by Alexie Aaron
“No.”
“Then it was the demon inside you. They said it activated with the ingestion of the dragon meat and the healing sun.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look anyone in the eye again,” Mia said. “Does this explain why I do what I do to poor Mike?”
“No, I think that’s just you being cruel.”
“Oh. How are you feeling about me right now?” she asked Ted, searching his face for answers.
“I realized that you couldn’t control it. You were unaware, and I’m so damn thankful that Sariel discussed this with Michael. I think Angelo better be told. The poor guy is hiding from you.”
“Well, that’s not so bad, is it?” Mia asked.
“Pumpkin, we all have people who have had crushes on us. We’ve had crushes. I don’t think Angelo is dangerous. He no longer stalks you.”
“That’s because Orion has forbidden him to.”
“Fine with me. Come on, let’s get something to eat.”
“The food is pretty good here,” Mia said.
“It’s heavenly,” Ted said. “Have you tried the angel food cake?”
“Stop it,” Mia ordered, but her eyes lit up, and she said, “I still prefer devil’s food.”
“Mia Cooper Martin!” Ted said, pulling her to her feet. “That’s got to stop.”
~
Altair stood with Mia on the patio. “It is my honor to teach you to summon your wings. If you haven’t noticed, you have no scribe marks any longer.”
“Yes, I wondered about that.”
“Mia, you were a hodgepodge of genes in constant conflict with each other. The only thing that stood true were the angel genes.”
“Could that have something to do with the feather in my back?”
Altair smiled. “Sariel is a smart angel. Michael thinks that you drew courage from his feather.”
“I did. Michael knows a lot of stuff, doesn’t he?”
“It comes with the job. Mia, I want you to stand there and simply think, wings come.”
She did. The wings came out of her in such a rush, she fell forward. “Well, that was embarrassing,” she said, getting up.
“Try bending your knees a bit. To get them to leave think, wings gone.”
She did, and they were gone.
“Summon them again,” Altair instructed.
She did, and this time she stayed upright. The wings were more magnificent than before. She was raised off the ground, and her body changed to accommodate them.
Altair looked them over. He saw Sariel’s feather and Michael’s entwined in her right wing. He pulled one of his own and handed it to Mia. She handed him hers with a strand of her hair. His hair had not grown long enough yet. Mia felt a tingle on her neck.
Altair walked over and touched it. “I’ve never had a bonded friend before. My A is hanging below Michael’s M.”
“What color is it?” Mia asked.
“Copper.”
“Copper has become quite a valuable metal, Altair.”
“Is that your way of telling me my worth to you, Mia?” he asked.
“Maybe.”
“Come, now we will fly. Don’t go too high at first. When I regained my wings, I had a problem with altitude.”
“K.”
Altair twitched his wings, and he shot upwards. Mia followed him.
Ted watched them from the window. “I never get tired of seeing her do that,” he said.
Sariel, who was supervising the lesson from afar, smiled. “You’re a very secure man.”
“Oh no, I’m not. I’m secure with Mia though. It was a long time coming, and I now understand a few things. She’s been through so much. So much hurt and sorrow.”
“She has one last restitution to make, Ted,” Sariel warned him.
“Does she have to?”
“In order for you as a couple to advance into a more secure relationship, she does. Guilt, like she has been carrying, fuels her insecurity. Just like the burden you carried when you thought about Beth Bouvier. You felt guilty because you may have led her on at first. Then, you didn’t want to hurt her, more guilt. Finally, your guilt twisted your thinking to make you feel like you had to save the very person who hated your wife. Now that you’ve seen who she truly is, do you still feel guilty?”
“No. Evidently, Mike had a bad feeling about Beth all along. Burt and I totally missed it. I saw her as a sweet kid who jabbered constantly and thought I walked on water.”
“Hard to resist.”
“I’m not innocent in my part of the misunderstanding,” Ted admitted.
“You aren’t?” Sariel asked, interested.
“No, I’m a geeky guy. Women don’t flock to me. I was amazed that anyone would desire me that much.”
“But you attracted and married one of the most beautiful women in this world.”
“Baffles the hell out of me,” he said.
Sariel laughed. “Here they come now. They are too far out for you to see them, so I’ll tell you what I see,” he explained. “Mia landed and fell down. She’s on her feet again. Altair is laughing at her. She is chasing him. He’s flying away at amazing speed, but she’s caught up to him and is tipping him upside down. I taught her that. They are landing again, and she stuck the landing. Bravo, Misfit!”
Ted smiled. He liked the comradery of the archangels, and he knew that Mia was in the right group. He had yet to meet the big cheese, but he doubted that he would have that honor. Father Santos had met him and was very impressed. Mia was still forming her opinion. She loved Sariel and Altair. That was evident. Ted wasn’t jealous about this because he had learned that Mia had a big heart with room for them all.
“Ted, from one male to another. How do you feel about Mia bonding herself to Michael?” Sariel asked.
“I like to think of it as a long-term contract,” he said. “I believe that she did it for the right reasons, and frankly, I like it that someone else has his eye on her. Mia is more than a handful for me; I can only imagine what trouble she could get herself into up there.”
