White Wings

by Aimee Jessica Russ

  “Give it a rest,” Lilly said.

  “I won’t give it a rest. Mace has to fall if he wants to stay with Millie.”

  “That’s enough!” Lilly’s voice boomed.

  Millie jumped; it had shocked her. Lilly seemed nice and gentle. She was not expecting that voice to come out of her mouth.

  “Whatever. I’m leaving to protect my own charge instead of someone else’s,” Autumn said, glaring at Millie. She then stomped out of the room and slammed the front door behind her.

  “She is right,” Millie said, tilting her head.

  “Don’t talk like that, Millie,” Lilly said sternly but with a kind edge in her voice.

  “But . . .” Millie started to say.

  “Don’t think about it, Millie. You don’t need to worry,” Lilly interrupted.

  Millie paced around the house, waiting anxiously for Mace. The house was modern: the back of the house was purely glass, whilst the front was cream with large, light brown doors. The walls inside the house were cream as well, but every bedroom was painted a different colour. There were five bedrooms in total, and the colours were blue, pink, yellow, light green, and purple. The kitchen was spacious and a pale red colour. The dining table had its own room and could fit twelve people at once. The living room had cream leather seats facing a fifty-inch flat screen TV. It was beautiful.

  The heat had completely dried Millie, although she could still smell chlorine, which reminded her of what Autumn had just done. She heard a door sliding open at the back of the house. She smiled at the thought of Mace. She hurried over and saw Mace and Teal. She ran to Mace and embraced him. His arms held Millie tightly, and his head rested on hers for a while until he pulled her away. Millie looked up at Mace. Her smile disappeared as she noticed dried blood on his cheek. His shirt was ripped at the shoulder, and he was pale. She looked at Teal and saw dried blood down his arm. His shirt was shredded. They were both covered in a thin layer of dirt.

  “What happened?” Millie asked, concerned.

  “They were very strong,” Teal said over Mace’s shoulder.

  “You guys look like you have just been fighting a bunch of werewolves,” Lexi said, looking at them up and down. Millie looked at her.

  “Do werewolves exist?” she asked, confused.

  “Never you mind,” Lexi said with a cheeky smile.

  “Do you know who they were?” Lilly said, handing them towels to wipe off the blood and dirt.

  “They were definitely Fallen,” Teal said, wiping his arm.

  “I’m glad you’re safe,” Millie said to Mace.

  “I’ll always come back to you,” he promised, kissing her forehead.

  “How did you find me here?” Millie asked.

  “As your Protector, I can sense where you are,” he said with a smile. “Where’s Autumn?”

  “She left,” Lilly said, crossing her arms.

  “Thankfully. She was being a complete, utter bitch,” Lexi added.

  Millie was surprised that Angels could swear.

  “I told her to look after you,” Mace said angrily.

  “More like tried to kill her,” Lexi said.

  “What do you mean?” Mace’s voice still sounded angry.

  “If she would have dropped Millie any higher than she did, the water in the pool would have felt like cement,” Lexi said, rolling her eyes at the thought of Autumn.

  “What?”

  “Calm down. It’s fine,” Millie said. She placed her hands on his arms to try and calm him down.

  “It is definitely not fine. I’m going to have a word with her,” he said, turning away.

  “She had a good reason,” Millie said.

  Mace turned back to face Millie. “What do you mean?” he asked, confused.

  “Millie,” Lilly said bluntly.

  Millie looked at Lilly. She saw Lilly shaking her head. Millie looked back at Mace.

  “Never mind,” she said quietly.

  “Tell me,” Mace ordered.

  “I’m just glad you and Teal are safe,” Lilly said, walking over to Mace and putting her hand on his shoulder for a second.

  Millie looked at her. She was glad Lilly had changed the subject, but she could still feel the anger coming from Mace.

  After showering, Millie and Mace lay in bed. Millie was wearing a flowing, white nightie Lilly had lent her, and Mace was wearing a grey-and-white checked top with black, knee-length shorts that Lilly had found in the spare room’s dresser.

  “Are you angry?” Millie said, lying next to Mace.

