by Alexie Aaron
Angelo did so while Sariel spoke in an ancient tongue. When he had finished, Angelo gently turned Mia over and helped her to sit up. He pulled the shirt back over her and gently braided her hair before lowering her so she laid back on the bed with her head on a pillow.
“That’s all we can do right now, Mia. Tomorrow, Angelo or I will take you up flying. Quentin had the right idea, but it was too soon.” Sariel cut the remaining heart in three slices. He handed a slice to Mia and one to Angelo.
“We eat this to honor the one who fought valiantly,” Sariel said and took a bite.
Mia followed suit, and Angelo joined in. “This is called peer pressure,” Mia said.
Angelo looked at her bloody mouth and shook his head. “You look like you’re enjoying this.”
“No, Angelo, I’m enjoy this,” Mia said, indicating the three of them together. “Who says three can’t play?”
Chapter Twenty
Charles walked the hills with Murphy. He pointed out where there were possibly Native American burial mounds. Murphy offered to check them out, but Charles declined. “I wouldn’t want to spoil all of this. Let them rest.”
Murphy showed him his tree nursery and the special, invisible fence that Ted designed and Cid had installed.
“How is my son-in-law doing?”
“He’s maturing.”
“This is a delicate question, and you don’t have to answer me.”
“Go on…”
“I heard that their marriage was on the rocks.”
“It was headed there, but it is fine now. Two very different people, each with a very different idea of what it is to be honorable and loyal. They are in love, and they will make it. Ted and Mia have bonded to each other.”
“That kind of makes you the odd man out.”
“Mia broke the Cooper curse that held both of us. We are free of each other but still friends.”
“I didn’t know it could be broken,” Charles said, amazed.
“Mia showed me her soul. She opened herself up to me, and by giving me this special gift, it released us.”
“So by showing you that she loves you beyond all earthly concerns, she broke the curse?”
“Yes.”
“You said that the curse tied you to her.”
“It ties Amanda to you.”
“But not Guillaume Bouché to Bev. I wonder…”
Murphy watched Charles’s face. He waited while the man sorted things out.
“Stephen, I don’t remember my mother ever being pregnant. One day, this baby appeared. I suspect that Beverly isn’t a natural-born Cooper.”
“But she has the curse?”
“Does Bev, or does she just think she has?”
“She sold your daughter to Angelo to get Guillaume back. Who does that if not cursed?”
“A very determined, delusional woman.”
“If she is, let’s say, adopted, then she is no relation to Mia.”
“Well, not by blood.”
“Sabine isn’t her cousin.”
“Not naturally, but she is her cousin. She is a sweet girl, not at all like Beverly.”
“You have a very confusing family. Your wife is gifted with the sight but refuses to see, you have a nephilim for a half-brother, and Beverly is adopted. Mia is quite normal in comparison.”
Charles laughed. “Mia has always wanted to be normal, so we pretended she was. It backfired on us.”
Murphy didn’t want to hurt Charles, so he refrained from telling him what he thought of how they treated Mia as a child. They were stepping up now, and that meant a lot.
~
Ted handed Mia a tissue-paper-wrapped bundle.
“What’s this?”
“Open it, and you’ll find out.”
Mia did so carefully. The paper had Ted’s and Brian’s handprints on it. That explained why earlier Brian had been sporting one orange hand and the other bright blue. Inside, Mia found a black, corseted vest. It had double material at the sides. “This looks fierce. I like fierce.”
“It’s a Kevlar vest. I designed it so your wings would have no trouble. Cid and I analyzed your injuries and found that you tend to get hurt on your sides. This should help.”
“Oh, Teddy Bear,” Mia said, crying, “I feel so special. I love you.”
“Mia, I’m never going to be a flower-giving kind of guy. I’m not much for pretty words either. But I love you with every ounce of my being. I wanted to give you something to remind you that I’m always with you. No matter if you’re fighting dragons or going to the grocery store.”
