by L. L Hunter
“Gabe, that’s enough!” Dyston growled. “Anger won’t get you anywhere. Calm down, Son.”
Tears began streaming down Gabe’s face. “Melody left me, and now she’s missing. She could be hurt, and I can’t get to her.”
Dyston sighed and lifted him down from the wall. Once Gabe was on the ground, he folded himself into a ball and sobbed. Eden ran to his side and pulled him into a hug.
“I know it hurts. She’s your soul mate. I promise you, we will bring her back. But anger and lashing out won’t solve anything.”
Gabe peered up at Dyston and Scarlett and blinked away his tears. There were scorch marks on her clothes where the lightening had struck.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I was just so frustrated and sad.”
“I know, mate.”
“I’ve been trying to practise using my trait. But it’s been a bit hard since…” he began to sob again as his mind went to Melody.
Dyston looked to Scarlett, and she smiled and then knelt down before Gabe.
“Gabe, you’ve been through a lot. We will find Melody, I promise. I have an army of guardian angels at the ready, as well as a few friends who are more than happy to help. We’ll bring her back.”
“Thank you. But I don’t understand,” said Gabe. Scarlett’s smile fell away.
“What don’t you understand?”
“How you can help me when I broke the rules?”
“Oh, Gabe. Sweetheart. You didn’t break the rules.”
Dyston grinned. “Yeah. Don’t worry about it, mate. It’s fine.”
Eden continued rubbing his back. “See? I told you they’d be cool with it,” she reassured him.
“Okay,” he said, climbing to his feet. “Sorry again for attacking you and losing my temper, Scarlett. If we are going to get Melody back, we need to work together.”
As he looked around the room at his family and friends, he hoped they would find Melody, and everything would be okay, even if she didn’t want to be with him. He just had to know she was safe.
Chapter 10
Her crimson life force was slowly slipping away from her. Melody watched her blood drip into the sixth bag. With each drop of blood, she felt her energy wane. Did Gabe know where she was? Could he feel her? She wasn’t sure because their love was slowly turning her mortal, and there was also the little problem with the fact that soul mates didn’t happen for guardian angels.
She didn’t feel human yet, but she knew, in time, as soon as her blood left her body, she would become nothing more than human. She suddenly felt extremely sleepy, and as she watched her blood fall into the bag in front of her, the drip, drip, dripping sound lulled her into a deep slumber. Before she fell asleep and the life force left her, Melody sang one last song.
Her voice was silent, inaudible to the outside world, but inside her head, it was loud.
She then let out a scream, sending it across the universe, hoping someone would hear her.
When she awoke, she felt weightless. She looked around and saw nothing but white.
She knew then what had happened.
She was dead.
Her angel-self anyway.
She didn’t understand how it had happened, but she knew Abraham, Jazmine, and Willow had been dealing with dark, dark magic to make this work.
There was no other way her angel-self could die and leave her human host alive.
She studied her body, still in the dentist’s chair, and felt a rush of determination and hope. She knew what she had to do. She had to get out of here and find her way back to Gabe.
They had her blood. They didn’t need anything else from her. She floated back down into her body. Her human soul connected with its body.
She opened her eyes and gasped.
Where were Abraham and Willow? She shook her head. It didn’t matter. They weren’t here. Now was her chance to escape. She wriggled in her bindings and found them to be loose and unlocked. She pulled her shackles off and slid her legs off the side of the chair. She got hesitantly to her feet. Her knees immediately buckled, but she pulled herself up and staggered to the door. When she reached the door, she pulled it open. As she stepped out into the corridor, she heard voices. She peered down at her body to check what she was wearing. After all, she would need to escape and possibly run down the street. She didn’t want people to see her naked body. But she found she was still dressed in jeans and a tank top—remnants of her human host Mackenzie’s human wardrobe.
Wait, so was she Mackenzie or Melody? She knew she was human, but she still had Melody’s memories. She had both of their memories. She remembered it all.
She remembered her human parents and her baby sister. She remembered her guardian angel friends Chordelia and Aria. Chordelia… a tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered her lost friend. Would her angel soul join her friend in the Realm of Fire?
The voices were getting closer, and Melody ran for it. She ran as fast as her legs would take her, down the shiny corridor and out the closest fire exit and out into the sunlight.
She got her bearings, and when she discovered she was in Vienna, she got a cab to the airport and a plane back to London. She had found her coin purse and her phone still in her pocket. Thank goodness. She was able to purchase a plane ticket and pay for her way back to Gabe.
“I’m coming, Gabe,” she whispered as she sank into the soft airplane seat.
Chapter 11
Aria knelt at the base of the golden monument. It was a sacred place in the Realm of Fire where the fallen were laid to rest.
“Melody’s in trouble, Chord. Missing. Maybe hurt.” She sobbed and buried her face in her hands. “I can’t lose another friend.”
Orbs of light and pure angel essence floated about near her, and she looked up and caught one in her hand. She opened her palm so the former angel could rest there.