  “Why won’t you tell me the reason you think Autumn purposely dropped you in the pool?” Mace said, sliding his hands underneath his head.

  “You have enough to worry about with Demons trying to kill me and all.”

  “Just tell me. Please?” Mace asked with a sad tone in his voice.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t need to stress you out any more than you are,” Millie said, rolling over, facing away from Mace. They lay in silence for a while. Millie’s eyes were about to close when Mace rolled over and placed his arm around her tightly.

  “I love you too much to stay angry at you anymore. Maybe it’s good that you’re not telling me, although I would like to know. But I trust your decision,” Mace said. He planted a soft kiss on her neck.

  “Thank you,” she said, letting the warm volts go through her body. “Can you tell me what happened in the fight today?” she asked, waking herself up.

  “All you need to know is that I’m here with you safely.” He planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “Please can you tell me?” Millie pleaded, wanting to know what happened.

  “Two can play at that game,” Mace said as Millie turned to see his sexy half-smile.

  She huffed. “No fair,” she said, rolling on top of him.

  Mace held her cheeks firmly in his hands. They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me your real name for so long,” she said, sighing.

  “It was for your own protection,” he replied.

  “So I was allowed to know Teal’s name but not yours. I just don’t get it.”

  “Teal is a Guardian Angel. No Fallen can pinpoint their location. He can be here one minute, then in London in an instant. Protectors stay in one place to protect their charge. If you would have known my name and if somehow Drake tortured you enough to get my name out of you, he could pinpoint my location and always know where I am . . . and where you are,” he said, frowning. He thought of Drake and how he had hurt Millie. He remembered all the injuries he had inflicted on her.

  “I never thought of it like that before,” she said, remembering the pain Drake had caused. She knew that if Drake had tortured her much more, she would have spilled something, even though she wanted to be strong. She remembered the pain being horrific. She thought of Hell and what it was like. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to think about it.

  “Come here,” Mace said, hugging her tightly. He knew Millie was reliving the experience of Hell. He wished she had never gone to Hell in the first place.

  Millie buried her face into his warm chest. She tried to forget about what Drake had done to her, but it wasn’t working. She tried to think about happy memories, but flashes of Hell kept interrupting her thoughts. Zeke popped into her head, how he was kind to her, even though he brought her to Hell. He had saved her from falling to her death. He had taken care of her whilst Mace was fighting Miss Hades. She thought about his soft features and his black hair. Their kiss came to her mind. Millie didn’t want to tell Mace, or he would make it his mission to kill him. She closed her eyes, trying to get Zeke off her mind, but she couldn’t.

  Thirteen

  A Vision

  Millie woke to find an empty space next to her. She rubbed her eyes and quickly hopped out of bed. She walked into the kitchen to find Teal standing there with a plate in his hands. It held scrambled eggs next to buttered toast.

  “Here you go,” he s
aid, placing the plate in her hands with a dimply smile. “Please, sit down,” he said, pulling out a chair next to the kitchen counter. Millie smiled and sat down in it.

  “Thank you, but how did you know I was awake?” she said, baffled.

  “Here is your apple juice.” He poured it into a glass. “And it’s an Angel instinct,” he said, smiling again.

  “Sure it is.” Millie eyed him suspiciously as she drank the juice.

  Millie enjoyed eating her breakfast. The eggs were perfect. The butter was spread out perfectly on the bread. She was amazed.

  “Where is Mace?” she asked with her mouth full.

  “He should be back soon,” Teal said, refilling her plate with more scrambled eggs.

  “Should I be worried?” Millie asked.

  “No, of course not.” He poured himself a glass of apple juice.

  “And how’d you know I wanted more eggs?” she asked.

  “Angel’s instinct,” he said with a huge smile.

  “Where are Lilly and Lexi?” she asked, looking around her.

  “They are both busy checking up on their charges.”

  “Why aren’t you?” Millie asked smartly.

  “Well, somebody has to watch you now, don’t they?” he said with a wink.

  “I suppose somebody has to keep me out of trouble. Thanks for making me breakfast,” she said with a smile.

  “No problem, Millie.”