“Please help me put it on?”
Ted lifted off the PEEPs shirt and stopped to look at the wounds on Mia’s back. They were greatly improved. The blood had absorbed into her skin. The lash marks were still there, but the skin had started to knit. “Mia, roll onto your stomach a moment.”
She did.
Ted found the surgery spot. He ran his hand over the skin there, and it felt like scales of some kind. They weren’t ugly; they shimmered. “Mia, you have a patch of scales on your lower back in the shape of a lotus flower.”
“Phew, I thought for a moment I was growing a tail,” she said, relieved. “Sariel used slices of dragon heart in hopes it would mend my spine.”
“Huh, it kind of looks like a sexy, tramp stamp, dear.”
“Sexy? Are you offering?”
“Not until you’re healed,” Ted scolded. “Speaking of, let’s get this vest on and see if it fits. I want you to wear it today when you go flying.”
Mia sat up and let Ted slip on the vest. He tightened it. “You’re a little thin now, but you’ll regain your muscle, and then you’ll appreciate the ease I built in.” He helped Mia on with her pocketed pants and helped her to tie her boots. He scooped her up in his arms and walked her over to the mirror so she could see.
“I look fierce. Thank you. This is way better than flowers.”
Ted smiled. “I’ve been working on it a while.” He set her down in a chair. “Who’s coming today?”
“I don’t know. Whomever is available, I guess. The boys were a little singed yesterday, so I guess whomever heals faster.”
“So they aren’t fighting anymore?”
“I don’t think so. I think hunting down that cure was a good thing for birdman and angel relations.”
“How are you feeling mentally?”
“I have some ‘poor me’ moments, but it passes. Having you here at night helped me to keep the nightmares at bay.”
“Do you feel like talking about Quentin yet?”
“Sure.”
“What happened to make him bring you home? I understood from Wyatt that he was determined to mend you at his lair.”
“It was a house, not a lair,” Mia corrected. “I got all emotional and suicidal. He felt he was ill-equipped to handle me, so he dumped me on you.”
“Mia, you’re never suicidal.”
“You’re right, but Quentin doesn’t have to know that,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “I knew that I had to get out of there before he formed an attachment to me. He’s a lonely guy. He could have kept me there forever.”
“Wyatt said he’s a dangerous guy.”
“I have no doubt that he is. Nephilim are strange creatures. They are power seeking but yearn to be accepted and loved. It makes them a bit crazy. And, as you know from living with me, you can’t cure crazy.”
“What will you do if he contacts you again?”
“I think the question is what are we going to do?”
“We will have to talk about it,” Ted said.
Murphy appeared in the doorway. “Angelo is waiting on the hillside.”
Ted picked Mia up and headed downstairs. Amanda looked up from her typing.
“Just getting some air, Amanda,” Mia said.
Cid took Mia from Ted when he reached the picnic table. “She’s got to weigh a ton. I’ve seen her eat,” he said and continued up the path with her. Ted looked over at Murphy. Th
e two exchanged looks, each knowing that Cid was going the extra mile to work off some unnecessary, self-imposed guilt.
Angelo waited nervously. He was worried that Mia wouldn’t be able to make the transformation. He told Sariel, if this happened, he would be taking her to the aerie. Sariel wasn’t pleased, but he was resigned to this possible occurrence.
Cid turned Mia around and had her straddle his body.
“Hey, that’s my wife you’re knocking parts with,” Ted said.
Mia rubbed her wrist and the tattoos appeared. “Hold on tight,” she told Cid before she unleashed her wings. Cid eased his hold and finally let go of her as she rose upward, her legs dangling off the ground.
Angelo hovered nearby. Mia nodded, and the two flew away.
Ted sat down on the ground. He finally had given in to the fatigue. Cid walked over and sat next to him. “It’s a pain getting old.”
“I’m only a few months older than you, Cid.”