“Michael is my master too. He is fair but stern. He had to cast out his own brother, and it hardened him. When Mia was being judged, she impressed him. She knew she could have moved on to a higher plane with the kudos - as she likes to call them – earned, but instead, she bargained for Altair’s forgiveness. Mia was heard, and this was brought to Michael’s attention. Altair was Lucifer’s best friend. In a way, Michael was able to bring part of his brother back.”
“So Mia was dead.”
“As she likes to call it, mostly dead. And this is where it gets interesting… If Mia had died, she wouldn’t have moved on. Altair bound the two of you together. She would have stayed and watched over you and Brian until you died. Then she would move on to wherever your light takes you.”
“Yes, she told me. But now, if she is also bound to Michael for eternity…”
“It means, Ted, that you’ll ascend to this plane with us. I’m sorry, but the starship won’t happen for you. However, I can unbind you. Altair did this, and I’m his supervisor. I can undo what he has done. Michael could have separated the two of you after the exorcism, but Mia’s love for you is so strong that untying you from her may have killed her at the time.”
“Michael won’t release her, will he?”
“Not in his present state of mind. He may release her after the unrest has been settled. He now considers Mia his strongest asset. Although, her navigation sucks.”
Ted was taken aback by his language.
“A little of Mia has rubbed off on all of us,” Sariel said, laughing. “She can heal us. That’s never happened before. It makes us braver, more relaxed.”
“Can she still do this even though she’s no longer whole?”
“Ted, when the demon left, the space was filled with birdman and angel. The superhuman is still dormant. Mia can heal without a mage now. She can’t heal herself, but she can heal us and, I suspect, your kind. I don’t see Michael rel
easing her anytime soon. So please think it over. Can you sacrifice the spaceship for an angelic battle station?”
“For Mia, I will.”
“Good.”
“What about Brian?” Ted asked. “Roumain said there was a chance he had demon inside of him.”
“The birdmen took care of that. The birthmark wasn’t the only thing they worked on while he was there. Don’t feel betrayed. It’s how the Gray Ladies work. They see a problem, and they fix it. The only way I could protect Mia’s love for Stephen Murphy from them was to make her ribs impenetrable.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Ted said honestly.
“Stephen Murphy and Mia broke the Cooper curse, but Stephen is still protecting her and her family. There are not enough angels on earth to watch over you all. Stephen may have avoided heaven, but he is doing the work of a guardian angel. You don’t have to fear him taking Mia. They share a connection that cannot be severed. It’s not sexual, but I can’t really find a classification for it.”
“I married her knowing that she loved him,” Ted confided.
“Interesting.”
“I wanted her so badly. She’s so special, and she loved me. I knew, eventually, she would settle down and see that I’m the best man for her. I am, you know.”
“We know. I’m glad you finally know,” Sariel said.
“How long have you been watching her?”
“Since she took the Hoffman twins into the light. Altair, however, has been watching her since she set fire to her home as a teenager.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Small world.”
Mia came in all excited. She hugged Ted. He smelled the sweet wheat smell and smiled.
“Did you see me soar upwards? Wasn’t that cool?”
“Yes, Mighty Mouse.”
“Mia, do you feel confident enough to carry your child back?” Sariel asked her.
“Yes.”
“Good. I will take your tall husband. He may be a bit much for you to handle right now. We will go to the farmhouse, and then you and I have unfinished business to take care of.”
Mia turned to Ted and asked, “Is that alright with you?”
Ted was surprised. “If you’re sure you want to do this, then it’s fine with me. Just remember to come home after.”
“Ted, I will always come home to you,” she promised.
Chapter Twenty-eight.
Mia walked through the orchard to the spot where the old house had once stood. The foundations had been filled in. Someone had decided to make use of the space and planted what looked like Gala apple trees. She picked an apple and took a bite.
“I think that the evil is gone or, at least, the trees aren’t affected by it,” she said with her mouth full.
Sariel walked alongside her, trying to block the overwhelming sadness that had suddenly gripped Mia.
Mia stopped, knelt down, and put her hand on the spot where her child had flowed out of her.
Sariel looked on with sympathy.
Mia cried silently. She looked up at the archangel and spoke, “I know you told me that she had moved on. I’m being silly.”
“No, you need to grieve. You’ll always need to grieve. Part of you is gone.”
“Is she happy?”
“You tell me?”
“How would I know?” she asked, truly puzzled.
“Your lost little girl Hope is Sabine’s second child, Maisha Violet Norwood.”
Mia’s eyes opened wide.
“Hope waited for the right vessel before she descended.”
“Do we all choose our parents?” she asked, mystified.
“Yes, your kind does.”
“I’m having a hard time believing that I chose Amanda.”
“Give it time. You’ll soon see her differently,” Sariel counseled.
“I’d like to find Neal. Has he moved on?” she asked.
“No, Mia, he still haunts this orchard.”
“How sad.”
“Not really. He has been waiting for you though. Neal is over there by the new apple trees.”
Mia looked, and sure enough, a man stood watching them. He studied them for a moment before lifting his hand.
Mia lifted hers.