  Mace came through the door with a bunch of red roses. “Here you go, my love,” he said, kissing her cheeks.

  “Oh, wow,” Millie said as her cheeks became rosy.

  The flowers were wrapped in green paper, which made crinkly sounds as Millie held onto them tightly. They were beautiful—almost as perfect as Mace.

  “Thank you so much,” Millie said, planting a kiss on his lips.

  “You deserve them, my beautiful girl.” He kissed her some more.

  “Oh, would you guys get a room,” Teal complained.

  “You’re just jealous,” Millie said happily.

  “Sure I am.” He rolled his eyes.

  “Where’s my breakfast?” Mace asked Teal.

  “You don’t get any,” Teal said with a half-smile.

  “Oh, we shall see about that.” Mace launched at him.

  Teal moved, but Mace pounced on him. Both of their wings broke free from their skin. They flew around the house, narrowly missing everything. Millie was amazed. They both looked so happy. It would have been a perfect moment, until Millie thought about the Fallen who were after her.

  “You okay?” Lilly said, startling Millie, who was staring through the glass into the backyard.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “You sure about that?” Lilly said in a caring voice.

  So far, Millie had found Lilly to be kind and thoughtful. She was like the mother Millie always wished to have whilst growing up. Wendy was a good mother, but somehow she had put up a wall in-between herself and Millie.

  “I just keep on thinking about Mace. What happens if he gets hurt over me? He wants to be with me, and the only way he can truly be with me forever is to fall. I don’t want that to happen,” Millie said, sighing.

  “He is a very strong Angel. He is very smart and can take care of himself.”

  “I know he is strong, but not strong enough to cut all ties with me and keep living the life he is now.”

  “He would rather die than not be with you,” Lilly said quietly.

  “As if.”

  “Can’t you see how much he loves you? You can just see it in his eyes. His eyes are full of love for you. He can hardly keep his hands off you. He cares about you too much to leave you.”

  “Do you want him to fall for me?” Millie asked harshly.

  “I do admit that I don’t want to see a fellow Angel of the Lord fall, but it’s up to him,” Lilly said in a comforting voice.

  Just then, Mace walked into the room. “Oh, you’re back, Lilly. How is everything?”

  “Everything is good,” Lilly said happily.

  Mace looked at Lilly, then at Millie. “Did I interrupt something?” he asked.

  “No, you didn’t,” Millie said, turning around with a fake smile. She walked up to him and gave him a kiss. “Thanks for the roses again,” she said, hugging him.

  Mace looked up at Lilly. He saw that her face was full of worry.

  * * * * *

  Millie sat at the long dining table, whilst Lilly and Teal placed enough food down to feed an army. There was roast chicken, beef sausages, potatoes, a garden salad, a Greek salad, and bread rolls.

  “Dig in,” Lilly said proudly after she finished praying. She sat down next to Millie.

  Mace sat directly across her as Teal sat next to him. Millie felt the room was too empty, as they were sitting in the middle of that long table. She wished her friends and family could experience this.

  “I’m home,” Lexi said, walking through the front door. “Oh, something smells good.” She sat next to Lilly with a smile.

  “How was your day?” Lilly asked, passing the garden salad to Millie.

  “Nothing dangerous happened to any of my charges, so that’s a plus,” she said, biting into a piece of bread.

  “The food is delicious.” Millie said.

  “Why, thank you,” Lilly smiled.

  The conversation continued as Millie played footsies with Mace underneath the table. Teal looked at them oddly a couple of times. Millie giggled as Lilly and Lexi smiled at true love. Suddenly, Millie dropped her fork. It landed on her plate loudly, and everyone at the table turned and stared at her.

  Millie saw herself walking down the hallway. It was dark. Her eyes could hardly see in front of her. She could finally see again as she noticed lights were on in the living room. Her feet walked slowly towards the light. She walked over to see who was awake, but she stopped in horror. Lilly’s body was lying on the ground, covered in blood. A broken vase and rose petals lay around her. Lilly was pale, and her long, golden locks were drenched in blood. Her eyes were open as if they were looking at Millie.