“Chord? Is that you?”
“Yes, Aria. It’s me. Chordelia.”
Aria gasped when she heard her friend’s voice in her head. She smiled, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
“It’s so good to hear your voice. I’ve missed you.”
“I miss you too. I need to tell you something.”
Aria wiped her face. “What is it?”
“You’ll feel her in a moment, but Melody is dead.”
Her whole world stopped spinning, and she fell forward on her hands. “No!”
Then the heavens shook once more, and Aria heard a voice, loud and clear like a bell. She listened.
Melody’s song rang throughout the heavens, and all the angels stopped what they were doing and listened. The light flashed, and everything shook and went white. Aria covered her face. but she knew soon enough the right time to look. She felt a warm, cozy presence beside her. She turned her head, and there beside her, she saw Melody.
“Mel?”
“Hey, Ari.”
She was haloed in light, and it was too bright to look at her. She was like her own personal sun. Melody smiled, and it made Aria feel better.
“What happened? Are you really gone?”
“I’m afraid so. Just my angel-self anyway. Don’t worry. My human soul is still alive in Mackenzie’s body. Aria, I need you to protect her. Keep her safe so she can get back to Gabe safely.”
She nodded and wiped her face and turned her body so she could see her friend a little better, despite the brilliant light she was emitting. She was still squinting, though.
“You’re so bright. You’re like the sun.”
“Oh, sorry about that.” Melody immediately dimmed her light, her halo. Aria could now see her friend properly.
“Thanks. Oh, Melody. I can’t believe both of my best friends are gone.”
Melody reached for her friend and touched her cheek. Aria leaned into her, feeling the warmth. “It’ll be okay. I’ll still be with you. You have to promise me, please, to look after Gabe and Mackenzie.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Mackenzie is on her
way back to London. Find Gabe and let him know. I don’t want him to find out too late. I don’t want him to be heartbroken.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“When you get to the Academy, be careful. Willow and Abraham are working together and have sent an army of demons to keep Gabe and the others at bay. The demons are meant to be a barrier to stall them, but they won’t hesitate to attack if provoked.”
“I’ll be careful. I’ll take a couple of other guardians with me. Goddess Scarlett has ordered an army of guardians to earth, so I’ll travel with them.”
“Okay. Be careful and stay safe. I have faith in you. I love you, Ari.”
Her light brightened once more, and then Melody faded into the clouds. She became nothing more than matter, light, and all things good.
“I love you too, Mel.”
Aria wiped away a tear, got to her feet, and composed herself as she headed back to the Hall of Songs. She had to protect Gabe and Mackenzie at all costs. She would do anything to keep them safe.
Chapter 12
So what’s the plan?” said Max as he followed Gabe, Asher, and Eden into Gabe’s room.
“I just remembered. My grandmother gave me the draft and notes for the book she’s working on.” Gabe headed straight for his bed where his laptop still lay with the golden angel flash drive lying on top. He snatched up the angel and inserted it into the side of his laptop and switched it on. He sat on the bed, and the others crowded around him.
“Your grandmother’s writing a book?” asked Asher, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, yeah. Didn’t I tell you? She’s been studying guardian angels, and Max and I believe her notes could hold some clues we need to find Melody. I’d wanted to get back to this earlier, but the damn demon alarm went off.”
He clicked on the file that opened on the screen, and a document opened up.
Eden leaned closer to the screen and squinted. “So what exactly are we looking for?”
“Anything about soul mates and soul bonds between guardian angels and their assignments.”
“How will that help us find Melody?”
“I need to know if she really is turning human. I need to know if loving her really did make her lose her immortality.”
Eden made a rude sound. “No offence, mate, but this sounds like a personal journey. I don’t think you need Asher and me for this.” She stood up and brushed the non-existent lint off her black jeans.
Gabe just rolled his eyes and ignored his cousin. He knew how she was and knew her behaviour was just a toddler tantrum, She’ll be back at his side helping him in no time. Eden had to have her time in the spotlight. He kept scrolling down and reading his grandmother’s notes and paused when he found what he was looking for.
“Here it is! I found it.” He pumped his fist in triumph.
That was when pain struck his heart. He screamed and fell back. He would have rolled off the bed had Max not grabbed him in time.
Eden and Asher hadn’t left the room. They stood at his desk talking with their heads close and hugging. But their heads snapped up, and they raced over at the sound of Gabe’s screams. Eden bounced on the bed and grabbed Gabe. Asher stood near Max and helped him hold his legs.
Gabe’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he began to spark.
Eden screamed as Gabe’s trait hit her skin, and she fell back on the floor. “Get away. Don’t touch him.”
“What’s happening to him?” asked Asher.
“I don’t know,” said Max. He felt helpless as his cousin wreathed and twitched and screamed on the bed. Soon, his green sparks died, and he stopped twitching. Eden raced to his side and checked his vital signs.
