’ve watched Ocean’s Eleven. That Gormand is no George Clooney. And even if he did manage to pull it off, he’ll wind up penniless and naked in a bathtub without his kidney after two hours in Venezuela. I saw that in a movie, too.”

  The angel shook his head. “There was a movie where humans were removing vital organs from demons? How did they incapacitate them? Was this a form of punishment? Retribution? Do demon kidneys have a special significance or medical application for humans?”

  “Actually the movie had demons taking human kidneys and selling them to other humans who needed them to replace their own failing organs. At the end, the humans had captured the demons and were taking their kidneys in retribution.”

  Gabriel let out a long breath. “Oh well then, that’s perfectly acceptable. If this Gormand has been stealing body parts from humans, then having his kidney removed while naked in a bathtub is perfectly appropriate. An eye for an eye, you know.”

  “Definitely. I am completely in favor of appropriate punishment.” Nyalla turned to Gabe. “Do you think he’ll produce the angel for our next meeting?”

  He narrowed his eyes in thought. “I think the angel will be there. It’s easier for him to show up and close this deal than wait for the Gormand to make another. Plus, I have a suspicion that he wants that collar. And I’m a little concerned what he may intend to do with it, as well as what he hopes to gain by using it.”

  “What do you think he wants to do with the collar?” Nyalla asked.

  “Use it in a plot to take Aaru,” Gabriel replied without hesitation. “It’s what they all want.”

  “But Aaru…” Nyalla looked around and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I know what happened. Sam told me. Everyone is locked out of Aaru.”

  “They are, but it was the Iblis that locked us out, and I have the suspicion that the key to our return lies with her.”

  “She tried. She tried to gate there, and she also tried the wild gateway in Sharpsburg. She even waved her sword around and cursed a lot. None of it worked.”

  The scowl returned to Gabriel’s face. “I’ll bet in a hundred years or so she’ll be blistering her skin with the sun’s rays or rolling in a pile of mud and it will come to her. That’s how things work with Angels of Chaos. It drives me insane. I don’t know how they stand being such slaves to the whims of fate and chance.”

  “I hope she eventually gets you all back in.” Nyalla reached out a hand and squeezed Gabriel’s arm. “I know how much Aaru means to you angels. I really hope you get to go home, even if it’s long after I’m dead and gone.”

  Every muscle in Gabriel’s body froze, and it wasn’t in reaction to the soft hand on his arm either. She was human. She’d have maybe sixty years left then she’d die. The thought made his insides feel like they were being stabbed with something pointy. “I would like to go back to Aaru,” he said, the words hard to form with his jaw clenched tight. “Although in my current situation, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to return or not. Physical manifestation is not possible for long in Aaru. I’d disintegrate. I doubt with the spell in place if I’d survive it.”

  Although Chabriel and his choir had managed for the week they’d been hit with the same spell. And they’d recovered. Maybe he’d recover in the next few weeks. Or months. Or years. And if not, maybe he could still return to Aaru for very short periods of time. Although being in Aaru in a physical form might be more torture than he could stand. His predicament suddenly crashed down on him. He’d lost Aaru, his homeland. He’d lost his wings. He’d lost every one of his angelic powers. He’d never be one with the sea again, never feel that fleeting sense of grace. He’d age. He might even die if the spell didn’t wear off in time. Gabriel put a hand to his chest, his heart galloping out of control, his breath coming in fast, short pants.

  “I’m assuming the Gormand will get back to us first thing in the morning,” Nyalla said, breaking him out of his cycle of panic. “He, as well as his client, have to want to wrap this up as quickly as possible. And although demons like to drag things out, I’m sure this guy wants his casino boat trip and his tomatoes.”

  Gabriel shifted his focus back to the job at hand. “I hope so. But I want you to be careful around this angel. He’s ruthless, and I don’t want you to get hurt. Just concentrate on getting your deal done, and I’ll handle the angel.”

  “Oh you will, will you?” Nyalla shot him a knowing look. �
��What do you intend to do, stab him with a fork and whack him on the head with a chair? You’re not exactly equipped to apprehend an angel right now.”