“But you spend your time pounding keys,” Cid said.
“Oh, I thought you were going to say pounding Mia,” Ted said smugly.
Mia breathed in the air and rolled her neck. Her back seemed like it was on fire. Angelo, sensing her discomfort, had her hover while he looked at her wings. He pulled her pants lower and ran his hand over the scar.
“Turn your back to the sun, Mia. Don’t worry, I’ll hold you.”
They moved into position, and Mia shrieked as the sun caught the scales. She clung to Angelo, and he held her cooing, “Hold on just a little bit longer, little bird.”
She withered and fainted. He rolled her around and took her to ground. He gently laid her on a grassy slope. He opened her vest and unclothed her. He took her back up and let the sun work on the other lash marks. “You are a being of light, Mia. Let the sun warm you, heal you.” He held her before him and rubbed the inside of her wrist. He released her mighty wings. He had never seen a more beautiful creature. She was neither birdman nor angel; she was something yet to be classified. She opened her eyes and looked at him as if just waking from a dream. “Little bird, you are so dear to me. Become what you were meant to be.”
Mia’s eyes closed lazily. She seemed to be drifting in and out of sleep.
Sariel appeared and hovered nearby. “Do you see, Angelo? She is changing. She bound herself to a human, and yet she is ours. The dragon heart is nourishing her ancient genes.”
“I want her,” Angelo admitted.
“So do I, but we can’t have her. Fate has mercifully denied us her body. We would be lost. She would consume us. And then, what of the world? How will we hear the cries of the innocents when we only hear her cries of pleasure? No, Angelo, I will not mate with her. What you do is up to you both.”
Sariel flew away.
Mia looked over at Angelo. For the first time, he saw heat in her eyes. She was not his little bird. She was intimidating.
“Come, Mia, you’ve had enough sun. Let’s get you dressed,” he said.
Mia followed him to the ground. She stood on her own for a moment and then fainted.
Angelo dressed her, fighting every natural urge to take her. Sariel’s warning echoed in his brain. He gently tapped her cheek. “Wake up, Mia.”
She opened her eyes. “Hello, Angelo. What happened?”
“How do you feel?”
“Strange, like I’ve been dreaming. I feel no pain. Do you think it worked?” she asked.
“Try to stand.”
She held on to his hand as she got off her knees and stood. The look of joy on her face filled Angelo with happiness.
“Oh, Angelo, I’m so happy. Thank you.”
“It wasn’t I who did this.”
“Sariel?”
“Partly. The dragon heart released your ancient genes. Yet, you are something new. Fly home and make love to your husband. You’ve got some heat to work off.”
“So that wasn’t a dream?”
“No.”
“You refused me.”
“I knew it was not what the earthly Mia wanted.”
“You’re right.”
“Mia, I’m going to be gone for a while. I need to distance myself from you. Try as I might, I fear my resolve will wane, and you would not be happy with me.”
“I do love you, Angelo.”
“I know, and that’s why I must leave, so you can keep loving me. I am a weak, vain creature, but I need to stay focused.”
“The children need you to protect them,” Mia said softly. “I understand.”
“Please call your grandfather directly from now on. Give me time, Mia.”
“I promise. Thank you for everything you have given me. Thank you for protecting me and mine. I will hold you in my heart and pray that you stay safe.”
“Thank you, Mia.” Angelo rose and took off.
Mia looked around her. “Okay, I have no idea where I am.” She unleashed her wings and rose, looking around. “Well, that didn’t help.”
“Misfit?” Sariel asked from above her. “What is your problem?”
“Evidently navigation. Can you point me in the right direction?”
“Yes. How about flying higher with me a moment?”
“Sure.”
Mia followed him higher than she’d ever been before. “Where are we?”
“It’s the space between worlds. Watch.”
Mia saw a prism of light appear, and off of this prism shot ray after ray of light.
“That’s not…”
“It is. That’s how I saw you the first time. You crossed two little boys.”