  Millie’s breath became louder before she let out a scream. Her scream was cut off by a hand that was placed on her mouth. The hand was hot; it was burning Millie’s lips. She tried to free herself, but it was no use. She knew it was a Demon and this was the end.

  Millie felt Mace shaking her. She jumped and looked around the table. Everyone was watching her with frightful looks. Tears streamed out of her eyes.

  “Millie, what happened?” Mace said in an alarmed voice.

  Millie looked at Lilly next to her. She could still feel how it felt when she saw Lilly lying on the floor, dead. Millie clenched her eyes shut.

  “Millie,” Mace said, shaking her softly.

  “I saw something.” Millie rubbed her eyes. “It was horrible.”

  “What did you see?” Mace asked gently, rubbing her arm up and down.

  “I was walking down the hallway. It was night time. I saw the light on in the living room and I walked towards it. There I saw . . .” Millie turned to Lilly.

  Lilly tilted her head and her eyes were anxious. Millie sniffed and cleared her throat.

  “I saw Lilly on the floor covered in blood. She was dead. A Demon killed her.” Millie kept her eyes on Mace. She was terrified to look at anybody else, especially Lilly.

  “He came up behind me and put his hand on my mouth to stop me from screaming. He found me,” Millie continued.

  Mace placed his hands on her cheeks.

  “We need to leave now,” Teal said, standing up. “We have stayed here for too long. They have already found out where we are.”

  “What do you mean?” Millie asked.

  “You had a vision, Millie. It’s from my grace,” Mace said, now holding onto her hands.

  Millie stared at Mace in disbelief.

  “Lilly and Lexi, you will have to leave here as well. It’s not safe here anymore,” Teal announced.

  “Yes, we will leave immediately,” Lex
i said, standing up and walking towards her bedroom. Teal followed her.

  Millie finally looked at Lilly. She had been silent. Her forehead was creased as she bit her lip. Her beautiful light brown eyes looked scared but thankful.

  “I’m sorry, Lilly,” Millie said, again remembering her dead body.

  “Don’t be sorry. You have saved my life,” she said with the slightest smile.

  Her life wouldn’t be in danger in the first place if it weren’t for me, Millie thought.

  “We need to leave,” Mace said, standing up.

  He pulled Millie to her feet. Lilly swiftly stood up with them.

  “Where are we going?” Millie asked, standing at the front door, with Mace holding her hand firmly.

  Lexi and Teal both came down the hallway with a backpack in either hand.

  “Away from here,” Teal said, opening the front door.

  Lexi followed him immediately after. Mace squeezed Millie’s hand as they left the safe house. Lilly closed the door behind them before catching up with Millie.

  “Everything will be okay,” she said, placing her hand on Millie’s shoulder. Millie smiled. They all stood at the end of the street in the darkness. In an instant, their wings ripped through their shirts. Millie gasped at the sight. They were beautiful and magnificent. Teal leaped into the sky. Lexi and Lilly followed.

  “I’ll protect you,” Mace said, holding tightly onto Millie.

  Millie stared into his eyes. He looked back with a smile. Millie laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. She could feel the wind rushing against her skin. She felt cold for a moment, and then the wind grew calmer. She slowly opened her eyes to see a glorious sight. Lexi was swooping between Teal and Lilly. She enjoyed spreading her wings. Lilly flew just in front of Millie. Her hair looked stunning, blowing in the wind. Teal fluttered his wings frequently as if to stretch them. Millie looked at Mace. He looked beautiful flying; he looked at home. Millie faced forward and watched in awe, marvelling at the Angels’ skin glowing in the moonlight.

  Millie’s eyes started to water as the constant wind blew into her eyes. They had been flying for a while. She wondered where they were going. She wanted to ask Mace, but he looked peaceful simply flying and Millie didn’t want to interrupt. Soon she could feel her body descending. She looked around and saw everyone else flying downward as well. Millie could now see the ground coming closer and closer to her. With a jolt, Mace landed. Millie opened her eyes and saw Lilly, Teal, and Lexi all retracting their wings. There were rips in their shirts from their wings. Millie stumbled when Mace placed her on the ground.