“He’s still breathing,” she said. Gabe gasped. “Gabe?” she held his head in her lap.
“She’s gone. She’s dead.”
Asher and Max immediately bowed their heads.
“I… I’m sorry,” said Eden.
“I felt her soul. I felt it. It felt like my heart was breaking in two. But I know it’s her soul. It’s left her body.”
He then remembered the notes and struggled to sit up. Eden helped him, and he grabbed his laptop. He looked over the words he had found before the god-awful pain, before Melody’s soul left.
His heart beat back to life, faster and faster, until it was racing as he read the words. He swallowed the lump in his throat and composed himself.
“It says that when a guardian angel falls in love, their angel soul detaches from their human host and slowly dies. The good news is that it seems their host can survive.” He looked up at everyone in the room.
“That means Melody could still be alive.”
Chapter 13
Melody hadn’t thought to call anyone about her ordeal. She had been so focused on getting out of there and getting back to Gabe and the Academy that the thought of calling someone slipped her mind. The first person she thought to call was Gabe. Though she wasn’t sure it was the best idea. Did he even know what she had gone through? She pulled her phone out as soon as she landed and scrolled through her contacts. She had to tell someone about Willow and Abraham’s plans, though. Who better to notify than the Nephilim president? She found Beth’s number and dialled. She answered after only two rings.
“Melody, thank goodness. Are you okay? Scarlett and Dyston told me what happened.”
“I’m okay. But I… I died. My angel-self died. But my human host is still alive. I’ve landed in London, and I’m on my way to Michael Academy.”
“No, don’t go to the Academy.”
She stopped walking, a chill running through her blood. “Why not?”
“It’s surrounded by demons. Go to the Sanctuary.”
She wanted to swear, but instead, she let out a shaky breath. “It’s because of Abraham and Willow, of what they’ve got planned. That’s the reason for my call. They’re going to use my immortal blood to turn Willow immortal so her body can support Jazmine’s soul.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Beth said after a moment of silence. “I’ll meet you at the Sanctuary. Stay safe.”
“You too, Beth. Oh, wait.”
“Yes?”
“Is Gabe okay? Does he know?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll go and check on him then meet you at the Sanctuary soon.”
“Okay. Tell him I’m okay.”
“I will, Melody.”
She didn’t have any bags, so Melody headed straight for the cab rank. As the cab drove her into the city, she counted the minutes before she would be reunited with Gabe.
As soon as Aria stepped inside the Hall of Songs, she noticed all the guardian angels waiting to leave for earth. She knew a few of them by acquaintance and through being on earth at the same time, but she never realised how many guardians there were until now.
“Aria, how are you?”
She had been standing by herself watching everyone mingle and waiting until it was time to leave when she heard a deep but happy voice behind her. She wasn’t in the mood to mingle. She just wanted to get to earth and look after Gabe. She turned and smiled at the friendly face behind her.
“Hook. Hi. How are you?”
Hook had been a familiar face in guardian school. They were created in the same century and had similar affinities. Hook always had a smile and a flamboyant streak. He loved looking after children, but most of all, he loved men. Most of his assignments had been gay men.
“I’m good. I’m sorry about Melody. I heard and had to come find you. You have my deepest sympathies.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek.
“Thanks, Hook.” She gave a sad smile. “The good news is, though, her human host is still alive. So, when I get to earth, I’ll be looking after both Melody’s assignment and host.”
“That’s good. I don’t have an assignment right now, but I’m happy to help fight some demons and protect the students of Michael Academy. You have my help if you need it.”
“Thank you so much, Hook. That would be grea
t.” Hook smiled and patted her shoulder. He was handsome and tall with a bit of stubble across his chin and a little cleft in the middle. He also had a slight French accent, as his favourite place in the world was Paris.
The bells in the bell tower of the golden palace rang out, and all the angels spread their wings almost simultaneously. Aria glanced at Hook, and he nodded.
“Shall we?” he said.
Aria nodded. “Let’s do this.”
They took a running leap and spread their wings, gliding into the air and down toward earth.
Chapter 14
Willow strolled back into the small hospital room tailed by the two demons in scrubs. The room which had held Melody was more like a storage room. It was barely big enough to accommodate the dentist’s chair and the five people they had had in there earlier, let alone all the bandages, medication and cleaning supplies. But it was the only room they could use that was available to them at short notice. It was the only room they could use for their secret operation, because the hospital they were in was a human one, and Abraham had to glamour the storage room with dark magic to hide them from the humans.
She paused when she noticed Melody was missing, she but didn’t panic. She barely fluttered an eyelash. She walked lazily over to the stand that held the final blood bag and took it down. After all, this is what she wanted. She had her magical immortal blood, and now Melody was on her way back to her friends to tell them about hers and Abraham’s plan.
“What should we do? Should we send someone to find her?” said one of the demons.
“No. Let her go. This was part of the plan. I need her to run back to her little friends and tell them all about our plan. We need them to know Jazmine is about to return, better and stronger than before.