Neal walked over to them with purpose, no injury hindering his steps. He stood before her and said to Mia, “You look familiar to me.”
“I do?”
“You look a lot like my love Wilhelmina.”
“I am she,” Mia said.
Neal moved his hands to her face. Mia willed them to make contact. She felt the familiar calloused hands that used to turn the wheels of the chair. She felt his thumbs brush away her tears.
“I thought you had forgotten me, Will.”
“I had locked the memory away until I was strong enough to come back,” Mia explained. “Your and our daughter’s death almost killed me. It took years for me to heal, and honestly, I’m still having a hard time.”
“So you did love me. It wasn’t just pity,” Neal said, looking into her eyes, still searching for answers.
“I loved you, and I still love you,” Mia admitted. “My heart has been sealed, and inside of it, I carry you and our daughter.”
“I wish things could have been different,” Neal said. “I have thought many a day, how it would have been had I and our daughter been able to live. We would have been a family, Will.”
“I know.”
“Why have you come back?” he asked her.
“I’m here to find out why you were taken from me,” Mia said. “I need to know the hard truths.”
“I think my father, or Chuck, killed the man who had taken residence in the house. In death, he sought to right the injustice that had been done to him.”
“He didn’t have to kill you,” Mia spat.
“Evil is hard to explain, Will. I have forgiven him. Can you?”
“I don’t know. I want…”
“Restitution?” Neal asked. “Will, we were given a perfect moment together. We loved and healed each other. We had hope. Let’s not spoil that by asking for justice. Forgive him, and in doing so, you’ll be able to let me go. I’d like to move on and be with my mother. She passed last year and is waiting in the light. Can you do this for me?” Neal asked.
Mia looked into his eyes and saw her old self reflected there. She was scrawny and stubborn. Mia also saw in Neal’s eyes the love he had for her. “Yes, Neal, I’ll forgive the murderer of both you and our child.”
“There is more. I can see it in your eyes. Please tell me,” he pleaded.
“Neal, our daughter has moved on and has been reborn,” Mia shared with him. “I have a husband and a son.”
“I’m glad you have found love again. You have a long life ahead of you, and may it be filled with love. Please, let me go, Will. Once I am gone, you’ll be able to love the men in your life more completely.”
“I’ll never forget you, Neal.”
“Thank you for loving me,” he said, turning around as the light came for him. “I see my mother, and she is smiling.”
“Go in peace, Neal. I love you.”
Neal embraced her one last time before he walked into the light. Sariel put a restraining hand on Mia. He didn’t think she’d follow him, but he remembered Michael’s warning about the light wanting to take her.
This time, Mia didn’t avoid the light. Instead, she watched Neal as he greeted his mother and friends who had come to welcome him.
The light vanished. Mia was left in the orchard with Sariel. She turned to him. “Thank you.” She put her hand on her heart. “Sariel, please unlock my chest so I can open my heart.”
“Why?”
“So I can let you in,” she said, looking at him.
He put his hand to his mouth and rubbed his face nervously. “You honor me.”
“No, you honor me with your counsel, your steadfastness, and your rescuing me from myself. You did rat me out to Michael, but it was for a good reason. You let Ang
elo decide that he has to move on. And finally this. You have shown me love and how to love unconditionally, to treasure the bits and pieces of good times, and to let the bad go. You’re a teacher and a friend. I am so honored to know you.”
“Mia, before I do, tell me. I need to hear it in your voice,” he said softly.
“Sariel, I love you.”
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Mia could feel her chest expand. She took a deep breath and felt stronger than she ever had. She understood the difference between her love for her husband and her love for the other men in her life. Mia felt her newly grown respect for her mother move in as some of the resentment moved out. The sorrow surrounding Neal fell away, leaving the memory of a stubborn, proud man who loved her. Lobo was there too, unfettered by the horrors of his death. Also there were memories of Burt, before the flitch started to degrade their love, and finally, Whit, a man who would always be the boy who took her hand and told her, “It’s okay, Mia. We all scream in graveyards.”
Mia sank to her knees as Murphy’s handprint left her. The pain of loss was almost unbearable, but it only lasted for a moment. Her heart expanded and was filled with the happiness that Murph’s and Mia’s continuing friendship had brought, Mike’s odd fascination for her and hers for him, and Cid’s devotion filled the space too. Audrey’s love flowed into her along with Orion’s. The love Mia had for her son Brian warmed her. And now Sariel joined them all.
“Mia, do you love me too?” Angelo asked from behind her.
She rose, turned around and faced him. “I love you, but I’m not in love with you, Angelo. I only can be in love with one man, and that’s Ted. I don’t want to ever hurt you, but you must understand this and respect my marriage.”
Angelo looked down at her and nodded. He looked over at Sariel who said, “Mia, I would like to close your chest to protect you now. I will lock all this love in, including your love for Angelo. Last chance.”
Mia nodded.
Angelo watched as the might of the archangel etched protection on her ribs.
Here in the orchard that had brought so much heartache to Mia, she realized how much love she had to give. She reached out her hands and grasped the birdman and the angel. She tapped them both and said, “You’re it.” She took off flying.