“You’ve known me since then?”
“I’ve watched you. Each time the light came your way, I watched you grow stronger.”
“Was it you pulling me in or the light?”
Sariel looked stunned. “It pulls you?”
“Yes, I have to ground myself and look away. If it was you there, then maybe I would understand because we were fated to meet.”
“It wasn’t me. We will have to explore this. Stay grounded. I need you here in this dimension.”
“Yes, sir,” Mia said, circling around him. She tagged him. “You’re it.” And she took off.
Sariel laughed. He hadn’t played in centuries. He caught her and tipped her over. “You’re it, Misfit.”
She chased him and nearly got a hand on him, but he saw her and flinched in time. “You can see me, Sariel, you can see me!” she exclaimed.
Sariel turned around and flew to her. “Yes, I can, but Mia I still…”
Mia plucked a feather and flew over to him and fastened it to him herself. He took his and did likewise. The mark reappeared on her neck. She smiled. “I’ve got to get home. Ted will be worried.” Sariel nodded and flew her close, pointed out the hillside, and disappeared. Mia landed in front of Ted, Cid and Murphy and stood without wavering.
Ted jumped up and hugged her. “How do you feel?”
“Like a million bucks.”
Ted lifted her hair and encouraged Cid to look. “You, sir, owe me ten bucks.”
“You bet I was going to come back with the mark?” Mia said.
“Yes, it was a forgone conclusion when Sariel landed a half hour after you left with Angelo. I also bet Cid that Angelo would be sporting a black eye.”
Mia took the ten and handed it back to Cid. “They left friends. Angelo, however, is going to be gone for a while. He asked us to contact Orion if we have any problems.”
“I like that. It’s keeping it in the family,” Ted said, putting his arm around his wife. “Murphy’s got some interesting gossip.”
Mia looked over at him. “Tell me.”
“Beverly is adopted. She isn’t your aunt.”
“Does she know?”
Murphy hunched his shoulders.
“If she does, she conned me out of my inheritance,” Mia growled.
“We’ll get by. If not, you could use those wings and do a little crop dusting,” Ted teased.
Mia laughed. “That would be an opt
ion, I suppose.”
“Laran gave us some pointers on the locked-in communicator,” Cid said. “I think we can make some money off that patent.”
“Use my money,” Murphy said.
“No thank you, Murph. That’s for the house and the land. Alan is setting up a trust, so if anything happens to Ted and me, the house will be protected.”
Murphy looked at the couple with astonishment.
“Did you expect us to leave you high and dry in fifty years?” Ted asked.
“Thank you,” Murphy said, truly touched.
~
Brian danced with Mia as Jake played their favorite song, “C is for cookie.” After they finished, Charles called out a request and took his daughter’s hand in his. Amanda took Brian and put him in the Jolly Jumper that Cid had fixed to the ceiling of the porch.
The strains of “Knights in White Satin” played over the outside speakers. Cid came out with a carafe of mulled wine. He watched the two Coopers move slowly across the grass. Amanda looked on with a wistful smile on her face.
“What are you thinking about, Mrs. Cooper?” Cid asked.
“When you get old, Cid, your memory becomes clearer. I remember things I haven’t thought about for a long time. That song brings with it memories of where Charles and I were when we heard it for the first time.”
“My mother used to sing ‘Desperado’ in the kitchen along with the radio. I can still taste the breakfast she served when I hear that song.”
“I wonder if that’s where your love of cooking comes from.”
“I think it’s from being a fat kid that loves food.”
Amanda laughed. “You’re no longer fat.”
“No, but inside I am.”
“Baggage. I have so much that I need a porter to carry mine,” Amanda commented.
Ted walked out. “Is she still dancing?” he asked.
“I think she’s making up for lost time, Ted.”
“Mom ee C ookie,” Brian said, yawning.
“Cid, could Charles and I interest you in a meal out?” Amanda asked.