  Gabriel winced. “Yes, I know. But I can track him, learn who he’s working with and what his next move will be. The only good thing about my predicament is that I’ll be discounted as just another human. Neither Tura nor the Gormand will think twice about inadvertently revealing what their plans are. And once I get my powers back, I’ll make my move.” He gritted his teeth, thinking about whether that would even happen. “And if I don’t get my powers back, I’ll pass the information along to one of my siblings to act in my stead.”

  That sad look flitted across Nyalla’s face once more. “Once this is over I’ll talk to a mage I know, I’ll track down the sorcerer who made the wand and find out how long he thinks the effect will be and if there’s anything to mitigate it, or speed up the process. I know because the wand was broken the magical output was greater than the total of spells it held, but you’re an archangel. This can’t be permanent.”

  This time he reached out and put his hand on hers. “That’s something for us to worry about later. Right now I’m concerned that you get the artifact and not put yourself in danger doing so. Then after that, my secondary concern is that I find out what Tura is planning, and get enough knowledge to be able to stop him.”

  He’d always felt that it was their angelic duty to shepherd the humans toward positive evolution, to ensure they were not derailed by either angel or demon influence, but this woman’s safety was more than that in his mind. Her safety was more important than stopping Tura, more important than keeping Aaru out of the hands of the rebels. One human. Since when did one human life take precedence over the entire angelic host?

  “While we’re on that topic.” Nyalla’s voice had an odd tone to it, as if she were about to deliver a lecture. “As much as I appreciate you helping tonight, I’m worried you’ll be recognized by Tura or whatever angel does show up. You’re not exactly a nobody, and although few have probably seen you in a human form, you said that Tura had. I’m sure others have as well.”

  How to explain this? “We go more by energy signature. They might think I look somewhat familiar, but I I’m hoping they won’t know who I am. Some demons can hide their energy signature, but it’s not a skill many angels have. The Archangel Gabriel would never be able to successfully masquerade as a powerless human. As an angel I’d never be fully undetectable to another angel.”

  Nyalla shot him a skeptical look. “Maybe. But I get the feeling this Tura is perceptive and he’s clearly worked with demons, mages, and humans before. You may not have the energy signature of an angel, but you’re stupidly arrogant for a human. And you’re weird. He’ll know something is off.”

  “I’m weird?” Why did that sting so badly? “What do you mean I’m weird? I’m an angel who has been magically turned into a human, who has suffered a catastrophic degradation in his vibration levels. I’m sorry if you think that makes me weird.”

  Why was he snapping at her like that? He felt somewhat angry, but mostly he felt hurt. He wanted her to like him. He didn’t want her to think him weird.”

  Her eyes were shiny again, and he suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

  “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I have this gift, but I can’t seem to tell the difference between angels and demons. I know you find that insulting, and I know we hashed all this out before, but I’m so sorry. I feel horrible for what happened to you. And although technically it wasn’t my fault, I still feel to blame. You’re not weird. Actually you are but you’re no more weird than I am. And I’m pretty weird. Remember that I was a slave to the elves in Hel since infancy. I’ve only been here among the humans for the last three years. Sometimes I say or do things and my human friends give me that look and I feel like such an outsider. If you’re weird, well, I’m just as weird as you are.”

  It made him feel slightly better. “Weird or not, I’m not letting you face Tura alone. And even if he doesn’t show, I’m not letting you face that Gormand alone. Or even the skinny demon with the crooked nose. I need to stay near you and protect you. I don’t know whether it’s an angel thing or this incredibly odd-feeling human body I’m in, but I need to protect you.”

  Her brows knitted together. “No. It’s too risky for you. You can watch from over at the bar or something if you really need to, but I don’t want you there. I’ve got two demons to guard me. I’ll be fine.”

  “You’re demon guards are worthless. They vanished before the Gormand even got here, and never even checked back in with you. Where are they? They could be on the other side of the island for all we know. Why did the Iblis send you here with such inept companions? It’s inexcusable for her to provide you with such an incompetent guard. When I return, I intend on taking this up with her.” He was furious. If the Iblis was here right now, he’d have some stern words for the imp. He might even stab her with a fork.

  Nyalla’s eyes were shining again, but this time it was from something other than sorrow or guilt. “Snip and Terrelle have good intentions. An information demon is bound to be distracted by new experiences, and Snip…well he’s here because he did a favor for Sam and she promised him a vacation. I honestly think part of my job duties are to look after him, rather than him looking after me.”

  He glared at her, although it wasn’t Nyalla he was angry with. “That doesn’t matter. It’s inexcusable for you to be sent on an important mission with a side task to babysit a Low, and your only guard is a Noodle distracted by license plates and examples of modern human currency.”

  She blinked and bit her lip. “Okay, you’re right. But I still am requesting that you stand ten feet or so away, pretending to not be with me. You’ll be close enough to hear if I need you, but hopefully not so close that the angel will think something is suspicious.”

  “Then we have a deal.” Gabriel nodded. “Shall we go back to the hotel? I’ve no idea where your companions went to, but I’m sure they can make their way back on their own. I’m feeling strangely lethargic and my neck is having to struggle to support my head right now.”

  Nyalla looked around the bar. “They wouldn’t have left me, at least I don’t think so. Let’s have another drink and wait another ten or twenty minutes. The party bus comes by every half an hour, so we’ve got time.”

  He’d never been tired before. He’d never slept before. It was an odd feeling, this warm, fuzzy, wanting to curl up with something soft and someone warm feeling. But he could push back the urge to rest his head on the table if Nyalla needed to stay.

  The waitress came by and Nyalla ordered another beer. Gabriel ordered one too, even though he had no intention of drinking it. To do otherwise seemed impolite. Although, if he were completely honest with himself, both the leftover food on the table and the idea of a beverage was more than appealing. His mouth felt sticky and dry, and the horrible kale and beet salad, as nutritious as it was, had done little to satisfy his hunger.

  Nyalla paid the waitress when she brought their beers, while he stared at the mug of amber liquid with longing. Nyalla appeared to be enjoying hers, a few dewy drops of the liquid clinging to her upper lip. In a daze, he reached out and swiped them with his index finger, bringing the liquid to his mouth.

  Bitter, with a taste of barley and rye with the alcoholic byproduct of yeast consumption of residual sugars from the roasting process. Simple, yet balanced and complex. If he weren’t an angel, he would quite enjoy this beverage.

  But even more, he enjoyed the wide-eyed look Nyalla gave him after he’d brushed the drops of beer foam from her mouth. Her lips were soft and full. Inviting. He remembered what they felt like against his, how amazing that kiss last night in the moonlight had been. He leaned close, his forehead nearly touching hers. Their breath mingled, his lips so close to hers.

  Something slammed on the table and Nyalla jumped back, her face flushing red as she jerked abruptly away. Gabriel watched her for a moment then turned to see
Snip practically dancing at the edge of their table.

  Actually he was dancing, although his movements were far more lewd then they were aesthetically pleasing.

  “What?” Gabriel snarled. “And where in all of creation have you been?”

  Snip bounced a few times then plopped into a seat. “I had sex! At least I think it was sex. It’s hard to tell what humans consider to be sexual intercourse, but by my standards I’m going to consider my cherry popped.”

  Gabriel didn’t want the images that were now rushing through his mind.

  “No!” Nyalla covered her ears. “Snip, we don’t want to hear the details. It’s not polite to kiss and tell.”

  “Well then, that shouldn’t be a problem since there was no kissing involved. I got to put my fingers in her–”

  “No!” Gabriel and Nyalla shouted in unison.

  Snip looked insulted. “She quite enjoyed it. And I had no idea how enjoyable it was to bring pleasure to another. I went into the bathroom and jerked my chicken until I blew all over the inside of the stall door.”

  “I really didn’t need to know that,” Nyalla said.

  “Me either,” Gabriel agreed. “And I’m more determined than ever to not use the urination facilities in this establishment.”

  “Bathroom,” Nyalla corrected.

  Gabriel turned to her in amazement. “They take baths in there? Do humans feel the need to cleanse their entire bodies after eating a meal and imbibing alcoholic beverages? And they feel comfortable doing so in a public establishment?”

  “No, it’s called a bathroom in a public building, even though there are no bathing facilities. I know. It’s strange, but I think it’s an American language thing. Sometimes it’s called a restroom, or a ladies’ room if you’re a woman, but it’s all a euphemism for a place to pee.”